Is it possible to maintain/repair a 987 Boxster for $100/month?

[Perfectlap]

Well if you plan to keep the car until the 90K mile mark you have to remember there is maintenance and then there is major maintenance.
Oil changes, air filters, tires are not bad for this car given the rewards.
When it comes time to change shocks, clutch/flywheel, IMS, service axle boots, rotors, 02 sensors, parts that fail prematurely (starter, alternator), etc. that can add up to a figure north of $6K. If you aren't setting a little aside for major maintenance in addition to annual maintenance then you're going to have to break open a few piggy banks. It's best to tackle one big item each each year in addition to the regular maintenace...spread the hurt.
I spent about $6K on major maintenance recently and it was well worth it because this is car to keep for the long haul. The engine still sings, the paint still shines and I still get at least one compliment per drive on a car whose design is 17 years old.

[stephen wilson]

To keep things in perspective, IIRC you did quite a bit of "voluntary" work that many people won't do arbitrarily, such as the IMS upgrade,starter, & alternator, to add up to that $6,000. Also, depending on which year 987, there won't be the option of an IMS upgrade. You can also choose to replace the car before the 90-100K mark.

The 986/987's still have the factory extended change intervals ( IIRC 12-15K or 1 year? ), but many people choose the do a more frequent 5K change to help engine longevity, (aka. cheap insurance!).

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by stephen wilson

To keep things in perspective, IIRC you did quite a bit of "voluntary" work that many people won't do arbitrarily, such as the IMS upgrade,starter, & alternator, to add up to that $6,000.

well when the clutch starts to go you have to deal with it sooner than later or you'll chew up the flywheel. Fixing the clutch requires you to take a hard look at swapping the IMS for the aftermarket unit from LNE. Now you're looking at $2K, closer to $3K if you have to play it safe and replace the flywheel. It adds up..

The 02 sensors were another quick fix that turned into a bigger tab than anticipated. Simply swapping the faulty one didn't end CEL's. Once I replaced the other three...no more CEL's. Too bad that ran $600, $700 if you need a mechanic with a lift to do it for you.

The parts for these cars are not cheap. Using independent mechanics helps but sometimes they mark up the parts or refuse to install anything that isn't OEM.