mrmetts

I am a long time Porsche owner and PCA member. I am used to doing my own work and have done 90% on my two 73 914's, my 72 911 T and my 83 911 SC. I recently purchased a 2000 911 Carrera 2 which has required zero work. My mechanic friend is dope slapping me for buying a 996 an for showing interest in the 986. His reasons are a) "high" engine failure rate and B) required special tools make working on these engines impractical for even him. I loved the neutral handling of the 914 and my teenage daughters are showing interest in autocross. I'm thnking of buying a 986 to set up for them as I feel the 911 is a bit of a handful for new drivers and 914's just aren't practical today. I want to be able to maintain the car primarily myself. So is my mechanic right? Should I go buy a "reliabile" BMW 3 series rather than a Boxster like he advises?

Two years ago, I bought a 2000 Boxster with 42,000 miles on it. I drive it 30 miles each way to work every day. It now has 73,000 miles. Several things have gone wrong, but each time I've been able to find help on the internet and fix it myself.

1. The electrical switch that tells the car the handbrake is up failed. When that happens the convertible top won't go up or down. 1 hour, $5.00 fix.

2. The Mass Air Flow Sensor failed. 30 Minutes, $200.00 parts + $100 to Dealer to reprogram the computer for upgraded part.

3. The air/oil separator failed. 12 hours, $200.

4. The Ignition Switch/Steering Interlock failed. 6 hours, $200.

It's not as trouble-free as my Hondas, but the more I drive it, the better I like it. I'd buy another.

mrmetts