buyers guide link please ?

[Boxsum]

Good evening everyone.

Is there a buyers guide thread on here to all the details on buying a 987? ie which is the best model to buy, black edition or rs60 etc ? And what to look out for, is the gen 2 free of bore score etc ?

Have owned a 986 for over 12 years but possibly looking for something new.

Thankyou

[iborguk]

Porsche Club GB 987 Buyers guide

https://www.porscheclubgb.com/regions-registers/registers/modern/boxster/boxster-buyers-guides/987-buyers-guide

 

Some personal thoughts which I put together for someone new to Boxsters, so some of this will be of less interest to you...

 

Some suggestions aside from all the regular 2nd hand car stuff to look for (tyres etc) ...don't let any of it put you off they are all brilliant cars when well sorted , just sharing some tips for what I would look for now I've owned a couple...

Buy on condition not mileage is a forum mantra and is sound advice.

Check the roof operation and that it sits correctly both sides, easy fix re roof elastic normally if it doesn't,.

Check Windows go up/down with roof. Window regulators can get tired at this kind of age. If you hear rattling coming from the doors when driving that could be a few things including worn regulators, window position (which is adjustable for both vertical position and rake).

Check the roof rear drains are clear, which you can see with the roof half-way up. This is normally a clue as to how careful the owner is in looking after the car. Blocked drains can lead to water getting into the car under the seats, causing havoc with the electronics under the passenger seat. Drain check and clear should be a regular maintenance item for any Boxster, especially those living outside most of the time.

Check the areas under the seats are dry (pull up the carpet and check the foam underlay, behind the seats, don't just look at the carpet) and check it shows isn't damp/shows no signs of water ingress (again re drains)

Evidence of coolant pipes including cross-overs having been done (about 1k to do that lot - mine needed them done at 32k miles and when it was 10 years old)

Inside of disk brakes - they like to corrode even though can look fine from the outside (tip always give the car an Italian tune-up after washing the wheels, helps prevent this)

Brake bleed nipples like to corrode on the callipers (you normally only find out at brake fluid change time)

If PDK , look for evidence of PDK clutch fluid change having been done to schedule - every 6 years/60k miles. Look for any evidence of leaks off the PDK box.  PDK Transmission oil also needs changing every 12 years/120k miles They are solid gearboxes in the most part, expensive (7k OPC refurb, 15k new) to replace if you get a bad 'un. Don't let that put you off the right car, just be aware.

If a Porsche original battery check the negative terminal for week and year stamp - will tell you how old it is. Anything over about 5 years old be prepared to replace it.

Check what suspension parts have been replaced - lower coffin arms are a common requirement (check for rattle, rattle, rattle) when driving

General exhaust condition. The manifold studs to the rear boxes are a weak point, check to see if they have been replaced, originals are made from Camembert, rust to nothing and allow the triangular joint to blow. Easy to fix in the right pair of hands. I had mine done for £220 by someone who knew what they were doing in 2 hours.

Check the aircon/climate control is working. Stone hits to the rads/condensers are not uncommon with the leaks they bring. Assuming UV dye in the system a UV torch (few quid from Amazon) will show any leaks.

If it has heated seats check they are in working order.

The 987.2 interior feels a step forward to a more modern car, as one would expect.

Standard lights are poor, go Bi-Xenon if you can, cars with headlight washers should designate those are on-board.

Check front end paint work for stone chips. Lots of these cars will have front end resprays as they pick up stone chips.

Service History (a guide not a guarantee car will be in great condition). Plugs, Serpentine belt and Brake fluid are all extras in Porsche servicing land - again ensure they have been done as needed.

Coil packs can crack with age and when they get hot in the wet and cause misfires (ask me how I know - had this happen 2 weeks into ownership of a 987.1 !)

I hope some of that helps.

 

[Mattman42]

Gen 2 cars are generally less likely to suffer from bore score as they are a different design. 987.1 2.7 and the gen 2 cars are generally considered the 'safest' bet but there are always exceptions and the actual number is supposedly a relatively small percentage. 

[iborguk]

Bang for buck I personally think the 987.2 is the sweet spot.

Edited January 7 by iborguk

[anopenmind]

On 1/7/2024 at 2:25 PM, iborguk said:

Bang for buck I personally think the 987.2 is the sweet spot.

Why?  There are some really nice looking 987.1 cars for around £10k, but it seems you need to almost double that budget to get a 987.2…

Genuine question - I’m looking around at 987 S cars with manual boxes on the usual sites, I don’t know a huge amount about these but what you can get for £10k seems like phenomenal bang-for-buck….?

[iborguk]

Personal opinion.

More modern interior feel, IMS is gone, PDK is an option (not everyone likes that and it can bring it's own issues if you're unlucky).

No wrong answers re a 987 imho,  I had a 6 speed 987.1, loved it.

It's just if I had a choice and wanted another 987 I'd do a .2

Edited February 1 by iborguk

[Mattman42]

3 hours ago, anopenmind said:

Why?  There are some really nice looking 987.1 cars for around £10k, but it seems you need to almost double that budget to get a 987.2…

Genuine question - I’m looking around at 987 S cars with manual boxes on the usual sites, I don’t know a huge amount about these but what you can get for £10k seems like phenomenal bang-for-buck….?

Not really - you can get pick up gen 2 cars from 10k these days - £20k is top money for a gen 2.

 

 

[Boxsum]

After a little research and a few test drives I actually think the 981 seems the car for me so going to pursue this. 
What I’ve learnt is that rather than just keep reading and looking at adverts you just need to get out there and drive a few cars . 
Thankyou for the advise 👍
 

[anopenmind]

On 2/1/2024 at 9:01 PM, Mattman42 said:

Not really - you can get pick up gen 2 cars from 10k these days - £20k is top money for a gen 2.

 

 

I guess that’s for the 2.9 (non-S) rather than the 3.4s?  Even then, looking on Autotrader there’s only one 2009+ car below £15k with a manual box.  Only three below £17k. 

Or have I misunderstood what a Gen 2 car is?  I thought it was MY2009+?

[½cwt]

43 minutes ago, anopenmind said:

I guess that’s for the 2.9 (non-S) rather than the 3.4s?  Even then, looking on Autotrader there’s only one 2009+ car below £15k with a manual box.  Only three below £17k. 

Or have I misunderstood what a Gen 2 car is?  I thought it was MY2009+?

Yes, Gen 2 or 987.2 2009 to 2012 model years inclusive.

[iborguk]

44 minutes ago, anopenmind said:

I guess that’s for the 2.9 (non-S) rather than the 3.4s?  Even then, looking on Autotrader there’s only one 2009+ car below £15k with a manual box.  Only three below £17k. 

Or have I misunderstood what a Gen 2 car is?  I thought it was MY2009+?

Kind of two factors there, not as many Gen2's were sold and a lot of them are PDK (don't knock it till you've tried it, although again I still like a manual too).