97 boxster for 27 K?

[intelgnt dsgn]

I am looking to get a porsche enthusiast opinion on a car for sale?
There is a 1997 boxster for sale in my area. The car is spotless!!! Hardly driven, 10K total miles The owner has installed 18" tech art wheesl,lower w/full blown suspension, complete big brake kit, rear tonneu cover , nav system, plus more.
He is looking to sell for about 26-28K. Do you all think it's worth it?

I could pick up a boxster S for this price? or would you buy the fixed up boxster?

[mach schnell]

welcome to the forum - great user name how bout holding out and finding an 03 or newer boxster or boxster s - if you search the forums you'll find numerous topics on the advantages of the newer models - namely more power, torque and after 03 rear glass window.

[Brucelee]

Originally Posted by intelgnt dsgn

I am looking to get a porsche enthusiast opinion on a car for sale?
There is a 1997 boxster for sale in my area. The car is spotless!!! Hardly driven, 10K total miles The owner has installed 18" tech art wheesl,lower w/full blown suspension, complete big brake kit, rear tonneu cover , nav system, plus more.
He is looking to sell for about 26-28K. Do you all think it's worth it?

I could pick up a boxster S for this price? or would you buy the fixed up boxster?

From a market perspective, no, the car is not worth that money. Whether it is worth it to YOU, that is something you have to decide.

If it were me, I would buy an S model, as new and as nice as I could afford.

There are tons of opinions on this topic, that is mine.

Good luck.

[MNBoxster]

Hi,

The Seller is charging you retail for the modifications he performed and placing a premium on the low mileage.

At best, this Car is worth $21k with the Mods (this allows a 50% depreciation on all the extra bits, the norm). Some of these mods you may or may not like such as the Tonneau Cover or an excessively stiff suspension

Personally, I would not buy this car.

For one thing, it's a '97 and there were numerous issues with them and this Car has not been driven enough for all the Gremlins to have come out (if they're in there to begin with), meaning you may have to deal with RMS, cracked Coolant Recovery Tank, poor sealing Gas Cap, Unmodified AirBox, leaky Spark Plug Tube seals, leaky Clamp Type Coolant Hoses and a host of others down the road. Essentially, this means you'll be paying even more for the Car than the seller's asking.

Second, the '97 is not capable of handling the stresses put on it with 18" Wheels and Porsche advises against their use. The late '98 models onward were modified with reinforced chassis to accept the 18" Wheels.

Finally, these cars tend to suffer from lack of use. Extremely low mileage examples have gone on to give later owners many problems that regularly driven Cars do not experience. Also, you should NEVER buy the 1st Car you look at, especially if you are unfamiliar with the Breed. A choice of one is no choice at all. Do your homework and then decide - at $26-$28k, this Car will still be there once you're through. And, ALWAYS - a PPI is a MUST! Hope this helps...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[rdancd816]

I bought a '97 last November from a dealer. PPI'd yet not certified. It had 9700 miles on it and it IS perfect. Paid $20,000 for it and it is a daily driver. I think your price is high. Get a PPI and check all records. Any wheels larger than 17" are not advised on a '97. These can be great cars if properly cared for. But if you are going into Porsche for the first time I defer to all the advice. You can get a lot more for the money than you are looking at here. Search out Randall's site for more...Good Luck! Too many IF's about this from what I read.


PS...My low miles '97 has been trouble free so far. I have put 4,000 spirited miles on it so far.. but unless you can afford the day to day maintenaence cost.. be wary! Porsche's are not about purchase price, thet are highly refined machines with low error tolerence, upkeep is EXPENSIVE. Be prepared, there is no bargain Porsche.

[xclusivecar]

I'd be concerned with the low mileage. I know most people consider this a perk...but it can actually be a major problem. Either way, 27K for this car is insane. It sounds as if the seller is looking for a sucker!

rdancd816- I hope your car continues to offer great performance and reliability. But 4,000 miles since November is hardly putting it through it's paces. As for upkeep costs...take some matters into your own hands such as oil changes, spark plug changes, belts, etc...and you can save a ton of cash while learning a bunch about the car and enjoying an afternoon!

[denverpete]

Wow! That's incredibly steep for a '97.

Keep looking....

[threpwood]

26-27K for 97 is a too much. But hey, if it's spotless like porcelein and if you fall in love with it and have lots of $ why not

I'd say look for 2000 models, preferrably 2002+. Year AND milage are the key.

[Ronzi]

Ultra-low mileage cars are always a problem, price-wise. Sellers alway feel, with some justification, that they deserve a premium for the low mileage, perfect condition, etc. The problem is, for you as a buyer, the only way to "protect" your investment is to not drive the car, thus preserving the low mileage.
The presumption here is that you are buying a car to drive, not as a museum piece.

[redman12]

Paid for my 98 for 21k with 29,000 miles. For 97 box, kinda too much.