*High Milage Boxster: Yes or No????

[JCL12]

General consensus is that 00+ are the years you want to target for better piece of mind for reliability. That said, they cost a lot to maintain even if NOTHING goes wrong. Your 30k, 45k, 60k, etc services cost a fortune - $500+. Getting an oil change costs between $160-250. A set of tires - which will go fast, often costs 1K+ with installation and taxes. I doubt anybody in high school can afford maintenance bills even if the car stays in perfect shape. Furthermore, you insurance costs will be through the roof. 2D sports convertible for a young kid will have insane insurance perimiums.

If you have wealthy parents then I guess this isn't an issue, but it is still silly for somebody to get a 986 at 16. Heck, I am a few years out of college, have a very good job, can pay all my bills, etc, and I am still too young for a Pcar.

And lastly, while I am sure you will disagree with this statement you will almost certainly be a horrible driver when you get your license. Almost ever single male I know has been in some form of accident with another car that THEY caused since they start up to age 25 - even some of the most catious drivers I know. My first car was a beater civic (which I still have) and I was terrible at driving until I matured and gain a lot more driving experience. Heck, sometimes I still stink at driving, but for different reasons (NOT booze...fatigue) so it is better to wait

[xxxalexxxx]

i say wait and get a better deal... over 90,000 miles is a lot and a 97 is an old car...and porsche parts aren't cheap...u get the idea. Dont get me wrong if you want the car get it but you'll have to make some repairs on it in the next few months thats a guarantee. something will go wrong most likely, when i first got my boxster the top stopped working within a week but i know enough about cars for it not to be a big deal to me. If you know about cars and have worked on them before then get it and do your own repairs, it'll be a lot cheaper. But im not sure that an old boxster is for you since u said u dont have a lot of time... thats just my 2cents.

[xxxalexxxx]

cbenitah, very cool 914! wow u did a complete makeover...u have more pix? it looks great...theyre fun little cars haha

[Gary in BR]

As an owner of a 160,000 mile Boxster I will agree with everyone that says stay away from this car.

My son is 14, there is no way he is owning a 2 seat convertible for his 1st car, no Miata either. I think 1st cars should be SAFER than average.

I feel as if a Boxster can be a very reliable car if its taken care of very well.
A car with 90k miles on it....what is the service history? What kind of shape is the car in, and I agree 15k is too much for a 97.

Go buy a less expensive car, keep some cash.

[JCL12]

Originally Posted by Gary in BR

As an owner of a 160,000 mile Boxster I will agree with everyone that says stay away from this car.
.

Gary,

Very few boxster owners have even cracked the 100K mark, let alone 160K. Granted, boxsters are often not DDs and they have only been around in the USA since 97. What have your experiences been with maintenance of the ol beast?

[Gary in BR]

There are a few other Boxster owners who are on the forum who have more mileage than my car. I think one of them is approaching 190k.

I change the oil every 10,000 miles. Air filter every 20k
Spark plugs, every time I change my means of forced induction

The car is on its second water pump, alternator, air oil separator, passenger side window regulator, water reservoir, and clutch.
I changed the RMS when the clutch was changed.

The drivers seat had a hole in it, so it was changed last Christmas.

My lifters lost fluid at one time and I had to replace an entire bank of them, that was at 90k miles. The Porsche mechanic said the engine was so clean he could not believe the miliage.

I always use Chevron/Texaco or Shell 93octane gas.
Mobil 1 oil.

One of the picky things I di that I think has kept my engine healthy is I NEVER rev over 4k rpms until it is fully warmed up, I avoid short trips. If I need to go to the corner store and the engine is cold I get to take the long way, this has 2 benefits. the car gets to stretch its legs and if my wife is in a hurry she goes herself

Common sense goes a long way, pay attension to the car. If something seems odd check it on it.

Good luck and go for a drive!!

[Lil bastard]

Man... so many Red Flags here I hardly know where to begin.

Your profile - 16-18 yrs., limited funds, living in the snowbelt, etc. just screams that, at this time in your life, a Boxster is the wrong car for you .

Insurance - you're going to pay through the proverbial nose to insure it.

Fuel Costs - Compared to most cars out there, the Boxster gets lousy mileage. I imagine that a young person is probaby looking at 20 MPG Max. due to driving style, etc. If the experts are correct and Gas hits $5/gal., what are you willing to give up to keep driving the car?

Maintenance costs - As mentioned, this car needs, or is soon to need, lots of $$ for upcoming or possibly overdue maintenance. Boxsters, unlike a Toyota or Honda don't react well to putting off scheduled maintenance - the car will bite you, possibly leaving you stranded and incurring tow charges. There are few generic parts available for these cars which means that you're going to pay high prices for parts and consumables. Also, living in the snowbelt, you're really gonna need a 2nd set of wheels w/ snow tires - these cars don't do well in snow/ice w/o them, figure another $2k just for this.

An early Boxster - Lots of unresolved issues in the '97s. Add to that the depreciation which is gonna steadily reduce your investment. I'm assuming that you are including the value of your current Audi in the mix - either by selling it or trading it in on the Boxster. In a very short time, you could find yourself with a car you cannot afford to keep, but which you can't sell for enough $ to get another decent ride.

Best advice is to invest the money you have, keep the Audi, study hard and buy yourself a new, or near-new, Boxster in a few years to reward yourself for all your hard work. In the end, that'd be the smartest thing to do.

But, I was your age once too, and I realize how strong the allure can be, and that this advice is the least attractive option and that little, if any, of this is sinking in. Good Luck!

[Brucelee]

Originally Posted by Gary in BR

There are a few other Boxster owners who are on the forum who have more mileage than my car. I think one of them is approaching 190k.

I change the oil every 10,000 miles. Air filter every 20k
Spark plugs, every time I change my means of forced induction

The car is on its second water pump, alternator, air oil separator, passenger side window regulator, water reservoir, and clutch.
I changed the RMS when the clutch was changed.

The drivers seat had a hole in it, so it was changed last Christmas.

My lifters lost fluid at one time and I had to replace an entire bank of them, that was at 90k miles. The Porsche mechanic said the engine was so clean he could not believe the miliage.

I always use Chevron/Texaco or Shell 93octane gas.
Mobil 1 oil.

One of the picky things I di that I think has kept my engine healthy is I NEVER rev over 4k rpms until it is fully warmed up, I avoid short trips. If I need to go to the corner store and the engine is cold I get to take the long way, this has 2 benefits. the car gets to stretch its legs and if my wife is in a hurry she goes herself

Common sense goes a long way, pay attension to the car. If something seems odd check it on it.

Good luck and go for a drive!!

Lots of good info. Thanks.

[john4394]

Lil Bastards advice is right on........not what you want to hear or probably want to do.....but most of us as kids had to learn the hard way...........if you have the 2 seater convertible bug.............get a used older Miata in the best condition and maintenance record that your budget will support.....guage if you can support the maintenance costs on that car..............if you can then multiply it by 4 and that's what the Boxster will run you.....then assess whether or not at this particular point in your life if it makes sense........ Believe me, the girls that want to go out with you because you have a "cool" car will not the the women that will make you happy over the long haul. I own a number of "toy" cars (older Ferriaris, Corvettes, etc.) in addition to a Boxster. I've learned over the years that there is ALWAYS another great car and they will always be available either by private sale or classic/special interest car auctions. A lot of guys my age are buying the cars they lusted after in the sixties and seventies because they can afford them now.....

[Brucelee]

Originally Posted by john4394

Lil Bastards advice is right on........not what you want to hear or probably want to do.....but most of us as kids had to learn the hard way...........if you have the 2 seater convertible bug.............get a used older Miata in the best condition and maintenance record that your budget will support.....guage if you can support the maintenance costs on that car..............if you can then multiply it by 4 and that's what the Boxster will run you.....then assess whether or not at this particular point in your life if it makes sense........ Believe me, the girls that want to go out with you because you have a "cool" car will not the the women that will make you happy over the long haul. I own a number of "toy" cars (older Ferriaris, Corvettes, etc.) in addition to a Boxster. I've learned over the years that there is ALWAYS another great car and they will always be available either by private sale or classic/special interest car auctions. A lot of guys my age are buying the cars they lusted after in the sixties and seventies because they can afford them now.....

Hey, there is nothing wrong with shallow or immature girls. Just don't take them too seriously!

[Brucelee]

Primary Information about this vehicle:
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Price $9,999
Mileage 85,231
Body Style Convertible
Exterior Color Silver
Interior Color Black
Engine 6 Cylinder Gasoline
Transmission Automatic
Drive Type 2 wheel drive - rear
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Stock No. 22185
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[brent95m3]

Originally Posted by jdub2348

well i realize that service will be expensive but im sort of used to expensive services here and there since i currently drive an '02 audi a6 with 64k and it can't seem to go 300 miles without some little thing going wrong. ive looked at other sports cars but the boxster just feels right and im prepared to do what it takes to own one, even if that means spending all my cash to keep it up. i have seen 98 and 99 boxsters with 50 or 60,000 miles for around $15,000. these are out of state tho and i'd have to mess with shipping costs and all that junk.

what i want to know is will it be worth it for the two years that i have the car to buy the cheap high milage or the more expensive lower milage.

- this '97 has branddd new tires with almost no miles on them which is good.

Honestly its probably luck of the draw and how well the car was maintained. Owner's could have deferred maintenance longer on the higher mileage. Of course, maybe they did it, and the 50k is due for service. I bought a high performance car in high school, on my own dime, and yes almost killed myself multiple times. Take some drivers schools and don't think you're invincible (tough to do I realize). If you learn how to do basic maintenance yourself, the costs to maintain will likely be significantly less. I say do it and just get a PPI on the 90k car to find out where you're at.

[silver arrow]

1. Sell the Audi.
2. Don't buy a Boxster
3. Get an inexpensive, reliable car that is good on gas until you finish college unless you have very nice, rich parents. (if you did, you wouldn't be looking at a high mileage Boxster)
4. I just paid $15,000 for a 2000 Boxster with 50,000 miles, so if you don't listen to anything on this board and buy the car anyway, know that there are better deals out there.

[Grizzly]

The 914 is a great idea. The 912 is another inexpensive option. Cheap Porsche fun!

[PWebRPH]

Originally Posted by silver arrow

1. Sell the Audi.
2. Don't buy a Boxster
3. Get an inexpensive, reliable car that is good on gas until you finish college unless you have very nice, rich parents. (if you did, you wouldn't be looking at a high mileage Boxster)
4. I just paid $15,000 for a 2000 Boxster with 50,000 miles, so if you don't listen to anything on this board and buy the car anyway, know that there are better deals out there.

Good advice. A college buddy of mine can back up #4 as well. He bought a 97 base last year with 15k miles..... for $17k

[Brucelee]

Originally Posted by Grizzly

The 914 is a great idea. The 912 is another inexpensive option. Cheap Porsche fun!

I love the old 912s. Great fun and so unique.

Everyone has a 911.

[renzop]

Originally Posted by jdub2348

the thing is, i dont have time and money on my side. im a junior in high school and im looking to spend under $15 for a boxster that i can enjoy during my last two summers at home. so a '00 or newer would probly not be an option...

Kid,

Don't do it. You can't afford it. I speak from experience.

In 1978 I was 22 and just out of college. I had a little money in my pocket and got an ok starter job. I bought a used Porsche 914. It took every cent I had to buy the car. The clutch went out 1000 miles later. The car sat for two months and I took the bus to work while I earned the money for the clutch job.

About 2 months after the clutch was repaired, the heat exchangers rusted out. Every time I turned on the heat the cockpit filled with exhaust fumes. I spent the winter driving with no heat and the windows open.

In June of that year State inspection was due. It failed because of a blown shock, a bad foglight, the heat exchangers and no broken windshield washers. This time the car sat for 4 months while I earned the money for repairs.

After missing the summer, I got the car back on the road but I realized that it was not reliable enough for a daily driver. I bought a used Impala for $500 and it ran without repairs for 5 years.

Rust finally got the better of the 914. In 1983 it started eating halfshafts. Turns out the upper rear mounts were completely rusted out. Repairs would have cost way more than I paid for the car originally. I gave up.

I had fun with the 914, but If I had waited a few years I could have saved the money to buy a nice one.

Learn form my mistake. If you only have enough money to just afford the purchase price of a car then it must be totally reliable. A '97 Boxster with high mileage is not that kind of car.

REgards,
Alan

[teacher]

Originally Posted by RandallNeighbour

Yes. Wait.

I bought a 97 four years ago for $15,500 and have put $8000 into repairs and fixing it up to look newer and feel like a car I wanted to keep for five or ten years.

Buy a much newer S model with the larger engine, even if you have to sacrifice a lot for the next two years and save every penny you can find to scrape up another $10-15k.

The cheapest and oldest Porsche you find to buy will undoubtedly be the most expensive and frustrating Porsche to own.

Most recently, I replaced the brake discs and pads. The discs were original equipment, and the caliper bolts had not been removed and were rusted on, tearing out the aluminum in the wheel carrier to get them out. Cost me a couple of hundred extra to buy a tap insert kit and a whole extra day of aggravation.

Now, a couple of months later, I think one of the aftermarket rotors I put on is warped because I get bad vibration when I hit the brakes while at freeway speeds.

Old Porsches always have something wrong with them and always need something fixed.

Look for an 03 S or younger car. This model year and younger have glass rear windows (so you don't have to get out of the car when you drop the top to crease the plastic window) and better interiors. The 05 models forward have MUCH nicer interiors and bigger engines.

If you can only afford a $13k boxster right now, delay buying one until you can buy a very low mileage garage queen 03S or younger and you will not regret waiting a year or two, I promise!

Don't buy pre-2003 because of the plastic...trust me on this. Not that my rearview is clouded but go for either 2003 or 04...my sense is that you will be happier because not only will you get glass, you will also have power window control on the console, where it should be