New and need help

[Unholy986]

Thanks all. Going to look over tomorrow. Owner asking $3000 now.

[thstone]

Originally Posted by Unholy986

Owner asking $3000 now.

FYI - That is the standard price for a Boxster with a blown engine. The price alone might tell you all you need to know.

Buying a car that doesn't run is incredibly risky since you can't take it on a test drive to verify that everything works properly (a/c, heater, cooling system, starter, alternator, suspension, etc, etc, etc. And if the battery is dead, you can't even check out the accessory items like lights, wipers, radio, etc.) This means that you're buying a car whose condition is entirely unknown.

I wouldn't buy that car without having a professional Porsche mechanic do a full Pre-Purchase Inspection (PPI) unless you are ok with buying a car that might need some serious and possibly expensive repairs (expensive is relative, but you could spend anywhere from $300 for a fairly simple repair to $2500-$4000 swapping the engine ($2500 for a used engine + $1500 labor). Costs could easily go over $5K if there are more problems than just a blown engine).

When I bought my current Boxster (for $3200), the seller promised that the only problem was that the engine was blown. After replacing the engine, I had to spend another $1,000 on problems that he "forgot" to mention.

Let us know how it goes and wishing you the best of luck!

[Brian in Tucson]

Originally Posted by Unholy986

Thanks all. Going to look over tomorrow. Owner asking $3000 now.

We'll be interested to hear what you found out.

If it's really really nice, have it flat bedded to the local Porsche or Indy shop for an inspection and diagnosis. If it's a diamond in the rough, buy the car, have it fixed and count your blessings on a good deal. Not being able to give it a test drive is a problem and once you buy it, you may find that the 2.5 engine is a bit anemic.

The old saying is, "There's no such thing as a cheap Porsche." With the complicated engineering, the cost of labor, and the high price of German Brilliance (parts,) major problems can break the bank, even minor ones will dent the wallet. I have over $500 just in the linkage for the top and just found another broken piece. It'll have to wait til I get the replacement motor installed, tho. Doing it myself.

My $3300 01 Boxster base has about $5000 in parts since I bought it last summer. Yeah, I'm crazy! But I'm also retired and have the time & ability to figure stuff out and fix it. Top, seats, window regulators, sound system, top linkages, half axle boots, brake speed bleeders & wear sensors, motor, & go faster/reliability stuff. It adds up quickly!:ah: Oh and a paint job.