986 conundrum; 2.5 v 3.2
Discussion
Mr Spoon said:
Z4MCSL said:
Mr Spoon said:
I also did the same with my megane RS
You mean upped the power etc?Mr Spoon said:
You wouldnt need more power, in a road context. On one of the boxa.net runs I had a 986 3.2 in front, a 986 2.5 behind with me in the 2.7. Next to no noticeable difference from any.
From an earlier post of mine on here....Had a good little run yesterday in my Boxster. I was chasing this blue 2.5 tip which must be the slowest Boxster you can buy. So obviously my car is a little bit quicker. Even so I did have trouble keeping up in some sections. I'm not ashamed to admit that clearly he was a quicker driver than me.
The point is simple. You don't really need a quicker car to have fun. I'm a sucker for always buying the S version or always wanting to buy the quicker model or reading about mods which make a car quicker. It's all irrelevant if you can have fun without.
I'd have to concur with the above posts, not worrying about power too much. Mine is a facelift 3.2 so 260 bhp, but I seriously doubt I'd be leaving a 2.5 behind on anything other than a ruler straight road. I'd argue if you are worried about outright speed then the car probably isn't for you, as its just not that sort of car.
Though a 996 engine matched to a 2.5 box does sound damn good fun for sure!
Though a 996 engine matched to a 2.5 box does sound damn good fun for sure!
ATM said:
Hey OP
How you getting on with this?
Hi ATMHow you getting on with this?
Its been great to be honest. I haven't used it quite as much as I'd like recently due to the weather.
It did cost me £670 after the first month for new coffin arms, top mounts and alignment. The chaps at the specialist said it was in exceptional condition, so that was nice to hear.
It has got an intermittent idle issue, happens rarely, but the revs fluctuate occasionally, and even more rarely, it almost stalls, but I'm talking about maybe twice since I got it. The specialist couldn't find the problem, as it's not throwing up any errors and it's happening rarely enough that it's hard to catch it in the act.
Otherwise though, I'm super super impressed with it, and it's never let me down or thrown any wobblers.
It's almost like two cars in one, it can be smooth, laid back and refined when you want it to be, yet when the mood takes you, it can certainly thrill. I'm very impressed with the ride, handling, steering, and even more impressed with the brakes. It just eats roads up like they aren't there, took my mate out for a pax ride and he was stunned by the ride and composure of it. Of course the drop top adds another element to that.
Just enough straight line speed to be interesting. I wish the gears were slightly shorter, but its not really a problem.
The noise is lovely, but sometimes I wish it had a little more, but then I find it can be quite easy to spoil a car making it noisier but not necessarily sounding better, sometimes worse, so I'm open to ideas but would proceed with caution. Also, the car is totally original bar a short shifter and it seems so sorted as is I don't want to try and improve on it as I probably wouldn't do a good job on it.
As it is though, the noise it makes is lovely, it's just not super vocal, but I love the howl as it works its way through the rev range. I see what people mean when they say Porsche's make a distinct noise.
I've been pleasantly surprised by other peoples reactions to it. Girlfriend loves it. People let me out at junctions. Kids shout "nice car mate". Had lots of compliments. It's not why I bought it for sure, but it certainly makes it a feel good purchase!
Absolutely no regrets I'll say that much. First time I've liked a car as much since I had my old DC2. I do sometimes wonder if I paid over the odds, but f
k it, what's done is done 
Edited by TameRacingDriver on Thursday 9th December 18:55
A trip out to see my mates ended badly at the weekend. Driving down an A-road at the speed limit, a tractor coming the other way deposited part of its trailer straight into my car. Naturally, I'm a bit gutted about the car, but count myself lucky that I was uninjured, except for getting a few shards of glass stuck in my skin.
The car will most likely get fixed (unless it gets written off but that seems unlikely), but the incident has made me soul search a bit about how important cars are to me. I have always intended to run the car properly, so on top of the money I loaned to buy it, I'm also stashing away £200 a month aside for 'just in case', the routine stuff like insurance, tax etc another £100. I'd estimate that I drive only about 300 miles per month, and that costs roughly £100 in petrol. This is accounts for about half of my disposable income, for a maximum of about 8 hours usage per month!
Additionally, I've have been slowly losing interest in driving for a few years now, so I thought that having a car like this would make it better, but ultimately I'm not so sure that it is. I actually sold my old MR2 Roadster and didn't bother replacing it for a year and a half, barely driving in that time. I then felt like I was missing it, so got the Mini CS, but then felt like I was getting 'bored' again and thought a car like the Porsche would be the answer to my dreams, and as good as it is (it's actually a brilliant all round car), I don't think I'm actually having any more fun.
I'm wondering if this is simply my priorities changing as I get older, but for sure I don't have the same buzz for driving as I did say 10-15 years ago. At the moment, I think I'd rather improve my house than have a sports car. I'll hand in my PH card on the way out
That said, I would still like to have my own car, but something that I could perhaps own outright, and doesn't require you to keep several grand in the bank just in case, like say a Clio RS or something like that, but then I wonder would I really be much better off? Obviously, no car is only true answer if the motives are financial, but could this be a compromise, or am I just kidding myself?
I've got a while to dwell on this, and I'm not sure what I'm expecting to come out of this post, but it helped to get it off my chest...
The car will most likely get fixed (unless it gets written off but that seems unlikely), but the incident has made me soul search a bit about how important cars are to me. I have always intended to run the car properly, so on top of the money I loaned to buy it, I'm also stashing away £200 a month aside for 'just in case', the routine stuff like insurance, tax etc another £100. I'd estimate that I drive only about 300 miles per month, and that costs roughly £100 in petrol. This is accounts for about half of my disposable income, for a maximum of about 8 hours usage per month!
Additionally, I've have been slowly losing interest in driving for a few years now, so I thought that having a car like this would make it better, but ultimately I'm not so sure that it is. I actually sold my old MR2 Roadster and didn't bother replacing it for a year and a half, barely driving in that time. I then felt like I was missing it, so got the Mini CS, but then felt like I was getting 'bored' again and thought a car like the Porsche would be the answer to my dreams, and as good as it is (it's actually a brilliant all round car), I don't think I'm actually having any more fun.
I'm wondering if this is simply my priorities changing as I get older, but for sure I don't have the same buzz for driving as I did say 10-15 years ago. At the moment, I think I'd rather improve my house than have a sports car. I'll hand in my PH card on the way out
That said, I would still like to have my own car, but something that I could perhaps own outright, and doesn't require you to keep several grand in the bank just in case, like say a Clio RS or something like that, but then I wonder would I really be much better off? Obviously, no car is only true answer if the motives are financial, but could this be a compromise, or am I just kidding myself?
I've got a while to dwell on this, and I'm not sure what I'm expecting to come out of this post, but it helped to get it off my chest...
There's no right or wrong answer just whatever you want to do. My 550 got promoted to second rather than third car during the pandemic but is driven just as little as now have 2 little kids. Others would sell it but I still enjoy it for the few times I get in it even if I don't go out on any early morning hooks or foreign driving trips any more, foe now at least.
Agree, will have a while to think about it while it gets fixed. I think it will be OK as long as it remains reliable, which it has done other than refusing to start a few weeks ago, but a new battery and a jump start sorted that. Problem is with buying an old car of any kind, it can need work, sometimes better the devil you know. I suppose as long as I have a circa £2k war chest I should be good unless the engine decides to go bang, which is another thing that does sometimes pop into my head. However, there seem to be plenty on here who vouch for these cars reliability if looked after.
I think the moment you start adding up what cars cost then any older Porsche is never going to make any sense whatsoever. These are basically financial suicide. Tesco 99 is £1.50 per litre and road tax is £350. Thats just the start or the tip of the iceberg. I've got 4 outside so I dont even want to start totting it up. Just times your numbers by 4 and you'll get an idea - but dont tell me, thanks. The problem becomes exasperated when you start estimating the what if costs which can escalate super rapidly. My mate is just going through this panic with his 996.2 and his what if costs are approaching 20 grand - I am trying to talk him down form the ledge.
ATM said:
I think the moment you start adding up what cars cost then any older Porsche is never going to make any sense whatsoever. These are basically financial suicide. Tesco 99 is £1.50 per litre and road tax is £350. Thats just the start or the tip of the iceberg. I've got 4 outside so I dont even want to start totting it up. Just times your numbers by 4 and you'll get an idea - but dont tell me, thanks. The problem becomes exasperated when you start estimating the what if costs which can escalate super rapidly. My mate is just going through this panic with his 996.2 and his what if costs are approaching 20 grand - I am trying to talk him down form the ledge.
Ignorance is bliss for sure - I could never own a 996 for this reason, unless I had seriously deep pockets and didn't mind potentially throwing that money away, so I can feel your mates pain. I would have sleepless nights! I'm a relatively risk averse human, so for me, even buying 'just' a 986 took a hand full of brave pills, and I talked myself out of it several times! For the running costs, I don't feel like I get enough use out of it, and it's unlikely that situation will improve any time soon. Nevertheless, I haven't made any decisions about it yet. It could be super reliable, and I could be acting in haste. I am quite attached to it, but I just know it won't get the use it deserves and I'll always be wondering what else I could do with the money.
If I could find something cheaper (either in terms of purchase price, running costs or both), and have just as much fun on the odd hour I have free on a Saturday, then maybe I'd be in a happier place overall. Having no car would yield the biggest financial benefit, but I think cars are hard wired into my DNA.
I've made no decision yet though, because when I bought the car, at the time, I truly believed it was what I wanted. Now that I have had, I'm just not quite as sure. Whatever happens though I'm super glad to have had the chance to own a Porsche, and this may not be the end, maybe I'm just a bit down about what happened at the weekend, but the long battle between head and heart rages on.
cerb4.5lee said:
I'm sorry to see this happen to your car TRD. 
Glad that you're ok though.
Hope you get it fixed as easy as possible.
Cheers Lee, I'm lucky really, whatever hit did so at pretty much head height! I'm not an expert but I don't think the damage is too serious, though it does look a bit of a mess at the moment. Glad that you're ok though. Hope you get it fixed as easy as possible.
Sorry to see a drive out ended so badly, such a shame. Hope it is a simple enough repair and doesn't hurt too much financially.
Sometimes your priorities do just change, other times you just need a good drive or road trip to get back into it again. If you can sell the car at a decent price and come out of it well and having scratched the itch as best you can, why not. There are other cars out there.
Sometimes your priorities do just change, other times you just need a good drive or road trip to get back into it again. If you can sell the car at a decent price and come out of it well and having scratched the itch as best you can, why not. There are other cars out there.
The key thing to bear in mind is these weren't "cheap to run" when they were new and there's no magical way they become "cheap to run" when they get older. In fact, exactly the opposite applies.
Unless you're handy with the spanners it can be a mistake to think a car costing Fiesta money to buy will have Fiesta running costs.
As always in the used car market paying a bit more cash to buy a good example works out a lot cheaper than buying a cheap one that "needs a bit of work".
Unless you're handy with the spanners it can be a mistake to think a car costing Fiesta money to buy will have Fiesta running costs.
As always in the used car market paying a bit more cash to buy a good example works out a lot cheaper than buying a cheap one that "needs a bit of work".
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