OK so I'm adding up the costs for running a 997 for 2 years.
Discussion
(I've posted this @911uk.com too, not sure where the best advice will come from!)
OK so I'm adding up the costs for running a 997 for 2 years... (Haven't bought one yet so not sure how long I'll keep it.)
Assuming I'll be running <6000 miles/year, and in 1st 2 years I'll need 1x major service and 2x MOT's (Fuel/Tax/Insurance not shown)
Values taken from respective websites, VAT included.
1. Hartech Lifetime maintenance plan: Covers labour charges but not parts. Plan includes 1x service + 2x MOT's
Year1: £650 upfront (gold major service) + £72 x 12 months = £1514
Year2: £72 x 12 months = £864
Total: £2378
2. Sports&Classic maintenance plan: Covers labour charges but not parts. Plan includes 1x service + 2x MOT's
Year1: £180 upfront (inspection) + £108 x 12 months = £1476
Year2: £72 x 12 months = £1296
Total: £2772
3. Porsche warranty: Covers labour charges & parts
Year1: 1x MOT (£40) + £216 upfront (111 point inspection) + £2395 (Warranty price) = £2651
Year2: 1x MOT (£40) + Major Service @ approved indy (Say, £500) = £540
Total: £3191
4. No warranty!
Upfront: I will fit third rad + LTT to minimise scored bores risk. £250 ish in parts
Year1: 1x MOT = £40
Year2: 1x MOT (£40) + Major Service @ approved indy (Say, £500) = £540
Total £830
Are my maths right? From this I'm not seeing quite the saving I expected over the full warranty
I live in Essex, Is there anyone in the South who runs a maintenance plan? They all seem to be 200 miles away !
OK so I'm adding up the costs for running a 997 for 2 years... (Haven't bought one yet so not sure how long I'll keep it.)
Assuming I'll be running <6000 miles/year, and in 1st 2 years I'll need 1x major service and 2x MOT's (Fuel/Tax/Insurance not shown)
Values taken from respective websites, VAT included.
1. Hartech Lifetime maintenance plan: Covers labour charges but not parts. Plan includes 1x service + 2x MOT's
Year1: £650 upfront (gold major service) + £72 x 12 months = £1514
Year2: £72 x 12 months = £864
Total: £2378
2. Sports&Classic maintenance plan: Covers labour charges but not parts. Plan includes 1x service + 2x MOT's
Year1: £180 upfront (inspection) + £108 x 12 months = £1476
Year2: £72 x 12 months = £1296
Total: £2772
3. Porsche warranty: Covers labour charges & parts
Year1: 1x MOT (£40) + £216 upfront (111 point inspection) + £2395 (Warranty price) = £2651
Year2: 1x MOT (£40) + Major Service @ approved indy (Say, £500) = £540
Total: £3191
4. No warranty!
Upfront: I will fit third rad + LTT to minimise scored bores risk. £250 ish in parts
Year1: 1x MOT = £40
Year2: 1x MOT (£40) + Major Service @ approved indy (Say, £500) = £540
Total £830
Are my maths right? From this I'm not seeing quite the saving I expected over the full warranty
I live in Essex, Is there anyone in the South who runs a maintenance plan? They all seem to be 200 miles away !
You will need to service at an OPC to keep the warranty active if you buy a porsche warranty. You might want to think about tyres as a cost depending on current condition and driving style. If you buy from OPc it will have warranty, sometimes the difference between an Indy price and OPC price is comparable to your costs to get the car under warranty. I would not run a 997 without one based on my experience over last 2 years
Edited by celticstevie on Friday 30th August 23:04
exigepete said:
I'm on my third 997, all have had Porsche Warranties. Two new, one used. Would definatley recommend buying an approved used car from an OPC to get the two year warranty. Peace of mind IMHO !
Another alternative is to buy a private car with a decent amount of Porsche warranty remaining - saving ££ on the OPC price.In this case you'd be wise to pay for a 111-point check prior to purchase which would identify any major items that required addressing either under warranty (which would be done for free) or other items (which would be factored into the purchase price)!
Firstly MOT maximum price is £54.35, which OPC's will be sure to charge in full.
Secondly, I'm pretty sure Hartech and S&C will service the car twice - they'd prefer (/ will insist) to see it every year as it's in their interests that they keep on top of anything rather than let it get worse and turn into a bigger job, which would cost them more to sort out. That's the fundamental difference with their plans - if something can be prevented it's in their interests to do it whereas an OPC is interested in how many hours they can bill for repairs.
The 3rd rad/LTT is worth doing anyway, and will reduce your risks even if on a maintenance plan, so worth considering having this done at the same time as the inspection/service for one.
Secondly, I'm pretty sure Hartech and S&C will service the car twice - they'd prefer (/ will insist) to see it every year as it's in their interests that they keep on top of anything rather than let it get worse and turn into a bigger job, which would cost them more to sort out. That's the fundamental difference with their plans - if something can be prevented it's in their interests to do it whereas an OPC is interested in how many hours they can bill for repairs.
The 3rd rad/LTT is worth doing anyway, and will reduce your risks even if on a maintenance plan, so worth considering having this done at the same time as the inspection/service for one.
IMHO All of your costs are minor compared to the depreciation cost over two years.
If I were you I'd be looking for a car that's for sale that has just been serviced and have at least 1 years OPC warranty - This would significantly reduce your running costs over two years and if it's a private sale too then that should mitigate any depreciation as you're not going to be paying a dealer margin!
If I were you I'd be looking for a car that's for sale that has just been serviced and have at least 1 years OPC warranty - This would significantly reduce your running costs over two years and if it's a private sale too then that should mitigate any depreciation as you're not going to be paying a dealer margin!
I agree. A well priced privately sold car, with the balance of an approved used warranty remaining, is (subject to inspection) the most cost effective way to do it. It does rather narrow down your choice of cars though, which is why I've never managed to achieve it, as money burns a hole in my pocket when I'm looking! 
My budget is 25k... OPC prices are out of my league!
Yes I plan to have a thorough PPI before buying anything, and the third rad+LTT will be done also.
Also I notice lots of cars in my range (05/06 reg) at EXACTLY 59000 miles. So I was adding up costs as if I bought a car privately, that are about need a big 60k service... But yes I am watching JZM/911V/Cridfords etc for anything I like but nothing yet.
The frustrating thing is that my dad runs an Service/MOT garage & has done so all his life.
My servicing could be free labour (I supply parts) but I fear a service book featuring my dad's name in the stamps would be a disaster for resale!
Although I am considering using him for Service/MOT's only, and have repairs done at respected indy. Not sure yet.
Yes I plan to have a thorough PPI before buying anything, and the third rad+LTT will be done also.
Also I notice lots of cars in my range (05/06 reg) at EXACTLY 59000 miles. So I was adding up costs as if I bought a car privately, that are about need a big 60k service... But yes I am watching JZM/911V/Cridfords etc for anything I like but nothing yet.
The frustrating thing is that my dad runs an Service/MOT garage & has done so all his life.
My servicing could be free labour (I supply parts) but I fear a service book featuring my dad's name in the stamps would be a disaster for resale!
Although I am considering using him for Service/MOT's only, and have repairs done at respected indy. Not sure yet.
Edited by dino_jr on Saturday 31st August 09:37
dino_jr said:
Are my maths right? From this I'm not seeing quite the saving I expected over the full warranty
I live in Essex, Is there anyone in the South who runs a maintenance plan? They all seem to be 200 miles away !
Your calculation of second year costs with Sports and classic are wrong, making the total cost too high also.I live in Essex, Is there anyone in the South who runs a maintenance plan? They all seem to be 200 miles away !
None of these calcs include consumables, which can run to several thousand over 2 years. A set of tyres, discs & pads will be the best part of 2 grand and you'll do well to avoid this cost in 2 years use. Consumables and depreciation will be considerable costs that you can't warrant against.
Plenty of reasonably priced specialists in the south. This together with your father on hand for MOT's and basic maintenance mean you should be able to "self-insure" and run it affordably as long as you buy well in the first place. OPC warranty may be more of a hinderance than anything else on a car at your budget, for example say it needs a new battery, you'd have to buy a carp OEM one for several hundred rather than a decent Bosch for less than a hundred. Just getting a £25k 997 to a OPC warrantable condition may well cost you a fair bit on top of the inspection cost, say for example the car you buy has already got that new battery, OPC may want you to change it before issuing warranty.
Some sellers like 911v have half-way house warranty options that can cover you in the event of catastrophic engine failure, but not run of the mill problems like leaky door membranes and PCM failure.
Good luck in your search.
Thanks for that Jibaro
You made a good point re: Porsche warranty. Cars at "my end" of the price scale are likely to need a larger upfront expense to make them eligible.
What mistake is in my S&C maths for year 2?
I left out tyres/consumables/depreciation as they apply to any option I take... I should point out I'm not trying to run a 997 on a tight budget; I have funds for more more expensive cars, and can afford parts & maintenance plans as necessary... Just trying to spend my money wisely!
Can anyone name a reputable specialist in the South East?
I did some digging yesterday and found "motoraid.com" are less than 1 mile from my house! Anyone have experience of them?
You made a good point re: Porsche warranty. Cars at "my end" of the price scale are likely to need a larger upfront expense to make them eligible.
What mistake is in my S&C maths for year 2?
I left out tyres/consumables/depreciation as they apply to any option I take... I should point out I'm not trying to run a 997 on a tight budget; I have funds for more more expensive cars, and can afford parts & maintenance plans as necessary... Just trying to spend my money wisely!
Can anyone name a reputable specialist in the South East?
I did some digging yesterday and found "motoraid.com" are less than 1 mile from my house! Anyone have experience of them?
are you looking at an s or non s, manual or auto, coupe or cab?
if you are looking to minimise risk, i would be looking at a slightly higher budget for a freshly serviced opc car with 2 years warranty and very little spend over your 2 years and 12k miles....
or here is an 08 S with loads of warranty left...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2013...
if you are looking to minimise risk, i would be looking at a slightly higher budget for a freshly serviced opc car with 2 years warranty and very little spend over your 2 years and 12k miles....
or here is an 08 S with loads of warranty left...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2013...
dino_jr said:
Thanks for that Jibaro
You made a good point re: Porsche warranty. Cars at "my end" of the price scale are likely to need a larger upfront expense to make them eligible.
What mistake is in my S&C maths for year 2?
I left out tyres/consumables/depreciation as they apply to any option I take... I should point out I'm not trying to run a 997 on a tight budget; I have funds for more more expensive cars, and can afford parts & maintenance plans as necessary... Just trying to spend my money wisely!
Can anyone name a reputable specialist in the South East?
I did some digging yesterday and found "motoraid.com" are less than 1 mile from my house! Anyone have experience of them?
The mistake is basic maths I think - 12x72=864 not 1276You made a good point re: Porsche warranty. Cars at "my end" of the price scale are likely to need a larger upfront expense to make them eligible.
What mistake is in my S&C maths for year 2?
I left out tyres/consumables/depreciation as they apply to any option I take... I should point out I'm not trying to run a 997 on a tight budget; I have funds for more more expensive cars, and can afford parts & maintenance plans as necessary... Just trying to spend my money wisely!
Can anyone name a reputable specialist in the South East?
I did some digging yesterday and found "motoraid.com" are less than 1 mile from my house! Anyone have experience of them?
If you have the funds you speak of then why not just have the car looked after by your preferred specialist and carry the risk of failure yourself? The stakes can be fairly high for a complete engine failure but the chances are pretty slim and you'll be saving over £500/year minimum.
Interesting topic.
I'm considering buying a special car next spring, and currently a 911 is top of the list.
I sat in a 56 plate 997 4S at Porsche Leicester on Saturday and absolutely loved it....apart from the £42k pricetag.
My budget would be similar to the OP's.
It seems like buying a 911 is a complete minefield unless you've got the cash to buy a car from a Porsche dealer and keep it to OEM spec and under warranty. Once they fall out of warranty, or require parts to get them back into OPC warranty condition, the values fall dramatically.
I certainly wouldn't contemplate buying one without a warranty that would definitely cover any bore scoring issues!
I'm considering buying a special car next spring, and currently a 911 is top of the list.
I sat in a 56 plate 997 4S at Porsche Leicester on Saturday and absolutely loved it....apart from the £42k pricetag.
My budget would be similar to the OP's.
It seems like buying a 911 is a complete minefield unless you've got the cash to buy a car from a Porsche dealer and keep it to OEM spec and under warranty. Once they fall out of warranty, or require parts to get them back into OPC warranty condition, the values fall dramatically.
I certainly wouldn't contemplate buying one without a warranty that would definitely cover any bore scoring issues!
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