Z4 or Boxster £5k
Discussion
"Hairdressers car", what does that actually mean ?
Last time I had that comment it was from a bloke driving a battered, clattering 2003 Passat diesel, I just said, well if that's the alternative, I will stick to doing perms.
I think mostly it is jealousy that you have something they don't, that you are happy to put up with the odd jibe, I think it is a euphemism for gay really, I wonder what the same sad acts say to actually gay men who are actually hairdressers ?
Last time I had that comment it was from a bloke driving a battered, clattering 2003 Passat diesel, I just said, well if that's the alternative, I will stick to doing perms.
I think mostly it is jealousy that you have something they don't, that you are happy to put up with the odd jibe, I think it is a euphemism for gay really, I wonder what the same sad acts say to actually gay men who are actually hairdressers ?
I had a 2.7 987, everyone will tell you engine failure stories are just internet scaremongering. That's great until it happens to you. Porsche watercooled engines are expensive and inherently weak. Many will be along to tell you otherwise. One or two of them may even have had a porsche.
I've got an old Boxster with 111k miles on it and it just came back from 2100+ miles round Europe. Last year I took an even older Boxster albeit with less miles and did 2500+ miles. Happy days. If you value the fluidity of handling then get the Boxster. If you just want something to use on a weekend and just drive 'briskly' then one of the others would probably satisfy your needs.
I've had a Boxster S & now currently have a Z4 Coupe. Personally there isn't much between the two for me, the Z4 (3ltr) is better in a straight line than the Boxster (3.2ltr), but the Boxster is much better in the twisties than the Z4. Both are great cars.
You WILL get told that the Boxster is a 'hairdresser's car' & also told that you 'should've bought a proper Porsche' - but this will come mostly from people waiting at bus stops (presumably because they don't even own a car).
You WILL get told that the Boxster is a 'hairdresser's car' & also told that you 'should've bought a proper Porsche' - but this will come mostly from people waiting at bus stops (presumably because they don't even own a car).
I've owned two 911s, including an air-cooled one. I really rate the Boxster and the only reason I put up with people knocking them is they drive the prices down and make them affordable used.
The boxster is a great car, although neither it nor a cooking Z4 are especially quick in a straight line. The zed is probably a bit of a safer bet, but the porsche a bit better drivers' car.
I'd perhaps say save a little more and get a nice Boxster S? Has a useful amount more oomph
The boxster is a great car, although neither it nor a cooking Z4 are especially quick in a straight line. The zed is probably a bit of a safer bet, but the porsche a bit better drivers' car.
I'd perhaps say save a little more and get a nice Boxster S? Has a useful amount more oomph
thatdude said:
I would have a Z4...I think it looks better, and I like the straight 6 engines.
That being said, are they availiable without the SMG (i.e. as a normal manual)?
A neighbor of mine has one, he's very happy with it. He did have an expensive fault with the sunroof mechanism though. Otherwise it has held up well despite him not really being a car fanatic and neglecting it a bit (it lives outside too, and near the coast).
Have you drvien any (good) examples of either car?
Z4 Sunroof? You mean convertible top surely?That being said, are they availiable without the SMG (i.e. as a normal manual)?
A neighbor of mine has one, he's very happy with it. He did have an expensive fault with the sunroof mechanism though. Otherwise it has held up well despite him not really being a car fanatic and neglecting it a bit (it lives outside too, and near the coast).
Have you drvien any (good) examples of either car?
Prof Prolapse said:
He's right about the clutch. BMW fit a small value "clutch delay valve".
Again it's standard fitment on BMWs for a long time. It stops you dropping s
t loads of power through the drivetrain.
Personally I'd have removed it if I'd planned to keep the car.
It's a simple job and does make a difference. If the Z in question has a SPORT button, that makes a woolly fly-by-wire throttle more like one with a cable.Again it's standard fitment on BMWs for a long time. It stops you dropping s
t loads of power through the drivetrain.Personally I'd have removed it if I'd planned to keep the car.
All in all I'd rather have a Boxster S but not a 99/00, at 15 years old and the pricetag of repairs it seems much of a risk than a 10 year old z4.
I've been in both, I like them both, straight choice Boxster wins but for £5k I'm really not sure that's the case.
I could get lucky and have no problems, but the interior is quite dated in the Boxster.
I've seen some Boxsters for sale and they (so far) have all needed stuff doing to them, that's £1k on top of the £5k already.
Porsche as a drivers car is clearly in a separate category to the BMW but how can you argue with Clarkson!?
I've been in both, I like them both, straight choice Boxster wins but for £5k I'm really not sure that's the case.
I could get lucky and have no problems, but the interior is quite dated in the Boxster.
I've seen some Boxsters for sale and they (so far) have all needed stuff doing to them, that's £1k on top of the £5k already.
Porsche as a drivers car is clearly in a separate category to the BMW but how can you argue with Clarkson!?
ShadowsB said:
The advantage of a Z4 is it's newer, a Z3 would partly negate that.
I hadn't considered a S2000, I sort of put them in with the mx5 (great car but for 5k I'd rather something else), perhaps unfairly?
The way I look at used cars is, I'll have it for 3 years so I spread the cost over time and including maintenance I don't want to spend more than £3k a year.
The age of the Boxsters available worries me slightly (won't get newer than 2002 for a decent example).
I've done quite a bit of searching, I feel it would be easier to pick up a Z4 (less to check/worry, ims, new clutch etc) and maintenance will almost certainly be lower on average.
But then I start to drift back to a Mx5, just not a fan of the image (I know..)
No offense, but the MX-5 has an 'image' that the boxster and/or Z3/Z4 don't?.. Ok then.I hadn't considered a S2000, I sort of put them in with the mx5 (great car but for 5k I'd rather something else), perhaps unfairly?
The way I look at used cars is, I'll have it for 3 years so I spread the cost over time and including maintenance I don't want to spend more than £3k a year.
The age of the Boxsters available worries me slightly (won't get newer than 2002 for a decent example).
I've done quite a bit of searching, I feel it would be easier to pick up a Z4 (less to check/worry, ims, new clutch etc) and maintenance will almost certainly be lower on average.
But then I start to drift back to a Mx5, just not a fan of the image (I know..)
That said, give the S2000 a test drive. It has one of the greatest engines ever, and it has a pretty nifty (if weird) interior too. LOoks quite fresh even today, although that's always subjective, and it is the most reliable of the bunch.
Failing that, a 3.0 Z4 would be fantastic. Avoid the auto!
3ananaPie said:
That said, give the S2000 a test drive. It has one of the greatest engines ever
Raaaaiiiiight . . . put the crack pipe down 
The BMW 6's are probably the best engines at this price and the S2000 will never be the best engine at any price point.The Z4 will be a great car for £5k, ideal for top down trips with the wife, bullet proof and cheap to run. The Boxster is better handling but not sure I'd fancy one at £5k. The S2000 is neither special, reliable, fast or fun, unless you like a boy racer exhaust note, bit chavvy.
SmartVenom said:
I had a 2.7 987, everyone will tell you engine failure stories are just internet scaremongering. That's great until it happens to you. Porsche watercooled engines are expensive and inherently weak. Many will be along to tell you otherwise. One or two of them may even have had a porsche.
I bought a 2001 3.2S last November as a toy. Didn't get round to doing much with it until spring this year. Now I will admit I didn't get it checked over, but it seemed to drive very nicely and looked in lovely condition and I've never bought a duffer in my life. The 8 previous owners should have rung the alarm bells a bit louder. To get it sorted it had:New airbag ECU (garage had to sort that before I took the car) £800'ish
New key fob £10
New bulbs £10
New hood with glass cover (the old plastic window had a split) £400
2 New AOSs £200
New cylinder head and gearbox oil change £2500 fitted
two new rear tyres £400
New ignition switch £25
New front discs and pad £150
Replacement front hub £50
Aircon condensors, 2 new pipes and several re-charges £600
All labour done by myself with exception of cylinder head work.
Basically the engine work was down to a cracked cylinder head allowing oil into the coolant. This had obviously been going on for a few years and not one of the previous owners would pay to get it fixed, they just PX'd it on until it got to muggins here.
So the car owes me about £10K all in, probably not far off double the value of the car as it stands. Could have bought a nice 987 for that money!
Forgot Air con!! Doh
Edited by Piersman2 on Monday 22 September 21:51
Difficult one. The 986 is a fabulous car to drive but whilst there are good ones at that price, there are also a lot of bad ones. The Z4, I never really got on with - the ride is awful and the (non-M) steering syatem is pretty poor.
At that price, I think I'd be buying an MR2 Roadster, possibly with a 2ZZ engine conversion. It handles better than the Z4 and will be much cheaper to run than either. If I had to choose between those two, I'd spend a while finding the best boxster I could and then hope of didn't break expensively.
At that price, I think I'd be buying an MR2 Roadster, possibly with a 2ZZ engine conversion. It handles better than the Z4 and will be much cheaper to run than either. If I had to choose between those two, I'd spend a while finding the best boxster I could and then hope of didn't break expensively.
Edited by kambites on Monday 22 September 21:50
Piersman2 said:
I bought a 2001 3.2S last November as a toy. Didn't get round to doing much with it until spring this year. Now I will admit I didn't get it checked over, but it seemed to drive very nicely and looked in lovely condition and I've never bought a duffer in my life. The 8 previous owners should have rung the alarm bells a bit louder. To get it sorted it had:New airbag ECU (garage had to sort that before I took the car) £800'ish
New key fob £10
New bulbs £10
New hood with glass cover (the old plastic window had a split) £400
2 New AOSs £200
New cylinder head and gearbox oil change £2500 fitted
two new rear tyres £400
New ignition switch £25
New front discs and pad £150
Replacement front hub £50
Aircon condensors, 2 new pipes and several re-charges £600
All labour done by myself with exception of cylinder head work.
Basically the engine work was down to a cracked cylinder head allowing oil into the coolant. This had obviously been going on for a few years and not one of the previous owners would pay to get it fixed, they just PX'd it on until it got to muggins here.
So the car owes me about £10K all in, probably not far off double the value of the car as it stands. Could have bought a nice 987 for that money!
Forgot Air con!! Doh
Edited by Piersman2 on Monday 22 September 21:51
Why on earth on Wheeler Sealers did Ed China skin all the discs to save money as they were 70% worn but worth skimming yet from these numbers its madness not to. It was a £1k Porsche Boxster too
Piersman2 said:
I bought a 2001 3.2S last November as a toy. Didn't get round to doing much with it until spring this year. Now I will admit I didn't get it checked over, but it seemed to drive very nicely and looked in lovely condition and I've never bought a duffer in my life. The 8 previous owners should have rung the alarm bells a bit louder. To get it sorted it had:New airbag ECU (garage had to sort that before I took the car) £800'ish
New key fob £10
New bulbs £10
New hood with glass cover (the old plastic window had a split) £400
2 New AOSs £200
New cylinder head and gearbox oil change £2500 fitted
two new rear tyres £400
New ignition switch £25
New front discs and pad £150
Replacement front hub £50
Aircon condensors, 2 new pipes and several re-charges £600
All labour done by myself with exception of cylinder head work.
Basically the engine work was down to a cracked cylinder head allowing oil into the coolant. This had obviously been going on for a few years and not one of the previous owners would pay to get it fixed, they just PX'd it on until it got to muggins here.
So the car owes me about £10K all in, probably not far off double the value of the car as it stands. Could have bought a nice 987 for that money!
Forgot Air con!! Doh
Edited by Piersman2 on Monday 22 September 21:51
I switch between the two on a daily basis at the moment!
I'm not too interested in a S2000 or Mr2, if I wanted to go that way I'd probably buy an mx5 and pocket some cash.
Z4( I'd get a honda personally for that budget)
As others have said it's all about risk. A boxter has more chance of bending you over and making wish you had never heard of the p word.
Not that bmw's can't gave very big bills but it's just less likely IMO.
You could get a great boxter and drive it years but an old porsche needs quite a bit if upkeep unless you are good with a spanner just labour will get costly to keep it in good nick.
On older cars always factor in extra for things like alternators,batteries ,coils blah blah. Just remember porsche parts are expensive they just are.
I just replaced a fan bearing in mine. £120 + vat for a frigging bearing I fitted it myself.
As others have said it's all about risk. A boxter has more chance of bending you over and making wish you had never heard of the p word.
Not that bmw's can't gave very big bills but it's just less likely IMO.
You could get a great boxter and drive it years but an old porsche needs quite a bit if upkeep unless you are good with a spanner just labour will get costly to keep it in good nick.
On older cars always factor in extra for things like alternators,batteries ,coils blah blah. Just remember porsche parts are expensive they just are.
I just replaced a fan bearing in mine. £120 + vat for a frigging bearing I fitted it myself.
I prefer the Z3, a nice 2.8i or 3.0i can be had for peanuts.
Spend £600 a new shocks and springs all round and you have a really nice car, with better steering, much more compliant ride and they are starting to appreciate too.
Plus you will get a nice Limited Slip Diff on the Z3 too.
I'm not sure I would want a 986 unless I knew all the bits that will fail had already been sorted.
A decent 2.8i Z3 can be had for under £3k, you could be into a nice Z3 M Roadster for a little over budget.
Spend £600 a new shocks and springs all round and you have a really nice car, with better steering, much more compliant ride and they are starting to appreciate too.
Plus you will get a nice Limited Slip Diff on the Z3 too.
I'm not sure I would want a 986 unless I knew all the bits that will fail had already been sorted.
A decent 2.8i Z3 can be had for under £3k, you could be into a nice Z3 M Roadster for a little over budget.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff