New car

[Tosh]

After many moons of loitering on DDK with a certain loyalty to the other side of Stuttgart, but an annoying itch that requires occasional scratching for Porsche, I started looking about. Well, when I say started, I mean continued, but this time with slightly more purpose and a less opportunistic frame of mind.

I had sold my 964 as I found the pedal offset very uncomfortable (rhd) and it was getting too valuable/precious to leave in a supermarket car-park: our Pagoda fills that role. The profit made on the 964 funded (with change) the SLK32 which has been our non-family car and my most regular drive for three years, but it’s still had fewer miles put on it than the Pagoda in that time. The joys of living in London where 2 wheels is so much more efficient than 4.

But the itch...

The 993 is gorgeous but has the pedal offset and as noted in most places, is no longer cheap...So, looking along the line, I started looking at 996s. There’s some love for them on here and I realised that I like the creature comforts of my “young timer” and another might suit me well at a price point that wouldn’t offend management - particularly as it would need to live outside. Management, and the wage earner in the house, only has a licence for two pedals. I’m sure she wouldn’t flinch if I came home with an old Alfa, or Ford, but with space being a constraint, two pedals and a good auto box makes for a happy house. But for the pedal issue and mid-life crisis connotations (and thus my fear of being on the wrong end of raucous laughter from my family) I quite fancy the 308GT4 (the ugly Dino). But I digress. If it’s youngtimer Porsche, we are looking at a Tiptronic box. 996. So hell, why not go all in and look for the least loved 911 ever and narrow it down to a Targa? 996. Tip. Targa. What’s not to (dis)like?

I looked at a couple but found that over time Porsche had moved from interesting, bright safety colours to dull safe ones- or at least the owners did: Black, silver and a multitude of dark blues. Boring.

Then I spotted a reasonably cheap 86,000 mile, Orient Red tip targa so looked at it and had it inspected at the selling dealer.

It was tired with a need for a bloody good service. I cut myself on the lifting carbon trim (which was everywhere and about the only option specced), It had dings on every panel and cloudy headlights. The inspection added to the list a woefully slow targa top and rusting c-pillar, exhaust & brake lines. I tried to squeeze them on price as I figured I could handle (pay for) remedial work but no deal. It was sold a couple of days later. I am sure in years to come some smart dealer will advertise it as particularly rare in this spec/colour and premium price it accordingly. But it was a project and pricey for that.

However, like scratching a mozzie bite, the act of looking made the itch worse...

[anglophone1]

Another saga- great!!

[Tosh]

Not DarrenC-esque I am afraid. He's well above my skill grade.

[mycar]

Never mind all that... I do love a good tale.

[Tosh]

A month or two passed...

[mycar]

[Tosh]

So the search continued for a bit. Then my wife, who kept her maiden name, Box, while looking at Pistonheads over my shoulder one evening, announced that she has “always needed” a Boxster. This was new news to me after 20 years of marriage. Well, none of our little family of three is ever going to fit in the back of a 911, so, why not?...

More safe colours, but amazingly the cheapest 986s are £3k+ and most expensive are the price of a cheap 996. Obviously the 911 caché costs a lot...

And then up pops a 986.1 2.7, unadorned speed yellow... Tip, amber fried-eggs, good spec, hardtop, Good (OPC stamps up to 2012) but not complete history of work done, receipts etc. It also had a seller willing to give it a complete OPC 90,000 mile (belts, plugs, fluids and filters) service in the asking price, tax it, fill the tank, and give a 12 month warranty on the car after the OPC inspection.

















The Box lady says “buy it”, even though she was none too keen on the sea of black leather on the inside.

[richkaz]

And ......... ?

[Tosh]

But it was not without its challenges: despite the 90,000 miles service, it hadn't been used much



And it was in Edinburgh. I’m in south London. The first of these was a worry as it looks like the IMS issues have tended to manifest themselves more when the engine is not properly warmed through and revved. An average of 1300 miles a year suggests neither but other than the past 5 years (5500 miles) it had annual OPC stamps.

It had Bose, full-leather memory seats and climate control. Without even seeing it I’d decided that it would need some parking sensors and a double DIN dab/satnav unit in the dash at some point.

And it was still in Edinburgh. So there are three options:

have it properly inspected by someone local before making a decision
Go to Edinburgh to apply my vast technical knowledge in a personal inspection of the car proving that yes, it was yellow, yes, there was a wheel at each corner and yes, there’s an engine near the back. Tech knowledge exhausted...
Buy it unseen, with neither of us having ever driven or sat, in a Boxster.


Well, given those options, what would you do?

[anglophone1]

2 or probably 3
Speed yellow fantastic colour on Boxster!

[Tosh]

3, obviously

I pulled the trigger and wired the funds.

It occurred to me the first time I saw the 964 was when Mervin (FlyingBlueDog) drove it off his trailer outside my house. He was surprised nearly 2 years later to see the same 964 outside my neighbours house - yes, I see my lovely old 964 most days, unless he’s using his 993 (both dark blue...) -when he delivered the SLK, which I was seeing for the first time.

I looked at the price of a flight vs the price of Mervin and the decision was made: Collect it from Edinburgh, rather than trailer it to outside my house. I added the car to my insurance policy with an agreed value for the princely sum of £250.

I got myself to Edinburgh and was met by the dealer. I sat in a 993 while there... and instantly I felt “twisted” in the seat. Handover complete I sorted my shyate out (charger for phone, CDs, camera), hopped in and got comfy for the drive back. It is roomier than I thought it would be. I’m a wide 188cm in new money and had plenty of headroom and certainly had more rearward room on the seat-runners. The seat back is narrower than I am used to so it felt a little odd around the shoulder blades. A/C worked a treat. I found the cd slot (I struggle with afternoon radio unless it’s 6Music and even then cannot be doing with “Lamo”). And yay!, no pedal offset...I had thought about heading north, indeed had originally booked to do the NC500 but a basement flood at home had put pay to that and delayed collecting the car by 10 days.



Homeward bound...

[Lightweight_911]

Don't remember seeing a yellow Boxster before - looks great in that colour - especially with the hard top.

[23e Heure]

Great news, James.

Does this mean the Peckwich chapter will finally be seeing you for local beers!?

[jb]

It looks nice and it was a lovely story.
Thanks for sharing.

[Lightweight_911]

.

I don't think the story's finished yet Jason ...