Thinking of buying a Boxster ? - MUST READ !

[Windrestrictor]

Originally Posted by kabel

I really, really, like my Boxster.

I'm the second owner, bought the car with 78k - car now has 102,214 miles on the odometer.

The Boxster is my daily driver & I drive my Boxster in a sensible but spirited fashion most of the time. I autocross it an average of once a month, which means it sees the rev limiter occasionally. I have only had to take care of normal ware items thus far (knock on wood) like having the oil changed ever 8-10k. And as far as I can determine, it has the original engine.

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[BoxsterSbob]

Hi, I've had my S for 5 years and have roughly 22k miles. I’ve had no issues other than normal maintenance, and the front license plate holder falling off ☹. Porsche cost of ownership is higher than standard cars, but is certainly in line with other hi-end, or premium cars. I think the advice you’re getting here about getting the warranty thrown in is sound. These guys know their stuff. Get the car, with the protection, drop the top and let the similes begin.

[baileymc]

Hi, I just bought a 1998 Boxster in Toronto,Canada my dream car? It has 50,000 miles on it runs great,only issue is the engine light stays on but after looking into it not a big problem will get it fixed. Had it diagonostic checked & maybe a vaccum leak? No worries when i bought my 1999 Pontiac Grad Prix in Toronto it had the samw problem. I drove it home 7 hours away under warranty they fixed it at home. So go for it happy motoring but if I were you I would do a history on the car get the SIN number and submit it to carfax. They can find everthing about the car if it was under maintenance?

[RandallNeighbour]

Edgarflotte: There are a bunch of threads on this forum dealing with your question. I have a factory remanufactured motor in my 97 box. It was replaced at 80k and I now have 108k on it. No problems to date.

But the IMS bearing should be swapped out on both our motors with a newer aftermarket one that's robust and will keep the motor from cratering. The other big motor killer is "D chunks" taken out of the cylinder walls.

The M96 motor is not bulletproof, that's for sure. But don't lie awake at night worrying about it. Just replace the IMS bearing when you have your clutch replaced or your rear main seal replaced due to leaks.

BaileyMC: Carfax is total crap. Doesn't show anything that is not entered in, and my carfax was clean and my motor had blown and was replaced at a dealership!

I called my dealer with my VIN number and I was told that I could only get records from the exact dealers where the car was worked on. They have no nationwide network that they are willing to access for customers anyway.

Meticulous records kept by the PO is what one is looking for when buying a preowned Porsche.

[lejolierogue]

and if you have bad experiences, its part of the ride. Move on and get over it. I've had my 99 for 10 years now and is a daily driver. My biggest one time expense was $1000 bucks. Pretty darn great if you ask me. I've gotta say that this is one awesome forum and had provided me with lots of $ saving tips. Even if I didn't DIY, its ok to pay the extra $ to not get your hands dirty and have someone else do it for u. I'm currently in the market for a Ferrari. I'm on Ferrari Chat and its funny to see similar patterns of thinking when buying extraordinary cars. Wow - folks sure like to overthink things. Well not me - apart from doing your due diligence, you've gotta stop at some point and take the leap of faith. Life's too short mate...so good luck and may the force be with you!

-enzo

[pothole]

Originally Posted by lejolierogue

and if you have bad experiences, its part of the ride. Move on and get over it. I've had my 99 for 10 years now and is a daily driver. My biggest one time expense was $1000 bucks.
-enzo

Er, easy for you to say since you've obviously never suffered a major problem with you car. Come back with that cheery attitude after your engine has just grenaded and you literally cannot afford to replace it and I will duly doff my cap. If you've either never suffered a major problem or wouldn't really struggle to pay for it (I'm guessing both apply to you if you are Ferrari shopping), it's a bit harsh to lecture people for whom these problems are much more critical!

I agree that a leap of faith has to be made - I made one on my Box big time (so far, so good). But I absolutely wouldn't criticise anyone for being nervous about their car or upset when it fails. There but for the grace of god etc.

[lejolierogue]

Originally Posted by pothole

Er, easy for you to say since you've obviously never suffered a major problem with you car. Come back with that cheery attitude after your engine has just grenaded and you literally cannot afford to replace it and I will duly doff my cap. If you've either never suffered a major problem or wouldn't really struggle to pay for it (I'm guessing both apply to you if you are Ferrari shopping), it's a bit harsh to lecture people for whom these problems are much more critical!

I agree that a leap of faith has to be made - I made one on my Box big time (so far, so good). But I absolutely wouldn't criticise anyone for being nervous about their car or upset when it fails. There but for the grace of god etc.

--->
I'm by no means lecturing anyone. Just motivating ->

And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willin' to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and drive that sports car that you've always dreamed about...

Think about it!

[RandallNeighbour]

As much as I'd love to drive a Bugatti Veyron on that closed course with the 5 mile straightaway featured on Top Gear, I would not trade all my days from this day forward to death to enjoy that hour or so of driving bliss.

Sports cars are thrilling indeed. But what I'd much rather trade all my forward days for is seeing everyone on the planet come to know God's love in a very personal and transformational way. If I experienced that, I'd be happy to drop dead right now in my office chair at 48 years of age.

I don't mean to change the spirit or intent of your question lejolierogue, but I thought I'd just answer it honestly since you asked.

[BMAN_986]

So i'm about to buy my first Boxster. I've been looking at '00s -'02s. It looks like for my budget my car with have somewhere between 50k-80k on it. So I already know i would probably have to get the big 60k service done.

I have to admit the IMS problem is scaring me (i'm not so concerned with the RMS failure).

Should I consider getting the RMS/IMS/Clutch done as well as some kind of preemptive strike against the failure even though they could be fine. From what I see the IMS replacement is usually done with superior parts than those fitted from new so the chance of failure post changing are slim to none.

I plan to keep the car for 7+ years and will do at least 6k-7k p/y on average so spending $3k now would be easier to swallow that spending $15k whenever these problems occur.

Has anyone done or even considered this?

Do we see more failures on the base model rather than the 'S' model?

thanks

[clickman]

Originally Posted by BMAN_986

Should I consider getting the RMS/IMS/Clutch done as well as some kind of preemptive strike against the failure even though they could be fine. From what I see the IMS replacement is usually done with superior parts than those fitted from new so the chance of failure post changing are slim to none.

Do we see more failures on the base model rather than the 'S' model?

As you do more of your research on this forum and others related to Boxsters, you'll find that there are more than a few that have, for peace of mind, chosen to do the clutch/IMS/RMS "pre-emptively". For the mileage you're considering, the clutch could likely be due anyways.

The IMS bearing can be done with "superior" parts, or it could be done with the original parts. In the case of the original part, personally I wouldn't use it as it's already known to fail. In the case of the "superior" part, there isn't enough hard evidence out there to show the problem is permanently eliminated. Until that body of evidence is available, even the makers of the "superior" bearing are recommending it be checked every 50k miles IIRC.

In all my Boxster forum surfing I have not come across anything to make me believe the base or S has more IMS failures. Apparently the automatic tranny does suffer less failures. And Boxster engines don't like to be lugged.

And of course make sure you get a good PPI done before buying.

[Brockster]

I have owned many cars, my first was a 65 mustang and many VW’s which drove me nuts with maintenance. Last year my cancer required me to drive 150 miles a day on a treacherous but beautiful mountain road in order to get radiation therapy. I bought a 2002 Boxter and drove it hard every day for a month and a half. My local mechanic changed the plugs, put in new front brakes and changed all fluids. This car was so fun to drive and got me thru a rough patch so I rewarded it with a new top with a glass back window. I’m keeping it. I have a blast downshifting into corners and driving with the top down on our scenic highways. Without all of the neigh sayers, I could never afford to buy this car or keep it. It cost me 1 month income. All of the American convertibles that I looked at for almost 2 times the price were beat to **************** and drove the same. Thanks again for the negative posts, keep it up. I’ll keep my Porsche.

[Radman]

Originally Posted by Brockster

I have owned many cars, my first was a 65 mustang and many VW’s which drove me nuts with maintenance. Last year my cancer required me to drive 150 miles a day on a treacherous but beautiful mountain road in order to get radiation therapy. I bought a 2002 Boxter and drove it hard every day for a month and a half. My local mechanic changed the plugs, put in new front brakes and changed all fluids. This car was so fun to drive and got me thru a rough patch so I rewarded it with a new top with a glass back window. I’m keeping it. I have a blast downshifting into corners and driving with the top down on our scenic highways. Without all of the neigh sayers, I could never afford to buy this car or keep it. It cost me 1 month income. All of the American convertibles that I looked at for almost 2 times the price were beat to **************** and drove the same. Thanks again for the negative posts, keep it up. I’ll keep my Porsche.

Tend to agree. Sometimes the risks are overstated. I skipped the PPI since it didn't make sense for a 10k car. This thing is a blast to drive and easy to work on too. Glad you're enjoying yours!

[jackschumann]

Originally Posted by Brockster

I have owned many cars, my first was a 65 mustang and many VW’s which drove me nuts with maintenance. Last year my cancer required me to drive 150 miles a day on a treacherous but beautiful mountain road in order to get radiation therapy. I bought a 2002 Boxter and drove it hard every day for a month and a half. My local mechanic changed the plugs, put in new front brakes and changed all fluids. This car was so fun to drive and got me thru a rough patch so I rewarded it with a new top with a glass back window. I’m keeping it. I have a blast downshifting into corners and driving with the top down on our scenic highways. Without all of the neigh sayers, I could never afford to buy this car or keep it. It cost me 1 month income. All of the American convertibles that I looked at for almost 2 times the price were beat to **************** and drove the same. Thanks again for the negative posts, keep it up. I’ll keep my Porsche.

Good luck in dealing with your cancer.

[tmanalio@yahoo.com]

Originally Posted by jackschumann

Good luck in dealing with your cancer.

If a car can produce a giggle or a smile. Keep it. Be well. Tom

[hambone]

Hey everyone!

I hope this is the thread for this post. I have recently moved to California to pursue the American dream and what better car to do that with than the 986. Trying to find one and have one I’m quite keen on with the following specs:

85k, ims changed, new water pump, white smoke from the exhaust occasionally, and the following codes: P0157, P0132, P0154, P1541

I’m thinking changing the oxygen sensors would clear those errors and maybe the smoke issue as well? Any thoughts on the overall car condition? Thanks a million in advance!!