Early Boxsters one of eight best sub £10K investment cars for 2022

[ATM]

1 minute ago, Photogirl said:

😄 Then go for it!

Nothing wrong with making your car unique, even if you go full-on nuclear tacky. Seriously - it's yours so do what makes you happiest. Not everybody has potential resale in mind. I recently opened a thread on this very subject, after somebody (elsewhere) questioned my plans to colour my brake calipers. I think my overall view is that mods are good fun but I'd tend to focus on the ones which are either subtle or easy to reverse if you grow tired of them and want to revert to original.

Don't worry I'm not bothered about resale. It took me 3 or 4 years to find my 986 so I know if I sell it I'll be looking for another and I don't want to do that again.

 

No the problem for me is deciding what I want. Do I want it to look retro cool original or not original. I'm already having a serious dilemma over wheels which I won't bore you with.

 

I've already changed the seats because the originals were uncomfortable but I still don't quite fit. Next might be butchering the back of the seat and the bulkhead to gain a precious cm.

[Geopat]

Mine is all original although because it has litronics it looks like it’s been updated.

I even renewed the plastic rear window in the summer.

Big decision is whether or not to fit the retro new PSM unit.

Edited December 11, 2021 by Geopat

[ATM]

1 minute ago, Geopat said:

Mine is all original although because it has litronics it looks like it’s been updated.

I even renewed the plastic rear window in the summer.

Big decision is whether or not to fit the retro new PSM unit.

You mean PCM?

 

I think I'm removing my centre console so I'll need to stick to a single slot radio. Tempted to just use the phone mounted to the dash. Seems a lot simpler. Then I'll have no radio. Just Bluetooth the noise to a different amp in the froot.

[½cwt]

1 hour ago, ATM said:

You mean PCM?

 

I think I'm removing my centre console so I'll need to stick to a single slot radio. Tempted to just use the phone mounted to the dash. Seems a lot simpler. Then I'll have no radio. Just Bluetooth the noise to a different amp in the froot.

Take a look a the VDO/Continental head units.  They look more Becker like than most options out there and come with all the modern toys DAB, Bluetooth & phone.

986 silver with red roof - calling @the baron

Quite like mine with blue over silver, not so many around...

[the baron]

27 minutes ago, ½cwt said:

Take a look a the VDO/Continental head units.  They look more Becker like than most options out there and come with all the modern toys DAB, Bluetooth & phone.

986 silver with red roof - calling @the baron

Quite like mine with blue over silver, not so many around...

Somebody order a silver Boxster with red roof?

[edc]

1 hour ago, Geopat said:

Mine is all original although because it has litronics it looks like it’s been updated.

I even renewed the plastic rear window in the summer.

Big decision is whether or not to fit the retro new PSM unit.

Why is it a big decision? Headunit is easily swapped back again if you so wish. 

[Little Silver]

14 hours ago, Geopat said:

Did it sell?

To be honest I have no idea, I really didn’t have any interest in it other than the price. I think the dealer tends to go for very low mileage vehicles, mainly classics. Eventually they seem to sell.

[Geopat]

18 hours ago, edc said:

Why is it a big decision? Headunit is easily swapped back again if you so wish. 

It’s around £2k fitted so not to be taken lightly.

[Boxob]

Perhaps there is something in it?

According to This is Money (14 December 2021) reporting on the Hagerty Bull Market List: 

Classic cars experts say you should buy right now: From the reborn Mini Cooper to the lightning-fast Ferrari 458 - ten predicted to soar in value from 2022

If you're a regular reader of classic car stories on This is Money you will know that we have recommended the original Porsche Boxster as a solid investment before - namely our first 'classic cars better than cash in the bank' feature this year.

1999 Porsche Boxster 2.5 specs 

Engine: 6-cyl boxer, 2480cc

Transmission: 5-speed manual, RWD 

Power: 204bhp @ 6000rpm

Weight: 1250kg

The Boxster, by sharing its componentry with the 996-generation 911 and debuting far more efficient production methods at the company, single-handedly helped save Porsche at the turn of the century. 

Today, the 986 Boxster is seen as one of the most affordable ways to own the iconic marque, with many early reviews claiming it to be a better driver’s car than the 911 of the day.

The two-seat roadster is becoming an increasingly familiar sight at auction in the UK. In 2017, fewer than 50 were sold that way, but in 2021 Hagerty reports that number has trebled, to nearly 150 sales. 

Of those going to the block, 89 per cent sell successfully on average. This indicates that the original Boxster has found its place with the modern-classic crowd, and a rise in average values of nearly five per cent in the last year is further reflection of this.

 

Edited December 14, 2021 by Boxob

[½cwt]

On 12/12/2021 at 6:48 PM, Geopat said:

It’s around £2k fitted so not to be taken lightly.

Huge investment in a car worth around £5-6k even if all the other mechanical work like suspension, brakes, clutch, RMS, air con condensers, rads, header tank (another £5k all in) have been done....  Keep the original unit to refit for originality in the future and put a less costly, but still good, unit in and bear in mind the original sound system speakers and the whole cabin environment is not an audiophile's dream.

[Geopat]

5 minutes ago, ½cwt said:

Huge investment in a car worth around £5-6k even if all the other mechanical work like suspension, brakes, clutch, RMS, air con condensers, rads, header tank (another £5k all in) have been done....  Keep the original unit to refit for originality in the future and put a less costly, but still good, unit in and bear in mind the original sound system speakers and the whole cabin environment is not an audiophile's dream.

Thanks, however the car is an immaculate 13k mile car so worth a bit more.   I think I’ll keep the originality. I won’t be going down the cheap non OEM route however.

[Menoporsche]

13k miles on a 23 year old car??!!

Poor thing!

[edc]

58 minutes ago, Geopat said:

Thanks, however the car is an immaculate 13k mile car so worth a bit more.   I think I’ll keep the originality. I won’t be going down the cheap non OEM route however.

Are you trying to keep it original as that's how you like to enjoy it or to preserve value for a future sale?

Either way a stereo change is very reversible and once back in won't affect the originality. Just stick the old one on a shelf until you sell. 

[Geopat]

5 minutes ago, Menoporsche said:

13k miles on a 23 year old car??!!

Poor thing!

I’m doing my best - 4k miles this year including NC500 (should be NC1000)

[Boxob]

This is today's Hegarty report:

1996–2004 Porsche Boxster

Several cars have been credited with saving Porsche over the years; the 924 of the 1970s, the Cayenne of the 2000s, and the company’s pivot to electric power with the Taycan will no doubt ensure its survival into the future. But in the 1990s it was the Boxster – by sharing its componentry with the 996-generation 911 and debuting far more efficient production methods at the company – that helped save Porsche.

Today the 986 Boxster (its name a cocktail mix of Boxer and Speedster) is seen as one of the most affordable ways to put a Stuttgart sports car on the driveway. It expanded Porsche’s customer base in 1996 too, but what you may not remember was just how many early reviews decreed it a better driver’s car than the 911 of the day.

Modest power from the new watercooled 2.5-litre flat-six proved little hindrance, though with 204bhp and a 0-60mph time in the mid-sixes, it was undoubtedly one of the Boxster’s weaker attributes. As was the car’s styling, seen as flabbier and less dramatic than the 1993 concept that spawned it, but viewed through the lens of 2020s motoring, the accessible performance and ‘90s curves (with those characteristic ‘fried egg’ headlights) no longer seem like limitations.

Nor, any longer, is price. At launch, the £33,950 Porsche asked for a Boxster was at the upper end of its class, though still little more than half that of a 3.6 Carrera, which was £61,395 that year. But Robert Gardian, the owner of the car you see here, paid an astonishing £2000 for it. While that’s lower than most, you can still get a decent Boxster today for little more than a similarly decent Mk1 MX-5. Gardian’s car has needed only standard maintenance since, and while it isn’t used daily, it is certainly used regularly, both on his local Welsh roads and further afield.

Some criticise the 986’s cabin for feeling a little cheap, but that’s only by the standard of other Porsches. Today it feels sturdy, with well-padded seats and an ideal, low-set driving position. The distinctive Porsche instrument binnacle sits ahead of the steering wheel, and there’s enough stowage space to make this roadster surprisingly practical, including handy cubbies in the doors’ armrests. Talking of usability, the Boxster boasts a boot and a ‘frunk’, so you can pack a fair number of bags for weekend escapes.

Such everyday details will be forgotten within minutes though, as you’ll be distracted by the quality of the Boxster’s controls. The steering weight is surprisingly meaty for a car that today feels quite small, but once up to speed the weighting is nigh-on perfect, and it’s not long before your fingertips register subtle messages from the road. Balance is notably mid-engined, but not scarily so, and the modest output and precise, predictable throttle response keep you out of trouble either way.

The highlight has to be that flat-six though: Cultured at low revs, the note hardens as you pass around 4000rpm, and the gearshift is as sweet as they come whether racing up or blipping down the ‘box. For a car more than two decades old, the brakes still feel mighty, too.

There are some known mechanical issues with these early Boxsters, from scoring in the cylinder bores to failure of the intermediate shaft ‘IMS’ bearing. You can refer to Hagerty’s buying guide for more details, but specialists are now well versed in rectification and prevention.

After some time behind the wheel, it’s hard not to conclude that the two grand Gardian paid – or even the five grand at which 986s are plentiful – simply will not buy you a better car. That Porsche crest on the bonnet is just the icing on the cake.

1999 Porsche Boxster 2.5
Engine: 6-cyl boxer, 2480cc
Transmission: 5-speed manual, RWD
Power: 204bhp @ 6000rpm
Weight: 1250kg

The Hagerty Valuation Team says
Hagerty Price Guide range, Fair to Concours: £4,875 to £12,650

The Boxster is becoming an increasingly familiar sight at auction in the UK. In 2017, fewer than 50 were sold that way, but in 2021 we’ve seen that number treble, to nearly 150 sales. The sell-through rate sits at 89 per cent, too. This indicates that the original, 986 Boxster has found its place with the modern-classic crowd, drivers who want a car that’s as useable and turn-key reliable as it is exciting to drive with the roof down and flat-six singing. A rise in average values of 5.3 per cent since mid-2019 is a further reflection of its current popularity, as are the number of adverts that exceed our top Price Guide value – usually a marker of a model increasing in value.

https://www.hagerty.co.uk/articles/market-analysis/2022-bull-market-list-10-of-britains-hottest-collectable-cars/

[½cwt]

5 hours ago, Geopat said:

I’m doing my best - 4k miles this year including NC500 (should be NC1000)

Interesting dilemma, keep miles down for value or enjoy the car...  I'd still consider an OE looking unit like the Continental ones to get modern functionality and swap back to the original at show or sale time.

[Geopat]

9 minutes ago, ½cwt said:

Interesting dilemma, keep miles down for value or enjoy the car...  I'd still consider an OE looking unit like the Continental ones to get modern functionality and swap back to the original at show or sale time.

I’ve only had it a couple of years and envisage an average mileage of around 2/3k pa. It will still be low miles for its age but no garage queen.

[½cwt]

1 minute ago, Geopat said:

I’ve only had it a couple of years and envisage an average mileage of around 2/3k pa. It will still be low miles for its age but no garage queen.

But then it will gather miles and originality will become less important, even a concourse one according to Hegarty eport  currently only at around £12.5k.  Will a £2k infotainment system upgrade add or detract from that?  Your call at the end of the day however.  Just enjoy!

[Little Silver]

I like to keep my classic cars as original as possible  my choice. My Morgans, when I owned them were completely stock from the factory and that did help when it came to sell them. My 911 Carrera was also completely stock in as much as any replacement parts were to the same spec as the originals. When I came to sell it on an auction site the most questions I got was about the cars originality, mainly did it have the original engine and gearbox, was it still in first paint and how original was the interior. The guy who bought it was a dealer and he bought it for his own collection and the only reason he bought it was because it was so unmolested.

However I’m a great believer in if it’s your car, your money and you do what you want with it. Some of the backdated cars look great. There is room for all.

Edited December 15, 2021 by Little Silver