Those problems don't sound too bad to me, about half of them service items. I imagined that you must be having engine trouble - I know how that causes one to fall out with a car, having gone through two 996 engines
I think any other car in that price bracket is a gamble and is going to cost you similar money to keep it going. If you have never experienced a 996 or 7, might be worth a thought. I think you can still find decent ones for decent money. Don't let the oil go too low like I did...
Your Boxster is a great looking car You might feel better about it if you pass more jobs onto your local mechanic.... I tend to buy the bits nowadays and let them fit them. Much easier for them to do, on a lift.
Opinion on the Audi TT. The 1.8 Turbo (225) is a really strong engine, forged internals you can get one for £2k add a turbo and it'll take over 300hp. That could make for some interesting road trips.
Bit of a curveball, but how about an early Bentley Continental? Cruise around Europe in real style. 600hp W12.
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Last edited by RobFrost on Sat Oct 07, 2023 10:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
1970 911T, Signal orange (Restoration thread)
1988 3.2 Carrera backdate, Black
2001 996 Turbo, Lapis blue (am I allowed to put that here?)
I'm looking for a pre-impact bumper 911S or other high-revving 911 to restore - please let me know if you see one.
RobFrost wrote: ↑Sat Oct 07, 2023 10:59 pm
Bit of a curveball, but how about an early Bentley Continental? Cruise around Europe in real style. 600hp W12.
- but ~ 2.5 tonne & with fuel consumption in the high teens (if you're lucky) ...
.
Andy
“Adding power makes you faster on the straights; - subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere”
We just want a nice competent sports car to tour around in, reliable, bit of style, practical and reasonably economical, north of 30 mpg is good.
Boxsters do all that.
Maybe mine is typical with a flow of niggles.
Made in 2009, 80K miles, nearly 50 of those with me, but first owners were not careful but serviced well all it's life.
Not willing to pay good money above the value of the car as it is all getting harder to justify the expense.
Toyota GT85's are all very leggy, indeed all I've 'Autotrade' looked at are well used whatever the make!
Perhaps 'the devil you know' is a better idea, to my mind the 225 bhp TT is probably the best of them all at meeting our needs.
73T 911 Coupe, road/hillclimber 3.2L
Lola t 492 / 3.2 hillclimb racer
Boxster 987 Gen II 2.9
Small, very potent, fuel economy right up your street, four wheel drive, air con/heated seats maybe with a sunroof.
Boot is small, but then you have the whole rear area with the seats folded down, and access from the rear doors. Or just put your luggage on the back seats................go on you know you want to!
Went out to a country park this morning, collected a Sunday times for Mrs HC to consume today before the GP, and then a walk in the sun.
Car drove a dream, and changing the wheels over has vastly reduced the humming drone, but not totally.
Parked up and came back to find a 180 FWD TT parked along side it, so interesting comparison. The TT looked dead boring in greysilver, as long as the Boxster, maybe narrower (a plus).
On leaving, a 225 bhp TT came past us slowly, and in dark blue looked totally better!
I think the early TT is so close to the concept car (as is the Boxster) and in 225 form looks great on the right wheels, and will be the car next time.
When Next Time is will depend on the next few months and how the Boxster behaves, it is on borrowed time.
On swopping the rear wheels over and checking all the rear end noticed the rear brakes are getting close, original parts so have done 80K already, about £250 DIY to replace.
It belched a bit of white smoke yesterday morning which is THE irritant, so might change the cold start injector and see if that cracks it.
Need to find out where it is to see if that is a DIY job.
73T 911 Coupe, road/hillclimber 3.2L
Lola t 492 / 3.2 hillclimb racer
Boxster 987 Gen II 2.9
thank you for the comments regarding the Boxster. I'm personally umming and ahhing over whether to go for an 04 and get the most classic of looks, but the tired interior, or an 05+ - which gets you a more modern car I feel, especially the interior.
I can't work out the prices of cars these days - some 04 cars are up for 15k, others are up for 5k - I get that you get what you pay for, but I feel like a lot of the cars on the market at the moment have the covid tax added, because the cars once were worth more than they really are. interestingly - not much is selling, even in the lower 7's-8's.
sorry to have hijacked your post. honestly the TT ( my friend had one ) it rattled, creaked and felt nothing like driving a Porsche. also the interior feels cramped for me and I'm only 5ft 6! - but its an Audi, so reassuringly expensive right?
I needed a car to regularly drive from Hertfordshire to Sussex with lots in boot sometimes and wound up with a 2010 TT 4 cylinder turbo in metallic Volcano Red (SWMBO calls it brown or orange according to mood) for £6.5K presented like a new car needed suspension and tyres doing but in really nice nick. With the back seats down it takes 700 litres - done a couple of epic dump trips can't believe how much it will swallow - delivered daughter to university in it. On reasonable wheels I think 18 inch makes all the difference for comfort. I used to have a Honda Beat so find getting out and in OK others can disagree all they like. It feels like a forever car to me. MPG mid thirties all day long but it feels like a sports car when the spoiler comes up.
Graham you seem to fall out of love with your Boxster twice a year:)
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“A REMINDER. I would be grateful if those members who have borrowed bits from me in emergencies (e.g starter motor, oil cooler, etc) would return them and/or contact me”. – Chris Turner RIP
Yes, that is about right. It is the poor engineering of 'common' things. A/C rads etc at 38K. My big Skoda is fine and same miles, when new was 40% of the Boxster price that gets me, cooling pipes made from steel and aluminium in salt water off the roads, rot and failure, £800+ please.
Bloody AOS and white smoke a real irritation, it will belch it out in the most embarrassing places, but my wife reminds me about 5 time so far this year. Used to be more frequent, I've been chasing a solution for 6 years.
Maybe Ayli above is right, I'm expecting too much.
Oddly, Mrs Hillcimber likes it maybe more than me.
I'll stop moaning.
When it is working and seems that it might keep on doing so it is a really good touring car that feels special.
73T 911 Coupe, road/hillclimber 3.2L
Lola t 492 / 3.2 hillclimb racer
Boxster 987 Gen II 2.9
I found mine kicked out a bit of smoke when parked in a slope and when it got filled to the top of the dipstick with oil. I dropped a small amount out so it showed 1 bar on the graphic less and it’s been fine since
Yes, 'nose-up' slopes the worst.
Has a mega smoke issue right outside the Hotel du France near Le Mans 4 years ago that covered the car park...
Oil level already at 1 'bar' below max for some years now and that really reduced the issue, but now just a small belch on cold start every now and than, but irritating to me.
I close my eyes when starting the car every morning we use it. Sometimes for weeks all is well then a surprise.
We use the car almost every week, it rarely stands for longer, always on the flat due to slopes...
Oil must puddle in one/more bores under the pistons or the AOS is weeping oil down the tubes to the inlet and hence into the chamber on start.
NEVER does it hot.
Nice in white aren't they?
73T 911 Coupe, road/hillclimber 3.2L
Lola t 492 / 3.2 hillclimb racer
Boxster 987 Gen II 2.9
Sell the Skoda Estate - sell the Boxster, and buy a newish Skoda Octavia Vrs 4x4 - something to tow the hillclimb car with, something to beat around in when not. Hatchback should meet all your needs or just get a Vrs estate.
Been down those thoughts already, but a max performance Superb 4x4 estate.
Hard to find one.
A lot of wheeler dealer stuff, but worth a look.
Octavia rs has far too much touch screen as most modern cars have today.
73T 911 Coupe, road/hillclimber 3.2L
Lola t 492 / 3.2 hillclimb racer
Boxster 987 Gen II 2.9
bit late to the party on this one. I've got a 2005 Mk1TT 1.8T and an early 2.5 Boxster, so easy to compare them. I do think the looks of the TT are going to make it a future classic, however when you drive it, its obvious its a golf / A3 underneath. Don't get me wrong its fairly quick and handles well (so does a golf), but its not a sports car. Its a nice GT. The Boxster is completely different, its a nice GT, but it also feels like a sports car when you push it, plus decent luggage space for a 2 seater. If I was going on a driving trip somewhere there is no doubt which one i'd take, to me the TT is too much like a normal family car. So it all depends what you want from your car.
Jonny
Current custodian of 1976 Porsche 912E, 1973 VW Camper
You might feel better about it if you pass more jobs onto your local mechanic.... I tend to buy the bits nowadays and let them fit them. Much easier for them to do, on a lift.
