KeithR3

NooB here in the 997 world. Is the 997 engine as bullet proof as the 993 engine? I'm interested in a 997S, high miles ok but want to be sure that the 997 or 996 is as reliable as the 993. Again I am a noob.

User 4621

Short answer is that the 993 engine is based on a sturdier block than the 997.

How much the engine block actually impacts the overall reliability of the car is open to debate.

997 has far more gizmos and electronic doo-dads that I would be more worried about.

OTOH, if I'm not mistaken a whole new 997 engine costs about the same as rebuilding a 993 engine.

997's are also still under warranty so sorting out any issues should be free.

I've owned both although the 997 for just a few weeks. So far, I love them both and you probably can't go wrong either way.

KeithR3

Pete,

Thank you for the response. I always read how indestructable a 993 engine is and wondered if the 997 is just as indestructable. I don't read too many 997's w/high miles like the 993. Thanks again!

dstrimbu

Well, Keith - the 993 has been on the road for a lot longer...

The 997, if not abused, should last as long as the aircooled 993 - if not longer. Thermal stresses on the engine are lower (bc heat distribution is more even), cooling is more efficient, and of course, the engine electronics are several orders of magnitude more modern.

It's my humble (semi-noob) opinion that the "best" Porsche is the one with a factory warranty.

That being said, I still want a 993 to compliment my 997S. <g>

Good luck!

-don

H20NOO

I agree with the 993 block and true dry sump configuration being more robust than the 997. However, it seems like most of the 997 engine failures I've read about occurred at low mileage (under 50k). If you find a high mileage car with a documented service history, you'll be in good shape. If the car is under warranty, PCNA has been very good about repairing or replacing defects. You could also buy an extended warranty for the car.

MC

KeithR3

Thanks for the responses. I guess my problem is not about affording a Porsche but about affording a Porsche is something goes wrong...like RMS, SAI, ect...

YA911Fan

So now if something goes wrong after the warranty, you pay $1000 to buy an electronics module instead of helping your mechanic make his boat payment!

User 4621

Hmmm, something can always go wrong, and no Porsche is cheap to fix.

If you have a fixed lump sum to work with, get a cheaper 993 and bank the rest for maint and repairs. A '95 is especially good because it's OBDI thus no SAI issues. Also less depreciation with a 993, while 997's are still in free fall.

If you are financing, get something with a warranty IMO.

Either way, keep in mind that routine maintenance can be expensive too, $200 oil changes, $1.5k tire changes, etc.

dstrimbu

Well, yeah... but not bc the electronics are any more expensive. I think that the early Motronic ECUs probably cost the same as today's part in equivalent dollars.

There's just so many more electronic controls in these cars that the potential for failure is greater overall... think about it - used to be that switches and relays would go bad, and you would replace them.

Today, it's a MOST Bus module that costs x-thousand dollars. Like Porsche engines today, these are field-replaceable units and are "not" repairable. Or, at least, that's what they'd like you to think.

That's why I said that the best 911 is the 911 with a warranty. <g>

Edgy01

Porsche made a change in their philosophy with respect to the introduction of the 996 and 997 cars. They finally realized that the vast majority of 911 Porsche buyers were not boy racers and more disturbed about oil seeps. They went with an engine that is more related to the water-cooled Boxster ones (just more displacement) and eliminated a lot of things that just weren't necessary today in a water-cooled nearly-daily driver. I don't think I miss the massive oil reservoir that now only comes with the 997TT, GT3 and GT3RS cars. I don't mind at all. These things are modular now, and designed to be R&Red quickly as a unit. It's going to be some time before anyone can accurately tell us the reliability of 997 engines compared to the 993s. But for the numbers of cars they're producing it appears that they are extremely reliable,--far more than the 993s in their day.

David A

GT3's and Turbo's only have a block that is based on a modified 964 case.

YA911Fan

I miss the mechanical sounds of the old engine. I miss the aroma. I even miss the dipstick.

MMD

IMO, You're not going to get a used/rebuilt 993 engine that is more reliable than a "new" warrentied 997S engine.

Also, I would not make reliability a factor in deciding between a 993 and a 997. The older car can give you alot more PITA than a newer one: not ONLY an engine-related PITA.

Alongside all if this: If you're looking to have minimal expen$e$ do NOT get a Porsche.

It's a "you-wanna-play-you-gotta-PAY" sort of deal. If you can't or would rather die than to drop a load of cash into the car for "no reason" to get it repaired then do NOT buy one.

It's kinda like rolling dice. Do you feel lucky? The good thing is most Porsche owners ARE lucky: nothing really bad happens to _most_ 993 owners and 997 owners once the individual cars issues are sorted out.

timnitti

Everybody consistently talks about the high cost of maintaining a Porsche, but I'm not really buying it on the current crop of Porsche vehicles.

You've got to look at total cost of ownership, and when you do things look pretty sweet if you're sitting in a Porsche. For example, I had a Honda S2000 before I bought my C2S. It required (and they were truly serious about this, remember these things redline at 9k) an oil change every approx. 3k miles. The Honda dealer charged about $200 per oil change. With the 997 I won't wait for the 20k mark per Porsche's recommendations, but I will let it got to 10k miles between oil changes. If you did that with an S2k it would self destruct. I had a BMW 330i before that and I think that also was on about a 3k mile oil change cycle.

The Honda never had any fixes that were non-warranty-covered (typical of Honda quality), but the BMW certainly did ... and the repairs weren't cheap. I haven't spent a dime on repairs on my Porsche in about 1 1/2 years of ownerships, the thing is rock solid. This means a lot beyond simply the repair bills ... every time I have to deal with the hassle of getting a car fixed because something went wrong, the time I spend frankly matters more than the cost of getting it fixed.

The driving dynamics are so fabulous on the 911 that it's easy to just focus on that and miss the point that these are also tremendously well engineered cars with outstanding reliability and cost-effective maintenance costs. Sure, blow an engine and it's going to cost you, but I've driven the hell out of mine for a year and a half ... short of over-reving on a downshift or actually crashing the car these things are built to stand some real heavy use.

blk on blk

I would go with the newest car I could afford. I had an engine grenade in my 996. Porsche replaced it under warranty and the car was fantastic. If you're worried about something going wrong then I am not sure what car is right for you. I mean everyone talks like there has never been a Toyota ever spend a day in the shop, but they are recalling cars and replacing engines like crazy these days. Something can and will eventually go wrong. If you have bought the newest car there is a good chance you will have warranty. Anyway, I always recommend buying a Porsche no matter the model, but if it is going to cause financial ruin if something goes wrong then you probably should get something new for your budget that has full warranty.