Call me crazy
 

I have been looking for quite sometime for the perfect used boxster to come along. I found one at a Lexus dealer, 2002 S, with only 8700 miles. When I first saw it posted online I sent an email to find out what the deal was and why so few miles as they hadn't yet posted photos. The call from the dealer came and he explained how some old guy had this car and only drove it when he was in town at one of his many homes. I was skeptical but I put down some money so I could go take a look and a drive. That was a mistake because as soon as I saw it I couldn't resist. They had it on the showroom floor and it looked like a brand new car. I made them an offer after taking a drive. They gave me a 36,000 mile warranty on the power train and that sold the deal. All the service records are up to date, the dealer put new tires on it even though the ones that were on it still looked new. They changed all the fluids. Now I am kicking myself for not having a pre purchase examination from a reputable Porsche dealer. I have that lined up next week but so far it has been unbelievable to drive. Now I am hoping the inspection doesn't turn up any problems or I may drive off a cliff having been so hasty to jump at the deal. Wish me luck!

Hi, Crazy. :D

As long as the warranty they gave you is good, and the PPI comes back positive, you should be good to go.

Don't forget to show us pics of this sweet new ride of yours.

I will post some pics in a couple of days. On the family vacation and ready to get back home. Thanks for the reply and encouragement.

Sweet! Congrats! With the warranty, I wouldn't worry too much about the lack of a PPI. The Lexus mechanics would have taken a look at it and if they would have found anything obvious, the car would have been sent to auction most likely. They have to worry about their reputation, at least you always hope they do. Just my opinion. Looking forward to the pics!

You're crazy.

Dude! you sound totally normal to me!

Ditto

For assuming something was wrong

I bought mine with almost 100k no inspection no warranty from dealer.

10,000 miles later all I've done was oil change and air filter

My mechanic looked at, says I need to replace tie rods and brake pads in near future, otherwise all is good


These cars are not that bad

Famous last words.

They're great until they break. They don't break that much. You can easily have a clear couple of years. But you could also easily have a long line of problems that soaks up a sum similar to your original purchase price. Many parts are expensive, as is specialist labour.

I saw a funny thread on another forum (non-Porsche) today. The thread was about the 981 and a dude posted that he owned a 2002 986S for 2 years and got rid of it this year to buy a new E550. He said words to the effect of "Loved the car but I worried about the IMS letting go every single day. Breathed a sigh of relief when I traded it on the E550 and I've never looked back."

I pointed out that it was a shame he had lived in such fear for 2 years over the small possibility of a $five-figure engine failure in the Boxster, when he was perfectly happy to accept the 100% assurance of a five-figure depreciation of his E-class the moment he signed the papers for it, and never lost a moment's sleep over that. It's all a matter of perspective.

(to be fair, wives tend to take the latter with equanimity and the former with horror!)

Not crazy! If the deal was so good why not change the IMS and have peace of mind?

Just remember that the powertrain warranty is nice to have, but there's a lot of other crap that wears out with time or miles or a combination of both on our cars. Fortunately, you have so few miles on the car that the suspension parts and radiator fans and so forth have not been used much and will probably last you a good long time.

If your PPI comes back clean as a whistle (and I suspect it will) you should spend the money for an IMS upgrade or at the very least, an IMS guardian system. (Intermediate Shaft Bearing).

BTW, they were smart putting new tires on the car. Ten years is the max for tires, regardless of tread depth.

I think the advice to upgrade the IMS is great advice. The Lexus salesman did tell me that if their mechanics had found anything wrong with the car they would have sent it to auction. Seriously, the car looks like it just came from the factory. After a clean PPI I will start to celebrate, otherwise I suppose I am crazy. Its the most fun I have ever had driving so I have that going for me. Thanks for all the input and advice.

Hah! I love people who act on impluse and without forethought. Reminds me of myself sometimes. And yes, a Porsche can do that to people and don't think that you're alone in this regard.

Congratulations are definitely in order and good luck with the PPI! :cheers:

All manufacturers warrantys expire after 5 years on tires, which is the average useful life unless properly stored.

After being a non believer on this possible IMS problem, I made some enquiries with the "after market" Porsche workshop that looks after my Coxster.

This problem is now becoming more prevelant over here now, simply because the cars are getting older and as the more K's or miles go on the chances of an IMS failure happening increases

So for $2000 AUD close enough though to the USD, the new bearing goes in, the car gets a service and a slightly weeping transmission seal will be replaced.

Pretty happy with that, new motor for 986S here is apparently $23000.00 or thereabouts plus the fitting etc.

Also from what I understand the guardian is a good idea, but once the buzzer alerts you of the failure the damage is done, albeit if you shut the engine down straight away and get a flat bed tow, damage may be minimized .

I have nearly 140,000 k's on mine, and can't handle the thought of the IMS letting go
in some remote location.

IMHO bite the bullet and get the replacement bearing...just in case the worse happens

How much did the deal cost you ? Car versus warranty ?

Out the door was just shy of 22 grand. Pretty close to what I found on Kelly Blue Book.

Here it is with a clean bill of health, my "new" 2002 S, a garage queen with only 8700 miles (soon to change big time). PPI turned out perfect but I think I will do the IMS upgrade sooner than later just for some peace of mind. Sure is a fun ride!

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1343091474.jpg

It is perfect! I like the wheels! Is it a manual or tip transmission?

Love it! Congratulations on a very nice Boxster! Love the wheels too.