1999 Boxster
 

Does this seem like a decent deal? What do you guys think a fair price would be for this car? I will be buying a LN IMS and installing that, what else should i do before its ready to drive? What else should i ask for in the deal with the dealership?
1999 Porsche Boxster Best Deal In Town

I would check your owner's manual as to what u should use. I have a 2001 Boxster 2.7 and I use premium. There should be somebody with a 2.5 come onto this thread I would think.

I live in Mi. I bought a 2002 Boxster in Oct. 2011 W/68K miles on it W/all maintains done by the seller and I paid $9,000.00.

I would not pay more then $7,000.00 OTD for this and for God sakes, have a Porsche shop inspect the car before you buy it.

Let's make a deal
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by js/sj (Post 285178) Does this seem like a decent deal?

No-price

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What do you guys think a fair price would be for this car?

Trade-in value

Quote:

I will be buying a LN IMS and installing that, what else should i do before its ready to drive?

Have the suspension aligned by the best shop in town. This car is a handler and you have to be able to trust it. Maybe it will cost less than a hundred dollars. Buy a set of used VR rated tires of the correct size. Don't fool around with the ratings, it will oversterr if you put a lower rating on the rear, and don't even think about putting less than Porsche suggests up front. Used is OK but the must be VR. Remember to always keep the power on in turns. What do you know about Taruffi?

Quote:

What else should i ask for in the deal with the dealership?

Tell them if they can't sell it you will take it off of there hands for what they paid for it if they did not pay to much. Have them guarantee the IMS until you do a clutch change. With over 100,000 miles it is to late for this to be a garage queen. After 60,000 miles IMS failures are rare. You have to tear the whole car apart to replace the little piece, so absorb the cost of labor in your next clutch change. See Dempsey's book.

What you really want to do on price is get it at the trade in value. Stay up tonight and go into eDmunds, Blue Book and I think there is somebody else. Find out what they would give you if it was yours and you traded it in. That is your target price. If they paid to much, walk away, so that you do not have to pay to much. There are plenty of cars around no longer advertised. Run free adds yourself. Find out about the cars that were not sold. Personally I stay away from dealers, and always pay cash. All a dealer can do is add overhead and markup to any deal. Go drive it!

Top-tier
 

Ok they are asking 11,999 i thought that was alot but these cars are rare in MI and i really want one so i dont want to loose it. Also all we have here in MI is 93. I run race gas (110 octane in my jet ski). 8500 if they put new tires and change the IMS and new clutch? I am only 17 and just getting into this car thing. I just want a fun little reliable car. I do know alot about engines and such considering i am a pro sponsored Jetski rider so im not dumb. lol

93 octane OK
 

Thanks for your help. How do I know if they are VR tires? Also $8000 sound like a good price? What else should I look for?

Tyres
 

A Porsche is not cheap to own. They are not rare cars. Their reliability is not any better/worse than any other car, but if it breaks, it'll take a bucket full of money to fix. Get a PPI inspection done before you get too excited about this car.

wrong attitude. they may be "rare" in your area but they're everywhere in the country. no one says you have to buy a car at the local used-car lot. check craigslist, classifieds, ebay, etc. get a PPI then take a nice flight out somewhere, pick up your car and take a long drive home. best 2-3 days you can spend with your car.

That's exactly what I did whe I got mine. I live in KC and got mine from a seller in PA. Had a ppi done, had the seller send me a TON of pictures, got a one way ticket to Pittsburgh and spent about two days driving it home. It was a great way to get acquainted with the car (especially since it rained all the way home! lol). I haven't had a speck of problems with it other than normal maintenance items. Bought it with 20K on the odo and it's now got 85. Don't limit yourself to your local sellers. Like Tony says there are Boxsters for sale all over the place. Cars.com and autotrader are a couple of other places to check.

I dont even know what a PPI is. Sorry guys Also here is the actual link to the car

1999 Porsche Boxster Base - Cars For Sale Grand Rapids, MI

+1 on more than one level.

I love my Boxster and the last 9 months have been awesome with it. The first 2500 miles cross country to bring it home was sheer heaven...The curves in the Appalachians or the straightaways in W. Texas.

However...These are not rare birds and the Boxster you want is out there. Don't chase this one just cause you want one badly. The right one is well worth the wait.

I called Porsche.

The 986 Boxster accepts a minimum of 91 octane, but higher is recommended for better performance.

What is a PPI?

Ppi
 

Porsche Purchase Inspection or Pre Purchase Inspection....Not quite sure but the upshot is the same roughly $200 for a Porsche mechanic to give it a once over and tell you the condition of the car.

The dealership said that they gave it a full inspection. Should i get a warranty on it?

would you expect the dealership to say "no, we didn't check it out. just pulled it on the lot looking for suckers..." most "full inspections" don't deal with the nitty-gritty. they're more "are the tires bald? does it need coolant? is the oil low? does it make a loud banging noise" type of inspections. you want someone who knows what to look for - is the rms leaking? are the control arms worn? is the suspension messed with...

get someone who doesn't have a vested interest in the outcome to check the car out. you may discover some things that can bring the price down.

as far as aftermarket warranty, most of the time they are worthless. forgot to change your oil at exactly 3000 miles (as the warranty might state) - out of luck. didn't check the coolant level? out of luck... 9 times out of 10 they won't pay for the repair and you're stuck having paid for a worthless warranty and paying for a repair out of pocket. best thing to do is have your own repair fund.

to note, i may sound jaded and pessimistic. just trying to give my honest opinion. for all i know the car you're looking at may be the most pristine, perfectly maintained and 100% solid car in the country. it could also be a huge lemon...

Don't trust the dealership -- get an independent PPI.

Warranty is a different question entirely -- personally, I self-warranty; set some dough aside for repairs, and pocket it if you don't need it.

Get a Porsche or Porsche specialist inspection. DO NOT rely on the selling dealer. And +1 on looking further. Check out Cars.com or Autotrader and see what's available where.

Seriously, listen to what people are telling you here.

catch 22
 

Is a carfax really good to rely on too?

carfax is something to look at, but not rely on. it will generally only contain accidents that were reported to the insurance company. if i back in to a lamp post and pay for it out of pocket, it won't appear.

I'm going to assume your thread title had nothing to do with a fuel question, because I didn't notice you asking what kind of gas to put in the car. All I saw was info about a car you're intersted in, so I have no idea where this stuff's coming from.

Heed the advice you've been given here about buying a Boxster...there's been plenty of it. For what the dealer's asking you could find yourself a younger car with fewer miles.

Do not purchase any Boxster without getting a PPI done yourself, meaning you getting a mechanic who knows these cars to come and look at the car inside and out. Yes, you'll be paying for it, but it's a fraction of the total cost of the car you're looking at and you'll be glad you did it rather than buy a potential bucket full of expensive problems. Those who do PPIs know what to look for and will find the issues if they are there.

These cars can be reliable and fun if well-maintained, but as it can be with any car, some are not kept well and can simply look pretty while being held together with duct tape and zip ties. Find a car that has maintenance records and a clean title. I know this car caught your eye and you want it to be the right car the first time around, but you won't know that for sure until you ask the right questions. The dealer just wants to sell the car and they will take advantage of your lack of car-buying knowledge, telling you anything you want to hear until the car's in your hands and out of theirs. If it's not a Porsche dealership they're even less likely to honor items under warranty, and given the age of the car you're not going to get one for more than a couple of months, if that, depending on the laws in your state. Know what you'd be getting into ahead of time rather than later.

I don't have it handy, but it would be great if someone could post a link to Mike Focke's site for you to refer to. If someone doesn't end up doing it I'll come on here later and post it. Read his site, he has a ton of useful information that you should read before buying a Boxster that I wish I'd found years ago.

Don't get hooked on the car, because you haven't bought it yet. If it turns out to be a problematic car with a lot of issues that neither you nor the dealer will be willing to invest the time and money in fixing, be prepared to walk away. Keep your emotions in check so you can evaluate things clearly. There are several hundred thousand Boxsters out there that are waiting for you to spend your money more wisely on them.

For that matter, you're young and have plenty of time to find the right one. Trust me, they're not going anywhere, and if you have to take a plane to get one somewhere else in the country and drive it back home, it will be worth it if it's the right car for the money. There's even a For Sale section of this forum. Maybe you should take a look around.

EDIT: A perfect example of what you can get for $11k (it's been sold, but note the info about the car and what it came with):
http://986forum.com/forums/boxsters-sale-wanted/34621-2000-boxster-w-61k-miles.html

Yet another, older with lower miles, older gentleman's weekend car:
http://986forum.com/forums/boxsters-sale-wanted/34158-1997-porsche-boxster-88k-miles-%249800.html


Good luck, and don't hesitate to ask us more questions, but do try to take our advice with more weight than what the dealer tries to tell you. They're in the business of making money. We're in the business of making sure potential new Porsche owners don't get ripped off or stranded on the side of the highway.

I wouldn't spend more than 8k for sure on it.
KBB.com prices the car at around $8k.

I bought my 97 4 years ago and paid $9k for it, however I probably would of paid less if I had known anything about Porsche's and had a Porsche mechanic go over the car beforehand.

Everyone has posted this, but they are right in saying to not trust the dealership and to get a Porsche mechanic not affiliated with the dealer to go over the car.

I also live in michigan, and while 93 octane is the predominant premium fuel, I have been able to find a good number of gas stations in my area that sell 94.

Good luck though :) And I hope you realize the costs associated with owning a Porsche haha.

how has the quality of 87 octane fuel changes since 1997?

if porsche recommended 91 minimum in 1997, would that equate to 2012's 87 octane?

That is extremely doubtful, Sok. And for that matter, with the inclusion of ethanol in a lot of today's fuel, it's even less likely that today's 91 is up to the task of minimum duty for the engine. In an emergency, you put whatever is available in your tank, shy of dieself fuel, but simply put: these cars were not meant to save us money at the pump.

Always use the highest octane available when it is available. At no time should one be putting a different octane fuel in the car when the recommended is available. That's basically what is in the owner's manual, which trumps any other arguments. If it's not meant to be used, it's not in the owner's manual.

I only use 93 with NO ethanol added; I luckily have a Shell station a mile or so away that does not include it.

But what you're saying is that the quality of 93 or 87 gas hasn't changed in 16 years (being that a 97 Boster came out in 96)? I'd figure quality standards would have increased since then. Just curious, not recommending using lower-grade gas.

Since octane is a measure of compressibility before ignition, I would seriously doubt a material change. 87 octane in any year ignites at lower compression than 91 octane.

Higher compression engines require higher octane fuel, or bad things start to happen.

Found out they had the car for over two years and they sell the cars but in fine print they actually lease them to rip people off. I will be backing away. Thanks for the car suggestions, i already sent an email to the 1997 Boxster there. Can u guys help me find one in the $8000 range that is kind of near me. Thanks again guys.

Just found this one. Do u think there is any moving room on a car like this? Maybe $10,000?

Details of Used 2000 Porsche Boxster, Buffalo Grove, IL - Yahoo! Autos

JS, It's a 12 year old vehicle, so yeah there should be some "room" unless it's getting a lot of action.

js/sj..
You have done well up to now & avoided big pitfalls by heeding very wise advise from the guys on this Forum.
People here will not lie and give you mis-information (unlike most dealer who have a big axe to grind).
Stay cool and the right Porsche will come along - hopefully with no buyer remorse....
If you have the cash and no trade, buying from a private party can be the way to go - as long as you remember to have a PPT.

Found this and it has a 3.2 in it. The guy said that it just started having problems with a leaky head gasket. Is this common or do you think its worse than a leaky head gasket? He said the temp light will flash at him when he drives it so he stopped driving it. He was going to get it fixed before selling but he said he might sell it to me broken for $12,000. If i can move him to $10,000 ill probably say yes. What do u guys think.

2001 Porsche Boxster, Used Cars For Sale - Carsforsale.com

The head gaskets on Boxsters very rarely fail - the problem is more an intermix problem - coolant getting into the oil = big $$ repair bill.
A flashing CEL means DON'T DRIVE....
Personally I wouldn't buy a Porsche that has these symptoms.

He said that it was a flashing temperature light, not CEL, but in either case you don't want to be driving that car or having it laid up in a garage as soon as you buy it to try and figure out what's wrong. The car probably had an oil-coolant intermix situation, best to walk away from that.

By no means should a 2001, be it an S or not, cost you anywhere near the prices you've posted if it's not in good mechanical condition. Keep shopping.

Yes, these cars do tend to be expensive, but don't let that stop you from negotiating with someone to get the best deal you can, especially if the car's not mechanically or bodily sound. If you're going to have to put money into the car as soon as you take it then the price has to drop unless the seller has already cut the price significantly because of it, simple as that.

And please
DO
NOT
make any decisions on any of these cars without having a PPI done. I know we're harping on it and beating the horse to death, but it's a crucial step, and it's worth it if it points out a winner...and if it points out a big lemon.

Also don't be in such a rush to snag one. Shop around. I know it's even harder for the younger people in the world right now to have patience because of how much instant gratification there is out there now, but this isn't like buying music or a video game. This is a high-price purchase, and it would behoove you to take the time to decide on the right one so that you don't have any regrets later and can just enjoy the car at an age when many of us would not be so fortunate.

I realize what was said there may read rather harshly, but please understand that that is not my intent or my tone (nor am I that much older than you). Like Steve Tinker said, we're not going to steer you wrong. Don't just focus on any one car. Have a few lined up and start chipping away at pros and cons, which cars have records kept, and get a feel for the sellers.

By the way, here's Mike Focke's site...start reading up:
mikesporscheboxsterwebpages - mikefocke2

Sorry if this has been mentioned (I can't read Sumflow's font) but aren't there color variations on this car? It looks to me like at least part of it has been repainted.

Test driving this tomorrow. Im really serious about two so far. One is an exotic car dealership so would i still need a PPI? Also where do u find someone to do a PPI?

Here are the two im interested in:

1- 2000 Porsche Boxster MANUAL Buffalo Grove, Illinois | Lux Cars Chicago

2- 1999 Porsche Boxster, Used Cars For Sale - Carsforsale.com

Test driving this tomorrow:

1. 1999 Porsche Boxster, Used Cars For Sale - Carsforsale.com

guy on the board just posted his for sale. lots of mods and preventative work - ims, clutch, chain tensioners..

http://986forum.com/forums/boxsters-sale-wanted/34794-1999-boxster-sale-81k-miles-%2413500.html

also, the one you're checking out tomorrow (white) is a tip. nothing wrong with that - i have a tip, just make sure you're ready for everyone to tell you to get a real sports car...