[seacow2001]

Originally Posted by opus69

Buying a 986 is not the hard part. Affording ownership is the challenge. I bought a 2002S 4 yrs. ago with expectations that it would likely need some work It had under 30K mi. This car was in excellent condition for it's age. The only info I could get other than owner's maintenance log was talking to Porsche service tech from last documented service. He said RMS leaked. During the four years of ownership I have replaced the top, all 4 wheel bearings, parts of top opening mechanism, clutch, RMS, IMS bearing, pilot bearing, lower rear control arms, all 4 rotors, brake pads, thermostat, AOS, Various hoses, coolant, LCD face on climate control, engine mount, transmission mounts, 2nd gear detent, wiper blades, two sets of tires, 2 keys w transponders, brake line flush and numerous oil changes. Oil changes alone can be up to $300 at Porsche dealer. If unable to do most of this myself I probably could not or would not afford this car. Was all this absolutely necessary? Probably not. This is a high performance auto and equipment failure at speed is not an option. I have only put a little over 20K mi as a daily driver. Is it worth it? Fortunately I enjoy working on this car and find that doing this maintenance is part of the fun of ownership. Drive one and you will know.

Thank you for your input and wisdom. This actually echos my concern with the rms, ims. Maybe I will hold off a year until I can budget more than 3k a year before buying one. Any that I buy will def take off money from asking price for ims and rms as well as clutch if not done.