Do You Divide Your Boxster Jobs Between OPC,Specialist and General Garage?

[triang]

Hi all,

just wondering how people decided on who does the work,

Obviously complicated powertrain stuff = Porsche Specialist 

But for things like replacing CV gaitors or a shock absorber would you trust a local garage?

I have got a "tinkle" over speed bumps on the NSF wheel on my just bought 2002 pre-facelift "S" ... not a clunk or a rattle but a tinkle like two metal wahers bouning against each other??? and my for my first stop I was considering a local general garage.

Whaddya think?

[Menoporsche]

Surprised if people take a car more than 10 years old to OPC. I know a few do ($$!)

You've left out DIY.  And as many people say these cars aren't difficult to work on, that would imply that a local garage could handle it.

Your key word is Trust.  Do you trust a local a) not to double the price as it's a Porsche, b) not to rag it down the street "testing" the new wheel bearing?

[Nobbie]

I'd see if the General garage were confident about what the issue was. The last thing you want is for them to change the wrong part and still bill you for it because you agreed to the specific work they suggested 'might' cure it. I'd be more confident that the specialist would be able to pinpoint the issue based on their long experience with these cars. I be

I believe the different suspension faults are quite distinctive to the experienced ear.

[Topbox]

No, I believe it would undermine your relationship with your specialist. I say that as someone who  has three cars looked after by a good,trusted, local independent garage, but I take the Boxster to a Porsche specialist for servicing.  My local garage know I own a Boxster as they do the MOT but happily agree with my reasons for taking it to a Porsche specialist for servicing.

[edc]

What are the respective labour rates in your area? My local Porsche indy labour rate is barely any different to a respectable all makes garage. 

[usman10316]

Never taken it to OPC for any sort of servicing. Only go to OPC to buy parts that are reasonably priced. If its a DIY - then I'll DIY, more complicated jobs - I'll take it to a specialist - mainly Revolution who have sadly seen a lot of it last month (and still there now).

[John2000]

I used my local garage once to fit a AOS the reason was the car was new to me and I had not long been a member of the forum and I had used this local garage for many years and always been happy with the work they did on my every day car but never again, they don't understand the boxta. I would now only use a porsche specialist 

[AMacdonald]

My nearest OPC is 80 miles away and the closest indie with a good reputation is even further so I do the majority of reasonable jobs myself. I have a garage full of suspension parts just waiting for a free weekend, for example. Revolution get everything I don't feel confident about handling myself. A semi-local garage (20 miles away) claims to specialise in Porsche so would have a chance of anything urgent and critical. The 986 has been my most reliable car ever though - the only actual fault in 3 years has been a window regulator.

And yes, I know what I've just done......

[PaulQ]

DIY or local garage for servicing and parts replacement. Specialist for any diagnostics stuff or Porsche specific jobs. 

[Sazzy]

I wouldn't use an OPC for a 986 the age they are. My nearest is over 70 miles away anyway, though I have used them for parts. Have done a lot DIY as also any proper Porsche specialist is even further away. 

The car goes to one place for mot and servicing that was recommended to me, I've often seen other Porsches in there as well as other marques.

I wonder sometimes if my relationship with them is somewhat compromised as they would think I'm getting certain other bits of work done somewhere else but it's never been to another garage. That and perhaps 'cos I'm a woman...

[triang]

Thanks all ... you've sort of swayed my decsion that diagnosing a "tinkle" from a "twing" or a "rattle" of a "clonk" is best left to a specialist who have probabally seen it all before and can zoom in on the problem...anyway my first Porsche so worth the money to establish a relationship with them (explaining how I will want to book a lot of work with them in the futre to get it "tip top" - and thus avoid being too burnt as they might want to impress me instead of seeing a one-off chance to sting a newbie!

[Menoporsche]

Where are you and who will you go with?

[the baron]

A Porsche specialist for any jobs I can’t do, i service the car myself and obviously I use a good tyre firm for renewals and balancing etc.

[headless]

I have a tyre and exhaust guy that I've always gone to, and I have a place that does all my servicing and MOTs, I've taken the Boxster to them for it's MOT and told them that it's just been serviced so will be good for 2 years, haha, I'll cross that bridge when the time comes, I've taken it to Kev at DW in Wellingborough for the service and a Gundo Hack, then for an oil and filter change on the Tip gearbox cos it was slipping slightly, will never use OPC cos it's 12 years old, but have bought parts there!!

[edc]

To be fair OPC do a reasonably priced menu service. They also do a traffic light check sheet which gives you something to plan future work around. Equally you can get the same from an indy although it might not look as pretty. Once you know what works needs to be done you can prioritize and do some as DIY. 

[triang]

3 hours ago, Menoporsche said:

Where are you and who will you go with?

Hi Menoporsche - I'm in central London mostly but also in Norwich and Sheffield a lot so I get about! 

I have had a recommendation from a neighbour for RGA Porsche Specialist in Vauxhall - I'll put a question up on the forum to see if anyone has any feedback on them.

Thanks!

[Nickyg63]

i've not had mine very long. my intention is to take it to my specialist for just about everything, im going to do what i can myself. Its going to get a key at my local OPC this weekend.

[el 3.2S]

I have had my 986 for just over 4 years and in that time only used a local garage once to fix a sheared brake bleed nipple. All the other jobs (not that there have been that many) have been done by myself and youtube.

[MichaelAC]

I had a similar topic regarding Kwik Fit doing a simple job like replacing shocks. 

I don't trust franchised dealers after trying them with my Audi and more recently my Volvo and on both occasions they genuinely did mislead me and overcharge me. I learned that a dealer stamp means nothing because they do not count everything necessary in a service as service items such as brake fluid change that hadn't been done at the last owner's service by the dealer. The stamp was still in the book as they took the owners request not to do it and only the oil and filter change was a service item. 

Anyway, I have also recently bought my 986 and I do not take short cuts on work or miss any service items on any of my cars. There is a local Porsche specialist and they've given me quite a high labour charge for replacing shocks so I've asked another garage that specialise in German cars and have dealt with my Audi and R53 Cooper Works. They said they thought they should take a look at it first because they'd want to know that the front shocks actually need replacing before they did the work; he didn't have any confidence in the MOT advisory. 

Thus I'm taking it in on Monday for them to take a look while I wait and check a couple of other things on the advisories too, here's no charge for that. I'm beginning to think that because of their honesty and track record working on my cars as well as the fact I've seen a few 911s in there on previous occasions, that I may well be taking my car there - GCS Engineering in Horsham.

So in summary, there's a very good chance that all my work on the 986 will be going to an independent.

 

[jonogt6]

Ive always tried to do everything myself... with the exception of the IMS which I entrusted to Elite Motor Tune on Northampton. .

[Sazzy]

2 hours ago, MichaelAC said:

 

Thus I'm taking it in on Monday for them to take a look while I wait and check a couple of other things on the advisories too, here's no charge for that. I'm beginning to think that because of their honesty and track record working on my cars as well as the fact I've seen a few 911s in there on previous occasions, that I may well be taking my car there - GCS Engineering in Horsham.

 

 

They have a good rep 

[nick_johnson]

Suspension / Geometry = Centre Gravity 

Engine / Mechanical  = OPC Colchester / Autostrasse Coggeshall 

[edc]

25 minutes ago, nick_johnson said:

Suspension / Geometry = Centre Gravity 

Engine / Mechanical  = OPC Colchester / Autostrasse Coggeshall 

Centre Gravity are a great bunch. I have been there at least 3 times with my 2 Boxsters. However, if you have found a geo you like and your car hasn't otherwise changed suspension wise then another similarly competent outfit can dial in the same settings. If you don't need or want the other assessment or services CG do but just a relatively simple geo then this can work. I've done it this way myself. 

[LordGrover]

My local, well respected indy , is so good they're very busy. They're hardly any cheaper than local OPC either.

The two times I've attempted to use them it's been a few days before they call back with a date, which has been 5 or 6 weeks wait. No courtesy car either.

OPC has been able to fit me in within a couple of weeks and a decent courtesy car to boot (Cayman S last time). 

[JoeyH]

I see no need to go an OPC after the car has reached a certain age, to a degree you are paying for in the first few years of the cars life things like ,goodwill, proprietary knowledge and parts, a full porsche history which maintains the value of the car, and perhaps if you are the kind of buyer who buy new every few years a higher part ex premium for your old car when you buy your next one.

 

specialists for me are more needed for a marque that is relatively rare, as most high st indipendants will see less of those marques, be less aware of marque specific foibles and engine layout, and as a result can underestimate the cost of a job and give you a nasty shock at bill time or overcharge simply because they ''don't know''

Porsche cars whilst being a premium product are not exactly ''rare'' there are loads of them, and engine layout is the same pretty much for al the 986 cars with some minor differences on the 987's

parts are not cheap if you buy OE, but there are enough databases of equivelant part numbers and porsche specilaists selling quality parts in a Bosch box rather than a Porsche one.

 

for a variocam replacement for example I would go to a good Porsche specialist, but for regular things, brakes, oil, suspenson,sensors, tyres,I would go to a good Indie.

 

most I do myself to be honest but there re some jobs i wouldn't take on with these cars, aformentioned varocam, due to cost of tools to ensure the timing is right afterwards, and the amount of hours involved, but pretty much everything else I would ( and have ) tackle myself.

I think Alfa's require specialist mechanics more than Porsche to be honest, rarer, more difficult to work on, like Porsche not OBD compliant, and full of ''quirks'' that need experinenced hands to mitigate for.

I say regular servicing do it yourself, it's sooo easy on these cars! but for the heavier stuff a good indie, then for stuff like the expansion tank, master cylinder, and any ''head off'' related issues a good Indie Porsche specialist is the wise choice.

 

stay away from kwik fit, national tyres and autocare, HiQ and ATS euromaster and you can't go far wrong..

 

oh and anything with Mr at the front, Mr tyres, Mr clutch, Mr Exhaust, you get the drift, take your Porsche and drive like the wind!

I mean, you wouldn't let a guy called Mr vasectomy anywhere near your crown jewels now would you  ???