RangerRhett

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.


So, that said: could someone break this down for me:
What does an oil change run?
What does it cost to swap the tranny fluid?
Bleed the brakes?

What do plugs run? Plug Wires?


How has the car been concerning reliability? I am assuming that it is the same as any 'modern' era car...
Please help me out...

mooty

early cars had "mixing" problem, oil and coolant.
later cars had some RMS prob, but USUALLY dealt this by warraty.
otherwise cars is very reliable in general.
i don't know the cost on oil change, tranny fliud and brake bleeds, but if you are concerned with these costs, they can be easily done in your own garage. takes me 50 min. to change oil AND bleed the brakes.

dennis a from pa

Try to avoid '99s built between 9/98 and 3/99 as this was the era of sleeved 2.5 motors...not all were sleeved and not all sleeves slip, but are you lucky ??

My son's '99 from this era has 60k with no issues and so does a neighbors car, but i'd go with a 2K car.

Irishdriver

Do it !!!

You will love it, the only thing you will feel a little uneasy about is that the seats are too high.

Compared to the 914 , in the boxster you sit high on the seat rather than low in the seat.
This is why I'm looking for a pair of GT3 seats.

Climbing the hill in the snow was a wierd experience....it was the first time in my life that any car I owned decided it knew better than me how to drive....I pressed the gas pedal in second gear to climb the hill and the car didn't go very fast... I pressed more and it still went slowly....So we climbed the long snowy hill at about 1500 - 2000 rpm in second gear even though I had the my foot to the floor. The car climbed without any problem shifting the torque between the rear wheels as it found grip.

I was impressed. I was also not stupid enough to switch off the traction control to see if I could do better.

BTW, I have the hard top and the winter wheels and the car actually feels better with the top on.

Doug&Julie

Boxsters make excellent daily drivers. This is why I bought mine...so I wouldn't have to have two cars to enjoy a Porsche. (..although, I have to admit, I'm selling mine and going back to the two car thing, but not for reasons of anything lacking in the Boxster). But they are a tremendous joy on the nice days and still very livable on the not so nice days. With a set of winter tires (a MUST) and a hard top (nice, but not a must), winter driving is actually quite good. Even w/o Traction Control, the excellent balance and having the motor's weight over the rear wheels makes it a very predictable winter driver. Throw in TC (..or the later years PSM..) and in anything under 6" of snow, it's hard to beat!

I'm sorry, I don't have any of my records with me to tell you how much an oil change costs, etc. I will say, other than "Black Wednesday", my car has been very reliable. I've found from other Boxster owners pretty much the same.

Of course, I have to make my obligitory plug for selling my car:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showt...hreadid=209766

..and a shot of my Boxster after a good winter drive...

deliriousga

All of these will depend on where you get them done. The dealer here is $100/hour labor and their times are usually about 1 1/2 times longer than it actually takes me to do it. I'm a DIYer, not a professional mechanic, so it's probably 2 times what it actually takes them. I maintain everything on mine because I care about the car (ok, fine, I'm **** about it) and want it done right unlike some mechanics, even some at Porsche dealers, who just read the FSMs...maybe, and hope for the best.Dealer, around $200 with filter, oil and labor. At Kauffman Tire or probably other shops too $80 w/ you bringing filter ($15-$20 online for OEM filter). DIY $65 w/ filter. Takes 9-10 quarts Mobil 1 pure synthetic and as a daily driver you'll only have to change it every 15K miles or once a year. The manual calls for every 15K oil and 30K filter, but I change the filter every time. Don't know, haven't gone there yet but I'll be doing it myself in the next couple of weeks.
It's simple, nothing special, so should be the same as any other brakes unless it's at the dealer. About a 30 minute job if the wheels are off for a brake job.Original plugs are the Bosch Platinum +4. Dealer is about $260. DIY $25 for the plugs. Very easy to replace since they're behind the wheels. I do mine when I do the brakes and use the Bosch Platinum +2. The "+4" just lasts longer than the "+2", no more or better spark. The "+2" last twice as long as the Porsche recommended changing cycle so there's no reason to pay twice the price.There aren't any. This is BEAUTIFUL! There is actually a seperate coil on top of each plug. The coils should last about 6 time the normal coil since it only fires 1 time each revolution instead of a normal coil firing 6 times for the same revolution. Each coil attaches to what I believe is a distibutorless ignition with a wire that looks like a thick plug wire, but it is not detachable from the coil. If a coil goes out, it's ~$60 for a replacement online. Don't be fooled into ordering what you don't need - the online P-car parts sellers list them as individual plug wires.

Other Maintenance:
For the other big maintenance item, the brakes last about 30K miles under normal driving (I'm a little aggressive, but not "race track" aggressive). Dealer is ~$500 pads only or ~$1500 with rotors. DIY is ~$120 for pads only (Mintex low dust) or ~$500 with rotors.No problems here. 62K miles and no leaks, no burning oil, etc. Only problem so far is a bad bearing in the alternator pully. Local shop re-built it for $100 and good as new.

We just took her on a 700 mile weekend trip and she ran smooth as silk. I love this car. On the open road at 100+MPH it just glides. Handled wonderfully in the heavy rain too on the way down.

Only draw back in ours is the plastic window. Scratches easily and can crack over time. We use a window pillow to keep it from kinking and causing the cracks or pinholes so hoping it'll last awhile. 2003 MY+ has a glass window.

Bodacious

I would purchase s '01 or later car you can stay in your budget and still find one with some factory warranty left. As for the oil changes $150 at a dealer $95 at an independent shop. Changes are only required at 10k miles not 5k. Flushing fluids and brakes is about $120. Daily drivers must be aligned more often figure $65. Other than that go for it. I had a 74 2.0 "teener" b/4 I got my Boxster and I will never go back to a 914, there is just no reason to.

Doug&Julie

Actually, changes are only REQUIRED every 15k or once a year (according to Porsche). I tend to do twice a year as a safety. Besides, this gets my car in front of a trustworthy trained eye twice a year.

Irishdriver

Why has my signature disappeared....?

and why am I now a specialist....?

If we've solved these perhaps we can discuss why mid-engined is the best ( at least until I go 996/997)

deliriousga

See!!! You must have read the FSMs or an internet post! You're now a qualified Porsche mechanic/specialist! That has to be some kind of record.

Really, it's not necessary to replace the oil more often than the manufacturer recommends and won't be any better for the car, but it's your decision. The filter is made to last twice as long and does its' job. The only reason to replace it earlier is if your car sits or you decide not to use Mobil 1 pure synthetic. If it sits, it's not filtered and the oil builds up moisture and forms an acid so it should be replaced at least every year if it sits. There have been many tests done showing this. One was a Consumer Reports test where they took several model cars with differnt size engines, two-by-two. In one of the two identical cars they changed the oil as the manufacturer called for. In the other car, they changed it every 3000 miles like your Jiffy Lube type places suggest. After 100K or 150K (I know it was at least 100K but can't remember exactly) they dismantled the engines and checked the wear. It was the same in the two identical engines in all of the vehicles tested. Mobil 1 guarantees the oil won't cause a problem for 15K miles if you use it.

Better for the wallet, better for the environment, but that's just my opinion. (I know it's recycled, but it takes more energy to recycle it more often). That's what I love about this country! Get the info, make your own decision.

Above all, whatever you choose to do, enjoy the Boxster...love the Boxster....be one with the Boxster.

RangerRhett

All,

Man you guys know how to drive it home...

I want a Boxter its settled:
1). Better winter car than my current 'daily' wheels (I guarantee it)
2). Better Looks than 99.9% of cars on the road
3). Speed, impracticality, and everythin Porsche (I love it)
4). (Most Importantly) I never used to understand the beauty of the Roadster...now after having owned the 914 (amazing car) and driven a few boxter's I can't imagine how I could go wrong...

plus

5). Plus I am a young guy...if I don't do it now, I won't be able to do it until I am 50!...

Keep firing off those reasons...I need more reasons to buy one of these cars!!!

Doug&Julie

Here's a reason....this is taken the day after purchase. Just look at that stupid grin expression on my face. You will have that too!

Doug&Julie

Oh, but be careful...it doesn't go away...

Irishdriver

The really big difference between the 914 and the boxster is the heater/air conditioning.

In summer it's no big deal as in both cars you're part of the global warming expirement but, I have driven across Europe in the winter in the 914....and I can only say BUY THE BOXSTER !!!

The pure pleasure of being able to dial in another degree or two and feel the controlled immediate response of the Klima is only wonderful. If you're used to the 914 changing the car temperature with engine revs, traffic lights and such madness you'll love the heating/cooling in the boxster.

....but not so many people will ask "what is that...?"

Irishdriver

My signature is still invisable???

What did I do? How can I get it to come back???

Do I have to apologise to someone?