Scared to Death of these cars !

[Johnny Danger]

I have an '02 S, and with the exception of oil changes (usually only once a year), my annual maintenance costs have been zero . Granted my vehicle only has 17k original miles, and as of late is seldom driven. Nevertheless, I have had no issues with repairs. Mods are another is$$$$$$$$$ue !

[davemon]

Bought mine about 5-6 months ago. Very nicely modded, so those mod expenses have been eaten up by someone else. I have a few grand in the warchest just for the Boxster, would rather it was in the retirement fund, but it is part of the tradeoff of Porsche ownership.

I realized today I put 4k miles on it already. Wow. And I still get a crazy grin every time I'm behind the wheel, hell I get that grin every time I catch a glance of the car when it is just parked.

Here are my expenses:
1) $80 for oil change. Changed almost immediately after I drove it home just to be sure.
2) $40 to replace the locking lug nuts with regular lugs. Found out the car didn't come with the lock lug key, so I just went to Porsche dealership to have them swapped out.
3) $40 for wheel balancing. On the ride home it had jitters, nothing until you got up to 75+

Here are things I WANT to do:
1) The door lock button on the key was worn when I bought the car. Someone else knocked out the worn button, so now I want to buy a second key and get it programmed at dealership. ($~200) Used car tradeoff IMO.
2) My top is pinching itself on the driver's side when it closes. I have no idea what is wrong with it and need to seek out help for it. Caused small 1/2" worn spot on canvas. I think top needs greased or fiddled with, maybe both.
3) I'm scheduling the IMS replacement this month. I want the insurance this provides against catastrophic failure. This car was very well taken car of and modded, so I don't doubt that we may pull the tranny and find the IMS to have already been done, but I'm not risking it.
4) One of the Porsche wheel crests fell off the center cap, missing when I bought the car. $40 to have one delivered to me. Part of used car tradeoff.

The car runs flawlessly and is one hell of a car for the price I paid. I got the newest/nicest 986 I could find. I didn't want to get the early 987 and the later 987s were getting too pricey for my tastes, although in the fall some will be sold at great prices by people that don't want to or can't garage/insure over the winter.

Oh and I drive mine like it was stolen and I've been caught. No way I'm driving it like an Accord.

My advice. Buy one. Set aside $ for an IMS replacement and a small amount for miscellaneous items. Be prepared to tinker. Get the IMS done within a few months and don't think twice about the things that might happen.

Life is too short to drive slow or worry about such things.

[kpm]

Originally Posted by Lil bastard

...wrote stuff...

Off topic.

Andy clean out your PM box !!

And thanks for the parts..they're perfect.

[Pat]

Davemon, you wrote, "I realized today I put 4k miles on it already. Wow. And I still get a crazy grin every time I'm behind the wheel, hell I get that grin every time I catch a glance of the car when it is just parked."

I bought mine four months ago and have put 11,000 miles on it including five track days.

[extanker]

i aint scared...i bought new

[ekam]

Originally Posted by Mark_T

Hey, if they were cheap to run then everybody would have one. Any good hobby costs money and this is no exception. I am actually suprised that somone might balk at $1500 - $2000 a year operating costs for a vehicle of this type.

I guess most people just spend $500 a year on their regular Camry or Civic so that's already 3-4 times that amount so it's considered significant.

[blue2000s]

Originally Posted by extanker

i aint scared...i bought new

They were all new once.

[SeanZ4]

some good indies in the KCMO area. I got a quote for IMS replacement, new clutch etc. for around $2200. PM me and I'll give you the name of the company. Just find one you like, do a ppi, negotiate from there and don't look back. I had the same issues as you a couple of years ago. The more I drive the car the less I worry that it's going to hand-grenade on me. I put 300 miles on it last week and it ran flawlessly. Mine is a '00S purchased from Scholfield Porsche in Wichita and it is a third car for us so it doesn't see many miles. For sure get the S version though. I had a vette approx. 10 years ago and it's the reason I say I haven't owned a GM in 10 years! I've been kind of stalking Jag XKRs and have been lurking around the Jaguar sites.... Yikes! Read those for comparison.

sean

[pierre shags]

All of the usual problems are gone with the 987 rebuild - '05 & on. I've got 40,000 miles and, besides maintenance, have only replaced tires & a clutch.

Having had a Vet you will probably want an S.

[blue2000s]

Originally Posted by pierre shags

All of the usual problems are gone with the 987 rebuild - '05 & on. I've got 40,000 miles and, besides maintenance, have only replaced tires & a clutch.

Having had a Vet you will probably want an S.

Wow, that's not true. The mechanical issues that plague the 986 are mostly still present in the 987.1.

[clickman]

Man, you guys sure make me feel like a dweeb for buying the base model instead of the S. I was perfectly happy with the car up until now. No, wait, I'm still happy.

[mikefocke]

you won't like the Porsche.

My '01S Boxster over the last 5 years has been more reliable measured in total cost of maintenance or replacement parts or trips to a mechanic than a Honda, Acura and Mazda I also maintain (aprox same years and miles on each).

[Mr Snappy]

Thanks guys...
Great points and advice. I'm going to let this sit for awhile and make a decision later. I went to the Chevy dealer today, they have new Vettes for 0% for 72 months...was very tempted, but not really wanting that much of an investment for a toy right now.

Someone asked me on this thread what I consider "normal" for maintenance. When I had my vette, which I bought new, it ate tires like a demon, so I am not unacusomed to sports car cost of ownership. I usually put a new set on every 18 months. I used tirerack.com and eventually figured out that expensive tires were foolish and started getting better value with the un-trendy brands. I always do my own oil changes not only to save money, but to make sure it is done right. Never had to do a transmission or radiator flush the entire 6 years I owned her, wasnt a required item per maintenance instructions. Swapped out the break pads to ceramics as well as the rotors, but they could have lasted longer. Never needed anything else....oops, it did burn out a tail light!

So, with 6 years of ownership, my maint. costs were probably about $600 per year, and most of that was the tires.

Sorry guys, motor mounts are NOT maintenance items, neither are RMS's. Clutch gear, yes...Convert. Top cables, no.

So my plan is to watch for awhile and see if I can find a 2004+ with low miles and a CPO warranty. If I find it, I will see if I want to roll the dice

[HDManny]

I bought my 03 base tip with 65k on it last year in July and the dealer had a PPI done prior to him buying it because he knew I was looking for one. My wife and I went to Florida last month with it and rolled the odometer past 80k on the way down there. It now has almost 82k and I've only spent $200 on maintenance.

[Gforrest2]

Originally Posted by Mr Snappy

Sorry guys, motor mounts are NOT maintenance items, neither are RMS's. Clutch gear, yes...Convert. Top cables, no.

:

Amen, brother. I'm replacing my mount this weekend and still scratching my head as to why others think this is routine maintenance on these cars.

[Lil bastard]

Originally Posted by HDManny

I bought my 03 base trip with 65k on it last year in July and the dealer had a PPI done prior to him buying it because he knew I was looking for one. My wife and I went to Florida last month with it and rolled the odometer past 80k on the way down there. It now has almost 82k and I've only spent $200 on maintenance.

One mitigating factor seems to be the TipS vs. the manual. The TipS has lower RMS incidence and it also seems IMS. The fluid coupling (torque convertor) is most likely easier on the motor.

Cheers!

[tnoice]

Honestly, if you do your homework, get a PPI done or buy a certified Porsche with an extended warranty, you can have a two seater roadster where the enjoyment overcomes any fear you might have. Yes, there are some fundamental issues that the Porsche Boxster could have, but there are repairs and fixes for those. I autocross with a friend of mine that has a Z06, and he has different niggles with his. (transmission, fuel pump, and something else) No car is perfect, but if you properly take care of it, and take some precautionary measures, you will have an absolutely amazing car.

I have never regretted my decision to buy my Boxster and if that faithful day comes that she wants to join the other Porsche's in the sky......I will yank her back down and put a 3.6 in her. I enjoy the experience THAT MUCH!

On a side note....almost 2 years, completely repair free. Used pretty much as a daily driver and an autocross car.

Happy Porsche Hunting!! :dance:

[Brucelee]

It is a shame (on Porsche) that your fears are well founded.

Between the RMS and IMS issues that Porsche left unresolved for 9 years of so, the concern you have is quite valid when it comes to used Porsches.

Moreover, Porsche is quite variable when it comes to their warranty policies, which I know from bitter experience.

Too bad, in that a used boxster can be a very affordable purchase. It is the concern over the engine etc. that keeps me from buying one right now.

I would have no such concern over a used C4 or C5, all things being equal.

Now, if engine replacement/repair were more affordable, I would change my mind.

[ALarracuente]

For those of you who have read the story on my 26K mile '99 Boxster (Shortlived Boxster engines survey) and having owned various P cars before, I was happy as a clam for 3 years/20K miles followed by 4 months of anxiety and hard work rebuilding my own engine.

Now with my engine repaired better than OEM and $7K poorer, i'm happy as a clam once again and cannot see myself driving anything else (except a newer P car maybe ) . With all the $$ invested so far, I plan to ride this horse to the ground. And when this engine gives up, I will either part it out (hopefully get half of the investment) or turn it into an electric vehicle and a project for me and my son, now 7 years old.

IMO, to own a Porsche, (specifically a 97-05 Boxster) you must either;
a. Have the mean$ to keep up with maintenance
b. Have good mechanical abilities to tackle any issues yourself
c. Know somebody that does
d. All of the above

I'm not poor but definetely not 'a' either, on my way on becoming b (after having tackling an engine rebuild) and, I got this excellent forum to take care of 'c'.

Regards,
Fred from Puerto Rico

[lowflyer60]

So, just bought a '01 S this week, looking for info on the IMS problem. What do you look for when you inspect the oil filter?