I always enjoy these threads
Phil is spot on :thumb: Don't but a 15 year old performance car of any type and not expect to lay out some cash to keep it healthy! There is obviously a risk of needing to shell out some serious wedge with these cars if you are unlucky! A quick (unscientific) test of all 3.8 997's on sale on Autotrader results in 6 out of 251 referencing Hartech, and 13 of 251 referring to a rebuild of some sort, consistent with the theory that bore scoring affects a fairly small percentage of these engines.
I bought my car 3 1/2 years ago, I was aware of the potential for engine issues, but ultimately buying a 911, like many things, is an emotional decision, so the risk factor went out of the window! Fortunately I ended up paying less than I had original intended for the car, so when it was diagnosed with bore scoring 6 months after buying it, painful as it was, I was sort of prepared for it! Man maths convinced me that a £10k outlay that gave me a good as new (well better really) engine, plus adding a little value to a car that holds it's value much better than anything else out there already for similar money, made it a little easier to bear!
I bought a brand new Merc 15 years ago for my ex :? sold it after three years and lost more than it cost me for my engine rebuild (much more), a car that brought me no pleasure whatsoever!
My advice, buy a 997 with your eyes wide open, buy it anyway and drive the nuts off, be prepared for some big bills, but enjoy :thumb: :thumb: