[78F350]

Originally Posted by tada

... If all of the Boxsters in my price range don't pan out, I will have to wait, save some more, and then resume the hunt. But a lot of the good runners I am finding have prices that are way too much to spend. An example is a 97 Base with 110000 miles for $10000.

I have bought plenty of Boxsters for around $5k or less. I have not regretted one, but I consider it fun to take on the challenge of fixing them and learning about them.

First Boxster (Black '99) had a few cosmetic issues, but has been a great running car. Over 1-1/2 years, it didn't need anything other than normal maintenance. Just sold it for over $5k with 141k miles and running strong. Got well over my money's worth of fun driving it.

Second Boxster ('01) was water damaged salvage and had a non-repairable engine. On the road and running great for a 'net' of about $4K after buying a parts car for the engine and selling a few key parts.

Third Boxster (Silver '99) salvage from a front end collision. After fees and repairs, I'm in for about $5k again and I absolutely love the car.

It goes on, but you may get the idea. You CAN get a good Boxster for about $5k. It just involves risk assessment/mitigation, lots of DIY, some parts from Woody, and help and advice of the Forum members.

Perhaps I am riding on the ragged edge of Boxster ownership. I do not fear a 'Salvage' or 'Rebuilt' title if I clearly understand why it has that label. Many cars with unbranded titles may have worse damage hidden. I do my own PPI mostly to assess what my total loss will be if I have to scrap the car. If it's a gain at my price, it's a go.

...inexpensive car to tinker with. Not a daily driver, but one I could have fun with. I am very mechanical and have worked on several lines of cars, just never a Porsche.

I would have made an offer on the first car you posted. An offer low enough that I would expect it to be turned down. Heck, buy the worst one you can find for the lowest you can get it. Tear it apart. Find out what makes it tick ...and then buy one that isn't ticking quite so loudly.

Good luck, and have fun with it.