I bought a 1998 Boxster 2.5, did I make a huge mistake???

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by southernstar

No, you didn't make a huge mistake. Virtually all 986 and early 987 Boxsters are selling very cheaply in relation to the design, handling, performance and status they provide and one of the reasons for that is the issue with respect to the IMS bearing.

I think that may be overstating that a bit. The supply of second hand Boxsters and Carreras is big relative to the what Porsche has traditionally seen. Even if there were no IMS issue at all, the average buyer would avoid an out of warranty German car that requires specialized labor and expensive parts. Porsches have a huge reputation for being expensive to maintain. That imbalance between huge supply and limited potential buyers is going to put the advantage towards the buyer and not the seller on an indefinite basis. For the IMS to be a reason for depreciation, enough of the buying public would need to know what an IMS is in the first place. A first time buyer of Porsche will by and large only become aware of the IMS by doing online research. Once they've actually done that BEFORE the purchase (unlike our OP it seems), which I'm guessing only a fraction will actually take the time to do -- and even fewer will pony up for an actual Prepurchase Inspection (also unlike our OP) -- they will also learn in short order that the IMS issue is simply a matter of doing some preventative parts swapping. For nearly every reference to IMS there is a reference to LNE or Flat6 on all these forums. So you get the warning with the solution in virtually every thread.

Frankly I have to wonder if air-cooled Porsches were manufactured in the large numbers that Boxsters/Caymans/996/997 were if they would be holding value like they do. There simply aren't enough buyers with the means or nerve to buy an out of warranty Porsche to absorb the huge prodution numbers no matter how over or under-engineered the engines might be.
Rebuilding an air-cooled engine is just as big a case of wallett shock and awe for a buyer on a limited budget as the threat of an IMS implosion. As my mechanic said about antique 911's, "you just have to be ready to drop $10K". Most with modest means don't have a $10K emergency cash fund for real life emergencies let alone such a sum for a man toy budget.

p.s.
Meat Head, loved you on All In the Family by the way, if a blown engine is going to put you in the poor house then you should probably try to flip the Boxster for a tidy profit. Porsche ownership is inherently stressful and inherently expensive. Labor really sin't the big expense it's the parts. I had my Boxster in for repais a couple years back, it took weeks to get it back and the repair bill was over $5K. You could easily have back to back repairs in this car that can equal a third of the car's purchase price.
The best thing to do is to buy a certified pre-owned Porsche if you are the paranoid type or can't afford to lose your whole investment.

[mnc-i]

Welcome to the club!!!

I don't think you made a mistake. Remember everyone has an opinion.

I have a 1999 Boxter that I purchased 3.5 years ago with 104,000 on the clock.

I now have 183,000 miles. I am quite happy with it. I've had to take it to the dealer for the cam adjusters on both sides, the AOS and a water pumps.

I do my own oil changes, spark plug changes and full break jobs. If I can, you can too. And save alot of money. I change my oil & filter every 10,000 miles and use Mobil 1 15W50.

After reading this Forum, Excellence Magazine and Renn Tech's Forum, I would purchase the IMS Guardian, change the water pump every 60,000 miles and enjoy my new Boxster.

I now want a 1999-2002 911, attached is the link to the 911 a Dallas Dealer who is offering me a 2001 with about 75,000 miles since it did not sell during his Ebay auction. I just need to figure out where to store it while I determine how to break the good news to my wife:

I didn't sell the #290876270500 - 2001 PORSCHE 911 SUNROOF KEYLESS ENTRY POWER WINDOWS AFTE... . You can still purchase it for the price you've offered, US $9,500.00. If you are still interested please reply with your full name and your address.

Enjoy the Boxster!!

MNC-I

[mnc-i]

Sorry, I forgot the web address:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290876270500>

MNC-I

[BruceH]

Originally Posted by mnc-i

Sorry, I forgot the web address:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290876270500>

MNC-I

If you don't take it, I might have too! Seriously, you have to at that price If you need some help with it, I'm close by.

[Perfectlap]

^ that 101 Boxster Projects book is also available digitally on Google Books for your smartphone or tablet. Handy. Didn't see it on Kindle.

[Meat Head]

I feel like a complete idiot for not researching the Boxster better before my purchase. I just saw a MINT condition garage kept Porsche with 28k miles and couldn't pass it up! Like I stated earlier, I have owned a couple of Porsches in the past (944 and 924) and was totally prepared for the standard Porsche issues. I knew the early Boxsters had issues but I never heard of the complete engine failures until further research!

After the initial purchase, I'm not going to have a spare $2-$3 thousand bucks to have the IMS preventative work done:ah:! Honestly I assumed any auto with 28k miles and garage kept would be good to go for a few years (besides normal maintenance). I only plan to put 4k miles on the car per year.

I really love the car! What's not to love, looks, handling and its a Porsche! I don't want to do this but I'm considering putting the car up for around $13-$14 thousand, make a few bucks and try something less volatile In my area, a Boxster in this condition will sell fast in this price range. I would rather keep the car but complete engine failure is not something my pocket book can stand.

[Meat Head]

I'm getting the feeling that most of you wouldn't overly worry about the IMS problem. The 1998 seems to have the best IMS set up of all the older Boxsters (dual bearing). That does make me feel a bit better. I do know that the internet can overly amplify issues due to people having a negative experience will always make more noise than those that are happy.

Maybe I could wait until I need to replace the clutch before worrying about the IMS. I never seem to have good luck when rolling the dice.

I do want to keep this car!

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by Meat Head

I don't want to do this but I'm considering putting the car up for around $13-$14 thousand, make a few bucks and try something less volatile In my area, a Boxster in this condition will sell fast in this price range..

$13K for a 2.5? Please let know if you actually sell for that.
3.2's with moderate mileage have sold for about that much.

The more robust S model engines are also less prone to D chunk (cylinder liner cracks) than 2.5 Boxsters and even standard 3.4Carreras. Also, and kind of relevant to you, the reason D chunk seems to happen is because these cars been driven lightly with lower mileage....perhaps due to far fewer oil changes over time.

[paintboy]

Originally Posted by Meat Head

I feel like a complete idiot for not researching the Boxster better before my purchase. I just saw a MINT condition garage kept Porsche with 28k miles and couldn't pass it up! Like I stated earlier, I have owned a couple of Porsches in the past (944 and 924) and was totally prepared for the standard Porsche issues. I knew the early Boxsters had issues but I never heard of the complete engine failures until further research!

After the initial purchase, I'm not going to have a spare $2-$3 thousand bucks to have the IMS preventative work done:ah:! Honestly I assumed any auto with 28k miles and garage kept would be good to go for a few years (besides normal maintenance). I only plan to put 4k miles on the car per year.

I really love the car! What's not to love, looks, handling and its a Porsche! I don't want to do this but I'm considering putting the car up for around $13-$14 thousand, make a few bucks and try something less volatile In my area, a Boxster in this condition will sell fast in this price range. I would rather keep the car but complete engine failure is not something my pocket book can stand.

Where in Indiana are you? Prices in Indianapolis for a 1998 Boxster are the same as anywhere. I'm looking all the time.