can i afford a 981 boxter
Discussion
hi all , sorry this will most likely be quite a long post so bare with me..
I currently own a spotless much loved white Golf GTI ( worth about 11k) but have had my head turned by a convertible. Started looking and fell in love with the Boxter . Firstly the 987 but recently the 981. I have been doing lots of research as to running costs. We have a well respected Indy nearby , Revolution in Birstall. had a chat to them re service costs etc and they don't seem too bad considering its every 2 years .
My mileage will be low as live near work so walk and bike ( will do barely 3500 a year )
The Golf was the most expensive car I've owned and the 981 will put another 8-10k on it. As a non millionaire I guess I am nervous should anything go drastically wrong , it would cost me thousands.. ( is warranty a option)
the one i was looking at has fresh service and new tyres so that's a good start?? surely a set of tyres should last 10k miles . That's 3 years in my world so at 800-1000 per set that's still less that 300 per year..
I know its hard to put yourself in someone else's position as you don't know mine ( I don't want to make it sound like am totally skint lol ) , I guess I want some reassurance that if I buy well and do lots of research and look after it then it will serve me well .
Would it be safer paying extra but buying from a garage for example ??
cheers all
I currently own a spotless much loved white Golf GTI ( worth about 11k) but have had my head turned by a convertible. Started looking and fell in love with the Boxter . Firstly the 987 but recently the 981. I have been doing lots of research as to running costs. We have a well respected Indy nearby , Revolution in Birstall. had a chat to them re service costs etc and they don't seem too bad considering its every 2 years .
My mileage will be low as live near work so walk and bike ( will do barely 3500 a year )
The Golf was the most expensive car I've owned and the 981 will put another 8-10k on it. As a non millionaire I guess I am nervous should anything go drastically wrong , it would cost me thousands.. ( is warranty a option)
the one i was looking at has fresh service and new tyres so that's a good start?? surely a set of tyres should last 10k miles . That's 3 years in my world so at 800-1000 per set that's still less that 300 per year..
I know its hard to put yourself in someone else's position as you don't know mine ( I don't want to make it sound like am totally skint lol ) , I guess I want some reassurance that if I buy well and do lots of research and look after it then it will serve me well .
Would it be safer paying extra but buying from a garage for example ??
cheers all
So, the youngest one will be about 8 years old and the oldest c12yrs. I have a 997 911, so an older generation to the 981 and may not be comparable?? But, my 911 was 10 years when I bought it and I still have it at 18years old. It has cost A LOT of money to maintain. I'm sure you'll love the car but I would strongly advise that you keep funds available for on-going maintenance. Not sure Porsche's components fail any more often than other cars, but they are usually more costly to replace and even an Indy will charge £100++ an hour for labour. On a car of 8-12 years ols coolant pipes, suspension wear, brakes etc, all the usual stuff will crop up through ownership. Clutch depending on miles etc. Maybe try and find one where some of this stuff has been done??
Servicing isn't really that much of an issue but some of the jobs that crop up on a Porsche are more expensive due to the configuration of the car - e.g. mine needed rear coolant pipes earlier this year and that required the engine to come out which was 18hrs labour!
You can read up on what'll likely crop up and when and so you should be able to prepare for it. Go in to it with your eyes open and some funds kept available (at least £2-3k) and you should be fine.
In the last 3 years my 911 has required £11k spending on mechanical upkeep, none of which was discretionary. But, that's an older car!
Servicing isn't really that much of an issue but some of the jobs that crop up on a Porsche are more expensive due to the configuration of the car - e.g. mine needed rear coolant pipes earlier this year and that required the engine to come out which was 18hrs labour!
You can read up on what'll likely crop up and when and so you should be able to prepare for it. Go in to it with your eyes open and some funds kept available (at least £2-3k) and you should be fine.
In the last 3 years my 911 has required £11k spending on mechanical upkeep, none of which was discretionary. But, that's an older car!
Chris340gti said:
I have been doing lots of research as to running costs. We have a well respected Indy nearby , Revolution in Birstall. had a chat to them re service costs etc and they don't seem too bad considering its every 2 years .
In reality its never going to just be the off-the-shelf service cost, there will something else needed that can send the bill spiralling into thousands. Can that is, not always. Not to scare you, just being a realist. You'd need to ring-fence more than what I sense you think it will cost every two years.What is your budget? When newer the high residuals make them a great prospect under warranty. Later on out of warranty there are certain issues that could make ownership expensive. I’d be trying for an early 718 pdk myself, ideally under warranty. Just won’t lose money vs an out of warranty much older 981 that could get very expensive.
I had a 987 cayman S, I did tons of work on the car myself-oil changes and brakes are very easy indeed-no way would I be paying someone else to do them! , I did a suspension overhaul which was a bit daunting but not too bad, but there is always something that needs doing at the “specialist “ and it still cost me a fortune in the two years I owned it before it got written off
Lovely cars but just beware even if you do a lot yourself it “might” cost significantly more than your golf
Lovely cars but just beware even if you do a lot yourself it “might” cost significantly more than your golf
My suggestion,
As ever, when buying a used car buy the best you can afford - never get sucked into a cheaper one that "just needs a few bits and pieces done". The main points are,
- Buy a manual transmission car
- With as few glitzy extras as possible - do you really need switchable suspension and electronic engine mounts? They tend to go expensively wrong.
- Look after it properly.
As ever, when buying a used car buy the best you can afford - never get sucked into a cheaper one that "just needs a few bits and pieces done". The main points are,
- Overall condition, and
- Service history.
I’m not sure this is particularly helpful given I bought a 718S and budget therefore quite a bit higher, but …
I was also worried about potential costs, so bought from Porsche - it came with a warranty (which we used in the first week!) but other than that, it’s only cost what I expected it to. Interim service at Porsche, to keep the warranty, was about £1k, full set of tyres was £1200 and I think that’s it.
Admittedly, it’s a second / third car, so only gets driven when I feel like it and mileage is only a few thousand a year. Next year will be more expensive, bigger service and another £1k for the warranty if I extend it and that’s assuming nothing breaks.
The other lesson I’ve learnt is that OPC are useless, so I’d go for a good indie next time!
I was also worried about potential costs, so bought from Porsche - it came with a warranty (which we used in the first week!) but other than that, it’s only cost what I expected it to. Interim service at Porsche, to keep the warranty, was about £1k, full set of tyres was £1200 and I think that’s it.
Admittedly, it’s a second / third car, so only gets driven when I feel like it and mileage is only a few thousand a year. Next year will be more expensive, bigger service and another £1k for the warranty if I extend it and that’s assuming nothing breaks.
The other lesson I’ve learnt is that OPC are useless, so I’d go for a good indie next time!
Personally I would not run a Porsche without one of their extended warranty as I just don't want any big bills hanging over my head.
Ideally buy one privately that has one already (it can be transfered)
Be wary of any non Porsche dealer selling a car with the official extended warranty - it cannot be transferred. You may get away with it (I did in the past) if you don't let on to the OPC.
If you buy from an OPC it will come with 2 year extended warranty which is worth about £1700(?) plus some form of good will from them if there are some grey area of issues.
Alternatively buy private or from non OPC warranty (with full Porsche service history) and then purchase the extended warranty from OPC after 3 months.
Saying all this my GT4 has been faultless and the warranty doesn't cover everything.
Its the parts - they are not cheap and as someone mentioned above - avoid any options that have dynamic settings etc. I have a great porsche indy near to me which is £60/hr vs OPC £200-300/hr - they can be used under warranty still I believe so as long as they use genuine parts.
If you are not doing many miles and its more of a weekend summer car I'd be looking at a Lotus Elise - way more fun and cost pennies to run and maintain.
Ideally buy one privately that has one already (it can be transfered)
Be wary of any non Porsche dealer selling a car with the official extended warranty - it cannot be transferred. You may get away with it (I did in the past) if you don't let on to the OPC.
If you buy from an OPC it will come with 2 year extended warranty which is worth about £1700(?) plus some form of good will from them if there are some grey area of issues.
Alternatively buy private or from non OPC warranty (with full Porsche service history) and then purchase the extended warranty from OPC after 3 months.
Saying all this my GT4 has been faultless and the warranty doesn't cover everything.
Its the parts - they are not cheap and as someone mentioned above - avoid any options that have dynamic settings etc. I have a great porsche indy near to me which is £60/hr vs OPC £200-300/hr - they can be used under warranty still I believe so as long as they use genuine parts.
If you are not doing many miles and its more of a weekend summer car I'd be looking at a Lotus Elise - way more fun and cost pennies to run and maintain.
Edited by bosshog on Wednesday 23 October 22:39
peterfield781 said:
What is your budget? When newer the high residuals make them a great prospect under warranty. Later on out of warranty there are certain issues that could make ownership expensive. I’d be trying for an early 718 pdk myself, ideally under warranty. Just won’t lose money vs an out of warranty much older 981 that could get very expensive.
£19k-£21K but the sounds of itGixer968CS said:
Servicing isn't really that much of an issue but some of the jobs that crop up on a Porsche are more expensive due to the configuration of the car - e.g. mine needed rear coolant pipes earlier this year and that required the engine to come out which was 18hrs labour!
I remember reading a report on a Nurburgring 72 hours race where a Porsche team changed a hot 911 engine in a 22 MINUTE pit-stop!Go and see RPM at Knaresborough.
They often have 981s in and are honest, their cars are well prepared and the good ones. i would expect Revolution have given you a good sense of likely things and cost, but good to get a second opinion.
I wouldn’t bother with an OPC for one of these, you’re going to pay through the nose. You’ve got a decent indie and there are others. I am sure you’ll be paying less than £100 an hour.
The question is what can you afford should it need it and what can’t you afford should it need it.
They often have 981s in and are honest, their cars are well prepared and the good ones. i would expect Revolution have given you a good sense of likely things and cost, but good to get a second opinion.
I wouldn’t bother with an OPC for one of these, you’re going to pay through the nose. You’ve got a decent indie and there are others. I am sure you’ll be paying less than £100 an hour.
The question is what can you afford should it need it and what can’t you afford should it need it.
KittyLitter said:
peterfield781 said:
What is your budget? When newer the high residuals make them a great prospect under warranty. Later on out of warranty there are certain issues that could make ownership expensive. I’d be trying for an early 718 pdk myself, ideally under warranty. Just won’t lose money vs an out of warranty much older 981 that could get very expensive.
£19k-£21K but the sounds of itWarranty is your choice. Yes it's 'only' c£600pa (plus inspection and major service if it's been out of the network - that's £2.5k to start along with taking off and replacing any non genuine parts) then bank on paying £1k at an OPC for an interim service and £1,700 for a major with plugs. An Indy in your neck of the woods will be a third of the cost and things can be fixed whereas the Porsche answer is to just exchange the part for a new one hence the high 'repair' costs often quoted.
I looked at several high miles 981 that were (18 months ago) c£20k, most seemed bulletproof and had worn the mileage well with a mix of OPC and Indy servicing with no howlers flagging up. In the end I bought a cheap 718 as the cost differential for a newer and improved car was a no brainer. That said I was all set to buy a private sale fully optioned ex demo 981 2.7 but the seller started to change his mind. I just thought I'd try a 718 for comparion and that was it. I don't have a warranty and my Indy services it.
981 Boxsters are a 'solid' buy in base spec are well built and appear robust. Check the side skirts near the intakes as they can get hammered with road rash. Electric power steering failure can be an issue which is a £2k fix (or £3k with OPC). Consumables will be more expensive than the golf but overall the cars seem to hold up well.
hi and thanks for all the replies..
So I wont be buying from a OPC as i don't have the kinda cash. But I will buy from a garage rather than private.. couldn't take that kinda risk on a near 20k motor, Are the warranties available ( if any ) from a reputable local car dealers worth the paper they are written on?? I mean they wont cover every possible fault surely?
The reports I've heard from the Revolution guys in Birstall sound good and the services don't look bad at all considering. So how long should tyres last ?? I wont be hooning around , well not too much anyway!! I'll only be doing 3/4 k miles tops per year , surely you must be looking at 3 years ?? and I've been looking around , am not sure where 1200 a set comes from. Seen them way cheaper then that..
And re garage costs, a little while ago I needed a new heater matrix on the Golf. My local German marque guy wanted 800 quid to do it , so I rang round and found a place 7 miles away ( loads of 5star reviews ) did it for 420.. happy days . So I appreciate some people will be happy paying a OPC 1200 for a service but it doesn't mean we all have to pay that.. Already been quoted 720 for a new clutch as a example..
so maybe ill put my trust in FSH , reputable seller and overall condition/miles..
So I wont be buying from a OPC as i don't have the kinda cash. But I will buy from a garage rather than private.. couldn't take that kinda risk on a near 20k motor, Are the warranties available ( if any ) from a reputable local car dealers worth the paper they are written on?? I mean they wont cover every possible fault surely?
The reports I've heard from the Revolution guys in Birstall sound good and the services don't look bad at all considering. So how long should tyres last ?? I wont be hooning around , well not too much anyway!! I'll only be doing 3/4 k miles tops per year , surely you must be looking at 3 years ?? and I've been looking around , am not sure where 1200 a set comes from. Seen them way cheaper then that..
And re garage costs, a little while ago I needed a new heater matrix on the Golf. My local German marque guy wanted 800 quid to do it , so I rang round and found a place 7 miles away ( loads of 5star reviews ) did it for 420.. happy days . So I appreciate some people will be happy paying a OPC 1200 for a service but it doesn't mean we all have to pay that.. Already been quoted 720 for a new clutch as a example..
so maybe ill put my trust in FSH , reputable seller and overall condition/miles..
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202409254...
If you can see the link , that's what id be looking at. Not too flashy , nice subtle colour.. all round lovely to be cherished and polished and driven!!
If you can see the link , that's what id be looking at. Not too flashy , nice subtle colour.. all round lovely to be cherished and polished and driven!!
Chris340gti said:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202409254...
If you can see the link , that's what id be looking at. Not too flashy , nice subtle colour.. all round lovely to be cherished and polished and driven!!
I reckon that is totally spot on. Don't hang about, that's at a respected dealer and it will sell.If you can see the link , that's what id be looking at. Not too flashy , nice subtle colour.. all round lovely to be cherished and polished and driven!!
If you don't want an OPC warranty you can put whatever tyres you want on the thing. I ran a 987 Boxster, then a 981 Cayman GTS and now a 718GT4, servicing and parts will be the major expense, I wouldn't worry about tyres if I am honest.
The Boxster had a few issues which would have costs thousands but warranty covered it all, likewise my 981 was pretty bulletproof in the 40K miles I put on the thing, only thing that went wrong was a parking sensor, again covered under warranty.
The GT4 sprung the PADM fault within a few hundred miles which again warranty covered.
I'm all for having an OPC warranty given the above, but you're buying out of network so you just need to be prepared for any additional expense.
They're reliable cars generally, but some things can go wrong, and some things are expensive, you say you have a good indy so you should be fine.
The Boxster had a few issues which would have costs thousands but warranty covered it all, likewise my 981 was pretty bulletproof in the 40K miles I put on the thing, only thing that went wrong was a parking sensor, again covered under warranty.
The GT4 sprung the PADM fault within a few hundred miles which again warranty covered.
I'm all for having an OPC warranty given the above, but you're buying out of network so you just need to be prepared for any additional expense.
They're reliable cars generally, but some things can go wrong, and some things are expensive, you say you have a good indy so you should be fine.
That’s interesting , thanks again. So if it is in the last stages of Warrenty , ya can just pay 1200 ?? Won’t need the service prior to that ??? That doesn’t seem so bad ..I’d have to look into what’s covered and what’s not , but of course it’s a gamble . As most have said it’s either a complete waste of money or a life ( car ) saver ..
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