Downsides to low mileage '04?
 

Hi all,

I'm looking at a very low mileage (under 15k) 2004, non S. What should I look out for, or do for a car like this?

Thanks!

IMS bearing is prone to failure on cars of this year that don't get many miles put on them.

good luck.

Tony

Tires
 

My only concern would be the tires. If they are original you might consider replacing them. Buy the car and drive it like you stole it (after you have a good set of tires on it)! Post some pictures and enjoy!!

I bought my car with 38 000 km on it no problems with the ims

Thanks! The IMS has already been addressed, and I'll ask about the tires. I imagine they are original, but will find out.

RMS might be a bigger issue. Check for oil drips where the trans and engine meet. Good chance the RMS will wear out from non-use.

This is one of the craziest cars I've ever owned. It breaks if you don't drive it lol.

I can honestly say my cars runs/feels better the more I drive it. It barely ever feels rough but the only time it does is when it has been sitting for a long period of time.

I bought my 2004 S last June with only 16,000. No problems to this point and it now has almost 29,000.

I'm going to fetch this tomorrow. Pics as soon as it has happened!

Awesome, can't wait to see it.

I just got her home! She's fantastic. Midnight blue metallic. 13k miles. PSM, full leather, xenons, heated seats, windbreak, great stereo upgrades.. Could not be happier! Pics tomorrow, promise.

13k miles, does it still have the new car smell? lol

They always have the European smell, my 944 still has the smell

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/1QnNJFm.jpg[/IMG]

That's a real beauty. Quite a find. Would you be willing to share with us what you paid?

I might just upgrade to one of those sooner than later :)

I paid a lot, and possibly "too much." But it was exactly what I was looking for as far as options and color. Life is short! 20k. The list price in 2004 was 51k.

You know, it might have cost you more, but if the car is completely sorted out and doesn't need repairs it just might be worth it! Nothing on these cars gets fixed by an indy shop or a 'stealership' for less than $500.

Congrats.

Exactly how many miles ago was the IMS done?

p.s.
get the water pump done and make sure the coolant cap has been replaced with latest version, especially if anyone did a coolant flush recently.

Great looking car. May you be as lucky as I was.

The IMS was done approximately 1500 miles ago, along with clutch, flywheel, and magnetic drain plug.

Why change out the water pump?

Very nice and glad you got what you were looking for, perhaps even more then what you were looking for. :cheers:

don't worry about the worry worts, I bought mine with just over 38 000 km and only had to do oil changes , rear tires, cv boot and e brake micro switch in the last 3 years I now have over 72000km I also am on the original IMS and haven't had any metal bits in my filterhttp://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1429835124.jpg
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1429835160.jpg
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1429835236.jpg

Oh those headlights look sweet. I like the center caps on your wheels too. I'd like to have a set of those center caps in silver to go with black wheels, but I missed the boat on being able to buy them. Unless you know of a place to get them?

message fred, He is still doing them I believe they are around $180

Dang, yeah I already sent him a message awhile back. He isn't currently doing them and didn't really seem to be looking at doing more. I missed the boat on that one.

try message him again he is a very busy guy haha, remember teal is passenger side red is driver side ( true carrera gt style )

I did say awhile back, but it was on 04-13-2015. He responded with this.

1,500 miles and they sell the car? When was the IMS actually done?
Sometimes an owner will discover metal in the oil filter (obviously you need to cut it open and unroll) or in the oil pan and will have the IMS replaced/or upgraded without the very costly expense of taking apart the engine to clear out all of the metal debris. The IMS should only be replaced when the the only thing in the oil is oil. They quickly sell the car as having had the IMS replaced and a potential buyer thinks this can only mean good news. If plenty of mileage has elapsed since the IMS swap then it's most likely not an issue. This can be tricky to spot before purchase if the owner tries to cover his tracks and changes the oil and filter but they probably didn't bother to clean out the pan since almost no one does this before purchasing.


The water pump is a part that should be changed by calendar not mileage. Our resident engine expert who would probably love to sell you a rebuilt engine, has instead opined that if the typical owner proactively changed their water pump every four years (maybe he said five years I forget) most of the cars brought to him with blown engines would not be sitting in his lot. These engines are water-cooled, that means that anything connected to the cooling system should be looked after carefully. Hoses that may be brittle should be replaced, the plastic impeller blades in the water pump may also become brittle and can break off which requires very careful removal (obviously avoided entirely by not having a decade old water pump in there in the first place). That coolant cap should be replaced every couple of years to make sure it holds the required pressure. If the coolant cap is old and does not hold enough pressure, you can end up with with air pockets that are a potential disaster. The cap should be replaced with the most recent version (there have been a few versions), especially if the seller flushed out the coolant or topped it off with non-Porsche coolant. If the old cap was re-used after the flush, it's probably not holding enough pressure and air got back in the system which will split open the old brittle coolant tank by causing hairline fractures that eventually crack open completely spilling your $300-400 flush all over the street. Also, mixing the pink Porsche coolant with the cheap off the shelf stuff (blue or green usually) will compromise the protective additives. Some people say worrying about the cooling system is pointless, but those who work on these cars for a living say the complete opposite.

I would encourage you to get a copy of "101 Projects for your Porsche Boxster" on Amazon. It lists every common repair and maintenance item, the cost of each replacement part, the number of hours you can expect to pay a mechanic or how long it will take to DIY, and the level of skill required. Your car is obviously low mileage but you paid a premium for that and some things should be addressed if they haven't already.

Thank you for the advice, Perfetlap! I will have the water pump checked, and probably replaced.