Buying on Ebay

[Giller]

Just get a Boxster, fix it up if it needs too and drive the damn thing. Yes, its just a car! You have been asking the world about your cars/adds finds since March 2014... under about ten different threads.[/QUOTE]

What he said. There are a ton of Boxsters in and around Toronto, lots of them reasonably priced and while some may not be in great shape, I would bet the majority of them are. If you really want one - make it happen.

[Alfieg23]

I found my 2000 Boxster advertised on ebay and then called and negotiated the deal with the dealer, sight unseen (only the numerous ad photos). Car was shipped from California to South Florida. I've had it 2+ years and it has been great. Having said that, although Boxster prices seem too good to be true, Porsche parts and repairs can be relatively expensive so you should have a discretionary budget set aside for possible issues. Good luck.

[recycledsixtie]

Originally Posted by Giller

Just get a Boxster, fix it up if it needs too and drive the damn thing. Yes, its just a car! You have been asking the world about your cars/adds finds since March 2014... under about ten different threads.

What he said. There are a ton of Boxsters in and around Toronto, lots of them reasonably priced and while some may not be in great shape, I would bet the majority of them are. If you really want one - make it happen.[/QUOTE]

'It's just a car' attitude can cost you a ton of money if you get the wrong one. Better to wait to get the right one that is decent and produces a decent PPI.
If you don't do your own repairs it is going to cost something like double to fix the problems. Patience is key.
Guy

[Xpit77]

I kept checking Autotrader and found one. As stated there are a lot of them in TO. Peninsula always have some as well as Motorway or they can get you one. Or ifyou know a dealer ask him to check the auctions. Check the PCA Upper Canada site too.

[Giller]

Something I found really useful when I was shopping. Find out who the seller is and google them. It's amazing what you can find out with a simple google and/or facebook search. I was choosing between two cars - ended up buying the one whose current owner was a solid Porsche enthusiast, member of the PCA and had a solid and positive online presence. Doing a 'PPI' on the owner can be almost as beneficial as doing it on the car. How else to know how well the car was cared for and driven.

[recycledsixtie]

Originally Posted by Giller

Something I found really useful when I was shopping. Find out who the seller is and google them. It's amazing what you can find out with a simple google and/or facebook search. I was choosing between two cars - ended up buying the one whose current owner was a solid Porsche enthusiast, member of the PCA and had a solid and positive online presence. Doing a 'PPI' on the owner can be almost as beneficial as doing it on the car. How else to know how well the car was cared for and driven.

Well said.
G

[Perfectlap]

Ebay would not be my first choice unless you find that the seller (not a dealer) lives in a town where Porsches are not common. Your first goal in shopping for a Porsche is to find one that is selling below the market rate because:

the owner doesn't need the cash and wants to get rid of it.
the owner needs to sell it quickly to buy something more expensive.
the owner doesn't want the hassle of people kicking tires and wants a quick sale

There are *ALWAYS* sellers like these. The best place to find all of the above are on the Porsche forums first or to check with an independent Porsche specialist in your area for any leads. The whole point is to first look in the community before you go witht the mainstream stuff.

When you go on Ebay, you're doing just the opposite. You're looking at cars that the whole world is looking at, it's wide open for highest bidder. It's good to check but a car that's priced to go sells quickly, a matter of days. The bulk of the cars sold on Ebay sit there. Usually becaue they're high mileage, have deffered maintenance ($$$$) that will be costly and the seller (usually a used car dealer) needs you to pay for his profit on the flip. Why is all this important? Because there are a crap ton of Boxsters, Caymans and Carreras for sale online. In fact in all of Porsche's history there have never been more used Porsches for sale (that are running). And why do you want to go after the good deal Porsche's first? Because repairs for these used cars are very, very expensive unless you're doing all your own work and even that's not as cheap as it sounds because the big expense is the parts and not really the labor. A full suspension overhaul and wheel bearings at an independent Porsche shop can easily cost $6,000. A dealer would charge more than the car cost you to buy in the first place. Getting the car below market gives you some cushion on these 'major maintenance' items that seem to come up sooner on cars driven where there is extreme heat or extreme cold weather and rough city roads. But the best is to find a car with low miles even if you have to pay a bit more for it up front. But be careful with cars that have the kind of the mileage that indicate the car just sat for months at a time. With these engines, the car owner needs to keep the habit of frequently runing the car on the road for at least 30 minutes to an hour to burn off all the build up.

[Jinx]

Bill purchased ours on eBay. It was from
A Porsche dealer. Easy transaction.
It required some minor repairs.
Battery, top drains stuffed. Turn signal socket.
Rear end clunk, torn CV joint boot.
Missing keys. Dealer wouldn't get us
A second key

To do list
Winter tires, winter floor mats,
umbrella (I have no idea way I need this
I just do). second key.
Have wheels reprinted in the
Spring. Car detailed in the spring.

Daily driver. And sooo much fun to drive.



58,513 mile. 3rd owner

[mikeman]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

Ebay would not be my first choice unless you find that the seller (not a dealer) lives in a town where Porsches are not common. Your first goal in shopping for a Porsche is to find one that is selling below the market rate because:

the owner doesn't need the cash and wants to get rid of it.
the owner needs to sell it quickly to buy something more expensive.
the owner doesn't want the hassle of people kicking tires and wants a quick sale

There are *ALWAYS* sellers like these. The best place to find all of the above are on the Porsche forums first or to check with an independent Porsche specialist in your area for any leads. The whole point is to first look in the community before you go witht the mainstream stuff.

When you go on Ebay, you're doing just the opposite. You're looking at cars that the whole world is looking at, it's wide open for highest bidder. It's good to check but a car that's priced to go sells quickly, a matter of days. The bulk of the cars sold on Ebay sit there. Usually becaue they're high mileage, have deffered maintenance ($$$$) that will be costly and the seller (usually a used car dealer) needs you to pay for his profit on the flip. Why is all this important? Because there are a crap ton of Boxsters, Caymans and Carreras for sale online. In fact in all of Porsche's history there have never been more used Porsches for sale (that are running). And why do you want to go after the good deal Porsche's first? Because repairs for these used cars are very, very expensive unless you're doing all your own work and even that's not as cheap as it sounds because the big expense is the parts and not really the labor. A full suspension overhaul and wheel bearings at an independent Porsche shop can easily cost $6,000. A dealer would charge more than the car cost you to buy in the first place. Getting the car below market gives you some cushion on these 'major maintenance' items that seem to come up sooner on cars driven where there is extreme heat or extreme cold weather and rough city roads. But the best is to find a car with low miles even if you have to pay a bit more for it up front. But be careful with cars that have the kind of the mileage that indicate the car just sat for months at a time. With these engines, the car owner needs to keep the habit of frequently runing the car on the road for at least 30 minutes to an hour to burn off all the build up.

Solid advice in there .


I've bought 2 Toyotas on eBay, and sold an F350 and Honda motorcycle on there as well. The Toyotas were weird enough that they didn't get a lot of bids, so it was worth it... but when I sold the truck and bike they both went for more than market value in my area.. So, again worth it but from the other point of view