Opinion on 1998 Boxster?
 

Hey 986Forum,
I'm looking to get into a Porsche, and I was looking at this particular Boxster thats somewhat local to me. It's being sold by a dealer, so keep that in mind. I want to know if you guys can see anything that can possibly be a problem, or just anything at all. What would be a fair price for this car?

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Heres what they list..."Power Steering, Power Brakes, Power Door Locks, Power Windows, Power Driver'S Seat, AM/FM Stereo Radio, C.D. Player, Gauge Cluster, Trip Odometer, Tachometer, Air Conditioning, Tilt Steering Wheel, Cruise Control, Tinted Glass, Dual Airbags, Driver Side Air Bag, Passenger Side Air Bag, Front Bucket Seats, Leather Upholstery, Alloy Wheels, Clock, Interval Wipers, Rear Defroster, Console, Carpeting, Floor Mats, Vanity Mirror, Day/Night Lever, Dual Sport Mirrors, Driver Side Remote Mirror, Center Arm Rest"

Thanks alot, and hopefully I can pick this up this week or next if it seems good enough.

The mileage is listed at 79k! Thanks

Does that rice come with beef & broccoli?

man that wing is fugly, and how they do that exhaust what brand is that?????????

$16-$19k retail. Get a pre purchase inspection and have them look closely at the exhaust. Get a carfax on it. A clean tight 98 Boxter is a great car to own for about the price of a Corolla.

Nice wing! :rolleyes: It's really...BIG isn't it.

Why they had to ruin such a beautiful car with that ugly wing I'll never know.

Check Galves.com and vmrintl.com for the most realistic wholesale/retail values.

The wing is pretty big, body lines are a little chopped up for it but I think overall it looks alright. And the price is lower than your estimated lowest market value, hopefully I can go and check it out this weekend. I hope I can get behind that wheel with my name on the title! Anyone else have some wise words?

If you do get it, heres what you should do

.change rear bumper, middle part looks funny because thats where the original exhaust should come out from.
. take off wing.
new rims and the car will look hot.

make sure to see if it has been serviced and get a ppi.

1) Ask to see the underside of the front trunk to see the option code sticker.

2) Using that info, plus mileage, go to KBB or NADA or EDMUNDS and put the info in. My guess is the car was a trade in, and likely cost the dealer $11-12K. '98s are readily available in the $14K range, especially with perceived high miles.

3) Use the money you save by dickering to have the rear wing removed, the holes plugged and the trunk re-painted (or source one from a salvage yard)

4) Do a search on the board for the usual Boxster issues - RMS, IMS, Engine failures, CELs, Set belt interlocks, ignition failures and other niggling things.

5) Be sure to set aside 10-15% of the purchase price for maintenance items

6) Good luck getting a PPI. Unless you are the only one the dealer has seen with any interest in the car, they will let it sit till they find the "impulse buyer". Either that, or they sell it at auction.

I almost thought it was a joke when I saw the picture of that wing. Things like that don't belong on Boxsters.
They did an okay job on the deamber but I would, shop around a bit more, because you'll have to replace the rear deck lid, when you remove the wing. Also, things like the sticker crest in the AC need to go, and it could be faded underneath, and the older style stereo will make it harder to add an AUX input if you ever wanted too. Also, the exhaust probably gives you about 2" of clearance in the rear, and looks out of place, and awkward, same with the rear badge.
Who ever owned it before shouldn't be allowed to purchase another Porsche.
Just my Opinion! :cheers:

that box has been for sale in socal since at least july when i bought my 98 (who could forget that wing!). i picked up a 98 with 82k miles from a dealer for 13,600 with 2 month warranty that i used twice ( about 2k in work under warranty) in august. unless you can pick that up for under 12k with some sort of warranty i'd stay away. the wing will be a pain... and the fact that it has that ricer wing, cheap race pedals, tinted head/taillights, wtf exhaust, etc makes me wonder who the previous owner was (def not a serial porsche owner) and what sort of care they took of it. look for the owners manual... usually in one of the armrests or front trunk. if the car has it check for service stamps. mine had every service interval and some recall work up to 75k miles from pioneer porsche and blackforest. regardless, there are so many box's in socal that you shouldn't have to pick up anything that isn't near perfect for a great price.

Oh you just gave me such a pretty bartering chip with these guys! Theyre asking for 13,965. But if theyve had it since atleast July, I'm going to see how low I can get these guys to sell it for. Should I aim to get them under 12...?

i'd first make sure you can trace some history of the car, the pepboys $19.99 pedal set doesn't make me think a 60 yr old porsche lover cared for it diligently. getting a ppi will help. 13,965 is optimistic of the dealer. in my mind i'm thinking it was 14,500 or 15k or something when i saw it on autotrader 5 months ago so they're holding out against all odds. if all checks out mechanically i'd lowball (<$12) them and be firm and patient. guaranteed it'll be sitting on that lot next time you drive by. stop in, make the same offer they likely initially rejected. it took me two weeks but i got mine from a sticker of 15,800 to 13,600 and i think i could've gotten them lower still. and don't underestimate the value of a 30 or 60 day warranty. i got 200 miles before the first problem popped up and made it another 600 before another one... they'll likely clear the CEL on the lot and things like failing cats, o2s, MAF, etc won't pop up on test drive many times. good luck, personally i ran the other way when i saw it online, but if the wing suits your tastes then the most important thing is getting a ppi and a good price. just use rational judgement, which is hard once you drive it, i bought my first one after 1 mile behind the wheel when i wasn't even shopping for a car. the second one i put considerably more effort and thought into.

As others have said, I would be very very very uncomfortable buying that car with the cheap mods and add-ons. Not only because it'll be a pain to undo all that stuff, but also because it is indicative of the type of person who owned the car before. The quality of the mods are directly proportional to the quality of maintenance the car received normally. These cars are fairly expensive to maintain, so I can only assume that thing has probably NOT been taken care of.

If you absolutely MUST have this exact car (and I can't imagine why that would be given how many early Boxsters are out there in great condition at good prices), I'd get a PPI from a mechanic that has a LOT of experience in Porsches -- either a dealer or a local who's been around a while. I'm sure people on this board can give you shop recommendations.

If you get a good Boxster, they're quite a bargain, but if you get one that needs work, they can easily run half your purchase price in repairs in the first 6 months or year.

Keep in mind guys, the OP is under 21, so what we may find as hideous he might think is pretty cool :cool:

Nick

^ I'm under 21, and I think it is hideous.
Just my $0.02! :D

This would be a car i'm pushing around for highschool, and maybe into college. I dont necessarily like the spoiler, but its something I can stand until I can change the trunklid if I can get a lower price. =]

That is understandable.
And just to clarify I only think the spoiler and exhaust are hideous. The car itself is beautiful, it just has a few anti-Porsche mods.

Dont buy it, You'll be embarrassed why the other porsche drivers and if you ever have to drive into a porsche dealership. That wing doesnt make sence on a porsche that has perfect 50/50 weight distribution... If anything that wing will give you so much rear downforce that you'll have to install on on the front hood to eliminate the understeer you'd suffer.

I hate that it has a dual exhuast out the back, looks like a mustang now.

Look for another boxster, you'll soon find that this boxster you found isnt worth it and wasnt tastefully modded... Hang around this forum for a week or two before make a choice on a certain Boxster and you'll learn enough to make a wise educated purchase.

One more thing... What are those white looking bubbles on top of the headlight lense?

I agree wholeheartedly with what everyone is saying. Partly why i'm somewhat intersted is because I have alot I can use as bartering chips against the dealer (for the lower price) because of the said ugly mods and etc. But all of that is assuming that its mechanically sound of course. It seems like in my market, its harder to find a black boxster than any other color. Especially one of the lower mileage ones, this is one of the lower that ive found as of yet. Im just as against the spoiler and exhaust as the next guy, but i'm thinking if I can get a good price and warranty, I can ignore it for the mean while as I write a check for a nice low price.

Speaking of other options, I just ran across a '99 black boxster locally. I'm calling them to see the mileage and if they can get me some good photos.

Bartering chips? yes. But then again, if the dealer has held onto it since July, he may still be willing to hold onto it. Perhaps he only paid a $9K trade value for it and is willing to find the "sucker" who will pay $13,5-14 for it.

Also, I doubt he would let you take a car to another shop for a PPI. Too risky for him. At 78K miles, you might be looking for a new clutch. Also, suspension bushings, shocks, springs may be close to needing replacement. How are the brake rotors and pads? Coolant tank replaced? Updated cap at least? Any paperwork on the motor?

Don't be fooled by the low entry price. If under 21, how would the insurance be? Are you paying cash or financing? ( I bet loan rates on a 10 year old car aren't cheap) Do you have another $2k sitting around to pay for the "minor" things that will go wrong?

High risk for medium to low reward. there are lots of boxsters out there. Be patient. Find a "good one". Good luck!

The insurance an under 21 isn't bad, about the same as a Toyota on my 1999 2.5L. But USAA, always has good rates.

:D Im sure the rate would vary from a Toyota from a Porsche Boxster :D

Oh No No No No, what the....Did the PO try and paint out the amber in the front and rear lights?

This is not a 986 I would consider, sorry, PPI or not you are probably looking at several thousands from the get-go. If they'll let it go for 10K (max), with a 30-day W/T warranty, you may have a chance as long as the mechanics are good. Follow the advice offered in this thread, you'll be glad you did.

It is actually within a few dollars of my friends '06 Camry. I think it is probably because they are both safe, but the difference in HP vs. the year is what makes it about the same. :cheers:

In Dec of 06 I purchsed my 98 w/tip for $18,000--including all taxes. It hd 35K when I got it and now has 49K. It has had no major problems with the exception of a MAF sensor which the dealer replaced. Just an idea what the prices are around here. ed

Can't say I'd accept *any* car with mods like that. If you go that far out of your way to put cheap, uneducated owner type mods on a Porsche you can bet your bottom dollar the car hasn't been treated well by someone that truly cared about anything other than 'look at me' in a fast and the furious kind of way.

OMG, that wing thing on the back makes me want to cry! Otherwise, it's an attractive car. Amazing that a car that is almost 10 years old can be so beautiful. That's what I love about Porsches. They look great forever if you take care of them.

I can't give you much advice as far as purchasing because I don't own a Boxster and am here for info myself. I did see you mentioned though that the car has 79K miles on it? Did I read that right? I'd be careful someone hasn't tampered with the odometer. At least that's my first instinct.


And am I the only one that likes the steering wheel in that car better than in the new Boxsters?