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High Milage Cars (987)


Fishcop
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Anyone here got an informed or real-world opinion/experience with high milage Boxsters?

I'm keen on a member's 987 S (3.4) with an engine number I believe post dates the majority of IMS bearing issues.  Good service history, nice options, nice colour, drives well etc... But it's on 150,000 kms as the last couple of owners have clearly loved driving it.  I know I won't do huge kms in it (maybe 5k a year), but I'm still concerned that the majority of the car's life is spent...

Any opinions or experience?

Cheers, John.

 

 

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26 minutes ago, Fishcop said:

Anyone here got an informed or real-world opinion/experience with high milage Boxsters?

I'm keen on a member's 987 S (3.4) with an engine number I believe post dates the majority of IMS bearing issues.  Good service history, nice options, nice colour, drives well etc... But it's on 150,000 kms as the last couple of owners have clearly loved driving it.  I know I won't do huge kms in it (maybe 5k a year), but I'm still concerned that the majority of the car's life is spent...

Any opinions or experience?

Cheers, John.

John, as long as the mileage is reflected in the price, I think I'd probably rather a high mileage one than one that has done bugger all.  Wife is doing probably 12k a year in her 987.1 and the car is loving it, main consumable is tyres as you'd expect....  I've had minor issues with my 996.2 caused by lack of proper usage by previous owner, driving it is ironing out those issues (12,000kms in 6 months). 

cheers, Peter

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Thanks Peter.  You're not the first to suggest frequent use and regular maintenance is better than a sparsely used queen...

Current owner has been excellent in declaring all he can, and I believe we have a mutually acceptable price on the table.  Unfortunately Port Mac is just too far to engage a comprehensive Porsche specific PPI so there is an element of risk for me (but life is full of those!).

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High mileage is all very fine when looking at its "service " history, but you have to take into account the non serviceable items associated with higher mileage. 

At 150,000 km, the suspension is just about used up - even if the car has been driven responsibly and serviced on time. New shocks, coffin arms, drop links, drive shaft rubbers etc etc will cost you over $3000 if you do the strip / install yourself, much, much  more if you employ a mechanic.

Water pump, coolant replacement, thermostat, coolant resevoir will add another $2500. And we are not even talking about the normal Boxster problematic consumables like clutch / IMS, wheel bearings, ignition key lock, soft top plastic connectors, brake pads & discs etc.

Ask me how I know (and how my wife knows) after nearly 10 years & $14,000 of 986 ownership (and I do my own maintenance) that had only 112,000km and 9 years of Porsche extended warranty when I sold it...…

These are not Japanese cars with Japanese costing prices after extended miles!!

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Thanks Stephen.  Points well taken.  

Shocks got changed at 117k, clutch less than 30k ago.  I need to double check, but I think it's had a water-pump replacement too. I understand the engine number post-dates the classic IMS bearing issues by a fair margin.  Like  you, I am capable and equipped to do a lot of my own maintenance - but obviously would rather be enjoying than fixing!  After 20 years of early 911 ownership and intimacy with pretty much every nut and bolt, I think I'll be okay with pure "mechanical" work - but the later electronics/computers etc do have me worried.

Cost wise, a lot of the later Porsche spares and consumables appear to be a bit cheaper than what I got used to with my early cars...

I'm hoping my comparative low use but regular attention will temper the previous years of high use... Or am I being a bit optimistic?! :) 

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 6/26/2018 at 8:07 PM, Fishcop said:

Thanks Stephen.  Points well taken.  

Shocks got changed at 117k, clutch less than 30k ago.  I need to double check, but I think it's had a water-pump replacement too. I understand the engine number post-dates the classic IMS bearing issues by a fair margin.  Like  you, I am capable and equipped to do a lot of my own maintenance - but obviously would rather be enjoying than fixing!  After 20 years of early 911 ownership and intimacy with pretty much every nut and bolt, I think I'll be okay with pure "mechanical" work - but the later electronics/computers etc do have me worried.

Cost wise, a lot of the later Porsche spares and consumables appear to be a bit cheaper than what I got used to with my early cars...

I'm hoping my comparative low use but regular attention will temper the previous years of high use... Or am I being a bit optimistic?! :) 

Depending on the price comparison @Fishcopyou could jump on mine with complete peice of mind, RWC and an available PPI - just sayin ?

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  • 1 year later...
On 26/06/2018 at 19:15, Stephen Tinker said:

High mileage is all very fine when looking at its "service " history, but you have to take into account the non serviceable items associated with higher mileage. 

At 150,000 km, the suspension is just about used up - even if the car has been driven responsibly and serviced on time. New shocks, coffin arms, drop links, drive shaft rubbers etc etc will cost you over $3000 if you do the strip / install yourself, much, much  more if you employ a mechanic.

Water pump, coolant replacement, thermostat, coolant resevoir will add another $2500. And we are not even talking about the normal Boxster problematic consumables like clutch / IMS, wheel bearings, ignition key lock, soft top plastic connectors, brake pads & discs etc.

Ask me how I know (and how my wife knows) after nearly 10 years & $14,000 of 986 ownership (and I do my own maintenance) that had only 112,000km and 9 years of Porsche extended warranty when I sold it...…

These are not Japanese cars with Japanese costing prices after extended miles!!

There’s ‘high mileage’ and then there’s ‘HIGH MILEAGE!’ I bought my 2001 2.7 Auto with 140,000kms on the clock, the car was tight and to look at it it was hard to believe that it was 16yrs old. The biggest mistake I made was to not ‘drive’ the car on a regular basis. Porsche’s don’t like to be left in the shed! As far as the cost of maintaining a Porsche goes, I’d say that they are pretty much on par with any other car on the road (even Japanese models). I’ve just spent about $10k on my Porsche, this included having the engine and transmission removed, replaced the IMSB (which when pulled was still in ‘as new’ condition), all of the Cam Chain Tensioners, the Variocam Tensioners, new drive shaft seal, new spark plugs, all fluids changed (engine, transmission, differential and coolant), new Air Oil Seperator, new filters all round, front bump stops replaced and lots of other little things. So to put that into perspective with say a ‘Japanese car’, I also own a 2011 Subaru Forester and recently noticed some oil on the lower part of the engine, I took the car to get it looked at and I was told that it was a common problem for Subaru’s, then I was told that to fix it would cost between $8 - 10k!! This was just to fix an oil leak, and while I was there the mechanic noticed a noisy tapper and said that I should do that while they had the engine out, I said that I could adjust the tapper myself, I was then told that because the Subaru has a DOHC and the tapper adjustment is via ‘Shims / caps’ that the only way to adjust the tappers is by again pulling the engine out of the car!!

So as far as a Porsche being ‘so’ much more expensive to maintain than other brands, I can say from experience that that is not true!

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Personally I like high mileage cars as the owners love them, drive them & usually do the required maintenance. Cars that sit in garages suffer a slow miserable death as perishable parts deteriorate, fuel goes bad & oil seeps. I find the more I drive my cars the better they are.....perhaps I'm an exception but I don't understand porsche buyers obsessed with finding cars with low km's & never been tracked (what an insult to the cars primary purpose...ha ha). Go in with your eye's open, look at the books / service records, get a PPI if you can (or someone to view on your behalf), buy at a discount & enjoy. Usually the discount applied would cover you for most risks associated with the purchase.

I also agree with Liamray re service costs.....my wife currently drive's a benz & in the last decade we have owned multiple BMW's, Benz's, Porsche's & one Ford Territory. I don't think Porsche's are expensive to maintain especially if you buy a good one to start....if you factor in low depreciation they are a bargain !! The ONLY car I've owned that has been cheaper is the trusty Territory that can't be killed.....I thought mine was finished & ready to scrap, gave it to my son when he turned 18.....he's abused that car relentlessly for years now & it keeps on going with nothing more than an annual oil change & occasional brake pads.

Good luck with the purchase......go out & drive it, track it, scratch it, love it !!!

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24 minutes ago, MR901 said:

Personally I like high mileage cars as the owners love them, drive them & usually do the required maintenance. Cars that sit in garages suffer a slow miserable death as perishable parts deteriorate, fuel goes bad & oil seeps. I find the more I drive my cars the better they are.....perhaps I'm an exception but I don't understand porsche buyers obsessed with finding cars with low km's & never been tracked (what an insult to the cars primary purpose...ha ha). Go in with your eye's open, look at the books / service records, get a PPI if you can (or someone to view on your behalf), buy at a discount & enjoy. Usually the discount applied would cover you for most risks associated with the purchase.

I also agree with Liamray re service costs.....my wife currently drive's a benz & in the last decade we have owned multiple BMW's, Benz's, Porsche's & one Ford Territory. I don't think Porsche's are expensive to maintain especially if you buy a good one to start....if you factor in low depreciation they are a bargain !! The ONLY car I've owned that has been cheaper is the trusty Territory that can't be killed.....I thought mine was finished & ready to scrap, gave it to my son when he turned 18.....he's abused that car relentlessly for years now & it keeps on going with nothing more than an annual oil change & occasional brake pads.

Good luck with the purchase......go out & drive it, track it, scratch it, love it !!!

Perfect answer!!

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1 hour ago, MR901 said:

 The ONLY car I've owned that has been cheaper is the trusty Territory that can't be killed.....I thought mine was finished & ready to scrap, gave it to my son when he turned 18.....he's abused that car relentlessly for years now & it keeps on going with nothing more than an annual oil change & occasional brake pads.

 Agree with this 100%

We (well I reluctantly) just sold our '04 Territory for $700 which had the well documented front end problems needing costly attention. The missus needs a good vehicle for her work as a support mentor for the intellectually disabled, and once she gets the shits on with anything, I never hear the end of it, so we recently bought a '14 Kluger.

 I really didn't want to sell the Territory, as it's one of the best cars we've ever owned that's like a truck you can't kill (apart from the stupidly designed side window mechanisms that all fail), yet having 2 full rego's, 1 historic rego, 3 insurances and no extra room to keep it, it had to go.

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  • 2 weeks later...

There's a yellow 987 on CS now with 250k on the clock for low $20s.... now thats seen some driving. I'm pretty sure a dealer has it too and I dont think most dealers would be bothered selling a car that was obvious rubbish, so it must be an ok unit.  Actually its gone so must have sold!

My parents have a Territory and its been totally abused!  They never die.  Its had a new auto put in it but other than that it has like 400k on it.  Bullet proof.

R53 Mini Cooper s cost me $14k to buy and i spent $6k on it in 15 months of ownership... more expensive than my 987 ever was!

 

 

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3 hours ago, amanda said:

There's a yellow 987 on CS now with 250k on the clock for low $20s.... now thats seen some driving. I'm pretty sure a dealer has it too and I dont think most dealers would be bothered selling a car that was obvious rubbish, so it must be an ok unit.  Actually its gone so must have sold!

My parents have a Territory and its been totally abused!  They never die.  Its had a new auto put in it but other than that it has like 400k on it.  Bullet proof.

R53 Mini Cooper s cost me $14k to buy and i spent $6k on it in 15 months of ownership... more expensive than my 987 ever was!

  You'll be surprised what a dealer will sell to make a few bucks Amanda.

 Territory's are tanks. Just sadly sold ours for bugger all, but it had to go to make way for the missus' Kluger.

 Mini's I'm told are a lottery. You get a good one, you get a shit one. Fun little cars though. Drove the first model Cooper S supercharged thing years ago. Jeebus it goes a bit! 

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On 11/09/2019 at 18:09, Raven said:

My trusty 2000 Rodeo Ute "Isuzu" all original only had the usual consumable parts replaced as per typical maintenance ,,,,,had her 19 years over 400,000 Klm on her ,,,just keeps going  .

IMG-4128.jpg

IMG-4129.jpg

Don’t sell!  Get to the half million!

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