914 Owner wants a 986... - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

All, I own a gen 1 Porsche 986: aka the Porsche 914... I am very interested in a 986 as a daily driver (even in the winter). I am attempting to get an idea of maintenance costs and what I can expect as a Boxter Owner. The plan is to purchase the hard 'Coupe' Top, as well as a second set of wheels for winter tires. I will probably be purchasing (what I am fortunate enough to find) a 986 that is <=$30,000 USD. I would really appreciate any input on the maintencance costs as well as any reliability issues that I should know about. Rhett

Anyone? What does an oil change run? What does it cost to swap the tranny fluid? Bleed the brakes? What do plugs run? Plug Wires? Anyone? I know what my 914 costs, just want to figure out the add-ons...

Maint costs vary by who does it and how much they charge. As an example--I have my local guy do an oil change for me. I buy the parts. Costs are $15 for change, $45 for oil and $10 for filter. If you have dealer do it, usually runs $150 or so. Rule of thumb on an 01 15K--$300 30K--$450 45K-$300 60K-$900 Plugs--$4 at Pep Boys, $17 at dealer. The more you can do yourself, the more you will save.

Brucelee, Thanks for breaking that down for me. I keep hearing folks saying that it is going do be $800.00 (per change) every time I drive 3000 miles. I am weighing all of my options as far as reliability/insurance/licensing/winter driving/and whatnot. It can't be as volitile as my 1974 914 LE....but the 74 doesn't touch the snow...

You can see by the long service intervals that the Box is not a huge investment in service, esp for a car as fine as she is!

Brucelee, Has your Boxster been a pillar of reliability? How many miles have you put on yours? I can only handle working on one car at a time (and that is the 914)... I am only concerned about snow driving, so I will need new wheels and tires for the winder months...which I can live with. I am very capable on the end of a wrench, so I won't mind doing the easy stuff myself.

I am actually a Porsche used car dealer, so I have not had any for a ton of time. However, since I have owned so many with varying miles, I have a sense of how they will fair over time. On balance, a Boxster can be a very reliable car that does not require tons of maint. However, it is very important to shop carefully for a used Box. If the Box has been abused and/or neglected, it can become a financial burden very quickly. I would be happy to chat with you some time about what to look for and how to look at a used Box. Time, patience and knowledge will all help make sure yours is positive experience. Regarding snow, the biggest issue is the height of the snow. The Box is a low car and can get stuck if the snow is high enough to suspend it. Regarding traction, the mid engine is very good here, and a good set of Artic Alpins or similar quality snows all around will hold you in good stead.

Are there any telltale signs that come up when looking at a used Box? Anything I should look for in-particular? High-miles/worn exhaust on low milage car/etc......

There are many things to look for. I can't really give you a short answer. When you are ready to fire, call me and I can go over the main issues. Also, I can likely find you a nice California, rust free Box that would suite you just fine.

Thanks for the offer. I am going to bookmark this page so that I don't forget. I just got into 'Buying Mode' so it may be a while... If you feel like giving me the long run-down, I would appreciate it...(or point me in the right direction for finding this stuff out).... RR

The most important issues are: 1-Always have your Box inspected by Porsche dealer PRIOR to purchase. 2-Always run a Car Fax to look for title issues. 3-Always use a Paint Meter to look for paintwork. 4-If possible, buy a car with a remainder of the Porsche new car warranty. There are more but that is a start.

If you search this forum for threads on maintenance, you should find quite a bit of first-hand info on service costs, major maint. costs, etc. If you do all the maint. thru the dealer, it is expensive, no question. But saying an "oil change" at the dealer costs $800 is a major misrepresentation of what is done at the major maintenance intervals. Porsche says change the oil at 15,000 miles or 1yr, whichever comes first. I don't know very many Porsche guys that actually do that. They usually change the oil much more frequently, maybe 7.5k or less. Necessary? Probably not. My first Porsche was a '73 914 2.0. Of all the dozens of cars I have owned, that is the only one I would like to have back. Well, that and the '68 Chevelle SS396 ... and the SS only because I paid $3,600 for it brand new, and they're worth ten times that today.

How long does the porsche warranty go? 5 years? 3?

4yrs, 50K from date of first put on the road.

I have seen post from a fair number of people with milage over 100K on there Boxsters and claims of them being trouble free. Service at the dealer can be a bit high but changing your own oil and brakes from time to time is not a major issue. Service on any car at the dealer today can be costly. BTW your 914 is a nice looking ride, my bet is a boxster will leave you with mixed emotions.

How is the 914 "Gen 1"? Since the 356 and Speedster were the "parents" of the boxster and the 914 is a "TARGA" with no "BOXER ENGINE" ????

I guess I have always referred to it that way with the 2-seat mid engine 'Affordable' Porsche. That was my def. of "Gen 1."

Heck, I agree with you, RangerRhett. I think the 914 is the true predecessor of the Boxster. Porsche, and Porsche elitists, have always dispised the lowly 914 for it's lack of the proper pedigree, i.e., no Porsche engine (except for the uber-rare 914/6), and the fact that it was built in a VW plant. The fact that the 914/6 in it's homologated GT configuration pretty much kicked the snot out of the 911s whenever it had the opportunity was an inconvenient fact best consigned to the dustbin of history. On the "boxer" engine topic, ALL the 914s had boxer engines, including the 4-bangers. A boxer engine is one that has an opposed cylinder configuration, with the pistons pumping back and forth horizontally, like the fists of a boxer. As such the 4 cyl. VW engines in the 914 qualify as boxer engines, just like the opposed sixes in the Boxster.

The first 911 was built in a VW plan I believe. Indeed, without VW parts, there would have been no Porshce's at all.

BTW-the Subaru has a boxer engine. Does that make it with the Porsche purists?