987 Spyder Service and Warranty quandary

Bigant · Mar 11, 2020

Hello all

Member for 2.5 years but first time poster.

I'd be really grateful for views on Service and Warranty for my 987 Spyder as I can't decide what's best.

I bought the car with 21,000 miles 2.5 years ago and after 6 months had it serviced and put on a 2 year OPC warranty. Since then I've done 850 miles (I know, don't say a word) and its due another (major this time) service and I'm considering renewing the warranty. I've had 2 quotes from OPCs in Surrey and both are between £2,500 and £2,700 for both the major service (not drivebelt) and 2 year warranty. Bearing in mind I'm not looking to sell in the next 2 years so added value of OPC warranty is only for me and not re-sale, I would welcome views on the following:

Would you OPC warrant a 9 year old car that does 500 miles per year?
Do you think OPC servicing adds as much value to the resale as the additional it costs over a good indy specialist service?
Who would you recommend as a respected indy in the Surrey area?
Any experience of major (expensive) faults on 987.2 that may persuade me to go down OPC route.

I do appreciate this is very personal, but all views welcome as I ponder whether to shell out.

Many thanks
Anthony

Wollemi · Mar 11, 2020

Whether to warranty or not is a difficult decision as it depends upon both your attitude to risk and also could you afford if something major goes wrong. if you are loaded and could shell out with a few grumbles if say a PDK transmission fails or the engine requires replacement then you could argue that its better to take the risk as especially in your case, the chances of catastrophic failure are low given the amount of use you do. However if funds are tight and you would be unable to repair you car in such an event then you might consider warranty.

Also consider what you do with the car, the more you use it the more it is likely to fail. I continued to maintain the warranty on my now 11 year old 987.2 cause I was doing doing 5+ track days a year and judged that although still unlikely, there was a greater risk of a major failure that I could ill afford to fund myself.

Of course with an OPC warranty you are then tied to all the requirements of that warranty - OPC servicing, OEW parts, tyres etc. With such a low mileage the usual service intervals become less relevant. With independent servicing you could make a difference between time dependent items and those which are more mileage dependant.

I know I haven't actually answered your question.

Bigant · Mar 11, 2020

Thanks - you're absolutely right -the value you put on peace of mind is different for all. As its a Spyder and holds its value reasonably well (well it has up to know) I would have to find the money to put it right if out of warranty, but warranty does put mind at rest. Just silly things like airbag light needing attention this last year because of a duff seat belt buckle meant it was easy to leave with OPC and they paid.

Car is manual with no aircon, so pretty "analogue" and probably low risk to Porsche, especially considering mileage. Interestingly, hunting round for other non Porsche warranties, most are more expensive in their own right - its just the OPC servicing restriction and cost that bumps it up there.

I have every intention to use the car more this upcoming 2 years, so thinking I just bite the bullet, take the warranty for 2 years and then see where I am in again this time in 2022. Landscape may be very different then.......

Chappelle · Mar 11, 2020

I have extended warranty on the Macan but not on the Boxster

Personally I don't think having the car serviced at an OPC adds anything to the cars value compared to that of a good specialist indy

richardfleming · Mar 12, 2020

I think Wollemi nailed it in his response.
From my perspective I keep mine under warranty - mainly because of the big stuff that could happen - but isn't that always the case with insurance decisions.
some thoughts that may be worth consideration,
rarely used cars can still go wrong in a big way - generally accepted wisdom is to use it and maintain it well - that seems to be lower risk than not using it - parts seize, corrode, oil and fuel 'go off', oil becomes hydrated, seals harden or fail - the list of issues from not using a car is a long one.
I keep warranty for my own use - not with a view on resale - some people say having it adds value at resale time - but I doubt it adds very much
service history is key - opc I think still considered premium and gives the buyer a positive message about the previous owner - but after 10 years old? does that really matter if it's opc or not? probably not much. For younger cars I think it matters though.
hope that helps