[LoneWolfGal]

I bought my $5K 2000 986 with the understanding that lots of maintenance and repairs would probably soon be needed. The car had 154K on the clock, but it had been exceptionally well maintained, as attested by a thick folder of service receipts that came with it. Nevertheless, so far I've replaced the water pump and thermostat for $89, the EVAP system regeneration valve for $57, and the heater core for $109. I did all the work myself, because I'm cheap (and truth be told, I enjoy wrenching on my cars). So it all depends on whether you do your own work.