What option would you not skimp out on?

[Porsche9]

Cruise control = speeding ticket prevention

[j.fro]

S
Litronics
Limited slip diff

If it's a car I'll be sharing, then memory seats are a must have.

[Joe B]

[QUOTE=BIGJake111;437015]Trips to Atlanta or Charlotte get by well enough with the foot on the pedal. For me it's just an annoying stick near my right knee haha!
[QUOTE]

Of course you don't need it, but that's not the point. You don't need windshield wipers either, you can drive without them, but they sure are awfully nice to have! If you actually tried using cruise control for any length of time, you might learn something and change your mind .

[thstone]

Litronics
Cruise Control (yes, I use mine)
Glass rear window
M030

[CraigM]

Heated seats! Wife would never let the top down without them.

[patssle]

1. Heated seats
2. Heated seats
3. Heated seats

Also the all-leather interior. It's a night and day difference between the plastic interior IMHO.

[Bald Eagle]

I have a 2000 S bought in June 2014 with 10,800 miles (!) Arctic Silver, black leather interior. I put 4000 miles on it from June to early November.

I never drove a base but I am very pleased with the performance of the S and think I would find the base underwhelming if I compared the two models.

Love the windstop

Don't mind the plastic window

Don't have heated seats and, since I store the car in winter don't miss them

Very much miss cruise control, I've do a lot of freeway miles and would drive the boxster more if I had that option.

Don't have any cosmetic or audio upgrades and don't miss them, rarely listen to the stereo except on long, dull rides and I don't have cruise control so I take the car with cruise and a good stereo then.

Larry
The Bald Eagle

[tomonomics]

Factory options I'm glad I have:

1. 03-04 (Glass window, glove box, semi-functional cup holder, variocam/a few extra HP)
2. Grey leather interior (I like to leave the top down, so black was not an option for me)
3. Heated seats
4. Windscreen
5. Seal Grey

My car came with Cruise Control, but I live near NYC. So I'm either in traffic, or out for a drive in the twisties. I think I've used it twice in 3 years, as I haven't yet done a road trip over 1000 miles r/t.

Factory options I wish I had: Sport exhaust, Litronics.

Aftermarket options that were easily added: Radio upgrade, SmarTop, and at some point I will likely get Fred's HID headlight upgrade.

I was coming from an NB Miata, so the base 2.7 was enough power for me, and still is. I will say that the little bit of extra low end power on the 03/04 sealed the deal after having driven three or four older models. My color (Seal Grey) was more important to me than the S model, and the money I saved paid for my IMS upgrade. Having said all that, I don't think anyone has ever regretted the 3.2, so get one if you can.

I can't stress enough the heated seats (which were not originally a requirement for me...I actually didn't even know I had them until two weeks after I bought the car!). Your passengers will like them, it will allow you keep the top down in cooler weather, and in my case I drive the car much more in the winter than I thought I ever would (I also have a set of winter wheels/tires).

Good luck in your search...this site has TONS of useful info and very helpful people. The 986forum is one aftermarket option that I could not live without.

[RandallNeighbour]

The rear glass window is a big deal for a couple of reasons. It won't crack in cold weather operation, and you don't have to get out and chop it in half so it won't kink up when lowering the top.

"I wish I had bought the lowly 2.5/2.7 motor" said NO ONE, so definitely get the larger motor.

I tell everyone that these two things are my greatest regrets when I purchased my 1997 in 2004. I should have held out, saved more money, and kept looking.

[Perfectlap]

The best option for an out of warranty Porsche is low mileage. Not too low like the car just sat around for 10 years only coming out of the garage for a monthly drive. Don't tip the scales in favor of one car over another because of options, #1 priority should be mileage, it's more important than even year.
Case in point, first 65-70K miles of ownership of my car: $500 in repairs, TOTAL.
Mileage after 70K miles up to the present 97K: $15K in repairs. And only about 1/4 to 1/3 of that was labor,it was mostly the expensive parts.
The only real exception to this are cars that live out their lives in moderate weather like Southern California. If the car sees extremes of heat or cold and less than stellar roads, moderate to high mileage repairs are going to be $$$$$.

And let me give you this advice too about year while we're at it.
1997-99 is basically the same car.
2000-2004 is basically the same car.
2005-2008 is basically the same car.
2009-2011 is basically the same car.
2012-2014 is basically the same car.

Once you've decided between S model or base, look for a specimen with the lowest mileage in each of those productions. Extra points for HID (a.k.a. Litronics , a $2K option), 18" factory wheels ($2K option not including tires), hardtop ($1400-1,800), a new canvas top with glass ($1500 upgrade) and GT3 aero bits ($1K bumper, maybe $800 for side skirting). The most important upgrade? A new IMS bearing: $3K including clutch (2000-2004 cars) and water pump (all cars) $1k at shop rates including labor. Water pump should be replaced every 4-5 years regardless of mileage to prevent head cracking or disintegration of the plastic water pump blades into the engine, both MAJOR EXPENSES avoided by simply spending $1k, much less if its DIY. That IMS bearing should be replaced as a first order of business on any 2000-2004 car that you are a) unsure about either oil change frequency or b) the driving habits: frequent drives good, the longer the better... Infrequent driving consisting of short trips (less than 30 minutes driving) not good. And I would NOT wait for the clutch to wear out. That's not a gamble worth being wrong about just to defer a $3k expense you'll be doing one way or another. Get it done, enjoy the car.
And definitely get a PPI inspection that includes a compression and leak down test -- If the cooling system was not looked after, you don't want that car.

[KRAM36]

Personally I would avoid low mileage garage queens. Those are the cars that sit and let oil soak into the IMSB and they are the ones that tend to have issues with failing IMSB. The IMSB failure rate is very low and blown out of proportion IMO.

I bought my whole car for less then Perfectlap has in repair cost. I think he bought a lemon.

After 116k miles I have had to replace water pump, ignition coils and the turn signal stalk broke (while my daughter was driving it). Keep up on the maintenance side and your good.

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by KRAM36

Personally I would avoid low mileage garage queens. Those are the cars that sit and let oil soak into the IMSB and they are the ones that tend to have issues with failing IMSB. The IMSB failure rate is very low and blown out of proportion IMO.

I bought my whole car for less then Perfectlap has in repair cost. I think he bought a lemon.

After 116k miles I have had to replace water pump, ignition coils and the turn signal stalk broke (while my daughter was driving it). Keep up on the maintenance side and your good.

1. The IMSB failure rate has never been determined by either Porsche or anyone else. Nor is determined that it's static, it may well go up with higher mileage and IMSB's that were never addressed. On the other hand, I agree that the talk about the IMSB has been moved from what should be a simple matter of addressing a known weak spot into something far more emotional. One blogger (Dutch Mandel) even penned an article about the issue while deliberately leaving out the fact that there's been a highly effective treatment for this known weak spot for many years. Predictably, the comments section of that article were full of people saying they would never buy this car because of the IMSB.

2. All water-cooled Porsches given enough miles in cold or extreme weather will eventually require more in maintenance and repairs than their used purchase prices.
Universal truth #1: the costs of repairs do not scale down with age. Since there is over-supply of water-cooled cars these repair costs and the purchase prices are heading in opposite trajectories. It's true of all Porsches that meet these criteria. A $60-$70K car does not stop being a $60-$70K car at the service department the higher the odometer rolls. Also, to your comment, a car that had one repair under $500 (even at dealership pricing) over its first 10 years and ~70k miles is NOT a lemon. A car that subsequently required $15K over its next four years is simply an old German sports car like so many others requiring over-priced parts and specialized labor. Between a full suspension overhaul, the clutch/IMS, water pump and AOS, you can easily exceed the purchase price of moderate to high mileage Boxster and none of these are uncommon repairs for that kind of mileage. Nor is it uncommon to have to do all of them by 100K miles. Yours too will be there if you drive it enough. As they say with these cars, you can pay now (up front), you can pay later but in the end you will pay.

[woodsman]

TO THE op: I suggest you pay attention to a poster's join-date (somewhat indicative of length of ownership) while considering their advice.
As for me, after 5 years of Porsche ownership I wish I bought newer-- '09 for instance which has a new engine design that I ASSUME is more durable. Generally speaking the best value with cars is in those after a 'mid-model' refresh. This because of needed improvements and increased content. The more effort you put into your search the better the end result will be. I looked for almost 2 years and ended up buying a highly optioned car in a rare and gorgeous colour for the same price as the less special versions in my area.

[Chuck W.]

Originally Posted by woodsman

As for me, after 5 years of Porsche ownership I wish I bought newer-- '09 for instance which has a new engine design that I ASSUME is more durable.

For me, not so much. I prefer the look and lines of the 986. However, I do agree the 2009 engine is more robust and would like to have that!

I ordered my car new in 2001 and hand picked the options. There is not one option I wish I had gotten. The sports seats would have been nice, but they weren't available with the Comfort Package.

For me the must have options are;

S Model
PSM
Heated Seats
Sports Touring Package (Wind Stop, Sound System, Cruise Control, Alarm System, CD Radio, On-Board Computer)
Xenon Lights

If I was buying new I would look for the best optioned 986 for your taste. You can add on certain options like an '03 or '04 top, Aluminum pieces, Xenon lights and so forth. Others would be cost prohibitive like PSM.

My factory ordered options;

Comfort Package $2,090
Seats with electrical height, length and backrest adjustment, left and right; driver’s side memory function and adjustable lumbar support, left and right.

Self-Dimming Mirrors and Rain Sensor $690

Heated Front Seats Package $400

Sports Touring Package $2870
Wind Stop, Sound System, Cruise Control, Alarm System, CD Radio, On-Board Computer

Headlight Washers $225

Wheel Caps with Colored Crest $170

Porsche Stability Management $1215

Xenon Headlights $1070

Black Floor Mats $92

Porsche Crest in Headrest $210

[alimar]

When I was looking these were my requirements:

- 1> Glass rear window. I wanted clear, no yellow or cracking worries. This dictated that I buy a 2003 or higher. And i've since learned that dropping the top with a plastic windows requires getting out and doing a karate chop thing on the window to help it fold into place... no thanks...

- 2> S. I absolutely wanted the extra ponies. Whoever says less is more can do less with less all day long. I'll take more. I drove a 2005 base, was NOT impressed. Bought the 2003S and feel it could outrun the 05 base any day of the week...

- 3> Manual trans - simply can't take electronics and or valves figuring out when I want to change things up - and automatics just can't shift that fast (not without mods - and now with PDK, that's a different story too)

- 4> Fairly low milage. Figured with low miles it was stored a lot during winters (only matters where there's snow/salt)

- 5> The right price.

- 6> No accidents (as best as one can determine)

- 7> A successful test ride, good handling, no weird noises, smooth power, etc...


After nearly 5 years of ownership i've learned a ton and would absolutely NOT be worried about buying the car even with questionable IMS bearing history. Having a PPI is required especially if you're new to Porsche. Knowing what I know now I would absolutely require cam deviation angle inspection and can actually do this myself now after having bought into a Durametric. Is it well within +/-6 AND most importantly, not deviating all over the place as RPM rises and falls? If solid and within spec, i think it's a good bet that the IMS is in good shape.

Also since buying, other things I've found that are and or would be nice are:
- Litrnonics - i have them and have experienced the others. Lit's are much brighter, really nice.
- Sport exhaust (can be added at roughly $4K if bought new)
- Wind stop (can be added after the fact if desired - keeps the cockpit a bit quieter)
- Cruise (can be added after the fact with new stalk, some wiring and a Durametric to turn it on)
- OBC (can also be added after the fact with a new stalk, some wiring and a Durametric)
- Extra set of wheels might be nice
- Power seats would be cool for resetting to my settings after someone else drives it.

Heated seats, stereo/CD were not important to me and while it would have been nice to have cruise, OBC and some of the other things i mentioned, i could do without them and did until buying the stalk and wiring it all up.

For the most part these are really easy to work on and maintain. Keeping good eye on maintenance and listening to the cars warning signs will get you a long happy way in one of these Boxsters. And if you're technically and mechanically inclined, all the better as you'll save a bunch doing mods and maintenance. These boosters are a beautiful thing! And as someone else posted, get the newest and best example you can afford.

Good luck on your search!

[KRAM36]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

1. The IMSB failure rate has never been determined by either Porsche or anyone else. Nor is determined that it's static, it may well go up with higher mileage and IMSB's that were never addressed. On the other hand, I agree that the talk about the IMSB has been moved from what should be a simple matter of addressing a known weak spot into something far more emotional. One blogger (Dutch Mandel) even penned an article about the issue while deliberately leaving out the fact that there's been a highly effective treatment for this known weak spot for many years. Predictably, the comments section of that article were full of people saying they would never buy this car because of the IMSB.

2. All water-cooled Porsches given enough miles in cold or extreme weather will eventually require more in maintenance and repairs than their used purchase prices.
Universal truth #1: the costs of repairs do not scale down with age. Since there is over-supply of water-cooled cars these repair costs and the purchase prices are heading in opposite trajectories. It's true of all Porsches that meet these criteria. A $60-$70K car does not stop being a $60-$70K car at the service department the higher the odometer rolls. Also, to your comment, a car that had one repair under $500 (even at dealership pricing) over its first 10 years and ~70k miles is NOT a lemon. A car that subsequently required $15K over its next four years is simply an old German sports car like so many others requiring over-priced parts and specialized labor. Between a full suspension overhaul, the clutch/IMS, water pump and AOS, you can easily exceed the purchase price of moderate to high mileage Boxster and none of these are uncommon repairs for that kind of mileage. Nor is it uncommon to have to do all of them by 100K miles. Yours too will be there if you drive it enough. As they say with these cars, you can pay now (up front), you can pay later but in the end you will pay.

My Boxster is a daily driver. Right now it's my only car.

Looks like you don't do the work on your car, no wonder the cost are so high. Nobody touches my car. I do all the work on it except body shop stuff and a IMS Retrofit.

A complete suspension overhaul kit from Pelican is $1863.00.

Pelican Parts - European Automotive Parts and Accessories - Porsche • BMW • Mercedes • Volkswagen • Audi • Saab • Volvo • MINI

Add a ROW M030 Suspension kit and you can eliminate parts of that kit and bring it down to $1775.00.

Boxster Euro Suspension Kit (ROW M030) although not needed I want it. $1,495.00

http://www.****************************************************.com/product/ROWKITS.html

The cost quoted to me on a IMS Retrofit was $4,000 since I have the Tiptronic trans it is higher. That I would have to let a shop do. My last oil change my filter was clean of any debris, none, zero, nada. I also have a magnetic drain plug, nothing stuck to it. The IMS Retrofit isn't even on my radar.

This is nowhere close to $15k. I don't know how you spent $15k on your car unless you're including mods that you have done.

[Giller]

Originally Posted by KRAM36

My Boxster is a daily driver. Right now it's my only car.

Looks like you don't do the work on your car, no wonder the cost are so high. Nobody touches my car. I do all the work on it except body shop stuff and a IMS Retrofit.

A complete suspension overhaul kit from Pelican is $1863.00.

Pelican Parts - European Automotive Parts and Accessories - Porsche • BMW • Mercedes • Volkswagen • Audi • Saab • Volvo • MINI

Add a ROW M030 Suspension kit and you can eliminate parts of that kit and bring it down to $1775.00.

Boxster Euro Suspension Kit (ROW M030) although not needed I want it. $1,495.00

Boxster Euro Suspension Kit (ROW M030):Suncoast Porsche Parts & Accessories

The cost quoted to me on a IMS Retrofit was $4,000 since I have the Tiptronic trans it is higher. That I would have to let a shop do. My last oil change my filter was clean of any debris, none, zero, nada. I also have a magnetic drain plug, nothing stuck to it. The IMS Retrofit isn't even on my radar.

This is nowhere close to $15k. I don't know how you spent $15k on your car unless you're including mods that you have done.

I can very easily see spending at least $2000 per year in upkeep. Cars this age need lots of TLC. Doing your own work certainly helps, but for many of us that isn't an option. If you've had the car 5-6 years, could easily climb into the $10-15000 range. IMS, AOS, RMS, Clutch, suspension, water pump, coolant tank, oil changes, fluid flushes.....

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by Giller

I can very easily see spending at least $2000 per year in upkeep. Cars this age need lots of TLC. Doing your own work certainly helps, but for many of us that isn't an option. If you've had the car 5-6 years, could easily climb into the $10-15000 range. IMS, AOS, RMS, Clutch, suspension, water pump, coolant tank, oil changes, fluid flushes.....

Bingo. The cost of parts alone can exceed the purchase price of a moderate to high mileage Boxster (or 996). In my experience labor was about a 25-33% of the total out-of-pocket layout for major maintenance. These different "systems" (cooling, emissions, etc.) seem to let go in go waves. Perhaps they were built up to only last x amount of time or mileage to put a lid on Porsche's production costs, but when one thing goes its not long before another chain in the link is knocking on the door. And as you point out Giller all those 'other' items are very common repairs for 80-100K Boxster.
Also, the cost of DIY is certainly NOT free. You have to have a) the tools, b) the space to work and c) the time.... none of those are free just because you didn't pay the mechanic. You have to weigh if its cheaper for the pro to do it or if you're a suburban guy with a 9-5 and free weekends in which case, why not. But don't think that's going to make owning these cars long-term a cheap proposition. The "big waves" of long-term ownership come with every model of Porsche either water-cooled or air-cooled.

[KRAM36]

Originally Posted by Giller

I can very easily see spending at least $2000 per year in upkeep. Cars this age need lots of TLC. Doing your own work certainly helps, but for many of us that isn't an option. If you've had the car 5-6 years, could easily climb into the $10-15000 range. IMS, AOS, RMS, Clutch, suspension, water pump, coolant tank, oil changes, fluid flushes.....

Upkeep? Like including regular maintenance on a daily driver? He spent $3,750 a year in 4 years. I have a high mileage car and have not gone anywhere near that in cost. I had to replace the water pump ($250), coils (got for $65 shipped). My turn signal broke, so I went all in with a 4 stalk replacement, including the wire harness Pdwight makes for us to do this I spent $245.

Maybe I'm just lucky.

[itsnotanova]

I have to give one bonus for the 97-99 cars over the 2000-04. The interior plastics on the 97-99 boxsters don't have that film over them that scratches if you brush up against it wrong. 97-99 interior is much more durable.
Of course bigger brakes, cooling,engine and transmission on the S trumps the 97-99 interior for me.