QuestionHello, I am looking at purchasing a 1996 911 turbo from an insurance company. It needs a new engine wiring harness due to an electrical fire. The engine is said to have no internal damage,or structural damage. My question is, how much trouble would it be to change this harness out. I wonder why the company chose to total out the vehicle. Any info would help greatly. Thank you.
AnswerHi Jason,
Your question is: "How much trouble would it be to change this harness out?"
Since I've never owned a 911, especially one that is so computer controlled as a '96 would be, I may not be the right guy to answer your question. I'd certainly get a second opinion from a mechanic at a local shop.
Ask them the same question...and after his/her eyes stop rolling in their head and they stop laughing in German, explain that your dad left you gazillions of $$$ and your way of contributing to society is to give needy Porsche mechanics money for their children's college years.
If you get them to even ballpark the effort you'll soon get an idea how many hours a pro would take doing this job. And then you can analyze the result assuming you'd be doing the work.
The reason the insurance company totals these cars is that the computer is the brain and the engine is the heart of the car. Imagine asking your doctor how hard it would be to swap out all your arteries, veins, etc. They're everywhere.
Yep it'll be tedious and frustrating. But I'd do it. I've got a wiring harness in the garage that when laid out spreads 4' by 6' and it goes to a 2003 Dodge Cummins diesel engine I'm going to swap into a truck that's never had a computer within a hundred miles of it.
This decision is all yours. If you have patience it'll work. If you assume it'll be easy, it'll never work.
By the way...how much are you paying for the car?
Dave
