Re: Porsche Cost (was Trap. arm)

["Barton P. Chambers" <bchambers@atlantic.nos.noaa.gov>]

Hi there, Boys & Girls 
> > My VW ate suspension parts, my Audi eats suspension parts, do Porsches do
> > the same thing?

NO!

> When I was looking for the rear tie-rod ends for my 4000 SQ, and complained
> about the price of it - the complete assembly costs C$370.00, and the ball
> joint end can not be had separately - the dealer said, that a ball joint for
> a Porsche costs about C$2,000.00 to C$3,000.00, as it comes complete with
> the arm. I think, that control arm is a forged aluminum piece.
> Remember that when you will lust after a used Porsche!

My bullsh*t detector just about self-destructed when this message came in!

No knock on Peter, but his mechanic is smoking something that he ought to
get him to share with his friends <g>.  My latest Performance Products 
catelog, Page 133, lists OEM Ball Joints & Tie Rods, as follows:

Ball Joint
911, 912		      1965-68		$99.50 ea
911, 912, 914	  1969-71		$49.95 ea
911, 912E, 914	 1972-89		$55.50 ea
911, 912, 914	  1969-71		$49.95 ea

Outer Tie Rod End
911, 912, 912E	 1965-89		$20.95 ea
914-4 914-6, 	  1970-76		$20.95 ea

911s thru 89 use A-arms and Struts in front, and Very beefy Trailing Arms 
in the rear.  From the same page;

A-arms (OEM)
911, 912	(L)	      1969-73		$399.50 ea
911, 912	(R)	      1969-73		$399.50 ea
911, (L)    	      1974-89		$358.75 ea
911, (R)    	      1974-89		$358.75 ea

The rear Trailing Arms are very robust, and I've never heard of anyone
breaking one.  911s can be expensive if you bust something, but
they are *Very* sturdy, *very* well built (basically hand-assembled), and
if well maintained, are basically trouble free.  Being air-cooled, you also
avoid all the water-pumper problems.  The most serious weakness I'm aware
of is the Tranny, which has, IMHO, a very P*ss poor synchro design.  
A tranny is easily damaged by ham-fisted, and is very expensive to repair.
Even for do-it-yourselfer, as the Gears alone, are very expensive.  BUT,
I have found my Syncro (basically a 4000-Q) to be more expensive to drive!

YNNV, but don't believe that you can afford to own a Q car, but a P car
would be too expensive.  To own both, IMHO, is the best of all possible
worlds.

Cheers,

Bart Chambers
'77 Feline Varmint Felix, Gray Tabby
'86 Carrera Cabriolet, Guards Red
'87 Syncro (Stealth Quattro)