Sold my kit and am thinking of buying an earlish boxster either a 2.7 or an S. I fancy something rear engined and slightly exotic. I was originally
looking for an Elise but I think they're out of my price range.
Does anybody on here run one ? Anything i should be looking out for ? Any major reason I shouldn't ?
Cheers
I run the newer 981 version. Not blistering in a straight line (will still loose your licence in 3rd gear though) but in the twistys I've never
known a car so composed. Beautiful balance and feedback, a pure joy to drive fast, or slow on the daily commute, such a versatile car. And always
funny the looks you get when you put the weekly shopping in the front
Do your research on the 986/987 models on places like Boxa.net or pistonheads boxster forums. There are a few horror stories out there as there is
with any car. IMS bearings/bore score are 2 you'll read about but if you know what years and what to look for in the paperwork then its fine.
Think about your spec carefully, some items can be retro fitted by the dealers others cannot.
And be prepared for the Porsche tax on parts.......
PS they're Mid engined not rear engined so don't suffer the tail wagging that the old 911 were famous for. close on 50/50 weight
distribution.
I don't have any experience as an owner but they are a fantastic car to drive. The balance and handling is so sweet. It's not the fastest
car in the world but has enough poke to keep you entertained and you can carry the speed through the bends. It's much better built than an Elise
as well.
Ignore anyone that slags them off for being a poor mans Porsche or a hairdressers car. Most haven't driven one
The dreaded bore score and IMS issues are there but they are much smaller in number than the internet would have you believe in the region of 2-5%.
I worried about it buying my Porker but I dont worry now if it happens so be it.
First thing to do is fit a low temp thermastat, warm the engine and oil up before ragging it and you will drastically reduce the chances.
They are great cars and very well balanced, I was considering the Cayman before opting for the 911 and would have happily had one.
I had a brand new one today for the day whilst mine was in for servicing and I wasn't keen on the new 2.0 turbo engine at all, was glad to get my
car back.
lots of good information around even on 911uk forum and there are so many of them you can take your time and get a good un.
good luck with your search and enjoy it, if you can get one with a Hartech engine rebuild, give Hartech a call and they will tell you everything they
did and chances are it will never have another engine problem again in its life if looked after.
Check out this guide done by Hartech regarding the engines you wont find better information anywhere.
http://www.hartech.org/docs/buyers%20guide%20web%20format%20Jan%202012%20part%205.pdf
I have no interest in Hartech just they are considered the leaders in the field of these engines and the solutions to fix them.
"I worried about it buying my Porker but I dont worry now if it happens so be it."
Dittos most of this, it had to be done and I bought mine to drive.
Personally I needed a 911
Now I've got/had one, i'd consider a Boxter.
In fact I was nearly convinced the Mrs she needed Pauls for his and hers it was very nice looking
I bought the last MY 986 Boxster S - It was registered late 2004 - it really was the last. 3.2s was a fantastic drive, but not as sharp as the Elise,
but a better all rounder. It had covered 40k in its life and had been serviced every other week by Porsche main dealers. I had the plugs out and a
boroscope inspection etc, all was well.
I covered 8k in it and it went bang big time on the M11 closing the north bound carriageway due to the oil slick. IMS bearing let go with absolutely
no warning, to the shaft with it that went through the oil pump and... well you can imagine the rest. It went up to Hartech who described it as
'gettting off lightly' in terms of the damage - still cost 6k to put it back together again.
I would never buy a boxster or 911 with that engine in again. There was a long queue at hartech of them with the same problem - one Cayman was 6
months old less than 10k and toast and porsche wouldn't touch it.
Go into it with your eyes open and treat it as a disposable purchase. If you can't do that financially then don't bother is my opinion. I
thought well maintained it would be fine. It really is luck of the draw and due to the way they are designed and built, DIY working on thing or even
an engine change is not easy even for us who wouldn't think twice about dropping an engine in any other car.
My friends at work just had a 2k repair bill on her early model. They're notorious for easy blockage of the tonneau drainage channels. In her case, the passenger footwell flooded which fried the alarm ecu under the passenger seat.
Not had one myself, but my Dad did (loved it) and a neighbour has 02 plate one (loves it too). They seem well liked, but from my Dad's feedback the cost of maintenance can be quite high.
I ran one for 3 years up to October last year, closer to Porsche than most as I was regional organiser & Vice then Chairman of the Independent
Porsche Enthusiasts Club.
I bought a very early S 2000 that cos its original owner £52K it had 9K of options on it. They drive well but in all honesty are probably too fast for
UK roads. Mine was a Tip (auto) & a few seconds on full chat you'd be doing 100MPH +. Nice to drive & well weighted controls but too
heavy to really be a sports car. The Boxster let us down 3 times, twice whilst on the same holiday, first was water pump & second (at 2700M up
the Alps) when the gearbox linkage fell apart. Obviously tyres are going to be expensive but the steering & suspension is fragile & expensive
to replace. Over 11K miles mine cost me £1.49 per mile. Servicing is pretty cheap, a Porsche Centre (OPC) will do it as part of their classic deal
which is £295 for a minor service & £395 for a major. I provided oil for mine & got 10% discount on parts & labour as part of my TIPEC
membership. I used 15w/50 oil instead of the 5w/30 Mobil 1 used by Porsche dealers. There is a large body of opinion that the heavier oil protects the
IMS & bores. Certainly a Hartech rebuild is only warranted with Millers Nanotech 10W/60 used.
I was finding I was getting more fun driving my wife's early MX5 Eunos after a year of thinking about it I chopped the Boxster for an MX5 Mk3.5 2
Litre Sport PRHT. It is far more fun & I don't get nervous about potential repair bills.
quote:
Originally posted by joneh
My friends at work just had a 2k repair bill on her early model. They're notorious for easy blockage of the tonneau drainage channels. In her case, the passenger footwell flooded which fried the alarm ecu under the passenger seat.