Track car.. 944, 944T or Boxster?

[rattlsnak]

Looking to get back into track days and AX and contemplating what to get. I know a well sorted 944 is a great track toy, but I am concerned about the power, or lack of. I know myself and it will be hard to go that far backwards in power on the track but a turn key 944 track car can be had for less than $10K. Which leads into a Boxster. You can pick those up for $7-8K and for not too much more it can made in a decent toy as well. As far as a 944T, I have seen these on the track for many years and I know they can be made ridiculously fast but I worry about the longevity and mx of the turbo model. They can also be had for less than $8K, so price is all relatively close on all of these.

I still have a 911 but am not going to track it and can't afford another one as a play car.

Thoughts?? What would you do?

[Craig T]

The Boxster Spec class in Porsche Club racing is making a comeback. The Boxster is a very well balanced track car platform, and several seconds faster per lap than the Spec 944 and GSR class. A stock 99 or 2000 base model boxster will be faster on the track than a stock SC or 3.2 Carrera, easier to drive, and certainly cheaper to maintain.

The issue with Boxsters is the trannys. If you're doing one track event per month, you can expect to replace the tranny every two years. Used trannys are cheap though, with junk yard trannys plentiful and under $1500. The motors are holding up pretty well if you heel-to-toe and don't mechanical over-rev on downshift.

The 944 Spec class is surviving in NASA, but dwindling rapidly in PCA and POC. I don't think there are any left in POC. If it's just a weekend track car, and you want to have some performance, I'd pick the Boxster over the 944 hands down.

[nynor]

longevity of the 951 is probably not an issue.

that said, i'd probably go with the boxter.

[porsche4life]

Yup. As much as I love my 944, is buy the boxster. Better platform, more power, more potential....

[Porsche-O-Phile]

951s are great but can get frightfully expensive - even today. If I were looking for an auto-x toy or occasional weekend track sled I'd get a Boxster before another 951. Maybe I'm just sick of busted knuckles and inaccessible bolts, so consider my potential bias but I think the Boxster will have a "reasonable budget" presence on tracks for a good long time to come.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Boxster. My street driven 951 was a great car but always needed tinkering. The Boxster just works. It also has incredible balance and responsiveness thanks to the mid-engined design.

[unclebilly]

No question - Boxster! I have instructed in these and they are a fantastic platform.

The 944 has an inherent oiling issue that takes out the engine on hard left hand turns followed by a hard right hand turn... Lots of guys have learned about this the expensive way.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

No question - Boxster! I have instructed in these and they are a fantastic platform.



The 944 has an inherent oiling issue that takes out the engine on hard left hand turns followed by a hard right hand turn... Lots of guys have learned about this the expensive way.

Abh the #2 rod bearing issue. Yes it's real but it is a tad overstated. If one's aware of it and preps the car correctly to protect against it the 2.5 (or 2.7) 4-cyl block is extremely robust. There are 500+ RWHP versions running around with no issues reliably.

Sort of like the gearboxes in the 986s. You just have to know about it and prepare / build / set up the platform knowing the limitations of it.

[J P Stein]

I've never driven a Boxster but have the urge.... As far as buying/owning one, I dunno.

I read about the defects to the powertrain and the cheeply/poorly made controls coming un stuck.

I don't mind putting money in a car if there is a decent return when it comes time to sell........I've done some of that.....and even made money once on an air cooled Porsche. It really pisses me off what Porsche has done to the newer water cooled cars and don't think I wanna join the fun........I know, Porsche don't give
sh it what I think......they're making money hand over fist.

I think I'll just stick with my 65 Mustang fastback. Those prices are rising......even tho it's relative POS.......that plan may change after I autocross it.

[nynor]

slightly off topic.... how difficult is it to access the motor and/or transmission in the boxter?

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by J P Stein

I've never driven a Boxster but have the urge.... As far as buying/owning one, I dunno.

I read about the defects to the powertrain and the cheeply/poorly made controls coming un stuck.

I don't mind putting money in a car if there is a decent return when it comes time to sell........I've done some of that.....and even made money once on an air cooled Porsche. It really pisses me off what Porsche has done to the newer water cooled cars and don't think I wanna join the fun........I know, Porsche don't give
sh it what I think......they're making money hand over fist.

I think I'll just stick with my 65 Mustang fastback. Those prices are rising......even tho it's relative POS.......that plan may change after I autocross it.

The IMS bearing issue and solution are well known. But I'm curious what you mean by the controls coming "un-stuck"?

Sorry, but you're going to be hard pressed to make money on any modern Porsche. At least the 986 is generally speaking fully depreciated. The best answer that I can give to someone that knocks the Boxster - drive one. I find them to be more fun than most 911s, including the air cooled ones.

Originally Posted by nynor

slightly off topic.... how difficult is it to access the motor and/or transmission in the boxter?

Not too bad. Top access is by partially opening the top, popping loose two cables to fold the top forward, removing a carpet panel, and removing a metal panel. 5-min or so. Side access for spark plugs is through the rear wheel wells. Front engine access is through a large panel behind the seats, another 5-min job. Underneath is easy for oil changes, and the oil filler is in the rear trunk. You can actually change the oil without removing a single access panel. Except for being paranoid about scratching the paint while leaning over the rear fender into the engine area, they aren't bad to work on.

Edit: I'll slightly amend this for the 987, the top doesn't move as much out of the way so it's a little bigger pain from the top.

[nynor]

good to know. someone told me, years ago, that they were designed to only allow the dealer to work on the engine and such....

[Craig T]

My brother-in-law races a 99 Boxster. He's an electrical engineer type and not a mechanic, but has changed two trannys and does almost all his own maintenance and repairs. He claims the Boxster is very easy to work on. He R&R'd a bad tranny on the tarmac at a Buttonwillow Raceway in one afternoon.

[rattlsnak]

Sounds like the Boxster is the way to go. I sort of figured that. And yes, they are easy to work on. I've done my share of repairs on them at the shop the last few years. Plus I've found a few for under $8k.

[chapo]

Hard to beat the Boxter, drove a boxter s and it was a blast. I race an early 911 and found the boxter very capable. Plus it's fun to race something you won't be in tears about wrecking.

[beepbeep]

Well sorted 944 beats everything.

[sc_rufctr]

Boxter all the way... Plenty of second hand, upgrade parts available and it's really easy to weld in a full cage.

[Rot 911]

I have now had my 2001 Boxster for a little over two years. Have really enjoyed it. I've had it on the track once and find it to be a fun track day car.

I don't think it is much harder to work on than my '86 Carrera. Everything does seem to take about 10% longer to do than on the '86, but not overwhelming. Except for changing out the Air/Oil Separator. Worst job ever. Some people on the 986 board claim they can do it in a couple of hours. Took me half a day.

Oh and Boxsters do love to eat rear tires.

[Craig T]

Originally Posted by chapo

I race an early 911 and found the boxter very capable. Plus it's fun to race something you won't be in tears about wrecking.

Ain't that the truth! ...With any Early 911 running being worth $50k plus now. There are still few nutcases in VARA willing to risk it

[Cajundaddy]

Whatever class is highly active in your area with lots of cars and knowledgeable drivers is usually the best class to run in due to both the support system and camaraderie. Track days should be a blast with 5-6 close rivals you can tell lies and compare notes with. Going out in a class of one can get lonely and sometimes boring while out there kicking your own ass.

I drive a 98 Boxster with mild track prep and she has 100 track days and maybe 200 track hours on the car and motor. The car does have a few weak links but most can be mitigated with a few reliability mods and minor changes in driving style. Smooth shifting, careful downshifts, and avoiding wheelspin on corner exit will result in a very reliable track platform. In 10 years of performance driving with this car I did have to replace the trans once due to driver input error. I allowed too much wheelspin on bumpy corner exits which fried the pinyon bearing. Easily avoided if you know the potential weakness there.