??? Before I buy

[Stumpalump]

I'm looking at 98-2002 Boxsters and found one with 129k miles with a rebuilt 5 speed and IMS upgrade. Im worried the car was driven hard causing tranny failure. Does that sound odd? Is that too many miles for these cars? My main question or concern is my road. It's dirt with rocks and bumps. Not very long but it's very beat up most of the year for about two blocks. Can it go over 5" rocks and holes or will it get destroyed? I have neighbors with Nissans and Honda's that do OK but it's ruff bedrock. I'm an expert off road driver with a rear engine car and can negotiate terrain but I've been away from sports cars for decades. Thanks for any advise!

[humara]

Porsche strong! can go over rocks and holes no problem. sporty, sticky tires may not hold so great, but the rest of the car should be fine. not sure what caused the transmission failure, but at least its all rebuilt which i think could be better than an old transmission in unknown condition. my boxster has 185k and I wind it out quite often.

[MARTHA]

Originally Posted by Stumpalump

It's very beat up most of the year for about two blocks. Can it go over 5" rocks and holes or will it get destroyed

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I think if I had 5" rocks I'd look for something else
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[rick3000]

The 986 has about 4" of ground clearance, and stiff suspension. I don't think you will enjoy driving any sports car on that type of road.

[Mark_T]

Do you have enough in your budget that you can pick up an old D5 and fix the road before you get the Boxster?

[Stumpalump]

Originally Posted by Mark_T

Do you have enough in your budget that you can pick up an old D5 and fix the road before you get the Boxster?

I have a tractor and do what I can but the bad part of the road is high traffic on solid bedrock so the gravel disappears. The neighbors like it ruff because it acts as a gate keeper to keep joy riders out. Is there anything fragile underneath? I saw an oil filter relocation kit and aftermarket shield or skid plate that made me think of damage.

[78F350]

Originally Posted by Stumpalump

... Is there anything fragile underneath? I saw an oil filter relocation kit and aftermarket shield or skid plate that made me think of damage.

With the right tire and wheel combo, and some creativity for skid plating, it should do fine.


There are a lot of tubes and hoses running to the front that will need protection. the plastic covers on the belly will not hold up and are probably already damaged from normal highway use. I'd think some sturdy 17" wheels with a tall tire, then tear off the old plastic belly covers and replace it in key points with something more sturdy.


Stock with normal tires? Not going to last long. Consider a Cayenne.

[thstone]

Originally Posted by Stumpalump

Im worried the car was driven hard causing tranny failure. Does that sound odd?

While not an everyday occurrence, its not completely out of the ordinary to hear of a trans issue. Most common is a 2nd gear popout or 3rd gear synchro problem.

My Boxster had a 3rd gear synchro going out at around 165,000 miles (which I attributed to my own sloppy shifting on the race track) so I bought a used transmission from someone here on the Forum for $450 and swapped it myself. $450 plus $40 of new gear oil and I was done for under $500.

Originally Posted by Stumpalump

Is that too many miles for these cars?

129K miles isn't too many miles as long as the maintenance is up to date or if you can buy the car for a price that allows you to bring the maintenance up to date.

Even once the maintenance up to date, plan on spending $2,000 per year to keep it in good running condition. Some years might be less and some might be more, but that is a good average for budgeting.

Please get a pre-purchase inspection (PPI) from a reputable Porsche repair shop BEFORE you buy. It will be the best $300 that you will ever spend. This way, you'll know what you're getting into and it might help you to negotiate a good deal.

Last, we can all guarantee that owning a Boxster will bring a smile to your face every time that you drive it. They are fantastic cars to drive.

[Stumpalump]

I'm seeing dinged up Carrera's of the same vintage for not much more. Any advantage on ruff roads with them?

[Racer Boy]

I'm thinking that other than the Cayenne, there aren't many Porsches that will handle your road well.

[911monty]

The design layout if you can imagine it of the 911 is the same as a dune buggy with a sheet metal body. While I wouldn't recommend a museum piece on those roads a 911 will have no difficulty and would possibly be better than a water pumper with the "Hovercraft radiator fans"on a dirt road. In my early days of 911 ownership my cars went wherever I wanted them to go and in fact I could get some places that only a 4wd would go.

[rick3000]

I don't doubt that a 986 or 911 can maneuver a pretty bad dirt road when they need too, but I don't think they would hold up very well doing it everyday. They don't have the clearance, and a lot of lines/hoses runs front to back along the underbody due to mid/rear engine designs. I suppose you could get some skid plates made, but that would make maintenance difficult.

[thstone]

Stump - can you post up a pic of the unpaved portion of the drive?

This would help folks to evaluate if a 986 would be able to make it on a daily basis.

[Stumpalump]

This is as bad as it gets but I'd be going very slow.

[Racer Boy]

Why are you even asking this question? You said some of the rocks are 5 inches in diameter, the Boxster has about 4 inches of clearance. What do you think will probably happen?

This is like asking if the lifted Jeep you are looking at buying is 85 inches tall, but your garage door opening is 84 inches - will it fit?

[Stumpalump]

Originally Posted by Racer Boy

Why are you even asking this question? You said some of the rocks are 5 inches in diameter, the Boxster has about 4 inches of clearance. What do you think will probably happen?

This is like asking if the lifted Jeep you are looking at buying is 85 inches tall, but your garage door opening is 84 inches - will it fit?

It does not have to fit. Just wondering if I'm going to waste it if I do tap a few times.
The plan is not to ruin a nice car, it's just to buy a 15 year old high milage car and drive it. I have no problem modding it with skids, strut spacers and tires if it won't do what I want but don't want to start with something inherently prone to underside damage or flexing issues due to uneven and ruff surfaces.