My First Six Months With My 986: Ten Things I've Learned.
 

I bought my 2000 986 back in January of this year. It immediately went into the local indie shop for a long list of repairs and upgrades, and was finally released to me last May. I've been driving it nearly every day since. As a first time Porsche owner, here's what I've learned:

1. You cannot drive this car without smiling. I know this because my wife, who rides with me frequently, tells me I'm grinning like an idiot. I've let a few of my friends drive my car (trying to be a good Porsche ambassador) and, sure enough, the Boxster smile appears -- usually around the top end of second gear as the tach crests over 4,000.

2. The 986 is a $20,000 car. Regardless of what you paid for it at the outset, you will spend a minimum of $20k on this car. I helped a friend buy a 986 (one of those same friends who drove mine). I warned him. He paid $12K, and immediately put another $5K into it. The next round will cost him around $3K. Pay it now, or pay it later. It's a $20K car.

3. OMG. The price of parts.

4. Exactly 257 people have told me I own a hairdresser's car. I am told this at stoplights, in parking lots, and at the gas station. My response is always the same: I bend over laughing, slap my knee, and say "That's hilarious...never heard that one before!"

5. Exactly 118 people have told me my car is not a real Porsche because it's not a 911. No. It's not a 911. It's better.

6. Guys in big, jacked-up "bro" trucks with off-road tires and too many LED lights love to tailgate me, or pull up within millimeters of my trunk at stoplights and rev the engine.

7. Speaking of trucks, I'm tired of fat, gap-toothed rednecks in beat up Dodge Ramchargers coming up to me at the gas station and asking me if I want to trade cars.

8. Everyone wants to drag race. Everyone. Minivans. Camrys. It's ridiculous. Mustangs are the worst.

9. In all my other cars, I would listen to music or news while driving. I have never turned on the radio in this car. I don't even know if it works.

10. One last thing: I cannot walk away from this car in the parking lot without looking back. Just can't do it.

1) Agree ;)

2) Strongly disagree. This has not been my experience. 5 years in, my total is about $12.5 k ($10k purchase).

3) You have much to learn :D There are many ways to avoid Porsche tax.

4) Have never heard this in the real world, only in Internet forums.

5) The correct response is, "Oh, yeah? What kind of Porsche do you drive?" :p

6) Anyone driving one of those has serious manhood issues. Just feel sorry for them.

7) Just had this happen for the first time last week. Best to laugh and play along so they don't assume you're a stuck-up prick. :)

8) Mustang Sally. Period.

9) This is also my policy for leisure driving, but I also make a 4 hour round trip every week. The stereo sure does come in handy for that.

10) 5 years later and I still do this every single time. It's an issue.

My car is almost 17 years old. It now has almost 132K miles on it. It has its share of beauty marks but overall, still looks great for its age.

I'm keeping it. It's as much fun now as the day I bought it.

Any car can eventually be a $20k car. You have to decide where to stop. I stopped at an additional $4k in...many of the upgrades not really necessary, like new visors and a stereo upgrade.

Not once. Did used to take occasional crap when I drove a Miata...often from guys driving Corollas or something likewise boring.

Not once.

Happens with all kinds of cars and trucks. Take it as a compliment.

There is definitely heightened aggression occurring with a lot of other drivers. I see a lot more people flooring it when I pop around them to pass than I do in when driving a Prius. Pickups and Chrysler Hemi's are the worst offenders.

Love my radio upgrade. The stock radio was horrible.

Quilty.

I've also been asked if I'm a dental hygienist (definitely not). Maybe it's a regional thing.

Here's my responses to that...

Agreed. Lord help me, I've tried not to smile. Can't be done...

That I've spent $34K on. LOL

I SO agree...

I have never once heard this in person. Never. Not once.

Another one I have never heard in person. Not once. But I agree it's better! Mid engine baby! But I have to add that 911's are awesome too!

Ok, I'm starting to think you need to move to another state. Do you live in Detroit or something?

Guys in big trucks are always coming up to me and telling me how much they love my car. I always tell them to get one, that they're dirt cheap now. I warn them about the parts though...

This has only happened to me twice in 3 years. I respond by giving them a friendly wave or a thumbs up while pointing to their car and then pretending to play with the climate controls... leaning over and pretending to adjust the carpet on the passenger side until the light changes works well too...

These cars have radios? :)

Just like the not smiling thing, walking away without looking back is not physically possible.

Agreed, love driving mine, on street or on track...

Depends on what you have to do to the car -- mine was bought cheap, lots of mods, and still MAYBE $15k total.

Realistically these are $50k+ cars with parts prices to match.... However,
if you learn where to shop, you can cut your out of pocket costs significantly.
Also learn how to DIY a few things, and you can keep repair bills in check.

I don't have that problem -- might be the racing numbers, or the tire marks on the hoods and fenders -- or the 5 point racing harness :-)

This usually only happens in the paddock, just before the session they give me a point by :-) Actually the track folks know these are impressive for the $$.

Mine spits flames when I down shift (cat delete and borla exhaust :-) -- usually garners some respect leading up to stop lights...

I make some joke about fuel economy and super unleaded prices.....

I can't out drag my own shadow -- so I let them be my radar detector.....

Borla exhaust drones at <3K, so I'm at 4K+ rpms, can't hear the radio anyway.

[/QUOTE]

Mine's a workhorse -- not a beauty queen.... but I daily drove my previous S for 4 years -- so yep -- she was a looker....

11. Do an HPDE -- and see what she's really capable of .....

Number 9 and 10 really speak to me here. I've had my 2000 S since May and haven't turned on the radio more than a couple times to appease my girlfriend, and I always look back on it while walking away. Idk about better than a 911.... but it is certainly one hell of a car.

1. It actually has a name it's called Permagrin.
2. Yup.
3. Yup.
4. Also have only heard it on the internet. Have also heard "chick car" and for Tiptronics "chicktronics" also only on the internet.
5. Nope, never heard that from any Porsche owners.
6. Yup. Most are frustrated wanna be semi drivers because their trucks all sound like semi diesels.
7. Nope, never hear that. Had a guy pull up next to me at a light in an old Ford pickup and ask me that and I just said "in your dreams."
8. Porsche is the benchmark for anyone who wants to brag to his buddies that he beat one.
9. My "radio" is the flat six symphony.
10. Yup. Six years later I still do it.

I am one year into ownership of my first Porsche, an 03 Box Base, and I share many of your thoughts. If I am not driving my car, I am thinking and dreaming about it - EVERY SINGLE DAY.


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Yep, a lot of what you posted is true. I don't get much in the way of reactions from anybody, anywhere around here (NorCal). I think it depends on your location.

The Box does inspire back road fun driving. My previous DD, a supercharged Miata NA, was more of a "take me to the track" car; not as playful. Owning this Porsche caused me to start a local MeetUp driving club, which has been great:

Fair Oaks Sports Cars Meetup (Fair Oaks, CA) | Meetup

If you're in this neck of the woods, join in. It's free.

I still have never heard anyone negatively comment on my car. Maybe us Canadians are a bit more polite. Most if they don't know what it is, ask, while others usually say "She's a beauty".
With an upgraded surround sound system and subwoofer - that little cabin is a great place to enjoy some hot tunes while winding through the twisties. I find the music helps spur the car on!

I think it is a measure of the appeal of these cars that owners put up with the financial pain of maintaining them, we could easily taken a sensible decision and bought an MX5(Miata) for low cost ownership. Mind you, parts are not particularly cheap for these cars either, but rarely required.

As Ettiore Bugatti is reported to have retorted to an owner complaining about the maintenance cost of his car "if you can't afford to maintain it, you should't have bought one in the first place!"

When you consider what good value Boxsters are second hand then a bit of expenditure on maintenance can be accepted.

We are about to depart on a 4 day week-end away with 9 others, (mostly MX5"s},hoping all goes well, (No embarrassing smoke on start-up hopefully}

Cheers Alan

I should probably explain that I work with a lot of young military guys who happen to be at a stage in their careers where they receive a huge bonus for staying on active duty. You can probably guess what many of them do with that huge bonus. Consequently, the parking lot here at work is full of BMW M3s, M4s, Mustangs, Camaros, and even the odd Maserati or two. So most of the comments I get are just good-natured ribbing, and they get it right back, believe me.

The one thing I should add is that these cars have an incredibly timeless design, as evidenced by the people who think I'm driving a brand new car. They're always shocked when I tell them it's 15 years old.

1. Absolutely
8. I'm baffled by the number of people who tailgate / try to pass etc in daily traffic ... it never happens when I'm in my DD...
9. Agree. Love the sound of the engine. I don't let the kids turn on the radio when they ride with me either, they need to learn to appreciate the flat 6 symphony.
10. Look back at least once. Every time. After 3 years ... and can't imagine not doing so. The timeless design makes everyone think it is a lot newer than it is ...

1. Agree
2. Agree
3. Partially agree. I've had to repair three broken things on my car so far, and all parts have been less than $200 total. However a key head and tires (these weren't repairs) were crazy money.
4-8. Can't agree. No negative comments at all. I did have a guy ask me at the gas pump once, "how much does it cost to fill THAT thing up?". As if gas costs more to Porsche owners than Chevy owners? What? He was being friendly though, I think. People tailgate me a lot less in the Porsche than in my Lexus SUV.
9-10. Agree. I love the way it looks and drives. Buying a Boxster was top of my bucket list, so I'd be ready to check out if I weren't having so much fun.

Very true on the timeless design people ask me if is a 2015 or 2016 car as well

[QUOTE=The one thing I should add is that these cars have an incredibly timeless design, as evidenced by the people who think I'm driving a brand new car. They're always shocked when I tell them it's 15 years old.[/QUOTE]

A quick story to reinforce this. Recently I was at a stop light and the driver next to me yells out and asks if this is the NEW Boxster. I laugh, say no, it is pretty old, going on 15 yrs now. I get this on occasion, but usually it is from folks who don't know P cars, so what he said next made it that much more cool. He said he just sold his 993, so he was surprised this was such an old Boxster. I asked how he did on the 993 sale, and with a big grin he said he bought it at $45K and sold it at $100k. I said wow, maybe you should buy one like this for $12k.....

Or 4-5!


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1. Agree!
2.There are no cheap Porsches.
3. The single biggest cost of ownership.
4. Only from friends. I might need new friends.
5. I was told that I didn't own a real Porsche when I owned a 996 911. Hater's are gonna hate.
6. Ditto.
7. I get this at least once a month. I laugh along.
8. Mustangs are the worst - absolutely true!
9. I often just listen to the car.
10. http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/...psyyzlu93h.jpg

Great post :). My perspective after almost 10 years:

1. I still cannot drive this car without smiling. If I am not, I'll accelerate to 4-5k rms, if still not, repeat as necessary.

2. The 986 is a $20,000 car...and then some. Pay now, pay later, pay some more, get angry then remember point #1. Also when service bills start adding up, I'll just remember it's still the cheapest car (purchase plus service) I own. My Audi service is much less, but payed more up front.

3. OMG. The price of parts. <<< yeah! I never understood why; having Audis as well you would think parts would be comparably priced as both are VWAG. Nope, nope and nope.

4. Exactly 0 people have told me I own a hairdresser's car. Not once. Ever.

5. Can't say I've been told I don't have a "real" Porsche, but I will admit I have thought it to myself. Not to demean my Boxster, but when at the dealership and I see a GT3, I think to myself "it's just not the same, sigh..."

6 &7. Something about Porsches make dumb people say and do dumb things...it's like the cars are stupid magnets that attract all of the moron particles in the universe and concentrate them into the brains of the most easily influenced. Not once have I EVER had a negative comment or snide remark made because I am driving an Audi (even my RS5), but with the Boxster, totally different story. It's like "Oh you and your Porsche...bleh bleh bleh" or "you get the check, Mr. Porschepants."

8. Everyone wants to drag race. Everyone. Minivans. Camrys. It's ridiculous. Mustangs are the worst. <<< yep, yep and yep. Again (to my shigrin), never ever never when I am driving the RS5 (sigh), but always with the Boxster and always at a light...why can't they wait until a nice winding stretch of road (please?).

9. I have a radio, but I'll admit it took a couple of years to start using it, but now I find it almost necessary on the occasion when I need the perfect soundtrack on the perfect day on the perfect road...just to underscore the movie that I am picturing myself in.

10. I still cannot walk away from this car in the parking lot without looking back. And I feather dust it, I clean the interior before most every drive and it gets car covered even in my garage. If my Audis could talk, I am sure they would say "what the f***? Dude you have a serious problem and should seek help"...in German of course.

The Audis would say:

"Alter, Du hast echt ein ernsthaftes Problem und solltest Dich dringend in ärztliche Behandlung begeben."

Regards, Markus

Thanks Markus, mein Deutsch ist nicht gut, aber der Audi nicht falsch ist habe ich eine Obsession porsche. :)

(Been too long since I left Siemens...). The formality of "regards" in closing was something I used to receive on every email; a simple kind gesture I miss greatly.

This is interesting...
 

....I am also a new Porsche owner. After owning a Miata for over 20 years, I finally bought my dream car, my 2004 Boxster 550 SE.

I live in the deep south and the reaction to my car has been positive. Not that I really care at all what people think.

I bought the car because I wanted to drive the car, not to impress the neighbors.

I have attended two big Porsche Club events. My non-scientific view is that about 65% of the PCA folks are rich pouseurs who I have no patience for.

The rest seem to be a mixture of true car enthusiasts who like to drive or track their cars, and folks who just like the quality and engineering of Porsche.

Fortunately, it is very easy for me to just socialize with like minded car nuts and avoid the country club types.

One interesting aspect of buying this 12 year old bargain of a sports car, is that just pulling up in this old Boxster at a ritzy hotel gives us the same luxury treatment that is given to the guy who pulled into the valet spot in the 2017 $200,000 911 Turbo S.

We just got back from a leaf peeping drive to Aspen from our home and we stayed at the St. Regis hotel. The place is super swanky, and we pulled in behind a Bentley Continental GT convertible and a brand new Cayman GT4, and the valet attendant treated us like those folks whose tax bracket I will never sniff.

My wife is really starting to like THAT spect of traveling in a Boxster vs. my old Miata.

As far as the car goes, OMG, she's amazing. It's as though they scanned my brain and built the EXACT car I would design. I love this car. I'm still discovering awesome little engineering facts about her.

I am astonished at just how practical this car is as a real world sports car. We just drove 4,000 miles, cross-country, and had more than enough luggage space and comfort.

And, the car was a joy to drive across every mountain pass in Colorado.

After we got home, I fired up a cigar and poured a little bourbon and just sat and gazed at her for hours.

Oh yeah, every muscle car and V8 pickup wants to race. :roll eyes:

:cheers:

For track days, I'll keep the Miata, but for the real world, the Boxster rules.

Typical evening scenario. Wife is watching TV. Wonders where I am. Finds me in the garage, microfiber towel in hand, stupid grin on my face.

She just rolls her eyes and walks away.

My wife is pretty understanding, but you are not alone with the [emoji849][emoji849][emoji849]

Also her reaction when every time she turns the TV on and the last channel watched was Velocity. Although, I will say we were watching one of her shows on HGTV, Property Brothers, when what do what do I see? As part of the show they were fixing up a house for a guy who was a "professional" driver and challenged the host to a race. What did they drive? A 986!


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I bought mine last December, my Christmas present to me! :) I have a little over 9500 miles on it so far, drive it to work about 3 days a week. So far I have $7500 in it including new IMSB, clutch, flywheel, water pump and seat upholstery. I recently bought a Z-top which is going to add $3K. Currently everything works. There are a few maintenance items that I know I will be needing before too long, but that is just normal for anything that you drive.

1. Love driving it! I have thought about it a lot, and I think it is probably the best and most versatile sports car ever made! I know it draws attention because you just don't see many Porsches on the road in any given week. And Yes, I know I often have a stupid grin on my face.

2. $7500 so far. Other than maintenance, I expect to have $12K in it when I have made all the mods I want. If you don't need the bigger engine options and you can do your own maintenance, a Boxster can be a reasonably priced sports car. (but then everyone's idea of reasonable is different)

3. Some parts are expensive. But really, most of the costs are similar to BMW, maybe a little higher for some things. Have not had any stupidly expensive parts yet. I know 4 new struts will be at least $1000.

4. Have not heard any negative comments as of yet, only compliments and plenty of those. I have a factory hard top on it and I think that throws most people off. I have people ask what it is and others ask if it is new. Most people have no idea that it is 17 years old!

5. None, no 911 comments.

6. Nope, maybe I am not paying attention.

7. Nope, not as of yet.

8. Only once, 4 high school kids in a Camry or something. I just revved the engine, smiled and played along.

9. Love my stereo upgrade! New head unit to connect to ipod, 6 channel amp out of a 996 cab, factory rear speakers off ebay, Rockford Fosgate replacements in the dash. Sounds great! New door speakers at some point. While I love the sound of the engine, I love music too.

10. Always! :)

1. Still smiling even after a DIY clutch job. Severe 986 with drawl symptoms when she is not online.

2. Yes, after 4 years I'd say Im in for nearly 20K

3. Parts depending on the source are more costly than most, but look what they make. Worth it.

4. No negative comments yet. Really enjoyed the positive ones especially when they came from lovely ladies.

5. It has the Porsche Logo on the hood...nuf said!

6. Don't like it when anyone gets close behind due mostly to the superb braking capabilities. Wish I had a smoke screen button for those dumb people.

7. Always a redneck around wishing and dreaming. I wonder if anyone has ever said sure, i'll trade my Porsche for your ....

8. I zoom off at max acceleration till the speed limit and see if they can find the cop with the radar gun for me. Its happened once so far, but I also have radar detector so I just enjoy messing with them.

9. Music is optional as the Boxster engine music is something you just never grow tired of.

10. I look back more than a few times and on occasion I decide the lighting is just right and go back to snap a photo, but I do that with the GF as well. ;)

6. That's what the fog rear light is for. They think you are braking if you turn it on momentarily,