father in law drops it on me..

[black_falcon]

Don't let these guys put you off. The Boxster is probably one of the most reliable Porsches you can own. True sitting is never good for a car, but after a routine change of fluids, perhaps plugs and wires, a thorough cleaning of the interior, you should have the car back up and running presuming there were no prior major problems.

Pictures!!!

[Mark_T]

Originally Posted by black_falcon

Don't let these guys put you off. The Boxster is probably one of the most reliable Porsches you can own. True sitting is never good for a car, but after a routine change of fluids, perhaps plugs and wires, a thorough cleaning of the interior, you should have the car back up and running presuming there were no prior major problems.

Did you actually manage to keep a straight face while you typed that? Most peeps budget about $2K a year upkeep on a healthy Boxster. I'm betting this one will be at least double that for the first couple of years until he gets it sorted out, if he's lucky. Moldy interior, sludge in the gas tank, gummed up injectors and fuel filter, mouse nests in rotted wiring, toxic old oil, another mouse nest in the air filter... it could be pretty scary. Any bets on what he'll find between the rads and the condensers?

Hey Randall, you gonna weigh in on this one? (Randall refers to his as the black hole for dead presidents)

[labowski]

you are correct! i did find a mouse nest..you are reading my mind

[BrokenLinkage]

Don't let 'em scare you, man.
I may jinx myself, but my 14yr old 96k-mile car has needed over the last 30K miles:
1) new rear trailing arms-old ones were still functional but noisy
2) new AOS -cured the occasional smoky startup
3) new coolant reservoir - truly a poor design and a PIA to replace
4) new MAF sensor - maybe could have gotten by with a cleaning but was starting a 500 mile trip and didn't want to take any chances
5) one CV boot
6) routine maintenance
7) oh, and a motor mount - was starting to wear out

All of this did in fact cost more than similar repairs on my elderly Jeep and Honda, but the frequency of required attention is only slightly more. In return, I usually arrive at work in a state of being mildly thrilled from the commute, and have a short 20 min vacation on the way home. And there is one deer that positively owes his life to the handling of the Porsche - with either of my other vehicles, he would have been an expensive hood ornament.
For me, for now, I am very pleased with it overall.I have no problems with its build quality, and for an older sports car it seems reliable. The comprehensive driving experience is unmatched in its price range, but , as noted, one must factor in maintenance, which will be more than most other marques.
Any comparable newer and more reliable car will start at about $30K, so the way I look at it, I got a $30K car for half that and $2k a year in maintenance. You on the other hand, did not get a car for free, just deeply discounted by the time you factor in the catch-up maintenance. But then, your thoroughbred must be fed/groomed/exercised/stabled, and all of that will cost a little more than for your quarter horse. So if your not up for the upkeep....
Anyway, welcome. Get it right, and I predict you will be hooked after the first spirited drive. If the numbers don't work for you, or the driving experience isn't that important to you, or you need more seats, or whatever, then once it is sorted, pass it on to someone at a different point in their life, possibly for a tidy profit if you did the work yourself.

[Timco]

Originally Posted by black_falcon

Don't let these guys put you off. The Boxster is probably one of the most reliable Porsches you can own. True sitting is never good for a car, but after a routine change of fluids, perhaps plugs and wires, a thorough cleaning of the interior, you should have the car back up and running presuming there were no prior major problems.

Pictures!!!

Reliable within the Porsche world....

I'll compare the repairs my car has seen against the '00 Ranger with twice the mileage and incomparable work loads. Guess which one has seen more water pumps, fuel pumps, fluid changes, suspension parts, and so on......

This is a high maintenance car at 11 years old. Unless you can afford to feed it properly and maintain it proper, be it yourself or at an Indy, it's not the car for you. Lots more attention per mile average than anything I've ever owned.

No regrets, however!!

[black_falcon]

Originally Posted by Timco

Reliable within the Porsche world....

I'll compare the repairs my car has seen against the '00 Ranger with twice the mileage and incomparable work loads. Guess which one has seen more water pumps, fuel pumps, fluid changes, suspension parts, and so on......

I've been around the block with british cars, you don't even want to go there, trust me.

Originally Posted by Timco

This is a high maintenance car at 11 years old. Unless you can afford to feed it properly and maintain it proper, be it yourself or at an Indy, it's not the car for you.

Any 11+ year old car is going to require attention and a repair budget. I don't doubt this car has the potential to be a money pit, but the fear mongering on some Porsche forums is unlike anything I've ever seen.

My face is still straight

[Timco]

Originally Posted by black_falcon

I've been around the block with british cars, you don't even want to go there, trust me.



Any 11+ year old car is going to require attention and a repair budget. I don't doubt this car has the potential to be a money pit, but the fear mongering on some Porsche forums is unlike anything I've ever seen.

My face is still straight

Well, again, my example vehicle is 15 years old with more than twice the duty and a fraction of the repairs I've done in 3+ years of Boxster ownership. If I had to pay an Indy for every fix I'd be making a 911 S Turbo 4 payment.

[Mark_T]

Originally Posted by black_falcon

the fear mongering on some Porsche forums is unlike anything I've ever seen.

Usually from graduates of the school of "been there, done that"

[black_falcon]

Originally Posted by Mark_T

Usually from graduates of the school of "been there, done that"

Cool story. Guess I've been lucky because all my pcars have been exceedingly reliable. Ditto for most people I know.

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by Mark_T

Usually from graduates of the school of "been there, done that"

Most drop out from that school before the tuition bill comes due.


Come to think of it if I had dropped out before 60k miles I would probably be singing how reliable the Porsche academy was. Once I stuck around for junior and senior status they sent me the reality check bill. Bailing before the "big wave" is something that predates the water cooled era at the Porsche academy..heard 993 alumni talking about deciding on whether to skip the big wave too.
In Japan the big wave has nothing to do with cars...they engineer things to last.

[Jamesp]

Originally Posted by Timco

Reliable within the Porsche world....

I'll compare the repairs my car has seen against the '00 Ranger with twice the mileage and incomparable work loads. Guess which one has seen more water pumps, fuel pumps, fluid changes, suspension parts, and so on......

This is a high maintenance car at 11 years old. Unless you can afford to feed it properly and maintain it proper, be it yourself or at an Indy, it's not the car for you. Lots more attention per mile average than anything I've ever owned.

No regrets, however!!

Timco, Speaking of reliability, did you get your fuel pump sorted?

[Timco]

Originally Posted by Jamesp

Timco, Speaking of reliability, did you get your fuel pump sorted?

[frownie-face]

NO. I am full of fail and disappoint. Indy says oh, I can get these in fast and now it's Thursday. If it's not in his hand today in an hour and a half, I'll buy a plane ticket and fly to where one is I guess.