High(er) mileage 986... - Page 2 - Boxster/Cayman - PistonHeads UK

Hi all, looking at getting my first Porsche, looking at spending under £5k so obviously a 986, but I would love an S over a normal one (champagne lifestyle lemonade budget ) Getting a tidy S under £5k means getting something over 120k, now I've had loads of high mileage cars before (plenty above 200k) and they were all great as they were looked after. Looking at boxa.net the general opinion seems to be anything over 100k is a disaster and not worth the time. I even saw someone suggest someone should break their car for parts rather than sell it as it was high mileage (at 130k!) Now, is this just owners club people with more money than sense, or do these cars really struggle to survive over 120k miles? I would expect the IMS, RMS and clutch to have been done on anything I'd buy, aswell as suspension replaced in past. But is there some more underlying issue that makes these uneconomical?

Maintenance is key. The engines can do 150k+ miles if regularly serviced. IMS unlikely to be an issue if the car is over 100k miles. RMS may weep but not a concern unless lots of oil is leaking out. Suspension parts do wear and can be expensive unless you are good with the spanners. At sub-£5k there will be many cars than need some work but there are decent high mileage cars out there. At that budget I’d be looking at a 2.7, but good luck!

I bought a 2001 3.2S on exactly 100k miles (100,300 to be precise) in 2019 for £5,100. It had a 'full' service history which consisted of a set of stamps in the book and zero supporting evidence to say what had or hadn't been done in the past. It's been my only car, so I kinda need it to work. I changed the gearbox oil when I got it. I've serviced it annually. In addition to that, in 3 years it's needed ... 1x passenger door lock (microswitch failed, window started doing it's own thing randomly - very offputting when you're driving and it's raining! ), 4x tyres, 4x drop links ... and that's it. They feel like very well engineered cars and it doesn't feel like it's on the verge of falling apart. I'd have no qualms about buying one at whatever mileage (125k, 150k, 175k, whatever) on two provisos ... 1. it's priced appropriately. While I'm happy to buy the car, many people aren't ... so needs to be priced to reflect that. 2. It has evidence of being well maintained. That can be invoices, or a look underneath to see lots of nice new shiny bits ... but stuff does wear out, and a high mileage car that hasn't been maintained will at the very least be baggy as a wizard's sleeve and not ride like a sports car should.

I was shopping for an S model at the start of the year and looked at some real dogs at the sub 7k budget I had, I bought a 2.7 for 6.5k with a superb history but mine has 74500 miles on it. As for high mileage models I'm in a couple of owners groups on Facebook and there are quite a few people with over 100k miles and it wouldn't unduly worry me but with any Porsche it's all about the maintenance record and service history, if it has been well looked after you should be fine but be prepared to look at a lot of rubbish to hopefully find something half decent.

Thanks all, as I thought. Interesting choices on auto trader right now, there's this with lowish miles and decent price, but mot history doesn't completely suggest money no object maintenance. And I'm not a fan of grey and black Or there's this which has alot more miles, but in a better colour combo and I can sell the hard top to recoup £500 or so. Owner has sent me some pictures of bubbling on sill due to stonechip, which is abit worrying. But these aren't prone to full rot are they?

I've got a 2000, 986S, manual, on 125K miles, brought on 111K 6 years ago and a 1999, 996 C4, Tip, on 159K, brought a year ago on 148K. Both drive superbly (yes, both had full suspension rebuilds in my ownership - 986S just been refreshed again and 'upgraded' to MO30 sports suspension and lowered). C4 only had service history going back 2 years......which even my indie laughed at...(after all it wasn't his 'problem' was it!). They'll do the miles, if you can see past the IMS grenade (my 986S is still original but the C4 has been changed, at 147K - preventative by the previous owner, I wouldn't have bothered and didn't when they changed the clutch in the 986), but I had a 996.2 for a couple of years, 2010-2012 and sold when the thought of it going was too much for me - clearly I've got over that now, but I understand why people are worried.

l354uge said: Thanks all, as I thought. Interesting choices on auto trader right now, there's this with lowish miles and decent price, but mot history doesn't completely suggest money no object maintenance. And I'm not a fan of grey and black Or there's this which has alot more miles, but in a better colour combo and I can sell the hard top to recoup £500 or so. Owner has sent me some pictures of bubbling on sill due to stonechip, which is abit worrying. But these aren't prone to full rot are they? I prefer the grey car of the two above, but as always buy on condition.

There are plenty of owners on Boxa with well over 100k. I bought my 2nd and current one with 105k and has over 120k now. There's a couple there with over 200k.

I did 115k miles in a 2.7 from new over 15 years. Original suspension was still perfectly serviceable (and squeak free) although I was aware that the bump stops were perishing and on their way out. Original clutch - no concerns. Changed the coolant expansion tank, refurbed the alternator (for £25), replaced the indicator stalk twice (£££), and the back box (was beginning to make an annoying noise) but otherwise it was an absolute joy to daily over 15 years. Must buy another!

Still on the lookout, have been frustrated after missing out on a few last minute. Anyone compared a 3.2 with a 2.7? I'm holding out for an S but at this rate might consider a 2.7

Have you tried either? Whether you want the extra pace and power of the S very much depends on your reference point. Generally its easier to find an S with with extended leather compare to 2.7. Handling wise very similar. Best thing is to have one with fresh suspension.

l354uge said: Still on the lookout, have been frustrated after missing out on a few last minute. Anyone compared a 3.2 with a 2.7? I'm holding out for an S but at this rate might consider a 2.7 For me the 6 speed box of the 3.2 swung it. The extra ratio means shorter low gears and a longer top gear for cruising along. A literal best-of-both-worlds scenario over the 5-speed box. I've not tried a 2.5/2.7 but have been told the 5-speed gearbox is smoother & sweeter. Which isn't hard, as the 6 speed box moves with all the grace and lightness of a truck gearbox! Kinda half joking - it does loosen up as the car warms up ... and it was fine on track, accurate and didn't baulk. I also have a mental block about not buying the top of the range. It's a sports car ... and I'd be worried about being sat in a 2.7 going "I wish it was a touch faster" ... "I wish it stopped a touch better" ... "I wish the ratios were a little closer together". Plenty of people say that the 2.5/2.7 are great sports cars in their own right, so this really is just my individual quirk - but might it be yours too?

Drove two boxster s today. One was £4k, black with red roof, unknown miles (goes from 110 to 44k in MOT history, stupid aftermarket exhaust, steering felt vague and was crunching in 2nd. 17(!) Previous owners and had a bad vibe so I passed Then viewed a beautiful green one, 151k miles but immaculate service history with thousands spent. Drove lovely, but rear and front bumper had been poorly resprayed with lots of orange peel. He won't budge from £6175 which I just can't go to, for that mileage. Need something in the middle really, neither felt massively quick but never got to properly stretch their legs, so maybe I'd just be happy to potter in a well sorted 2.5? Sound the induction makes is addictive, was stuck between a boxster and a 2zz swap MR2, but you can't beat the flat 6 noise

l354uge said: Need something in the middle really, neither felt massively quick but never got to properly stretch their legs, so maybe I'd just be happy to potter in a well sorted 2.5? I think when you're looking at the <£5k mark you can't be fussy about engine size or spec. The only thing that matters is condition, you're in dog-territory and there are a lot of them, so you'll need to just keep looking for a good one. Re: not feeling massively quick, I've got a 3.2S and when pushed it's brisk enough but not what you'd ever describe as massively quick. My previous car was an M240i and frankly, no 986 would see which way it went. But then, that's not what a Boxster is all about.

Speed is a lot about perspective. If you've spent your life driving base spec Micras, KAs and Fiat 500s ... then any 986 would feel like a rocket ship! If you're used to 350bhp+ mega hatches then any 986 would feel pedestrian in a straight line. I tend to go with "not slow" when asked how quick my car is - there's a lot of quicker stuff out there, but it holds its own for what it is. However, it's the ability to be fun at speeds that aren't ridiculously anti-social (in appropriate places) that set the Boxster apart from a lot of other cars. For me, it'd be great if the gearing was a little lower ... maybe 62-63mph in 2nd and 85ish in 3rd (according to my woefully inaccurate speedo, I'm about to touch the limiter at 72mph in 2nd and 106mph in 3rd) would make the very upper reaches of the rev range more accessible on the road, but other than that, it feels a very well judged car. It's a shame about the second car you saw - it sounded like the right car at the wrong price for you. Did you leave on friendly terms with an offer for the seller to get back in touch if they reach a point where they'd be willing to be more flexible on the price? Sometimes half a dozen messers are the best negotiating tool you could ever ask for!

The 2.5 is short geared and light so plenty fast enough in my experience. It’s not so good on the motorway.

I drive a 950hp hybrid for work most days, that has low down shove and high end power, so everything else feels slow! But honestly on the road I'm not too fussed about being the fastest, and the 2.5 I drove yesterday was plenty of fun! The fastest road car I had before one of these was a Saab 9-5 aero hot, which has a similar 0-60 to the 2.7 iirc, so never been a power chaser. that said, I may have got carried away and bought an S blindly on eBay. I pick it up Friday.... Edited by l354uge on Monday 12th September 19:21

l354uge said: that said, I may have got carried away and bought an S blindly on eBay. I pick it up Friday.... Edited by l354uge on Monday 12th September 19:21 Fingers crossed!

Not that the 2.5 or 2.7 are bad choices at all, but the S has a worthwhile bit of extra torque. It's still not a fast car, but that torque is very enjoyable once you tune into the car. No downsides to having the S and the price delta when buying is tiny. If you can't afford the extra bit for the S, you probably can't afford to run any 986, I would suggest.

Lincsls1 said: l354uge said: that said, I may have got carried away and bought an S blindly on eBay. I pick it up Friday.... Edited by l354uge on Monday 12th September 19:21 Fingers crossed! Nice one Keep us updated, I don’t like a bit of eBay randomness.

esotericar said: Not that the 2.5 or 2.7 are bad choices at all, but the S has a worthwhile bit of extra torque. It's still not a fast car, but that torque is very enjoyable once you tune into the car. No downsides to having the S and the price delta when buying is tiny. If you can't afford the extra bit for the S, you probably can't afford to run any 986, I would suggest. Patronising, much? l354uge said: that said, I may have got carried away and bought an S blindly on eBay. I pick it up Friday.... Haha brilliant Good luck!

l354uge said: ... that said, I may have got carried away and bought an S blindly on eBay. I pick it up Friday.... Bravo. That sounds excellent. I hope it turns out to be a goodun.

BS62 said: Patronising, much? If you feel patronised, then you feel patronised. Whatever. Would have thought it was more a practical observation about the realities of buying and owning these cars - the price delta between a 2.5/2.7 and a 3.2 is not substantial in the context of the running costs.

esotericar said: Would have thought it was more a practical observation about the realities of buying and owning these cars - the price delta between a 2.5/2.7 and a 3.2 is not substantial in the context of the running costs. Yeah yeah yeah we got that. There are just slightly less snotty ways of saying things.

There was nothing snotty about it. Stop being so bloody precious.

Well the day has come and I am a Porsche owner. Was having a fabulous time driving through the forest of dean and then the electrics started to cut out and then cut out completely. Not ideal when my jacket was in the boot and the roof was down... 2 hours and a jump on the fuse box from the AA later the culprit was found... Apart from that and the non functioning AC or radio and the creaky suspension the car feels good!

Your day wasn't too dissimilar to mine. Picked up a 986 S today, ran out of fuel on a smart motorway, less than 10 miles from the dealer I picked it up from.. 1.5 hours later I was on my way again. I love the way that it drives, everything I expected and more. l354uge said: Well the day has come and I am a Porsche owner. Was having a fabulous time driving through the forest of dean and then the electrics started to cut out and then cut out completely. Not ideal when my jacket was in the boot and the roof was down... 2 hours and a jump on the fuse box from the AA later the culprit was found... Apart from that and the non functioning AC or radio and the creaky suspension the car feels good!

Here it is! front bumper is cracked from hitting something lightly, rear bootlid has bolts through it from some silly spoiler a previous owner fit, the AC doesnt work, it creaks and squeaks on speed bumps and the radio refuses to work when the engine is on, but its mine and i love it (although i'm still not sure i made the right choice passing up on the £5.5k green one...)

Well done chap! Looks nice. Forget about the green one now. The deal is done. So whats the plan? Use as is or light resto?

Creaks and noises from rear suspension might be the control arm links. Very easy DIY job and OEM spec parts on eBay. Transformed mine a few years ago

Smart car btw. Love the colour

Lincsls1 said: Well done chap! Looks nice. Forget about the green one now. The deal is done. So whats the plan? Use as is or light resto? Still on the fence really, the service history is patchy so long term health of engine isn't guaranteed, bodywork will be great once I've sorted the bumper and bootlid but do I throw money at suspension parts and make it drive better or do I minimise my losses and drive it, then sell in summer? Loving driving it though, just wish there was more intake house, might need to do the snorkel mode.

Becoming quite attached to this little thing. Already got a jobs list on the go: Remove drivers door card and investigate rattle, sounds like its coming from the airbag unit Change the door lock unit in passenger side, window drops fine with handles but goes back up when door open and no handles open Full service and find vacuum leak (got P1126, P1133, P1128 and P1130 codes. Inspect suspension to see what needs urgent work, give top mount some lubing to try and reduce creaking for now See if a bodyshop can sort the front wing water marks and front bumper crack Replace bootlid and refit badge Get bolt off of front driver side under bonnet trim, it currently just spins (one that goes through turret) Replace gas struts on front bonnet as it keeps trying to trap me

l354uge said: Still on the fence really, the service history is patchy so long term health of engine isn't guaranteed, bodywork will be great once I've sorted the bumper and bootlid but do I throw money at suspension parts and make it drive better or do I minimise my losses and drive it, then sell in summer? Loving driving it though, just wish there was more intake house, might need to do the snorkel mode. Difficult to advise really. Do you have a habit of moving cars on quickly or do you tend to keep longer? If you get the feeling you'll soon bore of it, just use as is and sell next spring. I'd like to think, if I'd just bought your Porsche, I'd quickly decide if it was a dog or not. Assuming not, I'd set to restoring it to tip top condition. I think I'd start mechanically first, then move on to the cosmetics. Then I'd just enjoy it as a modern classic, relatively safe money and I'm sure a fantastic drive. Keep it for years.

l354uge said: Thanks all, as I thought. Interesting choices on auto trader right now, there's this with lowish miles and decent price, but mot history doesn't completely suggest money no object maintenance. And I'm not a fan of grey and black Or there's this which has alot more miles, but in a better colour combo and I can sell the hard top to recoup £500 or so. Owner has sent me some pictures of bubbling on sill due to stonechip, which is abit worrying. But these aren't prone to full rot are they? They definitely can be!

Lincsls1 said: l354uge said: Still on the fence really, the service history is patchy so long term health of engine isn't guaranteed, bodywork will be great once I've sorted the bumper and bootlid but do I throw money at suspension parts and make it drive better or do I minimise my losses and drive it, then sell in summer? Loving driving it though, just wish there was more intake house, might need to do the snorkel mode. Difficult to advise really. Do you have a habit of moving cars on quickly or do you tend to keep longer? If you get the feeling you'll soon bore of it, just use as is and sell next spring. I'd like to think, if I'd just bought your Porsche, I'd quickly decide if it was a dog or not. Assuming not, I'd set to restoring it to tip top condition. I think I'd start mechanically first, then move on to the cosmetics. Then I'd just enjoy it as a modern classic, relatively safe money and I'm sure a fantastic drive. Keep it for years. I can go through phases, I had a rover P6 recently that i only kept for 5 months, and a Lexus LS400 i kept for 8. But then i had an MX5 i kept for 3 years and an MG TF i kept for two! So cruisers seem to bore me quickly, convertibles stick around... I'm hoping to get it on the ramp soon and have a good poke about to see whats what. If theres nothing scary and nothing bad shows up when i change the oil then i think its a keeper. The engine is such a step above anything else you find in a convertible i can't see me getting another kind until i go back to trackdays.

Sounds like you have some low hanging fruit easy DIY stuff to start with. How far you go depends as much on mindset, desire and budget. You can tell yourself you'll keep it a long time but you'll never really know. I'm nearly 10 years into my second 986 and basically everything beyond paint has been replaced and mostly mildly uprated. Brakes, full suspension, waterpump, coolant tank, clutch, IMS, fuel pump, full exhaust etc. Once you get started sometimes you can't help with a few mods along the way.

Think I'm just getting too hung up with how much im spending compared to what it would be worth to sell, got a wedding in two years but all being well i shouldn't have to sell this to finance! There will come a point where i stop worrying and just think of how much id be losing if i was financing a new car or still doing trackdays instead. I got a similar point with my daily (2010 520d touring on 197k) and just decided to get it all sorted and just enjoy it for what it is. I'm sure i'll get there with this too. Even if I'd got a better car with perfect service history, i would then have to decide between paying £400 a year to keep that up or service it myself and lose the receipt trail, so bugger it.