PPI Report: Any red flags here?

[johnrhopkins]

I just got what I would call a less than detailed PPI report. I called to discuss it, but they weren't readily available. Hope to chat with them later today.
It is for a 2002 Boxster S.
Do you dee any red flags?

Cosmetics:
A/C Display LCD is faulty
Gauge cluster display minor fault
Right rear tire wear
underbody panel small crack on drivers side
3rd brake light some bulbs out
front windshield wiper trim lifted a tad

Drivetrain:
Right axel seal small leak
CV axel boot small tear
transmission mount normal wear
engine great
transmission great

[flaps10]

I hope you didn't pay money for that. You would have seen all that if it wasn't dark outside.

[Muzzle of Bees]

Yep, the big one is that they were not very detailed about their findings.
This is why I kinda shy away from these PPI things. I know some people do not have a good eye and a good gut feeling sense.
It would be scary if I did not have mine.

[johnrhopkins]

I did not pay for it. It was done by the current owner a few days before I reached out to him.

[jdraupp]

Originally Posted by johnrhopkins

I did not pay for it. It was done by the current owner a few days before I reached out to him.

In that case, pay to have one done by an experienced mechanic or dealer. That ppi tells you nothing. Paying extra for a leak down and compression test will also tell you a lot.

[RandallNeighbour]

Actually, that owner-supplied PPI reveals a lot that you should be aware of.

- AC display issues: You can buy an AUDI replacement LCD panel off ebay and fix it yourself or pay $400 (or more) for a new AC head unit. I would not buy a used one because they all will suffer from the LCD display crapping out on you sooner or later.

- LCD bits out on the cluster cannot be easily swapped out. The whole cluster must be replaced and they're model year specific. Swapping it is only a 30 minute job, but finding the right cluster and having the mileage reprogrammed will not be cheap or quick.

The other mechanical things are what they are... torn drive shaft boots? replace the drive shaft with a new one or a salvage one with intact boots. You've no idea what got in there and what damage it did to the joint.

None of these things are deal killers as long as the purchase price reflects the costs involved in bringing the car up to good condition overall. Not sure about you but I hate "cosmetic" flaws like the LCD panels being out. I see it all the time and it pisses me off to no end.

Hopefully, you will find an owner like myself who has taken the time to keep up the appearance and mechanicals of the Porsche you're about to buy and has a long list of things they can tell you they've addressed RECENTLY.

Remember: The cheaper the Porsche you find, the more it will cost you to own. There's no way out of the cost of Porsche ownership. Buy a new one and it won't need much but will cost you a lot. Buy an old one with lots of niggling issues and it may well cost you as much as one that's 10 years newer in the long run. That was exactly what happened to me.

I bought a 97 base model in 2004 for $15k, 8k off the blue book value. Thought I stole the car until I started fixing everything that was worn out or broken and refreshing the car's looks. I now have a total of at least $42k in a car now worth $8000 on a good day. What I should have done was arrest my anxiousness to buy a Porsche and kept saving for a few years and bought myself a much nicer, newer, pampered example of the Boxster.

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by johnrhopkins

I just got what I would call a less than detailed PPI report. I called to discuss it, but they weren't readily available. Hope to chat with them later today.
It is for a 2002 Boxster S.
Do you dee any red flags?

Cosmetics:
A/C Display LCD is faulty
Gauge cluster display minor fault
Right rear tire wear
underbody panel small crack on drivers side
3rd brake light some bulbs out
front windshield wiper trim lifted a tad

Drivetrain:
Right axel seal small leak
CV axel boot small tear
transmission mount normal wear
engine great
transmission great

Was the seller previously in the business of rating mortgage securities circa 2008?
Although in his defense he provides better guidance here.

What is the mileage?

If you are serious about this car, have a reall PPI done and be sure to include a leakdown and compression test. Use the test results to guide your counter offer price.

My general rule is the higher the mileage, the longer the list of repairs that have already been taken care of needs to be. A car with moderate to high miles that hasn't had many repairs billed as "needs nothing" is dubious. And you want to see at least one oil change per year regardless of how low the mileage is. If that can't be documented, I would be leary about paying up, if not walking away entirely. There are two things a Boxster needs, regular oil changes and minding of the cooling system (hence leak down and compression testing).

[johnrhopkins]

Originally Posted by RandallNeighbour

What I should have done was arrest my anxiousness to buy a Porsche and kept saving for a few years and bought myself a much nicer, newer, pampered example of the Boxster.

That is certainly a concern of mine. I've always had a knack of finding the unicorns... that is the cars that are priced below where they should be and are well-kept and maintained. The car I'm replacing, a 2001 Miata 6-speed with Limited Slip Diff in amazing condition with low miles was the most recent one for me. A very nice man did a crazy u-turn from a parallel parking spot at full throttle as he was being pushed out of some snow on the side of the road took that car away from me last month. THAT car is way harder to find than the Boxsters are. So, I'm hoping I'll find that german unicorn and be a happy driver again.

Finding them helps when you work for yourself and can jump on a plane and drive a car back from wherever you find it.

[johnrhopkins]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

Was the seller previously in the business of rating mortgage securities circa 2008?
Although in his defense he provides better guidance here.
What is the mileage?

Haha, yeah, apparently that was the info he got from the service shop. The car has 89k miles on it. It was a one owner till last year. It appears to have been traded in, went to auction and this guy bought it to flip it. Here is the link to the car: Gorgeous *2002 Porsche Boxster S*

[Bryanf]

The front bumper has been replaced with a 911 bumper cover. May not be a big deal but likely in an accident of some kind.

Seems like a good price!

[flaps10]

Looks nice, but it's a Tip

[johnrhopkins]

Originally Posted by flaps10

Looks nice, but it's a Tip

I've yet to drive an automatic Boxster. I was under the impression that most peeps like the Tiptronic. Not the case? I've always preferred a manual because of the slush box automatics. Is the Porsche automatic sloppy as the rest out there?

[Pdwight]

Originally Posted by RandallNeighbour

Actually, that owner-supplied PPI reveals a lot that you should be aware of.

- AC display issues: You can buy an AUDI replacement LCD panel off ebay and fix it yourself or pay $400 (or more) for a new AC head unit. I would not buy a used one because they all will suffer from the LCD display crapping out on you sooner or later.

- LCD bits out on the cluster cannot be easily swapped out. The whole cluster must be replaced and they're model year specific. Swapping it is only a 30 minute job, but finding the right cluster and having the mileage reprogrammed will not be cheap or quick.

The other mechanical things are what they are... torn drive shaft boots? replace the drive shaft with a new one or a salvage one with intact boots. You've no idea what got in there and what damage it did to the joint.

None of these things are deal killers as long as the purchase price reflects the costs involved in bringing the car up to good condition overall. Not sure about you but I hate "cosmetic" flaws like the LCD panels being out. I see it all the time and it pisses me off to no end.

Hopefully, you will find an owner like myself who has taken the time to keep up the appearance and mechanicals of the Porsche you're about to buy and has a long list of things they can tell you they've addressed RECENTLY.

Remember: The cheaper the Porsche you find, the more it will cost you to own. There's no way out of the cost of Porsche ownership. Buy a new one and it won't need much but will cost you a lot. Buy an old one with lots of niggling issues and it may well cost you as much as one that's 10 years newer in the long run. That was exactly what happened to me.

I bought a 97 base model in 2004 for $15k, 8k off the blue book value. Thought I stole the car until I started fixing everything that was worn out or broken and refreshing the car's looks. I now have a total of at least $42k in a car now worth $8000 on a good day. What I should have done was arrest my anxiousness to buy a Porsche and kept saving for a few years and bought myself a much nicer, newer, pampered example of the Boxster.

Sound advice here.....heed it and read it many times

[thstone]

If you're serious, please pay to have a real PPI done.

The car has been lowered. Do you want to own a lowered car? My car is also lowered and I have to be pretty careful or it scrapes. You should find out how the lowering was accomplished - lowering springs? coil over shocks? Was the work done professionally and what parts were used?

Do you want a stick or an auto? The Tip isn't a dual clutch paddle shifter, its an auto with buttons. Choose carefully because swapping to a manual is prohibitively expensive.

Service history and receipts?

Let us know what you decide!

[JayG]

Originally Posted by johnrhopkins

I've yet to drive an automatic Boxster. I was under the impression that most peeps like the Tiptronic. Not the case? I've always preferred a manual because of the slush box automatics. Is the Porsche automatic sloppy as the rest out there?

The tiptronic is virtually bulletproof it is one of the best automatics made

the 2002 and newer Tip have more shift maps than the older ones. They will hold lower gears in corners and under harder driving.

As Tom mentioned, they are not one of the newwer dual clutch transmissions.

You ccan look at ot this way

Tiptronic - automatic transmission that you can manually shift\
PDK - Manual transmission that will automatically shift and in manual mode incredibly fast shifting

[Retroman1969]

I have a Tip and a manual.
The manual is a blast to drive and the involvement of course adds to the fun, and feels a bit more solid and responsive.
However for daily driving, I love the Tip. It is one auto that doesn't really fit the term 'slushbox'. In auto mode it reads your driving style and reacts well to it, and in manual mode it's still a kick, even if not as involving as a stick shift car.
Bulletproof comes up a lot and it's well deserved.
The PDK is another world entirely. So orgasmically good it would almost make me want to give up a stickshift altogether. (Almost)

[rexcramer]

As much as I would enjoy an S 6 speed, the tip is better for my situation. Because the steering wheel only adjusts in and out, I am too tall for the manual. And the wife's driving style is better suited for the auto also. LA freeway driving is also better served with an auto.

The auto steering wheel buttons took some getting used to, but now I regularly drive in manual mode and find the shifting to be more than adequate for the tight twisty local mountain driving I do for fun.

I am happy to read that most believe the auto to be a well built unit. One of the local Indy mechanics, who has a history with my car, declared the autos to be "garbage." He didn't qualify his declaration. Perhaps he was pumping me for a trans flush cha-ching.

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by johnrhopkins

Haha, yeah, apparently that was the info he got from the service shop. The car has 89k miles on it. It was a one owner till last year. It appears to have been traded in, went to auction and this guy bought it to flip it. Here is the link to the car: Gorgeous *2002 Porsche Boxster S*

I would look for a lower mileage car. At 90K miles, this car needs have a pretty extensive list of repairs that were not deffered. And even if they were addressed ($$$$) you would need to know in great detail how that one owner looked after the engine. You're not really buying a Boxster, you're buying a Boxster engine. The rest of the car is worth shockingly little without a good engine. Those other parts are just expensive liabilities. Make sure the engine is 100% sound before you commit to potentially spending $4K on a new clutch IMS, $4K on a suspension overhaul, $2K to proactively address the all important water pump, coolant tank, hoses, etc., $1K on new tires, and other known weak spots like the AOS. I racked up similar mileage to the car you are considering (~9k miles per year) and had to do all the aforementioned repairs before it hit the 100K mile mark. And no matter how much you pour into a high mileage car, the value will remain low unless you sink some serious money into the engine rebuild.
If I were you I would look for a lower mileage car, enthusiast owned and spend a little more up front to avoid the hassles later.

[mikesz]

All good advice. The biggest question is are you going to do the work yourself or pay someone? Boxster repairs are costly no matter what but you can save money doing it yourself. An asking price is a start. The car LOOKS good but needs work as any second hand car does. I put a 911 front bumper on my 99 because I liked it, same goes for the 03-04 Boxster rear bumper. I have Bilstein HD shocks and lowering springs I will install one of these days. I am a DIY'er and do as much of the work myself I couldn't possibly afford shop rates and I don't think they are worth it. Owning a Boxster wont be cheap under any circumstances. I would get a PPI done so you know what your are getting yourself in for and use that as leverage to low-ball. I would buy the car but not at that price. It is an S has the lowered suspension, if quality parts were used it could be score. I would want to know about the coolant fans working properly, braking system, Coolant system, and was the trans fluid/filter changed? Yes it does get changed no matter what you are told by others.

[johnrhopkins]

Thanks everyone for the great information. Given my budget, I'm thinking that I might want to skip the S model and find a base model that is one owner and near perfect.

It drive me crazy that people would buy a car like these and not require the service records from the previous owner. I blame the dealerships. It seems they could not care less.

As far as the work, I am pretty handy... and like to do as much myself as I can. That said, My other car is a 71 Baja. I've gotten spoiled on how easy it is to work on. I broke my clutch cable last year and had a spare but no tools. I replaced it with only a metal spoon!

Here is one of the others I'm considering. It has some cosmetic damage to the front bumper but it has low miles. https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/5387223442.html

I haven't gotten confirmation yet, but I believe he is taking it in for a real PPI on Friday.

Has anyone found any solid ways for tracking down previous owners?