Thinking of buying a 986

nick9one1 · Mar 31, 2011

Hey,

I've always been a Porsche fan from a young age - ever since I was 16 and the girlfriends dad took me to watch him race the Classic Cup.

I Currently own an Alfa GT 3.2 V6 and thinking of upgrading to the Boxter.

Looking to spend around 7-8k so it will be a budget Boxter! probably a 2.5/2.7.

Only thing that is putting me off is the running/maintenance costs, although shouldn't too much worse than the Alfa! I'm pretty handy with a spanner - done engine swaps, changed cylinder heads, and pretty much rebuilt whole cars in the past so I'd be looking to do most of the day to day maintenance/unexpected faults myself.

Not quite 100% certain I'm going to change, but nearly there!

bdheng · Mar 31, 2011

Don't be put off by supposed high running costs. They are surprisingly low - I think. I have had my Boxtser since May last year, and wish I'd bought it years ago!

Personally, I wouldn't go for a 2.5, but I'm sure many owners of 2.5's would disagree.

Make sure you get a good history and you shouldn't go too wrong

JohnSutton · Apr 1, 2011

Porsche 911 World did a great article on buying a Boxster last September so it could be worth getting hold of a back issue.

Running and maintenance will depend on how often you to use it a, how you drive and where you are thinking of geting it serviced. A Porsche dealer will be quite expensive so it is worth looking at the independent specialists. If you are able to do things yourself and can get under the car to access the engine then regular maintenance should be easy.

Apart from that, petrol is petrol, tyres are tyres, a service is a service (my last volvo V50 service finished up at just over £900)

Do your research, take your time and buy a good well maintained car and you can't go far wrong. You can then change items when you want to and not when you need to.

I jumped in last september and bought a 2001 2.7 Boxster 58,000 miles which cost under £9K. Still has the plastic back window screen in good condition. Never had so much fun it really has bought back the fun in driving and it's a Porsche.

threespins · Apr 1, 2011

DIY servicing cost me under £300, major service, new front pads and brake fluid change.

grahamwhite · Apr 2, 2011

As you will be buying an older model then i would argue that going to a full price official Porsche dealer for a service would be an expense that may not add any future resale value to the car. So if you can either do the maintenance yourself or find a cheaper indy garage that you trust then that will reduce service costs.

Like John says, the main costs such as tyres and fuel are pretty much the same on any car.

Showtime · Apr 12, 2011

Nick, I bought a damaged boxster S, (see my other threads for pictures before and after. I wanted an S but had only a modest budget. Bought one with a FPSH (38K on the clock) , done all mechanicals myself at home - easiest car I ever worked on so nothing scary at all, parts are plentiful and no more exp than any other car. If you can turn a spanner and think about what you are trying to do, go get one..Mines cost me about £7K all in so far (inc purchase cost). It simply didnt bother me that it was damaged, (as long as it was not serious). I now have the car I wanted at a fraction of the book price.. that's got to be good news

bigbol63 · Apr 13, 2011

I've got myslef a 2.5 and more than happy with performance, it's not all about to speed is it?

Showtime · Apr 13, 2011

sayeth Colm with a collection of very speedy bikes methinks [

] .. not all about speed ..but it is fun though

David JAMES · Apr 14, 2011

If you can deal with most of the mechanicals great, go for it. If not stay away from the main dealers - I have made that mistake today - 8 years old, 42k, 2.7, needed new front shocks (not worn, just the mounts), wishbones (part weather deteriorated), replacement of the tin foil discs and pads all round and two rear tyres. They have a habit of telling you things are about to wear out and probably generating extra sales for themselves at our expense! All that will cost a proverbial fortune!

DJ

c2s · Apr 18, 2011

I have to say but after reading this, this is how the Boxster has fell to this price range.
People buy the car because ohhh wow look at this for 8k then never expect for example, £560 service, tyres at around £150 - £220 and alot more.
I know a guy from a well known HP and he said the reason boxster are now so cheap is because of a market flood in 2006 when they took back a whopping 78% of Boxster because people couldnt afford them.
I got my Boxster and still have it, I got it new in 2002 i think and was shocked to see how much it devalued.
I just want to make a point, its not about the price of the car its the running costs.
Running costs are large and I see loads of people cutting corners with DIY jobs which is why I wouldnt touch a boxster these days.
A trade in value on a 2000 boxster is around 3500 - 5000 now that is a piss take.

Buddy · Apr 19, 2011

If you can do such things as Brakes, Suspension, Drive Shafts and Engine Swaps then there is no reason not to buy a 986, I once heard of someone saying when fuel was a concern that if you can't afford to fill the tank you shouldn't buy a Porsche but if someone doesn't buy and maintain the older cars properly either in person or by finding someone who can there will be no old collectors Porsches.

And this applies to all, the Boxster, Cayman, Cayenne and the 911's.

The fact is that a 2000 Boxster is an 11 year old car and as such there are few who buy them at £6-8K who can or will maintain them properly, hopefully enough of them will get into the hands of true enthusiasts who are willing to skin knuckles to provide themselves with a great car to drive at a low investment some of which will appreciate with age such as the special editions.

A friend of mine bought an early 911 Club Sport which needed work, he did the work and it is now worth about double what he paid it doesn't do much mileage as it's now a collectors item but it's the car he loves.

I bought a 944 turbo again needing work and I enjoyed it for 4 years and then traded it and hardly lost anything.

Buy and enjoy a 986 2.5 if that is what you want it's better and will last longer than an Alfa.

rob.kellock · Apr 19, 2011

ORIGINAL: c2s

I know a guy from a well known HP and he said the reason boxster are now so cheap is because of a market flood in 2006 when they took back a whopping 78% of Boxster

Are you seriously suggesting that the current value of Boxsters is caused by the suggestion that 78% of the cars sold on finance 5 years ago were repossessed?