Affordable Boxster ownership - sweet spot? - Page 3 - Boxster/Cayman - PistonHeads UK

I'm looking to move away from one car ownership (in this case a GR86) to running one car that is super practical and one that is purely for driving pleasure. Which brings me to my Boxster search and what a search it is! Much like the Defender and Golf, somehow the car stays the same across the various generations with only budget determining what flavour you end up with. A 987 S would appear to be a sweet spot with a decent variety in the the £15-20k region, Priority is driving satisfaction, limited exposure to costly bills (!!!) and sense of pride on ownership so that rules of the £5k eBay special. £25k is my <preferred> max but we all know how these things go...

Based on your priorities, I'd say you need to look at 987.2 and 981 as they're in your price range. I've had both flavours (although my 987.2 was a Cayman) and they are different cars, the .2 being the more raw experience. Both great though. If you do want to stay away from costly bills, 981 might be better than 987.2, they're considered to be pretty bullet proof, but you need to drive both as there's not much in it costs wise. I would stay away from 987.1 S cars, do some reading on the M96 engines as they seem to be affected more than other generations. Bear in mind though that there's no such thing as a cheap Porsche so you'll nee to budget accordingly, at least £2k per year. You might not spend it every year, but it's there if you need it.

Your budget is a little on the tight side for a really nice 981S. But £25k will get a fabulous 987.2. 987.2 is older, but honestly at this point the 981 is getting on too and I don't think either car is dramatically more likely to give problems, comparing two really clean well maintained examples. The 981 is the nicer / easier daily and sounds better. The 987 is more mechanical and involving and has more steering feel. Both great cars. Obvious answer is a quick go in one of each, you'll probably have a clear preference. Oh, if you want PDK, 981 is probably the pick. 987 makes more sense if you're after a more mechanical very slightly old school drive.

A good 987.2 S (late as possible 2011) with some nice options should be available around £20k. I would buy one then take it to a reputable porsche indie that focuses on watercooled porsche (strasse, i just seen you are in yorkshire) and get as much of the “nice to do” jobs done for the remaining £5k of your budget. You should find that it only needs servicing/consumables from then on for a long time . Edited by Philvrs on Wednesday 14th May 09:34

AndrewGP said: ...I would stay away from 987.1 S cars, do some reading on the M96 engines as they seem to be affected more than other generations. Yes and no, the ideal 987.1 that was all 'sorted' is a 3.2 MY06 from engine No. 62504095 onwards. The 3.4 then reintroduced the bore scoring sadly.

Popolou said: Yes and no, the ideal 987.1 that was all 'sorted' is a 3.2 MY06 from engine No. 62504095 onwards. The 3.4 then reintroduced the bore scoring sadly. The 3.2 is definitely more reliable and doesn't really suffer scoring. But the 3.2 isn't exactly rock solid, either. I've owned both a 987.1 3.2 and a 987.1 3.4, and both ended up needing new lumps / rebuilds. The 3.2 has failure modes beyond just IMS. I mean, the 9A1 isn't perfect, but if your life depended on the engine not letting go, you'd take a 9A1 and not an M96 3.2, that's for sure. The OP comfortably has budget for a 987.2, so don't think looking at 987.1 makes sense.

He does have a suitable budget, i was simply pointing out which is the peak version of the 987.1 gen. It is long-standing pub debate whether Porsche make "rock-solid" engines.

Probably not the answer you're looking for but I'd say the sweet spot for cheap Boxster ownership is an original 2.5 986. Cheapest to buy, cheapest to run, and probably the most robust. One of the few that has a half decent set of gear ratios as well. Anyway as you were

If you have a modern daily, the contrast of having a more analogue feeling "modern classic" like a 986 or early 987 might suit. They are fairly depreciation proof too.

TheFungle said: I'm looking to move away from one car ownership (in this case a GR86) to running one car that is super practical and one that is purely for driving pleasure. Which brings me to my Boxster search and what a search it is! Much like the Defender and Golf, somehow the car stays the same across the various generations with only budget determining what flavour you end up with. A 987 S would appear to be a sweet spot with a decent variety in the the £15-20k region, Priority is driving satisfaction, limited exposure to costly bills (!!!) and sense of pride on ownership so that rules of the £5k eBay special. £25k is my <preferred> max but we all know how these things go... £25k will get you into a nice 987.2 or 981 as already stated. I sold a 987.2S Manual with 60k miles for about 17k a couple of weeks ago. Its still a porsche so has the chance to throw some big bills. Main things to look for are the coolant pipes (cross over tubes / pipes), A\C condensors, shift cables, clutch, general condition of bushes and suspension (galvanic corrosion can cause issues with the bushes and alignment bits) As mentioned before the 987 is more raw and probably the more 'drivers car', the 981 is more comforable with a more modern interior and ability to fold the roof remotely etc and as such would make a better daily driver.

If you're focusing on driving pleasure, in my opinion the 987 delivers more of it than the 981. But the 981 has a more modern interior and I understand why some people would prefer it. Ideally, look for a 987.2 S with as many of the following options as you can find. The cars are quite spec-sensitive and some options make a real difference to how it drives. Manual PASM - leave it in Normal for the road, use Sport if you take it on track Sport Chrono - definitely sharpens the throttle response and also relaxes the stability control threshold, livens the whole car up in my opinion 18 inch wheels - the bigger ones rob you of some feel and make the ride worse - in my opinion Sports seats (deeper side bolsters, offering more support) Sport steering wheel (smaller diameter, round central section rather than more triangular) The interior on the 987 cars is perhaps a bit basic, but it's well made and nicely laid out. Bose would be nice to have, as would dual zone climate control. Enjoy the search...

Thanks for the advice all. A naive question perhaps but almost every Porsche thread has a variation of 'budget for bork worthy bills' comment. Is this simply because parts are more expensive than say an MX-5, or are the cars that delicate they need an extra level of upkeep combined with pricey parts?

I would say extended leather is a must for the interior on either model. The plastic dash and door cards are awfully low rent. Obvs it doesn't impact the drive, but it does impact the sense of quality pretty dramatically. And there's absolutely no downside. You also get much nicer leather on seats when ext leather has been ticked. The standard 'leather' seats look and feel like cheap plastic.

TheFungle said: Thanks for the advice all. A naive question perhaps but almost every Porsche thread has a variation of 'budget for bork worthy bills' comment. Is this simply because parts are more expensive than say an MX-5, or are the cars that delicate they need an extra level of upkeep combined with pricey parts? Yes to everything. I bought a 993C4S from a client. The car was perfect, full service history and a folder of invoices showing expenditure of almost 50% of the original purchase price over its lifetime.

TheFungle said: Thanks for the advice all. A naive question perhaps but almost every Porsche thread has a variation of 'budget for bork worthy bills' comment. Is this simply because parts are more expensive than say an MX-5, or are the cars that delicate they need an extra level of upkeep combined with pricey parts? Depends. I’ve just put discs and pads all round on my 987.2S for around £500 in parts, because that’s a job I could DIY, but I’ve also recently paid an indie the thick end of £2k to replace the front end coolant pipe work, deal with some seized brake bleed nipples and do a full alignment. This year’s major service topped £1k because the drive belt tensioner was seized - but my 10-year-old 520d is just as capable of throwing similar bills, as is our Mini.

If you have to pay a shop to maintain it for you, these cars are expensive to run; more than a 911 IMV. If you can spanner, have the space and inclination to work on the thing for certain jobs, it’ll be rewarding and fun to work on. Best to buy one that has been maintained to a high standard and enjoy.

I had a 987.2 Boxster S (2011) and then moved to a Cayman 981 GTS, not quite apples for apples, but both great cars the interior has moved on in the 981 obviously, and I put around 40K on the 981 without any issues. The 987 had a few niggles but luckily warranty addressed them, bills would have been into the thousands though. As has been said avoid 987.1 generation. Servicing is every 2 years and/or 20K and as long as nothing goes wrong they're pretty reliable cars from my experience, but one was brand new and was ex-demo. Good indy will keep the prices down as I doubt many of that era would still have a full Porsche history.

Had a few 987’s and 981’s in Boxster and Cayman guises. If I were looking now, for that budget, I’d be tempted by this: https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/18353520 If everything checked out, you do well to beat that for fun on our roads.

If you could put in another £5k you might just make it into a 718 which is a much more up to date car, for comparison the base 718 is about equivalent to a 981S 3.4 in terms of performance but with much better gas mileage. Of course the usual F6 obsessed trolls will be on hand to disparage the F4T but ignore them as it’s certainly worth a look in my view the F6 can be a little overrated and noise is a one trick pony when you’re being wasted by EVs off the lights. the 987 will always have better steering though. Like the Emira.

Something like this with full Porsche warranty might be of interest for peace of mind? http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2025041614...

Johnson897210 said: If you could put in another £5k you might just make it into a 718 which is a much more up to date car, for comparison the base 718 is about equivalent to a 981S 3.4 in terms of performance but with much better gas mileage. Of course the usual F6 obsessed trolls will be on hand to disparage the F4T but ignore them as it’s certainly worth a look in my view the F6 can be a little overrated and noise is a one trick pony when you’re being wasted by EVs off the lights. the 987 will always have better steering though. Like the Emira. There is a slightly different version of this thread where my budget is £40-50k and if it was, I suspect I'd be gravitating towards an Alpine A110. My instinct is that the 987.2 is going to give me what I want.

Johnson897210 said: If you could put in another £5k you might just make it into a 718 which is a much more up to date car, for comparison the base 718 is about equivalent to a 981S 3.4 in terms of performance but with much better gas mileage. Of course the usual F6 obsessed trolls will be on hand to disparage the F4T but ignore them as it’s certainly worth a look in my view the F6 can be a little overrated and noise is a one trick pony when you’re being wasted by EVs off the lights. the 987 will always have better steering though. Like the Emira. Be careful https://www.porscheclubgb.com/forum/threads/cayman...

Mazinbrum said: Johnson897210 said: If you could put in another £5k you might just make it into a 718 which is a much more up to date car, for comparison the base 718 is about equivalent to a 981S 3.4 in terms of performance but with much better gas mileage. Of course the usual F6 obsessed trolls will be on hand to disparage the F4T but ignore them as it’s certainly worth a look in my view the F6 can be a little overrated and noise is a one trick pony when you’re being wasted by EVs off the lights. the 987 will always have better steering though. Like the Emira. Be careful https://www.porscheclubgb.com/forum/threads/cayman... Go pre gpf at that budget.

TheFungle said: Thanks for the advice all. A naive question perhaps but almost every Porsche thread has a variation of 'budget for bork worthy bills' comment. Is this simply because parts are more expensive than say an MX-5, or are the cars that delicate they need an extra level of upkeep combined with pricey parts? Parts aside, a lot of people will take their car to a Porsche specialist, who, while cheaper than a OPC is going to be more expensive than a non-specialist garage. Whereas in my experience a lot of MX-5 owners are happy taking their car to the local mechanic who will be MUCH cheaper. That said, buy a much older MX-5 and it's easy to be into a lot of suspension work. So who's to say really. But all that aside, buy the car, it will be fun. A 987.2 sounds like the sweet spot based on your requirements & budget. A 981 might just be in reach, but there be less cars to choose from. 987.2's should be in abundance so the chances of finding one in excellent condition is higher.

MrVert said: Had a few 987’s and 981’s in Boxster and Cayman guises. If I were looking now, for that budget, I’d be tempted by this: https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/18353520 If everything checked out, you do well to beat that for fun on our roads. Thanks for that and I'm actually going to look at similar one to that tomorrow locally. I always default to the biggest engine if given a choice but I'm curious to what the real world difference between the 2.9 and 3.2? I'm not someone who chases 0-60 times but I'd for an out of breath car!

My view, just my view, the 987 is the ugly duckling of the Boxster range. The 986, especially the facelift version from MY03/ 04 and the 550 Spyder look the part. The 981 and 718 also look good. For your budget I’d be trying to get into a 981, although for the engines, the 987.2 is a good shout.

I went through a similar process last year although on less than half your budget. After a lot of research I decided on a late 987.1 2.7 as these have the lowest risk of engine problems. I do sometimes wish it had that bit more power you’d get from the S, but not that often. It might be worth considering a 2.9 987.2 as well. Whatever you decide your budget puts you right at the top of the market, so you won’t have any problem finding a nice car. (987 at least) Also for that sort of cash you might even be able to get a base 2.0 718. I know the purest’s don’t like the 4 cylinder engine, but they have good power as standard and are easily tunable thanks to the turbo. Good luck with your search.

maz8062 said: My view, just my view, the 987 is the ugly duckling of the Boxster range. The 986, especially the facelift version from MY03/ 04 and the 550 Spyder look the part. The 981 and 718 also look good. For your budget I’d be trying to get into a 981, although for the engines, the 987.2 is a good shout. 550 Spyder is the cheesiest, naffest looking Boxster of all. maz8062 said: If you have to pay a shop to maintain it for you, these cars are expensive to run; more than a 911 IMV. Just to clarify and avoid anyone being mislead, this claim is demonstrably false and should be wholly disregarded. For the most part, the costs are comparable or identical. Because for the most part, they are the same car with the same parts. Where there are differences, mainly due to engine installation, it's pros and cons. There are some jobs that are much easier on a Boxster, in some case the same job may require the engine dropping on an equivalent 911. There are other jobs that are easier on the 911 because of the differences in engine installation. I would say the most common access requirements are easier on the Boxster models. Much easier to access the plugs, for instance, on most Boxster models than most equivalent 911 models - dramatically so in many cases. Overall, if you bought an equivalent 911 with the aim of lower maintenance costs, you would be making an unambiguous mistake.

If you have to pay a shop to maintain it for you, these cars are expensive to run; more than a 911 IMV. If you can spanner, have the space and inclination to work on the thing for certain jobs, it’ll be rewarding and fun to work on. Best to buy one that has been maintained to a high standard and enjoy.

maz8062 said: My view, just my view, the 987 is the ugly duckling of the Boxster range. The 986, especially the facelift version from MY03/ 04 and the 550 Spyder look the part. The 981 and 718 also look good. For your budget I’d be trying to get into a 981, although for the engines, the 987.2 is a good shout. The 986 does not look better than a 987 -all subjective of course,and as for servicing-paying an Indy to change the oil on a 987 -no thanks! It’s a 20 minute job for even the most basic home mechanic-an absolute piece of piss! Same as brake pads-

MrVert said: Had a few 987’s and 981’s in Boxster and Cayman guises. If I were looking now, for that budget, I’d be tempted by this: https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/18353520 If everything checked out, you do well to beat that for fun on our roads. Same-that looks a great buy

maz8062 said: If you have to pay a shop to maintain it for you, these cars are expensive to run; more than a 911 IMV. If you can spanner, have the space and inclination to work on the thing for certain jobs, it’ll be rewarding and fun to work on. Best to buy one that has been maintained to a high standard and enjoy. How do you come to the conclusion they are more expensive to tun than a 911?? That’s a very misleading post

What happened to f6box? Don’t tell me cmoose has been banned again…

996Type said: Something like this with full Porsche warranty might be of interest for peace of mind? http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2025041614... Tiptronic Good thread. I quite fancy a 987.2 Cayman as a fun daily. Can see the attraction of a Boxster and they seem a little cheaper. Probably more available too. Both seem like good value to me.

f6box said: maz8062 said: If you have to pay a shop to maintain it for you, these cars are expensive to run; more than a 911 IMV. Just to clarify and avoid anyone being mislead, this claim is demonstrably false and should be wholly disregarded. For the most part, the costs are comparable or identical. Because for the most part, they are the same car with the same parts. There may be some truth in this but only because the cheaper cars tend to get less spent on them. Therefore if you buy one now which is 15 years old there could be some bad news looming which has been put off by previous owners being a bit cheap or cost sensitive.

SV_WDC said: TheFungle said: Thanks for the advice all. A naive question perhaps but almost every Porsche thread has a variation of 'budget for bork worthy bills' comment. Is this simply because parts are more expensive than say an MX-5, or are the cars that delicate they need an extra level of upkeep combined with pricey parts? Parts aside, a lot of people will take their car to a Porsche specialist, who, while cheaper than a OPC is going to be more expensive than a non-specialist garage. Whereas in my experience a lot of MX-5 owners are happy taking their car to the local mechanic who will be MUCH cheaper. There are some jobs which become complicated and therefore expensive because the bolts, nuts and fastenings used by Porsche rust away to nothing. A simple job like removing an exhaust manifold becomes a horror show which ultimately requires snapped studs drilling out. This can become an 8 hour job with escalating costs and really requires a specialist. I had a problem with the PDK box on my 981 leaking and called several Porsche specialists and none were even willing to look at the car. So that gives you an idea. Even the specialists know which jobs can become a can of worms leading to none payment or even more unscrupulous customers claiming the Specialist damaged their car. I think the main problem with a Porsche in comparison to a simpler car like an mx5 is the robustness or longevity of key parts or components. Let's take a simple example, the gear shifter. When new or fresh the Porsche system is very very good. Fast forward 15 years and it can be rubbish. Possibly because where the cables from the lever terminate is under the back of the car collecting crud and obviously prone to rust. A new set of cables is only a couple of hundred quid but if you also budget for a new shift mechanism too and some labour it starts to add up. This is a simple example but can make a big difference to how a car feels. Obviously a Porsche is a bit more complicated in that it has 2 [or 3 rads] and these are in the perfect position to collect rubbish and junk which leads to them rotting away quicker. And 2 air con condensers which are also consumable items.

and31 said: maz8062 said: If you have to pay a shop to maintain it for you, these cars are expensive to run; more than a 911 IMV. If you can spanner, have the space and inclination to work on the thing for certain jobs, it’ll be rewarding and fun to work on. Best to buy one that has been maintained to a high standard and enjoy. How do you come to the conclusion they are more expensive to tun than a 911?? That’s a very misleading post Because I've got one of each; a MY03 986 3.2S and a 997.1 C2 The previous owner of the 986, who owned it for 13 years, spent thousands of pounds on the car, including a Hartech rebuild. The thing has been a money pit, yet it still needs work. For example, try putting the air intake onto the throttle body once it's been removed for cleaning. I'm 5 hours into trying and I still can't get it fitted. Heat gun and silicone grease on Amazon order. My 997, in 2 years of ownership, just servicing and tinkering at home to replace engine mounts, oil pressure sensor, brakes, etc. It's not that hard. Maybe it's because the Boxster is old but I don't think the 996/986 generation were that well screwed together compared to the 997, which has it's own problems. Edited by maz8062 on Sunday 18th May 11:55

maz8062 said: and31 said: maz8062 said: If you have to pay a shop to maintain it for you, these cars are expensive to run; more than a 911 IMV. If you can spanner, have the space and inclination to work on the thing for certain jobs, it’ll be rewarding and fun to work on. Best to buy one that has been maintained to a high standard and enjoy. How do you come to the conclusion they are more expensive to tun than a 911?? That’s a very misleading post Because I've got one of each; a MY03 986 3.2S and a 997.1 C2 The previous owner of the 986, who owned it for 13 years, spent thousands of pounds on the car, including a Hartech rebuild. The thing has been a money pit, yet it still needs work. For example, try putting the air intake onto the throttle body once it's been removed for cleaning. I'm 5 hours into trying and I still can't get it fitted. Heat gun and silicone grease on Amazon order. My 997, in 2 years of ownership, just servicing and tinkering at home to replace engine mounts, oil pressure sensor, brakes, etc. It's not that hard. Maybe it's because the Boxster is old but I don't think the 996/986 generation were that well screwed together compared to the 997, which has it's own problems. Edited by maz8062 on Sunday 18th May 11:55 Fair enough!!

996Type said: Something like this with full Porsche warranty might be of interest for peace of mind? http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2025041614... Would this come with a 2 year Porsche warranty?

RTA3 said: 996Type said: Something like this with full Porsche warranty might be of interest for peace of mind? http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2025041614... Would this come with a 2 year Porsche warranty? That’s crazy money, it’s also a poxy tiptronic,and I don’t think the Porsche warranty covers cars that old?

and31 said: MrVert said: Had a few 987’s and 981’s in Boxster and Cayman guises. If I were looking now, for that budget, I’d be tempted by this: https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/18353520 If everything checked out, you do well to beat that for fun on our roads. Same-that looks a great buy It is nice but is it missing heated seats?

I'd says that this is the sweet spot for budget Boxster.

Wish Porsche had'nt messed about with the headlight design on the 987.2,think the original 987 looks loads better and more 911 like,probally why Porsche changed it..