I'm considering a used boxster...

[flune]

So I'm seeing a good selection of 97/98 boxsters on Autotrader for less than 20K - one even at about 13K - - This puts this car into a price category I can manage, but I'm not dumb - - one gets what one pays for... So my question is this: What should I be looking for on these cars, what is likely to be problematic or worn out. Also, is there a notable difference in the first few years? Clearly, I'd like to get as much are as I can for the $$$, but like I said, I'm looking to afford something around 20K.

thanks!!!

Harry in Sunny San Diego

[Richard Truss]

good choice, first of all. A few things you should know:

I reciently was in the market myself...so im sure you will get better advice from some of the other members.

97 was the first year, and while there are many happy 97 owners (many on this board) most would agree that the more recient, the better. I think 97 may have been the most problematic year. Most are concerned about a potential RMS (rear main seal) leak...that appears to be most prevalent on the 97-99 cars (2.5L engine). The cars were updated in 2000 with a 2.7 and an updated interior, so the price climbs pretty quickly in the 2000's.

If you are getting a manual trans, according to the service manager at the dealer, the manual trans is pretty strong and rarely needs to be fixed -- meant to last a lifetime (although again, i am a fairly new owner). The clutches are wearable items, however (like brake pads) and need to be replaced every so often (i have been quoted as little as 20,000 miles per clutch). The tiptronic tranny's are not as reliable, according to my dealer.

Also, my dealer did tell me that these cars are not meant to be garaged -- they are meant to be driven....which is nice. so i take that to mean if the boxster of your choice has a little high mileage, dont be scared. They are meant to run. Have the car checked out if you can, get a color you want, put the top down, and haul ass up the 163 from downtown through to mission valley!!! (i used to live in san diego) -- man, what a beautiful stretch of road!

[mrmickeymouse]

I am in San Diego, and if you want a good mechanic who is reasonable let me know. He can do your PPI.

lots of people cant afford the payments thats why there is a huge amount available, porsche are getting little worried about this and are now making it harder to get HP. You guys are lucky living in the usa you havent got the VAT to deal with. For a car that would cost around $20,000 in the usa.. would cost around $27,000 in the UK. For some reason our goverment like to rip us off to fund more cash to let bloody ref u gees live free in this country. We should have done what america did long ago, keep the door closed. I swear it makes me sick when i am in a cue for medication and i spend £50-00 and some ref u gee just signs a form.

anyways i am sure what ever boxster you get will be fantastic! just look for distances between the tyres and bodywork. Check for damage, stone chip is common dont let that put you off... again high miles is common.. nothing to be worries about..

hope you get a boxster!

[Ad Sach]

re: bloody xxxxx live free in this country... keep the door closed. I swear it makes me sick when i am in a cue for medication and ...

The tone of your post is offensive. Racism is the product of sick minds. Please don't spread this filth around.

[mrmickeymouse]

"I swear it makes me sick when i am in a cue for medication and i spend £50-00 and some ref u gee just signs a form."

I did not read any racism; maybe he is speaking of a condition he knows about in his country, which frustrates him.

Unbelievably there are systems in this world, for some unknown reason that gives preferential treatment to some refugees; maybe he spoke of this in his country.

One country I can readily think of is the USA; if you come from an oppressed country, the doors open for you here, to a quicker immigration process.

You then jump to the head of the line, is that reverse racism. No, just our way of doing business.

[flune]

KIDS!!!

Let's save this **************** for another forum, K?

Now, aside from the rear-main seal and general sorting, is there anything else I should look for on a 97/98? How about a 99 or 2000?

thx

Ad Sach - i can see by your name why you would find this offencive

what are you talking about... i simply stated a fact.. if you thought that was offencive you must not get out much...

thanks micky.. nice to see someone understood what i was trying to state..

the fact was, "our goverment" lets immigrants have the free rent, they dont have to work, they get imcome support, the best fixings, free food vouchers BEFORE our own british people..

people who have worked all there lives and served in many wars... many of which i see regular who state if they knew what the country would turn out the way it has they would have never went to war...

No racisam, just a fact of life! that gets everyone annoyed!

[Ad Sach]

Porsche 986 - you changed your post from Bloody Pakkies to Bloody Refugees after I called it racist.

Glad to see you have some concept of decency - now lets try to keep it clean in the future.

[Ad Sach]

flune - sorry you post degenerated.

issues about Boxster years

2.5L prior to 99 - 2 year warrantee is long expired.
2.7L & 3.2L until present - 4 year warrantee is available but not much left, or gone on some 2000 models.

Warrantee matters because rear main seals fail with no warning. my 2002S had a RMS problem when new - no real data on whether the problem is better now, but it seems to be talked about less. Warrantee is like insurance included in the price of the car so it has value. It does add to the price of the car.

There do seem to be more top problems with the older cars, but it is a DIY job for the talented so the costs of repairs are often manageable (DIY $200 US).

The engines seem to hold up to high mileage fairly well.

The suspension seems to hold up to track use and abuse pretty well.

Not a whole lot of problems with electricals, so if you see an electrical problem, I'd be suspicious of mistreatment and keep looking.

Ad Sach

yes i did change from pakkies as you found it offencive...
i didnt set out to offend

[RandallNeighbour]

Harry, I just bought a 1997 with 81K on it for $15,500 a month ago. Found out it had a new engine installed a week AFTER I bought it because I did not have the car inspected prior to purchase (I was in Houston, seller was in Miami).

The seller bought it at auction and didn't know this either, and he was quite surprised when I told him when I called to inquire about my title. I bet he could have fetched more for the car had he known.

Here's how I viewed my purchase. I bought my car for $15,500, which is about $4000.00 less than I would have paid locally at Carmax or from an individual using a blue book retail value.

So, I'm expecting to spend upwards of $4k to get the car in shape over the course of the next year or two.

I had to replace the instrument cluster, but found a brand new, unprogrammed one on ebay for $300 + $100 to get the dealer to program and install it. The car needed rubber badly, and that was $600 when all said and done. Now the A/C is blowing hot and the radio isn't working again, so that will probably cost a bundle. But, I can't complain.

I own my dream car and I knew it would be expensive going into it, with an old fixer-upper or a newer one with a whopping financial commitment in the form of payments.

Frankly, I think you get what you pay for and will pay out if you don't pay enough for the car. Do get a good Porsche mechanic to pour over anything you buy though! Do as I suggest, not as I did!

[tqtran]

Flune - Don't forget to look for the "orange peel" in the paint. If it looks nice and wet like a Lexus then its been repainted (who really repaints a car for stone chips...really, its prob been hit).
I found a lot of bad cars when I was in the market and what I found was most people don't know that Porsche is suppse to have orange peel so they try and tell you its never been painted when you can clearly see it has.

[flune]

as in orange peel on the lower sills (my like my trusty '96 miata)?

[Adam]

Yup^. You heard 20k miles on the clutch? Maybe if you drag it every weekend a couple dozen times. Remember, the price is going to jump from 99 to a 2000 model. Try to get a well cared for 2.7L if you can find one for that kind of scratch.

[flune]

Big difference between the 2.5 and the 2.7 (as in, 'feelable' difference?)??

thx

[Adam]

It's not as apparent as the jump to the 3.2L, but the 2.7L will have noticably more torque and power plus a considerably higher redline than the 2.5L.

[Ad Sach]

I think of "Orange Peel" as a BMW thing. I can't remember my 02 EVER having any texture above the mudline.

[tqtran]

If you look at an angle you can see the orange peel, Porsche has got better about it. You can still see it on 04 911s. I even saw it on a 04 911 GT3. It should be every where but more apparent on the lower still. Its not quite as bad as BMW or Merc.

[mrmickeymouse]

It is near your mud guard, the wrinkly looking stuff; Rear wheel area.