[thstone]

#1 Your budget is very reasonable. Expect a very nice 98/99 with around 85K miles for $10K. Might not be fully documented but that shouldn't be a deal breaker.

#2 Get a PPI. It will be the best $300 that you ever spend. Repairs are expensive and the more you know about what you're getting into, the better.

#3 Don't overpay. Boxsters are a dime a dozen and its a buyers market in this economy.

#4 The '99 for $12.5 is overpriced. The 98 is priced right.

#5 Plan on a ~$2K per year maintenance budget to replace all of the older components as needed on a 10-12 yr old car.