Is it possible to maintain/repair a 987 Boxster for $100/month? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Quickurt · 06-06-2010, 03:44 PM

The 20k service on my 987 was $825.00 and a set of tires was a little more (Sumatoma HTRZlll)

gschotland · 06-06-2010, 06:43 PM

$1200/yr will keep you in good shape for tires and oil changes, not much else. If you're going to do basic maintenance yourself, I think ~$2k/yr is a generous figure. Put $175-$200/month away in a reserve fund so it'll be there when you need it. For a low mileage 987 you may very well have a couple of years of not much more tires and oil changes (aka "free lunch").

amcdonal86 · 06-06-2010, 07:59 PM

Edmunds TCO estimates a 2005-2006 ish Boxster (can't remember what year the numbers I have are for) should cost about $123/month in maintenance, and $180/month in repairs, on average, over 5 years at 15k miles a year.

Basically I have about $850/month to play with for my transportation needs. This needs to include car payment, maintenance, insurance, repairs, gas, etc.

Do you think I can afford this car?

I figure in the fall (when convertible season is ending), I can find a 2006 or so 2.7 model (maybe even an S if I'm lucky) for about $25000. I have a $5000 or so car that I will sell, so I will need a loan for about $25k. (Is it hard to get 5 year financing for a used car of that age?)

The monthly breakdown is as follows (assume 15k miles a year, 2005-2006 987 Boxster 2.7, 4 year car loan at 6%):

$470 car payment
$120 insurance
$165 gas

If my budget is $850/month for a car, that leaves me only $95/month for car repairs and maintenance.

However, if I could get a 5 year used car loan, then my car payment would only be $387/month, and that would afford me about $178/month in maintenance and repair costs.

Maybe I should just stick to a late model Miata or something? I had one before. It certainly won't turn as many heads as a Boxster, but I think it's at least 90% as fun as a Boxster, and much cheaper to own and operate.

I had a 944 for a few months. And it was a blast. But I sold it because I got really scared of the transmission going out (among other problems).

sb01box · 06-06-2010, 08:37 PM

45K miles over 3-1/2 years. Porsche certified used so they did the 60K service before purchase.
my outlay is running at $200 per month. all service done at the dealer, including 90K service.
AOS, coolant overflow tank, a rear bearing, set of rear tires are the big hitters.
oil change every 5K@$250 per.

tnoice · 06-07-2010, 03:50 AM

If you have $850 a month to spend on your transportation, buy something else and SAVE the difference for when you can truly afford what you want. Last thing you would want to happen is your vehicle breaks and you find yourself WAY over your $120 per month figure. I would suggest, if you want a fun car, buy a honda s2000 or a miata and place the remaining amount in savings. I do love my boxster, and nothing will replace the great feeling your get from it; however, you do need to be prepared for if something breaks without feeling it is going to destroy your budget. If that happens, you will never buy a Porsche again.

tonycarreon · 06-07-2010, 04:24 AM

or take that 850/mo and save it for 6 months, add that to your 5k you think you can get for the current car and that gives you 10k. you can buy a decent older boxster for 10k cash. no payments. then save the 850/mo for repairs.

landrovered · 06-07-2010, 04:37 AM

Once your car is paid for you can do a whole lot of fixing for less than the cost of a car payment. Also never finance anything that depreciates, like a car. because you lose twice. Also don't forget that your insurance costs will go up with a Porsche.

amcdonal86 · 06-07-2010, 06:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tonycarreon

or take that 850/mo and save it for 6 months, add that to your 5k you think you can get for the current car and that gives you 10k. you can buy a decent older boxster for 10k cash. no payments. then save the 850/mo for repairs.

Well, my current car (Lexus LS400, ZzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzz) costs me about $400/month. So I would only be able to pocket about $450/month.

Neverthemess, saving up $450/month would also be a good way to save up for a bigger downpayment on the 987, but I have other things I'd like to be saving money for. (Perhaps an entrapment ring, oops I mean engagement.)

My current vehicle is also depreciating, but not very fast.

amcdonal86 · 06-09-2010, 07:09 AM

Why does the 987 require so many oil changes? I usually go up to 10k miles with synthetic without any problems on my DD!

Perfectlap · 06-09-2010, 07:35 AM

Well if you plan to keep the car until the 90K mile mark you have to remember there is maintenance and then there is major maintenance.
Oil changes, air filters, tires are not bad for this car given the rewards.
When it comes time to change shocks, clutch/flywheel, IMS, service axle boots, rotors, 02 sensors, parts that fail prematurely (starter, alternator), etc. that can add up to a figure north of $6K. If you aren't setting a little aside for major maintenance in addition to annual maintenance then you're going to have to break open a few piggy banks. It's best to tackle one big item each each year in addition to the regular maintenace...spread the hurt.
I spent about $6K on major maintenance recently and it was well worth it because this is car to keep for the long haul. The engine still sings, the paint still shines and I still get at least one compliment per drive on a car whose design is 17 years old.

stephen wilson · 06-09-2010, 08:16 AM

To keep things in perspective, IIRC you did quite a bit of "voluntary" work that many people won't do arbitrarily, such as the IMS upgrade,starter, & alternator, to add up to that $6,000. Also, depending on which year 987, there won't be the option of an IMS upgrade. You can also choose to replace the car before the 90-100K mark.

The 986/987's still have the factory extended change intervals ( IIRC 12-15K or 1 year? ), but many people choose the do a more frequent 5K change to help engine longevity, (aka. cheap insurance!).

Perfectlap · 06-09-2010, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephen wilson

To keep things in perspective, IIRC you did quite a bit of "voluntary" work that many people won't do arbitrarily, such as the IMS upgrade,starter, & alternator, to add up to that $6,000.

well when the clutch starts to go you have to deal with it sooner than later or you'll chew up the flywheel. Fixing the clutch requires you to take a hard look at swapping the IMS for the aftermarket unit from LNE. Now you're looking at $2K, closer to $3K if you have to play it safe and replace the flywheel. It adds up..

The 02 sensors were another quick fix that turned into a bigger tab than anticipated. Simply swapping the faulty one didn't end CEL's. Once I replaced the other three...no more CEL's. Too bad that ran $600, $700 if you need a mechanic with a lift to do it for you.

The parts for these cars are not cheap. Using independent mechanics helps but sometimes they mark up the parts or refuse to install anything that isn't OEM.