May I please pick your collective brains?[/

[charlie112]

I'm 62 and at the age of 60 I purchase a 99 boxster with 52,000 miles I love the car. I had the ims rms and a clutch done this year and it,s just a great car to drive good luck.

[Quickurt]

I'm 60 with all the same bills paid and kids off, blah, blah, ain't it great?
I have a gorgeous 2006S I need to sell because of business opportunity and I DESPISE debt.
It has 49k on the clock, had 11k when I bought it and it hasn't so much as hic-cupped in the time I've had it.
You can see it here - http://www.premierautosource.com/boxster.php
Price is negotiable.

But to answer your questions I preferred the 987 (2005 and on) for several reasons - convenience, comfort, style and room were most important. The S is so damned fast, I would think I may have been as happy with a base model (who am I trying to kid??) There is also a huge difference in the operation of the power top
from the 986s I tested to my 987.
Watch ones loaded with options as they are not necessary to really, really enjoy the car and are also more crap to need fixed as well as adding weight to the car.
Try to carry a power adjustable seat acroos the garage.
One option I would not buy one without are either the Lightronics on 986 or ()even superior) BiZenon on 987. These lights are like having daylight for 1/4 mile in front of the car.
IMS is a factor, but just like the RX8 forum I used to belong to, owners with problems tend to take over the site and make problems seem far worse than they really are.

[AndyA6]

If you have a little extra $$$ I would look for a CPO from a Porsche dealer. Mine is ('04 S), 2nd owner, 45,000 mls and I bought this one last year for $23,000. Totally flawless and warranty from Porsche for a long time.

Just a thought.

BTW, my wife love s this car... "open top driving makes me happy!"

Good luck and we all hope to hear back from you!!

Later,
Andy

[thstone]

Some quick buying advice:

1. Drive several Boxsters to find the model (986 or 987) you like best.
2. Be sure to drive both a base model and an S model. Only you can decide if the extra power is worth the add'l money.
3. Wait for the right deal. Its a buyers market in this economy. No reason to overpay.
4. Yes, its a pain to get a PPI but it will be the best $300 you'll ever spend.
5. Full service and repair history is a nice plus but shouldn't be a deal breaker.
6. In the case of no service history, assume that the last major service was skipped and negotiate the price of the service off the car so you have money to have it done yourself. This way you have a good starting point for future maintanence.
7. IMS - read up and make your own decision.
8. There are no cheap Porsche's. Plan on keeping $1K-2K in reserve for unexpected repairs like a starter, brakes, water pump, and/or clutch.
9. Tires can wear fast if you drive it like you should. 15K miles is pretty good for a set of rear tires.

And 10. Plan on becoming happier than you've been in 10 years and wondering why you waited so long to reward yourself with a Porsche. Pat yourself on the back, you're living the dream.