considering 996 for daily/backup track car

[DanB]

I'm thinking of replacing the s2000 with something a little quieter for my 120-mile/day commute. S2k is one of my fave modern cars ever, but the wind noise is fatiguing and is I think giving me permanent ringing in my ears

I'd like to get a quieter fixed-roof sports car, and the 996 seems like it might work. Not too too heavy (though not exactly light), ~300hp, rear-engine weirdness might be fun

I am concerned about potentially engine-destroying IMS and D-chunk issues. Apparently IMS bearing failure is much less likely on earlier cars, 1999-mid-2001, as they have a dual-row bearing. Reportedly ~1/8th the failure rate. D-chunk issue, I dunno...

Anyway, if anyone has any informed words of wisdom, or other suggestions, I'm listenin'

[breakaway500]

How about a hard top for the S2000? I Googled it and found this… http://www.carid.com/2004-honda-s2000-b ... oCCcDw_wcB

[962porsche]

if it were me I would do a 996 AWD .
yes they do have some weight to them but they do not feel like a heavy car when your driving it .

the thing with Porsche's is miles your going to be putting on the car every day . they can handle the miles ez but the oil changes will kill you with the amount of oil it takes . then there is the cost of tires too you have to think about . the tires in the sizes front and rears for the car are not cheap for a commuter car . fuel mileage should be about the same for the 996 as it is for the s2000 .

the running cost will be twice of what it is for a s2000 .

[DanB]

How about a hard top for the S2000? I Googled it and found this… http://www.carid.com/2004-honda-s2000-b ... oCCcDw_wcB

Those aren't so hot, apparently. Only hardtop I'd consider would be the Honda one, and they're super-expensive with all the hardware, there's two guys asking $3200 at s2ki.com for tops with everything to mount.

[breakaway500]

$3200….a LOT cheaper than any Porsche I have ever seen,unless it has been run over by a bulldozer.. I figured if you really liked your S2000,the HT would be a viable solution to the wind noise etc issue…but maybe...you just want a Porsche...

[DanB]

if it were me I would do a 996 AWD .
yes they do have some weight to them but they do not feel like a heavy car when your driving it .

Meh, no need for awd as far as I'm concerned. 2wd with 62% of the weight on the drive wheels should be no prob this winter

the running cost will be twice of what it is for a s2000 .

Tires shouldn't be that bad if on 17" wheels, though, 205/50-17 fronts and 255/40-17 rears. Oil/fuel/tire costs don't worry me at all. Possible engine carnage does concern me...

[962porsche]

all I'm going to say is you have never driven a 996 in the winter weather have you .
the motor being in the rear like a bug in no way give them the traction like a bug as the tires are so wide even a dusting of snow they climb right on top of it .
it's more then just the rear wanting to step out with any amount of gas you give it the front does not like to turn also in bad weather .
with the AWD you will get non of that . you can just run all seasons and you will get a great car in all weather .
just saying it's worth looking into AWD . I have owned both and by far the AWD is much better !


your not looking at 6 QT oil changes any more with a 996 it's 18 QT's .

the 996 is a great car you will love it .
with me it was one of only a hand full of cars I wish I did not sell .
right now the price is about as low as they will go before the prices start to climb up on them again so they are good deals with buying one now .


you know another great Porsche is the cayman S .
the car felt very balanced with real good power all and all just a great car .
one thing about 911's is when people buy some thing like a boxster they always give an excuse as to why they did not buy a 911 . with the Cayman it's not like that at all . I have owned two boxsters and a boxster S they are very good cars but they are just not 911's . so people do not give them the respect as they do with the 911's .

[DanDarcy]

Hi Dan; I have owned several 996s, The engine problem is a real serious one , when the shaft bearing lets go the whole motor is junk and not rebuild-able. I had a 2002 2wheel drive non S model blow up at 40K--$15,000 for a new motor and Porsche won't help even though they know they have a problem. There is a fix for the motor but you have to do it before the bearings let go. I just got rid of my last 996, That was a X50 twin Turbo AWD. I drove it in the snow many times, put 14K miles on in the past 3 years, was not bad on tires (rear were 315s), very quiet inside compared to my Corvette or Loti. But it under-steered when pushed hard into a corner. The 2wd feels much lighter and is more fun then the AWD but as Dave has pointed out the front end wants to straight in a light snow. The cars are very solid , well built, and comfortable but maintenance costs will be much more than double or triple the S2000. A complete service on the X50 Turbo runs about $3000 If I was buying one as a daily driver, I would buy the 2wd non S model with a manual 6 speed. Make sure the engine problem has been addressed. Buy as new a model as you can afford as the later models had less problems.

[4EyedFoxbody]

Hey just my 2 cents here but if you have any technical questions relating to anything Porsche my brother in law is a Master Porsche tech with 12+ years experience. Works for Chambers Porsche. We will be at WGI on the 8th and 9th so if you want to look him up and pick his brain...

[brucesallen]

DAN! You need MORE cars. 1. Track, 2. Street, 3. Winter, 4. Wife's 5. Just to look at.

[DanB]

Hi Dan; I have owned several 996s, The engine problem is a real serious one , when the shaft bearing lets go the whole motor is junk and not rebuild-able. I had a 2002 2wheel drive non S model blow up at 40K--$15,000 for a new motor and Porsche won't help even though they know they have a problem.

Are you aware of the class-action lawsuit? You may well be entitled to partial reimbursement for your expenses. IF it blew up within 10 years of being put into service. I think it's prorated up to 120k miles. If you bought new or CPO with warranty, you'd get 100% of expenses covered. If bought used, 25%. Still a big wad o cash...
http://rennlist.com/forums/boxster-and- ... -12-a.html

There is a fix for the motor but you have to do it before the bearings let go. I just got rid of my last 996, That was a X50 twin Turbo AWD. I drove it in the snow many times, put 14K miles on in the past 3 years, was not bad on tires (rear were 315s), very quiet inside compared to my Corvette or Loti. But it under-steered when pushed hard into a corner. The 2wd feels much lighter and is more fun then the AWD but as Dave has pointed out the front end wants to straight in a light snow. The cars are very solid , well built, and comfortable but maintenance costs will be much more than double or triple the S2000. A complete service on the X50 Turbo runs about $3000 If I was buying one as a daily driver, I would buy the 2wd non S model with a manual 6 speed. Make sure the engine problem has been addressed. Buy as new a model as you can afford as the later models had less problems.

I think the only way to address it is to just swap the bearing out periodically. The '99-'00, maybe early '01 models had a dual-row bearing that is supposedly less likely to fail. Like 1% vs. 5-10% failure rate for '01-'05.

[DanB]

Hey just my 2 cents here but if you have any technical questions relating to anything Porsche my brother in law is a Master Porsche tech with 12+ years experience. Works for Chambers Porsche. We will be at WGI on the 8th and 9th so if you want to look him up and pick his brain...

Will do, thanks!

[DanB]

all I'm going to say is you have never driven a 996 in the winter weather have you .
the motor being in the rear like a bug in no way give them the traction like a bug as the tires are so wide even a dusting of snow they climb right on top of it .

I've driven through every winter since 2007 in the S2000 (49/51 weight distribution) on 225s. Massive fun on winter tires I'd probably run 205/50-17 and 235/45-17 winter tires on a 911.

just saying it's worth looking into AWD . I have owned both and by far the AWD is much better !

Will keep an open mind, but honestly I still think I'd prefer rwd.

your not looking at 6 QT oil changes any more with a 996 it's 18 QT's .

???!! Should be 9-10 quarts, no?

the 996 is a great car you will love it.

Yeah, I think I would...

[962porsche]

I think your right it's like 9 QT's with the stock oil cooler .
I swaped out the oil cooler on the AWD 996 and it added 4 more QT's .

it was my 930 that took the 16 QT's of oil .

sorry I have owned way to many porsches to remember .

if your going to run snows the car in rwd should not be to bad .
I just ran a performance all season .
my 996 AWD had 18's not 17's on it .

what I liked about the awd was it had just a touch of under steer at turn in and just a touch of over steer at track out . it was very drivable .
like I said it's one of only a hand full of cars I should never have sold !
it never gave me any trouble and was just a great car !
one thing I never like was the tray in the center console would never hold any thing in it . any thing I would put in it would end up in between the seats and then was a PITA to get it out .
the car was silver and the birds love crapping on it . I could part that car with cars all around it and with out a dough by the end of the day it would be the only car in the lot with crap all over it . it was so bad I would keep detail spray behind the seat . it's the only car I ever had to do that to .

the only other cars I wish I never sold was my 1st gen M3 and my mazda A-Z1 . the M3 was a one year only orange/red color and the A-Z1 I'm sure is the only one in the US .

[DanB]

the only other cars I wish I never sold was my 1st gen M3 and my mazda A-Z1 . the M3 was a one year only orange/red color and the A-Z1 I'm sure is the only one in the US .

OMGs, I MUST have one!