Concerned about buying 01 w 6 prev owners

[Topless]

A 5 yr old 1 owner car is easy to find. A 10 yr old is much harder. It looks like the last owner had it a while though so hopefully he did a lot of the P.M. A PPI and a good look at the service and repair history should tell the story. No service history? Keep looking.

[Johnny Danger]

The number of previous owners may or may not be as critical as you think . More importantly, I would be focussed on the vehicle's condition and maintenance history. The boxster can easily fit into the category of being an "impulse" or niche vehicle. And, with most impulse purchases, a person's interest and enthusiasm can change quickly. Therefore, it's not uncommon to see a two seater convertible as impractical as a boxster routinely changes hands.

[Mark_T]

Originally Posted by Johnny Danger

Therefore, it's not uncommon to see a two seater convertible as impractical as a boxster routinely changes hands.

I hate it when people call Boxsters impractical. When I bought my Boxster I had this discussion with my dad, who took one look and said:
"What did you buy that for??"
"What do you mean?"
"Well it's totally impractical."
"Why?"
"It's only seats two people for starters."
"My last two cargo vans only seated two, no-one called those impractical. What else?"
"Must have cost you a small fortune."
"Less than the wife's Corolla and no-one called that impractical. What else?"
"The Corolla has space to carry cargo - that thing just has a tiny trunk."
"Actually, it has two trunks with more than enough space for luggage for two on an extended road trip. Practical enough for me. Next?"
"The mileage must suck."
"Nope - it's better than my B4000 and again, no-one has ever called that impractical. Next?"
"It must cost a lot to maintain as specialized car like that."
"Nope. I can do all the maintenance myself as it is very simple to work on, and parts don't seem to be any more pricey than domestic. Remember when you paid nearly a thousand bucks to fix the gas gauge on your Chev (which no-one ever called impractical) because it came as a unit with the fuel pump located in the gas tank. Or the $1500 you forked out when you digital dashboard went blank. And you want to talk about high maintenance costs? Next." (I'm getting irritated at this point)
"Aren't you a little old to be driving a sports car like that?"
"Oh good grief. I gotta go. Enjoy your Sunfire."

[thstone]

Originally Posted by Mark_T

I hate it when people call Boxsters impractical. When I bought my Boxster I had this discussion with my dad, who took one look and said:
"What did you buy that for??"
"What do you mean?"
"Well it's totally impractical."
"Why?"
"It's only seats two people for starters."
"My last two cargo vans only seated two, no-one called those impractical. What else?"
"Must have cost you a small fortune."
"Less than the wife's Corolla and no-one called that impractical. What else?"
"The Corolla has space to carry cargo - that thing just has a tiny trunk."
"Actually, it has two trunks with more than enough space for luggage for two on an extended road trip. Practical enough for me. Next?"
"The mileage must suck."
"Nope - it's better than my B4000 and again, no-one has ever called that impractical. Next?"
"It must cost a lot to maintain as specialized car like that."
"Nope. I can do all the maintenance myself as it is very simple to work on, and parts don't seem to be any more pricey than domestic. Remember when you paid nearly a thousand bucks to fix the gas gauge on your Chev (which no-one ever called impractical) because it came as a unit with the fuel pump located in the gas tank. Or the $1500 you forked out when you digital dashboard went blank. And you want to talk about high maintenance costs? Next." (I'm getting irritated at this point)
"Aren't you a little old to be driving a sports car like that?"
"Oh good grief. I gotta go. Enjoy your Sunfire."

Hah! Funniest thing I've read in quite a while!

[dbear61]

This is my first P-car, purchased in May. 01 S with 3 PO. I was patient and took frequent change of owners as a sign of maintenance problems (i.e "lemon") which you can encounter regardless of make/model.

I was looking for a car with max 2 PO, but took a flier on this because a) the first owner had it for 8 years and 79K miles; b) it was an e-bay auction with no reserve; c) KBB an 01 S with 87K miles, PSM, upgraded stereo and the touring package w/ cruise control & rear wind deflector in VG condition compared to purchase of $11 and d) for me, prayer for God to put me in the right car put me at ease over the unexpected win of the e-bay bid.

The downside? I had to fly from Milwaukee to Sacramento, get a ride to Chico, and pay the cost of a fun 3-day drive home.

Be patient, be picky. The car will come to you when it is time. Have somebody else intervene to help your selection. A rush to choose is a danger whether purchasing a 12-yo car or a brand new car. You need to get a balance from somebody not invested in the choice to keep you patient until the right one comes along.

DBear

[dbear61]

Originally Posted by Mark_T

I hate it when people call Boxsters impractical. When I bought my Boxster I had this discussion with my dad, who took one look and said:
"What did you buy that for??"
"What do you mean?"
"Well it's totally impractical."
"Why?"
"It's only seats two people for starters."
"My last two cargo vans only seated two, no-one called those impractical. What else?"
"Must have cost you a small fortune."
"Less than the wife's Corolla and no-one called that impractical. What else?"
"The Corolla has space to carry cargo - that thing just has a tiny trunk."
"Actually, it has two trunks with more than enough space for luggage for two on an extended road trip. Practical enough for me. Next?"
"The mileage must suck."
"Nope - it's better than my B4000 and again, no-one has ever called that impractical. Next?"
"It must cost a lot to maintain as specialized car like that."
"Nope. I can do all the maintenance myself as it is very simple to work on, and parts don't seem to be any more pricey than domestic. Remember when you paid nearly a thousand bucks to fix the gas gauge on your Chev (which no-one ever called impractical) because it came as a unit with the fuel pump located in the gas tank. Or the $1500 you forked out when you digital dashboard went blank. And you want to talk about high maintenance costs? Next." (I'm getting irritated at this point)
"Aren't you a little old to be driving a sports car like that?"
"Oh good grief. I gotta go. Enjoy your Sunfire."

My Dad was too easy-going for this dialogue. He went home in March, and it wasn't a factor in my purchase of the Boxster in May, but I know he would have been excited because of the car, but even more for the low cost I paid this car.

Mom's first and only ride elicited this comment on the freeway 90-degree entrance ramp: "You-ou-ou don't need to go this fast!" Yes. Yes, I do.

DBear