Ratio between driving and wrenching time

[Thom]

As these cars get older, more valuable (for the cleanest at least) and the price of some replacement parts keep climbing, I was wondering how much time the average enthusiast DIY owner spent between driving and wrenching on their 944 turbo.

No need to overthink it too much - we DIYers probably tend to underestimate the time we spent wrenching on these rather demanding cars, and that's ok.

To add perspective, please mention if your car is 100% for road use, perhaps with an occasional track day here and there, a full race car, etc.

Thanks.

[nick_968]

I am more like 90W/10D at best these days! I hit the 75W/25D as that was the closest one with some driving included!

[CEW]

100% road, no track.

Actually, 100% garage with an occasional road day

[icb]

I'd guess 25% work:drive. My car is sunny /clear weather road driving only, with maybe some track time or the odd hill climb in the future.

[cda951]

I was at first looking for a 10% wrench, 90% drive option for my '86 951 (have owned it for 17 years, probably 50/50 street track, though its suspension setup is 90% track), but I then thought about the context of actual minutes spent wrenching versus minutes behind the wheel.

Here's an example: you spend the 12 hours of book/flat rate time (often more for a DIYer) to replace the clutch before a two-day weekend track event (car is driven to said track event). Two hours of drive time each way to the track, then probably two hours of total on-track time at the event (maybe closer to three if you are lucky). Therefore, it would take a lot of additional driving time to "recover" from the clutch job.

Even one or two hours of prep time for an "ordinary" track weekend would make for 25% W/75% D only in an ideal scenario. I have gone through several suspension setup evolutions, breaking parts along the way (front sway bar center brackets and the body mounts, and one front control arm at Laguna Seca!), so many hours were spent in the shop!

I have also done numerous long trips and road rallies in my 951, including countless trips between Santa Barbara and the SF Bay Area and a couple of trips to Texas and back so my actual ratio probably is close to the 25% W/75% drive at the end of the day. Though the car has now sat for over a year because other projects have taken priority . . . . .

[Belgian951]

Well I'm probably atl 95% wrenching time and 5% driving time. But I hope to slowly change that ratio in the coming time.

[944m3]

About 50/50. My car is a daily. Most of the wrenching now is going back and properly completing projects I did as a newby. I had zero experience wrenching so it was all new to me when I restored my car, which had been sitting for years when I bought it. Had I known what I know now and not rushed I would have wrenched for a year and been driving the last 5 lol. I can’t complain though, it’s been fun.

[ReidMcT]

Well I'm probably atl 95% wrenching time and 5% driving time. But I hope to slowly change that ratio in the coming time.

Wrench faster or drive slower!