my 986 did have some costly maintenance coming up, so before dropping 7k on used engine install i do need to remember I have a few more thousand to spend
I bumped up this thread the day before the blown engine
http://986forum.com/forums/298809-post31.html
because the same mechanic who looked at the coolant said the tires should be replaced in a few thousand miles. Also said I should have the brake pads, rotors and sensors replaced when replacing tires
my top is old, I don't think it's original but there are some areas that are looking pretty worn, i posted about it and have been keeping an eye on it
http://986forum.com/forums/280339-post1.html
and my lenses are burnt.
http://986forum.com/forums/270430-post14.html
Previous owner must have put bulbs in that were too powerful and burnt the plastic a bit. Not a major problem, headlights work fine and I don't know if it limits lighting without a good headlight to compare to, however it's definitely an eyesore and should be replaced
and we never did figure out why the engine was overheating. Hopefully a new engine would fix all problems but who knows
so.... if i replace the engine, i still have all of that to look forward to. Not saying a new Boxster wouldn't have it's own list of problems, but I would be replacing the engine knowing all these issues would be coming up.