buying a 97 boxster with 70k, what should i special check?

[shuiyuan]

the car had:

New Clutch

New 02 sensors

New MAF

hardtop

i am trying to get this car for $15000.
can you guys tell me when i go check the car what should i check(i only know if the check engine light on is bad)? i have a skilled friend who is working in a car shop for fix janpanese cars, but he never checked a Porsche before. how do i know the engine is bad or almost need replace? also 70k miles is really bad on a boxster? thank you!!

[RandallNeighbour]

Visit my links below. I bought a high mileage 1997 for $15,000 and found that the cheapest boxster is the most expensive one to own.

For instance, the 97's had lousy top transmission cables that should have been replaced under warranty in late 98 or early 99, just to name one thing about Boxsters that cause $$$ repairs down the road. If that car's had the hard top on for a long time, who knows if the cables were replaced?

Many 97's have had engine replacements. Mine did before I bought it. Also, about half of all boxsters (most all years) have RMS leaks that can be either expensive to repair or they cause a blown engine if they start pouring oil out the seal before you can shut the engine off.

Word to the wise: If you don't have an extra $5k in the bank to potentially spend on this boxster in the first year of ownership, walk away.

For about $3-5k more, you can buy a far newer one with less miles with a 2.7 liter engine in it. The interior will be newer and nicer, the suspension parts won't be worn out (they tend to wear quickly on Boxsters I've discovered) and you'll have a far more reliable sports car.

For what it's worth, if I could rewind the clock, I'd have saved my $15k, added the $10k I've put into repairs (tranny, control arm, struts, coolant resovior, instrument cluster, etc.) and upgrades (litronics, 3-spoke wheel, new shifter, newer seats that weren't sun dried) and had myself a nice 2000S with a 3.2 liter today.

The other thing you simply must take into account is the cost of ownership. The older ones can easily cost you $1500 a year beyond oil changes and tire purchases. Are you willing to spend this or more? Hope so.

The last thing I'd recommend is that you avoid your buddy, who has a good heart but isn't a Porsche expert. Pay a dealership to do a Pre purchase inspection. It will be the best $250 you ever spent. Should you find this amount of money outrageous to have your future boxster checked out by a Porsche-trained technician, don't buy a Porsche. They ain't cheap to own or operate.

[rdancd816]

I think Randallneighbor is offering sage advice. I bought a '97 in November from a local, reputable Porsche dealer and they performed a thorough pre-sale inspection. Checked all warranty work was complete and even provided a full CarFax report on the car (any value?). So far no issues, originally had only 9700 miles on it. (see pic) Up to 11,500 and love the machine. My plan is to drive it through the summer and sell. I think I want an "S". Anyway, best of luck and be carefull!

[blinkwatt]

Check and make the rear set of tires match as well as the rear. Check for the spare tire and tool kit. Turn up the radio and see if the speakers are blown. Get the VIN and call a local dealership and they should be able to tell you if all the recalls on that model have been updated. Make sure that there are at least receipts for the maintaince the previous owner may have done himself,or for service records. If it is a manual ask the owner to take you for a drive in it first to see if they actually know how to drive a stick,see if they pop the clutch,grind gears,the clutch slips etc. Make sure you enjoy it most of all when buying it,a car is a big purchase.

[RandallNeighbour]

about the enjoying it most of all part...

This comes too easily and will blind you in the purchase. The better way to buy an old Boxster is to create a scenario like this:

1) You are being forced to buy a Boxster against your will.
2) You are allowed to pass on any Boxster where you find at least $200 in needed repairs.

Take this attitude and you'll get yourself a Porsche you'll really enjoy and won't be cussing about when it's in the shop or you're replacing the RMS, the motor, the tranny, the window regulators, struts, coolant overflow tanks, top transmission cables, control arms, the instrument cluster, the crappy stereo they put in 97's that dies after 6 years, the missing headlamp tool, the missing keys, the missing manual, ... shall I go on?

rdancd816, you did your homework and got one sweet, low miles 1997. Sure wish I had bought your car instead of mine. What did you pay for it anyway? Our new friend needs to know that.

[shuiyuan]

you guys made me think to give up to buy that car. 15000 is all i have now, i didnt even have money to paid the tax in DMV(who can tell me how much will be the total to transfer the title under my name with everything in CA?) i have one other car, i am planing to drive this boxster 3-4 time a month( 1 time each week) and i will leave it in my house all the time. yea, i am Crazy!
i like prosche but i didnt know that car is very unreliable!
now i am thinking to buy a CHEV Corvette may be that car will better than boxster??! , becasue i can pay same money or little more to get a decent corvette?

[blinkwatt]

Originally Posted by shuiyuan

you guys made me think to give up to buy that car. 15000 is all i have now, i didnt even have money to paid the tax in DMV(who can tell me how much will be the total to transfer the title under my name with everything in CA?) i have one other car, i am planing to drive this boxster 3-4 time a month( 1 time each week) and i will leave it in my house all the time. yea, i am Crazy!
i like prosche but i didnt know that car is very unreliable!
now i am thinking to buy a CHEV Corvette may be that car will better than boxster??! , becasue i can pay same money or little more to get a decent corvette?

Do no let all the stuff you see on the board scare you. Many of us turn to this board to help fix problems with our Boxsters,big and small. Rarely does someone post "wow I had a amazing time driving my Boxster today for the 1000 time and no problem to date". Please do not buy a Corvette unless you want to go fast,very fast. They lose their value EXTREMELY fast,even more then a Boxster. The transfer fee for the DMV is $15. Now if you are to say $15k for the Bill of Sale then you will pay around $800 in tax,now you could say it was a gift for a low price,(cough)$7.5k.

[Ronzi]

Go to any web site dedicated to a specific car marque, and what you will mostly read is ********************ing and complaining about the cars. Along with the posts about how can I double my horsepower for less than $100.
By that standard, none of them are any good. And they're all underpowered.