996T Age takes it's toll

Pickse · 9 Apr 2018

Some may recall the trouble I had last year with corroded Tiptronic pipes causing me to breakdown in Belgium.
I wanted to avoid the experience of an unreliable car this year and so booked the car in to give it a good check over. Expecting to drop the engine and fix a couple of brake lines and weld those pesky bonded pipe joints in an effort to enhance reliability.
Below is a summary of things found. It makes pretty scary reading for a car I thought was in generally good nick.

----------------------
Bank 2 turbo charger has a hole in the centre housing, and Bank 1 heavily corroded. Also the manifold to turbo fixings and turbo heatshields are heavily corroded – See attached pictures
Nearside front outer CV Boot split. The 3 others are perished
Brake pipes from front splitter block including one across front axle heavily corroded
Underbody rear brake pipes heavily corroded
Coolant leak from underbody hoses
Gearbox end gaskets, and sump leaking ATF
Front damper bodies heavily corroded and play in offside when wheel on full droop
Both rear toe control arms have play in the ball joints
Front lower control arm bushes separating from arms
A wheel alignment would be required after the above three items
Slight oil leaks from around the chain housings, and chain guide pin washers
Scavenger pump lower unions heavily corroded
Fuel cap seal perished
Offside reverse light not working
Offside front wheel arch liner missing some fixings and insecure
Right hand spoiler ram leaking oil

ragpicker · 9 Apr 2018

I'm sure its no consolation but I've replaced every item on your list (plus many, many more) during the ownership of my turbo.

Not cheap cars to run, but what 15-20 year old supercar is?

Luckily I do a bit myself but things like the engine rebuild I had done, that was done by someone who knows what they're doing :thumb:

Fastlane · 9 Apr 2018

That is quite a list, but as has been said an old supercar is still a supercar, with supercar running costs.

I imagine you can work your way through some of those fixing/sourcing parts yourself? Has the garage provided a breakdown of cost to rectify each area?

Good luck!

Pickse · 9 Apr 2018

Thanks Andrew, some consolation.
To be fair in four years all I have 'had' to do is the water pump and the Tip pipes. Other than that just servicing.

You're right Fastlane some maintenance is only to be expected on a car of this age and complexity. But I was surprised the Turbo was rotted to the extent of having a hole in it!

Some of it will wait. Apparently the control arms & dampers are good for a while yet and I can manage to replace the filler cap and rev lamp bulb myself.

The garage did provide a price for each job. I'm just waiting on an aggregate price to do what I think are the important things now.
So two turbos, brake pipes, tip case leak and engine drop to access bonded hoses for welding and a replacement header tank.

Hopefully that will get me to Spa and back in May without AA assistance.

Still a brilliant car tho, and I'm still lovin' it :cloud9:

kas750 · 9 Apr 2018

Pretty standard fare on a car of that age so you shouldn't feel hard done to. :thumb:

New997buyer · 9 Apr 2018

Not a great list and will eat somewhat into any increase in value in the last couple of years. But on the upside the fundamental parts are okay. And what a machine it'll be once you've had that work done :thumb:

Surely a sign too you need to drive it more? :grin:

T8 · 9 Apr 2018

Ouch Steve.

Hopefully you'll be able to spread the pain over time and enjoy using the car in the best months of the year.

When it's all done you'll be

for another few years.

Enjoy Spa :thumbs:

cheshire911 · 9 Apr 2018

The turbo ain't a budget car. I've always been quick to highlight that fact.
And as they are getting on in age, they come to need attention and money spending.

What I'm wondering is why such items were not highlighted at each annual service?

I've put mine through a annual service at OPC Chester during my ownership and they go through it with a fine tooth comb and highlight anything that it needs doing. I then tell them to put anything right. I also use my local Indy to take some labour and inspect the car to highlight anything he thinks it needs doing and put it right.

Hopefully, I avoid a big list like the one shown and the costs on an ongoing basis are manageable instead of a service with £3k of advisory extras.

But of course some might see that as OPC or indy finding extra work.

snb993 · 10 Apr 2018

As above - mine has had all of those replaced in my 14 years of ownership so pretty standard i think as well

Gives a great opportunity to update/upgrade without resorting to too much man-maths! :grin:

Osh · 10 Apr 2018

Hi Pickse - did a lot of that list in my first year; ouch indeed.

As others have said - once done, what a great car it will be and it will be another 10-15 years before needing doing again.. :thumb:

Osh

gilessav · 10 Apr 2018

Ouch but atleast you know what now needs doing and when.

Having just had the brake lines effectively all replaced on the C4S I can testify that is not a trivial piece of work, the ones running across the front of the car in particular......bits are cheap, labour is not so hopefully you can negotiate a discount if they are pricing all the needed jobs now!

Marky911 · 10 Apr 2018

Ouch. As said, never nice news but that's what these cars cost to run.
Every hobby costs money I suppose.

I do always have to smirk when someone (I don't mean you here Pickse) pipes up about owning a 996 for a few years and it has needed nothing but servicing.
All that means is that they either A) haven't used it at all or B) Haven't had a good look around their car.

My 996 is 20 years old this year. I costs a lot. People who don't spend gradually, either end up with a big bill one day or they pass it on to the next owner.

Again as said you can source parts etc and do some of the easier jobs yourself. If you can't diy then unfortunately these cars cost a fortune to keep nice.

I shudder to think how much I'd have in mine if I gave every job to a specialist, bodyshop, interior guy etc.

markturner1960 · 10 Apr 2018

Oh dear, that's a long list....this is why I keep the underside of my car spotless and if it does get dirty, clean it straight away. I have had some mild stick about it, usual stuff about cars being for driving, not cleaning etc, but it still never fails to amaze me that people spend ages cleaning the paintwork and polishing it, yet it never occurs to them to do the same to the underside. Most of what you list would have been apparent long ago, or maybe avoided, if the underside was cleaned and protected regularly. I know it's not easy if you don't have access to a ramp etc, but you should try and make an underbody clean and lube a regular thing to keep these things at bay...

Pickse · 10 Apr 2018

Thanks for the thoughts guys.
And don't worry Kas, I'm not feeling hard done by. Didn't mean for it to come across that way.
To be fair given what I could see, even with the undertrays in place, I was concerned by the apparent level of corrosion visible, hence the inspection. So I'm not entirely surprised but as Chesire911 notes, I would have expected some comments from the annual services (Gearbox case leak excepted as this was noted).
As you say Paul, any apparent market value gain over the last few years is eroded but it's only a profit when you realise it, right? And I don't see me selling for some time yet!
Man Maths I can do, thanks snb993 but for the moment I'm going to put it all back as standard to make a reliable and enjoyable car. Can't deny I was hoping the turbos would last till an upgrade was possible but the timings not right.
In hindsight it seems I may have just got away with it for a few years or was unaware, unlike Osh, of what needed doing. Guess I took the lack of reports from service as a bill of good health.
But it will be a better car for the money spent and despite the cost, which is considerable as it's coming in one lump, I think it's an investment. I would not be happy with an unreliable car. Nor one I knew was not as good as it could be.
Anyway all done in a couple of weeks, then to Spa. Cheers Terry, :thumbs:

Robertb · 10 Apr 2018

Sort of a long list, looks like a 'worst case scenario' from a gimlet-eyed mechanic who's been asked to report on anything amiss. Some of the items are easy wins, like CV boot, fuel filler seal, light, wheelarch fasteners missing.

I bet the whole lot will cost less to sort than a routine cambelt service for an F355 that's gone nowhere.

996T Age takes it's toll

Pickse

Nurburgring

ragpicker

Portimao

Fastlane

Spa-Francorchamps

Pickse

Nurburgring

kas750

Zandvoort

New997buyer

Fuji

T8

Super Moderator

cheshire911

Portimao

snb993

Spa-Francorchamps

Osh

Paul Ricard

gilessav

Spa-Francorchamps

Marky911

Portimao

markturner1960

Monza

Pickse

Nurburgring

Robertb

Yas Marina

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