Printable Version of Topic
Click here to view this topic in its original format
914World.com _ 914World Garage _ OT: Boxster owner feedback (good and bad)
Posted by: PBC914 Feb 15 2013, 06:05 PM
Hoping the members here that also have Boxsters can give me some of their feedback and experience with the model.
I've been looking at Boxsters for over awhile. I drove a 2007 Boxster S automatic with Triptonic today that has 14,429 miles on it.
It is being sold by a non-Porsche dealer. I have scoured the Boxster websites, but the main issue that seems to come up is the rear main seal (RMS) and the potential destruction of the engine if their is a catastrophic failure of the seal. Appears to have been corrected from 2009 forward. I called our local Porsche dealership, they reviewed the work history on the car and there is nothing for RMS.
I looked underneath and it appears very clean. The dealer gave me a carfax report which shows the owner history etc, but nothing shows up that would cause concern (i don't trust carfax reports provided by a dealer-seems self serving).
Long story short, those of you with experience-I'm hoping you can provide me with the good/bad/ugly of your experiences. Appreciate the feedback!
Posted by: kg6dxn Feb 15 2013, 06:19 PM
You should search... There was a thread on this several days ago...
If I remember the topic:
1) Low mileage cars are more likely to have bearing failure due to lack of lubrication.
2) Boxster's are chick cars.
3) Boxster's have heat and air.
4) Most of them are silver.
5) Boxster's are chick cars.
6) Boxster's will rob you of your masculinity.
7) Most of them are silver.
That's about it. 
Posted by: PBC914 Feb 15 2013, 07:11 PM
Soooo what you're saying is.....
Posted by: kg6dxn Feb 15 2013, 07:13 PM
Soooo what you're saying is.....
Yep...
Posted by: Jake Raby Feb 15 2013, 07:33 PM
Drove one home tonight with a 300RWHP Raby engine. The only chick that drives a car like this is one who likes to keep the car sideways through three gears.
Posted by: jsconst Feb 15 2013, 08:52 PM
I've got a 97 with 59k miles on it, it's silver, been storing it for my stepfather for two years now. Drove it around before I got my 914 on the road, other than the power, I didn't feel comfortable driving it, seems like you sit too low compared to the dash height. And I'm over 6'. Hate the parking brake lever location.
Also the resale sucks, been trying to help him sell his for quite a while.
And it's IMS that's the problem, but no one seems to put much weight in a repaired IMS.
We replaced the stock with LN engineerings retrofit, a $2400.00 upgrade, but still don't get offers any higher than a comparable car without it.
My opinion, a waste of money, unless you get it dirt cheap so you can drive it to death and don't look back 
Jeff
Posted by: thomasotten Feb 15 2013, 08:57 PM
I just bought a 2000 S. Chick car? Well, I have noticed that chicks look at me more when I drive this car. 
Be sure and check the hell hole before you buy it.
Posted by: scotty b Feb 15 2013, 08:58 PM
Be sure and check the hell hole before you buy it.
you mean the engine bay ?
Posted by: RobW Feb 15 2013, 09:50 PM
Who cares if all your friends laugh at you? 
Just kidding. 
Posted by: doorknobcollector Feb 15 2013, 10:53 PM
I've got a 2006 Boxster S and I love it. I think the IMS issues were mostly solved by 2003 or 4, so much less likely you would have a problem there. Just change the oil often and rev it over 2 grand every once in a while. As for the chick car thing... Well, at least it's not a Miata. Good every day car while you work on your 914. Definitely get the 987 if you can, just for the headlights.
Posted by: Joe Sharp Feb 15 2013, 11:08 PM
You need to talk to Joe at Series 9. He has been doing all kinds of work on all of the Boxters. He knows which years they changed and what changes they made.
From what I recall the 05 to 09 have a bearing that needs to have the hole motor torn down to replace.
His e-mail
www.914rs.com
phone 386-256-9146
Posted by: bigkensteele Feb 16 2013, 12:21 AM
I would love to know what the percentage of failure is. Kind of like taking a Carnival cruise right now. Probably 10 million folks have had a great time in the last 10 years, and 3000 had the shittiest (literally) experience of their lives. Of those two groups, who is going to get the microphone until everyone grows tired of hearing about it.
I work with a guy who really wanted a Cayman. He researched the hell out of it and ended up buying an '08. This is a guy who would not buy a lottery ticket if the odds of winning were only 1 in 5. If he wasn't scared away after his exhaustive research, then I wouldn't be either.
Posted by: rfuerst911sc Feb 16 2013, 06:01 AM
I seem to recall the Tiptronic cars were less likely to have the IMS issue vs. the manual transmission. Not immune to it just less likely. I have never driven or ridden in a Boxster but I used to run against them in AX in Orlando with the Porsche club. They are a very capable car. And due to depreciation in my opinion the only way to buy is used, let the previous owner/s take the hit. Like any used Porsche buy the best you can find, get a PPI and make sure you have 3k - 4k set aside for " a surprise ". A surprise can happen with ANY used car/truck regardless of make. Go have fun.
Posted by: jsconst Feb 16 2013, 09:15 AM
Through all my research I found that hardly anyone knows the real story. If you google IMS bearing failure lots of information will pop up, including LN Engineerings website, they have a whole section on it.
This is what I found out, these type bearings for the IMS were used between 97 and 08 So to avoid the problem you have to buy an 09.
The problem seems to be the way the bearing is lubricated, or not, and causes it to fail, and destroys the motor when it goes.
Automatic/manual doesn't matter, the problems in the engine.
Seems to happen more on cars that sit, or driven lightly, but not always.
Some have gone at 15k some went over 100k.
Jake make a warning system you can install to monitor it, or LN Engineering has a retrofit bearing.
Personally, I wouldn't own one without fixing it , for me the risk is too great, if the engine blows those cars are really worthless.
It amazes me how uninformed people are about this, also how little they seem to care when they do find out. I guess there are just a lot of people with the mindset.....it will never happen to me! 
I say, be informed.......make better decisions.
Jeff
Posted by: PBC914 Feb 16 2013, 09:38 AM
Excellent appreciate everyone's comments...
Posted by: JRust Feb 16 2013, 10:22 AM
I'd buy an S if I got it cheap enough. I'd drive it till the motor failed & put an LS1 in it's place 
Posted by: Jake Raby Feb 16 2013, 10:26 AM
IMPOSSIBLE to calculate.
Because no one knows how many were repaired under warranty, how many were built exactly, how many have failed and been mis-diagnosed.
We received nine failure calls this week, making that the second craziest week on the records here.
Posted by: Spoke Feb 16 2013, 10:57 AM
Drove one home tonight with a 300RWHP Raby engine. The only chick that drives a car like this is one who likes to keep the car sideways through three gears.
Interesting upgrade. Got any pics?
Posted by: Jake Raby Feb 16 2013, 11:05 AM
Drove one home tonight with a 300RWHP Raby engine. The only chick that drives a car like this is one who likes to keep the car sideways through three gears.
Interesting upgrade. Got any pics?
Nah... It looks stock, nothing impressive. Thats the way we love it.
Here is one of the only pics that matters :-)
More of them here at http://www.facebook.com/fixabrokensix
And this one changes the whole game... Charles and I invented this one and its been a group effort between both our businesses and teams to develop it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCqiYU9uU1Y&feature=player_embedded
Posted by: tadink Feb 16 2013, 11:11 AM
I've got a 97 with 59k miles on it, it's silver, been storing it for my stepfather for two years now. Drove it around before I got my 914 on the road, other than the power, I didn't feel comfortable driving it, seems like you sit too low compared to the dash height. And I'm over 6'. Hate the parking brake lever location.
Also the resale sucks, been trying to help him sell his for quite a while.
And it's IMS that's the problem, but no one seems to put much weight in a repaired IMS.
We replaced the stock with LN engineerings retrofit, a $2400.00 upgrade, but still don't get offers any higher than a comparable car without it.
My opinion, a waste of money, unless you get it dirt cheap so you can drive it to death and don't look back
Jeff
I might be interested - what are you asking for the car?
td
Posted by: jsconst Feb 16 2013, 01:01 PM
I've got a 97 with 59k miles on it, it's silver, been storing it for my stepfather for two years now. Drove it around before I got my 914 on the road, other than the power, I didn't feel comfortable driving it, seems like you sit too low compared to the dash height. And I'm over 6'. Hate the parking brake lever location.
Also the resale sucks, been trying to help him sell his for quite a while.
And it's IMS that's the problem, but no one seems to put much weight in a repaired IMS.
We replaced the stock with LN engineerings retrofit, a $2400.00 upgrade, but still don't get offers any higher than a comparable car without it.
My opinion, a waste of money, unless you get it dirt cheap so you can drive it to death and don't look back
Jeff
I might be interested - what are you asking for the car?
He's asking $10,500.00, but come look at it and make him an offer, he lost his license (Parkinson's ) and can't drive it anymore.
td
Posted by: thomasotten Feb 18 2013, 03:50 PM
Been reading a similar thread on the 986forum. Apparently, the Boxster guys occasionally get this "yeah but it's not a real Porsche" comment that we 914 owners are so acustom to. I am not really sure of the reason, being that the power plant is Porsche all the way with the Boxster.
So now that I own a Boxster as well as two 914's, do they all somehow total up to be equal to at least one real Porsche?
Posted by: Jake Raby Feb 18 2013, 05:48 PM
Been reading a similar thread on the 986forum. Apparently, the Boxster guys occasionally get this "yeah but it's not a real Porsche" comment that we 914 owners are so acustom to. I am not really sure of the reason, being that the power plant is Porsche all the way with the Boxster.
So now that I own a Boxster as well as two 914's, do they all somehow total up to be equal to at least one real Porsche?
It don't matter... They all blow up equally.
Posted by: DWSIX Feb 18 2013, 06:42 PM
Hoping the members here that also have Boxsters can give me some of their feedback and experience with the model.
I've been looking at Boxsters for over awhile. I drove a 2007 Boxster S automatic with Triptonic today that has 14,429 miles on it.
It is being sold by a non-Porsche dealer. I have scoured the Boxster websites, but the main issue that seems to come up is the rear main seal (RMS) and the potential destruction of the engine if their is a catastrophic failure of the seal. Appears to have been corrected from 2009 forward. I called our local Porsche dealership, they reviewed the work history on the car and there is nothing for RMS.
I looked underneath and it appears very clean. The dealer gave me a carfax report which shows the owner history etc, but nothing shows up that would cause concern (i don't trust carfax reports provided by a dealer-seems self serving).
Long story short, those of you with experience-I'm hoping you can provide me with the good/bad/ugly of your experiences. Appreciate the feedback!
I have owned 5 of em. All S...would not go with a non S. Would always be wishing I had an S.
I think they are great cars......kind of like a modern day 914.
07 is a good year, but electronics were upgraded in 09 to include bluetooth. Better Navi system in 09 and some other improvements.
Good luck.....but don't be surprised if you feel like the 911 is what real Porsche men drive.
Boxsters are very much a girls' Porsche 
, even though it is plenty masculine for a man....I just don't see many women driving 911s.
Posted by: somd914 Feb 18 2013, 09:41 PM
"...07 is a good year, but electronics were upgraded in 09 to include bluetooth. Better Navi system in 09 and some other improvements..."
But what about handling, power, ergonomics, etc.? New cars, it's all about the bells and whistles...
Powered by Invision Power Board (http://www.invisionboard.com)
© Invision Power Services (http://www.invisionpower.com)