frightened of big bills

[DaveEFI]

Surely things like brakes and tyres are merely consumables that need routine replacement on any vehicle? And easy to check before buying?

[rhys57]

I've had my 987 2. 7 for 3 years and my bills are below I've spent around 6.5k don't get me wrong most of the work did not need doing but I like to keep my car well maintained. In a few weeks I will be spending another £1600 on a clutch, coolant crossover pipes, brakes pipes and pads. 

Boxster spend

6/7/17 - mats,badge, wheels nuts £170
15/7/17- steering wheel refurb £150
20/7/17 - cd control knobs £30
7/9/17 - decals £60
8/9/17- coils packs x6 £160
20/9/17 - spark plugs £30
26/9/17- alloys refurb/calipers £200
3/11/17- service £240
17/11/17- mot/coffin arms £450
23/01/18- exhaust tips £200
25/5/18- front bumper respray £350
2/9/18 - pcw exhaust/exhaust clamps£380

[rhys57]

Also these 

14/9/18 - bumpers & vents painted £450
06/10/18- new bosch s4 battery £100
13/11/18- service/mot/gearbox oil £500
28/02/18- new blitsen b4 dampers £750
14/2/19- center gravity, pro springs £1700
14/5/19-new gear gaitor/gearknob, handbrake leathers £150
14/11/19- Mot and service £240
Total £6440

[jim o'hara]

thanks Rhys

but as you say tons of these are not really that necessary surely - why are you servicing it every year for starters 

ive listed the real necessities below - the total is just over £2k - that's about £650 per year

not saying the others didn't need doing, but if you buy a well sorted car, then a lot of these would not be necessary

thanks for the info though 

jim

8/9/17- coils packs x6 £160
20/9/17 - spark plugs £30
26/9/17- alloys refurb/calipers £200
3/11/17- service £240
17/11/17- mot/coffin arms £450
2/9/18 - pcw exhaust/exhaust clamps£38
06/10/18- new bosch s4 battery £100
13/11/18- service/mot/gearbox oil £500
14/11/19- Mot and service £240

[Scubaregs]

I think the general point being made is any car can give an unexpected bill at any time, especially older cars. If you don't think you would be in a position to deal with such, perhaps this is not the time to buy.

[rhys57]

24 minutes ago, jim o'hara said:

thanks Rhys

but as you say tons of these are not really that necessary surely - why are you servicing it every year for starters 

ive listed the real necessities below - the total is just over £2k - that's about £650 per year

not saying the others didn't need doing, but if you buy a well sorted car, then a lot of these would not be necessary

thanks for the info though 

jim

8/9/17- coils packs x6 £160
20/9/17 - spark plugs £30
26/9/17- alloys refurb/calipers £200
3/11/17- service £240
17/11/17- mot/coffin arms £450
2/9/18 - pcw exhaust/exhaust clamps£38
06/10/18- new bosch s4 battery £100
13/11/18- service/mot/gearbox oil £500
14/11/19- Mot and service £240

Hi Jim when I got the car it was a well sorted car with the water pump and condensers just been done, I thinks it's very important to at least carry out a oil service every year. Mine is a 2006 56reg 2.7 and it's got 10 service stamps, the car is totally immaculate which is important to me really. I do think you need to budget £1500 a year for maintenance on a older car. 

[jim o'hara]

thanks Rhys, i do like to keep my cars immaculate too, but in this case i may have to keep it just as a driver - we shall see - i agree on the oil change yearly, but tbh if a lot of the main stuff ihas been done, then if im only doing 3k a year, then i know i can do it ob less than £1500/year

jim

[rhys57]

3 minutes ago, jim o'hara said:

thanks Rhys, i do like to keep my cars immaculate too, but in this case i may have to keep it just as a driver - we shall see - i agree on the oil change yearly, but tbh if a lot of the main stuff ihas been done, then if im only doing 3k a year, then i know i can do it ob less than £1500/year

jim

This is my second porsche I had a 911 before that I love the brand and love owning a porsche but they are expensive to run, I also only do around 3k a year its not my daily drive 

[PaulQ]

43 minutes ago, Scubaregs said:

I think the general point being made is any car can give an unexpected bill at any time, especially older cars.

But the question was big bills, and how likely. 

I've not had any big bills on mine in the 5 years I've owned it and that's a 22 year old car heading for 150k miles on the clock that cost me less then 3 grand. 

Fuel pump failure is the only thing that's make it stop when I didn't want it to : ) 

If I had bought something on its original clutch, suspension, water pump, radiators etc, then I probably would have been paying for these jobs to be done, not the previous owner. 

I've replaced quite a few things like window regulators, CV boots etc, but it's pretty much all wear and tear stuff and not that expensive 

As you say, stuff can unexpectedly fail, but you really can minimise that risk if you buy wisely. 

 

[PaulQ]

49 minutes ago, jim o'hara said:

why are you servicing it every year for starters 

I change my oil every 6 months. For less then 50 quid, I would be mad not too, especially considering my usage. 

I think 2 year service intervals are a bad idea, and I'm not sure I would even buy a car run like this considering the cost of an oil change. 

Paranoid.? Probably, but an engine failure makes any 986 and lots of cheaper 987 cars effectively scrap. 

[Scubaregs]

52 minutes ago, PaulQ said:

I've not had any big bills on mine in the 5 years I've owned it and that's a 22 year old car heading for 150k miles on the clock that cost me less then 3 grand. 

You've not, others have.

I wouldn't be buying a car that an unexpected bill was not something I could deal with. The simple answer is no one can guarantee there won't be an unexpected bill no matter how the car has been maintained.

[PaulQ]

1 minute ago, Scubaregs said:

The simple answer is no one can guarantee there won't be an unexpected bill no matter how the car has been maintained.

Of course not. 

But the majority of the things that people are listing on this thread are ware and tear items, so really shouldn't be unexpected. 

Unexpected failures are not that common. 

[naim22]

1 hour ago, Scubaregs said:

You've not, others have.

I wouldn't be buying a car that an unexpected bill was not something I could deal with. The simple answer is no one can guarantee there won't be an unexpected bill no matter how the car has been maintained.

I think the only way to absolutely avoid this is to buy something inside a warranty or to not own a car at all

Every car out there can fail catastrophically at any time, regardless of its past maintenance or reputation for reliability. 

All that can be done is to minimise the chance, but it can never be taken to zero.

These cars are certainly well engineered, every manufacturer has its strong and weak areas but as a whole from my experience they do come across as designed not to generate large warranty for the manufacturer, which generally translates to reduced likelihood of large costs down the line.

The best thing that can be done IMO is to buy a car you like/want, and just enjoy it. It doesn't feel so bad spending money on it if it's rewarding which I believe these cars are.

[PaulQ]

18 minutes ago, naim22 said:

All that can be done is to minimise the chance, but it can never be taken to zero.

Pretty much sums it up. 

[jim o'hara]

thanks for all the contributions - very useful

jim

[Strosek]

Jim, is a 2.7 Tip 2008 any good? Rare Gt Silver with extended Cocoa Leather 65k miles 5 owners we are the 4th & 5th. 18” alloys with new F1’s tyres on the rear. Last service was a major at a Porsche specialist who has maintained the car for the last 3 keepers and 6 years. Fully documented invoice supported main dealer and recognised specialists. Owned last four years. I’m my time usual preventives plus pads & disc all round. Radiators and condensers,  Zunsport grilles. Bose HiFi, Heated Seats. Climate control which is ice cold. Parking sensors, 3 later keys. Hood, paintwork and interior all superb. Used daily alongside a 981. Was going to advertise in spring. Hoping to get 11k for it, open to inspection and would be happy to put most items listed if any on inspection at my cost. 

[John K]

@Strosek, that is a lovely colour combo 

But I'm confused, are you selling the car or the skip 

[Menoporsche]

11 hours ago, Strosek said:

Hoping to get 11k for it

That’s a big hope. 

[PaulQ]

47 minutes ago, Strosek said:

Seems in the last year or so 987’s have tanked 

No bigger drop then in previous years tbh

[edc]

36 minutes ago, Strosek said:

Opinions on price to sell not hang about, next service (small) due 12/20. Was offered £9500 in Aug 19 @ Porsche but bought without exchange as wasn’t ready to sell then. So thought 1k ish more seemed right.  

But that was peak season and it's had a further 4 months of depreciation. 

[PaulQ]

4 minutes ago, edc said:

But that was peak season and it's had a further 4 months of depreciation. 

I think the fact its a tip with cocoa interior might make it a tricky sell, even if it was a bit cheaper...... 

 

[iborguk]

@jim o'haraAlternative thinking and equally a bit of a punt but why not go something entry levelish, drive it and if it falls to bits go again ?

As my dad used to say "Ain't no money in cars boy". Well mostly true unless you buy something which becomes sort after...

Example PuntMobile

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Porsche-Boxster-S-3-2-Manual/153771079871?hash=item23cd7878bf:g:ALIAAOSwzp1d7~-A

 

[el 3.2S]

On 24 de diciembre de 2019 at 8:38 PM, jim o'hara said:

been lurking around for some time, and still considering a 987 - mainly looking at a Cayman, but will consider a boxster as they are couple grand cheaper  - considering a 2.7, maybe a 2.9 if i can stretch - although i would consider an S that's been pampered 

had an air cooled 911 before and a 996 which was pretty much faultless, bar brake pipes needing done

circumstances have changed now (couple of kids etc), and don't have the same dispensable income as i did back then - so the thought of getting a high bill kind of scares me

i have a brilliant indy close by and i'm aware of the general servicing costs, and can handle that without a major drama, but i simply would struggle with an unexpected bill of like £1500/£2000 etc

i know the pitfalls of the potential things that can go wrong through age/mlg eg - front coolant pipes, discs & pads, water pump, oil separator, gear linkage cables

so question is - IF i could get a car that had been well looked after, (maybe even from a forum member), and the big money items had been done, how long would it be until they needed done again??

as i say, my 996 after 2 years, cost me peanuts to maintain, so ideally would love the same scenario

i am also aware BTW that a lot of people do tend to replace items that really do not need replaced

thanks in advance

jim 

 

Just thought I'd add my experience of Boxster ownership here.

I bought  my 2000 S model 5 years ago with around 80000 miles on the clock. Did not look at any other Boxsters and never even saw mine prior to purchase. All car purchases are a bit of a gamble after all. What attracted me to this one was, it was priced keenly at just over 5 grand and was left hand drive and I would be the third owner. The car was in great shape and seemed well looked after. Clutch was heavy and many would say it was on the way out, but 5 years on it is still heavy and still going strong. Services done every 2 years or so and no major work done apart from a drive shaft lol. Original clutch, IMS, coolant components and original M030 suspension etc. Despite this rather unconventional way of purchasing and the car's lack of yearly servicing and major work done, it has cost me the grand total of £1020 in the 5 years I have owned it.

I have no Indy garages around where I live and not prepared to pay >£100/hr Porsche labour rates, so I have done all the work myself. I am no mechanic but it has not been too hard with all the help available online. Work on my car over the 5 years has amounted to a couple of oil and filter changes, new coolant tank, water pump, belt, thermostat & coolant, discs and pads all round, brake fluid flush and new transmission fluid. I am not a fan of excessive preventative maintenance and generally feel that if it aint broke then don't fix it. Have to admit though that the water pump, belt and thermostat were preventative maintenance items on my car.

OP, as with your 996, there are Boxsters which you will be able to run on a budget, even it on paper at least, they may appear to be potential money pits to many. Hope you find something similar to what I found.

 

[Mr96er]

Bought a few budget Boxsters now and found none to be money pits. 
 

like Paul Q, the fuel pump stopped me in my tracks, and the Cats gave me sine trouble early doors. No big bills though. Window regulator, 4 wheel alignment, some body panels due to damage present when purchased. Biggest “bill” was investing in 2 lovely crested 987 g Hf eared sports seats 🥰. Can’t call it a bill, I just decided I had to have them.  

Budget Boxstering is easily done and you don’t have to spend £50,000 on a new car to avoid unexpected bills, which seems to be at least one person suggestion. You can happily take a punt at around £3.5k and find much boxtering fun with very little undesirable drama.

Jim,

if you haven’t considered Clive’s anniversary @ £8k you’re missing a trick.  

[Menoporsche]

Is that still for sale? I thought it was a pre trade in price thus limited in time?