986 conundrum; 2.5 v 3.2 - Page 3 - Boxster/Cayman - PistonHeads UK

I'm looking into buying a 986, will be my first Porsche. Wondering about the various model choices, and from what I can tell:- 2.5 - Purest Boxster, just enough power so you can really enjoy the engine, shorter gearing than the others, slightly cheaper to run, apparently more robust. Likely to be a classic being the original Boxster. 2.7 / 3.2 - Both a bit quicker, especially the S, but more expensive to run and more likely to face big bills. Personally I see no reason not to go for a 3.2 over a 2.7.Taller gear ratios is a downside too, I like working the gearbox. So for me, it looks like a choice between the 2.5 and 3.2. The former being the purist choice, and the cheapest and most reliable, the latter having more luxury and speed. The car is just a toy for the weekends and the occasional road trip or just driving around the doors. No commuting. Any feedback welcome.

I absolutely loved my 2.5 Boxster - felt light and agile, even compared to the 3.4 996.1 that followed it. 17” wheels really help that as well - but they still have 255 on the back so there is more grip than can overcome the engine, which makes it safe if you live somewhere as wet as Scotland like me My wife loved driving it. Hates driving my 911 The little engine is a peach - it loves to rev amd makes a wonderful sound as you cross 4K rpm. Gearing felt spot on as well. The engines are solid as well TBH it’s all about condition - any Porsche that old (3.2 included) can give a lot of bills if it’s not been driven regularly and well maintained If it was me, I’d go for the 2.5 - I quite fancy another but need a family car with four seats, hence now in 996 turbo Edited by nebpor on Friday 6th August 22:08 Edited by nebpor on Friday 6th August 22:08

I wouldn't buy a 2.5 because you think you will save big money on maintenance. Nor would I buy an S because you think it's significantly more luxurious. I had an early S and replaced it with a 550. Brakes are bigger and a bit more expensive on the S but as a weekend car you're replacing them what every 5+ years? What's that £35 a year ish? The big ticket stuff that needs attention with age things like exhaust fixings, suspension the whole lot, waterpumps and other parts of cooling system are really no different in cost and are mostly once in ownership types of costs.

I had a 2.5 and did a load of track days in it and spent many a happy evening bombing round the b-roads. For me, the lower power (or more importantly the lower torque) was part of the appeal. To get a decent lap or just make good progress on the road you needed to maintain momentum and keep the engine on the boil. Because of this, it always felt as if you were "on it." That said... If it were my only car or I was mainly just planning to cruise around, I'd definitely take the 3.2. The added torque will make driving in traffic easier and a whole lot more relaxing versus constantly having to swap gears to stay in the power. Maintenance costs will be the same Edited by LennyM1984 on Saturday 7th August 08:48

edc said: I wouldn't buy a 2.5 because you think you will save big money on maintenance. Nor would I buy an S because you think it's significantly more luxurious. I had an early S and replaced it with a 550. Brakes are bigger and a bit more expensive on the S but as a weekend car you're replacing them what every 5+ years? What's that £35 a year ish? The big ticket stuff that needs attention with age things like exhaust fixings, suspension the whole lot, waterpumps and other parts of cooling system are really no different in cost and are mostly once in ownership types of costs. That's not really the main reason in fairness, I just listed it as an (possible) advantage; I certainly am well aware that any Porsche is going to cost more than the average car to keep on the road. As the other replies allude to, one reason I've considered the 2.5 is the fact that I need to work the car to get the performance, which as a driver can be enjoyable and satisfying, and the lower gear ratios (and less power/torque) hopefully would keep the speeds down a little; e.g. I've heard the 2.5 maxes out at about 60 in 2nd, 90 in third whereas I've heard the 2.7 and 3.2 both max out at 70 and 100+ respectively. I get the point you're trying to make though - make buying on condition a priority over the specifics of which model.

Have a look at Flat Six Classics. Sean deals predominantly in 986's and has a very good selection at the moment. I am sure he would be accommodating in comparing the different engines and he is a really great guy.

I've just bought myself one of these. I was only looking for a 3.2 as I knew it would a bit slower than my other cars. It does feel a bit slower but I still love it. I wouldn't call the car slow it's just that my others are quicker. The 3.2 does need winding up to get it going. It starts to zing around 4 to 5000 revs. I've never driven the 5 speed but I do like the 6 speed. It's a nice gearbox. If you want the 6 speed you need to buy the 3.2 version. If I'm honest I did buy based on condition but I'm not sure I would have considered buying the same car if it was not the 3.2 version. I think the biggest concern when buying one of these is what it will need after you buy it. One of my mates who is a car guy always says if you looking to buy a car then you should either buy a really cheap example or a really nice one. Reason being the cheap one leaves you room in the budget for spending on stuff. So my buying decision was based on this. You could easily spend 5000 plus on bits and pieces for one of these if you don't buy carefully. Where as the price difference between the bottom end of the market and top is less than 5000. So my thinking was buy at the higher end and hope the spending after is minimal. That's the idea anyway.

CardiffTam said: Have a look at Flat Six Classics. Sean deals predominantly in 986's and has a very good selection at the moment. I am sure he would be accommodating in comparing the different engines and he is a really great guy. Thanks I will check this out, as I wasn't aware of it ATM said: One of my mates who is a car guy always says if you looking to buy a car then you should either buy a really cheap example or a really nice one. Reason being the cheap one leaves you room in the budget for spending on stuff. So my buying decision was based on this. You could easily spend 5000 plus on bits and pieces for one of these if you don't buy carefully. Where as the price difference between the bottom end of the market and top is less than 5000. So my thinking was buy at the higher end and hope the spending after is minimal. That's the idea anyway. Yes I do get this. When I decided to start looking for a car to replace my Mini, I actually gave myself a budget of 15k, but then when you can get a Boxster for 5k that may have the same issue as one costing 3x the price, then it kind of makes sense to buy cheap, but that being said, if the difference between a good 986 and a ropey one is only a couple of grand, say, then it's a no-brainer as you say. Yours looks nice btw

^^^ I love these. I wouldn't care. I'd just buy the very best example I could find. Wouldn't care if 2.5, 2.7 or 3.2. The early 2.5 nicest looking IMO. I never found any of them slow if you keep them on boil. Lane changing ability bike like. Tricky on the limit if you buy one without traction. Will swap ends on you in the wet

IMI A said: ^^^ I love these. I wouldn't care. I'd just buy the very best example I could find. Wouldn't care if 2.5, 2.7 or 3.2. The early 2.5 nicest looking IMO. I never found any of them slow if you keep them on boil. Lane changing ability bike like. Tricky on the limit if you buy one without traction. Will swap ends on you in the wet I've owned a few MR2s so I'm not worried about it swapping ends!

IMI A said: Tricky on the limit if you buy one without traction. Will swap ends on you in the wet True dat! I spun mine twice on track in the wet (and had a few tank slappers) and they go so quickly that you have to be lucky or extremely skilled to hold it. The handling and brakes are otherwise excellent though.

Whatever you buy you'll be influenced by what you've had as benchmarks. If you're used to the latest gen of hot hatches then even the S will feel a tad slow. That said with the roof down everything feels faster.

edc said: Whatever you buy you'll be influenced by what you've had as benchmarks. If you're used to the latest gen of hot hatches then even the S will feel a tad slow. That said with the roof down everything feels faster. The good thing is, I've never owned anything particularly fast. I'm currently driving around in a 2006 Mini Cooper S, running about 190-200 bhp, before that, an MR2 Roadster with 138 bhp, and in all honesty, that wasn't fast but plenty quick enough to have some fun in. In fact most of the cars I look back at as being most fun have all been under 200 bhp, most of them considerably under. The fastest cars I've owned were probably the Z4 Coupe 3.0 and 350Z Roadster (276 bhp and 1650 kg!). I kind of like having to work a car a bit to get the speed, its rewarding. Cars with lots of torque are nice to waft about in, but outright performance isn't the be all and end all, otherwise I'd probably be looking at some bland turbocharged hot hatch or a BMW.

TameRacingDriver said: IMI A said: ^^^ I love these. I wouldn't care. I'd just buy the very best example I could find. Wouldn't care if 2.5, 2.7 or 3.2. The early 2.5 nicest looking IMO. I never found any of them slow if you keep them on boil. Lane changing ability bike like. Tricky on the limit if you buy one without traction. Will swap ends on you in the wet I've owned a few MR2s so I'm not worried about it swapping ends! Yep did that in a few Mk1 and Mk2s and love them too. You'll love a Boxster S. Its much more forgiving than the MR2. I've done unthinkable speeds on technical roads in a 986 Boxster S compared to MR2. Happy days

So, I just decided to buy one on condition and gut feeling and ignore the engine / spec, and I've put a deposit down on this little beast: https://www.flatsixclassics.co.uk/listings/porsche...

Noice

That's top money. I hope it's got some good maintenance history to it apart from the usual service items. Looks nice in the pictures.

TameRacingDriver said: I'm looking into buying a 986, will be my first Porsche. Wondering about the various model choices, and from what I can tell:- 2.5 - Purest Boxster, just enough power so you can really enjoy the engine, shorter gearing than the others, slightly cheaper to run, apparently more robust. Likely to be a classic being the original Boxster. 2.7 / 3.2 - Both a bit quicker, especially the S, but more expensive to run and more likely to face big bills. Personally I see no reason not to go for a 3.2 over a 2.7.Taller gear ratios is a downside too, I like working the gearbox. So for me, it looks like a choice between the 2.5 and 3.2. The former being the purist choice, and the cheapest and most reliable, the latter having more luxury and speed. The car is just a toy for the weekends and the occasional road trip or just driving around the doors. No commuting. Any feedback welcome. Genuine question, just curious, is the 986 deemed the sweet spot over the 987 Boxster, as I never see much mention on these forums for the 987 Boxster vs the 986. I ask this looks particularly nice and well optioned 987 Boxster. https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/12079429

or this even. https://collectingcars.com/for-sale/2004-porsche-9... 986... but seems about as good as it gets for that model rannge from what I can tell.

julian987R said: TameRacingDriver said: I'm looking into buying a 986, will be my first Porsche. Wondering about the various model choices, and from what I can tell:- 2.5 - Purest Boxster, just enough power so you can really enjoy the engine, shorter gearing than the others, slightly cheaper to run, apparently more robust. Likely to be a classic being the original Boxster. 2.7 / 3.2 - Both a bit quicker, especially the S, but more expensive to run and more likely to face big bills. Personally I see no reason not to go for a 3.2 over a 2.7.Taller gear ratios is a downside too, I like working the gearbox. So for me, it looks like a choice between the 2.5 and 3.2. The former being the purist choice, and the cheapest and most reliable, the latter having more luxury and speed. The car is just a toy for the weekends and the occasional road trip or just driving around the doors. No commuting. Any feedback welcome. Genuine question, just curious, is the 986 deemed the sweet spot over the 987 Boxster, as I never see much mention on these forums for the 987 Boxster vs the 986. I ask this looks particularly nice and well optioned 987 Boxster. https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/12079429 For starters you can buy 3 to 5 986 S for that linked car. Many argue it is a purer drive. As the Boxster has developed it has majored on all round daily useability and comfort. You don't get a lot more if any at all chassis fun. So depending on your needs or take on a fun car sometimes a 986 is the answer rather than just newer is better.

That's strong money for the car. But if you like it then good for you. Stay away from a Porsche garage or specialist for as long as you can. You walk through the door and they call you sir, your spare cash is over. Enjoy.

julian987R said: or this even. https://collectingcars.com/for-sale/2004-porsche-9... 986... but seems about as good as it gets for that model rannge from what I can tell. I have a modified 550 and before that a modified S having both over a period of 9 years now. Some say the 550 is a tarted up run out special but others will say it has all the good bits, some factory engine and chassis mods. If they gave it some lighter doors and some humps and buckets which they already provided as factory options it would be akin to an 987 R/Spyder.

Agree it wasn't the cheapest I could have got, but prices are on the up, saw a base 2.5 original go for £9100 at an auction a few days ago, and most stuff in the cheaper ranges looked ropey for one reason or another. Also there's a peace of mind for a pork novice like me that this place appear to be reputable and do their own inspections before sale. Though tbh nearly everything is ridiculously expensive compared with 6-12 months ago. I've been looking at all sorts, and it's all comparatively expensive now

congrats looks great always better to buy condition over spec 986 v 987 I'd say the 987 a more capable car due to wider track. Vario rack steering in 987 not as sweet and precise as 986. Whilst the chassis more capable in 987 it has side effect of 987 feel more inert. 986 the sweet spot IMO for sure. Same with 996 v 997 IMO. The interesting test is 987 Boxster S v 997 Carrera. Boxster quicker around 9 out of 10 tracks. True

Great choice. I picked up my 986.2 in March and have loved the driving experience. Only car I’ve had to surpass the fun in my old 309GTI.

My 2001 986 is much quicker than my 1998 996. When I come out of Asda I have to open the door of the 996 to pull the bonnet release lever. Having the electronic bonnet release on the key of the 986 easily saves me 20 seconds.

Ha I doubt there is much difference on them in track too! Great cars both of them. So amazingly different yet similar.

TameRacingDriver said: So, I just decided to buy one on condition and gut feeling and ignore the engine / spec, and I've put a deposit down on this little beast: https://www.flatsixclassics.co.uk/listings/porsche... Nice one. I was at Flat Six Classics this morning picking up my 987 Boxster. Sean has a great set up with a fantastic selection of cars.

CardiffTam said: ice one. I was at Flat Six Classics this morning picking up my 987 Boxster. Sean has a great set up with a fantastic selection of cars. Nice one mate enjoy! Sean seems like a great bloke, he's even delivering it all the way up to the North East for a reasonable cost, which is a great gesture considering how far away it is!

3.2 probably the right choice. You lose very little with the 3.2. It's a little less raw and transparent than, say, an early 2.5. But only a little. And you get a load more torque. Cable throttle benefit also probably overstated. 3.2 also sounds fantastic. And with prices as there are (even with a bit of an uptick of late) you may as well get the 3.2 (which won't be any more expensive to run, they all cost pretty much the same to run), the difference in price is a rounding error for most Porsches.

Sounds good. I'm looking forward to finally trying one. I'm sure the 2.5 would have been a blast but it will still be nice to have a bit of torque for normal driving or when the speed limiter... Sorry Mrs is in the car I really can't wait to get it, so excited! More than I've been over a car for a long while!

TameRacingDriver said: Sounds good. I'm looking forward to finally trying one. I'm sure the 2.5 would have been a blast but it will still be nice to have a bit of torque for normal driving or when the speed limiter... Sorry Mrs is in the car I really can't wait to get it, so excited! More than I've been over a car for a long while! That's brilliant So you bought it totally unseen / undriven?

ATM said: That's brilliant So you bought it totally unseen / undriven? Yes I took the risk but based on the fact it's come from a well respected specialist who has sold 160 of the things so he tells me then I trust that it will all be good (fingers crossed). To be fair the chap is more likely than I am to know what constitutes a good Boxster. I'll admit my judgement when buying cars hasn't always been my strong point!

TameRacingDriver said: ATM said: That's brilliant So you bought it totally unseen / undriven? Yes I took the risk but based on the fact it's come from a well respected specialist who has sold 160 of the things so he tells me then I trust that it will all be good (fingers crossed). To be fair the chap is more likely than I am to know what constitutes a good Boxster. I'll admit my judgement when buying cars hasn't always been my strong point! Ok OK OK Calm down Breath You don't need to justify anything to me I know a few people who have bought cars like this recently unseen. It seems crazy to me but I guess in the new normal this is how it works. It's just like ordering food off Deliveroo where you don't even see the place cooking it for you. Anyway I can imagine this is adding to the excitement. It's a total unknown at this point. How long do you have to wait?

I am calm, it's too early in the morning to be worked up! Yeah I think it is adding to the excitement tbh. I should get it around this time next week (no date confirmed just yet). One thing that will be nice is the fact that it's being delivered and so my first drive out in it will be for pleasure on known good roads, unlike when I bought my z4c and I had to drive 300 miles on boring motorways straight home so it wasn't exactly a fun first drive.

TameRacingDriver said: I am calm, it's too early in the morning to be worked up! Yeah I think it is adding to the excitement tbh. I should get it around this time next week (no date confirmed just yet). One thing that will be nice is the fact that it's being delivered and so my first drive out in it will be for pleasure on known good roads, unlike when I bought my z4c and I had to drive 300 miles on boring motorways straight home so it wasn't exactly a fun first drive. Life is too short for motorways. I try to plan my trips ahead of time with routes off the motorway. It might take an hour or two longer but who cares. Anything is better than a motorway.

ATM said: TameRacingDriver said: I am calm, it's too early in the morning to be worked up! Yeah I think it is adding to the excitement tbh. I should get it around this time next week (no date confirmed just yet). One thing that will be nice is the fact that it's being delivered and so my first drive out in it will be for pleasure on known good roads, unlike when I bought my z4c and I had to drive 300 miles on boring motorways straight home so it wasn't exactly a fun first drive. Life is too short for motorways. I try to plan my trips ahead of time with routes off the motorway. It might take an hour or two longer but who cares. Anything is better than a motorway. Amen. You can select the 'no motorway' option on Google Maps which does help. TomTom maps has a 'winding road' option on their website and app but you need to pay for the app which is a non-starter.

So back when I got the Z4 it was winter and I had to drive from Cardiff to Newcastle when I picked it up. I also managed to take a wrong turn and went over that big suspension bridge near Bristol but at the time I felt a bit poorly and it was getting dark early on and I just wanted to be home. It took the shine off the first day... Otherwise though I couldn't agree more even just driving locally I tend to allow more time just so I can stay away from boring dual carriageways.

That's some wrong turn from Cardiff.

Mr Spoon said: That's some wrong turn from Cardiff. That's what happens when you decide to try and get home from a completely unfamiliar area without using sat nav

Nice purchase. I recently drove one of these on a “classic car experience” drive my mate invited me along to. It was an early 2.5 T reg with nearly 130k on the clock so I wasn’t expecting too much. I was blown away by how good it was to drive… honestly so friendly and easy to drive quick! For reference I have an e46 m3 as a weekend car and felt the boxster was far more fun to punt around. Cue my mate now being on the lookout for one and me considering selling the m3…

Alex10391 said: Nice purchase. I recently drove one of these on a “classic car experience” drive my mate invited me along to. It was an early 2.5 T reg with nearly 130k on the clock so I wasn’t expecting too much. I was blown away by how good it was to drive… honestly so friendly and easy to drive quick! For reference I have an e46 m3 as a weekend car and felt the boxster was far more fun to punt around. Cue my mate now being on the lookout for one and me considering selling the m3… Cheers, I'm even more excited after reading that I think more so than any other car, possibly because I still haven't driven one / it yet. I found a pic the other day of when I was a nipper, with a picture of a black 911 (930) convertible on my bedroom wall behind me. Perhaps it was fate, not the same car, but close to being a dream car. It's quite a nice feeling for an average joe like myself to be able to get a taste. Hopefully be here on Wednesday. Can't wait!

Lovely car well done! I'll be interested to hear your thoughts given you seem to have a similar taste in cars to me!

TameRacingDriver said: I'm looking into buying a 986, will be my first Porsche. Any feedback welcome. Why the 986 Boxster is the best first Porsche | The Next Big Thing with Magnus Walker https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jdxswpsn4Oc

julian987R said: TameRacingDriver said: I'm looking into buying a 986, will be my first Porsche. Wondering about the various model choices, and from what I can tell:- 2.5 - Purest Boxster, just enough power so you can really enjoy the engine, shorter gearing than the others, slightly cheaper to run, apparently more robust. Likely to be a classic being the original Boxster. 2.7 / 3.2 - Both a bit quicker, especially the S, but more expensive to run and more likely to face big bills. Personally I see no reason not to go for a 3.2 over a 2.7.Taller gear ratios is a downside too, I like working the gearbox. So for me, it looks like a choice between the 2.5 and 3.2. The former being the purist choice, and the cheapest and most reliable, the latter having more luxury and speed. The car is just a toy for the weekends and the occasional road trip or just driving around the doors. No commuting. Any feedback welcome. Genuine question, just curious, is the 986 deemed the sweet spot over the 987 Boxster, as I never see much mention on these forums for the 987 Boxster vs the 986. I ask this looks particularly nice and well optioned 987 Boxster. https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/12079429 I don’t think most people with £25k to spend on a toy would have a preference / interest in a 986 personally. The 986 just happens to be a phenomenal car for the money. Boxsters are brilliant sports cars.

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. If he had a quicker car I might have lost him or he might have had to wait more often, that's up to him I guess. Although there were lots of ramblers and cyclists around which slowed us down. We even had to deal with a few sheep too. It was really great fun. We did hope a few more cars would join us but in the end it was just us two and I think that's better. Driving in a convoy gets a bit tedious. My counter part insisted on roofs in the down position which meant I did get a bit wet in places. 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.

Jonstar said: Lovely car well done! I'll be interested to hear your thoughts given you seem to have a similar taste in cars to me! I'll update when I get it, which should be wednesday, I've got a half day booked in so I can have a good trip out in it

TameRacingDriver said: I'll update when I get it, which should be wednesday, I've got a half day booked in so I can have a good trip out in it Great!

Bought this 2003 speed yellow s on a bit of a whim. Cheapest facelift I had seen and surprisingly very good. 115k with IMS (LN ceramic) and RMS done at 95k. Bought to strip and use for Trackdays but now thinking a bit too good for that. Great cars.

^^^^ looks amazing on yellow I'd love that for summer b road blasts. They're good track cars as fairly light out the box don't need to do the whole strip everything like a 944 to get the best out of them surprisingly capable out of the box. Easily as quick as E46 M3 on technical tracks when I had one and was giving up circa 100bhp.

My first ever time driving a Porsche was a 986S at Thruxton where we got to drive a few cars. By far and away the 986 was the best car there out on track. It just felt so right. I even said to the instructor guy on the 2nd or 3rd bend, wow this is a great car. He said yeah and we just run them round the track all day long and they are fine. Good solid cars. That's the day I stopped believing all the hype about hair dressers and decided I wanted one.

Do the 3.2 engines hold up on track though? I've seen too many videos like this with Porsches: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YFMYcj4t6Q&ab...

Jonstar said: Do the 3.2 engines hold up on track though? I've seen too many videos like this with Porsches: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YFMYcj4t6Q&ab... They're not going to automatically blow up on every track day. Lots of 986 Boxsters have completed countless track days without incident. Some race series use largely unmodified cars and they don't just blow up left, right and centre. But there are obviously a few failure modes and it can happen. IMS can go (actually not that common), the oiling system isn't that great in a track context, chains can go, rods... Etc. You'd be fairly unlucky to have one go doing the odd track day. On the other hand, possibly not the best choice for a dedicated track day car if the engine letting go is going to really, really upset you. Might happen, they're not totally bullet proof.

If it's going to be a dedicated track car then just like any other car you'd probably do some basic and minor mods to increase your reliability. It's not that costly to add a deeper sump or baffle kit for example on a par say with uprating your brakes or say a set of trackday wheels with new rubber which many people won't bat an eyelid at.

Luckily mine will rarely if ever see a track, not my bag really. Anyway I've picked it up. Super happy. Will post properly later.

TameRacingDriver said: Luckily mine will rarely if ever see a track, not my bag really. Anyway I've picked it up. Super happy. Will post properly later. Tease

Nice one TRD. Really pleased to hear that you are chuffed with it. Have fun.

cerb4.5lee said: Nice one TRD. Really pleased to hear that you are chuffed with it. Have fun. Cheers Lee. It's nice to be back in something nice again. The Mini was a decent car for what it is, but it's not in the same league. I was grinning like this all day yesterday!

Porsche brake pedals do get a bit of getting used to - glad you are enjoying it, I'm jealous!!

ATM said: TameRacingDriver said: Luckily mine will rarely if ever see a track, not my bag really. Anyway I've picked it up. Super happy. Will post properly later. Tease Jonstar said: Lovely car well done! I'll be interested to hear your thoughts given you seem to have a similar taste in cars to me! Edit: apologies to those viewing on mobile for the formatting, I did this on a computer and it looked perfect, but it seems all truncated on mobile So, I spent a good 4 or 5 hours driving my new 3.2, and am well happy with it, I was expecting it to be a nice drive, but I wasn't expecting just how nice it actually does drive. I'll try not to waffle on, but my impressions: Looks really great in the flesh, better than in the photos. I thought I probably wanted silver, but this looks fantastic. Lots of compliments. Wasn't sure of the wheels in the sale photos but I think they look great in the flesh now I've seen them, 17s too so better for ride/handling/cheaper tyres Nice driver focused cabin, looks and feels premium, very few rattles, squeaks or creaks, if any. Amazing for the age. Good driving position, wheel feels perfectly sized for my tastes. Pedal spacing and position seems perfect, I can actually H&T in this. Engine sounds superb. I think its completely stock. I would say a perfect sound with the roof up, what a noise, sounds great at any revs, but more especially as the car passes 4,500rpm. I've heard someone say it has a 'yowl' to it, and I can hear that. Its very sonorous Roof down, that lovely noise is somewhat drowned out by wind and tyre noise, a bit of a shame. Open to feedback on this one. Done with modding tbh, but I would consider it on this occasion if it increases enjoyment of the car and doesn't spoil it. Not quite as torquey as I was expecting. Then again, I've been driving a supercharged Mini which is very 'mid-rangey'. It clearly prefers being worked for the speed, which isn't exactly a hardship. In fairness, either I started getting used to it, or it actually started to feel like it was improving the more I drove it. When you do rev it out, the noise is addictive, and it certainly gets a move on to say the least. Probably not 'fast' by modern standards, but easily more than enough to enjoy on the road. The gearshift has been modded with an official Porsche short shift. Basically feels a bit like an MX5, probably not quite as good, but not too far off. The gearing, as expected, is a bit tall for my tastes, but I knew that before I got it. Not a massive problem in the grand scheme of things. The steering is really, really nice. Best I've experienced out of any of the cars I've owned. Only one that comes close is the Mk2 MR2 Turbo, but its better than that. Super detailed, perfect weighting and just a nice speed to the rack. Sublime. The handling is just like its on rails. I pushed the car as much as I felt comfortable doing so, and I have no doubt that the car itself was well within it's limits. It feels supremely confident and planted, very agile... The chassis feels so amazingly well balanced too, I could really feel the car rotating around me as I navigated the bends. Delightful. Despite this amazing handling, the ride was perhaps the thing that made my jaw drop the most. Its bloody awesome. It rides like a luxury car, so amazingly well controlled and damped, yet show it a corner and its a weapon. Brakes - didn't test them in anger. Noticed that the servo assistance is less than a modern car so needs a bigger shove of the foot, but I have no doubt that they will be more than sufficient for plenty of fade free spirited driving. I'm already warming to the extra feel and control this provides. Overall it's the best car I've owned as far as the driving experience goes. It kind of feels like a big MR2 with a big engine and more luxury, which is probably the best compliment I can pay it really. I hope that I will get to keep the car for years. I've also owned a couple of this cars rivals, the Z4 Coupe 3.0Si and the 350Z Roadster, and would have to say that this car is a better drivers car than either of those in terms of handling, ride, steering, brakes and just outright sporting focus. I am really very impressed with this car so far. Only downsides I've noticed so far... The fuel / temp gauge glass appears to be marked - they had what looked like spittle marks on, but so far they're not wiping off. Hopefully the glass can be replaced, but tbh if it meant replacing the gauges I won't bother as it's not horrific or anything - unless it's cheap enough to do. I will try and polish them up a bit at the weekend and see if I can improve it. Plastic trim from one of the struts on the soft top detached itself and doesn't appear to want to fit back on securely. Exhaust / engine arguably too quiet with roof down - will see how I feel about this over the coming weeks. Otherwise the car is in amazing condition for its age, with a massive folder full of service history and work done, and Sean from Flat Six Classics is an absolute gent. Those down sides are probably in the realm of 'first world problems'. Edited by TameRacingDriver on Friday 20th August 08:28

Mr Spoon said: Z4MCSL said: Mr Spoon said: I also did the same with my megane RS You mean upped the power etc? yes indeed. 300+ hp, similar to your megane Much much harder adding bhp to a none turbo car. If you want more serious power in one of these you need to change to bigger engine. 2.5 to 3.4 swap is relatively easy and with the low ratio 5 speed it would be a blast. Later 3.2 can swap to 3.6 easily too. You're spending the purchase price again to do this.

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.

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.

Darn it I think I reaaaaaally do want one.

Z4MCSL said: Darn it I think I reaaaaaally do want one. Have you driven one?

Not yet - will do as soon as I can.

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!

I wouldn't worry about the power as such but if you are a serial modder then it's just fun to do a few of these things. Manifolds and cats may not give turbo remap style gains but they do make the engine freer at the top end so are worth it for that too.

Hey OP How you getting on with this?

ATM said: Hey OP How you getting on with this? Hi ATM 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

I’m loving mine

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...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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".

If I remember correctly I think the OP did spend a bit more to get a nice one from a little dealer specialist. So his entry price was a bit on the high side. Exciting will be difficult to do without seeing a bit of a gap between buy and sell price. Of course once you decide the car has to go this isn't necessarily relevant but just worth considering if you're on the fence a little. You spent the time and money choosing a nice one. It would be a shame to let it go now. I truly believe that as time ticks by the pool of available cars will shrink and the nicer examples will get harder to find. Most Boxster owners have been saying this for years so at some point it has to become true. Mine is now 21 years old but some of the early 2.5 cars are 25. Also the idea behind buying a nicer one was to keep the unexpected expenditure to a minimum. So perhaps don't be so doom and gloom when it comes to your excel estimates. I've been using my 986 a bit recently. Mine isn't the best example but still makes me happy. I can't quite put my finger on why. I do think the not so linear power delivery had something to do with it. There is a distinct pickup as the revs get to around 3500 area and it suddenly feels peppy. Also the cabin is quite small so it feels like a small car. I still love the profile from the rear with the long flat back and I'm a sucker for the matching hardtop. The modern cars don't offer a hardtop option now. So far I've spent very little on mine in terms of TLC. Perhaps that's only because i have other cars needing more attention. I've also been trying to persuade my mate to buy one too. Maybe he will and maybe he won't. If this one does go up for sale then please let us know OP. I'll leave this little pic which someone posted in my 986 thread as inspiration for you...

The picture above is one of the reasons why I decided to buy one. Suffering from anxiety and depression for the last couple of years (various reasons) and feeling like I'm existing rather than living has meant that I have decided to do something about it. I bought my 986 to scratch the itch of not having a "toy" car or something to tinker with. If I use it, great. If I don't, hopefully I won't lose too much on it and I can say that I tried. Hopefully put it on track later in the year and tick something else off the bucket list. Also, a 986 is much cheaper than a divorce!

Japcreation said: Also, a 986 is much cheaper than a divorce! Not in the long run....

TameRacingDriver said: 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. Reading between the lines it sounds like an MX5 might have been a better bet. Not that I'm a huge fan of them but a tuned up facelift model MX5 NC with some BBR conversion seems to be the sweet spot for a cheap to run sports car that is just fast enough to keep up with a base Boxster, provide similar fun and avoid running cost nightmares. But now you've bought it you might as well keep hold for a while before making any rash decisions.

anthonysjb said: 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. Hopefully it shouldn't hurt financially at all as the other party has admitted liability so I should not need to put my hand in my pocket. Actually getting anyone to do the work seems to proving difficult at the moment though, but that's another story.... Panamax said: 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". ATM said: If I remember correctly I think the OP did spend a bit more to get a nice one from a little dealer specialist. So his entry price was a bit on the high side. ATM is correct - @ Panamax - if you read the thread, I actually paid a top end price in the hope that I might get a year of trouble free motoring, I certainly did not buy a cheap one and hoped for the best. Its reasonably low miles, has a service folder as thick as an encyclopaedia, and it does seem to be a good car for the most part. I did have an intermittent idling issue, so I took it to a specialist who couldn't find that issue but did realise the top mounts and coffin arms were worn, so that cost a bit, then I had a problem with the battery (10 years old) now replaced, nothing major really. I certainly did not have the impression it would have the running costs of a Fiesta! ATM said: Exciting will be difficult to do without seeing a bit of a gap between buy and sell price. Of course once you decide the car has to go this isn't necessarily relevant but just worth considering if you're on the fence a little. You spent the time and money choosing a nice one. It would be a shame to let it go now. I truly believe that as time ticks by the pool of available cars will shrink and the nicer examples will get harder to find. Most Boxster owners have been saying this for years so at some point it has to become true. Mine is now 21 years old but some of the early 2.5 cars are 25. Also the idea behind buying a nicer one was to keep the unexpected expenditure to a minimum. So perhaps don't be so doom and gloom when it comes to your excel estimates. I've been using my 986 a bit recently. Mine isn't the best example but still makes me happy. I can't quite put my finger on why. I do think the not so linear power delivery had something to do with it. There is a distinct pickup as the revs get to around 3500 area and it suddenly feels peppy. Also the cabin is quite small so it feels like a small car. I still love the profile from the rear with the long flat back and I'm a sucker for the matching hardtop. The modern cars don't offer a hardtop option now. So far I've spent very little on mine in terms of TLC. Perhaps that's only because i have other cars needing more attention. I've also been trying to persuade my mate to buy one too. Maybe he will and maybe he won't. If this one does go up for sale then please let us know OP. I'll leave this little pic which someone posted in my 986 thread as inspiration for you... You're correct of course, if I sell up now, I could end up losing a couple of grand just to get out of it, which doesn't seem particularly appealing either. Indeed, the idea of buying a nicer one was to avoid heavy costs, but apart from the aforementioned suspension components, it hasn't cost much, but then again, that's because I've not driven it as much as I'd like - blame winter, flat batteries and flying objects for that, but I agree I should maybe not be so doom and gloom with my running predictions. The opportunities for photos like yours would certainly be nice and might change my opinion though! Japcreation said: The picture above is one of the reasons why I decided to buy one. Suffering from anxiety and depression for the last couple of years (various reasons) and feeling like I'm existing rather than living has meant that I have decided to do something about it. I bought my 986 to scratch the itch of not having a "toy" car or something to tinker with. If I use it, great. If I don't, hopefully I won't lose too much on it and I can say that I tried. Hopefully put it on track later in the year and tick something else off the bucket list. Also, a 986 is much cheaper than a divorce! Been there with the old A&D over the last few years, and yeah, it works, while you're driving it. On the flipside though, the hassle that comes with car ownership at times certainly doesn't help I'm afraid to say, and from past experience with other cars, getting a 4-figure bill tends to ruin your day/week/month which is always a possibility with these by all accounts. WayOutWest said: Reading between the lines it sounds like an MX5 might have been a better bet. Not that I'm a huge fan of them but a tuned up facelift model MX5 NC with some BBR conversion seems to be the sweet spot for a cheap to run sports car that is just fast enough to keep up with a base Boxster, provide similar fun and avoid running cost nightmares. But now you've bought it you might as well keep hold for a while before making any rash decisions. The irony is, the MX5 was the other choice. In fact I even looked at one that was 3k more than the Boxster S I ended up getting, an NC with some tuning and the folding hard top. Problem is, while it would have been cheaper to run and more reliable for the most part, they tend to have a nasty habit of turning to brown dust. However, given that it's almost certainly going to leave me out of pocket to sell up now, it makes no sense to do so ultimately. So it's more likely than not it will be staying. The next step is to find someone to do the work: The insurance company arranged a company to do the repairs, who then apparently told the insurance company they couldn't take on the work due to storm damage at the premises, but nobody bothered to tell me until I investigated why nobody has been in touch. So I rang the insurance company who denied that the repairer had told them this, and followed up. Then had to try and arrange another, who I was assured would be ringing me today... guess what? And this is where I'm coming from, hobbies should be fun, and this ISN'T fun. So I've another round of phone calls and being f ked about tomorrow then...

OP Tell the insurance company you will find the repairer yourself. Call you local Porsche dealer and ask them who they recommend for Insurance repair bodywork. Simple

ATM - great shout with this advice. After a bit of phoning back and forth, I've got it booked into the Porsche approved bodyshop in town, and it'll be collected on Tuesday, which is great as a lot of places were refusing the work or stating 4-6 week waiting times. At least I know the repair work will/should be up to scratch

Hello guys, am I being silly? V plate, 3.2S, 30k miles, service history, 2 owner, most recent for many years, MoT history shows very few miles each year, in auction. Over 300 miles away so can't just go and view. What sort of price and is it worth a risky punt? Thanks

Skyedriver said: Hello guys, am I being silly? V plate, 3.2S, 30k miles, service history, 2 owner, most recent for many years, MoT history shows very few miles each year, in auction. Over 300 miles away so can't just go and view. What sort of price and is it worth a risky punt? Thanks Are you buying it to potter around in and have a relatively low mile one? If so get it. I had a 58k mile 2000 V at 12 years old and it needed new brakes all round and I changed all the suspension arms springs and dampers and it made a big difference to the handling.

Skyedriver said: Hello guys, am I being silly? V plate, 3.2S, 30k miles, service history, 2 owner, most recent for many years, MoT history shows very few miles each year, in auction. Over 300 miles away so can't just go and view. What sort of price and is it worth a risky punt? Thanks I saw your post in the poverty pork thread. Car looks nice but its difficult to distinguish between nice and really nice with just pics. As said above it depends what you want and why you're buying this one snd what you mean by risky? I recently bought an even lower mileage 986 3.2s. Mine is a 2001 so has electronic boot release rather than levers. Otherwise very similar car. The advert for yours mentions receipts so can you ask to see them remotely. With cars like this it important to know what's been changed recently. Mine had all new brakes - discs look brand new - he told me it had a new clutch too which I can only confirm by feel but it does feel nice. He had also fitted a silly loud cheap rear silencer. So that's it. Mine drives ok but it's not brilliant. So I suspect it needs some suspension bits and pieces. The gear change is a bit stiff and occasionally gets a bit lost in no man's land. It's also sprung a leak from the hard top. I've took the door panels off as they have the original seals on the membranes which are well past their best. I was keen to keep the hardtop on as the canvas roof has a small hole in it and the plastic screen isn't great, it's a bit cloudy. The cherry on top for me was mine has been freshly painted all over, including the hardtop and speedster humps. So in summary mine needs some suspension and other light fettling to make perfect and I mean Perfect. You couldn't eat your dinner off the underside but it all looks great. As soon as I saw the nuts and fixings in the door shuts and under the battery cover it was an obvious buy. Mine has basically been dry stored since new. So I've bought a car which has not really been used at all. Some components have clearly gone off with age which is to be expected and I'll need to work through them if I keep the car. I wanted a really nice early Boxster and that's what I've got. I might have done better to buy a car with a bit more usage under its belt and therefore more stuff recently changed or replaced from servicing and maintenance but I'm happy with the car. So I know nothing about this car but if its only had some oil changes and brake fluid changes then it will need some fettling to make perfect. But you could still enjoy the car as is if your OCD allows. My OCD is negligible compared to some of my mates who couldn't cope with some of the gremlins I'm dealing with. I spent 4 or 5 years looking for a nice 986 and now I feel like I've got one. If I didn't have mine I'd be tempted to take a punt on yours but again it all depends what you want from a car. Mine now lives outside and I feel bad about that. I just use it like any old car now. A few years of being outside will start to deteriorate all the bright factory fresh nuts and fastenings mentioned above. But I'll be left with a low mileage car I like and I know and I want and I'm fine with that. Your car has seen some life before being moth balled so it might not be as factory fresh as mine but it should be very tidy. It could be brilliant or it could be just quite nice. If you want a pristine car to keep in a car coon and only use very occasionally that's very different from someone like me who wants a car to leave outside and just treat like a normal car. So I'm not sure this has helped? Tell us what you plan to do with the car, why you like this particular car, what you expect, if you're handy with the spanners and where you sit on the OCD scale.

Thanks ATM, very helpful Brief History: I'm 68, had interesting cars most of my life, current garage is old Volvo Estate, Lotus Excel & Caterham (1991 crossflow built myself). Twenty years or thereabouts with V8 TVRs (Wedges & Chimaeras). Last one sold a month ago. Fancied a 911 since I was 17, drove a few old air cooled ones back in the 80's & 90's - a case of don't meet your hero or not the examples I tried anyway. Would go for a early 996 but twice the price of a 986 which is compromised by only two seats but most of the time I'm on my own anyway. Car use would be local runs out (live west coast Scotland), general use and maybe a more practical car in the road going hillclimb classes than a Caterham in the rain...and probably more competitive than a 4 litre Chimaera! (Don't tell them I said that). Annual mileage probably around 5K max. Done plenty spannering over the years, engines, clutches, suspension, brakes, bodywork but at 68 those days are over and most work will need to be carried out by an indie. Going to call the auction house for a chat, good call about looking at ALL the receipts, hopefully at 30K miles there shouldn't be any probs with IMS & bore scoring?

If you are relying on an indie for jobs then I would advise you to buy one which is tip top maintenance wise. Just like the OP did. I think his car still needed some bits and pieces but it was a small list. Costs can escalate quickly with these cars and if you are using an indie that adds labour also. The biggest problem seems to be nuts and bolts seizing or snapping and needing drilling out. I changed some discs on one of my 996 cars and even that wasn't simple due to old crusty nuts and bolts. So if you're going to use the car properly then you dont want a garage queen. I think you want something which has been maintained well and this car might not be that car. The thing with these cars is they are quite cheap yes but at the same time that means people run them on lower budgets. You can find 996 cars which have been treated to new upgraded suspension, modified exhausts and other bits and pieces. I want post any examples. But in general 986 cars dont get languished with this kind of love. You just dont see these cars available second hand. So I'd be pushing you towards a car that has been treated to some mild refurbishment and upgrading rather than a low mileage garage queen like this one. You dont necessarily need upgrades but the fact that the owner has spent the money gives you some confidence that the rest of the car should be tip top. Good 986 cars are out there but I think they are harder to find and you want to be buying direct from the Previous Owner so you can talk to him and get more details and confidence in the car or buying from a good indie like the OP did.

Again, thank you ATM. Have contacted the auction house, waiting a call back. This one has 5 stamps in the service book the last 300 miles but over 3 years ago...A full folder of paperwork accompanies the car. I've read a few threads about seized nuts & bolts, find it hard to believe on a "quality" product. My old Volvo (200K miles 25 years old) everything just unbolts like new. There again there's TVR......

The nuts and bolts are not quality. Dont forget the Boxster saved Porsche from going out of business. Corners were definitely cut on quality in some areas.

Is part of the problem more on the unnecessary over-tightening of bolts over the years. It was with my 944T.

julian987R said: Is part of the problem more on the unnecessary over-tightening of bolts over the years. It was with my 944T. Exhaust manifold bolts are a common one. Just due to the heat cycles mainly and then add in some water and salt and you have a recipe for crustiness which leads to disintegration. I was reading something the other day where someone experienced calliper bolts snapping - as in brake calliper. Now I'm not sure if they can be over tightened much because the official torque spec is like 180 somethings. That is a big number. There are an M12 bolt - which is chunky. Another problem is steel bolts going into alloy which fuses or something like that. So they dont like coming back out if they have been in there for a while.

ATM said: I was reading something the other day where someone experienced calliper bolts snapping - as in brake calliper. Now I'm not sure if they can be over tightened much because the official torque spec is like 180 somethings. That is a big number. There are an M12 bolt - which is chunky. I really hope that yours haven't been tightened up to 180 anything. The torque spec is 85nm or 63ish ft lbs. That isn't huge at all. If somebody tightened them up to even 180nm,they'd stretch at the very least

LennyM1984 said: ATM said: I was reading something the other day where someone experienced calliper bolts snapping - as in brake calliper. Now I'm not sure if they can be over tightened much because the official torque spec is like 180 somethings. That is a big number. There are an M12 bolt - which is chunky. I really hope that yours haven't been tightened up to 180 anything. The torque spec is 85nm or 63ish ft lbs. That isn't huge at all. If somebody tightened them up to even 180nm,they'd stretch at the very least Ok sorry, I don't know where I got that number from.

Skyedriver said: Again, thank you ATM. Have contacted the auction house, waiting a call back... Rang yesterday and again today still not managed to speak to anyone. (They may have called yesterday, I missed a call but no answer when I ring back). Someone has offered to call in for me.

TameRacingDriver said: ATM - great shout with this advice. After a bit of phoning back and forth, I've got it booked into the Porsche approved bodyshop in town, and it'll be collected on Tuesday, which is great as a lot of places were refusing the work or stating 4-6 week waiting times. At least I know the repair work will/should be up to scratch Hey OP What's happening here Do you still have the car or has it gone?

ATM said: TameRacingDriver said: ATM - great shout with this advice. After a bit of phoning back and forth, I've got it booked into the Porsche approved bodyshop in town, and it'll be collected on Tuesday, which is great as a lot of places were refusing the work or stating 4-6 week waiting times. At least I know the repair work will/should be up to scratch Hey OP What's happening here Do you still have the car or has it gone? It's gone mate, never driven since February. It got written off Replaced with an NC MX5 BBR Super 200.

An update from me on this thread, which I wasn't expecting, but such is life Since the black Boxster was written off, I've been driving an MX5, which I have really enjoyed, but I've started to get the itch for a more sonorous engine, more comfort, and a sense of occasion so I started the thread looking into the various options: 350Z/370Z, Z4C, Z4 35i, 135i/335i, XKR/XFR, Monaro, or...? I was looking into cars for up to £10k, and considered many options, but in the end, I felt like the Boxster was still the answer, particularly for the prices they can be picked up for. Once again, I did consider going for a 2.5, but again I've ended up placing a deposit on this Boxster S with 98K miles for £7k, with pretty much the same mods as I would have done. Pick it up the week after next. Back in the club Will post some more pictures once I collect

Looks like Lapis with plastic rear window.

ATM said: Looks like Lapis with plastic rear window. The hood has been replaced with one with a glass window

My first 986 was ask written off, I bought another straight away and still have it, that was almost 10 years ago now.

TameRacingDriver said: ATM said: Looks like Lapis with plastic rear window. The hood has been replaced with one with a glass window Looks like an early roof so does that mean modified with the little letterbox piece of glass?

ATM said: TameRacingDriver said: ATM said: Looks like Lapis with plastic rear window. The hood has been replaced with one with a glass window Looks like an early roof so does that mean modified with the little letterbox piece of glass? The inspection report says: - Roof – the roof is in good condition and operates without any issues. The original roof has ben replaced and the new roof has the benefit of a glass rear screen.

Looks like an OE facelift hood from the profile. A rear shot would easily confirm.

edc said: Looks like an OE facelift hood from the profile. A rear shot would easily confirm.

TameRacingDriver said: edc said: Looks like an OE facelift hood from the profile. A rear shot would easily confirm. My money is on early roof with glass window added. Profile is different for a facelift roof.