Would you buy a '99 Boxster with 135k miles?

[cantdrv55]

Seller says no oil leak issues and he is the regional owner. What questions would you ask him about the car?

[bar10dah]

Yes, yes I would.

[Eric G]

Get a PPI first off.

As for questions:

What work has been done?

Have any of the following been changed: RMS, IMS, water pump, thermostat spark, spark plug tubes, coils, AOS, Secondary Air Injection, clutch, pressure plate, flywheel, wheel bearings, CV joints, struts, suspension components? How often was the oil changed?

Get these answered and post up the response and you will have a lot of suggestions and comments.

Good luck.

[SolidWorks Mike]

I just bought a 97 with 108k miles on it over a 99 with 97k miles on it because the owner of the 97 had all his paperwork and records, complete details on what work he had done on the car, and was very honest in pointing out any scratches or dents. Bottom line, I felt more comfortable with the guy who was in love with the car and was sad to see it go, but had to make room for his 2013 Boxster S.

If the owner has everything in line and is upfront, you can probably be assured he took good care of the car.

[Topless]

A meticulously maintained sweetie? Yes sir. A beater with no service history? Parts car only.

[pompous]

Yup...for the right price. If its made it that far, it's probably ok.

[thstone]

Yes, I would buy a good, high mileage Boxster (with a good PPI) without concern.

[Ghostrider 310]

Not me, the only car I would ever consider with that kind of mileage is a classic, otherwise, why? As has been stated before, shocks, springs, seat springs, everything has 135K on it not just the motor. A guy I know at the local watering hole bought a Jag with 120 on it, the transmission lasted one week, since then he's been reading a shop manual on how to fix it, mind you he has never changed a spark plug, no thanks... I would be looking at Miata cars and other options if all I could afford was a very high mileage Porsche.

[dagdisco03]

I bought my 2000 S with 102K but I can turn a wrench. If I had to think about having someone service the car for me then no way. You will end up paying more for repairs in the first year then the car most likely cost if a quarter of the items listed by others have not been refreshed.

I choose a very clean high mileage car that was clearly a weekend car and not commuter.

My choice was based on knowing my abilities and also knowing that I can’t live with leaving a car alone. So if I paid top dollar for a low mileage car for me I’d still be replacing the suspension with coilovers, adjustable mounts, poly bushings, sport exhaust, custom interior, Alcantara covering on everything I touch, and so on.

Also note if it’s not a for fun car and will be a daily driver have alternate plans for when it’s being worked on. Some parts take time to arrive. I thought I was doing my clutch and IMS, RMS in 3 or 4 days. By the time all the parts arrived it was more than two weeks the car was apart.

That was not bad compared to the one time my Land Rover wouldn’t run correctly and I had to resort to a shop. I question what people would do without having additional vehicles. My truck was hostage for 6 weeks with daily updates and no fix. Did work out in the end and has been running for years without a CEL or other issues so it was water under the bridge but boy a 6 week rental on top of the $4700 in repairs would have just added to the pain. FYI it was one clogged CAT that no one could find. Top end rebuild, all ignition parts new, MAF, can’t even remember all the parts thrown at it. So it’s all new but the block basically.

[tanque55]

I'd buy the latest model you can afford unless you find an absolutely imaculate older car that was cared for by a real enthusiast who has maintained and added value to the car. If you are looking for a project car and the price is right that's another matter. Just MHO.

[jb92563]

Yes, but check all the things mentioned and have an alternate form of transportation for those trips to the market, exceptionally foul weather and repair down time.

The history is most important so that you know whether it has had regular maintenance.

Things left too long without proper attention tend to snowball into bigger more expensive problems later in the cars life.

If you can not turn a wrench and don't want to then either build a maintenance reserve fund or get a lower mileage model, say under 50K mi.

I would plan for about $2000 yr in maintenance on average, and that will get the car through another 100K miles most likely.

Maintenance includes tires, Oil changes, etc and all the other repair stuff mentioned by the folks here. Upgrades usually take place during a repair/replacement and can add to the cost of course.

I bought a 2001 Boxster S with 55Kmi because it has the 3.2l engine that has thicker cylinder walls and is very robust, bigger brakes all around, holds some extra resale value being an "S" and from everything I have read in the forums has the least number of known issues for under $15k.

The 97 should cost under $10k but you could end up with 3k-4k of required maintenance in the first couple years so maybe put that towards a lower mileage car with good maintenance records.

[Perfectlap]

anyone who properly maintained a 13 year old Porsche would probably want a good bit of money for it. In which case I would rather have a Boxster with more advanced/reliable features.

With that kind of mileage, proper mainteance not performed can easily result in two or three repairs that can surface in a short amount of time and end up costing 1/3 of the purchase price.
Might as well have bought a newer Porsche from the start.

There's an old saying that applies to these cars "pay now or pay later but you will pay".

p.s.
even if you are handy under the hood, parts for this car are very expensive. One year I spent $10K on major mainteance items and some other unexpected repairs. When I studied the expenses I noticed that very little of it was actual labor.

[Mark_T]

Originally Posted by Ghostrider 310

I would be looking at Miata cars and other options if all I could afford was a very high mileage Porsche.

Ghost! I am shocked to the very core! Surely you can't mean that.

I'd rather have a Porsche in the garage than a Miata on the road. In fact, I think I'd rather have an empty garage than a Miata. I just couldn't stand people constantly asking me why I'm driving my wife's car.

I'd buy the old '99, providing the PPI checked out ok and the test drive felt good But that's because I wrench, and the wrenching is part of the hobby, and I'm not relying on the boxster as a daily driver.

[Ghostrider 310]

I'd rather have a sports car that isn't stuck in the garage in chronic disrepair or so used up it's no longer representative of the model it once was.

[Perfectlap]

I owned a Miata. I was going to keep it just to use for autocross racing and track days and would use the Boxster for year round driving. But rather than making garage space for it I sold the Miata. HUGE mistake. That is by far the best car you can buy for practical racing purposes, it's a fixture at any track or autocross event. Cost of maintenace is nothing, engine is bullet proof, you can upgrade the exhaust and suspension and tune it precisely how you would like (which any decent mechanic can do unlike a Porsche), slap on r-comp tires and still not come anywhere close to spending what you would with a Boxster. And to be quiet honest on the open road the Miata is much more fun drive. It's more like a go kart whereas the Boxster feels more like a regular sized car and the gear box doesn't really lend itself to frequent shifting like the Miata's. I consider the Mini Cooper to be more fun to drive than the Porsche as well.

[cantdrv55]

Great post perfect lap. Thanks.

[coreseller]

Originally Posted by Eric G

Get a PPI first off.

As for questions:

What work has been done?

Have any of the following been changed: RMS, IMS, water pump, thermostat spark, spark plug tubes, coils, AOS, Secondary Air Injection, clutch, pressure plate, flywheel, wheel bearings, CV joints, struts, suspension components? How often was the oil changed?

Get these answered and post up the response and you will have a lot of suggestions and comments.

Good luck.

This............

[Skrapmot]

Just sold our trusty 91 Miata, and that thing was a barrel of fun, but did I look silly climbing out of that thing in a suit to work as I'm 6'2.
Miata are an awesome weekend car, my wife limped home with it one night with a busted water pump and destroyed the engine. I was able to buy a Japanese replacement for $750 with 40k miles.

[Bruce Wayne]

yes i would too.

a well maintaned car that has had the money spent on it is a better bet than a lower mileage that has not.

lets say as an example suspension bushes last about 100k, then the 70k car has 30k left on them whereas a 130k car if well maintained and items changed out has 70k left on them

(nb: those figures are an example not actual life figures)

it may be baecause i work in aviation, that i think that way, there are many commercial jets is daily operation upto 30 years old but are well maintained.

a car that has had the money spent on it, will invariably cost less to own than that needs money spent on it.



To Add:

A guy I know at the local watering hole bought a Jag with 120 on it, the transmission lasted one week,

It's a Jag GR.. when a jag isn't leaking oil on your driveway, it just means it needs more oil