Noob Here. Should I Buy a Boxter?

[Dr. Jimbo]

I've had an '01 Honda S2000 for 12 years and I love it. I've put 145k on it and now at 195k, it won't pass California smog. I did a compression and leak down test and the results were miserable. Still runs strong but it needs rings and valves. I can get a used JDM engine with under 40k on it but I would have to pay someone to drop it in as I'm a driveway mechanic. That being said, I also need paint and a new top. All in all, about $9-10,000 to get my S dialed in. I've always done my own car work.
Now I'm looking at used S2000's. An '06 with 50k on it is about $23k. I started looking at Boxters and they seem to have depreciated more than the Honda. I was looking at an '08 Boxter Limited Edition with 53k on it for $18,500. Beautiful car with more bells and whistles than my Honda.

So my questions are:
1. Are Boxters hard to work on? (brakes, plugs etc.)
2. Are they reliable?
3. Are parts crazy expensive? (I saw estimates for oil changes about $450. 10 quarts of oil and a $15 filter cartridge should make an oil change under $100 if you do it yourself)
4. What's the life expectancy of the engine if routine maintenance is performed? (My S2000 should have lasted longer but I think the K&N air filter might have hastened the death of my S)
5. Any major problems with 2nd gen. Boxters? (I saw that the AOS is a problem child. On one site I saw maintenance records that people said they paid $550 to replace it. Looks like a $50 part and 2 beer job to me)
6. Any major things to look out for that could be omens of impending doom?
7. Should I buy a 2nd gen Boxter?

Thanks in advance,
Jimbo

[Dmitry at Pelican Parts]

Hey Jimbo - welcome to the forum! Our community will give you some solid advice and input, but check out the link below for a good guide on the engine. We have a ton of really helpful DIY guides to help you with certain procedures.

https://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/Boxster_Tech/13-ENGINE-Common_Engine_Failures/13-ENGINE-Common_Engine_Failures.htm

[Dr. Jimbo]

Thanks.
I'm such a dork. I pulled a rookie mistake and spelled Boxster wrong in my first post. D'oh!

[husker boxster]

I have an 08 LE S - #5 of 250. Very fun and unique cars.
Here are my opinions on your questions:

1. Very easy to work on. When changing brake pads, it will take you longer to get the car on jack stands and tires off than what it takes to replace pads. Lots of DIY articles avail. Mid engine provides lots of access from side, front, below, and on top.
2. Yes, very reliable if maintained. Records / receipts are important.
3. Yes, parts are expensive (referred to as the Porsche tax) but Pelican has good prices. You'll pay thru the nose if you have the dealer do the work but if you're handy with a spanner you'll be able to cut costs.
4. Well maintained engines easily go 100-150K mi. There's a guy on 986forum who went 300K mi on his 986 Boxster. The key is oil change intervals. Ideally you want 5-8K mi intervals. Anything longer is less desirable as 10K+ mi intervals have shown to cause longevity issues.
5. AOS and water pumps are the most replaced items. When you say 2nd gen Boxsters, I'm assuming you mean the 987 generation. Within the 987, there's a 987.1 generation (05-08) and 987.2 generation (09-12). The 987.1 has an IMS, the 987.2 does not but does have PDK.
6. Maintenance is the key.
7. Yes. I have 2 987.1Ss and they're great cars. The 987.2 is also a great car.

[husker boxster]

I have a nice 987.2 S for sale, if you want a non-IMS version.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-cars-sale/1015290-2009-boxster-s.html#post10462981

[racer]

Originally Posted by Dr. Jimbo

I've had an '01 Honda S2000 for 12 years and I love it. I've put 145k on it and now at 195k, it won't pass California smog. I did a compression and leak down test and the results were miserable. Still runs strong but it needs rings and valves. I can get a used JDM engine with under 40k on it but I would have to pay someone to drop it in as I'm a driveway mechanic. That being said, I also need paint and a new top. All in all, about $9-10,000 to get my S dialed in. I've always done my own car work.
Now I'm looking at used S2000's. An '06 with 50k on it is about $23k. I started looking at Boxters and they seem to have depreciated more than the Honda. I was looking at an '08 Boxter Limited Edition with 53k on it for $18,500. Beautiful car with more bells and whistles than my Honda.

So my questions are:
1. Are Boxters hard to work on? (brakes, plugs etc.)
2. Are they reliable?
3. Are parts crazy expensive? (I saw estimates for oil changes about $450. 10 quarts of oil and a $15 filter cartridge should make an oil change under $100 if you do it yourself)
4. What's the life expectancy of the engine if routine maintenance is performed? (My S2000 should have lasted longer but I think the K&N air filter might have hastened the death of my S)
5. Any major problems with 2nd gen. Boxters? (I saw that the AOS is a problem child. On one site I saw maintenance records that people said they paid $550 to replace it. Looks like a $50 part and 2 beer job to me)
6. Any major things to look out for that could be omens of impending doom?
7. Should I buy a 2nd gen Boxter?

Thanks in advance,
Jimbo

1) No, not really hard to work on. Tuner market isn't as large as Honda's though.
2) If factory, yes. Very reliable.
3) Parts - I've found parts prices to be reasonable. Labor rates? not so much
4) Engine is good for 200K miles but to the PCar crowd, having over 100K is rare since these are often 2nd or 3rd or 4th cars.. not always primary use cars.
5) .2 gen are the more reliable than the .1

6) The .2 is the generation to own.. Engines are much more reliable. Interior upgrades etc.

If you aren't doing the work yourself, you will go poor paying s shops labor rates (whether factory or specialty shop).

The Honda is a rising classic... Its older.. it has a loyal fanbase.. finding un molested cars is getting harder and as a result, prices are rising.. perhaps more for the AP1 than the AP2 due to its higher redline.

That said, the boxster is a much more practical car. Interior room is slightly larger, Trunk space considerably larger. And it drives very differently.. The tq and hp are much more accessible than the High reving, low tq Honda engine. The mid engine design makes for very neutral and predictable handling.