[etarasoff]

Hi all,

Tried posting something earlier but it seems to have been lost. I'm shopping for my first Boxster - a car I've always wanted. I'm looking to spend anywhere from $9K to $18K. Naturally, I'd like to spend on the lower end of that range for a "fun car" but I also don't want to make a penny-wise, pound-foolish type of purchase.

My target right now is anything manual between 2000 to 2004. "S" would be great but it's not imperative. Of utmost concern to me is how clean and well-kept the vehicle is, and how I feel about the color combination. I'll be driving it for a short commute 2-3 days/week and for weekend fun in the twisty roads just north of San Francisco.

I've seen a lot of junk so far and just a few nice Boxsters. Pricing does not seem consistent and some cars have had more dings, nicks and scratches than my F150 truck which gets heavy use.

The best vehicles I've seen so far have been a clean 2000 base with hardtop and 85K miles for $9K and a 2002 S, loaded, with 84K miles for $16K. Recently, I've started searching Ebay to widen my search and there might be one or two in So Cal I'm interested in (and would have someone check out for me).

Recommendations, advice and guidance from recent purchasers and long-time owners would be greatly appreciated! In particular, I'm interested to know what you guys would be targeting, purchase-wise, in my price range.

Thanks!
Eric