1999 Boxster thoughts?
 

Wasn't really car shopping at all and on marketplace pops up a well cared for 1999 Boxster with 114k miles. Garage kept, 5 sp manual, new tires, new front brakes, new battery, etc. Asking $7900 and currently at $7250.

Thoughts? Run away, too many potential issues or for 7k just buy it and enjoy it as a 3rd car and to teach my son how to drive manual??

Any cheap Porsche is always a potential money pit, so make sure you get a good PPI from a mechanic familiar with Porsches. If they have maintained it well, and have records that's a major plus. But from your signature you seem to know what you are getting if you buy a Boxster. If you are asking more about the year, the 1999 is basically a 1998 with some very minor updates. It's not better or worse than any of the other years, unless you want an S. The '99 also has the earlier IMS which is less prone to failure than the '00+ 986's (I said less prone, not immune).

driving it is the most important part, you have a great history so you will know if it feels right. When i bought mine i drove 5 or 6 examples and surprisingly they all felt differently to an extent and i sealed the deal on the one that just felt "right". It happened to be a low mileage 97' that was local to me which certainly helped, it was also the cheapest but honestly it just felt the best to drive.

it's not fast and (knock on wood) has been pretty reliable, but it handles great and it's fun to drive the piss out of the 2.5 and not be doing triple digit speeds. it's a great little car that i really enjoy taking out. look for the basics, have a PPI done so there's no major surprises and if it speaks to you go for it.

I love '99s. Why are you concerned? It's over 20 years old, so the care and maintenance that it has had over the years matters, but if it has been taken care of it should be fine.

I have a 99 and love it. Arctic Silver, Boxster red interior just like the prototype. I wrench it myself, very rewarding and you learn to appreciate the engineer that goes into these cars.

Lowest he will go is $6800. Not bad, but not great.
Has 114k miles
5 speed
new tires
new front brakes
new fab speed exhaust ($2000)
bluetooth equipped
no tears in seats
recent state inspection
new coolant expansion tank
new battery
garage kept

That’s a good price if it’s in good shape but expect to pay more to fix other potential issues given the low price. What about RMS? Air oil separator? New clutch? And any other small issues that will likely pop up.

Not trying to differ you from buying it but it may need more work than you think. I’ve learned that with my boxster. But I’m also loving it a lot and knew what I was getting myself into. If you are into maintaining a nice German car than go for it.

Love my 98 w/89,000 miles. I've owned it for 15 yrs. Recently replaced the coolant tank, water pump and the top w/glass window-defroster. Other than those items I've (obviously) replaced all the normal stuff like brakes and tires.

Its my summer weekend driver than never sees rain....lol....and is garage kept, polished and shined up!

Was the IMS bearing replaced ?

Oh heck, were any of the other 20 or so possible failure parts replaced? This is a $7k car that is 20 years old. You want one with a totally rebuilt suspension and engine and clutch and trans, ain't gonna be $7k.

And for a new kid driving, maybe not a good idea to put too much $ into the car anyway until his driving habits are well established.

Loved my '99.

This. I think you already know that if a few things end up being fixed or replaced, it can easily be half the cost of that car. After a few years or several years, the cost of the work put into it could even reach the cost of what you paid for it especially, if you rely on a shop to do the work. But at least it's still a Porsche and it's still a fun ride and an educational experience for your son.

I have a 98. Bought it well used (read neglected) for cheap knowing I'd be doing a lot of work.

I am about 3.5k in parts into it with me doing all the work. Largest parts expenditure was for a full suspension rebuild. But that made a HUGE difference in how the car feels and was most rewarding. I don't see any mention of suspension work on that car.

I figure I have another 1-2k in parts plus my labour left to put into it to get everything dialed in to where I'm happy with the mechanical/electrical condition. Then ima gonna drive it and enjoy it.

I know that if I didn't wrench myself then I would def not be impressed with the dollars I'm into the car for.

Hope that provides some perspective.

I purchased my 2001 and, for the most part, it was well cared for and garaged. The PO wasn’t willing to replace all that needs replacing on a 20 year old car. So here I am. It ran and drove great before I started the project. Here’s to hoping it still runs and drives great when I button it all back up.

I would hold out for an "S". Just that much more fun. There are plenty of them out there if you are patient. I got my 2001 S with 65k miles for about the same price he wants, but to be fair it needed some work and love.



Just like the others here, I have about $3k of fun restoration and upgrades into it. New head unit, GPS and backup camera, new suspension bits, new motor mounts, new tires, wheel bearings and brake pads, new AOS, re-dyed carpets, new rear vinyl window, new diff seals, new SAI components, all new fluids and belts and filters everywhere, etc. It's fun to work on and keeps me sane during the 'vid.

early cars have issues with water seeping into the power brake booster. When this happens bad things happen to your braking capability. If you are lucky, like me, your brakes don't completely release and you realize you have an issue at stop lights when you don't have normal 'creep' when going forward from a complete stop. If you are not lucky you hit your brakes and keep going. There is a retrofit kit to correct this. I did it myself it was the most difficult job I did on the car especially since I had carpol tunnel. You can remove the vacuum line from the booster and stick your finger in to feel for water or dampness.

As I suggested in a previous post.....BUY IT....drive it and enjoy it. If something needs replacing just do it. Llike mine, it's an "old" car", but a FUN sunny day driver. If it turns out to be a "money pit" then dump it, but until that may or may not happen ENJOY the heck out of it.

Still deciding on cars. The 99 base is about $6500 now while a local 02 S is asking 10k. Given my driving style I should pocket the difference and be happy with the base.

Hard to give advice or moral support without knowing more -

mileage
automatic or stick
how well maintained / number of owners
stuff you know you have to fix / replace
paint and interior colors and condition
cool options
IMS bearing fixed?



I think the '02 S is probably worth $2k or $3k more than the 99 base, if everything else was the same. Sure part of it is your driving style, but I also see how many of these cars you have owner before - I think the newer S is easier to resell and will hold value better.

I would like to see some service history documents. Hopefully you can determine what level of care it had during its life, and what items have been serviced.

‘99 IS the best year for the 986. Period. No debate. Because I said so. :p