Just bought a boxster for 6k

[Jake D]

Sounds like you'll have to work out some demons which could be pretty costly, but at that price if it runs and drives, then its almost a throw away if something major goes wrong.

[SeanZ4]

What were the circumstances of that sale? Keep in mind there is nothing more expensive than a cheap Porsche. On the other hand about 15 years ago I bought a basically brand new Ninja zx6 for $2k at a seized property drug auction. It was the real deal. I rode that bike for a couple of years then turned it for $4500. That was a really rare, rare situation. This is a great forum with lots of information that will help you out. Good luck!

sean

[enjoikr3w]

The porsche was brought to the auction by a local luxury car dealer. I have the option to return it within 7 days if I discover any costly repairs. Basically, I have a feeling that this porsche slipped under the radar during the auction and I got very lucky.

The auctioneer started the bidding at 13k and went incrementally lower till 10k. There wasn't really a crowd around the car for some reason and the auctioneer got frustrated/confused as to why nobody was bidding and jumped down to 5k. I made a casual bid just for fun thinking I'm waisting my time. I battled with another bidder until 6k but he gave up since he wasnt a serious buyer and was there for something else. SOLD. The auctioneer had a dumbfounded look and said something like "Well I cant believe that we just sold a porsche... for 6k everybody."

I'm still trying not to get too attached to this car and I'm in the process of giving the engine a good look myself before the 7 days run expire. I do not have experience with porsches but I have worked on many other cars (honda, toyota, benz...)

[Soetekouw]

Congratulations on your 'new' purchase. And you are correct, this forum does provide a wealth of information and there are a bunch of helpful and knowledgeable members. But..........as JakeD and SeanZ4 have also indicated, it seems that you will have some repairs coming up and will have to set up a budget to maintain that Boxster.

A Porsche is not for the faint of heart, nor for those who don't have a bucket full of money. IMHO, I recommend that you have the vehicle checked out by your Porsche mechanic. Unless the previous owner has already done so, at 80K miles, some areas that you may want to look into, are:

1. Oil/filter change (every 5k miles)
2. Spark plugs and ignition coilsl replacement (at 60K miles).
3. Brake fluid replacement (every 2 years)
4. Transmission fluid replacement (automatic) (at 60K miles)
5. Brake pads
6. IMS/RMS repair
7. Water pump/thermostat replacement (2-4 years is recommended)
8. Battery
9. Belt replacement (at 60K)
10. Air Filter / Cabin Air Filter replacement (every 15K)
11. Wiper blades
12. Your top (since you mentioned it)
13. The dreaded quick wearing out tires (every 15K miles)

* some of the intervals may not be iaw the manual, but this is what I would do.

The above services will run you approximately what you paid for your car.

But, as JakeD mentioned, for as little as you have invested in the car, enjoy it while it drives and runs, and when something major goes wrong, it is basically a throw away.

[enjoikr3w]

Thanks for the reply everyone. When we bought the car, we paid extra to have the car inspected by a third party from the auction for major things such as frame damage, tranny issues, etc. The car came back clean. However, I'm still skeptical of their assessment since I do not know how much experience they have with porsches.

We're planning on opening the engine up to check the IMS/RMS issues everyone is talking about. While we are down there we're going to change the clutch, O2 sensors and spark plugs. We're gonna give the tranny a good look too. This morning the car was misfiring while the engine was still cold but the problem went away after it warmed up a little. I'm going to have to do a bit of research on that. Are there any other pressing issues I should be aware of?

[tonycarreon]

motor mount

[Brucelee]

The first gear certainly could be a shift linkage issue. Find someone who knows their stuff and won't con you on needing a new tranny.

Good luck and post some pix.