[thom4782]

There are two types folks here...1) wrench turners who can tackle even the most complicated repairs and 2) those who pay indies and dealers to fix their cars. They see the world differently.

I was in group 2 and drove my 01S for many years as a daily driver. When things broke, I paid someone else to fix the problem. The car and I parted ways at about 165K miles when the labor costs to replace the internal chain rails were greater than $6K, more than 5 times the cost of parts. Made no sense on a car with those miles given cumulative wear and tear on all systems.

My point is this. The labor costs will kill group 2 wallets faster than the costs of parts. This makes it more important for group 2 people to be more proactive in maintaining their cars. For example, if one can swap out an engine on their own, there's little need to address the IMS problem until the clutch needs replacing. On the other hand, if one needs to pay a shop to replace the engine, then addressing the IMS issue early makes sense if one intends to keep the car for many years to come.

It all comes down to several things: 1) your skills, 2) your willingness to take risks and 3) the size of your wallet. For me, I replaced my 986 with a 9 out of 10 condition 32 year old 951. Different feel, different look, but just as enjoyable for me.

986s aren't so unique or so rare that they aren't easily replaceable these days. Porsche has made them a commodity that is really fun to drive.