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Nov 27, 2021 12:58:07 GMT
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Considering buying an early 986 Boxster. Would like a 3.2 S but might have to settle for a 2.7 on my budget. Don't want an automatic or the basic 2.5 and would like to buy privately to keep the price sensible. What can I expect to pay and what kind of thing to be aware of would be a help as I am not experienced with these cars.
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Nov 27, 2021 14:32:20 GMT
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philsford
Part of things
Posts: 733
Club RR Member Number: 100
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Buying Porsche Boxsterphilsford
@philsford
Club Retro Rides Member 100
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Nov 27, 2021 21:44:56 GMT
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My brother has a 1998 2.5 with about 60k on clock, I remember when he was looking for it about 10 years ago he had to keep upping the budget to find a nice one so to find a nice one now must be tricky.
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I've looked into buying one for my wife recently but they are a nightmare to buy
It's hard to describe but there like second hand vans
Some have been well maintained and looked after but most haven't!
And that's added to because not so long ago there prices bottomed out so you could pick them up really cheap
And anything that's cheap to buy but expensive to maintain generally doesn't get maintained very well at all
Everyone wants the 3.2 manual so there expensive
No one wants the 2.5 so there cheaper but you don't really want one of them if you can help it they are quite underpowered
And there not going to hold there money as well as the other two
So that only leaves the 2.7
Reliability issues with the engine are common also look/check for water leaks from the engine and the roof and any signs of old water leaks from the roof
There's some electronic stuff under the seats so water can be unhelpful
Radiators are prone to corrosion and leak
Make sure the roof opens and closes properly
Suspension and brakes are a generally maintenance item but people will neglect them if they can
And as there mostly over 20 years old now I'd look out for rust
When I was looking I'd say the prices started at 5k for a reasonable car but 8k seemed to get a much better choice
But don't go on price alone you really do need to see them all up close
But expect only one in five you look at to be any good
In the end I gave up and bought a 12k cayman
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1992 240 Volvo T8
1955 Cadillac
1994 BMW E34 M5 (now sold )
1999 BMW E36 sport touring x2
1967 Hillman imp Californian "rally spec"
1971 VW bay window (work in progress)
1999 Mazda 323F
1987 Jaguar XJ12
All current
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Nov 29, 2021 14:59:29 GMT
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Thanks for the full reply, many good points. I see what you mean about it being like buying a used van, except the parts and labour are much much more expensive. Prices seem to be all over the place. I don't want a ' bargain' that turns into a money pit, but paying lot more is not always the answer with 20 year old cars. I saw a couple on ebay that had sensible mileages and looked OK in the pictures go for reasonable money, but the other problem is they tend to be in far off areas and to far to travel just for a view... I can only carry on looking till something affordable in reasonable distance comes up. I also get the feeling I will have to raise my budget...I would rather pay more to avoid trouble at an early stage of ownership.
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Nov 29, 2021 16:41:19 GMT
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Assuming you are in the UK, this is a good website. Also has cars for sale which are looked after and cherished. www.boxa.net Hope you find it useful. |
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Last Edit: Nov 29, 2021 16:42:27 GMT by rustymetal
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Nov 29, 2021 16:51:19 GMT
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Personally, if I could fit into one, and more importantly….. get out of it after two hours driving it, without needing an osteopath, the `Cayman would be my only choice.
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Nov 29, 2021 19:10:57 GMT
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I have an '04 3.2S
I'd go on Boxa.net as they have a good buying guide.
There is no such thing as a cheap Porsche of any description, but you can buy keenly.
History is preferable but low mileage is not necessarily a bonus. Don't believe the internet about IMS as it affectts less than 5% of all 986 worldwide. Most have had replacement IMS done as preventative maintenance or like mine will have had an uprated bearing or replacement engine when newer.Garage queens tend to suffer more than thsoe that are driven as intended.
They are great cars. I do my own work on mine as most jobs are relatively straight forward and parts can be bought at good prices by buying without the porsche tax.Probably the easiest clutch change I've done on a conventional layout. There are many independent garages as well if you pay for your work.
They went through a phase of being Fiesta cheap and some were not maintained properly, but i wouldn't say they are expensive even though they have stabilised some what in value.
A nice facelift 32.2S will be between £6k to £6.9K dpendant on spec and history/condition. Less than that and you could have bought a potential money pit, but not necessarily. I bought mine off a guy who was getting divorced so made good on his personal misery by buying about 1k under market price for a quick sale........
The 2.7 is quite nice, less power and torque than a 3.2 but not by much.
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Needs a bigger hammer mate.......
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Nov 29, 2021 20:06:09 GMT
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Personally, if I could fit into one, and more importantly….. get out of it after two hours driving it, without needing an osteopath, the `Cayman would be my only choice. As I have a couple of sensible hardtop cars I was looking for something completely different- 2 seater soft top more of a motorbike substitute, I would probably only tax it for 6 months and rest it over the winter with a bit of home servicing to try to keep the bills down... |
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Nov 29, 2021 20:23:36 GMT
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Thanks for the advice, I was trying to avoid the over priced dealers and try to get a private seller who has some service history and maybe owned for a few years rather than one mid life crisis summer or track day abuse. The prices do seem to vary a lot, but I had a price in mind of between 6- 8K that looks presentable and drives well and without the need for any urgent work. I have just registered on boxa net so will be checking out the information and cars for sale there...fingers crossed. I try to learn about my cars and do basic work, but might need to find a local specialist if anything serious needed attention. Everything I have read about them seems positive and as we only live once it would be a shame to miss out on trying a car and enjoying the fun.
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I have an '04 3.2S I'd go on Boxa.net as they have a good buying guide.. |
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Very good advice, had some help already from the members there.
Seems like a good friendly site unlike some one make clubs/sites.
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,191
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Buying Porsche BoxsterChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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I've owned 944s and had friends own 986s (Boxster Gen 1s) and 996s before.
IME
-IMS bearing failure is overrated. Oddly, lower mileage cars can be affected, due to condensation/rust having a chance to form on the bearing. Quite a few have been changed now anyway
-Some spares are expensive. That said, IMHO, alot of cars are going this way anyway.
-Club support IME is very good. Boxa Net is a good one but even the PCGB and TIPEC cater well for these
-Mileage is not important but maintenance and owners are
-Be carful of where you buy your parts. Check carefully. Official Porsche Centres aka OPCs can be cheaper than most specialists out there. I'll come back to this point later
-There are plenty of specialists out there who can do the job right without breaking the bank. I can recommend EMC Motorsport in Saltley, Birmingham.
986s IME are going through the same thing 944s did. When they were near normal car money, people bought them on the cheap. They may not have been maintained right. Some diamond in the roughs are still out there, but like any car, they can begin to consume cash
I mentioned spares. Here are a few examples of some spares prices. These were from my 944
Part : ECP : OPC : Design 911 : FrazerPart
928 GTS front Brake disc : £220 : £180 : £201 : N/A
Central Locking Solenoid rod : N/A : £3 : £12 : N/A
DME Relay : N/A : £50 : £20-56 : £20
Oil Filter : £7 (Mann) : £14 (Mahle) : £9-18 (Mahle/OPC) : £11
There is no hard and fast rule. But generally, the parts prices are as bad as you think. The discs were pricey for mine above they were only used to my knowledge on the 928 GTS, which formed the 'Big Black' Brake upgrade on 944s. But there, ECP via a special order could not match the OPC.
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Thanks for some useful tips.
As I will be a Boxster novice I will need the help of a good independent specialist at least until I get more confident.Will be looking for a mid range price car so low mileage' garage queens ' will not be an option, but I want to avoid high mileage and cars with too many owners as well so my choice will probably be a bit limited.
The good thing is the time of year and other factors going on now might help depress the prices, so maybe a cheeky offer might get me what I want, will keep fingers crossed.
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Mark
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,097
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Can't understand the lack of love for the 2.5, only thing wrong with them is that they're geared a little too long! I had one for a few years and it was absolutely brilliant, they are the most "pure" of the Boxsters in my opinion - lightest, throttle cable rather than drive by wire and only 15bhp down on the 2.7. Far far less IMS bearing worries and you can drive it reasonably well on the limit. I'd definitely prefer a clean 2.5 over a ropey 2.7 or 3.2.
For me, it was always either the 3.2 or the 2.5, the 2.7 seemed a bit pointless.
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Can't understand the lack of love for the 2.5, only thing wrong with them is that they're geared a little too long! I had one for a few years and it was absolutely brilliant, they are the most "pure" of the Boxsters in my opinion - lightest, throttle cable rather than drive by wire and only 15bhp down on the 2.7. Far far less IMS bearing worries and you can drive it reasonably well on the limit. I'd definitely prefer a clean 2.5 over a ropey 2.7 or 3.2. For me, it was always either the 3.2 or the 2.5, the 2.7 seemed a bit pointless. To be honest if price was not a consideration I would only consider the 3.2s. Adding 50hp and more torque changes the character of the car. The 2.5 showed what a good car the Boxster was, but earlier versions were reviewed as lacking power, never saw a road test for a 3.2s that said it was lacking in power.
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