2000 boxster - loaded, 72k $15k - Good deal?

[23109VC]

My dad is selling his 2000 boxster.

72k miles
5 speed
Ocean Blue, black leather
18" wheels
Factory upgraded 030 suspension package -- not sure exactly what it's called, but it rides STIFF and corners FLAT..
Full leather upgraded interior
heated seats
upgraded to "S" style 3 spoke wheel w/ crest
cleared rear/side lenses

car is off warranty. he is the second owner, the first owner had it up to about 25k and then bought an "S" boxster..had ALL records, locally serviced by the porsche dealer..car had rear main seal leak and had new motor installed around 15k or so...

i have driven it a handful of times. runs great. no obvious problems.

aside from the issues of buying a used car from a family member...there is the added incentive that it's my dad, he just wants to sell it b/c he's buying a newer car, and he would probably cut me a sweet deal. he'd also offer to take it to the dealer, have it inspected, and any all repairs suggested be done before I bought it.

he thought he would sell it privately for $15k. I could just give him 15k if that's a terrific deal..but bottom line is he would sell it to me for whatever it's really "worth" and then cut me a discount.

i have gone onto autotrader and cars.com but it's really hard to assess prices b/c there are so many option packages...and so no two cars are the same.

his car is NOT an S model, so that's a drawback - as I'm a sports car junkie and woud probably love the extra power of an S. i've never driven an S model. although his particular car had quite a few options on it, so for a BASE model, it's pretty nice. the wheels, suspesnion, leather interior are all very nice and make for an exceptionally nice handling car - the steering wheel is a nice touch you don't see on the older base model cars...

he's maintained the car at the local porsche dealer since he's owned it. under warranty he also got a totally new convertible top and a new dash. he complained that the top had some "scuffs" and so did the dash..so they got him all new stuff. wow. that was all under warranty. so the interior looks really nice, as does the roof...

not sure if $15k is really a "smokin" deal for a car like this or if i should gently push for a slightly lower price. it's awkward when it's family... i have reservations about buying used from him since there's always that chance of buying it, the motor blows up, and then he/I feel bad... but given how close we are... i don't think that would be an issue. that's a risk with any used car, and i like his car. i always beg to drive it and can't stop smiling when I am behidn the wheel.

i'd probably like an S better...but i'd want it to have the 18s, the cool suspension setup like his car, heated seats...and to get THAT car, might cost quite a bi tmore. i'm price sensitive in that this is a third car that I"m not going to drive all the time and if I could get him to sell his car to me for say $12k.... i'd be saving quite a bit of money... vs buying my dream "S" used for 20 something....

basically i'm tryign to figure out what a "fair" price is for the car. then I can work out with him what a "great" deal is for ME.

anyone care to help us out who knows pricing on these things?

[racer_d]

1) open the front trunklid. There should be a sticker with a bunch of codes. That will tell you exactly what options the car has. Then come back here, explain all and I know someone here has the "decoder" to figure out what some may be

2) Have your dad see what a dealer will give him as "trade in" money.

3) $15k is neither a smoking deal or a complete hosing. My guess is the dealer would offer about $12-13 in trade.

4) At 72K miles, you will 1) want to make sure the 60K service was done. 2) Have money or time/parts to do an upcoming 15K service 3) Consider a clutch replacement may be coming 4) examine tires.. they could run you $600-$1200 for 18" sizes of "decent" brands.

5) Its a nearly 8 year old car.... You will be the one caught keeping it up to date and spending money on it.. what can you afford? How about insurance? How about $4/gal for premium? What about 10 qts of Mobil 1?

6) Even though its "your dads", spend $300 or so for a qualified Pre Purchase Inspection from a reputable shop to help you locate other potential mechanical issues.

In the end, I say go for it.. but don't get too emotional about it.

[23109VC]

I'll have to get the numbers from them, or visit and check them myself.

I know the car is 8 years old and will require SOME ongoing $$ to keep it going. My only fear would be mega $$ items like motors or trannys. I don't mind doing the $500 dollar jobs here and there to keep it running nicely.

I have the money for tires, and all that other stuff. I've owned performance cars before, just never a Porsche, and I've bought my share of $$$ tires. I usually never made it more than a year on a set of sticky tires. I guess I just like to push it in the corners.

It has had the 60k done. how much does the upcoming 15k / 100k service cost?

he jsut put a new porsche battery in it and commented it wsa $200+.

i guess i keep asking myself, where else can I get a car this cool/fun for about $15k where I know the car's history and know it was well cared for and not abused. the options it has are nice.

I can check the codes. but I KNOW it has:

the factory upgraded suspension. R030 or something like that
heated seats (they are quite toasty)
Full leather dash/door inserts
3spoke "S" style steering wheel
18" turbo wheels
the owner swapped the side markers and tails for the red/white ones that are newer so no ugly orange stuff in them. the fronts still have the orange insert in the halogen lens.

it does NOT have Litronics.
It is a 5 speed, NOT a tip
it has cruise - but I have no idea if that is standard or an option on these cars
the stereo looks pretty basic, but honestly, I'd rather hear the motor so the radio is not a priority for me in a convertible

it has about 72-75k on it. i've seen 2000 boxster selling for around 15-20k, but there is such variation based on whether it's a private party, a dealer, the miles, etc.

my research makes me think that 15k is probably a fair deal, but not a smokin deal. i see a lot of the higher mileage 2000 boxsters asking 15-16k, and i have to figure they are conceeding some on price when the buyer shows up with cash on hand and says "i only have 13500" and the seller says ok...autotrader doesn't show the actual sale price...and kbb is a joke. so any help is appreciated.

this is a situation where me and the sller would just assume honestly figure out what it's really worth..private party...and then i might get a discount...but each side wants the "starting point" price to be fair to each side. i'm not out to scam them and they aren't out to rip me off. it's jus that neither of us are car dealers so figuring out the pricing is going to take help and/or research. hence, why i'm here...

thanks.

[E Kaplan]

I have a 2000 and love the car. Sure the S is quicker, but I am totally satisfied with the base model. Especially when you get the RPMs to about 3500. Anyway, I bought my car with 30,000 miles from someone locally who advertised in autotrader for $16,250.00. The car just had the 30,000 service from a local Porsche dealership. I think I got a fair deal. He advertised the car for $18,000.
The fact that you know the service history of the car is a real plus.

I searched for a while. I would say with the miles on the car and since the you would be buying from your father, $13,000 would be a fair price. If he is firm on $15,000, I think he is asking too much given the miles on the car.

Good luck!

[23109VC]

the car is not for sale just yet but from recent talks the seller is going to sell in the next month or so and honestly doesn't know what is fair

I told him to check the web and let me know

I think he will want 13 - 14k or so

I've seen 2000 a models with silat miles that would sell in the 18-20k range a d I'm not sure if I wpuld be happier with a slightly
More powerful car if I spent a bit more

I'm trying to stay on a budget and keep costs as low as I can so when repair and Maint costs pop up I have a cushion

Getting a base with all the extras this one has for 13k would be a good 5-7k less than a similar S

The fun factor would be high on each

I may test drive an a to see how bad I want that extra power

[mcrg00]

Hi. Just to give you a sense of perspective, I bought a 2000 Boxster in August with 65K, immaculate condition with no mechanical issues, scratches, or interior issues, garaged, for $10K off of Ebay. It took a LOT of searching and a LOT of luck. I had it checked out by a mechanic that my own mechanic recommended through his contacts in California. The dealer had a 100% rating and was selling it for a friend that was the owner. It needed rear brake pads and the owner went in half on those. I flew to SF and drove it back to South Carolina. Had the 60K service done here, which cost me around $700. Put new rear tires on it, but the only thing left to do is maybe put new front brake pads on in the near future.

I LOVE this car, but as I say, I'm not sure that my buying experience is typical.

[Rob-00BoxsterS]

Yikes! You do realize this thread is over 1.25 years old since the last post, don't you?

Yeah,based on the last post before you 06-03-2008.Th thread seems to be quiet for sometime.Thanks for bringing up a topic.

[23109VC]

yeah, my old thread was resurrected...

i ended up buying my dad's boxster... over a YEAR ago... i only put 3k miles on it in a year. but enjoyed them all...

in that year I did:

987/997 shifter console
painted the bumperettes
painted calipers glossy red
added a Pedro exhaust
desnorkeled
painted center console
new water pump

car is still a BLAST!!!