Newbie with a few question on a potential purchase
 

Hi, my name is Tony and i'm currently in the market for a 2002 Boxster W/ 14.5k miles, asking price is 24k. The car is very clean, no dents and has a clean car fax history, the only options i've notice so far on the car is the 6 disc changer, 17' wheels, and Bose System. I did a search on the forum but did not find any specific problems with this car but wanted to introduce myself and ask if there are any common know problems and if there is anything I should ask or pay attention to. Also if I do purchase the car I was planing on the HID kit and LED taillights with future plans for some Carerra mesh black rims, any problems as far as fitments with the modifications?
Well I look forward to speaking with you guys and hopefully I can offical join the 986 family :cheers: , happy motoring.

Tony

oh boy this is a can of worms topic :D

I say buy it, welcome aboard!!!! but we already have a "happy motoring" guy...and I'm not sure if MN will share the trademark :)

I recently purchased an 05 and love it, you will get a lot of great feedback from the 02 car owners in terms of what to expect,we got some guys here that are just flat out knowledgeable....I have driven multiple cars since buying the boxster including a mercedes loaner today but nothing seems to compare anymore.....again, welcome!

Make sure to have a pre-purchase inspection by a Porsche dealer or specialist. Plan on enjoying the car for a while before upgrading. Make sure to have a couple grand around for any unexpected expenses. And happy motoring!

Welcome Az - I have an '02 S - most fun on four wheels I've ever drivin. $24K seems like a really good price. That price where I live will get you an '02 box that has a min. of 40K in miles on her.

Check out RandallNeighbour. He has a great link with advice if your shoppin.

You'll read about two main issues with the box if you dig into some older posts in this forum...

Hope it works out for you!

- C5150

Welcome aboard!

I have a 2002 as well and it's a blast to drive!

From what I can tell the RMS (rear main seal) is probably the most common "expensive" issue. It seems like a hit and miss issue that Porsche has with both the Boxster and the "911" and I think I remember reading about it somewhere with the new Cayman. Even if it happens to your vehicle you pay the $1000-$1500 and call it a day. These cars just like any other car will need maintenance and repair. I had an Infiniti Q45 that burned through over $1000 worth of fuel injectors in its lifetime which is why I wouldn't lose sleep over a possible RMS repair (your engine won't grenade because of this unless you ignore a major leak).

The other common theme with these cars are tires do not last long because they are typically super duper ultra high max performance tires with low treadwear rating. The car also has a lot of camber in the rear which tends to wear them out faster. Life for a set of tires seems to be no more than 25k depending on a number of variables.

Sammy

If you search this forum, it will do nothing but scare you away because we are a bunch of enthusiasts who drive our cars hard and complain when something breaks. This car is not a Honda, and you should not go into it expecting that. Repairs and maintenance are expensive, things do go wrong, and it's a sensitive machine. BUT... it's not as bad as others will have you think.

Tires: Some people say they go through tires every 6-10k miles. I'm on 32k on a set of OEM tires (the Continentals), and could easily go >35k.

Clutch: Same thing -- I've heard that a Boxster clutch won't go over 50k. I'm at 68k with no signs of slipping or anything.

Repairs: Some people have had some catastrophic repairs and reading this board, you'd think we all have. In 2 years of ownership, here's what I've had on my 97.
-new belt and pulleys (warranty repair)
-45k service ($500)
-window regulator ($500)
-window motor (warranty repair)
-60k service ($750)

Not too bad for a car driven every day! The key is pre-purchase inspection by a Porsche dealer/mechanic, religious adherence to the maintenance schedule, not always driving it like you stole it, and admittedly, a little bit of luck.

When I bought this car, the dealer told me "be warned; I bought my first p-car 30 years ago, and I haven't NOT had one for a single day since then." He's right -- ownership is a disease from which few people recover!

2002 owner with 30,000 miles..no issues..only service has been routine maintenance ...have extended warrany but no use so far...

Thank you for your responses, I am currently working out my finances and will hopefully know soon.