Wanna Buy But - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

69912 · 11-17-2006, 09:48 PM

I've been driving my 69 912 since buying used in 72. Every day car for many years and now, like an old hunting dog, I take her out in the sun once in a while. All the kids are out of school and on their own. Finally dad get's to spend some money for himself and has had his eye on a 03 Boxster S black on black. Just looking at it makes me- well you know. I did a little reading about them in Road and Track etc and my son suggested I look at a few of the forums. I didn't know what they were untill he explained them and showed me how. Hence here I am. I must say that after reading nearly everything here I'm scared to death about the problems that you all write about. It has discouraged me from moving forward but I decided to write this message to see if there was someone out there that could tell me all these problems with the Boxsters are rare and some of you have had resonable worry free ownership.

blinkwatt · 11-17-2006, 09:55 PM

For every post about "oh this blew/this gave out" there are 10,000 "wow this car is fun!" we are just too busy having fun to post about it. Don't worry soo much. Newer Boxsters 00'+ are more reliable then the early year pre-99'. If you are that worried then just buy an extended warranty.

unklekraker · 11-17-2006, 10:20 PM

BLINK IS RIGHT....WE ARE JUST TOO BUSY HAVING FUN TO POST ABOUT IT AND THE WOW FACTOR IS COMPARE TO NONE

now that's said...every major car manufacturer has some sort of issues/problem but the reason why it's not really known, like the famous Porsche RMS because majority of them don't have the same forum like Porsche, MBenz, Audi..etc!
If you go to the Benz forum, you will find out about their infamous Electrical Issue, Subaru forums- tranny issues... i think you got my point already

Like what you said, kids are out already w/c i give you props for doing a good job, and now it's your turn. get the newest Boxster you could afford and get extended warranty for it...and oh, yah...black on black are nice but very very hard to keep clean....now that's worth worrying about

LIFES TOO SHORT TO WORRY ABOUT RMS...hehehehehe! just keep the 986forum Porschefile prayer card in your wallet or sunvisor

jeffsquire · 11-18-2006, 04:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 69912

I've been driving my 69 912 since buying used in 72. Every day car for many years and now, like an old hunting dog, I take her out in the sun once in a while. All the kids are out of school and on their own. Finally dad get's to spend some money for himself and has had his eye on a 03 Boxster S black on black. Just looking at it makes me- well you know. I did a little reading about them in Road and Track etc and my son suggested I look at a few of the forums. I didn't know what they were untill he explained them and showed me how. Hence here I am. I must say that after reading nearly everything here I'm scared to death about the problems that you all write about. It has discouraged me from moving forward but I decided to write this message to see if there was someone out there that could tell me all these problems with the Boxsters are rare and some of you have had resonable worry free ownership.

_________________________________

I cant emphasize the other posts up to this point enough. Blinkwatt is dead on. For every RMS leak and other problem, THOUSANDS of us have no problems other than the normal maintainence.

Please just go buy one. It will add years to your life. It will be something new to fall in love with. YOu can't take it with you, but you can give it to your son when you're gone, and he'll think you're the BOMB.

One final thing, Get a PPI done and read the many words of wisdom from fellow post members before you buy.

Grizzly · 11-18-2006, 05:13 AM

My Boxster is 10 years old and is about to turn 40,000 miles. I've owned it for about a year. I bought it for my wife, but to be honest, I love it so much she barely gets to drive it. My car has had exactly zero problems. Do they break? Yeah, they break, just like every other car, but you'd be hard pressed to find another car that is as much fun to drive. Jeff is right; it'll add years to your life. If I had to do it over again, I'd get another one...today.

By the way, I have two SWB 912s. Neat little, under-appreciated, cars, aren't they?

69912 · 11-18-2006, 06:32 AM

I appreciate the encouragement. I'm off to check it out today! Griz, yes they are. Change the oil, adjust the valves, and drive it. Pretty simple but a Cesna 172 compared to a F-16.

Dr. Kill · 11-18-2006, 08:00 AM

I would like to echo the general sentiment of the responses. This car has exceeded my expectations in every department. It is my daily driver and makes every trip (except through NYC traffic) enjoyable and a pleasure.

I realize that there is the potential for things to break, but these posts here look no different than the posts about the MT problems in the Acura forums I used to frequent when I drove a CLS – even Hondas have their problems…

Good luck, enjoy, and welcome to our forum.

MNBoxster · 11-18-2006, 09:00 AM

Hi,

I think you do the Lister a disservice with all your PollyAnna responses. Several of you have had to do repairs to your cars and some weren't cheap.

Fact is, these cars are nimble and well appointed, but they're underpowered, even the 'S' model.

They have a very high potential to break, and those things are usually not the types of things which break in other cars.

When things break, if you cannot do the work yourself, they will be very expensive, some will be very much so especially when compared to the value of the car - $25k Car, $12k new engine, etc. It doesn't take much to turn a $25k car into a $40k car, and it can happen quite easily.

The main weak spots, RMS and Intermediate Shaft cannot be tested with a PPI, either could fail the next day. It is difficult to impossible (especially if the car has had several prior owners) to get all the Dealer or Warranty histories - Dealers are reluctant to give out such information, especially if it contains issues.

The Car eats tires, no matter how you drive, it's the suspension setup. Stupid things like bad Ignition switches, E-Brake switches, Oil separators, Fuel Caps, Horn Rim Bushings (4-spoke wheel) can ruin your day.

It's an OK top-down cruiser, but disappoints if you try to make it anything more. A lot of people praising it's merits don't really have any other experience with other true sports cars (I'm sure they'll chime in here after reading this). But, for you, coming off a 912, you're gonna find that the 912 beats it in almost every catetgory except Fit, Stability, maybe speed (but not by much). The Boxster will be much less visceral. It will have slightly more room, or at least feel like it with an open top.

Drive the car and decide. I'm not going to comment one way or the other, but I don't want to Bias you without all the facts. Lots of cars experience few or no problems, but lots of cars (especially when compared to other makes/models) do and these will ruin your experience. If you buy and decide later it waasn't the best move, sell it and go another way...

Happpy Motoring!... Jim'99

super66 · 11-18-2006, 09:07 AM

buy it I say.....notice that even the people that will have bad things to say about the car still happen to own it?? look I fixed a chevy blazer and a jeep cherokee for years, I still have a vette that is as picky as the porsche.....your gonna fix a car no matter what car you buy....yes even a honda, a lexus, toyota.....I had a celica convertible and a paseo and they have their problems.....

so far porsche has been great....daily driver and it makes my day.....the difference is that when and if I will have to make a repair.....its not a car I will mind repairing....unlike 1100 for a blazer fuel pump......or a vette distributor/battery/radio antenna/you name it

djomlas · 11-18-2006, 09:22 AM

it is very eas to get discouraged because all we talk about is how to fix the problems.
there are probably 2000 to 1 bad threads to good threads just because of this:
on daily bases people discuss how to fix somethign thats broken, and we dont post everyday how much fun it is to drive them and all positive things about them, which is where its at.

forums are a little hard to understand

hope to see a new post soon w newly acquired box

mikefocke · 11-18-2006, 10:39 AM

'99 driven 1 year, zero expense. Totaled.
'01 driven 2+ years. 3 problems (seat belt ground, air leak in secondary air injection system (loose connection), Oxygen sensor going bad now)

Expensive to maintain, yes. Oil change takes $65 in parts costs if you do it yourself. Ne replacement parts except through expensive dealers (look for ones that discount, they are out there on the net).

Fun, you bet.

Like you, I'm enjoying having no college tuition payments and I bought 2 4 year old cars. I had had Porsche 914-4 and 2 Alfa roadsters in the 60s, then nothing but family cars. I do have a Honda CRV for the winter and bad weather, though I could drive the Porsche if I invested in another set of wheels and snow tires.

A Buyers Guide link is Here

It contains some collected information, typical problem areas, and if you poke around you can see the things that people typically ask have some answers.

z12358 · 11-18-2006, 01:53 PM

69912:
"Just looking at it makes me- well you know."

I know, and you'll know even more after you drive it.
As for the "issues", it's your mental disposition that matters most in giving weight to the "evidence". I'm still relatively young but the older I get, the more relaxed I become about things. So relax, and watch out for that scared little guy in you that is always focusing on the negative and not letting you go to the party because, well it's raining outside and many people have had accidents when it rains.

If we leave the subjective world and try to discern some objective measure of the "issues" involved, there was a recent thread on this. I'll try to pull it out later. My argument (and I have yet to see it questioned) went like this:
If the RMS, IMS, and all other "issues" you read about are really THAT frequent and severe, then Porsche would go bankrupt by honoring warranty claims over the first 4 years of every car it sells. Instead it boasts the highest profit margins (more than double the Toyota's 7.5%). For Boxsters just out of warranty, there are companies offering comprehesive 4yr extended warranties for about $2500, which means the AVERAGE cost of repairs over that period must be much less than that.

Finally, don't stretch to buy as much car as you possibly can. Leave a healthy cushion to accomodate the unknown variance around the averages discussed above, and you will be much less afraid and will enjoy the car much more -- whichever car it ends up being. You will enjoy a Honda S2000 more than a Box if it leaves you with $20k stashed somewhere for "God knows what". And you will enjoy the Box less if you stretch and have no cushion. Having the cushion AND the Box is the best, of course. So if you DO happen to be the unlucky chap with a need for a new (or rebuilt) engine, so be it. Accept your luck, pay up and move on. So you ended up paying $40k for what looked more like a $30k car. Big deal! The point of the Boxster is to have fun. If fear always gets in the way, the point is lost.

Z.

blue2000s · 11-18-2006, 02:46 PM

Another word fo encouragement. This is a satisfying, fast, enjoyable car that can be driven hard and be very rewarding or driven softly and be very relaxing. The feedback is excellent, as a sports car should be. It's a GT compared to your 912, but it all depends on what you're looking for. If you drive it and want it, buy it. There are plenty of Boxsters out here with well over 50,000 happy miles on them. Don't let a few of the problems on the board discourage you from an enjoyable experience.

ohioboxster · 11-18-2006, 03:32 PM

I cant think of a car that is inexpensive to fix if you dont do the work yourself. My friend has a Ford Taraus, I priced an alternator at 250 bucks from Autozone. Your going to pay 75-110 an hour around here for labor no matter what kind of car you drive Porsche to Pinto, I know what your going to say Pinto motors arent 12k well Box motors arent either. 5 K all day long guess how much an LS-1 GM motor is? Some of these guys will have you think the car is junk and afraid to even start the thing. No, its not a 1/4 mile killer but really is a blast to drive. I've put about 12k miles on my car in the last year and replaced the ignition and clutch line. The clutch line was from a rock or improper jacking. Anyway, my car doesnt eat tires, leak oil or even blow smoke at start up. I think the biggest problem with the Boxster is the fact that people make them garage queens.

In 1988, I was a kid by the way. My girfriend at the time had a new car. I bought the same new car but a different color. She drove hers everyday rain or shine winter summer and spring. I parked mine in the winter and tried not to drive too much. I have to tell you hers looked good needed far less maintenance compared to mine. My dad called it the million dollar car because I sold it to him and he had to throw money at it weekly. I cant think of her car ever breaking down or getting a rust hole in it either. Its my belief that letting a car sit for months at a time just kills it.

69912 · 11-19-2006, 04:25 PM

What a day. Went to the dealer and drove S and non S manual and tip for each. He even turned me loose with a Cayman S as well. The ol 912 will never be the same. I had no idea. The Boxster S is sooooo much fun to drive. Freeway fast, twisties remarkable, top up just fine, top down better, A/C was cold - on and on. Guess I'm preaching to the choir so I'll stop. Now the big decision. New , hardly used, or used. Gotta think about that for a few days. I guess the bottom line is it's only money. Thanks again to all of you for helping an old timer get after it.

unklekraker · 11-19-2006, 04:32 PM

yeahhhh! feels good, eh? so glad that you had a blast test driving BoxsterS, wait till you become "the" owner. get the newest BoxSter you could afford and get extended warranty for it...

we're happy for you...can't wait to see which one would you get

Quote:

Originally Posted by 69912

What a day. Went to the dealer and drove S and non S manual and tip for each. He even turned me loose with a Cayman S as well. The ol 912 will never be the same. I had no idea. The Boxster S is sooooo much fun to drive. Freeway fast, twisties remarkable, top up just fine, top down better, A/C was cold - on and on. Guess I'm preaching to the choir so I'll stop. Now the big decision. New , hardly used, or used. Gotta think about that for a few days. I guess the bottom line is it's only money. Thanks again to all of you for helping an old timer get after it.

z12358 · 11-20-2006, 06:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 69912

What a day. Went to the dealer and drove S and non S manual and tip for each. He even turned me loose with a Cayman S as well. The ol 912 will never be the same. I had no idea. The Boxster S is sooooo much fun to drive. Freeway fast, twisties remarkable, top up just fine, top down better, A/C was cold - on and on. Guess I'm preaching to the choir so I'll stop. Now the big decision. New , hardly used, or used. Gotta think about that for a few days. I guess the bottom line is it's only money. Thanks again to all of you for helping an old timer get after it.

That's what I'm talking about.

When I test drove the 06 Box S (following a non-S and a 997) the salesman was just sitting there quiet. I asked him if there's anything he has to say about the car. He said: "I'll just be quiet and let the car do the talking."

I recommend that you get the newest S you can comfortably afford. There should be 2yr old 05 987 S coming out on the market. Personally, I think that a sparsely optioned new 3.4L S is THE best deal by far in the whole Porsche line-up. Let us know of the outcome.

Z.

blue2000s · 11-20-2006, 06:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 69912

What a day. Went to the dealer and drove S and non S manual and tip for each. He even turned me loose with a Cayman S as well. The ol 912 will never be the same. I had no idea. The Boxster S is sooooo much fun to drive. Freeway fast, twisties remarkable, top up just fine, top down better, A/C was cold - on and on. Guess I'm preaching to the choir so I'll stop. Now the big decision. New , hardly used, or used. Gotta think about that for a few days. I guess the bottom line is it's only money. Thanks again to all of you for helping an old timer get after it.

Just be aware of the year to year changes so you know what features you really want. In general, the power steadliy crept up from 250 hp in 2000 to 295 hp now on the S, but so did the features and the weight so performance has improved just marginally over the years.

Perfectlap · 11-20-2006, 06:26 AM

from a 912 I think you would enjoy the CaymanS the most. Every Porsche guy I know is licking his chops waiting to get in a used one as their 2nd pcar for daily driving.
unlikew me, Roadsters aren't for everyone and the resale values of CaymanS vs. Boxster could not be more different. Too many Boxsters and not enough Caymans. But both very popular.

As for new or used, with a warranty and then an extended warranty I see absolutely no point in buying a brand spankin new Boxster.
You can use the money you save on depreciation for the mods or driving schools.

p.s.
Nearly 24K miles since 2004 and I've only had one repair, throttle body $500.

11-20-2006, 07:05 AM

It depends on how you drive also.....seems to me that you like to take care of your cars (69 912). get a good long warranty and you will be fine. every car has it's problems.

buy it, i love mine. don't know if i'll ever sell it. kinda like the way you drove your 69 bought in 72.....that's amazing....you could do the same in the boxster, the car first introduced in 96, and it still hasn't aged in design.