Should You Buy A Porsche Boxster (986) - Part 2

[@davidowen2859]

Hi thanks for your video. Came across it by accident and it's almost my car. I've had my 1999 since new in Ocean Blue and Savanah and covered 32000 miles. I knew nothing about this IMS issue, thanks for the info. In 19 years it's had only three things go wrong. The spring broke on the sun visor, the stereo knob fell off and the plastic foot rest next to the accelerator pedal broke and came away. So all very very minor. It's a great fun little car. My daily drive is a Panamera that I absolutely adore but the Boxsters a lot of fun around country roads. Enjoy.

[@OurRideLife]

Glad you found the video informative and thanks for sharing your experience. If we’ll maintained these 986 Boxsters will keep driving for a very long time. Also enjoy both the Panamera and Boxster, two very nice drives. When I drove the Panamera lineup on the track a while back, I found it amazing how well a car of that size performs at speed.

[@ribeironp]

The advice is practical and straight to the point. It lifts the veil for potential issues without overemphasising them. Good, useful video.

[@OurRideLife]

+ribeironp Thanks for watching and glad it was helpful.

[@kellykelley232]

Thanks for the video. I've been researching these for months and we're getting closer to "pushing the button." We are aware of the IMS issues and everything else that can wrong thanks to detailed reports from you and others. It makes us newbie Porsche owners move beyond "isn't she pretty" to being informed purchasers. I guess the most intimidating factor is being afraid to make a mistake, but I'm planning to get it inspected first. Btw, I love your Savanna Beige interior!

[@OurRideLife]

+Kelly Kelley Thanks they are great cars and glad the video was helpful.

[@wildwest5436]

Pushing the button tomorrow. 99 silver boxster, 61400 miles for 8200 bucks. Super excited. My first Porsche.

[@OurRideLife]

+Scott West hope you are enjoying you Boxster.

[@wildwest5436]

Our Ride Life I got a personal plate that says it all...TRAUM. Dream in German. Thanks for your video!

[@vladimiralvarez1162]

Wild West how’s your Porsche man? I love my 2001 boxter S...how’s yours running? Any big problems ?

[@porcheb100]

Great video, will look for more of yours! Many thanks for your time and the tips...I have had a 1999 Boxster 5-6 years ago as fun car and its been great.

[@OurRideLife]

Brian Porche Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for watching. Have fun with your Boxster.

[@kingofthewestmidlands4049]

I paid £2k in the UK 🇬🇧. 3 previous mature owners from New. IMS fails hyped up, maintenance cheap and easy for DIY. Shame about McPherson struts all round. Most parts shared with 996 that are 10k upwards. Remote keys pack up and people get confused that the CL ecu has packed up. Keep the drain holes clear, roof is simple to fix if a problem

[@OurRideLife]

Thanks for sharing your experience. They are great cars. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@stevenp3176]

While not at the top of the current spectrum it’s hardly a model T haha. Thanks for the video either way.

[@OurRideLife]

Thanks very much for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@hasbany29]

My 2002 has 217hp. I should be safe from the IMS problem I hope? I have ~80k miles. I took the black hose off that feeds the engine from the driver side vent. It made it sound a touch better. Especially around 4-5k rpm. I’m sure you already know about that simple mod. Now, can I take out the amber color without spending all that cash on a brand new set? I’ve heard of people “washing” the Amber color out. Any thoughts David? Ohhhh that wind screen! Lol.

[@OurRideLife]

I’ve heard of people taking the Amber off as well, but haven’t see it done. I believe it is just sanding and polishing after it becomes clear, but I’ve been afraid I would ruin mine, so haven’t done anything yet. I’ll let you know about the windscreen later this week and I also do have the screen behind the seats.

[@OurRideLife]

We are constantly looking to keep improving our videos, so any feedback is appreciated.

[@shoopdj]

+The Sports Car Guys Had to turn the bass off in order to hear the commentary on this one. Quite a powerful exhaust note. Also the stat of 0.2% of 1999 cars having IMS issues, going up to 20% after 2000 is a little crazy. What happened?

[@OurRideLife]

daniel shoop My understanding for the difference is that the IMS Bearing was redesigned in 2000. Before that it was a double bearing design and after that the part went to a single bearing design. The earlier design apparently kept the bearing better lubricated which resulted in less failures. Having said this if anyone buys a 986 getting one of the new redesigned IMS bearings is probably the best bet to keep the engine in its best shape.

[@worldtravel101]

good review. i have been seriously looking at this lately. I hear they are a blast to drive.

[@OurRideLife]

+World Traveler东北 Thanks very much and glad you found it useful. They are a great to drive and you can enjoy it for a while with the 2.5-liter engine and then if you decide you want more power you can put in a 3.2-liter Boxster S or 3.4-liter 911 engine to add 50-100 horsepower without it being too difficult. I was talking to a guy in the local Porsche club this last weekend that has a 1999 Boxster with a 911 engine in it and he was saying that overall it wasn't too difficult to do and now it is quite a bit quicker, but it still handles very well (he still has the 5-speed transmission, but is planning to put in the 6-speed and he did some brake upgrades).

[@worldtravel101]

The Sports Car Guys My thoughts exactly! :)

[@Matias_sebastian]

This is in Fresno???!!! Hell yeah!

[@OurRideLife]

+Matias Fernandez Yes, Fresno / Clovis is actually a nice area, just stay North of Shaw and things are very good.

[@hasbany29]

Our Ride Life I worked for FPD for 8 years. I lived in North Fresno.

[@enrique0674]

I'm definitely going to get this as my first car. Going to have to find a good one first lol

[@OurRideLife]

There are a lot to choose from, so take your time finding a good one and make sure to get a pre-purchase inspection. The only bad thing about getting this as your first car would be the higher insurance and repair costs. But if you keep that in mind and buy a good one you should have a lot of fun.

[@enrique0674]

Yeah will definitely consider the cost of maintenance and insurance thanks for your view point :D

[@marshallweaver6899]

Just bought a 1998 boxster for $5950, 78k miles, I'll wear it out.

[@OurRideLife]

Thanks for watching and enjoy your ride!

[@captlarry-3525]

there was a time when XKE's were cheap and nobody wanted them..that time is now with the Boxster.

[@OurRideLife]

Good point. And with the way the auto industry is going, a naturally aspirated gas powered sports car will likely be quite sought after in the future.

[@youbuttface7]

when i drive one it felt like a little cheap 360ferrari, had that exotic feel.

[@OurRideLife]

+youbuttface7 I have to agree, it isn't quite up to the Ferrari experience, but it certainly gives you an exotic feel and this is an older video, so prices are even lower now and I've seen higher mileage, but clean examples go for just $5,000.

[@markmoody579]

Thanks for the video, but please don't tell people that the base 986 is going to do 6 or even 7 0-60 #s. This particular model is still fun, but it's not because of the acceleration at all! 8 seconds is realistic. But it's really more about the balance of the Mid engine. Id recommend the S. You will be a lot more entertained for a much longer time for only a slight increase in purchase price. But thanks again for the video.

[@OurRideLife]

Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. The 0-60 mph time for the base 2.5-liter with a manual transmission is quoted at 6.7 seconds by Porsche (and they are usually conservative). The Boxster with Tiptronic is in the high 7 seconds, so perhaps that is the difference. The 0-60 mph in 6 second time was from multiple magazines from 97-99, including Road and Track and Motortrend (www.motortrend.com/cars/porsche/boxster/1998/1998-porsche-boxster/). Now they may have been pretty hard on the cars, but with the right driver and conditions it is possible. Of course the 2001 S model can go from 0-60 mph in under 6 seconds (I believe Porsche says 5.8). Having said that, I agree that the Boxster is more about handling than straight line speed. Thanks again for watching and sharing your thoughts.

[@captlarry-3525]

flat landers simply are never going to appreciate what any Porsche is.. in fact the way to appreciate what it is.. is to get the lowest powered one you can find.. and drive it in the twisties for half a day... then you will begin to GROK..

[@yurdme8000]

would the 2005 porsche boxster be a good first car?

[@OurRideLife]

From just a car stand point if the young driver proves to be cautious, then it should be fine. But remember they are fast enough to get into plenty of trouble, even with the base model. I know someone that is giving a Porsche Boxster to his daughter as her first car. Of course he owns some Ferraris, Lamborghinis and air-cooled Porsches himself, so he isn’t the typical Dad. Where I think it could be a troublesome first car would be the price of insurance. Even though it is an older car, it is still a two seater sports car, so expect to pay a decent amount for that. The other thing that could be an issue is maintenance. While if properly maintained they are pretty dependable, if something big goes wrong it could cost plenty. Now these concerns may not be as big an issue if parents are willing to help out until a new driver gets a good paying job to take care of these things. I personally have been thinking of eventually giving my Boxster to my kids to use as their first car. I’m just starting to look to add a 911 to the garage, but thought that may be a bit too much car for a young driver. Still on the fence on the idea myself.

[@vladimiralvarez1162]

Hi bro ...I think I mentioned on one of your previous vids regarding the IMs ....but mine had the oil leak from the RMS...so changed that and the clutch too ..now is my engine safe ? I have 91,000 miles ...

[@OurRideLife]

If you changed the RMS, IMS Bearing and clutch your engine should last a good long time providing you keep up on maintenance. Enjoy your Boxster.

[@kmtaylor88]

I got rid of mine after the 100k mark because of the IMS

[@dehsoftware]

That is always a big fear, but if you get the updated bearing it makes it much less of an issue. Plus, most of the time I've heard that the issue usually happens within the first 50,000 miles.

[@Kylo_Ren_2033]

2009 or newer models are not affected by IMF issues.

[@johnroberts8508]

I think the problem was corrected in a redesign in 2006 or 2007...

[@beannie60]

Dude what happened to the music??? Still a good video but could be better with the music.

[@OurRideLife]

Glad you liked it. Just didn’t find any 90’s video game style music that would work for this one. Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts.

[@beannie60]

@@OurRideLife You could use that same music in every video as far as I care, it sticks like Spaghetti on a wall...

[@michaelfeyrnand6065]

Double row IMS bearings were used by Porsche up to the mid-2000 build year(fall '99). Then it went to the single row. The biggest issue however was purely Porsches fault overall: their STUPID advice changing to a 15K mile oil change interval. MAJOR MISTAKE!

[@OurRideLife]

Yes, I believe Porsche later revised the oil change interval to be 10K miles. I personally try to change it every 5K just to be safe.

[@anilmistry474]

Gť

[@OurRideLife]

Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.