Help! Found 03 Boxster S 125k miles; might buy
 

Salvage title, $9,400.

I was thinking to have my body guy look it
over to determine if it was re-built correctly, then
have a Porsche shop do a pre purchase inspection
including compression and leak down then make
a decision.

If those two inspections get thumbs up, does this
seem like a deal to you?

Thoughts? Concerns?

I used to race motorcycles, so I love fast stuff,
but I've never owned a Porsche and I'm a little
nervous.

Thank you in advance for your advice and opinions.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1367281126.jpg
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1367281139.jpg

Roof clam is not sitting correctly in the second image.

Car could be bent ?

Salvage title, 125 miles , $9,400.00 seems steep. You also need to research the IMS, that car with that many miles, it will also need a clutch. Clutch and Ims and water pump and labor will add $4000.00.

Salvage title and 125k miles for $9400?
Way too much for what rightfully should be a parts car.
Keep looking, you can find better.

Salvage title and 125k miles for $9400 seems very high.

I agree, a salvage title immediately raises a red flag with me and I see too many cars with a salvage title being offered at too high a price. Plus with the milage it has, I'd pass and buy one with a cleaner history. Just my two cents worth.

Wow, the other car I'm looking at is a 99 with manual and 45k miles.

$10,000. Thoughts?

Clutch is smooth as silk car seems to run perfectly.

Sounds like a better deal than I got. Get a PPI and check out the CarFax. CarFax is not perfect, but if it shows a good history of maintennace and no accidents (as mine did) I think you'll be happy with it.

Looks like we're neighbors!

This car has red interior, is that typically rather light in color?

No matter what you find, get a pre-purchase inspection (PPI). Good luck and keep us posted.

Yep, pretty close. I'm not sure of the interior. Depends on the exterior color. What's your 99 color. Also as an FYI I believe you can special order any color combo you wanted from Porsche. I've heard some strange stories. :)

Btw I also have a PST2 for diagnostics if needed.

To see 986 boxsters selling below 10k, is just incomprehensible. :mad: To think that many of these vehicles once sold new for 40k to 60k+ is just gut wrenching ! I shutter to think what kind of "cornholing" I would get if I ever decided to sell the Dangermobile. :(

$9400 for a salvage title is crazy overpriced. The salvage title kills the resale value. That car should be around $6K.

:DI'll give you $500 for the wheels!:D

Johnny D you are absolutely right - and that's one of the reasons I believe that the prices for clean, well-maintained, low mileage examples have probably bottomed out. Yes, a large number of 986's were produced, but the entry price now ensures that many people will buy them who cannot afford to maintain them. In the next several years the supply of good ones will be dramatically reduced and then a gorgeous model of Porsche that was critical to the survival of the marque - one with excellent performance and roots to the past (and the future, as they are and always will be the original Boxster) will become a collectible with appreciating values.

Brad

Run, don't walk.

Beauty is only skin deep. You can find plenty of examples of fine vehicles with good titles for great prices. If you get one that is bad you can easily spend more than you paid fixing problems, especially at that price.

If they dropped it to $6000 it may still a questionable purchase without an equitable title. Clamshell is definitely not sitting right. Tell the seller to "get bent".

Find another, better-cared-for car….like from one from our member here. Your NET COSTS will be less IF the vehicle is maintained. If not, you will spend all your time under the engine cover! My $.02

you can do better. Ask the Stone. He bough a no story 99 Carrera for the same.

Don't feel too bad nearly all luxury German cars are faring no better. I don't know if it was primarily due to the credit bubble of 2001-2007 that in addition to real estate also fueled a huge number of cars that people couldn' afford to own, certainly not long-term. The used car market is now just a big glut of expensive cars. Making matters worse now are these insanely low interest rates which make getting into a newer really expensive German car a piece of cake. So those people dump their over-priced, barely 3 year old cars onto the market as well.
We are going to be up to our eyeballs in Porsches, BMWs, Range Rovers, Audis and Mercs for a long time to come.

I didn't see Ferrari in there ! :)

how new?

Friends parents bought a 03 S brand new. special order. bill was 99K

Though salvage titles are hard to price, typically take 25-30% off. In addition, salvage title AND high mileage is a double wammy and if you buy it you better love it because you will never be able to sell it. I would not pay more than $6,500...and I don't like the color....

I'm moving forward with the '99

Can anyone recommend a good shop? I'm located in Irvine CA. Car is in Huntington Beach.

Thank you.

I'd offer no more than 6k , it it runs awesome, and you plan to keep it for long time as it can be incredibly hard to unload a salvage.

Glad you are not going with the first one. Good luck with your purchase! Pictures once you acquire it:D

You and me too! We have both sunk waaaay too much cash into our cars!

Thank you. I picked a shop and the seller agreed to pay for the inspection. I'm thinking this is a great show if confidence. If the car checks out i'll be driving to Monterey this weekend.

Thanks for all the information, advice, and support. You guys are welcoming and very helpful; you can expect to see me around here a lot.

Very rare for the seller to pay for the inspection - as you say, a sign of confidence.
Hope all goes well!

Brad

Yep, that sounds promising! Mine didn't pay for the PPI, but he did have the 60,000 mile service done right before I bought it, plus new tires. With that, I knew the car was well taken care of.

Hergesheimer Motor Sports - The most comprehensive Porsche service and race shop in Orange County.
Right near you. They know Boxsters!

I went to inspect the car again prior to the PPI and noticed the car does not have cruise control.

I'm still shopping.

Cruise Control...Really? Never used mine. Doesnt seem to have much utility on California freeways-at least for me!

Good luck with your search!

986 Cruise Control works great for maintaining a steady speed & the desired interval from the vehicle you are following. If only everybody did this while they are talking or texting so thet could at least maintain at steady speed it would be alot less frustrating.

I know what you mean, Josh, but I just know I would hate myself for buying this car when I take my very first trip to San Francisco. There will certainly be open freeway sections and I can just hear myself repeating over and over in my head "who buys a car without cruise control?"

............ while texting :) :cheers:

Who needs for a Ferrari. For $60K the new Stingray from Goverment Motors is going to beat the pants off any Fiat Italia or VW GT3 RS. It's already rumored to be matching those $120+K race-rubbered cars on just street rubber....
You can't even get a Boxster SPyder or Cayman R for that kind of money. And the kicker, track miles in no way affect warranty claims. They WANT you to beat it up. Porsche can't even keep the lug nuts on their center lock cars without absurdly expensive service intervals.

I wouldn't buy without cruise control either. There are plenty out there that have it. Be patient and get the color/options that you want.

I think I've used CC about 4 times in 10 years. Our highways here are like playing that old video game Frogger. It's impossible to maintain any rate of speed for too long. Between the weavers and the numbnuts doing parallels 2 and 3 abreast, you're constantly speeding up and slowing. I wonder how much weight CC delete would drop.

I was looking for something else on the Pelican site and found this regarding installing cruise control if a car does not have it.

Pelican Technical Article: Boxster Cruise Control Installation - 986 Boxster (2000-04) - 987 Boxster (2005-08)

And yes you are so right regarding highway 5 being cruise control appropriate!

Josh

Hi guys. I'm still shopping and I'm prepared to move "up market"

I would appreciate all your feedback about model selection, must have options etc.

I'm looking at this car: 2004 Porsche Boxster S

I spoke to the owner and will be checking the car out this weekend but yes, this car has a story. He's the third owner and says he has all the service records: *** NEW ENGINE INSTALLED BY PORSCHE DEALER in 2008 at 36,000 miles*** IMS HANDLED? Other issues? Do these things frequently need replacement at that low mileage? Thoughts, opinions?

PLEASE REVEAL YOURSELF IF THIS IS YOUR CAR! :)

Thanks guys, I sure appreicate your help and guidence.

Chris

I think the '03/'04S is without question the best of 986's -- but $24K is just too high. Somewhere in the <$20K range would be about right.

That car has all of the must-haves: PSM, litronic headlights, windstops, glass rear window (standard)

It doesn't phase me that a new engine was put in the car. Better it failed on that guy, than you... I don't necessarily look at it as solving all the problems either. It's unlikely (but not impossible) that a Porsche dealer would upgrade the IMS with a new engine.




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Also, 9K miles in 6 years on a new engine is not a good thing. 1500 miles per year isn't enough.

Has the oil been changed 12 times since new? Records to prove it????



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