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Old 05-25-2011, 04:46 AM   #1
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Not another novice kicking the tires!

Okay - a little patience for the handicapped please! I've been looking for a Boxster S for a couple of months (the ex is getting remarried and I deserve SOMETHING, right?). Never had a Porsche before.

I found a 2002, 2nd owner, 60K on the clock, guy's in his 70's and seems to have taken good care of it since he's had it. It has a manual, 18" wheels, CD player - I don't know if he needed the Sport package for those wheels or what.

The only issue the car has is that one of the power top cables is broken. I see the cables at pelican for about $50 a pair. Are they a nightmare to install? I'm more than handy, so it doesnt intimidate me unless I have to pull back the actual fabric or something.

Other than that, a small ding on the rear decklid from closing it on something, and a little curb rash on the rims. Hasn't had the 60K service.

The tires are incredibly loud, they're Sumitomos with about 20K on them.

So I guess my questions are 1) how difficult to replace the power top cable and 2) what is a quiet tire that doesn't cost a fortune? I'd like to make him an offer but need a little better idea of what I'm in for upfront.

TIA

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Old 05-25-2011, 05:16 AM   #2
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The power top cables are very easy to replace. There are a few online guides and Wayne at Pelican Parts has a great book that shows how to do many DIY projects.
As for tires, mine came with the OEM Pilot Sports and now I have Conti Extreme Contact DW. Both are quiet and handle great.
Good luck with the purchase, be sure to get a PPI from a Porsche mechanic, and welcome to the forum.
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Old 05-25-2011, 05:37 AM   #3
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Ummmm.... what's a PPI?

(I did mention I was a novice!)

TIA
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Old 05-25-2011, 05:40 AM   #4
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Old 05-25-2011, 08:50 AM   #5
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Find a local independent Porsche shop and make arrangements to have them do a Pre-Purchcase Inspection on the car. They will know what to look for and will give you a list of issues with the car and items that need repair/replacement. They will also check the computer and see if there are any error codes stored in the memory. Expect to pay about $200-$300 for this service but it will be the best investment you could make.

The top cables are easy to replace yourself using a book or an online guide.

Tires have been discussed on this forum many, many times. Do some searches and you'll read some wide ranges of opinion but it should be easy for you to find a tire that is quiet and somewhat affordable. I have Michelin Pilot Sport 2's (PS2's) on my car that handle extremely well and are very quiet - however they aren't exactly cheap.

Remember that there are no cheap Porsche's. A 10-yr old car with a top that doesn't work and that hasn't had the 60K service probably needs a few other things as well (and thus the need for the PPI so you know what you're getting into). If you can do the 60K service yourself, expect to pay ~$300-$400 for the parts alone. This is why shops will charge $800 and up.

Just don't be surprised if you need to put $2K into the car in the first 6-months to get things working and catch up all of the maintanence.

But in the end, you will absolutely love the car as much as the rest of us do.
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Old 05-25-2011, 09:32 AM   #6
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Thanks for all the info.

The tires are the Sumitomo HTR ZII - which are pretty cheap at TireRack, and it shows....also complaints there about the noise.

I kinda live in the sticks though I did have a shop recommended to me by someone who has a 968 but they said it would only take an hour for the PPI, so it's going to be like $100.... sounds too cheap. Any kind of accredation of Porsche mechanics I can look at to find someone independent AND close? I did see the thread here about repair shops but when I searched it for "Connecticut" only one result was returned, and it was pretty far away. The rest of the stuff I find are actual Porsche dealers, and they're going to tell me the car needs a body-off.

TIA.
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Old 05-25-2011, 02:54 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by peterbrown77
The tires are the Sumitomo HTR ZII
i had bridgestone potenza so2-a when i bought the car and was quite happy with them. replaced with the HTR ZIII and can't complain too much about the noise but they are quite spongey. i won't get them again.
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Old 05-25-2011, 03:16 PM   #8
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Tires are your least concern. Not only have a PPI performed, but try to determine how diligent the owner was with oil services, as lack of maintenance can cause some very expensive issues. If the car did not have regular changes in the 5 to 6k mile range, I would probably take a pass. Read all you can on this and the other Boxster forums; these cars can be a blast or a nightmare.
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Old 05-26-2011, 05:05 AM   #9
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Thanks for all the help everyone, I'm still haggling on a price with the guy. He wanted $21,200 but he's going to let me have it for $16,700. He just doesn't know it yet. And I have a PPI to do first as well.

RE: the tires - yeah, I saw the ZIII photos and the tread appears a quieter design than the arcs on the ZII's.

Also, said he did Mobil 1 every 3,500 miles. Seems to be a fastidious guy, beautifully kept house, a couple of nice cars included a 330ci that also looked pristine.

I'm trying to figure out if the car has an option package like the Sport or Touring. It has the 18" turbo-look wheels and red calipers (maybe standard is red?). Does that give a clue?

TIA

Last edited by peterbrown77; 05-26-2011 at 05:13 AM.
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Old 05-26-2011, 06:38 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by peterbrown77
He wanted $21,200 but he's going to let me have it for $16,700.
Start at 15,000 and without the 60,000 mi service that's high.

And thstone is right. Expect to drop a grand or 2 .

That being said, I really could kick myself for waiting so long to buy one.

Good Luck and have fun !!
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Old 05-26-2011, 06:45 AM   #11
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KBB puts it at $17,950 in 'excellent' shape w/60k miles; $16,800 in 'good' condition. Private party values of course.
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Old 05-26-2011, 07:04 AM   #12
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I paid $15,500 for a 2001 S last year with a ton of service records. And still had to put a grand into it to pass inspection in Md.

Last edited by kpm; 05-26-2011 at 02:42 PM.
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Old 05-26-2011, 08:20 AM   #13
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You can find experienced local mechanics through PCA regional clubs (http://pca.org/). There are at least two that cover or are within reasonable distance of CT. Many regions have back issues of their magazines on their websites. Scan them for ads, search additional forums (Pelican, Renntech), and consider emailing officers of the regional clubs. You'll get a clear picture of who "the ones" are pretty quickly.

When my dad was considering a Cayenne in Providence last fall, I was able to find a number of PPI capable options through the club. He ended up getting one in NC and had a PPI done by a Porsche specialist for $100; I expect the CT area to be a bit higher. I also found that guy through the Porsche Club. Membership is well worth the ~$60/yr. I just saved my dad $110 on his 30k service (dealer gives 10% off parts/labor to club members).

The 60k service you can easily do yourself for a ~$300 in parts, but it's good to get a big number for that from the mechanic for negotiating purposes.

Your target price of $16.7k sounds about right for a really clean, well maintained car if the PPI shows no major issues. I paid $16k for my very clean, nicely optioned '02 S a year and a half ago.

Last edited by gschotland; 05-26-2011 at 08:28 AM.
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Old 05-26-2011, 09:41 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by peterbrown77
I'm trying to figure out if the car has an option package like the Sport or Touring. It has the 18" turbo-look wheels and red calipers (maybe standard is red?). Does that give a clue?

TIA


Red calipers are typical for an "S" model.


I'd love to be able to sell my car for $20K+...but the truth is that low to mid teens is about right. The later model '02s had some improvements including PSAM (Porsche Stability) and Xenon Headlights (Litronics). Those are very desireable options. My car, an '02 1/2 has them, but not all '02 cars do. The plastic wind deflectors are also great to have (and expensive to buy after the fact).


The goal of the PPI is to have a mechanic who knows there way around Porsches look at all of the likely trouble areas. Boxsters have a few things that are known to go wrong sometimes (air-oil separator, rear main seal, etc.), so you may as well look before you buy and be informed.



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Last edited by fatmike; 05-26-2011 at 10:04 AM.
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Old 05-26-2011, 10:01 AM   #15
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Also, it's easy to figure out the options the car has. Ask your seller if you can see the window sticker. Did he keep it? If not, the option codes are listed on a card in the owners manual. See if you can find that. Failing those things, the next thing to check is a series of codes printed (I believe) on a white sticker in the front trunk. Write down the codes and google them...

Theres no reason to guess!


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Old 06-02-2011, 04:39 PM   #16
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Well, I got it for $15,500. Need to have a rear wheel bearing replaced, it is making most of the noise I thought were the Sumitomo tires. Not that they are quiet either, but I have time to replace them. There is a cracked boot too on the shaft that is going to be replaced at the same time since it has to come out.

PPI didn't find any other issues.
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Old 06-02-2011, 04:53 PM   #17
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Congratulations on the purchase!
Welcome to the forum and the wealth of information on here.
If you are a hands on type of owner, get yourself the Bentley guide for Boxsters & Wayne from Pelican Parts also has a 101 Projects book.
Both great bedtime reading.

For a comparison, the cheapest Boxster listed where I am (Australia) is a 1997 with 156000km on and the price is $20,000AUD.
You are lucky with such affordable cars over there.
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Old 06-03-2011, 06:00 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by peterbrown77
Well, I got it for $15,500. Need to have a rear wheel bearing replaced, it is making most of the noise I thought were the Sumitomo tires. Not that they are quiet either, but I have time to replace them. There is a cracked boot too on the shaft that is going to be replaced at the same time since it has to come out.

PPI didn't find any other issues.
Congrats !!
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Old 06-03-2011, 04:26 PM   #19
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Ummm - okay.

I've read the manual but I have a question (well a million, really but one for now).

I brought it home put it in the garage, set the parking brake, everything is off, key is out of the ignition, the top is down. However, when I open the driver's door, the chime starts dinging. Why?

TIA
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Old 06-03-2011, 05:22 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by peterbrown77
Ummm - okay.

I've read the manual but I have a question (well a million, really but one for now).

I brought it home put it in the garage, set the parking brake, everything is off, key is out of the ignition, the top is down. However, when I open the driver's door, the chime starts dinging. Why?

TIA
At 60K, my 2¢ guess would be that you need a new ignition switch. The car thinks the key is still in the switch when you open the door.

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