[10/10ths]

.....doesn't really mean anything. I remember a single digit numbered one being used for the press launch vehicle....maybe yours.

According to the data out there, which is hard to verify, of the 1953 built, only 500 came to the United States.

What is interesting about the depreciation of the 986/996 cars, is that if it is a combination of large production numbers and fear of engine failures keeping their value down, one of those is a relatively easy fix.

I decided I wanted to own a Boxster last spring. After 20+ years of Miata ownership, I wanted to step up and own my dream car before I was too old and feeble to enjoy owning one.

I researched a LOT, and decided that the car I wanted to own was the 2004 50 Years of 550 Spyder Edition.

It was just dumb luck that the car I bought came onto the market the same day I started searching and I found her first. I was thrilled to find a six-speed manual car, with the cocoa top and interior, with the right options, with only 25,000 miles, owned by a non-enthusiast middle aged woman who just kept it in a garage and drove it on sunny Sundays for twelve years. With a full service history from her local Porsche dealership, and a friend of mine being close enough to the car to perform a PPI for me, I had to buy her.

So, I chose THAT car for many reasons, and the known engine problems was one of the reasons I bought an '04. That model year was the easiest to fix and had the right mix of engine management and PSM and such.

So I bought the car knowing that I would drop another few grand to remedy those issues. I factored that into the purchase price. I shipped the car to Jake Raby at Flat 6 Innovations and he replaced the IMS and all the other known failure points and now I own a bad ass, 2004 special edition Boxster with only 30,000 miles on her and I can drive her in confidence until she reaches about 80,000 miles before I have to drop large coin on her again. It's just oil changes and tires for a long time. She should get me into my 70's. I figure by age 75 I might not want to be driving a stick shift anymore. If I'm even around.

So, I tell folks all the time these days, find a good, unmolested 986/996 and then just ship her to Raby and pay the "Porsche Tax" and start enjoying a great car for a little bit of money compared to any other semi-exotic car out there.

Cheers!

:dance: