Hi everyone. I am relatively new to the forum and wanted to get some advice from the group. I currently have a 2006 Boxster S which is in perfect condition. I use it on sunny commutes and during the week-ends. I am interested in autocross and DE but really want to avoid the wear and tear and possible damage to my current car.

Given that, I am looking at purchasing a 2nd Porsche that I can use for autocrossing and DE but still enjoy for general use. I am not looking for a hard core track car but one I can improve my driving skills with and add performance upgrades to over time.

Up to this point, I have been looking for a 944 S2 or 968 coupe but they are hard to find locally. Given that, I have started to consider a 986 S with a hardtop as an alternative. I have a $15K budget which would need to include any preventative maintenance such as a timing belt for the 968 or IMS upgrade for the Boxster. Here are my pros and cons.

Any thoughts and advice is greatly appreciated!

944 S2/968

Pros

• Solid build quality
• Easier DIY maintenance and repairs
• Simpler cars – especially electrics
• More analog driving experience (minimal “nanny features”)
• Hatchback design provides ample storage
• Cars appreciating in value (also a con given planned use)

Cons

• Small production numbers results in scarce supply – cars go quickly or are far away
• Cars are 20-25 years old; more likely to run into needed repairs due to age
• May be hard to find some parts
• Harder to find mechanics that understand the nuances of the 16V engines
• Most examples in my budget will have higher mileage
• Regular maintenance cost seem higher (unless DIY)

986S

Pros

• Higher volume cars – plenty available in local area
• Cars are only 10-15 years old
• Parts in wide supply
• Can easily find examples with moderate mileage
• Can support larger diameter wheels – broader wheel choices
• 6 cylinder engine has better HP and torque

Cons

• Engines have known weak points that need to be addressed (IMS, RMS, Oil Starvation, etc)
• Convertible will not have same rigidity as a coupe
• More complex electrics
• Seems harder to perform DIY maintenance
• May continue to depreciate (probably not much)

 

I think you've covered the pros and cons pretty well. I would suggest that with either of those cars, at that budget, you're going to have to DIY for a lot of repairs and maintenance. The 944/68 are pretty easy to work on and there isn't really anything you can't do in your garage. They are old though so need to be brought up to date with new hoses, belts etc. Once you've done all that, you can pretty much beat on them all day.

 

I'm in a similar situation, but I'm planning on selling my street Porsche to fund more track time. I'm also looking at 944s and 986s, but I'm looking at all 944 versions and 97-99 Boxsters for a future in spec racing.

What I'm having a problem deciding on is buying a full track prepped 944/944T or a 986 that I slowly build so I can drive it to/from tracks for a few years. I think in the end price difference will be a wash until/if I get into club racing. Turning a 986 from street to track will cost almost double what I can buy a 944 that's already fully built for the track.

 

Also wouldn't be difficult to put together a large capacity 944 turbo with a ton of tq and no loss of driveability by comparison to n/a cars. Advantage is that they will fly away from the n/a cars on a road track. There's a few guys in the 944 turbo forums who have built very affordable larger capacity motors using offset grind cranks and some other off the shelf parts which will induce reliability over stock parts.
Search under user name refresh951 for very clear and detailed guidance. http://www.refresh951.com/