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

[jdub2348]

I looked at my first boxster yesterday - the only one for sale in my area - and i am very intrerested. its a 97 base boxster with 91,500 miles and the dealership is asking $12,995. my concern is that the milage is too high and im going to run into some problems. my question is: is it worth it to wait for a lower milage boxster for a few grand more or go ahead and pull the trigger now and buy this one.

[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!

[porscheracer01]

Originally Posted by jdub2348

I looked at my first boxster yesterday - the only one for sale in my area - and i am very intrerested. its a 97 base boxster with 91,500 miles and the dealership is asking $12,995. my concern is that the milage is too high and im going to run into some problems. my question is: is it worth it to wait for a lower milage boxster for a few grand more or go ahead and pull the trigger now and buy this one.

Negotiate and buy it! If you really want to check you can spend $200 for PPI. Also, Carfax and take it for a test drive..check the roof, oil leaks and clutch.
Don't worry about it...Porsche cars are built like tanks.

[cbenitah]

Originally Posted by porscheracer01

Negotiate and buy it! If you really want to check you can spend $200 for PPI. Also, Carfax and take it for a test drive..check the roof, oil leaks and clutch.
Don't worry about it...Porsche cars are built like tanks.

Tanks eh??

Yes Porsche is a very cheap car to own and maintain

[Cloudsurfer]

I would ideally look or wait for an 03 or newer "S." However, at the least, I would search for 00 and newer cars. High mileage isn't, by itself, a horrible thing, but the degree to which it was maintained and how many things have been replaced recently will have a huge effect on how expensive the car proves to keep running.

Patrick

[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...

[RandallNeighbour]

Suspension parts and emissions stuff wear out on cars of this age. Boxsters have a lot of plastic parts in them too that wear out far earlier than the Porsches of the 70's.

They're built by Germans, but they're not bullet proof like a German tank by any means.

Some guys on this board swear their boxsters are bullet proof, but I always see that they're driving a very low mileage car, a very new car (1-2 years old) or one that the previous owner dumped a bunch of money into to fix up.

Throwing caution to the wind and buying that 97 may possibly be the most expensive car you have ever purchased.

Now if the dealer throws in a bumper to bumper warranty for 3 years or 25k beyond what the car has on it now and the warranty doesn't have all sorts of exclusions, it's worth a second look.

Check my web site for tips for purchasing a used boxster.

[RandallNeighbour]

jdub, we posted at the same time.

I think you're gonna shoot yourself in the foot. The car will need costly repairs over the next two years and it will be parked if you can't pony up with $600 for this and $1200 for that. These cars also burn through rear tires in 8000 miles or less and they're $200 a pop.

No offense, but you should find another kind of car to buy for the next two years. If I didn't have a great job and a willingness to dump $5000 a year into my car, I could not afford to own it.

You better call your insurance company as well. That might help you make a quick decision on the boxster purchase.

[gmboxster]

Boxsters certainly are not built like tanks but putting $5000 a year repairs in them is way over the top too. But I agree with Randall, I have a 98 model which had 46K on it. It was taken extremely good care of and I've had no problems thus far. Having said that I would rather have an 03~04 Boxster S. I would just be leary of a car with almost 100K on it no matter the make of car. Good luck with your decision.

[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.

[fatmike]

I stopped reading at "I'm a junior in High School". I can't recommend a Boxster to you. Its not a good choice.



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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...

I have to go with fatmike here. When I was your age, I wanted a GTO my dad had on his lot, someone traded it on a Fiat. Wisely, he said...no. You have the rest of your life to have a great sports car, at your age you might very likely not have the rest of your life if given such a powerful capable sports car. Sorry to sound old & frumpy but how bout a Miata?

[Perfectlap]

in this economy you have to be nuts to buy a high mileage anything.
Way too much supply to be picking through the bottom of the barrel.
Car loan defaults are at an all time high. I wish I could have bough my BoxsterS in this economy. I would have made out like an Oil Man in uhhh 2008.

p.s.
don't buy a car kid. If you've noticed there's a famine and the price of oil is through the roof. Invest that money in some agriculture, fertilizer, and oil exploration stocks and in four years you'll buy yourself a great head start on the rest of your life (and a Ferrari F430) while that Boxster will be worth less. At your age you can afford to take some risks.

[KevinH1990]

You have to understand that most of the men on this Board are significantly older than you. (Their daughter's boyfriends call them "sir".)

When I was a senior in high school, I found a 1956 Porsche convertible D for $1500. My Dad wouldn't let me buy it. (Actually, he told me I could buy it, but I couldn't park it at our house.) I will never admit it to him, but that was a good parenting decision even though the car would be worth $30,000 or more today.

I bought a low mileage 2000 two years ago. I'm reasonably handy, but the thing can be a distraction from time to time. I'd wait a few years on a Boxster. I had two Miatas and they are almost as much fun and a lot less trouble.

[Brucelee]

I have owned this forum for almost 4 yrs now and have seen thousands of posts. I would NOT buy a 97 high mileage car unless it was under 10G and something about it grabbed me, like special color etc

Assume this car will cost you tons after you buy it, ala Randall.

Listed to him, he's been there.

[j.fro]

That car sounds like it will make a fine track car very soon!

[SinnerDC2]

I got my 2000 for 14,700 a couple of months ago.. you just have to shop for the deals.

[jdub2348]

thanks for your opinions - although i don't think youll be able to talk me out of a boxster, im starting to think this '97 with high milage is a bad idea.

Originally Posted by KevinH1990

You have to understand that most of the men on this Board are significantly older than you. (Their daughter's boyfriends call them "sir".)

When I was a senior in high school, I found a 1956 Porsche convertible D for $1500. My Dad wouldn't let me buy it. (Actually, he told me I could buy it, but I couldn't park it at our house.) I will never admit it to him, but that was a good parenting decision even though the car would be worth $30,000 or more today.

I bought a low mileage 2000 two years ago. I'm reasonably handy, but the thing can be a distraction from time to time. I'd wait a few years on a Boxster. I had two Miatas and they are almost as much fun and a lot less trouble.

I'm sure that GTO would be worth a scheckle or two as well. Sounds like he's buying a Boxster, I hope he's careful and that his parents enjoy the inevitable traffic court dramas.

[cbenitah]

Even though I am not a junior in high school I can relate to your sentance: I would do anything to own a Boxster.. I do not own a company and I am not rich, but I managed through hard work to get my Boxster. Although I do not recommend a -97 like most here, I do recommend a Porsche 914. I started with a -73 bug, a -74 914, a -70 914, a 73 914 then I ended up with my -02 Boxster S..

A Porsche 914 IS the old Boxster. Same layout just smaller and much much more simple. Again not a hassle free car by any means, but you will learn how to fix your own car and there are tons of good forums out there to gain the knowledge. Either you stopped reading here or if you are interested, try to find a pre 75 914 and enjoy that during high school. Its not modern but it still corners the same or better than the Boxster AND its still a Porsche..

Here is my 914, (before and after picture) and as you can see I spent a lot of time (not money) to modify if. Boxster calipers, 911 suspension, 911/Boxster wheels.. It is a really fun car and it can be had for more than half of what your -97 will cost you.

I know everyone may not agree with me, but it taught me how to appreciate cars in a whole new way..

Link 1 to 914 Material
Link 2 to 914 Material