A few thoughts.
As Brucelee suggested, I had the dealer do everything until the warranty ran out just in case, but after that I've only had one other tech touch the Boxster one time.
Also, as several have said, there are several checks to be done at the same time. The full service takes me about 4 hours on my own so two guys doing it in two hours is pretty close as long as all of the checks were done. These checks really need to be done so if you don't plan on doing the checks, then you should not do the service yourself.
As far as a buyer wanting service records from a dealer, that is true for a model that's a few years old, but as they age you have to be aware of the buyer. Buyers of models that are 5+ years old are more likely to take care of things on their own. The reason is, if they have the money to pay somebody $200-$300 for every oil change, they have the money for a new model. Most buyers of a 5+ year old model would rather know the car is relatively easy to repair and service themselves. If you have all of the receipts and keep a journal of dates and exactly what was done, they see you have more interest in the car than most others. When you offer to take it to the Porsche dealer of their choice for them to have a PPI done, they know you are confident in the car and the service you have done.
Finally, and I think most important, as Jim stated, the "Porsche Specialist" does not always have more education concerning the Boxster than you, nor does he always the best interest of your car at heart (if ever). Not all dealerships require their techs to be Porsche Certified. Bottom line is it's the "bottom line". The specialist will do what his manager tells him to do in the interest of getting it done and out so the next can come in. Own your car for awhile and you will see what I mean. When I do things to my Boxster, they are done right and I take the time to make sure that's the case because it is
my Boxster.
Things that "Porsche Specialists" did to my 928
Here's a list of some of the wonderful things Porsche Specialists did to my 928 as an example of how little somebody else cares about your Porsche. The PO of my 928 had the records and everything was done at a Porsche dealer or by a Porsche Certified Mechanic. Keep in mind, if this car were available today it would be a $120K+ automobile (thank God for depreciation in my case
), but they still did this stuff:
1) Missing bolts on the water pump. That's right, I replaced the TB and WP when I first bought it. Two bolts were missing on the water pump.
2) The PO said the A/C did not work. He had it checked out by a Porsche Specialist but it still did not work. He was not concerned with it because he lived up north so he left it alone. So what was this horrendous problem that alluded the specialist? The A/C compressor sending wire was unplugged.
I found it while replacing the TB and WP. Plugged it in and the A/C has worked beautifully ever since.
3) Several other bolts/screws were missing in the engine bay.
4) There are some flaps in the front of the car that close off the air flow when the engine is cold to help it warm up faster. As the engine temp rises, the flaps open until they are completely open at operating temp. They were opening and closing constantly, back and forth, so the PO had it checked out. They told him it needed a new motor at $400 w/ labor. He didn't want to pay that much so they disconnected them in the open position. When I bought it, a trip to a forum suggested the relay was the problem, so I replaced the relay and it's been working beautifully ever since.
These are just a few of the things I have found so far. I'm sure others will surface as I work on it more.
Bottom line for me is if you want to do your own maintenance/repairs, do it, but only if you want to do the entire service and do it right. Otherwise pay someone else to read the manuals and do it.