About to check out a '99 Boxter...
 

Any tips? I'm a noobie :confused:
I'm gonna check it out later and post some pics. It's a manual with about 50k+ miles. It's at the local dealer. Sales guy said they got it as a tradein and would sell it wholesale price to me ~15k. Is that reasonable? I'm thinking, yes but you know the saying, "You get what you pay for...". If I decide to get it, I'm gonna get a PPI but prolly not at the same dealer 'cause they could just say everything is dandy, right?
TIA :)

Locate RandallNeighbor on the Memebers list and check out his signature for great tips. Or check any of his posts. At the bottom in his signature are the links.

Welcome. :cheers:

Hey red, good luck, Just make sure you get that PPI, if it's a local car perhaps you can find out where it was serviced.

I hear yah. Thanks for the links I've seen them before but, still, thanx. Are 99s notorious for sleeve failures(?)? What is it? And how much $$$ to rectify? Hopefully the weather lets up a bit and I can take it out for a short spin. I'll post more info/pics when I get back later.

Thanks Marc and 70 :cheers:

2 pix for you. Weather was ****************ty and all I could do was climb in the car and fire it up. It started right away but I noticed the Check Engine light was on. Hmmm... Anyway the sales guy said he wanted it looked over by the service dept before it was test driven, so maybe next week.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/photos/data/500/PICT0111r.jpg

http://www.bimmerfest.com/photos/data/500/PICT0110r.jpg

$15k for a 99 with 50k?! Go for it after it passes a PPI. That is about what stripped 97's go for.

Insist on finding out about the check engine light. Make sure the dealer doesn't just clear it. Frankly, I would insist on a PPI by someone other than the selling dealer. These little buggers can get expensive to repair.

Is it at a Porsche dealer?

Thanks.
Yep. From what i read the cel could be o2 sensors or MAF sensor or both :eek:
Also the idiot light on the far left (see pic) was also lit up. What is it for? Looked like it was referring to the trunk or something :confused:

Yes, I'm pretty stoked :D I'm def gonna look this over very carefully :dance:

Yes :dance:
BTW where are you from Marc? I'm in Bergen county :cheers:

Well, a least the service department will have a clue, I still would do a PPI for sure, could be a great deal!

I'm in Park Ridge, Bergen county as well.

If I decide to go ahead with this and get a PPI, do you have anyone you can recommend? Thanks and perhaps I'll be seeing you around the area in a Boxter as well ;) :dance: :cheers:

I have an Indy I use down in Essex county, if you want to use a dealer Prestige in Nanuet has been really great to work with.

If you get the 986 come join us at the Porsche meets, drives, AutoX's...etc.
I plan to hit the AutoX at the Meadowlands tomorrow if it stops raining.
Gonna dust off the old 911 and head down :)

Strongly suggest a full PPI from a Porsche dealer (not the selling dealer). This should cost you about $250 and must include a leak down compression test. Also ask the selling dealer to print out all the warranty and service work in their data base.


Also, run the VIN against the Katrina data base. This will ensure you are not buying a floater!

Good luck.

Thanks, I'll certainly run the VIN. The dealer said it was owned by one person. Can a competent indy shop perform a PPI and a leak down test you mentioned? I'm thinking another dealer will say, "the car has multiple problems but we happen to have this gorgeous '98 Boxter...".You know what I mean?

Sure, call a few of the shops on the NNJR-PCA site.
NNJR LINKS

Powertech has a great rep

No, I have not checked out the car yet but there is a fly in the ointment.
A lady in my building (work) is about to trade in her '03 Boxter. I mentioned to her that I was checking out this '99 yada yada. So she says if I were interested in buying her Boxter with only 15k miles. Now I'm really thinking. She says she'll just sell it to me for whatever the dealer is willing to give her. I dunno, what would that be? $25k? Are warranties transferable? I should be able to buy extended warranty, right? She and her husband are taking it to the dealer tomorrow to get appraised. Then she'll let me know.
Thanks for following my odyssey...

if some lady is going to sell you her 15Kmiles '03 for trade in with warranty you can consider yourself a very very very very very very luck dude.
(03 was a very good vintage for Boxsters)

what color is it? :D

Seal Grey. 5 speed. No heated seats tho :(

Dealers give you sooooo little for trade ins low miles/low price sounds like a win win.
as far as heated seasts you can find a 2nd hand set from a Porsche dismantler/salvage yard or Ebay, the electrics too. See them all the time.

or you can be a real man and get some non-heated/minimal padding/unadjustable/expensive/pain-in-the-arse-to-get-out-of GT3 seats :p
(No I don't drive it everyday but I still love them, ZEN driving)

p.s.
if you do happen to be a lucky guy and get this lady to sell you her Boxster dirt cheap look into getting an extended warranty before the factory warranty runs out. Talk to Ray Catena Porsche Service(732-205-9010) about coverage. Warranty Direct is a good company too but they won't cover you if you wait until after the factory warranty has lapsed. And Ray Catena has the plushest service department you'll ever see. Porsches are expensive to fix, my first repair was a $4 parking brake switch that they charged me $100 to diagnose and fix.

Just got back. Here's s'more pictures...

http://www.bimmerfest.com/photos/data/500/PICT0011r.jpg

http://www.bimmerfest.com/photos/data/500/PICT0013r.jpg

http://www.bimmerfest.com/photos/data/500/PICT0012r.jpg

http://www.bimmerfest.com/photos/data/500/PICT0014r.jpg

http://www.bimmerfest.com/photos/data/500/PICT0016r.jpg

The sales guy had a preliminary estimate for all the work that (so far) needs to be done. About $3k parts and labor. So, theoretically, I'm up to $18k now. He's gonna get more info on Monday. Oh, the CEL apparently is a defective MAF sensor. Hmmm, that '03 is looking mighty nice now ;)

GT3's are awsome!!!!

Looks the goods :cool:

Nice color scheme and wheels. Looks great!

Thanks :)
The lady here at work said $30k ($27k + tax she would save by trading in straight to the dealer). It doesn't look so good now, no? Now I'm a lil bit apprehensive about the '99. Maybe I should just wait and see, right? There's only going to be more deals as fall approaches (I hope).

I went to another dealer earlier tonight that had a couple of '04s. Maybe I shouldn't have. Both cars are immaculate. One had only 7k miles and the other has 18k miles. One is triple blue with a host of aesthetic options while the other is a basalt black(deep grey) with just xenons, heated seats and upgraded sound system. The sales guy said 36 and change. Any chance I can get him down to 35 or should I just wait for even better deals to come? I'm just afraid if I wait too long I won't get the car I want.
Me and the wife'll check it out on Saturday and I'll snap some pix.

I went to 2 dealers and here are some pictures. The 04S is down to $37k and has 12k miles. Dealer said $40k out the door. The Yellow 03S has same miles and is down to $35k ($37.5k otd). The other 2 cars (triple blue and basalt) I have not tendered an offer. I like the Basalt Black although not an S. It has 17k miles. Is $34k reasonable? Let me hear your opinions. TIA :)

04S Silver...

http://www.bimmerfest.com/photos/data/500/PICT0021r.jpg

03S Speed Yellow...

http://www.bimmerfest.com/photos/data/500/PICT0019r.jpg

Interior of Speed Yellow...

http://www.bimmerfest.com/photos/data/500/PICT0020r.jpg

Basalt Black...

http://www.bimmerfest.com/photos/data/500/pict0022r.jpg

Triple Blue which only has 7k miles but dealer said will let go for same price as above...

http://www.bimmerfest.com/photos/data/500/PICT0023r.jpg