Boxster - Feels safe?

[jellypig]

Forgive the unusual title, but please let me explain:

My current play car is Italian. SWMBO hates it. I love it.
It doesnt have any twiddly bits or airbags or 3 letter anacronyms.
Its rattly and its "old school" - and to me, thats a big chunk of the appeal.

But... she hates it with almost as much passion as I love it. As such I get (a bit of) grief for every hour I spend cossetting & pound spent on it, and cash tied up in it, and she wont drive it.

I think part of this comes from a re-occuring legacy from a car accident she had a few years ago. (She was on an A-road, minding her own business at 50-55mph, "heavy" with kids and shopping, and another car pulled out of a junction, across the A-road, with less than 2 car lengths notice. So... even years later it haunts her and she needs to feel safe.

Now, returning to my play car, if I could find one that appealed to me, but still felt safe, and solid, and airbagged, and ABS'd and ENCAPed and so on, so she'd use it, "Girl in a sports car" , wind in the hair shades on.. etc. And ofcourse the more she liked it, and used it, the more my pass would be signed off for use myself, but also for garage based tinkering and playing and improving and detailing (and yeah ok, cossetting) Win Win.

Now a Boxster appears to fit the bill for me. (OK, I'd prefer to keep my old one) But that there is this threat of IMS bearing failure is actually a sort of positive = winter proj preventative action! Awesome. But theres also newer variants, and model changes (and hence parts bins to raid), and an active community, and so loads of opportunity.

So.. ... does, when being pootled as a kid taxi,a Boxster feel as safe as big Volvo hewn from granit and girders?

Again, apologies for the wierd thread.
(Have not thought budget, spec or whatever yet, need to know if I'm in the right parish first)

[jellypig]

Thanks for the answers chaps. Not sure I put my question across very well, sorry, but I think I have my answer.

ro55a said:

jellypig I have just checked your profile!!!

You are going to get rid of a Ferrari and buy a Boxster?? No, no, no. When you said old Italian I thought you meant Alfa 75 with rust patches.......not a Rarri!

Keep the Rarri, keep the garage buy her a new Loius Vuitton and be done with it, boxsters are superb but they are not Ferrari's.

Yeah. I would dearly love to. Its my pride and joy. But she hates it and wont drive it (wont even be driven in it), and is resenting the time I spend on it. It was bought with largely inherited money, to achieve a boyhood dream. Logic says that money should be doing something else. Hence if I can "downgrade" in terms of cash (and put that money to work elsewhere) and get something that still "floats my boat" in terms of projects, but also that she's happy to drive (of which a key criteria is "feels safe" *) , then OK, my heart will be broken, but homelife would be on a more even keel. But I totally agree with you, I never ever want to get rid of it. And I really dont want a "modern" car either, hence, am looking at these as a compromise, but believe me, definately not because I want to.

(*Am not 100% sure that this is a requirment of hers, it could equally be gated shifter, no power steering, heavy clutch - but I do think its a legacy of this accident that she wants airbags, seat belt tensioners and to feel secure. Not that there is anything wrong with my car, everything's tight, saled through MOT, its just "old school" and thats one of the things I love about it)

[jellypig]

pistolp said:

Getting rid of her would simplify things, I'd want to be with someone that appreciates my passion for cars. It's not about her.

Oh no. Thats not happening. In >20yrs of marriage, we rarely have a crossed word - and fundamentally we are only falling out now about length of my custodianship of the red car, not buying it - I got that pass signed fairly easily. (And honestly, had that been a "no" then, there wouldnt have been any negativity.) To buy it was a totally rediculous proposition in every practical sense. So that I got a "yes" is testament to the rest of our relationship.

No, this is about me trying to find a good compromise, if, and I am fighting, if, I loose the argument on it going. Its simply that the easiest path to me enjoying another project is to get her to sign up to the finished product (or ideally, the work in progress)

(And I know the simple solution is to put her behind the wheel of a sorted Boxster - but I'm not ready to show my hand yet)

[jellypig]

VladD said:

Hasn't she got her own car? Why does she need to drive yours? My wife doesn't drive either of mine, she's not even on the insurance.

Yes, she has an S-Max which is notionally the family's - but the reality is unless were out and she's drinking I dont drive it. She does.
I have a "pick-up" , which she is insured for, but the reality is, she doesnt drive it unless hers is broke, which, touch cheap IKEA flat pack, hasnt happened since we got rid of the hideous 807.

Expense (in terms of cash, but also time spent tinkering at the cost, of say, completing a DIY chore) on the "project"/ "Play Car" is, in my experience, more palletable if its a shared vehicle.

Made up example:
Bonnet Rubber on the redone was £65+VAT, plus carriage, "How much????"
Bonnet Rubber on a "Family Project Car" is "Well, we need it to stop the shopping getting wet" , "Ahh, OK then"

[jellypig]

Trev450 said:

Lets hope she doesn't read your forum posts then.

Hahaha, well.. if she did, she'd read that I am atleast preparing for the fateful day when I need to wave the other one off.
(But just in case, am not posting what my "keep it" plans and plotting is)

[jellypig]

dtriggs said:

Values of 348s are now very much on the rise. Sounds like yours is cherished so on a pure investment basis you may be selling a touch early ! Maybe this is enough to persuade your wife its a good bet to keep for the time being ?

Otherwise I reckon a Boxster fits the bill nicely - easy car to drive and very good safe feeling to it IMHO>

D

I agree, they do appear to be on the rise. Its a really small data set, and we only see "For Sale" not "Sold" prices, but my graphs are showing a rise.
And.. I have just paid for a "Major" , so in theory costs for the next couple or 3 years would be small. (in terms of servicing. Hahaahaha... )

VladD said:

plus it has extra seats for the kids.

Actually went for a look at a Porsche Main Dealer at the weekend (with eldest who's "in" on this plotting), and they are seats?

(Went to Ferrari dealer too, to play "Which one would you have in this room?" (its more fun in person than using forsale ads) Thread was closed when I saw the F40.)


Anyway, thanks again chaps. Sounds like Boxster fits the bill as and when..

[jellypig]

VladD said:

As you like fettling, don't forget that you can get a turbo kit for the Boxster.

Yeah, I saw that in your profile. Good work.