'78-'83 SC or '84-'89?

[tawheed]

Hey all,

Currently own an 02 Boxster S, which is currently for sale, being very tempted by older 911s but am a little worried about maintenance cost.

First off, should I aim for a '78-'83 3.0L SC or for the later '84-'89 cars?

What should I budget as a yearly maintenance cost? I have done a lot of work on the boxster myself but am worried moreso about internal engine stuff..

Any information would be great, this is a second car that I'll only drive here and there in the summers.

Thanks,

Tawheed

[agrimmitt]

Both the 3.0sc and the 3.2 Carrera are very fine modelz; and many would say the best "used" Porsche to buy or ever made! All things equal most would say buy the power of the Carrera 3.2/G50. But many a 3.0 owner has had or is still driving a car with over 175-200,000 miles on it without have opened up the engine. I own a 3.0 with many handling upgrade common to both; buy the best car you can afford! My feeling if both cars are equal on any given day, the driver makes the different in most cases.
Feel free to check my garage or drop me a note.
Cheers
art
agrimmitt@pelican

[KNS]

Maintenance costs for both are pretty similar. If you find an ultra high mileage example of either car you could be in for higher expenses.

You might spend a few hundred dollars per year on maintenance and than a couple grand out of the blue one day. Some people set aside an account for big surprises.

[mholbrook38]

It helps a lot if you are able to do your own work. You should enjoy that work too. It is almost a zen thing owning one of these cars. I wouldn't trade mine for anything.

[DRACO A5OG]

+1 on a G50 3.2 87-89, 89 being more preferable of the 3 years.

If you can find a clean one the maintenance can be down to a minimum i.e. fluid and filter changes. Definitely do a PPI to know what you are getting yourself into.

[plumb4u2]

I dont own a boxster but i wouldnt think maintenance cost would be any different between an older 911 vs. 10 yr old boxster

[tawheed]

Sweet, lots of great information already.. The car I'm thinking of is an '88 targa right around 60k miles (99k kms) Is there any reasons to avoid the targa?

What would a clutch replacement cost on a car like this - not that it needs it just want to have an understanding of repair costs.

Thanks,

Tawheed

[tirwin]

Agree with all of the other comments.

BUT, you need to understand something.

There is no such thing as just spending money on maintenance. That is fantasy. Owning these cars is a disease. When I bought mine I was "just" going to do this and that. Ha!

If you are concerned about costs, then you need to take a sheet of paper and make two columns labeled NEED and WANT and write stuff down and stick to it. Funny how stuff that starts out in WANT magically ends up in NEED.

Buy one and you'll see what I mean.

[tirwin]

Tawheed,

One more thing. Costs can be relative. Parts aren't normally bad but certain ones can be expensive.

When you're looking at cars, service records are important to know what common wear items have been replaced already.

You can save a lot in labor costs by doing a lot of the work yourself. If not, your costs can be much higher. I found out quickly that the local dealership really has no interest in working on older cars so they quote crazy high labor costs. If you can find a reputable shop that works on the older cars that can make a huge difference. The good ones will help you map out a maintenance plan and even help you with identifying what things you can do yourself.

Best of luck to you!

[kidrock]

Originally Posted by DRACO A5OG

+1 on a G50 3.2 87-89, 89 being more preferable of the 3 years.

If you can find a clean one the maintenance can be down to a minimum i.e. fluid and filter changes. Definitely do a PPI to know what you are getting yourself into.

Great minds think alike.

A clutch job? I guess it depends on who's doing the work. Unfortunately, clutch parts for these cars are a bit expensive. But you can easily save hundreds by doing it yourself, it ain't rocket science.

An '88 Targa with those miles sounds great. Most guys love Targas, some don't. The track guys say there's "too much flex". The removeable tops can have some fitment issues, and are expensive to rebuild. But I personally like them a lot.

[tawheed]

Loving all the information, on the flip side now I'm desperate to get the Boxster sold so I can buy this targa! Anyone want a well sorted Boxster S with a ton of recent preventative maintenance including IMSR/RMS/Clutch/Flywheel???

Spoke to an independent Porsche mechanic (930 owner) about a PPI. I trust he'd know enough about these cars to take a good look at it .. Is there a few items that would be considered must look at?? He said he'd check compression for sure.

Thanks again!

[agrimmitt]

If you have any feeling that the local shop does or doesn't have a complete understand of the car your looking at! Post a tread for input or information on a local Porsche shop in your area. As you can see from the very good input already given; parts can be or are high priced. Doing some of you own work is a good idea, so to keep in touch with your car. And some things are better left in the hands of a professional shop with the correct tools, etc. Spend some time in the 911 forums and look at some of the fellow pelican garages and comments. If you have a local PCA or POC meeting or event near by your home>down in a get a feeling for those around you with Porsche's. Most of all enjoy driving the car, it helps if you wife like it too!
art
agrimmitt@pelican

[craigyirush]

There have been a lot of threads on this. Use the search button.
IIRC, Pete Z recently posted a comparison of the maintenance costs (SC v 3.2) and concluded it was a wash.