Congrats Jack!. You passed the first test. You did not buy the first Box you saw.
There are good ones out there. Take your time and get a PPI done if there is one you like.
G.:)

stay in touch here throughout your search. Best of luck, and in the mean time Save Save Save Save some dough.

I would have been just that. Out the door.

$14,300 for a 97 2.5 in perfect condition is still highway robbery. Last year I bought a 2000 S 3.2 with an absolutely perfect body, already had the IMS sorted, new tires, clutch, upgraded headlights, taillights, and aftermarket wheels for $14k. Not a chance I would ever pay that for a non-S, especially one with problems. Even doing as much DIY as you can, you would be looking at 20 hours of your time and $3000 for parts, alignment, etc. (that would assume that IMS bearing hasn't been done and you want to do it). Probably 5k is you wanted a shop to do all the work.

As an example, I paid $14,200 for my 2000 base with 51K miles from the local Porsche dealer. Dealer had performed significant maintenance while they had the car: brake fluid flush, coolant flush, new rear window, new battery, etc. Tires at 8/32" all around. Independent PPI really couldn't find anything wrong. I specifically sought out a MY 2000 as being a least-problematic year.

Next up is a 99 2.7 base with ugly as hell red interior. 47k miles, 1 owner with good records and looks really clean. Private seller with a current ppi in hand. Its priced right, as he knows it needs the ims work and such.

I'm having trouble sleeping. LOL.

the issue here is that there were no 2.7s in 99.

Interesting. After checking the ad, there is no mention of the displacement. I asked the seller, and he said 2.7

He's a wholesaler, so probably just a simple mistake.

That's why you don't deal with wholesalers. They have no idea what they are doing and generally only deal with cars that have serious problems underneath a shiny paint job.

If you don't like the interior, why are you bothering with it? You can search the entire country for the exact car you're looking for. I live in Michigan and found mine in California. I had a CA Porsche dealer do the PPI and then had it shipped to me after the deal was done. I drove other Boxsters, but never drove mine until it arrived in MI. There wasn't anything I was going to find wrong with the car that the PPI missed.

I am also highly suspect of someone else's PPI. Another wholesaler trick where they have "their guy" take a look at it. You want to get your own PPI.

The ppi was done by a dealer. Just going for a look. Nothing too serious. For the price he's asking it deserves a look.

Found my car! Clean car, great price. I'll do a clutch/rms/ims job ASAP, just to he safe. Other than that the only issue is an iffy window regulator.

I'm excited. Get the details hammered out with my lender tomorrow and pick it up Saturday if everything goes right.

Thanks for all the advice.

No you are totally right,,, fearmongering is the way to go. :ah:

I rather like to be the voice of optimism.

Congrats on finding the Boxster you like OP! They really are a blast. :dance:

Jack - I owned an '02 S for 6 years as my daily driver. I drove it every day in the NE (rain, snow, etc). I put 60,000 miles on it and it was inexpensive and reliable. I bought the car for $25K and sold it recently for $12K (traded it). My total cost of ownership was about the same as buying a Honda Accord.

I had some silly issues along the way (3 ignition switches...), but overall the biggest expense was for routine maintenance. You need to do all routine maintenance on these cars (all fluids, all belts, all filters, tires and brakes), etc.

Two things:
1 - I never gave a moments thought to my IMS...(original and likely single row :barf:).
2 - My RMS "leaked" the entire time I owned the car. I never fixed it and I didn't care.

A note on the RMS: "leaked" is a strong word. "was moist" may be a better way to describe it. I've taken some heat on this board for that, but reality is I kept an eye on it (and my oil levels) and it had zero impact to the overall ownership experience. From my perspective it gave the car some character (it smelled like leather and burned oil which any good sports car should...).

IF I were going to buy a new 986 today, I would:

- Choose wisely (based on history and documented maintenance)
- Replace the IMS (there are inexpensive solutions now, and do the clutch while your in there).
- Replace all filters, fluids and belts immediately (and by all, I mean "all").
- Finally, nobody talks about it here much yet, but I would absolutely 100% replace the suspension on the car day one. I would lower it and put on coil-overs.
- Spend up for good tires day one too.
- My car had PSM, litronics, cabin air deflectors and a glass rear window. I wouldn't buy a car without those four things.

If you total up the above, you are probably spending $6-8K on top of your purchase. So from my perspective, you may as well get an S (with the four features I called out). But, once set up you will have a simple, reliable, timeless, brilliant sports car to enjoy.

Good luck with your purchase, and I hope your ownership experience is as good as mine was.

Mike


/

Sold out from under me. Shiesty friggen wholesaler.

Hunt goes on...

Ended up with a really clean 03 base with 61000 miles. The only mod I have come across is 17" S wheels.

It's a great little car, and the previous owners loved it and took great care of it. I'll be getting her in soon to do the IMS, RMS, clutch and 60k services. The car is pretty clean underneath, I doubt it has ever leaked any oil.

I picked it up Monday evening, and have put about 300 miles on it. Not one single issue so far.

Thanks again for all the input. I think I found the right one.

Glad to hear you found one you like. IMO, if the rear seal isn't showing any signs of seepage (you'll know for sure once you drop the trans), then don't touch it. You are more likely to introduce a problem. The clutch may need replacement or it may be good for another 100,000 miles. There's no harm (outside of the cost of the parts) in changing it while doing the IMS bearing.

Post some pictures, I'd like to see.

I bought my 99 2.5l last summer and have not regretted it. Mine had 57k when I bought it but I felt good knowing the PO replaced the blown engine with a Porsche factory rebuilt engine in 2008 with 37k on the car. So I bought it with 20k on a 2008 engine with the larger Porsche bearing fix for the IMS. It's super clean, handles like nothing else, gets 30mpg and since its the 200HP engine, I don't get in trouble but still accelerate fairly quickly with the 5 speed manual. I paid $12,500 for mine. new tires and alignment all the way around.
James

Jack....check your in box....:cheers:

never mind :)