[thstone]

Expect to spend $500 - $1,000 after purchase to fix things that you feel have to be fixed.

Expect to pay around $2,000 per year for maintenance. Some years will be less and some years will be more. It will all average out over time. If it ends up being substantially less than $2K per year, consider yourself lucky.

Most of the value in a 986 is in how much life is left in the engine. The fewer miles, the higher the value. At 175,000 miles most people will consider the engine to be mostly worthless and in need of replacement at any time thereafter. Some engines last well over 200,000 but those are the exception. A car in need of a replacement engine will be worth ~$4K. Thus, your depreciation curve looks like a straight line from purchase mileage and price now to 175,000 miles and $4,000 in the future. How fast it depreciates simply depends on how many miles the car has when you buy it and how many miles you plan to drive during each year of ownership. This assumes that you generally keep up the appearance and maintenance.

Be sure to get a Pre-Purchase Inspection (PPI) from a reputable Porsche service shop before you buy any Porsche. This inspection will give you some idea of what repairs the car needs so you know what you're getting into. It will be the best $300 that you ever spend.