Would you buy a repaired Boxster?
 

If you knew there was a $29000 insurance claim on a Boxster, would you still buy it at a good price? Or is it an absolute no brainer to just stay away?

Thats a big claim.....assume it was from some time ago. A lot would depend on what was damaged. Was the car written off? What is the title? I personally would avoid anything with a salvage title. Proceed with caution for sure and get a good ppi at the very least.

Edited - Giller said it better.

If its priced the same (or nearly the same) as other Boxster's, why take the risk?

I'd stay away unless it was a really, really good deal (something like 30%-50% cheaper than comparable cars) and then I'd be sure to have the best PPI done in the world.

A lot of totaled Porsche's are bought at auctions, thrown back together with salvage yard parts, and sold to unsuspecting buyers. Do your own due diligence - get the VIN and research it. Ask for repair receipts. And don't believe anything you're told unless its in writing.

Is it from Cyprus??

If so, run!!!!

Ha! That's awesome!

I think it depends on price and your plans...
If the price is low and you're going racing, I think a salvage 986 could be a great deal, esp if you plan on building your own engine.

Wow, $29,000 isn't a parking lot fender bender, that's for sure.
Since there were nearly a quarter million 986's produced, I'd be looking elsewhere for one that wasn't badly hammered and repaired.

Wow haha! I really wonder if some of these crazy posts like that one are not trolls within the forum.

As for OP, as others have said, only if title is clean it is for a huge discount. There are too many good cars in the market to settle for a bad one.

If you know what you're looking at, there's no reason to be afraid of a salvage title. I buy cars from the insurance auctions all the time and you would be shocked at the cars they total. Boxsters are on the top of the list of cars that really have nothing really wrong with them but are written off for salvage or worse "parts only". A lot of people either leave their top down or forget to keep the drain hole clear of debris when it rains hard. When that happens, the immobilizer under the drivers seat gets fried and the car won't start. I see a lot of cars get totaled because the bumper cover gets ripped off or something really simple like that..
http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/x...pscf602b83.jpg
I bought that car and I couldn't find one ounce of damage to it but the insurance had it sold off as flood damage. It was branded parts only, so I couldn't have retitled it if I wanted to. It only had 43,000 miles and was in amazing shape. Whoever owned it took wonderful care of it.

That's a doggone shame, right there.

Just venting.........

TO

A 2000S goes for about $15k in good condition in Toronto. I have him at $11.5 before the PPI.

Why even give it a second thought? It has had a serious accident and even at $11.5 it is still no bargain. It is seriously tainted - move on. There are lots of well cared for accident free Boxsters out there.
G.

Keep looking friend. Lots of Porsches in the area. He would need to come down a lot more IMO. I paid about that for my 02 base just outside TO a month back and it's a clean car.

Good point! If you have the background and knowledge to discern an easily repaired car from a nightmare and are willing to bet real money on your discernment skills, then there are excellent deals to be found. Its not as hard as you might think but you definitely need to do your homework.

That's how I bought my 996 for $10K (http://986forum.com/forums/general-discussions/44227-986-wrecked-got-996-today.html) and it worked out to be a great deal. But I knew what I was looking at and was willing to take the financial risk if I was wrong.

So true. Two friends own a salvage yard and at one time I bought salvage cars for the family. One of them was a flood damage Audi A4. It was pristine with 20,000 miles and no evidence of any flood damage. The 22 year old daughter bought it for a fraction of the market value. The first time she washed it a flood of water came in through the top of the windshield. It had been improperly installed. 85,000 miles later that car is running great.

I have bought and repaired three VW Passats, an Audi S4, a Porsche 993, another Audi A4, a VW Jetta and a BMW 535I. As itsnotanova said, most of these cars should not have been totaled and they save me a lot of money.

The OP should take caution. I have seen cars that should never have seen the road again repaired. Or, substandard work done to flip a car. There are so many Boxsters on the market I would pass on any with a story unless it is well documented and a big money saver. Good luck and keep us posted.

Do they have pics of the initial damage? As Chuck says, there are lots of bad shops out there. Be sure you know what to look for.

And you better be sure you're going to keep it for a long time. If for some reason (wife pregnant, lost job, etc) your situation changes where you have to sell it, you'll have to take a bath on it as there will be lots of questions why you're selling so soon.

There's the possibility that finding insurance for a "salvage title" vehicle could be difficult as the insurance company would have a difficult time determining a future correct repair if there was hidden damage pre-existing.

I insured all of the salvaged cars through State Farm. They treated them as if they were unbranded in every respect. Three of the cars were totaled in traffic accidents over the years and State Farm paid them off as if they were clean titles.

Good to know about State Farm!

I bought mine from someone who had repaired the car from salvage auction. I only considered buying it since I knew what to look for and how to test everything. The PO had rolled into a stopped car infront of him getting onto the freeway at less than 15 mph...It needed a new hood and bumper but the airbags didnt go off/the car was completely unscathed otherwise...To me it was sure worth the almost 50% off for a car that checked out in my book.

I think the point is that there are tons of deals out there, and as long as you know what you're dealing with, you can reap the benefits