Potential 2002 Boxster Purchase

[abranovi]

Comments post test drive:

1. The clutch had just been replaced, but it felt strange to me- it was as if the pedal was sticky- it squeaked a bit (the pedal) and the clutch seemed to take up at the end of the pedal travel.

2. While the 2.7 cars may be faster on paper, it felt slower to me because of the incredibly long gearing- I think 2nd goes to 70mph+... So essentially you aren't in the power band until you're speeding--- I didn't find that very ideal in comparison to the 2.5's gearing

3. I found the 2.7 to be significantly less visceral of an experience in comparison to the 2.5. I would attribute this to the gearing & sound- the 2.5 seemed loud to me (in a good way) all the time, while the 2.7 wasn't making any noise below 4-5k

4. The shifter was not as crisp as other boxsters I've driven. It had more "slop", and was a little bit sticky in between the left side and center of neutral.

5. The owner just replaced the front motor mount, but it felt like there was still some movement in the drivetrain- particularly when shifting or getting on and off the gas. I didn't notice this in other boxsters I drove-- could it be the trans mounts??

6. There was some vibration through the steering wheel on the highway, and it seemed to wander a bit. It felt like when my car had bad ball joints.

Otherwise the car felt good, the engine ran very well & it was incredibly clean both on the inside and exterior. The interior is such an upgrade in comparison to the early cars.

Even considering that though, I think that I enjoyed driving the early cars more.

[steved0x]

Originally Posted by abranovi

4. The shifter was not as crisp as other boxsters I've driven. It had more "slop", and was a little bit sticky in between the left side and center of neutral.

This is an interesting comment - I had the same experience back in 2012 when I was test driving Boxsters. I only drove a handful, but by far the best shifting of them was a 99 2.5 Boxster 5 speed - it shifted like butter, every gear change was silky smooth. The 2001 2.7 5 speed I drove was different, not nearly as smooth, still good but in comparison not as smooth. It had a lot more power than the 2.5. The 2000S that I ended up getting had the worst shifting of them all (still not bad, but relatively speaking) but that resolved with a gear oil change and upgrading to a 9x7 shifter. When I took the old shifter out it looked like a dog had chewed some of the rubber pieces which I believe were binding up.

[abranovi]

Originally Posted by steved0x

This is an interesting comment - I had the same experience back in 2012 when I was test driving Boxsters. I only drove a handful, but by far the best shifting of them was a 99 2.5 Boxster 5 speed - it shifted like butter, every gear change was silky smooth. The 2001 2.7 5 speed I drove was different, not nearly as smooth, still good but in comparison not as smooth. It had a lot more power than the 2.5. The 2000S that I ended up getting had the worst shifting of them all (still not bad, but relatively speaking) but that resolved with a gear oil change and upgrading to a 9x7 shifter. When I took the old shifter out it looked like a dog had chewed some of the rubber pieces which I believe were binding up.

Okay- so I guess it would need a rebuild. What did that overhaul run you, if I might ask?