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Porsche 911: Six Month Report

Overview

Writing about the 911 was planned from the beginning.  To that end, I'm periodically recording my thoughts and experiences regarding what it's like to live with a 10 year old Porsche on a daily basis.  Without further ado, here's the six month report.

Maintenance & Repairs

One of the goals of this little adventure is to see how much it costs to operate a 911 on a daily basis.  As mentioned earlier, this car is not a garage queen.  It's used as...well...a car.  As such, it not only has to put a smile on my face as we cruise through the canyons, it must get me to work and back reliably.  In the first six months of ownership, the following work was performed:

Pre-Purchase

  • Replace AOS (symptom - oil leak) 
  • Install new clutch kit (clutch disk, pressure plate, throwout & pilot bearings, shift fork)
  • Replace left AC condenser
  • Replace window regulator
  • Replace accessory belt & idler pulleys
  • Replace grounding strap

Unexpected Repairs

  • Ignition coils.  Proactively replaced plugs.  Cost after warranty - $290
  • Water pump.  Proactively replaced thermostat.  Cost after warranty - $580

 Maintanence

  • Oil change.  $130
The work performed as a result of the pre-purchase inspection would have cost ~5K at the dealer.  It was done free of charge for me by the seller, Carmax.  Without the warranty, the coils & water pump would have cost $1000 and $1500, respectively.  The unexpected repairs could have cost me less, but it would have been silly not to proactively replace the plugs and thermostat.  The above seems like a lot because it is.  It drives home the importance of a PPI and maintenance records.  Had a PPI not been performed, the 5K for the work specified in the first set of bullets would have come out of my account.  Likewise for the service records.  This car was in need of some deferred maintenance that was fortunately covered by the warranty.  In lieu of service records proving the required maintenance has been performed, I'd strongly recommend a warranty to cover the cost of anything that pops up.  Better yet - get both.

Executive Summary - total cost: $7500, out-of-pocket: $1000.

The Drive

Now that the bean counting is out of the way, it's time to address the question - "How's it do as a daily driver"?  The answer is - quite well.  The 911 has a reputation for being easy to live with on a daily basis.  Based on my experience over the last six months, that reputation is well deserved.  It's a bit loud over certain surfaces, but cruises comfortably on the highway.  I'd drive this car across the country with no reservations.  In addition to being a fantastic cruiser, it's a capable canyon carver.  I'll run out of guts long before the car runs out of grip.  It's unobtrusive enough that I can part it almost anywhere and slides under the radar most of the time.  My STi received *much* more negative attention, both from the local constabulary and bone-headed drivers of other fast metal.  I've only been challenged once at a stoplight & it was from an older gentlemen in a brand new Jaguar F-type Coupe R.  Unwilling to boost his ego, I refused to bite.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I'm satisfied with the purchase.  It's both a pleasure to commute in anda blast to fling around our local mountain roads.  The repairs can largely be attributed to deferred maintenance.  Frankly, I was expecting stuff like that to pop up and bought the warranty to lessen the sting.  Hopefully, it treats me well over the next six months.

 

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