MoeMonney

These are toys that are expensive to maintain especially if something goes wrong. I love the driving experience the 996 gives but it hasn't been cheap over all for me either. Especially after having BBi do a suspension package for my car. Life is too short to drive boring cars. My next purchase will be a Tesla. I would say search for the toy you truly love and take this as a learning experience but don't let it sway you from having another Porsche if thats truly what you want.

Prelude Guy

Empirically, of course what I said is true. That's the main reason why I own a 996! I wouldn't be here if these cars were reliable. Might sound funny, but it's true. The idea of rebuilding the horrific M96 to be better by increasing displacement, while fixing most of the design flaws, is why I'm here.

Findng a 986 or 996 as a roller is not a difficult task. They pop up all the time. They are approaching being almost as common as finding a V6 Honda/Acura with a blown transmission.

Show me any other cars that are as easy to find as a roller? Even the 350Z with their notorious VQ35DE engines aren't as easy to find with a blown engine.

Of all the cars that compete with the 996, most are driven harder. The 996 owners tend to pamper them. Not true for Corvettes, E36 and E46 M3's, 350Z, Mustangs, etc.

Most of the 996s with engine failure happen on cars that aren't tracked. Most fail under 3500 RPM. Lol From the data, it's actually better to rev them!

TexSquirrel

Sorry to hear.
Good luck with your next vehicle!

sgt1372

Sorry to hear of your misfortune, OP.

This type of "report" (which seems all too common; more so at least for this than other cars that I own (including my 335i which has been known to have wastegate problems that also blows up engines) just gives me the "heebie jeebies" about the "wisdom" of buying my 2000 C4 Cab, which hasn't given me any inkling of any engine problems "yet."

I do note that the problem arose duing a track day, which give me some solace because I will never track my car but I do drive it very fast/aggressively on occasion and sh*t does happen. So, who knows what'll happen the next time I decide to push it.

Which is why I'm still of a mind to buy a 996TT and sell/trade in my 996 for it. Just need to find a TT in the right color/configuration/price/condition. Been looking for awhile and will continue to do until I find the "right" car for me.

yaz996

I know the feeling all too well.

Imo000

Sorry to hear this, what a crappy way to end all this.

These cars are now better if owned by those that do all their own repairs otherwise the owner can get upside down in it really fast.

jsaindc

Mark sorry to hear about this. I remember seeing you at PCA Potomac autocrosses many years ago. My first 996, a 2002, had a failed freeze plug back in 2006, luckily was still under warranty. After that though I decided to go back to 944s for awhile, back then they we really cheap, not so much now. Good luck!

808Bill

Really sad the way this all played out, sorry!
I might just keep my spare motor as a back up...

sgt1372

I don't do any of my own repairs and don't "mind" going upside down into a car that I really like (like my 335i that I'm "into" for about $26k (original purchase price $16k and about $10k in "upgrades" -- talk about upside down, LOL!!) but I don't want to own a car that is going to BLOW UP on me and cost me a new engine and $15-20K to fix.

Still have this "worry" about my 996 which, as much as I like the car, if I can find the "right" 996TT for the "right" price, I'd be happy to sell/trade in my 996 for it in an instant.

Just hope that my 996 doesn't "blow up" in the meantime. LOL!

Dr_Strangelove

Fellas, fellas. We can rationalize this however we want, but at the end of the day you all know we are all sick in the head one way or another. Even Mark himself said after all of this he's going to look for a 9A1.

Mark - I don't know you but you deserved better. Happy roads ahead.

Mark Hubley

Thanks to everyone for the comments of support. Yup, it's been rather painful. However, here I am in the middle of all the garbage going on in the world, and I am employed and healthy! Always look on the bright side of life!

Lowpue--I agree 100% with your comments about reliability vs. performance. My wife and I have a 2003 Toyota Tacoma that she bought new. It now has something over 560,000 miles and runs quite well with the original motor. It hasn't been abused, but it hasn't led a pampered life either. It was my wife's work truck (she is an equine veterinarian) for 15 years; now it is a farm beater. We did have to replace the transmission and the power steering rack sometime after 400K, and those are pretty much the only major problems we had. That being said, I don't think I would derive any enjoyment at all from taking it out on Road America!

I expect my one-and-only child will graduate from college in 2022. Maybe I will get back into the Porsche and/or track game at that time. Yesterday I took the proceeds from the 996 and put them toward the purchase of a 2017 GTI (notice the updated signature). So, that will be a little fun to play with.

Woodman71

Sorry to hear this - at least you had fun and used the car to its fullest potential.

I thought I might track my 996 when I bought it, but now I might just keep enjoying it on the roads...

Maybe I'll buy a Miata for the track.

yelcab

I read these threads here and I noted a trend. One takes a 996 on a track and one eventually pay the consequences. As much as we all like to think that the Porsche engineers design these cars for the track, they don't. Take your GT3 to the track, it's made for that purpose. Keep your 996 on the streets, it's made for that purpose.

Mark, you had fun. Time to move on with a different car. Good luck.

Dr_Strangelove

Oh my brother yelcab, the GT3's go "pop" as well. I think the trend you're noticing is "One takes a car on a track..."

My favorite quote: "Which part of 'Porsche Racing' did you think was going to be cheap? The Porsche part? Or the Racing part?"

lowpue

You are totally right .... Even Formula 1 cars which are probably the best engineered race cars in the world fail quite often on the track.