*High Milage Boxster: Yes or No????

[JCL12]

General consensus is that 00+ are the years you want to target for better piece of mind for reliability. That said, they cost a lot to maintain even if NOTHING goes wrong. Your 30k, 45k, 60k, etc services cost a fortune - $500+. Getting an oil change costs between $160-250. A set of tires - which will go fast, often costs 1K+ with installation and taxes. I doubt anybody in high school can afford maintenance bills even if the car stays in perfect shape. Furthermore, you insurance costs will be through the roof. 2D sports convertible for a young kid will have insane insurance perimiums.

If you have wealthy parents then I guess this isn't an issue, but it is still silly for somebody to get a 986 at 16. Heck, I am a few years out of college, have a very good job, can pay all my bills, etc, and I am still too young for a Pcar.

And lastly, while I am sure you will disagree with this statement you will almost certainly be a horrible driver when you get your license. Almost ever single male I know has been in some form of accident with another car that THEY caused since they start up to age 25 - even some of the most catious drivers I know. My first car was a beater civic (which I still have) and I was terrible at driving until I matured and gain a lot more driving experience. Heck, sometimes I still stink at driving, but for different reasons (NOT booze...fatigue) so it is better to wait

[xxxalexxxx]

i say wait and get a better deal... over 90,000 miles is a lot and a 97 is an old car...and porsche parts aren't cheap...u get the idea. Dont get me wrong if you want the car get it but you'll have to make some repairs on it in the next few months thats a guarantee. something will go wrong most likely, when i first got my boxster the top stopped working within a week but i know enough about cars for it not to be a big deal to me. If you know about cars and have worked on them before then get it and do your own repairs, it'll be a lot cheaper. But im not sure that an old boxster is for you since u said u dont have a lot of time... thats just my 2cents.

[xxxalexxxx]

cbenitah, very cool 914! wow u did a complete makeover...u have more pix? it looks great...theyre fun little cars haha

[Gary in BR]

As an owner of a 160,000 mile Boxster I will agree with everyone that says stay away from this car.

My son is 14, there is no way he is owning a 2 seat convertible for his 1st car, no Miata either. I think 1st cars should be SAFER than average.

I feel as if a Boxster can be a very reliable car if its taken care of very well.
A car with 90k miles on it....what is the service history? What kind of shape is the car in, and I agree 15k is too much for a 97.

Go buy a less expensive car, keep some cash.

[JCL12]

Originally Posted by Gary in BR

As an owner of a 160,000 mile Boxster I will agree with everyone that says stay away from this car.
.

Gary,

Very few boxster owners have even cracked the 100K mark, let alone 160K. Granted, boxsters are often not DDs and they have only been around in the USA since 97. What have your experiences been with maintenance of the ol beast?

[Gary in BR]

There are a few other Boxster owners who are on the forum who have more mileage than my car. I think one of them is approaching 190k.

I change the oil every 10,000 miles. Air filter every 20k
Spark plugs, every time I change my means of forced induction

The car is on its second water pump, alternator, air oil separator, passenger side window regulator, water reservoir, and clutch.
I changed the RMS when the clutch was changed.

The drivers seat had a hole in it, so it was changed last Christmas.

My lifters lost fluid at one time and I had to replace an entire bank of them, that was at 90k miles. The Porsche mechanic said the engine was so clean he could not believe the miliage.

I always use Chevron/Texaco or Shell 93octane gas.
Mobil 1 oil.

One of the picky things I di that I think has kept my engine healthy is I NEVER rev over 4k rpms until it is fully warmed up, I avoid short trips. If I need to go to the corner store and the engine is cold I get to take the long way, this has 2 benefits. the car gets to stretch its legs and if my wife is in a hurry she goes herself

Common sense goes a long way, pay attension to the car. If something seems odd check it on it.

Good luck and go for a drive!!

[Lil bastard]

Man... so many Red Flags here I hardly know where to begin.

Your profile - 16-18 yrs., limited funds, living in the snowbelt, etc. just screams that, at this time in your life, a Boxster is the wrong car for you .

Insurance - you're going to pay through the proverbial nose to insure it.

Fuel Costs - Compared to most cars out there, the Boxster gets lousy mileage. I imagine that a young person is probaby looking at 20 MPG Max. due to driving style, etc. If the experts are correct and Gas hits $5/gal., what are you willing to give up to keep driving the car?

Maintenance costs - As mentioned, this car needs, or is soon to need, lots of $$ for upcoming or possibly overdue maintenance. Boxsters, unlike a Toyota or Honda don't react well to putting off scheduled maintenance - the car will bite you, possibly leaving you stranded and incurring tow charges. There are few generic parts available for these cars which means that you're going to pay high prices for parts and consumables. Also, living in the snowbelt, you're really gonna need a 2nd set of wheels w/ snow tires - these cars don't do well in snow/ice w/o them, figure another $2k just for this.

An early Boxster - Lots of unresolved issues in the '97s. Add to that the depreciation which is gonna steadily reduce your investment. I'm assuming that you are including the value of your current Audi in the mix - either by selling it or trading it in on the Boxster. In a very short time, you could find yourself with a car you cannot afford to keep, but which you can't sell for enough $ to get another decent ride.

Best advice is to invest the money you have, keep the Audi, study hard and buy yourself a new, or near-new, Boxster in a few years to reward yourself for all your hard work. In the end, that'd be the smartest thing to do.

But, I was your age once too, and I realize how strong the allure can be, and that this advice is the least attractive option and that little, if any, of this is sinking in. Good Luck!

[Brucelee]

Originally Posted by Gary in BR

There are a few other Boxster owners who are on the forum who have more mileage than my car. I think one of them is approaching 190k.

I change the oil every 10,000 miles. Air filter every 20k
Spark plugs, every time I change my means of forced induction

The car is on its second water pump, alternator, air oil separator, passenger side window regulator, water reservoir, and clutch.
I changed the RMS when the clutch was changed.

The drivers seat had a hole in it, so it was changed last Christmas.

My lifters lost fluid at one time and I had to replace an entire bank of them, that was at 90k miles. The Porsche mechanic said the engine was so clean he could not believe the miliage.

I always use Chevron/Texaco or Shell 93octane gas.
Mobil 1 oil.

One of the picky things I di that I think has kept my engine healthy is I NEVER rev over 4k rpms until it is fully warmed up, I avoid short trips. If I need to go to the corner store and the engine is cold I get to take the long way, this has 2 benefits. the car gets to stretch its legs and if my wife is in a hurry she goes herself

Common sense goes a long way, pay attension to the car. If something seems odd check it on it.

Good luck and go for a drive!!

Lots of good info. Thanks.