I am thinking of buying 2001 Boxster-help!
 

I am thinking of buying my first Porsche, I am 38 yrs old and it will be my weekend car...2001 Boxster, 18" wheels, 99,000 miles, $11,850 from a dealer, 1-yr limited warranty, convertible soft-top, automatic tiptronic, supposedly a 'new' transmission (last owner owned 2 months only), 3-owner car all in Florida, all sales from same dealership, sport package...what do you think, advice, all comments welcomed, etc.?

Before you do ANYTHING, you should get a PPI done. This is just a pre-buying check that any authorized mechanic will do for you and it lists everything that is wrong with the car.

This is VERY cheap insurance. When I did mine I paid 100 dollars for the inspection, and knocked off $1000 dollars off the asking price because the clutch was ready to go and other little niggles.

Considering Boxsters are expensive to maintain, be sure to know what you are getting into. Consider buying an expensive Boxster, cheaper ones like mine end up being a real pain in the butt and I have nearly paid half of what it cost me to buy on maintenance in a year. Make sure the car is in excellent condition before you do decide to buy one, parts and labor are super expensive!

That being said, if you find a good one, Boxsters are so much fun! Take it up a mountain road someday or go to a track, that's where these vehicles shine.

i know a lot of guys here have tiptronics/automatics...but seriously...if this is going to be a weekend / toy car - you seriously shoudl consider a stick.

getting a cool car like a boxster that is sporty - and then to neutrer it with an auto... yuck.

I can agree with that, a tip's only benefit is that you don't need to hold down the clutch or have to constantly change gears in heavy traffic. If you are buying it as a fun weekend car, it's best to go full manual and be "one" with your machine.

I drove a fully loaded 2000 tip but the guys was asking too much. I settled on an 01 S from the Bay area for 17k with 40k miles, single owner and all maintenance done by the book. I'm glad I got the stick, it's much better IMO.

If the PPI checks out and you like the car, buy it. The statements about a Tip are usually made by the same kind of people who won't wear a pink shirt. Sticks are fun for some people because it gives them something else to do with their hands beside rest it on their groin area. DE's prove all the time that a tip is as good as a stick on the track. Tips also usually have less problems with the RMS and ISF. Whatever car you buy , let it be one that you like and can afford to maintain. Enjoy, Ed

Wow. In the face of logic like that, I’m relieved I happen not to like wearing pink shirts. And, far as I can tell, my hand-groin area time hasn’t been adversely affected by my manual transmission whatsoever. I do agree with Ed's last recommendation: Buy what you like, and enjoy.

And I will tell ou who to go to to get the PPI - Pedro pedrosgarage.com. Pedro is a Boxster owner and serious supporter of all things Boxster. He's knowledgeable and gets rave reviews from the online Boxster community and he lives in FL.

Only problem is Pedro's near Miami and the car's presumable in the Orlando area where the original poster's located. They're "only" ~230 miles from each other. Pedro says on his site he'll travel for $1/mile each way... Maybe Pedro can recommend someone a little closer to Orlando.

I bought a '99 Tip and really enjoy not having to push in a clutch and shift. Holding the steering wheel at the 9 & 3 o'clock positions, where your hands should be, and resting your thumbs on the Tip shifters makes for a real smooth operation on any road or track. The first time I tracked my Box the instructor that was with me commented on how quickly I started looking further down the track and I attributed it to not having to think about foot hand operation for a clutch. When I'm just cruisin' I still have a hand free for my crotch. Enjoy whatever you buy the Boxster falls into the category of the most fun you can have with your clothes on. Make sure you come back and post some pics.:dance:

The tip tranny doesn't bother me at all. The 99k does though.

I don't care how squeaky clean the PPI comes back... If you don't have repair records showing that the wheel bearings have been replaced as well as half the suspension parts that are worn out, walk away.

The cheapest, high mileage Porsche you buy will be the most expensive car you will ever own.

Learn from the mistakes of others, mainly mine.

Haha yea don't take the manual vs tip thing too seriously, both are very enjoyable. Worry about how good the car is mechanically first.

One thing somewhat worries me and it isn't the TIP
 

I drove sticks for 30 years including 3 sports cars (Alfa, Alfa 914). But when traffic got bad, I switched. I bought a '99 TIP and loved it. Never an issue. Totaled it and bought an '01S TIP. That is how much I liked the car and the trans. Now I live in a rural area and don't miss the manual transmission at all. It shifts for me when I want it to and I can shift it anytime I want by myself. (The 2000-2004s are better in that regard in that you don't have to be in manual mode to shift.)

But the last owner having the car only 2 months somewhat bothers me. Unless he had a transmission failure (rare, BTW, TIPs are pretty darn reliable) and returned the car and the dealer fixed the car and then reoffered it. Was the trans a new trans or out of a wreck? New trans fluids?

Study the warranty contract carefully.

The PPI should tell you the maintenance the car needs over the next 10k miles and you really want to know that with a car that old and with that many miles. They do run 240k miles and more so look for a good one and enjoy it.

if a tip suits you better - go for it. it's your car - get what YOU want, not what other people, or I, recommend.

PPI any car you buy. If you buy it from a non-Porsche dealer - and they tell you they inspected it and it's okay - STILL get a PPI. the fact the last guy had it for twomonths, and they tell you it got a "new" tranny implies there may have been some kind of serious problem, and maybe it was fully fixed and maybe not.

in this economy, it's a buyers market and it's a lot harder for people to sell these cars - look at a bunch of them before you buy one! find the one you WANT, and don't "settle" for one you aren't totally happy with. if you patient, you'll find the car you really want.

as Randall said - the newer/lowest mileage boxster you can afford is likely going to be the least expensive to maintain... you will PAY one way or the other - either to buy it or to fix/drive it.

I've had my Boxster for one year - but only put about 3k miles on the car, and I've already spend about $1000 on repairs. water pump, two vacuum leaks, and cracked windshield wiper fluid reservoir.