Thinking of buying a Boxster
 

I know it's been beaten to death around here, but to be honest all the failure talk has me worried.

It's a 97 2.5 with 35k miles. I know it's a needle in a haystack kind of failure, but how worried should I be?

This will be my first p-car. I'm seriously giddy at the thought of owning one.

So, as a newb, I beg you to talk me into buying this sweet little car.:cheers:

Buy it. Nothing is going to happen to that car, you will love it!

After driving my 2000 S model for 7 months, It has brought me nothing but joy and I don't even think about silly IMSB issues anymore.

Change the oil regularly and drive it in the higher rpm range. just like the doctor ordered. :D

What he said.

Love my S. Relatively cheap to buy and like the one your are looking it has low mile. I've driven it 7,000 miles and it's been great. I will enjoy it more then the previous owner and he paid over $40k in depreciation.

How can you possibly say that nothing is going to happen to the car when .Jack has given us no meaningful information regardig servicing, condition, history etc, etc.
We all hope new owners have a trouble free experiences but sweeping statements like that isn't helpfull to newbies.....

.Jack, if you are not sure you are doing the right thing, read, read and read again as much as you can about Boxsters and then get a good Porsche shop to do a pre-purchase inspection. It will be the best dollar cost you will invest in the car.

Buy it, drive it and don't worry.. they are great cars!

I am 100% in Steve Tinker's camp. Read above about "Thinking about buying a Boxster". Do your research . Try several cars. Early cars are cheaper and I do like the low mileage aspect because accessories have less wear on them.

You cannot run a Box for the cost of running a Miata but then these two cars it is like comparing apples to oranges. Plan on spending $1500-2000 a year.

Ask for receipts for work done. Don't rush to buy one and of course get a PPI done.
Accident damage etc?

Cheers, Guy.:)

I'm in the "go for it" camp. Bought mine on a whim 5 years ago and, apart from maintenance items like brakes and coolant tank, I have had no major trouble from it at all over 40k+ km of ownership. I do lots of extended road trips and never worry about the reliability. The car now has 133000 km on the clock.

Now, if I had found this forum before I bought the car and started reading Raby's hype about the 457 modes of failure then I probably would have been scared off buying one, and that would have been a great pity. I am so glad I have had the experience of owning this car. It is like no other car I have ever owned or driven.

Pick up a copy of Excellence Magazine's buyer's guide. It discusses weak spots for each Boxster year and as well as listing a range of prices. Don't ever make a German car purchase without having a basic understanding of the car's weak points. Coming to a forum is not a substitute for this. Also, I recommend buying a 2.7 or 3.2 Boxster with the IMS issue already sorted out.
At this point there are many cars like this out there and forum members are always looking to sell their cars. Start with the Porsche forum classifieds first. Then try private sellers. As a last resort go the middle man used car dealer route unless your state has some lemon law guarantees. This was the case with my purchase, NJ required a 1 year limited warranty for dealer sales....but my car only had 9K miles when I picked it up. When stepping into a car that has seen very low mileage or very high mileage, you need to do some research. Both can have very costly expenses awaiting.

The only thing I know about the car is from a carfax. One owner car from Texas, no accidents, the only services reported were an a/c recharge and a fairly recent emission test failure. The car did pass emissions shortly thereafter.

It is at a used car dealership, and they want far too much for it. I still have to look at the car, but if I can get the deal done right, I would put in the money for the longeveity upgrades before the aftermatket warranty wears out.

I actually found this forum looking for classifieds and saw some really nice ones. I'm not quite jumping in with both feet yet, but I would like to be driving this thing on 4/1.

Other than displacement, why the 2.7 and 3.4 engines recommended?

Go for it!

And if you decides to replace the IMSB, go with OEM. The Aftermarket IMSB has yet to be proven better than the OEM; the aftermarket IMSB can fail earlier. After all there's only few percentage of them failed, right? Then the OEM IMSB must be pretty good.

Buy it.

I have 132,000 miles on my Boxster engine with original everything. This engine has been revved to redline over 10,000 times (seriously) and has more than 80 track days with >200 hours of track time being driven harder than you could imagine. Still runs perfect.

Worst case, buy the car and have the IMS bearing replaced if that is what is takes for you to sleep better.

But definitely buy the car. We are all living the dream.

Get the inspection done, and if it is good, then buy it. Keep in mind that it is a 17 year old car, and it may need some repairs. I am coming up on two years of ownership, and have spent VERY little money in repairs. I really don't do most of the work myself either.

Drive it like the Dr. ordered and you should be fine. But again. It is 17 years old. Better reliability than a lot of 17 year old cars, but still 17.

Be cautious about using a forum to be your guild
There are many strong opinions here as well as real world experiences
You have to filter and you can get some good insight as to trouble areas to look for
Take Oil for example. It's all over the place as to what to use, but through all that is a common thread - what ever you use - change it often

You need your used car radar for any car but for high end sports cars knowing their trouble spots can help you weed out

You are looking at a 16+ year old car.
Low mileage on older boxsters has it's own debates as to being good or bad
Be knowledgeable about the models and what you want as far as options and let that help guild you.
For me it was the S model with 3.2 liter and I didn't want to have to immediately replace tires and brakes. The underside needed to be dry of fluids and all the other things to look for.

Good luck

You should be moderately worried, but not focused on the IMS. There are many issues and maintenance items to worry about. If you answer No to any of the following look elsewhere:

1. Are you interested and capable of performing basic to moderate troubleshooting?
2. Are you interested and capable of performing basic to moderate maintenance and repairs?
3. Can you afford $2K per year on average for maintenance and/or repairs
4. Are you capable of absorbing a worse case event of losing your purchase price minus $2-3K?

I bought a '97 with 96K miles a year and a half ago and frankly the car is a PITA. Since I can answer yes to all of the above my annual costs have stayed under $2K and I still consider it a reasonable risk to take

Had my 2001 S for 2 years and no issues.

However you will have an old car and like any old car it will need some of the more major overhauls as parts wear out.

At 80K miles things like Belts, some hoses, suspension components, water pump, vario cam guides, clutch, perhaps a sensor here or there.

Plastic/rubber eventually gets less pliable and could cause vacumm leaks and other inconvenient things that if taken care of yourself will save loads of money and result in a reliable car.

The IMSB issue is a DIY $500 fix or a $2500 shop fix so you can make that issue go away for a long time either way.

You must buy a Boxster and live the dream and drive it hard. Enthusiasts will help support you along the way.

I'm going to make some generalizations that aren't always the case, but things that I look out for.

Things to look out for when buying a used car:
1) "Mom & Pop" lots that don't sell new cars, especially if the car you are looking at is the nicest one on the lot. I doubt that anyone traded their Porsche, in "excellent" condition, in on a minivan with 120,000 miles on it. Chances are it was purchased at an auction, and for not very much money. It sold at an auction because nobody else would touch it. It probably has been neglected and needs major work. Service records will be minimal at best so you will have to assume that noting has been done.

2) Learning as much as you can about Boxsters before purchasing is a wonderful idea. It doesn't mean you have to do any work yourself, but you will know what questions to ask and what service records to look for.

3) Absolutely, 100% get a PPI from either a Porsche dealer, or an independent shop that is recommended on here, but NOT one that the dealer recommends, or the dealer's mechanic.

4) I don't like to gamble with a $10k+ repair, so I have opted to get the IMS bearing replaced with a ceramic. I have also just ordered the direct oil feed system for a little added security. Chances are nothing will happen, but I like to hedge my bets.

5) Carfax is a nice in principal, but it doesn't show everything, it shows only "reported" items. Those items never include oil changes and other maintenance items that show how well a car has been cared for, or beaten on in its life.

If those things haven't scared you off, then go for it! They are terribly fun.

Thanks for all the replies.

I will give the car a good look, and see if it goes anywhere. If it looks good I'll have it inspected and see if we can make a deal.

If this one falls through, I'll be patient, but I'm pretty certain that I need one of these cars.

Well, I went and saw the car.

RMS leak, bald front tires, LR strut was junk. $14,300 otd.

Needless to say I passed, but I did get to drive one finally. I am now certain that I need one of these cars. Its just a matter of time until I find the right one.

What a fun little car.

Congrats Jack!. You passed the first test. You did not buy the first Box you saw.
There are good ones out there. Take your time and get a PPI done if there is one you like.
G.:)

stay in touch here throughout your search. Best of luck, and in the mean time Save Save Save Save some dough.

I would have been just that. Out the door.

$14,300 for a 97 2.5 in perfect condition is still highway robbery. Last year I bought a 2000 S 3.2 with an absolutely perfect body, already had the IMS sorted, new tires, clutch, upgraded headlights, taillights, and aftermarket wheels for $14k. Not a chance I would ever pay that for a non-S, especially one with problems. Even doing as much DIY as you can, you would be looking at 20 hours of your time and $3000 for parts, alignment, etc. (that would assume that IMS bearing hasn't been done and you want to do it). Probably 5k is you wanted a shop to do all the work.

As an example, I paid $14,200 for my 2000 base with 51K miles from the local Porsche dealer. Dealer had performed significant maintenance while they had the car: brake fluid flush, coolant flush, new rear window, new battery, etc. Tires at 8/32" all around. Independent PPI really couldn't find anything wrong. I specifically sought out a MY 2000 as being a least-problematic year.

Next up is a 99 2.7 base with ugly as hell red interior. 47k miles, 1 owner with good records and looks really clean. Private seller with a current ppi in hand. Its priced right, as he knows it needs the ims work and such.

I'm having trouble sleeping. LOL.

the issue here is that there were no 2.7s in 99.

Interesting. After checking the ad, there is no mention of the displacement. I asked the seller, and he said 2.7

He's a wholesaler, so probably just a simple mistake.

That's why you don't deal with wholesalers. They have no idea what they are doing and generally only deal with cars that have serious problems underneath a shiny paint job.

If you don't like the interior, why are you bothering with it? You can search the entire country for the exact car you're looking for. I live in Michigan and found mine in California. I had a CA Porsche dealer do the PPI and then had it shipped to me after the deal was done. I drove other Boxsters, but never drove mine until it arrived in MI. There wasn't anything I was going to find wrong with the car that the PPI missed.

I am also highly suspect of someone else's PPI. Another wholesaler trick where they have "their guy" take a look at it. You want to get your own PPI.

The ppi was done by a dealer. Just going for a look. Nothing too serious. For the price he's asking it deserves a look.

Found my car! Clean car, great price. I'll do a clutch/rms/ims job ASAP, just to he safe. Other than that the only issue is an iffy window regulator.

I'm excited. Get the details hammered out with my lender tomorrow and pick it up Saturday if everything goes right.

Thanks for all the advice.

No you are totally right,,, fearmongering is the way to go. :ah:

I rather like to be the voice of optimism.

Congrats on finding the Boxster you like OP! They really are a blast. :dance:

Jack - I owned an '02 S for 6 years as my daily driver. I drove it every day in the NE (rain, snow, etc). I put 60,000 miles on it and it was inexpensive and reliable. I bought the car for $25K and sold it recently for $12K (traded it). My total cost of ownership was about the same as buying a Honda Accord.

I had some silly issues along the way (3 ignition switches...), but overall the biggest expense was for routine maintenance. You need to do all routine maintenance on these cars (all fluids, all belts, all filters, tires and brakes), etc.

Two things:
1 - I never gave a moments thought to my IMS...(original and likely single row :barf:).
2 - My RMS "leaked" the entire time I owned the car. I never fixed it and I didn't care.

A note on the RMS: "leaked" is a strong word. "was moist" may be a better way to describe it. I've taken some heat on this board for that, but reality is I kept an eye on it (and my oil levels) and it had zero impact to the overall ownership experience. From my perspective it gave the car some character (it smelled like leather and burned oil which any good sports car should...).

IF I were going to buy a new 986 today, I would:

- Choose wisely (based on history and documented maintenance)
- Replace the IMS (there are inexpensive solutions now, and do the clutch while your in there).
- Replace all filters, fluids and belts immediately (and by all, I mean "all").
- Finally, nobody talks about it here much yet, but I would absolutely 100% replace the suspension on the car day one. I would lower it and put on coil-overs.
- Spend up for good tires day one too.
- My car had PSM, litronics, cabin air deflectors and a glass rear window. I wouldn't buy a car without those four things.

If you total up the above, you are probably spending $6-8K on top of your purchase. So from my perspective, you may as well get an S (with the four features I called out). But, once set up you will have a simple, reliable, timeless, brilliant sports car to enjoy.

Good luck with your purchase, and I hope your ownership experience is as good as mine was.

Mike


/

Sold out from under me. Shiesty friggen wholesaler.

Hunt goes on...

Ended up with a really clean 03 base with 61000 miles. The only mod I have come across is 17" S wheels.

It's a great little car, and the previous owners loved it and took great care of it. I'll be getting her in soon to do the IMS, RMS, clutch and 60k services. The car is pretty clean underneath, I doubt it has ever leaked any oil.

I picked it up Monday evening, and have put about 300 miles on it. Not one single issue so far.

Thanks again for all the input. I think I found the right one.

Glad to hear you found one you like. IMO, if the rear seal isn't showing any signs of seepage (you'll know for sure once you drop the trans), then don't touch it. You are more likely to introduce a problem. The clutch may need replacement or it may be good for another 100,000 miles. There's no harm (outside of the cost of the parts) in changing it while doing the IMS bearing.

Post some pictures, I'd like to see.

I bought my 99 2.5l last summer and have not regretted it. Mine had 57k when I bought it but I felt good knowing the PO replaced the blown engine with a Porsche factory rebuilt engine in 2008 with 37k on the car. So I bought it with 20k on a 2008 engine with the larger Porsche bearing fix for the IMS. It's super clean, handles like nothing else, gets 30mpg and since its the 200HP engine, I don't get in trouble but still accelerate fairly quickly with the 5 speed manual. I paid $12,500 for mine. new tires and alignment all the way around.
James

Jack....check your in box....:cheers:

never mind :)