New Member Ready to Buy a Boxster
 

Greetings!

New member, and really haven't had time to utilize the search function yet! :) I'm actually facing a time crunch, as I'm trying to surprise my wife, and will be looking at a '99 Boxster on Thursday. Unfortunately, I won't have time between now and then to do my own research due to business travel, and this opportunity came up pretty suddenly.

Anyway, I'm a Porsche guy with a history of ownership of 911's/Carrera's, but I know very little about the Boxster, other than the fact that it's a Porsche.:p With that said, I was wondering if the forum would be kind enough to put together a list of things I should look for on a '99 year model Boxster, aside from the obvious.

The car has under 60K miles, and one of the major issues that I've learned of, the IMS bearing, has been addressed with the update kit. It's a one-owner, garage kept car, all service has been done at the dealer, records are available, and the car is accident/paint-work free.

Any advice or input would be greatly appreciated. My wife will use the car as a daily driver, so it won't be a garage queen. Also, are they pretty DIY friendly? The one thing I do wonder about is the power top, but with the mileage as low as it is, hopefully it's something I won't have to worry about.

Thanks in advance!!

Take a look at this:
http://986forum.com/forums/general-discussions/14685-thinking-buying-boxster-must-read.html

Get a PPI
Plan on roughly $2000/year on maintenance, less if DIY
Yes, it is DIY friendly, especially if you hang out on this forum;)
Learning the search function will uncover a treasure trove of information.

They are great cars and reliable if taken care of. It sounds like you have found a well cared for car but still get an independent PPI, it might just save you money and headaches. Welcome to the forum:cheers:

Take the car to local Porsche specialist and have them do a pre-purchase inspection (PPI) and ask that they do a leak down and compression test as part of it (very important not worth buying if it fails these tests). Once you have the mechanic's report and his estimate of the cost to address deferred repairs make an offer. Sounds like a one owner car with the minimum amount of mileage necessary is a good find. Just make sure the oil was changed at least once a year and that the car did not sit for months at a time without being driven. Moisture and unwanted deposits can wreck these engines if they stew in that for long, the car must run hot for at least an hour on a regular basis to burn all that off. If the engine does go down you can probably get another 1997-1999 engine installed for about $5-6K. So as you can see you're not really buying a Boxster you're buying a Boxster engine with a car tossed in.

Thanks guys...Really appreciate the info!!!

Just a quick note to let you guys know that I bought the car. It's a '98 Boxster in Ocean Jade Metallic, with 36K original miles. All services done at the Porsche dealer, many by the owners son who was a tech there.

IMS update done, new brakes/rotors, stainless brake lines, and "Pedro" modification to the muffler. I actually have the original muffler if I ever wanted to go back to stock.

Thanks for the input! I don't know these cars very well, so I'll probably be around quite a bit!

Congrats!
Sounds like a great car

We need pics, cause it ain't real without pics
Can you tell us the price?

Now join your local PCA chapter and take advantage of a car control clinic or DE so you can learn what the car is capable of and how to drive it properly
A Boxster does drive differently than a 911, better IMHO

That's awesome!
Sounds like a good one. Anxious to see pics! :)