986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners - View Single Post - Thinking of buying a Boxster ?

RandallNeighbour · 03-13-2009, 08:34 AM

Don't let these two issues scare you off. The new issue of Excellence stated that only one in five M96 motors had catastrophic maladies and many of them were replaced under warranty. The RMS is a gasket and when it starts leaking, you replace it... and the clutch parts too since you're right there to save on labor.

I would not buy a 97-99 model though, and this comes from someone who owns one. Suspension wear becomes a costly issue in cars with 90k or more on them. Save more money and by an 03 or an 04 S with the 3.2 motor in it... the much newer car, lower mileage, glass rear window in the top, bigger motor with more torque, and the all-important glove box are all things you will not regret waiting to get in your Porsche.

I wish I had waited. Learn from my experiences and buy the newest Porsche you can find with the lowest mileage on it and the largest engine they put in the model you want to buy.

If you buy a 12 year old boxster, you will spend as much in repairs in the first three to four years of ownership as it would cost three or four years later to buy a much newer one.

03-13-2009, 08:34 AM	#28
RandallNeighbour Registered User Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 7,243	Don't let these two issues scare you off. The new issue of Excellence stated that only one in five M96 motors had catastrophic maladies and many of them were replaced under warranty. The RMS is a gasket and when it starts leaking, you replace it... and the clutch parts too since you're right there to save on labor. I would not buy a 97-99 model though, and this comes from someone who owns one. Suspension wear becomes a costly issue in cars with 90k or more on them. Save more money and by an 03 or an 04 S with the 3.2 motor in it... the much newer car, lower mileage, glass rear window in the top, bigger motor with more torque, and the all-important glove box are all things you will not regret waiting to get in your Porsche. I wish I had waited. Learn from my experiences and buy the newest Porsche you can find with the lowest mileage on it and the largest engine they put in the model you want to buy. If you buy a 12 year old boxster, you will spend as much in repairs in the first three to four years of ownership as it would cost three or four years later to buy a much newer one.