2002 Boxster S
 

Hello,

I just joined this forum as I'm considering a Boxster. I have the opportunity to buy a 2002 Boxster S with 35,000+ miles for $10,600. The car is from Maryland with 1 owner. After doing some research as to what I can expect as a Boxster owner I'm having some reservations regarding the car. Is this a good year? Price and mileage? Or should I be concerned about the low mileage and the car not being driven often enough? Thank you for any help and advice. The transmission is a manual 6 speed.

Get a pre-purchase inspection by a Porsche expert (usually an independent Porsche specialist).

Budget the cost of replacing the IMS bearing and RMS into the ownership costs.

Don't be scared, these are great cars!

Hi and welcome to the forum.

I bought a 2000S in '14 with only 10,800 miles and now have 35,000. The car was pristine, very well maintained, came with maintenance records. I've only needed regular maintenance, oil changes, spark plugs, and a few minor things - window regulator, trunk and frunk struts. It did not have the IMS changed and, I'll guess I'll get that done when it needs a clutch.

As I drove it early this morning I was torn between the joy of driving it and mourning the fact that in about a week it will go into hibernation until late March and I'll drive my 2004 Volvo XC 70 with 250k miles through the boxster's hibernation.

As long as you know you can live with the car's limitations (it's not a minivan or suv) and are looking for a joyful driving experience, go for it... oh, I didn't get a ppi but, in retrospect, I guess I should have anyway. Price seems reasonable, if not a little low, if it is in excellent condition and has been well maintained.

Larry (The Bald Eagle)

I bought my 02 S 7 years ago with 52k miles. I was 3rd owner. I did not get PPI.
I now have 103k miles and while there have been repairs (non breakdown stuff) and I have been doing preventative replacements, the car has run really well, it gets me home. BUT (because of the scary interweb) every time I drive I do have in the back of my mind it could break at any moment - but it gets me home.
The example you are looking at sound like a very fair deal $$$ vs. miles, single owner.
Don't fall into the "Don't drive it until you do the IMSB" if you think this way then why buy a Boxster
Since you are in PA, you can drive year round, I do, except snow because I don't have to.

Just my 2 cents

Taht sounds very reasonable. We just bought a 2001 S with 97k for 8100 in Virginia.

Then drive it into Dec, and drive on clean days in Dec, Jan, and Feb, and bust out in March. Your car is not a rare unicorn. Drive it.

Could not agree more!

As an owner of a 2002 S, the situation and price seems quite good. I totally agree that you need a PPI before purchase just to be more sure that the car is as presented, you are not buying a Honda (which I also own & appreciate).

The reality is you need to plan for maintenance of any Porsche. The reality is also that they are also quite fun to maintain for many of the basic procedures (get the 101 Projects book), but you will also need to find over time (hopefully) a trusted independent Porsche specialist shop to back you up. The prior owner or the local PCA can likely advise. Bottom line, these cars are awesome and don't be scared off from buying them - but keep $1K in reserve for maintenance each year & reserve it if not used. The car is a blast & wish I'd bought earlier!

I own a '02 S and love it. $10.5 k is a very good price for a Boxster with 35k miles. And if it has been well maintained that's a great price. As others have mentioned, get a good mechanic to look it over.

That is a very good price. Be sure to get a PPI to make sure that its not cheap because of issues.

The low mileage isn't a red flag unless its been sitting for a couple of years. If the car has been sitting for years, then it will need a good amount of maintenance to properly bring it out of long term storage.

Plan on replacing the IMS bearing if that worries you. This is one area where peace of mind can be purchased if you are so inclined.

With only 35K miles, many of the milage related issues that crop up at 80K-100K miles shouldn't be much of a concern (suspension, clutch) but let the PPI should confirm that.

Parts and repair labor can be somewhat expensive. Expensive is relative but a part that costs $300 for a Toyota might be $450 for a Porsche. Just because they can.

General rule of thumb is to budget for $2,000 in maint/repairs each year. If you can DIY a lot of repairs, then consider 50% of that. Its a fairly easy car to work on yourself and there is a lot of help available in both print and online. Some years you might spend less than the budget and if you do, consider yourself lucky.

Best of luck.

If it's not F'ed up, $10k is a sick deal.
Jump on this. You can flip it for $15k.

986 s
 

I have a 2002 986 S as well and that sounds like a good deal.
My first job right out of tech school was at a Porsche, Audi, VW, Mercedes dealership.
There are only a handful of mechanics in our area that will ever consider working on a boxster. The thing that pushed me off the fence on mine was that I knew the mechanic that had done all that service work on the one I was looking at. He knew the car well and said that if I didn't buy it he would. You might want to talk to the shop that has worked on your's in the past too.

Why is the seller selling? How old are the tires (not wear, sidewall ages)? Do you have another car or room in the budget for snow tires and rims? Storage room for same? Any service records available? Frequency of oil changes? Where in Md? Will the owner allow a PPI that you pay for? How will this stretch your budget? This is a > 15 year old car and parts age as well as wear out. Buying one isn't like getting a 2 year old car with 35k miles on it.

Owned 2, loved 'em both. Mine were very reliable. Roll them dice.

More on buying a Boxster here.

Pennsylvania is close enough to Maryland that you should try to see the car in person with whomever will do the PPI.