Which do you think would be a better buy? An old 911 or a 98/99 Boxster?

Question

Got my heart set on a Porsche. Don't like 944/928. Got up to £9000 to spend. That will get about an '84 911 or an early 2.5 boxster.
It won't be used for commuting just weekends away etc.
Any advice/ experience welcome. Cheers.

P.S - I can't stand BMWs so no one bother suggesting one!!

Answer 1

The '84 is the first year of the 3.2 liter Carrera. They were more powerful (obviously) than the 3.0 liter SC they replaced, and they had some additional upgrades, but they are not quite as reliable. The SC is considered one of the most reliable air cooled Porsche engines ever. That said, the early Boxsters are not very reliable either, the modern Porsche engine (excluding the GT3 and turbo, which have a completely different block) have a history of main rear seal problems as well as other issues by year and model. My Porsche guy refers to them as "porous garbage." General thought is that the 2.5 Boxsters are the worst of the Boxster bunch, and not just for lack of power. I wish I could remember some of the specific gripes, but I can't (not having ever been a Boxster guy). You can probably find them on lots of bulletin boards, like at Pelican Parts.com.

By the way, in some ways, when looking at a 986 or 996, it's better to get one with some miles on it -- like around 50,000 or so -- because the main rear seal failures usually happened by about 25K; so a car with 50K on it will either have had the engine swap out performed, or it never did and never will develop the problem.

When it comes to Boxsters, I wouldn't buy anything older than a 2003, and even then I would want an "S," though that is more for the horsepower increases than for the reliability. That said, the Boxster is more of a "modern" car and will be more comfortable -- and, "panties" or not -- any Porsche is still a helluva lot of fun on nice weekends in good weather on back roads. Your older 911 is not going to be as comfortable, especially in traffic or bad weather (the AC is a joke on the pre-993 911s). The gear box on the pre-1987 Carreras is not as good as the subsequent G50, and even the G50 in my '87 got tiresome in stop-and-go traffic. It comes down to personal preference, and whether you prefer that raw power roar and growl and leap of the older 911 or the modern smooth application of power in the decade-newer Boxster. You also must ask whether you are a rear engine guy (with the skill that demands of the driver) or a mid engine guy, which is much more forgiving. Definitely drive one of each and see which fits you better (I didn't like the seat position and windshield view in the Boxster -- the 3.2 Carrera fit me perfectly). Another consideration is whether or not you need the barely functional back seats of the 911. Vestigal though they are, the 911's seats are sometimes useful when trying to convince a less enthusiastic spouse that the 911 is a family car, and they can actually accommodate children under age 6, and legless midget hitchhikers. Notice I didn't say "safely" accommodate them -- the seat belts back there were a joke even before they aged 25 years in the sun.

My personal vote is the '84 Carrera as a weekend only car, especially if it is a convertible (though I would spend the extra to get a nice 1987-89 if you can, for the G50 and the improved fuel injection system). By the way, an issue of Porsche "Excellence" magazine earlier this year had a "(US)$20,000 showdown" in which they pitted a 1987 Carrera against a 2.7 Boxster and a 968, and the Carrera won out because it is more of a visceral experience; but they liked the 2.7 Boxster just fine. Their points were similar to mine, that the Boxster is the better if a daily driver car and the classic 911 more the weekend "toy."

One last word, the purchase price on ANY Porsche -- especially an older one -- is only the beginning. Unless you have the time, tools and knowledge to fix them yourself, you are going to pump plenty into the repair and maintenance of an older Porsche. When people talk about Porsches being reliable and low-maintenance, they are talking about in comparison to notorious Italian garage queens from the likes of Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini; not in comparison to your mum's Toyota. An '84 Carrera is a 23-year-old car, and at that age, rubber and plastic bits just naturally call it quits. Lighting assemblies, weather stripping, fuel hoses -- these are just some of the things you will likely be replacing soon if they haven't yet been replaced. In my case, the lighting assemblies cost me about US$1800 all told (with installation), and fuel hoses were another $500 installed (and that was cheap, because my mechanic made new ones in his shop rather than ordering from Porsche, and also because usually when 911 fuel lines rupture under power, the car bursts into flames). And remember that your local Porsche mechanic doesn't care how much you paid for your Porsche, for him an hour on your '84 Carrera will cost you just as much as an hour on your '08 Twin Turbo -- only you will have to scavenge for the parts on Ebay or from German Auto Dismantlers. So, don't take this as me trying to discourage you, because I loved my 1987 Carrera Cabriolet -- just go into it with your eyes open, because it was the $1000 service bill every few months followed by the eventual news that I needed an $8000 rebuild and clutch job that finally made me say goodbye to it. Oh, and one other thing... the older ones are great fun on a budget, but Porsches are like drugs... you develop a tolerance and need more and more to get the same "high." Once you join the clubs and start seeing the gleaming new Turbos and GT3s and -- God help you -- a Carrera GT parked next to yours, you start wanting more and newer, more and newer! And it rarely pays to sink money into upgrading an older Porsche, because they are perfectly balanced by design. When the addiction rears its head, there's nothing for it but to trade in on something more powerful and newer! Best of luck in your pursuit of the Porsche experience.

Answer 2

If you can budget for upkeap and repairs, go with an '84 911. If you'd rather not worry as much about breakdowns and such, go with the Boxster. Personally speaking I go with the 911 over a Boxster because a well sorted 911 will carry more "snob appeal" in Porsche circles even though the newer Boxster has better performance and handling(but if I had the money I'd find a 914 and rebuild it as a 914/6 but that's another matter entirely).

Answer 3

I have driven the 98 Boxster and it was very fun to drive. It is faster than the 84 911 and better handling. The only problems the Boxster had was that the convertible top did not work.
On the other hand, the 84 911 is a classic and it would turn more heads.

Answer 4

£9000 might just get you a half decent 911, but you're pushing it. And let's be honest here, it's the 911 you REALLY want isn't it? I mean a Boxter's not quite the real thing is it, it's a Porsche with panties if you get my drift!!
My advice would be to join the Porsche owners club, and get as much info as you can about the pitfalls of a cheap 911, and perhaps try and save up another £3-£4k, which will give you a better chance of getting the car of your dreams, rather than a money pit.

Answer 5

Go for the 911 mate,timeless classic that still turns heads,the boxster is a poor mans porshe.

Answer 6

The Boxster will be more reliable & cost you less to maintain & run - But the 911 looks more classy.

Answer 7

Definitely 911 mate
its a real icon of fast cars in the 80's
ppl will say you have the taste

Answer 8

a 911. they are way cooler then a 2.5... but my favorite car is the Porsche 911 GT1, from 2005!

Answer 9

Just my 2 cents. But the Boxster here in the U.S. is like the poor mans Cadillac (Catera), they're everywhere. And not that expensive new, I think around $35,000. Nothing like a timeless 911 for me.

Answer 10

go with the 911 the early boxsters had big drivetrain reliability probs. try looking on carsurvey.org