Thinking of buying a Boxster ? - MUST READ !

[wogin]

Thanks Bruce.

I can swing $2000 a year, but wow that is more than I would have guessed for sure. As for the oil changes, I could see that being an issue too, but on the other hand I wasn't sure why oil would go bad from just a change in container (engine vs plastic jug) ...I had read some discussion of oil becoming acidic with age, but couldn't figure out why that would occur if the car was not being run??? not doubting, just looking to learn.

Edmunds is $9022 private party, Bluebook is $10,100 private party,
NADA dealer retail is $11,300 all for excellent condition. Are these estimates accurate? Their asking price is $11,500, so if the estimators are correct then I should be going for closer to bluebook or Edumnds? I want to have an idea of a fair price for this car considering it's milage, history (not being run for a few years and potential for problems associate with it), assuming it is in excellent
cosmetic condition with nothing discovered on a PPI.

Bottom line: I don't want to start out in the hole on the first day of ownership because i payed too much.

Thanks again Bruce. If anyone else wants to chime in please do, I value your experience.

-Brian

[BruceH]

Originally Posted by wogin

Thanks Bruce.

I can swing $2000 a year, but wow that is more than I would have guessed for sure. As for the oil changes, I could see that being an issue too, but on the other hand I wasn't sure why oil would go bad from just a change in container (engine vs plastic jug) ...I had read some discussion of oil becoming acidic with age, but couldn't figure out why that would occur if the car was not being run??? not doubting, just looking to learn.

Edmunds is $9022 private party, Bluebook is $10,100 private party,
NADA dealer retail is $11,300 all for excellent condition. Are these estimates accurate? Their asking price is $11,500, so if the estimators are correct then I should be going for closer to bluebook or Edumnds? I want to have an idea of a fair price for this car considering it's milage, history (not being run for a few years and potential for problems associate with it), assuming it is in excellent
cosmetic condition with nothing discovered on a PPI.

Bottom line: I don't want to start out in the hole on the first day of ownership because i payed too much.

Thanks again Bruce. If anyone else wants to chime in please do, I value your experience.

-Brian

The $2000/year is just a wag quoted around here but it really depends on the prior maintenance history. I am coming up on four years of ownership and have not spent anywhere near that amount. My vehicle was well cared for and I have done the same with regular oil and fluid changes. I also am not using it as a daily driver but it gets regular exercise. You just have to remember that it is a 15 year old car so no matter what, it will need attention. I would honestly say, get a PPI, so that you know what you are getting and if the report shows anything amiss, then you have that for negotiations. Price wise, off the top of my head, I would want to get it closer to $10k. And yes, oil becomes acidic with age and is what seems to cause IMS failures. Oil gets trapped behind the "sealed" bearing and turns acidic. The theory is high revs will push new and hopefully fresh oil into and behind the bearing. That is why many on here will say to drive it like you stole it, i.e., high revs, and regularly.

[Disaster]

Originally Posted by BruceH

The $2000/year is just a wag quoted around here but it really depends on the prior maintenance history. I am coming up on four years of ownership and have not spent anywhere near that amount. My vehicle was well cared for and I have done the same with regular oil and fluid changes. I also am not using it as a daily driver but it gets regular exercise. You just have to remember that it is a 15 year old car so no matter what, it will need attention. I would honestly say, get a PPI, so that you know what you are getting and if the report shows anything amiss, then you have that for negotiations. Price wise, off the top of my head, I would want to get it closer to $10k. And yes, oil becomes acidic with age and is what seems to cause IMS failures. Oil gets trapped behind the "sealed" bearing and turns acidic. The theory is high revs will push new and hopefully fresh oil into and behind the bearing. That is why many on here will say to drive it like you stole it, i.e., high revs, and regularly.

Also really depends on how much work you can do yourself and how "smart" you buy parts. I just put a bit about $1500 in the Boxster I just bought. The biggest part of that was replacing the old tires (check the date code on the tires.) The rest was plugs, oil, oil filter, air filter, cabin filter, serpentine belt, AOS, HVAC control LCD screen, console bulbs, short shifter, top vent tube, shifter boot, & spare key. Probably have 15 hours of labor in it. If this work had been done at a dealer the cost would be 3 times as much.

Yesterday the convertible top link end snapped and I made the mistake of trying to drive the top back down and bent the clamshell. That will run me another $300 to have the clamshell fixed by a paintless dent guy. Add another couple hundred for the newer more reliable top transmissions and I'll probably hit $2k in my first month of ownership. That transmissions weren't absolutely necessary but I wanted the added insurance of a more reliable design.

Most of this stuff was neglected and old aged parts and I don't expect to see these kinds of costs yearly.