New Boxster owner -- possibly

[Andy140]

Ladies and Gents,

I am hoping to move over to Porsche ownership in the next couple of months. I will be looking at 97/98 2.5L Boxster as 20K is my maximum budget. I have researched the insurance cost and was pleasantly surprised. But I wanted to dig a little deeper into cost of owndership, particulary serving costs. I would like to continue main dealer servicing, but I was surprised when I called AFN this morning and was met with a rather confused member of staff who left me in the dark.
Basically, what are the service intervals, costs, types (mileage for camblet change), that I should expect from a main dealer. This is a pretty crucial area which will determine my decision. Many many thanks for any advise.

Andy

[domster]

AFN didn't know?

Don't use them and ring an OPC that knows their arse from their elbow.

Outrageous.

Most Porsche service intervals are 12k miles, and I would imagine a belt change would be circa 48k.

[Don]

IIRC Servicing is every 12000 miles or each year and alternates between a "small" service and a "big" service. "Small" around £300 and big around £500.

I'm doing this from memory but can check my book tonight.

At the age you are thinking of clearly larger bills are possible as stuff needs doing. If you have a good independent near you (e.g. Camtune, JZMachtech etc) you could consider using them which will save a bundle...and a "full main-dealer history" is less important than a "full service history" once the car is a few years old.

Enjoy...they're great.

[Don]

Andy140 said:

I was surprised when I called AFN this morning and was met with a rather confused member of staff who left me in the dark.

Clearly you got a minion rather than someone who knows. AFN DO know their arse from their elbow you just need to get past the fluffy eye-candy they put on reception (no offence but these ladies are not employed for their technical knowledge of the Porsche marque).

Ask for someone in Servicing to talk to.

[Pork Girl]

Had my 2.7 boxster serviced in August and the whole thing was £700.00.

Service would have been just £500.00 but we decided to have the break pads done whilst it was there.

My advice would be to do those yourself!!

>> Edited by Pork Girl on Friday 24th October 13:15

[mondeoman]

Pork Girl said:

Had my 2.7 boxster serviced in August and the whole thing was £700.00. Service would have been just £500.00 but we decided to have the break pads done whilst it was there. My advice would be to do those yourself!! >> Edited by Pork Girl on Friday 24th October 13:15

Only £200 for a set of pads fitted, thats a bargain!

[domster]

Don said:

Clearly you got a minion rather than someone who knows.

There is no excuse for this. I would have gone down to the dealership, snapped a cupholder off a showroom 996GT2, and then rammed it inside the nearest available body cavity of an AFN employee.

Or asked to speak to the right department.

>> Edited by domster on Friday 24th October 13:22

[granville]

domster said:

...I would have gone down to the dealership, snapped a cupholder off a showroom 996GT2, and then rammed it inside the nearest available body cavity of an AFN employee.

I love it!

Domster, you're a God, it really is that simple.

Hail to thee!

[andy140]

Thanks for the tips folks. I do have both camtune and cridfords nearby, so may use them instead. Can anyone give me approx prices for replaceables such as pads, disks, tyres, exhaust ...etc. 1000 apologies for asking these stupid questions, but I dont want to get into a car that I cannot afford to keep.

Thanks

Andy

[Clubsport]

domster said:

Don said: Clearly you got a minion rather than someone who knows. There is no excuse for this. I would have gone down to the dealership, snapped a cupholder off a showroom 996GT2, and then rammed it inside the nearest available body cavity of an AFN employee. Or asked to speak to the right department. >> Edited by domster on Friday 24th October 13:22

Dom, This cannot be right,,,I do not beleive you could bring yourself actually touch a cupholder!

[McP]

I'm with Don - use Camtune or JZMachtech, especially given the age of the car you're looking at.

For reference, I've just had the 48K service done on my Box S at an OPC for £550 (inc VAT). This is my biggest and most expensive service yet, as they change the polyrib belt which drives the alternator. There are no cambelts to change as the engine uses chains instead.

As previously pointed out, given the age of the car, you will start to see some maintenance jobs that need doing but a good independent should help you keep costs down.

AL

>> Edited by McP on Friday 24th October 13:42

[meno-porsche]

Have you considered a 964 instead of the Boxster. It might save you some cash (which you can spend of go-faster bits), you can insure it on a classic car insurance, has 4 seats (sort of!) and the classic Porsche 911 shape. All in all you get a great car with almost bullet proof residuals

Down side being a 3.6 (instead of the 2.5 or 2.7) its a bit heavier on fuel (although over 25mpg is achievable, if you drive like granny) and servicing by an OPC is about £400 for 12Kmiles and £500 for 24K - something to do with having 12 spark plugs!! Parts can be pricey (although the same can be said for all Porsche's)

Finally, and it has to be said. Whilst the Boxster is a great car, a really great car, it does have a bit of a reputation as being owned by members of the hair dressing fraternity. Now I do not want to start another massive thread on this, there are some many already, and I do not want to offend anyone, especially Boxster owning hairdressers (there does appear to be many), but I thought you should know.

Best of luck on your purchase whatever you end up buying (providing it a Porsche). 911911911911

[andy140]

Thanks for the tip off Meno. I must admit, coming out of an Elise and into a Boxter may encourage comments of the hairdressing Ilk, but my mind is pretty well set of the Box. A couple of people have said that due to the age ( 5-6 years old), that things will start going wrong. One of the main reasons i have chosen the box is because I thought they were bullet proof and hugely reliable? Am I wrong?

[Don]

andy140 said:

One of the main reasons i have chosen the box is because I thought they were bullet proof and hugely reliable? Am I wrong?

Ooops. They are neither bullet proof nor hugely reliable in my experience. I've owned two. Both enjoyed little holidays with their friends at the Porsche Centre - and travelled there by extremely comfortable low-loader. My first did this once. My second has done this FOUR times.

So you'll be needing a warranty that you can rely on!

My experience (I'm told) is very, very unusual and is based on the fact that I've two brand new cars with teething troubles rather than problems with fundamental reliability.

No Porsche will be cheap to maintain. Remember you may be paying £20K for it - but its first owner will have paid £35K (ish) for it - and expensive cars have expensive bills.

All that aside. Get the car. Its brilliant. And you'd have to be very unlucky to have reliability problems like mine...

[meno-porsche]

You are right, however i'm not sure whether they are any more reliable than any other Porsche - depends on the car, how its been looked after, how its been driven, and how you look after it. Same goes for any car (except TVR's which typically have bits falling off them just "for fun")

Just remember any 911 beats any Boxster (excluding a Stoila Boxster Coupe) - in my opinion. At the end of the day it your opinion which matters.

[domster]

964s are not the most reliable 911, nor the cheapest to run, but they are solidly built.

I would say the most reliable/cheap to run modern Porsche was the post 1995 993 Carrera, possibly followed by a late model year (1987-1989) 3.2 Carrera, which had simplicity on its side.

The Boxster is a very different car from classic aircooled 911s. I would think a Honda S2000 would be more of a competitor.

[meno-porsche]

Dom, a fair point, however getting a 993 for under 20K might be a challenge.

I drove the S2000 at a JP Race day a couple of years back. Nice car but you have to rev the nuts of it to get it going. I was quicker in both the TT and Lotus (how I loved that car - once I managed to get in it!)

No contest between the Honda and Boxster. Boxster everytime.

[toppstuff]

I'd say that a Boxster generally is pretty bulletproof but watch for some oil leaks/ gasket probs in early ones like the 97 you describe. Other than that should be fine.

And there is no point in using an OPC to buy or service the car once it is this age. Don't pay for the huge steel and glass showroom with an OPC - use a good independent like Camtune or Cridfords.

You'll love the car by the way ( but personally I prefer 911's, and a sorted 964 is just ) . £20k would get you a very nice 964 indeed, as the cheap ones at 14/15k can be troublesome leaky beasts)

[ettore]

I`ve also had two Boxsters (2.7 and S) and they have been totally reliable and bullet-proof (hope I don`t regret saying that!).

Very different car from a 964 (hairdresser vs eighties estate agent) and in comparison quite a bit cheaper to run.

Finally, if you can, it`s worth stretching for a 2.7 (or an S!).

[GregE240]

Agreed Ettore.....my missus' Boxster S has been a paragon of reliability since delivered, only "moment" was courtesy of an OPC leaving the oil filler cap adrift. Asked my man Daz to go and "have a polite word" on my behalf, which he kindly did.

Feel sorry for Don as his problem has been a niggling reoccurence of the same problem, which the OPC seem(ed?) to be unable to fix, hopefully this is no longer the case.

IIRC, Dons last BoxS (in a quite delectable shade of Lapis Blue) was Rolex-esque reliable.

Go for it.