Newbie here!

[rcbox2k1]

new here....

[recycledsixtie]

Welcome to the forum!

[BruceH]

Welcome! Details? Pictures? We love pictures!

[rcbox2k1]

The picture of the 2001 Boxster Blue Lapis is what I am getting ready to buy from a Porsche dealership with 80,000 miles. I'm a little weary of this purchase because of all the maintenance costs associated with owning a Boxster. The dealership provided me with a detailed rundown of maintenance done on the vehicle when it was first serviced by them until the previous owner traded it in. The ignition switch and steering lock assembly was replaced. Also the inner and outer CV boots. The following year they replaced the A/C blower motor. In both cases the vehicle was in for routine maintenance.

When the owner finally traded in this vehicle, the dealership conducted a multi point inspection. This included state inspection, complete detail, one hour check of diagnostics for faults. They replaced the vacuum reservoir and over valve. Replaced oil seperator that goes to left front cyl head and breather hose. Radiator and a/c condensor clean. Replaced trunk seal and rear lid seal.

Are these repairs expected on a 2001 Boxster S? The vehicle is in great shape, good CarFax report, and one owner. Any thoughts? I am so ready to own one of these!

[Heiko]

Welcome.... Was the IMS bearing done, RM Seal replaced? Also check under the trunk mat and run your hands over the underside of the coolant tank to see if you see any dried up coolant that may have leaked.... Check all the electrics and make sure there's no oil leaks at the back or steering rack leaks at the front.... I'd hate to say it but if your ready to own one of these then you must be ready to pay for maintenance and upkeep :-)

[rcbox2k1]

Thanks Heiko! I'll be sure to ask about the IMS/RMS with the salesperson.

[jb92563]

The average cost is about $2000 per year unless you do the work yourself which cuts it in half.

I bought mine, 2001 S, in May of this year and only replaced the front brakes, flushed brake fluid and 4 new tires so it would be in top condition for Auto-X racing.

About $800 so far. Probably need new brakes and an oil change by next May bringing year 1 to about $1200.

Its turned out to be my daily driver since its so much fun to drive.

[rcbox2k1]

It seems there is a trend on the type of repairs these things go through...I've read Air Oil Separator, CV Joints, Rear main seal leaks, and failure of the intermediate shaft bearing are common issues.

[shadrach74]

Originally Posted by rcbox2k1

It seems there is a trend on the type of repairs these things go through...I've read Air Oil Separator, CV Joints, Rear main seal leaks, and failure of the intermediate shaft bearing are common issues.

I would say that IMS bearings do fail, but I would not say it is common.
I just did the retrofit on my 2002 S with 53K. My bearing was perfect (and I do mean perfect) and older low mileage engines are supposed to be high risk.

Knowing what I know now, I'm not sure I'd ever do it as a stand alone MX item.

[recycledsixtie]

Originally Posted by Heiko

Welcome.... Was the IMS bearing done, RM Seal replaced? Also check under the trunk mat and run your hands over the underside of the coolant tank to see if you see any dried up coolant that may have leaked.... Check all the electrics and make sure there's no oil leaks at the back or steering rack leaks at the front.... I'd hate to say it but if your ready to own one of these then you must be ready to pay for maintenance and upkeep :-)

Heiko is spot on in that u must spend $$$ to keep it going. I can't run my 2001 Boxster for the same costs as my Miata MX5 but then the Boxster is way more car.
In the 1.5 years I have owned mine I have had the CV joints refurbished, coolant replaced and had installed the IMS Guardian. It only had about 40k miles on it when I bought it and now has 50k miles. I have all the maintenance records as I bought it privately and has had virtually no problems or replacements so far except brakes and a battery. I fully expect to be replacing aos, ims, clutch, rms etc etc in the next few years if I keep it long enough. The way I see it is u pay more for a newer Boxster or u pay more later for an older one.

[rcbox2k1]

Originally Posted by shadrach74

I would say that IMS bearings do fail, but I would not say it is common.
I just did the retrofit on my 2002 S with 53K. My bearing was perfect (and I do mean perfect) and older low mileage engines are supposed to be high risk.

Knowing what I know now, I'm not sure I'd ever do it as a stand alone MX item.

Good point! Thnx for sharing your experience.

[rcbox2k1]

Originally Posted by recycledsixtie

Heiko is spot on in that u must spend $$$ to keep it going. I can't run my 2001 Boxster for the same costs as my Miata MX5 but then the Boxster is way more car.
In the 1.5 years I have owned mine I have had the CV joints refurbished, coolant replaced and had installed the IMS Guardian. It only had about 40k miles on it when I bought it and now has 50k miles. I have all the maintenance records as I bought it privately and has had virtually no problems or replacements so far except brakes and a battery. I fully expect to be replacing aos, ims, clutch, rms etc etc in the next few years if I keep it long enough. The way I see it is u pay more for a newer Boxster or u pay more later for an older one.

Very true. I do know of two shops in the local area specializing in Porsche. I hope to save some money in labor costs if and when I need maintenance done. Comparing to dealer shops I would think they are equally experienced and competitive in price of repairs.

[rcbox2k1]

So I ended up buying a 2000 Boxster S instead. Waiting on delivery...should be here next week!

[rcbox2k1]

Obviously I am excited!

[Heiko]

Well congrats... being it took you some time you obviously did some research :-) excellent! Go over it with a fine tooth comb when you get it, iron out any (if any) quirks and then drive it and smile
Post some pics when you get it.
H

[BruceH]

Congrats! Some details, mileage, color, options? Where is it being delivered from?

[thstone]

Originally Posted by rcbox2k1

So I ended up buying a 2000 Boxster S instead. Waiting on delivery...should be here next week!

Congratulations! In regards to maintanence, Boxsters are pretty reliable but realize that you just bought a 12 year old car. That means that the 5 years of expected trouble-free operation that most people expect out of a new car expired 7 years ago.

Therefore, some components can be expected to wear out or fail to operate properly. That is the nature of any 12 year old vehicle. And while the parts and labor to repair a Boxster are in line with other luxury brands such as BMW, Jag, or Range Rover, if you're coming from a long line of Toyota's and Honda's, you might be a bit surprised at the costs involved.

As someone mentioned earlier in the thread, plan on $2000 per year for maintanance/repairs and you won't be surprised. Yes, two or three $600 repairs in one year can seem like a lot, but this average also includes $1000 for a set of tires every few years and $2000 for a new clutch every 75K miles. When you average it all out, it ends up being about $2k per year.

And remember to post up some pics as soon as you take delivery!

[rcbox2k1]

Thanks for the advice! I hope to take delivery next week. I will take pictures when it is unloaded from the truck.

[rcbox2k1]

Originally Posted by BruceH

Congrats! Some details, mileage, color, options? Where is it being delivered from?

2000 Porsche Boxter S, 68K, Arctic Silver. It's coming from Peoria, Illinois.

[rcbox2k1]