MotorMeister?? alternative to a dealer motor??
 

I'm researching buying a used boxster. reading all this engine failure and people saying the dealer wants $12000 to put in a new one..

I was surfing for rebuilt motors and found motormeisters website.

http://www.motormeister.com/suz/911_engines/911_engines_5.htm

they advertise a boxster motor (no specifics on size/year/etc) for $6000.

I'm assuming the labor to install this motor can't be 6000... i would think a competent mechanic could do it in a day or two max... maybe a couple grand labor at most? or am I way off?

I'm looking into buying a used 986 - and the ONLY thing keeping me are these "horror stories' of people saying they go thit iwth a 15,000 bill to fix their engine.. the cars i'm looking at cost only 15000.... i don't want to buy a car then get hit with a repair bill that is more than the car is worth!!

there MUST be third party sources for rebuilt or reman boxster motors..or maybe go USED...and pay the labor to install it..

how cheap could one replace the motor on a boxster for? if you dind't go dealer and went iwht an independent mechanic?

is motormeister a reputable place? are there other sources for lesser expensive engines?

i was all lined up to buy a boxster...was even maybe gonna get a smokin deal from a famliy member..then read all this crap out blowing up motors and these HUGE repair bills and it kidn of burst the bubble....

i'm trying to assess REALLY what it would cost to replace an engine IF I bought a used boxster and IF I was unlucky enough to have the engine fail..

Most people here are going to recommend a PPI (inspection) and an extended warranty, both decent ideas. My take is this, a lot of people have driven their Porsche boxsters hard, perhaps even through the redline a few times, can't be good for the motor, some poor bastard buys it used and well you know the rest. Sure some people have treated their cars like girlfriends and had engines blow and rear seals leak, the truth is all manufacturers have glitches. I have one of the infamous low mileage (28K) 1998 models which I have read nothing but gloom about and my motor has run awesome and still does, good luck.

I have never heard a single good comment about Motormeister's work. Not sure if they are just selling a used engine, but I would avoid them.

There are some good places to by used parts. I think there is a thread on them here or at RennTech.com. Oklahoma Recyclers (?) comes to mind.

Go to Pelican Parts website...find the 911 technical BBS...search Motormeister.
There's enough there to prevent you from sleeping for days.
Mike

To get a handle on used engine prices...
 

just go to eBay. My impression is $6k for a 2.7 or 3.2 with less than 60k miles as the going rate.

Consider you always hear complaints from the people with problems, those of us who have had no problems (2 Boxsters, 5+ years, trivial unscheduled maintenance costs) don't post. This is true for any item or any car model. Porsche owners may be a bit more vocal about their problems..but then there are whole series of BMW engines with many more failures.

Yes it does happen, yes it happens under any use condition, no Porsche does nothing about it when the collective opinion of the owner's community is they should.

But is it a wonderful car...you bet. Reliable compared to many other sportscars including older Porsches, yes. Mine more reliable (based on # of trips to the dealership and cost of unscheduled maintenance per month of ownership over a 40-55k miles on each car period) than my Honda or Acura.

If your risk tolerance isn't sufficient to take a chance, you shouldn't be buying any car without a warranty. Buy a CPOed Boxster from the dealer and pay the dealer premium and the CPO cost for the car.

Or buy an Extended Warranty. Statistically far far worse than going to the casino but there for those who can't (or don't want to) take the risk of a major system failure costing big $$$.

My web site has all I've been able to collect about the good and the bad, about buying and how to limit your risk (say PPI).

Good luck in your decision.

If you buy the car from a family member and the engine blows, will it affect your relationship with that family member?

I never knew about motormeister....I am literally horrified.....Im walking away from my computer now....bye

Only thing I'm aware of is AutoFarm in the UK. I don't know why there aren't more engine shops doing work on M96 motors, but there certainly appears to be a big void here.

Patrick

Here's a thread about MM from earlier this year. It contains the Pelican link.

Better pop some popcorn, crack open your favorite adult beverage, and find a comfy chair - it's a long read but well worth it.

http://986forum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15268&highlight=MotorMeister

MM's also got a bad rep on the 914 and 914/6 lists, too. Stay away.

You are an ideal candidate for a CPO Boxster.

You can buy a 2001 Boxster with a CPO warranty for around 22 500$ if you negotiate with the dealer.

That way you are protected against pretty much everything related to the engine for 2 years.


search for a cpo car on www.porsche.com


I have a 2000 Boxster S with CPO warranty and the extra 2000$ I spent has paid for itself already with all my trips to the dealer...