'01 Boxster w/ 50k miles BUT has been in crash

[eli cash]

Seller has driven car for 3 years and says there are no problems (of course). Cosmetically it has long been fixed, but is this a major problem? Should I immediately run away?

The price is right and could be stellar with negotiating. Fwiw, I will get a PPI before purchase, but I was wondering if this would be an automatic deal breaker. What do y'all think?

[Ian c]

Check with your insurance company and state DMV ... There could be issues down the line

[thom4782]

No, not automatic.

Do you know what was damaged in the collision? I would be most concerned about whether the frame was bent in the collision. If so, you may find its impossible to fully align the car. Check the tires to see how they've worn.

A thorough PPI with some knowledge about the details of the damage or repair should help you decide.

[paintboy]

Mine was in a "airbag deployment" front impact in 2007. Was repaired by Porsche accredited body shop in Chicago. Car came with paperwork from repairs. The motor mounts having to be replaced about 6 months ago might be related, but all else is great. All new front end stuff, headlights, suspension, complete respray with the correct paint. Car looks and runs great. Tracks perfectly. I guess it depends on how big the the impact, where on the car, and mostly, who did the repairs.

[eli cash]

Originally Posted by thom4782

No, not automatic.

Do you know what was damaged in the collision? I would be most concerned about whether the frame was bent in the collision. If so, you may find its impossible to fully align the car. Check the tires to see how they've worn.

A thorough PPI with some knowledge about the details of the damage or repair should help you decide.

Damage was front right and back left. So it does not sound like a simple fender bender. I'm imagining a weird 2-part skidding wreck.

I want this car to be my DD, so low miles are pretty valuable to me. My feeling is that a crash is something I could work with, but if it is problematic to the alignment then that's not good.

Sounds like a PPI could sort this out. Like I said, I think I'd prefer a low miles/crash history car to a high miles/no crash car. Does that make sense, or sound like a good plan?

[KRAM36]

It may be low mileage because it set for a long time waiting to be fixed. I bought a low mileage truck that looked like a cream puff, but had been wrecked. The dealer knew it and didn't disclose the information. Wasn't on a car fax report, because they guy that wrecked it fixed it.

Anyways I found out after having a bunch of front end issues. When checking on the issues I found it had been wrecked, pretty hard too. Called the previous owner and he told me all about it and it had set for a long time waiting for him to come up with the money to fix it. Probably not something a Porsche owner would do, but I wouldn't rule it out.

The wreck on this Porsche could have been a light winter crash. I'd definitely try to find out more info on it.

Base or S, how much is the owner asking for it?

[thstone]

Unless the price is super low, its a deal breaker. No one wants the risk of a buying an improperly repaired (damaged) car and, in turn, you'll be hard pressed to find a buyer when you want to sell.

The only way to tell if the car was properly repaired is to have a shop put it on a frame rig and measure/verify the frame alignment; pull the panels to verify that all of the replacement parts were genuine Porsche; and verify that the repair workmanship was top notch. But almost no one will be willing to go through this much trouble for a used Boxster (which are a dime a dozen). So unless its an incredibly great deal, why take the risk of buying someone else's wreck?

[01SBox]

Your biggest problem might be when you try to sell. You'll have to convince the buyer the repair was done right, and it had no frame damage. It'd take it to a body shop in addition to the PPI. Good luck!

[eli cash]

Seller is asking $11,000 which I'm hoping will move. The seller has put the majority of the miles on it and the crash was prior to that. In my brief experience, cars with this mileage are posted at $15K minimum.

[mcomet]

Definitely definitely check for frame damage, especially if there are no pics from the repairs etc... take it for a PPI as others have said. Also feel around the edges of all the panel gaps to see how smooth/rough it is, that will give you an indication of what panels have been repainted. I would probably recommend an older non-damaged car over a newer damaged car but that's just me...

[thom4782]

Are you aware of the IMS bearing issue?

Low mileage cars tend to have higher rates of IMS bearing failures than higher mileage cars. If you replace the IMSB alone as a preventative measure, it will cost about $1800. If you add a new clutch into the mix, then add another $600-$800 to the total cost.

You might use this piece of information to push the price even lower. In my locality - northern CA - a base Boxster goes between $14K and $16K for a private sale. Trade in value is about $2K less.

If the seller is asking $11K, I'd offer $9.5 and use the difference to replace the IMSB given the prior damage.

[eli cash]

Originally Posted by thom4782

Are you aware of the IMS bearing issue?

Low mileage cars tend to have higher rates of IMS bearing failures than higher mileage cars. If you replace the IMSB alone as a preventative measure, it will cost about $1800. If you add a new clutch into the mix, then add another $600-$800 to the total cost.

You might use this piece of information to push the price even lower. In my locality - northern CA - a base Boxster goes between $14K and $16K for a private sale. Trade in value is about $2K less.

If the seller is asking $11K, I'd offer $9.5 and use the difference to replace the IMSB given the prior damage.

Yes, I was actually already thinking that. With a new clutch, I understand the point is to save money by already being in there, but would that be necessary at 50-60k?

[mcomet]

Clutch might be ok depending on how car was driven...but likely somewhere between there and 100k would likely be a good idea to change out. I think other poster was saying be preemptive to give peace of mind and do the IMS bearing which basically means do a clutch replacement as its basically the same work as well as rear main seal. So basically at the mileage it is at, and fact it was in an accident you could just do it off the bat and then not have to worry. Is the clutch stiff? Have you driven the car? If it is really stiff that will be a good indication it's time to do clutch anyhow.

[eli cash]

After talking to the seller some more, I got a weird vibe from him. That coupled with the crash has me walking away from this one.

Now looking at an '00 S with 85k on it. Thanks everyone for the responses!

[BruceH]

You will know when you find the "right" one. I looked at a lot that were not quite right but knew pretty quick when I found my S that it was the one. Good luck on your search

[eli cash]

Originally Posted by BruceH

You will know when you find the "right" one. I looked at a lot that were not quite right but knew pretty quick when I found my S that it was the one. Good luck on your search

Thanks. And hopefully. I drove the S today and think I had my first lust moment. Was a little intimidated at first.

People say you should feel to see if it shifts smoothly. My question: how do I know? I can drive a stick but have never had one as a daily driver. When test driving this car, I think much of the drive was me getting confidence. Once that happened, I did notice I slight grab going into 1st. All other shifts were smooth and so much fun.

Should it be a knife through warm butter or no? I'm trying to think back to my dad's old BMW and friend's cars I have driven. It felt like they had some grab but I wasn't really paying attention then.

[Rickinduncan]

If your rolling at 5 or 10 mph, it might be a bit stiff getting It into first. That's normal. At least it is on mine.

[thom4782]

I have driven manual transmission cars as my primary vehicle for over 30 years. Of all sports cars I've owned, my Boxster gives me the most difficulty when starting from standstill. Occasionally, I will still stall the engine.

When downshifting into first, I would not say the transition is butter smooth. I do need to apply a bit more pressure than when I downshift into other gears. That said, I would not say that I need to force the transmission into first gear.

[BruceH]

First, like the other poster mentioned, can be a little stiff, but yes, if the rest are smooth, that is how it should be. If you haven't driven a stick in awhile, it will take you time to master it.

[eli cash]

Ok that sounds like how it felt for me. Another question: how much exterior (non-engine) noise should I hear? My only gripe was that the ride was a little noisy.