Porsche Boxster buyer advice please? - Page 2 - Boxster/Cayman - PistonHeads UK

Hello all, new to the forum. I'm looking to buy a Boxster, first time with this make. I'm 69 so many may say the old man wants to feel younger, but since the Boxster come out I've hung my nose over one. I just love the shape and style. My question is this, can I get a decent one for the money £20k plus my car £5k. I'm after a drivable day to day car, but my milage will be low, under 5000 a year I'd guess. I don't understand mechanics on cars, but have read the 2009 models have a better something (engine, steering?) So is a 2.7 model reasonable to run cost wise. Is it worth buying a service contract in case the engine blows up? Cost of these please? Insurance for a 70 year old, clean licence, 20 year no claims. What does a big service cost, and is there one big item I should be aware of the buying like the main chain thing? Should I pay an expert to come with me on the final buying day? Private or Garage purchase? Doubt I'll buy until next winter, and would like to come back and as advice until then please guys. Big thanks and stay safe all.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Porsche-Boxster-Practical... This is an excellent book all about the boxsters and covers all of your questions. £25k will get you a really nice one I'd think, a 2009 or newer 987 should be fairly bulletproof and they're excellent fun. my wife ran both a 987 and a 981 as her daily car for years, plenty of space in them for luggage/shopping etc with the 2 boots. We did a 3 week euro trip with no issues whatsoever. I would recommend one to anyone.

Welcome to PH, though I would join a Boxster-specific forum as well, and ask the questions there - https://www.boxa.net/ is a good one I believe? You'll be able to get a very good one for your 25k, but you first have to choose which generation of Boxster you prefer - earliest 986, 987, 981 though to the recent 718. As I understand it, the 2.7 is a great engine in all? of the above.... but I would buy the best condition car regardless, after you have done your homework on the pros and cons of the various engines. I would never buy a warranty, as they seem to 'variable' in what they would actually cover, and just have a slush-fund that you would hopefully never need. Good news is that insurance should be buttons, depending on your personal history of course. Bad news is that any of them can have serious engine issues. Therefore I absolutely would pay for a Pre-purchase inspection (PPI) from a recognised Porsche specialist, but even this would not be guaranteed not to miss something. You'd think it would... As regards private vs trader, I would pick the one in best condition with your ideal spec., and get it inspected from either source. Good luck!

Orangecurry said: Bad news is that any of them can have serious engine issues. Therefore I absolutely would pay for a Pre-purchase inspection (PPI) from a recognised Porsche specialist, but even this would not be guaranteed not to miss something. You'd think it would... Good luck! If you avoid the 986 (IMS), and gen 1 987S that not the case, as the rest have have a good reputation. For £25k a 987 gen 2 S is worth conidering, with the DFI engine and last of the hydraulic steering. 981 will give you a more up to cabin on the other hand.

I'd recommend the 2.9. That's the base model of the 987 gen 2. If you want a car to make you feel young try this one. The red interiors never photo properly. It's all leather and class http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2020101449... 2.

I’ve got a 2.9 and it’s a fantastic car. As said above the luggage space makes for a very practical tourer but it’s also one of the best handling cars on the road. I’ve had a few unfortunate things go wrong on mine: air/oil separator (a few hundred £), gear shift cable (same) and water flooding the passenger seat area destroying the rear ECU and causing roof damage (£1000). That said it’s been cheaper to run than my old SL350 and it’s a much more responsive drive. 100% recommended. 2009 on cars are also worth considering as an automatic as they have the PDK gearbox; however the manual in mine is a lovely gearshift.

Recommend going on Boxanet. Loads of great information. Always buy on condition. Don’t worry about main dealer service history provided the car has been serviced by a good specialist independent. Lots of good information on the Revolution Porsche website. I have had a gen 1 987 Boxster S, Gen 2 987 Cayman, early 981 Boxster and currently on a 718 T Boxster. Insurance is very cheap ( I am just turning 60 but has been cheap since turning 50).

Mark-ri571 said: Recommend going on Boxanet. Loads of great information. Always buy on condition. Don’t worry about main dealer service history provided the car has been serviced by a good specialist independent. Lots of good information on the Revolution Porsche website. I have had a gen 1 987 Boxster S, Gen 2 987 Cayman, early 981 Boxster and currently on a 718 T Boxster. Insurance is very cheap ( I am just turning 60 but has been cheap since turning 50). Hi... Can i ask how you got on with the early 981 . ? looking to upgrade from my 2001 Boxster S and that’s probably the sweet spot financially ...£25-30000... Have really enjoyed the 986 but would like a few more up to date toys... Cheers

ClaphamBoxS said: Mark-ri571 said: Recommend going on Boxanet. Loads of great information. Always buy on condition. Don’t worry about main dealer service history provided the car has been serviced by a good specialist independent. Lots of good information on the Revolution Porsche website. I have had a gen 1 987 Boxster S, Gen 2 987 Cayman, early 981 Boxster and currently on a 718 T Boxster. Insurance is very cheap ( I am just turning 60 but has been cheap since turning 50). Hi... Can i ask how you got on with the early 981 . ? looking to upgrade from my 2001 Boxster S and that’s probably the sweet spot financially ...£25-30000... Have really enjoyed the 986 but would like a few more up to date toys... Cheers The 981 was very nice. All my cars have been PDK apart from the gen 1 987 S Boxster. I actually prefer my current 2.0 718T compared to the 2.7 981 as the 718 has more useable low down torque. The 6 cylinders do sound very nice at the top end of the Rev range though.

richardhb said: Hello all, new to the forum. I'm looking to buy a Boxster, first time with this make. I'm 69 so many may say the old man wants to feel younger, but since the Boxster come out I've hung my nose over one. I just love the shape and style. My question is this, can I get a decent one for the money £20k plus my car £5k. I'm after a drivable day to day car, but my milage will be low, under 5000 a year I'd guess. Your budget just about gets you into a 981 (12-16 plates) rather than what's known as a "gen2" 987 (09-11 plate facelift ). The engines with the potential problems you have heard/read of are in pre 2009 cars. The 981 is more refined than the 987 if "refinement" is what you want and the PDK auto in the 981 is supposed to be improved in the 981 - if PDK is your thing. Some prefer the 987 or even the original 986 for their rawer character. But do have a read over on Boxanet. Good luck and don't wait too much longer before getting something!

Have a 2009 2.9 for 5 years now,echo all of the above views,can not fault it,Gen 2 is the way to go for peace of mind.

If you find the perfect gen 1, just get the IMS issue sorted. Didn’t it only affect like 5% of cars anyhow?

So grateful for the kind informative replies guys. Still leaning and taking it all in. Richard.

randomeclipse said: If you find the perfect gen 1, just get the IMS issue sorted. Didn’t it only affect like 5% of cars anyhow? If you can. The 3.4 Gen 1 car (05 - 08.5) is the one with BoreScoring issues. It also has the larger IMS bearing that can't be upgraded without splitting the crankcase. The only Gen 1 car I'd have (and I do have) is the 3.2 Boxster S. This has the smaller IMS bearing so can be upgraded without splitting the crankcase (mine has the LN ceramic bearing installed), and has ferrous coated pistons so doesn't borescore. The 3.4 engine by contrast has plastic piston coatings so is very prone to bore scoring, and a larger IMS bearing that can't be replaced without major engine surgery. All 987.1 2.7s have no issues with scoring, and have the larger IMS Bearing. In summary: 987.1 3.2 - buy one, have the LN IMS bearing installed, drive & enjoy 987.1 3.4 - buy one, fit lower temperature thermostat, change oil & filter more frequently than 2 years, don't drive it with low revs / larger throttle openings, hope it doesn't score 987.1 2.7 - buy, drive, enjoy 987.2 / 981 - buy, drive, enjoy. there are rumours of some late 3.2s having the larger IMS bearing, unconfirmed. At the time I had mine upgraded, the garage who did the work had never seen a 3.2 with the larger bearing

Magnum 475 said: If you can. The 3.4 Gen 1 car (05 - 08.5) is the one with BoreScoring issues. It also has the larger IMS bearing that can't be upgraded without splitting the crankcase. The only Gen 1 car I'd have (and I do have) is the 3.2 Boxster S. This has the smaller IMS bearing so can be upgraded without splitting the crankcase (mine has the LN ceramic bearing installed), and has ferrous coated pistons so doesn't borescore. The 3.4 engine by contrast has plastic piston coatings so is very prone to bore scoring, and a larger IMS bearing that can't be replaced without major engine surgery. All 987.1 2.7s have no issues with scoring, and have the larger IMS Bearing. In summary: 987.1 3.2 - buy one, have the LN IMS bearing installed, drive & enjoy 987.1 3.4 - buy one, fit lower temperature thermostat, change oil & filter more frequently than 2 years, don't drive it with low revs / larger throttle openings, hope it doesn't score 987.1 2.7 - buy, drive, enjoy 987.2 / 981 - buy, drive, enjoy. there are rumours of some late 3.2s having the larger IMS bearing, unconfirmed. At the time I had mine upgraded, the garage who did the work had never seen a 3.2 with the larger bearing Good to know, but it is a little confusing hehe. The Porsche Club write up states, "The IMS bearing is not an issue on the 987 as during 2006 a new, stronger bearing was introduced. For peace of mind, the 2007 models (56-plate onwards) can be assumed to have this stronger bearing. " - https://www.porscheclubgb.com/regions-registers/re... Are you saying then that even if you have the stronger bearing you could still have issues (with scoring?) and that is what would require a lot of engine work to remedy? I rightly or wrongly amended my Auto Trader search to only include 56 plate cars . But I may just lean towards the 2.7 Gen 1's if lockdown ever ends .

randomeclipse said: Magnum 475 said: If you can. The 3.4 Gen 1 car (05 - 08.5) is the one with BoreScoring issues. It also has the larger IMS bearing that can't be upgraded without splitting the crankcase. The only Gen 1 car I'd have (and I do have) is the 3.2 Boxster S. This has the smaller IMS bearing so can be upgraded without splitting the crankcase (mine has the LN ceramic bearing installed), and has ferrous coated pistons so doesn't borescore. The 3.4 engine by contrast has plastic piston coatings so is very prone to bore scoring, and a larger IMS bearing that can't be replaced without major engine surgery. All 987.1 2.7s have no issues with scoring, and have the larger IMS Bearing. In summary: 987.1 3.2 - buy one, have the LN IMS bearing installed, drive & enjoy 987.1 3.4 - buy one, fit lower temperature thermostat, change oil & filter more frequently than 2 years, don't drive it with low revs / larger throttle openings, hope it doesn't score 987.1 2.7 - buy, drive, enjoy 987.2 / 981 - buy, drive, enjoy. there are rumours of some late 3.2s having the larger IMS bearing, unconfirmed. At the time I had mine upgraded, the garage who did the work had never seen a 3.2 with the larger bearing Good to know, but it is a little confusing hehe. The Porsche Club write up states, "The IMS bearing is not an issue on the 987 as during 2006 a new, stronger bearing was introduced. For peace of mind, the 2007 models (56-plate onwards) can be assumed to have this stronger bearing. " - https://www.porscheclubgb.com/regions-registers/re... Are you saying then that even if you have the stronger bearing you could still have issues (with scoring?) and that is what would require a lot of engine work to remedy? I rightly or wrongly amended my Auto Trader search to only include 56 plate cars . But I may just lean towards the 2.7 Gen 1's if lockdown ever ends . Scoring is only really an issue on the 3.4, not the 2.7. Scored bores are basically full engine rebuild time, as is IMs bearing failure. The larger bearing (56 on) has a much lower failure rate than the small bearing - it can fail but it’s very, very rare for this to happen.

Interesting reading as I'm also considering a Boxster, thanks for all the info. If I may jump in? I'm 6' 2" with gangly legs, will I fit in one?! Looking at Gen 1 987 2.7

richardhb said: Hello all, new to the forum. I'm looking to buy a Boxster, first time with this make. I'm 69 so many may say the old man wants to feel younger, but since the Boxster come out I've hung my nose over one. I just love the shape and style. My question is this, can I get a decent one for the money £20k plus my car £5k. I'm after a drivable day to day car, but my milage will be low, under 5000 a year I'd guess. I don't understand mechanics on cars, but have read the 2009 models have a better something (engine, steering?) So is a 2.7 model reasonable to run cost wise. Is it worth buying a service contract in case the engine blows up? Cost of these please? Insurance for a 70 year old, clean licence, 20 year no claims. What does a big service cost, and is there one big item I should be aware of the buying like the main chain thing? Should I pay an expert to come with me on the final buying day? Private or Garage purchase? Doubt I'll buy until next winter, and would like to come back and as advice until then please guys. Big thanks and stay safe all. with £25k, your best bet is porbably a 2.7 981, manual or PDK is a personal thing. I have had a 05 2.7, a 57 2.7 a 3.4 spyder 11 plate ? I think, and currently a 3.4 981S, the 987 models are excellent cars and with your budget you would be well past a 09 Gen2 car so avoiding any potential engine issues. the 981 is marginally better than the earlier cars in terms of (everything perhpas), but its not a quantum leap, more of a refinement. if this is your first porsche, and you sound concerned about warranty, condition, accident damage etc, then buy one from a reputable indy such as 911 virgin, RPM, portiacraft, they will come well prepped, checked and with a warranty to give you peace of mind, they will have been checked for accident damage prior to them purchasing and HPI'd private would be cheaper, but if you are, then have it inspected at an official porsche dealer (used to be circa £200) and or a recognised indy, will give you peace of mind of what needs doing and that the car is ok, running cost, minor service, circa £300 at an indy, £600 major, but allow yourself about £1000 (or less infact) a year and you will have everything covered, insurance, will be cheap, Im 53, have mine on a multi policy with admiral, with a lambo, aston and a x5 and I am paying just over £200 fully comp for the boxster on a 3k miles. regards Scott.

BOBTEE said: Interesting reading as I'm also considering a Boxster, thanks for all the info. If I may jump in? I'm 6' 2" with gangly legs, will I fit in one?! Looking at Gen 1 987 2.7 I am 6 4 and it’s fine 987 onward.

supersport said: BOBTEE said: Interesting reading as I'm also considering a Boxster, thanks for all the info. If I may jump in? I'm 6' 2" with gangly legs, will I fit in one?! Looking at Gen 1 987 2.7 I am 6 4 and it’s fine 987 onward. +1. I’m 6’ 2” and fit perfectly in a 987.

Superb, thanks!

And just to add, Boxsters are epic fun. So much so that I’m in the process of buying another one. I sold my 987.1S a few years ago to buy a ‘proper Porsche’. I missed it from the moment I sold it and couldn’t wait any longer. I still have a 997.2 Turbo and I’ve had a Carerra. I think the Boxster is the best driver’s car. Never let anyone tell you it’s not a proper Porsche!

There's a lovely spec 987.2S for sale here https://mrsportscars.com/, I've no connection just seen it on my travels. At 50k miles the clutch and flywheel could be a consideration.

supersport said: BOBTEE said: Interesting reading as I'm also considering a Boxster, thanks for all the info. If I may jump in? I'm 6' 2" with gangly legs, will I fit in one?! Looking at Gen 1 987 2.7 I am 6 4 and it’s fine 987 onward. I too am 6’4 and can confirm this is the case. The 986 was always a no-no for me as I don’t fit. The 987: perfect. Incidentally, I fit in the 996.1 but not the 996.2.

Magnum 475 said: Scoring is only really an issue on the 3.4, not the 2.7. Scored bores are basically full engine rebuild time, as is IMs bearing failure. The larger bearing (56 on) has a much lower failure rate than the small bearing - it can fail but it’s very, very rare for this to happen. How about a 987.1 3.4, with an extended Porsche warranty - would that cover any scored bores?

I've put a deposit down on one! Just waiting for a delivery date as it's not exactly local! Can't wait!