996 engine issues - warranty, slush fund or prevention?

[Heathwood]

Hi all,

First time posting in the Porsche section so please be gentle.

I'm seriously considering a 996 for my next car, almost certainly a facelift C2 or possibly C4S depending on how how much I decide to spend.

I'm happy to put aside a reasonable amount to keep it in top condition but, like most, having done a bit of research I find the potential for serious engine problems rather scary.

I'm trying to work out whether it's better to undertake some preventative maintenance (from replacement IMS to, perhaps, a Hartech overhaul), just run it, hope for the best and deal with it if I'm one of the unlucky few to have a failure or try to find a competively priced warranty that's worth more than the paper it's written on.

If for example, it would cost say £3k for someone to upgrade / engineer our the weaknesses, that might be worth it if it potentially saved a £10k bill following an IMS failure. However, if the saving was only say £2k, it would seem better to take my chances.

Hope this isn't a stupid question. Its not my intention to turn this thread into yet another IMS etc moan at all; just looking for some honest advice from people who have probably had the same consideration.