otterteeth

Hello Everyone,

The folks over at the Pelican Parts forums said I should post this here too...

I am in dire need of advice. I bought a 2003 C2 about 3 weeks ago. It has 80k miles and is in good condition. A few days ago the IMS decided to self-destruct. Catastrophic engine failure. The shop says I need to replace the engine. I have yet to make a payment on the car and the dealer will not help out.

I'm devastated. What should I do? Should I try to sell it? If so, where could I sell it and how much can I expect as a fair price? Or, should I keep it and fix it? Should I fix it myself with an ebay rebuilt engine? Like this one: https://goo.gl/Ukcu7e

Thanks in advance for your advice. I truly appreciate it.

Paul Waterloo

Wow, I'm sure you are devastated. We feel for you.

There are many choices, the one you posted is an interesting one that I don't recall seeing before. However, there is RND engines ($$$), Flat Six Inovations ($$$, long lead time due to backlog), and Martin out of Florida.....MB motorsports. Pros and cons to all.

Here is a quick link to MB: https://treasure.craigslist.org/pts/6146280526.html

Where are you located?

RRTEC

Sell. Sorry to hear about that, that is pretty crappy. I would part out the engine parts and transmission then sell the chassis to try and recoup the rest.

OR: screw your credit up and just let it get repossessed. Sucks you are making payments.

996AE

sell it as a roller and take your losses

everyone knows the 996 is the worst gamble in the car buying world

we feel your pain but as we all know its a terrible car

996AE

1 post

uk

may 17 member

just sayin

sugarwood

Is the 996 more or less likely to grenade than the Boxster?

Dans996tt

1: give back to bank, mess up credit, loose down payment and tax.
2: sell, you would need to pay balance of loan and would loose down payment, tax etc.
3: fix, this sounds like the cheapest alternative.
Show us these numbers based on what you paid and what you owe.

dan_189

The engines share the same design so neither is more or less likely to be susceptible.

Have it replaced with an LN bearing make sure it hasn't started going already.

To the OP this sucks and Jake's PPI video just got posted which double sucks because it may have saved you.

TonyTwoBags

Now is not a good time to loose your patience. Fix it & rebuild to 4.0L and redo the suspension to handle the increased power. Your going to thank me later. For all intensive porpoises, its just the beginning.

dan_189

If the car is financed I don't think upgrading to a 4.0L and all the suspension is a wise financial idea for the OP or they would have paid for it outright? THis is only a guess...

Again OP i'd focus on sourcing a good used engine, check the oil before purchase and have the garage swap it out.

That its the cheapest option or part it out to get your money back.

Turbodan

sorry to hear. the dealer or at least the guy who sold it to the dealer knew this was about to happen. They probably found metal bits in the oil filter and decided to pass the problem on to someone else. That sucks.
Good luck!

mrjonger

This hits so many RL 996 forum hot buttons I thought it was a troll too. But I see the Pelican thread, so assuming it's real, really sorry for your loss.

I'd research that Vertex motor more thoroughly because it sounds like a good deal. $9K motor that addresses some of the known failure points. Say it's $3K to install at the shop, that's $12K and I get the car back. Add $7K for roller value, and you get a $19K sale price breakeven.

If you paid more than $19K, fixing is cheaper and vice versa. If this is your daily, factor in the cost of having to get a replacement ride if decide not to fix. These are made up numbers, you should do some research and fill it in for yourself. Good luck.

808Bill

How much cash on hand do you have to invest in a motor?
I might be tempted to tow it to the dealer you bought it from and leave it...

billh1963

I'd say it's real. I told him to post over here. Raby has posted several stories of buyers with cars that blow up within days of purchase. Certainly nothing new with that scenario.

In my opinion the OP should buy a used engine and go that route. Otherwise, sell the car and take the loss. If the car was finance he probably doesn't have the cash for a RND engine and cost to replace.

996AE

Sell it as a roller.

These posts help hold down the 996 cars value. 29 modes of failure and counting. Worse car ever. Call your local indy for 10k worth of work and your car will only have 19 modes of failure left.

I dont feel sorry for this guy or anyone else. You buy a used car as is. Risky 996 buys are not a new thing. Its not like this is a fresh story.

If this was a Honda or Toyota I would feel bad for the guy. But come on, a used 996 with 80k on the clock.