986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners - View Single Post

sd_boxster · 11-15-2009, 08:18 AM

If Porsche believed that any of their powerplants was supposed to last forever, they'd offer a lifetime powertrain warranty, like the one I've got on my Jeep Patriot. Porsche does not intend for their vehicles to last forever - they intend for them to be performance machines.

The harder you use a piece of equipment, the sooner it will wear out. Indy car motors are designed to go 1200 miles between rebuilds, not because they are crappy motors, but because of how they are used.

Are there weak points in the Boxster engine design? Yes, I think Jake has proved that. Will replacing those guarantee you still won't blow a motor? Nope. They may buy peace of mind, but there is no guarantee. If you have the money and the inclination, absolutely go the Flat6 route. I personally will drive the hell out of my 986 until something breaks, and then I will decide if I want to go with a flat6 upgrade or dump the car as a roller and move on to something else - maybe a Cayman PDK, if my car lasts long enough for prices to come down.

If you can't live with the FACT that any machine will break (even really expensive ones), that the Boxster may be more prone than other machines to break, and that driving it hard will increase the odds that it will break, sell it.

If you can't afford to replace a motor but want a Porsche, buy CPO, don't ever track it or do anything else to jeapordize your warranty coverage, and keep it until the warranty is up and then sell it to someone else. (Note: Please don't be one of the tools I overhear at the track discussing how to best defraud the dealer if they blow a motor at the races. Man, that pisses me off.)

If you don't fall into either of the two preceding categories, go climb into your Boxster, crank the key with your left hand (ain't that a hoot?), feel that flat 6 rumble to life behind your kidneys, and go find yourself a twisty road. Driving a Boxster is like that beautiful girl you dated when you were 16. Who knows how long this is going to last? Enjoy every minute while you can.

11-15-2009, 08:18 AM	#37
sd_boxster Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: San Diego Posts: 434	If Porsche believed that any of their powerplants was supposed to last forever, they'd offer a lifetime powertrain warranty, like the one I've got on my Jeep Patriot. Porsche does not intend for their vehicles to last forever - they intend for them to be performance machines. The harder you use a piece of equipment, the sooner it will wear out. Indy car motors are designed to go 1200 miles between rebuilds, not because they are crappy motors, but because of how they are used. Are there weak points in the Boxster engine design? Yes, I think Jake has proved that. Will replacing those guarantee you still won't blow a motor? Nope. They may buy peace of mind, but there is no guarantee. If you have the money and the inclination, absolutely go the Flat6 route. I personally will drive the hell out of my 986 until something breaks, and then I will decide if I want to go with a flat6 upgrade or dump the car as a roller and move on to something else - maybe a Cayman PDK, if my car lasts long enough for prices to come down. If you can't live with the FACT that any machine will break (even really expensive ones), that the Boxster may be more prone than other machines to break, and that driving it hard will increase the odds that it will break, sell it. If you can't afford to replace a motor but want a Porsche, buy CPO, don't ever track it or do anything else to jeapordize your warranty coverage, and keep it until the warranty is up and then sell it to someone else. (Note: Please don't be one of the tools I overhear at the track discussing how to best defraud the dealer if they blow a motor at the races. Man, that pisses me off.) If you don't fall into either of the two preceding categories, go climb into your Boxster, crank the key with your left hand (ain't that a hoot?), feel that flat 6 rumble to life behind your kidneys, and go find yourself a twisty road. Driving a Boxster is like that beautiful girl you dated when you were 16. Who knows how long this is going to last? Enjoy every minute while you can. __________________ 1999 Carrera 4 • Aero kit • 4" UD Pulley My Corvette doesn't leak oil... it sweats horsepower.