Boxster, or something else?
 

Ok - Almost bought a cheap boxster about 4 years ago. Didn't (it was really really cheap - and I got scared off from maintenance possibilities.) Ended up buying an older Camaro (92) that had a LS1 swapped in it. Drove it for four years, and low and behold, I can now increase my budget...also, the boxster is now well within my budget, and I've seen many threads, posts, videos, articles describing the ~$10k Porsche Boxster.

Wife gave me the "ok" (long as the Camaro gets sold) and I'm free to jump into Porsche-Land...biggest fear, still...potential maintenance costs. I tend to do much of my own work, but don't want to see this car taking all my $$$ before I even get to enjoy it.

It'll be a spare car, used on weekends or to commute to work on nice weather days. Have a daily driver, so that's not it's purpose at all! Other cars I'm considering.

BMW Z3
BMW Z4
Chevrolet Corvette

Obviously the 986 is the only mid-engined car on this list. And I imagine it'll drive like a dream. I don't think I NEED to have a 300+ HP car at the moment, as a good driving car is more important to me than brute strength. Same time, the Corvette has been described often as being fairly nimble (albeit a bit porkier than a boxster)

Now I know this thread will likely be biased...but, if you were looking at the cars on the list. How would you rate them against the 986? (BTW - I'm basically looking non-S models...most of the "S" models are a bit above my ~$10k budget...can go up slightly, but not significantly.

You seem to know what you are getting into, I would look for a 986 with a documented service history which should help with any immediate maintenance, and get a detailed PPI from a knowledgeable Porsche mechanic. Obviously, you can never be 100% sure, but I would pay up for a non-S with a good service history, preferably one that has not been sitting around too much. These cars like to be driven, sitting can do more harm than good, unless the car was properly prepped to sit around, for example being stored for the winter. Regular maintenance is not that much more than other European cars if you DIY, but some parts need to be OEM because the third party options fail too quickly (ie - coolant tanks).

Compared to the other cars, drive them and decide for yourself, but the 986 will handle better than all three of those cars in my opinion (It has near perfect 50/50 weight distribution). I personally prefer a car that handles well over pure horsepower, because it makes around town/weekend driving more fun. I always found the Z3 was too small if you are taller. If you prefer going fast in a straight line I would look more closely at the Z4 or Corvette. There are no cheap ways to get extra HP out a 986.

Best of luck with the decision! :cheers:

Also, the online 986 community is one of the best, if that makes any difference. Tons of knowledgeable owners and online resources/guides.

Boxster, or something else?
 

BMW's have very quiet interiors. Hard to know the engine is running in most. The Corvette may cost you 10's of thousands of dollars if a body panel gets damaged. The Boxster, is not quiet. Body work can be expensive but, nowhere near that of a BMW or
Corvette. If a 986 is the goal, get an S model. The base models are dirt cheap but, also
vastly underpowered. 2.5 (pokey) and 2.7(better) liter engines, 5 speed transmissions... The S has 3.2 liters, 6 speed transmission, larger break calipers, better suspension and so on. Definitely look for complete service histories.

Depending on where you live, a hard top is a plus. Much less road/wind noise and much' more comfortable in colder climates. Again, depending on where you live, 10K is plenty
to buy a good to great condition 986 S. Options will of course vary and add to the price
point but, if you buy a 10k base Boxster, you'll wish you'd held out for an S.

For the 'Vette, looking at a C5? Not trying to be pedantic, but that is technically mid-engined. ;)

On the track, even base 986s can overcome C5s when the course is fairly curvy and tight.

Really would have to drive both back to back to get a feel for which one you prefer. And also, get a pre-purchase inspection from a reputable shop - that right there can help you avoid any potential pitfalls on deferred maintenance or pending trouble points (such as the water pump).

You can pick up 986’s in Orlando for $10k or less in great shape.

The other day I saw a 2003 Boxster with a 911 engine at:

https://www.nortnortham.com/mobile/mdefault.aspx


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

986 drives great. Motors are a crapshoot. Rest of the car is pretty decent. Interior is kinda cheesy. Hard to beat how a well set up boxster feels in the turns though.

Get the S...its worth the extra money

The Box and BMWs you probability will need to online purchase parts for almost everything to get a decent price.
At least the C5 you can go to PepBoys, NAPA, etc to get parts

A $10k boxster will need regular preventive maintenance to keep it ready to go at all times

Out of all these, I only have driven the Boxster. As a matter of fact I have only driven mid-engine Porsche (914, 986) sports cars
My neighbor has a C5 and I don't see it up on stands as much as mine but his wheels are dirty even after he washes it. That's my gauge as to how well someone takes care of their cars

As said and good advice, drive them all so you can compare. Oh and I'm biased towards the 'S'

What sounds better at the end of the day?

I drive a Beemer?
I drive a Corvette?
I drive a Porche?

who cares?

Years ago I got the go ahead to buy a Porsche. Started out looking at the 928. Too big, too old. And then for the next 4 weeks I drove every thing that even looked like a sportscar. 'vette: see 928. Jaguar: talk about maintenance. BMW: took me a half a block to turn around and surprise the dealer with a no. Miata and Honda. Too small inside and I didn't want something that I had to wind up. So I saw a Boxster advertised. Test drive 1 mile out and one mile back. Bought it. Six months later totaled it and waited only 2 months before buying another Boxster.

It fit for me in that it was small enough, smooth enough, fun enough and had enough oomph. I'm not into drag racing, my sportcars in my youth had as little as 85 HP (914 and 2 Alfas).

But my selection might not be right for you. Shop around, test drive. Don't buy the first thing you see/drive even the first of a model you decide fits you. Do get a PPI from a mechanic who knows the M96 Porsches.

Wonderful cars. Highly reliable for me. After an initial 'get its services updated', I doubt I spent $500 in 5 years on unplanned items. I don't count batteries and tires, those you expect.

Great replies! Thanks for the advice everyone! Will be looking to read other replies as they come in, and continue the research.

How tall are you? I am just a little over 6' and the Boxster does not have enough leg room.

I have a 911 and it is way more roomy and I fit in that a lot better.

Check it out for yourself before you commit to a sale.

I'm 5'10"...my bigger problem isn't leg room, but hip room...weigh about 210. I'm not hugely overwheight, but I'm not a skinny 5'10" either :).

I've driven a 911 a couple times, and absolutely loved it. What's always intrigued me about the Boxster is the mid engine vs rear engine design of the 911...and the fact that it's what Porsche really WANTED to design, but the 911 design was considerably easier to manufacture, and over time it's been very well refined.

There are a couple 986 cars around here locally, and I may call up the dealer to see one tomorrow, need something to keep my mind off selling this camaro...and nothing clears the mind like a test drive. :)

Boxster, or something else?
 

I'm 6'2". I feel like I'm falling getting in but, once in, with the seat adjusted for me
I'm far more comfortable in my 2001 Boxster S than I am in my Dodge Ram 1500 Sport, the Geo Storm I had before, the Ferrari I test drove for a week, the 69 Mustang I drove for a year or the Mercury Montego MX (302 Boss engine) I drove for 10 years. Never mind the El Dorado, 65 Galaxy 500, and another 15 or so vehicles I've owned or driven regularly over the past 40+ years. Nearly bought a Jaguar before the Boxster. Very nice car, lots of power but, also very tight in the seat.

Here's what sold me on my current Boxster. I drove her, a few miles from the dealership. I crossed 2 railroad tracks and decided to drop the top so, I pulled off the road. That turn off of the roadway sold me. Felt nothing on the tracks. Felt like gravity, turning off to drop the top. The Ferrari never felt that good talking a sharp sloping turn. Though, have to say, the Ferrari was much prettier :)

BMW Z4 isn’t too bad a choice potentially, my dad has a Z4 coupe and I really like it. BUT it’s cramped. I’m 5’10 and run around 200 athletic build and the Z4 was a bit tight. The storage (trunk) is very small. But it was fun to drive. However, my S is WAY more fun to drive and is simply a kick in the butt fun. I had a 1984 911 for 10 years, as much as I hate to say it, once a Porsche guy, always a Porsche guy. As Hammond says, “it has THE BADGE”.

Regarding the maint etc. If you get a well sorted one, barring something silly, they really aren’t bad at all and are very reliable. Things happen, the 986 is getting old. But still every bit worth it IMO. Absolutely incredible bang for the buck. If you go early year 2.7 the IMS situation is negligible. Other years, certainly a discussion point, but not necessarily a deal killer. The big bad boy expense is IMS, RMS, clutch. If you can find one that had these done some what recently that is potentially a good place to start. ALWAYS buy the newest and best maintained Pcar you can afford. Unless you like to tinker and wrench. These are rewarding cars, but need some TLC every now and then.

I had an S, I test drove a nonS. I strongly recommend driving both if you go the 986 route.

I’m the other side of the pond but when I was looking there were 3 cars on my list. 986, S2000 and Z4. All roadsters and similar performance. Brief was summer weekend toy, convertible, good to tour in and capable of being tracked a few times a year.

Z4 didn’t cut it at all. Loved the S2000 but much smaller inside than the 986 but an incredible engine, better gearbox than the 986. It was a fantastic car. Tested a 2.7 and it didn’t do it for me so was about to pull the trigger on the Honda but said I should test a Boxster S to rule it out.

The rest as they say is history. Looking back I think there must have been something wrong with the 2.7 as it was dull while the S was an event.

So for me the torque won out, easy to drive on motorways with little fuss. Torque let’s it pull with regular traffic from any revs. Also much roomier and better finished than the S2000. More upmarket if thy makes sense and a nicer place to cover distances in. BTW I’m 6’4” and 250lbs and I find it fine room wise. A bit more would be nicer but it’s definitely not an issue. I think people get surprised when I get out of it and stand up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Was this parked next to a unicorn? :D

Actually, I think it came with the unicorn!!! We’re you looking at the same ad as me?

🤣

Ok - Did a first drive today and looked at 3 different cars. 2 were duds, bad shape....like really bad, neglected, previous owners had zero spare cash (but some ingenuity) bad shape. The 3rd car was drivable, but did have a CEL (not a deal breaker if the price can be worked out properly). All in all, I did enjoy the driving experience of the third car. Smooth, ran well, really nice car. If that car represents what I should expect from a 2000+ Boxster Base, I was rather happy with it.

Now on to find the car that I'll buy. Have been in contact with two individuals who have what look like nicely taken care of examples of early 2000-20002 cars...2 base, and one S. Hopefully I'll really fall in love with one of those three, and can make something happen in the near future! :) but so far, I'm liking these little cars.

They are great cars. Fun to drive. Feel the road in your hands. My 1999 986 has about 170,000 miles. Heading to Daytona Speedway now for the Rolex 24 Hour tryouts. Going to be a good day.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Be careful, Boxsters make you feel like a better driver than you are! :)

Good advice! :p

Great news from today, I managed to sell my 92 Camaro, and have the funds safely deposited into my bank account. Now, I can seriously begin looking for the proper car to purchase! Still have those two 986 Base cars and one 986 S I'm trying to see.

The base cars are both listed at $12,9xx. One has 45,xxx miles with the IMS done and a newer clutch. The other has 29,xxx miles, and no IMS upgrades. The S model is in the mid $15,xxx range...and I honestly don't know if I could get him down into my price range, but won't know unless you try. Personally, I think all three are a bit overpriced compared to KBB.

Don't get in a hurry,but, prices may go up in spring, but probably more to choose from also. Focus on the right car not the price.

I agree, would like to purchase before spring just to have something, but I'm not in a rush. If the car doesn't seem right, or the price doesn't seem right, I'll wait it out.

My biggest question is, if things were equal would anyone be afraid of a 29,000 mile 2001 Boxster? The low mileage, and no update to the IMS gives me pause. The 2002 has a retrofitted unit, but need to check on what kit it is so I can research that.

I'm scheduled to see the 2002 tomorrow, and will ask that when looking at the car.

Low mileage Porsches aren't always a good thing. If you can get one with the IMS etc done, IMO that would be the better choice. 45k is not a lot of miles at all.

There was an interesting thread either her or Boxster Outlaw on Facebook group about how many miles your 986 have. Many like me are 168,000 or higher. One guy was pushing 400,000.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

OMG - the one I saw today was beautiful...dark blue, blue top, gray interior...great condition.

Owner has done the recent maintenance since buying the car. IMS bearing and oiler system installed, new clutch, new hydraulic fluid, new throwout bearing, new rear main seal, new serpentine belt, new lower control arms, newer tires...and simply beautiful condition inside, and out. Love it, love it, love it!

Was snowing today, so we didn't take it out. Did start it, which it did easy and seemed to run well. Gonna try to drive it later this week when the weather clears up. OMG, so excited to drive it.

Our curveball now - wife has apparently gotten more enthusiastic of buying a new home....meanwhile, i'm in the corner screaming, "I WANNA PORSCHE!!!"


---edit----update


Wife and I discussed the new home scenario, and we were able to plan that out a bit further. Porsche was green lighted and pending a Pre-Buy Inspection (yet to schedule) the car I saw yesterday is MINE! Owner and I agreed on price today, think we're all set to go. :) Stoked!!!

I have enjoyed this thread because I'm in a similar boat but 12 months behind you. I have similar concerns with maintenance and have around the same budget. I test drove a '03 back in the Fall and fell in love with it but I needed to save more.

I was wondering how the PPI process works. Did the owner give any resistance? How did you pick the shop? Is he taking the car to the shop?

Best of luck and I'm living vicariously through you right now. I'm looking forward to when I get post I have scheduled a PPI.

Yes, same with me, if you drive a good S you will not regret it. It makes a wonderful drive even better and totally worth the extra $1k-$2K price difference, which you will get back when you sell it some day.

Your really getting the S extras for free in effect.

I assume like you, i've done tons of reading. The car I found had a pretty decent history and that has eased some stress. The car was maintained at the dealership until the most recent owner took possession (just under two years ago) and he's done quite a bit of maintenance himself and seems like a true enthusiast.

When I mentioned the PPI, he didn't even blink. So I named a couple shops, he'd obviously been to one of the independent dealerships before with his previous porsche, and I believe had his PPI done there as well. My plan is to combine the actual test drive on the way to the PPI, along with the required safety and emissions testing. Sadly right now, we're waiting for good weather, lol...who buys a two seat convertible in January?

Something else amazing, when checking my insurance rates. Going from my 1992 Camaro RS to the 2002 Porsche Boxster actually decreased the insurance costs by a few dollars a year. :) But I'm gonna pay a few $ more in personal property taxes I'm sure. Even still - very happy to be progressing through this experience.

I own a 99 and used to own an 03. A good option if you can't afford one, or even if you can, is a Miata. I had a '97 with LSD (limited slip) and it had a few advantages over the Boxsters:
- better gearbox.
- lighter and easier to toss around at low speeds in the corners which made for fun fishtails at safe speeds.
- never worried anyone would mess with it in a public parking lot.
- dirt cheap to fix and super reliable so never really had to fix it.

I've driven a v8 swap but never a SC or turbo version. If you want faster than a 986S you need to buy or build one or these.

For some reason I've just never been a fan of the Miata. They dominate on the race track, and have been a ten best car via Car and Driver for ages, but I never found myself saying "Jeez, I really want a Mazda!" .... save the RX-7, that thing was gorgeous.

Same was true for the S2000.

I do feel some love for the Nissan 350/370Z cars though, the earlier is far below a $10k budget cap.

Personally though, when looking at any of these cars next to each other, the Porsche is far better looking. The long snout of the BMW Z4 is attractive, and while I do love BMW's I just keep getting called back to the Boxster.

Maybe it's because BMW has been building some great driving cars for years, while Porsche has been building amazing driving Sports Cars for years. I seem to feel if I purchased the BMW, it's almost as if I've pulled the trigger for a weekend car that needs to be a convertible...with the Boxster, I've purchased a weekend car that is a Porsche...that happens to be a convertible.

Ok - so I did my test drive today.

Car was flawless - felt absolutely great. Good power deliver, no strange noises, no creaks, clutch engagement is a few inches from bottom of travel. Just fantastic, everything worked (heat, a/c, heated seats, etc). No rattles from the top when retracted, just a solid car. And the engine note from the intake is fantastic!!!!

We've got a PPI scheduled for Tuesday, and if all goes well I'll be a Porsche owner!

Curious about one thing. The car is a 2002 with black gauges, which have the little windows below the Speedometer and Fuel/Coolant Temp. Right now, the coolant temp side displays time, and the speedometer side shows speed. I've seen some cars (pre and post 2002) display speed on the larger screen directly under the tach, and I'm wondering if this car does that or not.

It only has three stalks on the steering column, so it may not be compatible to relocate the displays. Is that the case? I attached a photo below of the instrument cluster.

Oh, and BTW we decided to do a mini-PPI in the garage. Got the car up in the air, crawled around under the engine/transmission looking for leaks. Opened up the top engine cover, and forward engine cover. Went through the books of maintenance completed by the previous owners through the dealerships, along with maintenance completed by the current owner. Car looks very solid. PPI will be able to identify if there are any suspension problems (we noted none during the test drive) and of course any issues with steering (noted none during the test drive as well). These cars rock!!!!

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1516494463.jpg

The car is missing the OBC option that allows you to change the display. It is a relatively simple retrofit.

Thank you!

I like to tease teens with their so called rice burner mods (I'm 58) while driving my 13 year old home after school. My 01 S makes these modern day teens quiver when I "gun it!" while they're showing off with their "fart cans" (exhaust); I have original exhaust. They immediately back off.

What is your philosophy on the IMS? That gives me the most heartache, I have probably read too much at this point.

I also see you live in MO, I'm in PA and guessing we have a similar weather band. Do you plan on driving it year round?

Have heard the IMS issue is often overstated, but sadly from all my reading it does not offer signs of wear before failure (w/o removal of the bearing for inspection). Luckily there are many options for addressing the IMS's shortcomings.

The solution the "soon to be" previous owner used is known as "IMS Solutions" which includes a plain bearing to replace the ball bearing, and that plain bearing is lubricated by pressurized engine oil. End result, the unit is considered permanent and requires no additional maintenance (this I like). Some of the other solutions replace the bearing with a ceramic bearing, roller bearing, or new ball bearing, and each has a predetermined maintenance interval. Luckily, each allows you to not worry about the IMS until every other clutch change (approximately).

As to the car, no, it will not be daily driven. This will be a weekend car, and used to commute to work on nice days. I'd estimate 5000 miles a year, maybe less. The car I'm replacing averaged about 3,000 miles a year. This one will likely get slightly more use, as it has A/C, but still it won't be an all weather machine.

The literature shows 10% of IMS fail reaching 100,000 miles