PPI - 3rd times a charm - almost
 

Well i had to eliminate a few candidates but this one stuck out -
2002 base 986 , Guardsman red / Black int & top . 52k. one owner
Inspection -
Body perfect , top excellent , interior very good
runs & drives well , clutch feels good . Rear brakes- new pads & rotors

The not so good
Front brakes pads low , rotors cupped
needs a tune up - plugs & some tubes
Tires - backs are worn & 6 yrs old , fronts are 10 yrs old
speakers in doors not working .

MORE GOOD - Compression / leak down 168-174

all considered I think this is good news .
Tires , tune up , fnt brakes - approx $ 2000

I wasn't looking for red but it's growing on me :)

Depending on your need for power a base boxster is lacking at least for me. I bought an 03 base back in 09 still have it. Initially it was quick considering I was coming from a pickup truck that's not a stretch. After some time behind the wheel the power seemed to be lacking. I bought a guards red 06 Cayman s last year and the difference is night and day. The Boxster is sitting in my warehouse and I have maybe put 500 miles on it over the last 12 months. :( I would highly recommend a S if you can find it. The boxsters are wonderful cars but from my experience most people like the extra power an S gives over the base.

My base has been more car than I wanted or needed for my 5+ years of ownership, but I'm not a 20 year old speed freak, either. :p

If you do the tune-up, pads and rotors yourself, you could easily bring the car up to par for under $1k. The most expensive thing will be the tires. Depending on brand and current sales, tires will run between $125-$350 each. I recently did pads, plugs and tires and my bill was around $700 (did everything myself except mount/balance tires). ;)

My need for speed is low , good handling road hugging is higher on list .

But I'm an old guy , what do I know ? If I buy this one I'd probably have the Indy do the work . I just searched some tiers on rack site not sure if I should go all seasons or max summer. I will be driving in winter - NY. It gets cold here all season make more sense - Continental DWS seemed good on my Miata - yeah I had a go cart .

Big range in rotor prices ?

The "S" is good on speed if you like to go in a straight line or pass a slower car on the highway one second faster. The standard Boxster 2.5 or 2.7L will keep up with an "S," and most 911's, on any mountain road or twisty highway. My '99 986 is a Tip and I took it to Sears Point to open night drags once and lost in the semi finals by less than a second so they're not exactly snails. I've owned my base Tip for 6 years and haven't wanted any more power except up the hill to turn 7 at Laguna Seca and everyone wants more power there.:D

The S has noticable more torque in the low end. That's why i bought an S.

Base rotors and brake pads are cheaper than S ones. Don't buy too cheap stuff.

If you're an older guy and looking for comfort, i think a base with 17" rims and 205/255 tyres is a good choice. 17" tyres are in general a little bit cheaper than 18".

Personally i prefer to have winter and summer tyres on my cars. All season is always a bigger compromise, especially on sports cars.

Regards, Markus

$2K for items on list? Wow!

6 Plugs, oil tubes and O-rings: $100 1-2 hours in the driveway.
Tires: Depends. Discount Tires Direct has a great sale around Black Friday. I got 4 17" Sumitomos for $375 shipped a couple of years back. $15/tire mounted and balanced.
Front pads and rotors: $250 is high side for this. Figure about 60 minutes to do first side and 45 to do other.

$785 total. No biggie.

There is no reason to walk away based on the PPI.

All of the items that need repair are easily done yourself for under $1000. Show the seller the shop quote for $2k and offer $1000 less than asking and you should be a new owner.

Sounds like a solid car in the right color IMO. Pull the trigger on and then do the work yourself to help you start to bond with the car.

These replacements as said are not hard to do yourself and would give you a smother entrance into DIY repairs on these cars. The money you save in paying labor helps buy the tools and equipment to work on these cars. I find a lot of my time is spent on simple jobs, is simply getting the car up and ready to work on.

Again, Tires, brakes really shouldn't be a deal breaker, as these are every cars maintenance items. I was lucky my Box's PO had recently replaced those items.

As far as Speed, I'm not really a speed freak but I find my 'S' lacking. These cars should be in the 300+ hp range to truly show off their potential.
Handling, power is part of the equation as well as braking ('S' - larger brakes & tweaked suspension).

Go for it dude! Get some good tires - would recommend summer and then some winters, you will feel the difference. Lots of threads on here on which tires to get, but don't cheap out - it makes a difference.
I would suggest ceramic pads. More expensive, but man these cars produce brake dust. Unless you love cleaning your wheels all the time, explore ceramics.
Then remember to tuck a bit of money away - it's still a 14 year old car that will need some suspension refreshing down the road, along with water pump and motor mount and more....

I'm pretty satisfied with the findings .. car is solid overall .
Tires , brakes & tune up are just routine stuff - it would have been nice if it were done

Tires are $ 540 + ship & mounting [$ 700 ?] tuneup $220 + tubes ?
Brakes are hard to figure exactly - too many pad & rotor options

I'm not ready to DYI yet ,rather have the indy do things to get me out & about for know
he was very fair with pricing only question was his quote on brakes

My biggest obstacle is getting the wife on board -

What, you have all of us hand hold you through this decision process and you don't have the Wife on-board!!!
S!@# dude - That is a deal breaker
All of this is just an abstract exercise with out the gate keeper

I did the same thing. Found the car and then sent her a link to it at work (I'm a Chicken S!@#)
Fortunately her co-workers loved it and convinced her for me - lucky me

Good luck

Take her for a test drive in it. I haven't met a female yet that didn't love the car after a ride. ;)

Don't worry about the "S" factor. I drove several before choosing my base 2001 model and there really isn't that much difference between the feel of the models despite what you will hear. More torque on the low end for the "S" but the upper end is the same and only a second or less slower. You're NEVER going to win a street race with these cars so pocket or invest the extra money.

The repairs you need are all diy and easily done. Learn to do them and you will not only gain satisfaction of ownership but save a lot in the process. If you like the red go for it and good luck!

I bought mine without the wife knowing it. Put it in the garage while she was out and about. When she pulled up, I opened the garage door from inside the house, let her get over the shock, and then went outside and said "Happy Anniversary"...:p

She just likes to "bust 'em" & she is very good at it!
I have to admit being married 30 yrs I may have had 15 "toys"
66 vette, camaro, mgb , triumph , various BMW'S , a new boxster - that's her beef now
" we had that car & you didn't like it !" - only partially true , needed an excuse to trade it for a 911 :p
Kids to college 911 had to go $$ . Had a Miata that was fun that was the last toy .

All those cars were fun but I remember the 986 handling the best - hope I have a good memory .
It's hard to go wrong at the current price - 10k from 11.

the 03 S seller just text me , down to 11k but I'm satisfied with a one owner base 02
the S had too many issues and too many unknowns -

Ah....the wife block, here is my story. Back in 2001 I wanted a Miata badly. It was not the proper choice at the time, as we had 7 year old twins. I sold the concept based on the fact that I had a company car that was a practical beast of burden. Wife relented and said "OK smart guy, it will have to last you until the girls get out of college." FINE!, I said.
Fast forward to May of 2016. Both children graduate [on time], and the wheels turn. I float the trial balloon and it is destroyed instantly. I bring up the subject again with attitude, reminding her of the deal we made 14 years ago. Wife replies, " You are serious about this aren't you?" I reply...."Completely". She asks what kind of car? I tell her, "Porsche Boxster S." She has the expected response from a person who drives a tan Buick Lucerne. She then retorts...." Just as long as its not red" I respond "To bad, I can not call the New Used Car Factory and order a Forest Green Boxter S with tan leather and 34K on it. Guards Red it is!" A week after the purchase, we took one of our Northern Michigan trips for our 29th. All signs point to observing our 30th next May. She has adjusted and is enjoying massive upgrade.

I Like the negotiating skills ... Oh boy I didn't mention the "Red" factor.

She is lobbying for garage passage rights - " you'll have to leave it in the driveway , I don't want to worry about rubbing against it

well I have one up my sleeve - 2 car garage - one side has some weight's & bench , misc
stuff - guess what - yup it's getting cleaned out
Gonna hang my tennis ball - windshield parking guide ;)

Don't forget to buy her a nice hat for those top down driving.