A few questions....

[reiver]

I bought my 02 in great shape for 12K out the door...I wouldn't buy a 98 for the same price. Mine was well optioned out except for the Lintronics which I picked up a couple of months later.

[evomind]

Originally Posted by reiver

I bought my 02 in great shape for 12K out the door...I wouldn't buy a 98 for the same price

The only 02s Im seeing for around the 12s have 70+ miles on them.
Granted there are a lot of great cars with some miles on them but that's not what Im looking for.
I kinda like the early cars anyway. Basic sports car.

[recycledsixtie]

You obviously know a lot about cars and fixing them too. Keep an open mind about trying the different years. My 2001 Boxster base has a bit more power than a 99 and the S model has even more power. Some owners of the model with the 2.5 engine suit some for racing in a specific category.

On the other hand I never tried an S because I did not feel the need for more power.
Enjoy your search!

[evomind]

Originally Posted by recycledsixtie

You obviously know a lot about cars and fixing them too. Keep an open mind about trying the different years. My 2001 Boxster base has a bit more power than a 99 and the S model has even more power. Some owners of the model with the 2.5 engine suit some for racing in a specific category.

On the other hand I never tried an S because I did not feel the need for more power.
Enjoy your search!

If my budget was higher I would buy newer/faster. I have another car that will satisfy need for speed, I have a motorcycle, etc.....I just want a fun sports car to drive in and enjoy it.

Heck, I was inquiring abt a couple I have seen with the Carrera engines in them.
Those are very tempting but difficult for me because I don't know who did the work etc, and then that budget thing came up again. Maybe in a couple of years I would like to buy another Boxster and do an engine swap.

[Daniel R]

Originally Posted by evomind

The only 02s Im seeing for around the 12s have 70+ miles on them.
Granted there are a lot of great cars with some miles on them but that's not what Im looking for.
I kinda like the early cars anyway. Basic sports car.

I think you just said it, "basic sports car".

I'm of the belief that less is more with these cars. Traction control or stability management are unnecessary. Any option that adds weight (eg. Bose stereo package) is also undesirable and of course the seller will expect more money for each "gadget".

My car, a 2000 model "S" was not heavily optioned by the first owner. About the only option I would have really liked it to have in retrospect is the full leather package (dash and doors rather than just the seats). I'm not sure what difference this would make for resale value, although I don't really care. It looks great and would give the car a timeless look in the interior. I intend on keeping this car forever, when it is no longer a DD (been doing the job for nearly 6 years and going strong) I will strip out stereo, trunk linings, some sound deadening and the soft-top and it will become a dedicated fair-weather fun car that is much lighter than most new "sports cars".

It does come down to personal preference, although I would be reluctant to pay up for a list of options unless they were particularly useful to me, not just for resale.

[reiver]

Originally Posted by evomind

The only 02s Im seeing for around the 12s have 70+ miles on them.
Granted there are a lot of great cars with some miles on them but that's not what Im looking for.
I kinda like the early cars anyway. Basic sports car.

Hmmm - see them lately in Texas. I paid cash on an 02 rather than buying a much newer one and having a car note again. KBB was around $14.5-15k (Which was around asking price on mine), but you negotiate and you can get it down that low.

Edit - You also don't want a low mileage (20-40k) 10+ year old boxster from what I understand on this forum. They supposedly have more problems and are meant to be driven rather than parked for long periods. Mine was almost 60k and I've put about 5k on in the last 3 months.

I would budget in an IMS upgrade for piece of mind if I had to do it again

[woodsman]

The older cars have some specific engine problems that can occur early in their life- under 50 000 mi. I 've read in Excellence, a Porsche- specific magazine, that one should buy them with something like 50 000 mi. or more. Slipped piston liners and porous engine blocks comes to mind. When it comes to options, most seem to value the factory HID headlights- litronics and while these can be added at a later date, the self- levelling option can't be. I think if you search long enough you'll find a real creampuff. One with mint seats, roof, tires and paint. You'll know it when you see it. Also, prices seem to be lowest in Texas.

[reiver]

Originally Posted by woodsman

The older cars have some specific engine problems that can occur early in their life- under 50 000 mi. I 've read in Excellence, a Porsche- specific magazine, that one should buy them with something like 50 000 mi. or more. Slipped piston liners and porous engine blocks comes to mind. When it comes to options, most seem to value the factory HID headlights- litronics and while these can be added at a later date, the self- levelling option can't be. I think if you search long enough you'll find a real creampuff. One with mint seats, roof, tires and paint. You'll know it when you see it. Also, prices seem to be lowest in Texas.

Yep, I have to get the levelling kit now as my lintronics are definitely misaligned. I wish I knew how to manually align them temporarily. I live in Texas and everything is cheaper than pretty much any other U.S. location I travel to...