Help me choose a car

"Stiggy" (Stiggy123) 09/06/2013 at 11:09 • Filed to: None

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Alright so as a graduation gift for med school my dad got me a 2013 BMW x35i. I know, I don't wanna sound spoiled but I'm kinda being forced to say my dad got me the wrong BMW. I didn't know what to do but, good news everybody. Turns out he got it at an insurance salvage auction, took it to his friends body shop, and they worked on it together for a couple of weeks. It was hit in the right front. All they had to replace a control arm, quarter panel, bumper, headlight and a couple obligatory airbags. It had no frame damage or what-not. But anyway back on topic. I could prob sell for a profit above what he paid. Looking for something nice in the 10k range like an s2000 or a boxster with like 60000 miles on it. By the way I heard like any boxster made from like '97 till '08 (M96/M97 engines) are susceptible intermediate shaft failures after 60,000 miles so, there's that.

2 part question
1)Am i a dick if i do sell the car?
2)If i proceed what do you recommend? Has to be convertible, drivers car, in range of lets say $5000 - $20000 .

I feel like absolute shit complaining that my dad got me the wrong beamer, but you guys can see its not really my style. Plus when he bought the car I was still with my ex who I had been with for a couple of years, and he (honestly me too) probably thought things would get a little more serious with her afterwards, and I might have ended up needing a bigger car, but (roar roaaaaaaar power vrooom vrooooooom) this is jalop and that's a story for jezevell.

gawdzilla > Stiggy 09/06/2013 at 11:18

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cant go wrong with the s2000

and how tall are you ? the answer is always ..... you know it ....

Anima > Stiggy 09/06/2013 at 11:18

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Obvious answer is obvious.. Miata.

Boxters are cool but maintenance prices are a bitch.

maximillious > Stiggy 09/06/2013 at 11:21

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I have been looking at S2ks for a while now and am contemplating purchasing one as well for a DD. Here is a link to some great information on what to watch out for when purchasing. http://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/77…

Also keep in mind that the S2k seats are incredibly expensive and make them a huge target for theft. This means your convertable top would be destroyed in the process... because of this, if the seats are stolen most insurance companies end up totaling the car.

youshiftem > Stiggy 09/06/2013 at 11:21

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Sounds like he worked hard on this car for you, if it was my dad there would be no way I could sell something he was obviously very excited to be able to give you. Get a cheap muscle car for $1500 to go fast in and drive this every day. It might not be what I would choose to drive but it is a very nice vehicle and even nicer knowing my dad went to all that work for me.

Montalvo > Stiggy 09/06/2013 at 11:25

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1) you are not a dick to sell the car. You are the one driving it and just say that you do like it but it just isn't what you are looking for or that your taste has changed a bit. Be up front about it, its a car it is a big aspect of your life. I would only say it would be a dick move if it was a new car and they spent some serious cash on it. A salvaged x35i brought back to its original state is fine to say that you want to trade up.

2) I guess I can toss out some suggestions although I really am not a fan of convertibles... I also assume you want a manual? Basing that off of S2K and Boxster choice in your post.

01-04 BMW M3 convertible <——looking for a decent coupe myself at the moment

Pontiac solstice <—- forgot about this for a long time you can pick one up with 25,000 mi for about 14-16K

Obvious Miata is obvious

BMW z4

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Stiggy 09/06/2013 at 11:25

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Just talk to him about it.

Thank him again for such a great gift and for all the time he put into it for you, but explain that you feel like it's a good time in your life (young, unattached) to have a small, fun, sports car, and you've been thinking about swapping out the car he bought you for one.

How long have you had it? If less than 6 months, I might wait a while more to bring it up.

Obviously, it's your car, and you can do what you want with it, but the last thing you want to do is come off as unappreciative to your dad.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Stiggy 09/06/2013 at 11:25

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I would say the proper course of action is to keep the car save some cash for a fun 2nd car because of how hard your dad worked, it would probably crush my dad if I did that.

But if you're going go this route, who am I to judge. I recommend this though. LS V8 and MOAR POWER:

http://detroit.craigslist.org/mcb/cto/398496…

Only 10k and it's a convertible. Use the extra cash in your budget for some suspension upgrades and you'll be in a great place with a cool/different car.

Ilike_cougars > Stiggy 09/06/2013 at 11:27

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I had a similar choice to make when I was buying my car, The intermediate shaft failures for the Boxters are well documented, and more over being a mid engined car access to the engine is somewhat limited,( I like to do some self maintenance once in a while), and finally sometimes the engine needs to come out of the car for some repairs I believe. So factoring in these costs I decided to go for a BMW Z4M roadster instead, has the M3 S54 engine, crazy reliable if you take car of it. But I paid about 10k more than your budget. A good Z4 3.0si on the other hand can be had for about 19K, has about 300hp at the crank should still be pretty good. The 135i coupe is also an amazing car should be able to get a good 08 or 09 with the dual turbos for $19k-24k.

Stiggy > Montalvo 09/06/2013 at 11:30

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Well it did cost him about $29,000 total, I think that is some pretty serious cash. But still money isn't the issue as I can probably profit if I sell it.

Yes I prefer manual. Any Toyota is out of the question, as is the Miata (i'ts just not daily driverish enough for me)

bourgeoisie > Stiggy 09/06/2013 at 11:32

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Count me for Team Dick if you sell it. Be patient, save your money, buy a second car.

Stiggy > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 09/06/2013 at 11:32

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Literally just got it. It only had about 1,200 miles on it when he gave it to me. I did talk to him about it and he knows I'm appreciative, but his suggestion was to at least get some use out of it and drive it for like a year before selling. But...

Montalvo > Stiggy 09/06/2013 at 11:38

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$29000 is nothing to sneeze at but I am talking about when someones parents drop 40k+ on something and someone says but its not the color I want... that type of stuff really rustles my jimmies. Just make it clear how thankful you are and I would just give all the excess cash to your father. If it is a DD it needs to be something you are comfortable in and enjoy. As long as you get use out of what you buy your father shouldn't be bothered by it.

Stiggy > bourgeoisie 09/06/2013 at 11:40

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You see I thought about the keeping it and buying another car route. I already have the cash to buy something else if I want. But

a)I already have a second car (73 MGB) and until recently a third (pontiac grand am)

b)I don't have anywhere to park any more car, that's why I sold the pontiac even though it was the funnest car I've ever driven. Can't sell the MG because my uncle (his brother) gave it to me before he passed.

bourgeoisie > Stiggy 09/06/2013 at 11:49

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In that case, I personally would feel that at least putting some miles on the Dad gift, say 25k or so, would be an appropriate recognition of the effort and love he put into the gift.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Stiggy 09/06/2013 at 11:53

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How many miles do you drive a year?

I'd give it at least three to six months, all the while being on the hunt for the next car. Test drive everything! I wish I'd driven more cars when I was looking a year ago, just to get a better knowledge of what's out there. Forcing yourself to wait will actually help you make a better decision on the next car, instead of just jumping on the first one that's close to what you want.

S2000 or Boxster S? I approve.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Stiggy 09/06/2013 at 11:55

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Go to minute 13:00 -

Stiggy > Montalvo 09/06/2013 at 12:38

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I don't know why I thought you said Toyota, but as far as the Pontiac Solstice is concerned, while I like Pontiacs, it still would be his money when I'm replacing it, and there's no way he'd let any more than 2k of his hard earned money go into a pontiac (he considers all of them cars you abandon on the side of the road when they break down. Even though a few years ago I bought a Grand Am from a dealer for $100 ($550) after titling and registration fees and whatnot) and just sold it for $2300, having only changes brake lines and 2 tires.

Stiggy > Ilike_cougars 09/06/2013 at 12:58

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Anyone else have any information on those intermediate shaft failures? I've seen '03 boxsters going for like $14,000, and I think its because of this stigma. If I were to get one of these would there be any way to avoid this problem, anything to look for, any modifications I could do to prevent it, or would I just end up having to cough up $15,000 to the dealer to replace the engine when it inevitably blows?

Ilike_cougars > Stiggy 09/06/2013 at 13:58

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Go into the Porsche forums, If I remember right there was a company in California that were selling reinforced bearings or some such part that sorta helps, if you catch the issue early, if it has happned already, need to replace the full engine. Also Porsche lost a Class action Suit some time ago and said they would reimburse the cost of repair to any owner who had the failure. As long as the car in question wasn't more than 10 years old. Here is the link: http://tinyurl.com/kqdacta

If it was me, Id rather get an old 911SC and spend the money maintaining it rather than a newer Boxter..

Makoyouidiot > bourgeoisie 09/06/2013 at 15:22

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I'd go with this, myself. Drive it for a year or so, then sell and get something else. Won't be worth as much, but I would feel like a dick if I sold something my dad worked on for me right off the bat.

bourgeoisie > Makoyouidiot 09/06/2013 at 16:02

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Exactly. If dad bought it, that's one thing. But the least you can do is drive the sweat equity out of it before you sell.

JasonStern911 > Stiggy 09/07/2013 at 00:04

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Who cares if you're a dick? Life is too short to be unhappy, especially if you spend 30+ minutes of your life a day driving it.

The intermediate shaft on the Boxster doesn't fail - the bearing does. I doubt it affected that many cars as there were no recalls - the educated guess on the Porsche forums for the 986/996 is 5%. It may grow over time, but at this point, you're talking about 9-16 year old cars. I had a 1999 Boxster that I sold at 104.5k with the original IMS bearing. I sold it because I bought a 996 - not because the Boxter was a ticking time bomb. I honestly regret selling it, but I have too many vehicles as it is and I do love the 996 more.

But enough of my personal stories. The 97-00ish IMS bearing was a dual row bearing. To cut noise down on start-up, Porsche switched to a single row bearing somewhere around 2000/2001 (it wasn't a clean break on a model year). The dual row bearings are less prone to failure than the single row bearings. Unfortunately, the Boxster S, which if you are going to buy a Boxster is really the one you want, wasn't sold until model year 2000.

But there is hope - LN Engineering sells a revised intermediate shaft bearing that is supposed to resolve the bearing failure. It does cost like $700, but the labor isn't bad if you're replacing the clutch. So if you're targeting a 60k Boxster, it's probably worth expecting to spend another ~$2k to have a reputable independent shop replace the clutch, upgrade the IMS bearing, and replace the air/oil separator.

Unfortunately, presuming you want a 60k Boxster S, factoring in the preventative maintenance, you're now at about $16k+, so that's out of your price range. If you're okay with a base model Boxster, then you're going a little bit outside your price range, but not by too much. Unfortunately, you'll probably grow bored with ~200-225 horsepower in a sports car and wish you would have bought the Boxster S and start looking, possibly finding a better deal on a 996 and going that route. (Okay, one more personal story.) :)

So, given your criteria, the S2000 is a better choice if you can find one in your price range with the mileage you have listed. When I was looking, they tended to be overpriced. And while the F20C is an amazing engine, the lack of low-end torque and 9k RPM redline means that there is a reasonable chance the engine was revved high. Honda motors are reliable, but they're not "constantly hit a 9k RPM redline while still lasting 200k+ miles" reliable. So, basically, just find one with an owner that makes you feel the car was taken care of and not abused, even if it costs you a bit more.

No matter what you end up doing, make sure to have a pre-purchase inspection done.

MasterK350Z > Stiggy 09/07/2013 at 13:17

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Keep dad's bimmer, buy a miata for 1500, buy a used turbo kit for 1000, and park it in your closet. Problem solved.

Stiggy > JasonStern911 09/08/2013 at 03:27

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Really considering an s2000, mostly because I remember visiting a honda dealership when I was 10 years old and sitting in one thinking to myself 'this is perfect, I want this when I get older.' Now I know an s2000 isn't perfect, but I guess you can undefstand.

Budget isn't really to much of an issue, you're talking to someone who went through med school without any debt, or accepting any money from family. The thing is that I just don't like to spend too much of what I have saved up.

If I looked at the 996 would there be any issues to expect, or anything else to look out for?

Stiggy > Ilike_cougars 09/08/2013 at 03:33

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Richard Hammond? I dont know, honestly i just want something modern and comfortable. You can flame me for it if you want

JasonStern911 > Stiggy 09/08/2013 at 15:32

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It sounds like the S2000 is perfect for you then, so it seems stupid to try to talk you into a 996...

The thing about 996s and 986s is that the motor tends to come out when repairs are needed, which is labor intensive. Thus, it makes sense to replace parts for preventative reasons whenever the motor is out. For example, the air/oil separator is a $100 part, but if it goes bad, your car is nearly inoperable and you're looking at $600-700 in labor to replace it. So if the motor is dropped, say, to replace the clutch, it makes sense to spend the extra $100 while you're there.

The rear main seals had a tendency to leak, but Porsche revised it, so odds are if the car isn't leaking oil by now, that has been addressed. The intermediate shaft bearing has a chance of failure. It's nowhere near as high as the internet makes it out to be, though.

So basically, if you go the 996 route and target one in the 40-60k mile range, you should either be patient and find one with documentation proving that many of these repairs have been done, or just budget an extra ~$2,500 to have a trusted independent Porsche mechanic replace the clutch, air-oil separator, rear-main seal, water pump, spark plugs, accessory v-belt, air filter, and upgrade the IMS bearing to the LN Engineering version. Maybe also have the injectors cleaned if the car is low mileage and has been sitting. If you do that, you'll have a known, rock-solid car for years, and you won't get stuck in that trap of having to pay large labor fees dropping and reinstalling the motor.

Or you can just buy the Honda. While I would never trade my 996 for a S2000 (well, unless something bad happened like I blew the motor or wrecked it), they're both great cars.

Ilike_cougars > Stiggy 09/09/2013 at 10:34

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Lol not Richard! Just a German car nerd, You haven't driven a 911 from the 80s my friend, it will change you..