$8000 Boxster S
 

Okay here is the situation. I have been talking to this guy who is willing to part with his 2001 Boxster S for 8000 bucks. The car has 140,000 miles on it. Apparently the engine had timing issues and was rebuilt for 10k. New clutch, new top, new rear breaks, new exhaust and new CAT. This car is obviously not the best out there but for 8 grand it has my eye. I have a 18k budget. I figure if this car is in good shape (cosmetically) it might not be too bad of a deal even if I have to end up dumping 5k into it for maint. Thoughts?

An $8,000 Boxster can quickly cost you $18,000. Read everything you can here for a few days, and do your homework.

I know a fair amount about the car. If the engine was rebuilt properly it should be a solid car (mechanically) but that's the big question, was it done right.

If you have a true 18k budget buy the newest car you can. You probably can get a clean 2003 with glass rear window and other updates. Get a thorough PPI done and take your time picking a good example with service records! If your flexible on a color combination a great car is out there in your price range. The car you are speaking of could very easily be a mystery machine that could not only cost a lot of money to make right but a lot of down time and head ache. I made an emotional buy that ended up costing me a lot to correct.

I have looked at 5, test drove 3 and PPI'd one. The PPI turned into a 5k invoice for repair and maint. I have two Porsche specialist looking for cars for me for the last 3 months and they haven't been coming up with many good ones. Every 18k car I have looked at needs 3-5k in maint or repairs. That's why I am interested in this 8k one knowing that I can dump a lot into it and still hopefully come out on top.

EDIT: When I say looked at 5, I mean physically. Not just on the internet. I have looked at hundreds on the internet.

I would mostly be interested in this "rebuilt" motor. "Had timing problems" leads me to believe the IMS failed. If it was truly rebuilt with a new IMS (ideally not a new stock piece), new bearings, appropriate headwork, and ideally, sleeved case halves and forged internals, then that should be a great motor.

If it was all done half assed, then, well.....

Walk.........................................

TO

Why? Whats your reason?

This is a gamble for sure, I bought a 1998 Guards Red 986 base for less than 6,500.00 and knew it had some issues. I have worked on it and had it worked on for 3 months now, IMS Guardian Sr., a/c lines rebuilt, new motor mount, new CLU, new key, rims repainted, mirrors repainted, re-cycled trunk order, new spare tire soon to be ordered, I may have forgotten a few minor things. The car is finally looking good ad it does drive awesome, but I have spent around 2k plus on it so far! But I do love te car!

Sounds like your total investment is only $8500 that doesn't sound like too much of a gamble to me. Like I said, even if I have to dump 5k into this thing and its running great. It sure beats spending 18K on a car and having to put 2k into it.

Walk...........

TO

Not emotional. I have looked at many of these. I am too the point where I am going to walk away for a few months because I am tired of looking. I have walked from 5 others, its getting easier to walk away because the excitement is wearing off because I cant seem to find the right one. So I go into every potential car asking where is the problem. This one I know has potential problems. But like I said if this engine was rebuilt right, this is a great deal for 8k. If emotion is the only reason you are giving me to walk away, its a non factor.

EDIT: I don't mind a little bit of a project. I am a manager at a very large body shop with all kinds of connections and cheap labor at my disposal. And parts at a 50% discount. So like I said if I have to dump 5k into an 8K car to get it right. It beats dumping 2K into an 18K car (which is what I have been seeing). Again it all depends on this motor rebuild. It was done by a Porsche specialist with documentation to prove it. So again this 8K car is most certainly worth a look.

You ask for thoughts, I give you mine.

You ask for reasons, I give you some.

It appears you've already made up your mind. It's your money, and your time. Good luck.

TO

Run Forest Run!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If not, we will hear your tales of woe soon enough..........:rolleyes:

When you ask for advice expect to hear some from both sides, including the one you didn't want to hear from. :cheers:

Go for it IF:

1) look at the rebuild bill to see exactly what parts were replaced and refurbished and it looks like the job was done right

2) have the best Porsche mechanic you can find do a complete engine inspection that includes all the tests possible without pulling the engine and the inspection comes up clean. PS show the mechanic the rebuild bill.

Totally a gamble, with hard to calculate risk. You may do quite well for yourself with this purchase. Heck, brought up to great shape for 18k all-in is not bad. Just realize if the engine grenades you probably have no recourse (? aftermarket warranty). And if this happens After new suspension/coolant tank/MAF/AOS/battery/radiator relay/water pump/AC control/paint job then you have a heck of a nice roller that is not worth much until you put a new engine in it. If you can cover this bet and the odds look good to, then absolutely go for it.
Personally I'm leery of gambling when the odds are too fuzzy to calculate.
But it is a safe bet that if you actually like driving, you will Love the car, probably enough to do whatever it needs done!

Hmmmmm, even if the engine is rebuilt at 140k miles there's not much life left in it...

One more thing: if I look at the "cars for sale" section on this forum I see several Boxsters in your price range....

This car sounds like a great candidate for track/autocross and heavy modifications. You've got a good budget and great shop resources. Are you planning to spend your budget on upgrades, or is it there just in case? If you are not happy with a stock car, this sounds like the one for you...if you feel mere mortals have no business messing with Porsche's product, find a nicer car.

Being able to afford to buy these cars is much different than being able to afford to own them. There is no cheap Porsche.

Hard to find the right car! All candidates are old and high miles, generally speaking. I looked for a Boxster for a very long time, all the cars locally had issues, all of them! Finally got a CPO from the dealership, paid a bit more than "market" but it was the right decision. No issues and for 2 years they fixed everything, no questions asked, that alone more than made up for the initial higher price.

Above is just an example on how another approach might look like.

If the engine checks out and the rest of the car looks fixable and you have fun wrenching I'd say go for it!

if it seems too good to be true.

I was looking for more advice on the thoughts of the mechanics of the car being at 140,000 miles with a rebuilt motor. Not if I was making an emotional decision.

Can you expand? If the engine was rebuilt properly it should have a whole new life. Correct?

This is true. There are plenty of cars to START with in my range. But upon further inspection and PPI's I am finding these 14-18K cars need a few grand to really be "right" pushing the total investment into the low 20's

Budget is there just in case. No real desire to highly modify the car. Most upgrades would be slight cosmetic changes. Like clear tails and headlights, maybe a new set of wheels, things like that.

New information discussed with owner: ALLEDGEDLY

Bought from 2nd owner with blown engine. 2nd owner couldn't afford to repair or replace engine. Current owners brother has been a Porsche mechanic for 30 years and he is the one who did the engine rebuild. When the engine was rebuilt, they put in the LN bearing as well as new clutch. They have invoices and receipts for all work done. Engine rebuild was done 3 months ago. Reason for selling is he needs money.

Sounds like the engine is in order...if the receipts chek out. How's the suspension and transmission? 2nd gear pop-out tends to be a 6sp issue, rebuild = 4-5K. Struts, control arms, etc could also be wearing.

Yes. All things to consider. I'll have to get under the car and pull on some tie rods and see how things are looking as well as feel during the test drive.

Sounds like you have the budget, mechanical help/ability and facilities to make a go of a project. Make the guy an offer, get an independent PPI with some emphasis on the engine rebuild. If it checks out, I say go for it! I spent about 4 months searching the country for mine before finding the right one. I don't have the space and abilities you have though so I wanted a well sorted vehicle and found it. A year later, no surprises. Good luck with your decision:cheers:

I'd say walk. With 18k, you could buy a 3.4 986

so you clearly want the car- ok, now get a PPI. Even if that turns out well, I still think it'll nickel and dime you till you're sick of it. Do you want a 'project' or something you drive- these cars are not 'durable'- they're high maintenance. If you read between the lines of what people are saying here I'd say most wish they bought newer- me being one of them. Why is this thing so cheap? What was the $10 000 for if his brother did the job? I know that 'tired of looking feeling' but it's a sign that you're on the right track to a sound purchase instead of a gamble like most used-car purchases. Either way, good luck!
Ps. I'd say wait til next summer and get an '09

Well my thought behind the whole thing is this guy probably bought the car for like 2 or 3k, had his brother do an engine rebuild that cost him 4k in parts and now is trying to flip it. Where I think he is saying its a 10k rebuild is if you don't have any connections and you were to sublet it out to a shop or dealer it would be a 10k rebuild. He probably came no where close to paying out 10k.

is it just me or is it getting murkier around this one? Why not a PPI?

And no one can answer your initial question / post accurately from a keyboard. My 2 cents:

-If you are enamored with this particular car for whatever reason, get a PPI with a leakdown test to verify health of motor
-The car has 140k on it, MUCH more than just the motor will be needing attention (the major one you did not list as being dealt with; suspension)
-As others have stated, there is likely a reason it is priced at $8k
-If you have $18k to spend, buy something newer / lower miles and do the IMS retrofit, regardless of what you've turned up thus far, they are out there. I am not even looking and seen quite a few that fall into your parameters

Good Luck.

Not sure what all the doom and gloom is about.

If the motor was rebuilt properly by a good shop, then it's a steal. It's really only engine failure you need to be scared of. Other things can go wrong, but you can control the cost of most other problems.

I agree, that's why I said earlier if he is up for a project, which it sounds like he is, then it is a great deal for him. He can get parts cheaper, and he has the facilities to work on it. His budget is $18k but I have a feeling he is hoping to come in way less, which I don't doubt he will. Sure, suspensions are $$$ but not $10K. Oh, and it has the LN bearing and a new clutch. Just my .02.

I'm new here and new to Boxsters, my Pcars only pump oil. After reading about the issues these cars have (bearing, electrical, etc....) and given they are a dime a dozen model (unlike earlier air cooled models), I say buy it. Why not. Sounds like you have connections, the motor (the big expense) has been handled already and you have a budget capable of allowing for future issues. Sounds like a win win to me.......

I just bought a project myself. PO said motor has to be replaced, but reading the computer says the cam position sensor needs replacement. Working on doing that this week. Hoping to have bought the steal of a century.

GL if you buy it, I'm sure it'll be fine.

I'd buy the black 2001 Boxster 'S' from the guy in Rockville...:rolleyes:

If you want a project, go get a roller with much less mileage and put together a monster motor with the left over cash!

If it were me, I take the majority of the advice (if you are not just looking for a project car), get the best you can get, latest model you can get for the money. that 8 grand can quickly turn into 16 grand. start with something a little lower mileage...