Looking to buy a 2000 Boxster

[Lew]

I am looking at a 2000 Boxster with only 32k miles. The owner, a lady has all the service records from the Porsche dealer. The car has been garage kept and looks and drives great. However never owning a Porsche, but own a VW Jetta TDI and I have the Ross Tech software and the VAG Com cable for running diagnostics to list any fault codes. I do the maintenance on my vehicle. and can do somethings I am sure to the Boxster. My question is, what is the main things I should look for on this year model? Thank for everyones input.

[dghii]

Welcome.
http://986forum.com/forums/general-discussions/14685-thinking-buying-boxster-must-read.html

[mikefocke]

All the service records? So she has records of 15 yearly oil changes at least? The 30k service was done when? The tires are what date of manufacture? When was the last brake fluid change done?

They are wonderful cars (owned 2) but this one is also ~16 years old. Some things age, other wear out. Don't fall in love with the low mileage.

Make sure you have some cash after the buy even though you can do lots of the routine maintenance.

[fanguy]

Mike is spot on, low miles can get one to overlook the fact, hoses, relays, micro switches, vacuum hoses, mounts and a mayrid of stuff is 16 close to 17 years old. PPI from a local Porsche indie with a good Rep. A good one will pull oil pan and cut open oil filter. It may very well be a great fine.

If you go on the Porsche Clubs of America PCA web sitie, find your region, look at their news letter and get names & numbers of local owners who can let you know of a good shop(s) in the area, good palce to start.

Wish you the best.

[Gelbster]

This Boxster will be a very different experience to a Jetta TDI !
Cryptically, I suggest you keep the Jetta if you buy the Boxster. Is it an "S" ? I ask because there is a significant difference in value between a base and a fully optioned S

[Lew]

Gelbster,
It is not the "S" model. As for my Jetta TDI, I will be letting it go back to VW of America this month. It's absolutely ashame about the VW diesels. It's all political in my opinion. As for the Boxster I am interested in, I remember the owner mentioned new tires were installed last year. The first thing I thought about was the age of the car. I know hoses and other mentions from FANGUY are very important. This lady owner has taken very good care of the vehicle as one can see. However the heart of the vehicle is the engine and transmission. One of my concerns is the IMS bearing I read about. I have a Nissan Truck and it has 318k miles on it, and the reason it has not give up the engine is because of good oil and timely filter changes. We all want a good paint job and their is only one thing about the paint on this car. It has spider webbing from improper washing, most likely from the car wash. There are no dings in the bosy or rock chips in the paint. I am reading all the information DGHIL posted and plan on talking to the Dealer about the vehicle and what they can tell me about her vehicle. Again thanks to all for helping.

[mfm22]

as the others mentioned - be prepared for some repairs / replacements - it's 16 yrs old .

I just bought an '02 from the original owner - I'm loving the car ! so well engineered & beautiful lines - it just sticks to the road and begs to be driven

That being said - I had to tune up plugs , tubes & filters . front brakes rotors & pads
no big deal changed the oil & gear oil - flushed brake lines as well just maintenance
stuff that does get neglected - it all adds up

Tires , all the 986 's I looked at [ 7or 8 ] needed tires ! not always due to wear mostly due to age - looked at one car that had 13 year old tires .
the one I bought had one pair that was 10 yr old the other was 6 yr old - good tread left

the IMS issue is out there as well - I'm not sure when / if I'll have it done - it's become a "cottage ' industry so to speak . the manufacturers of the bearings and the shops doing install - pretty profitable overall

Bottom line - buy with your head not your heart !
Price ,price ,price do not overpay

[thstone]

My advice;

Get a professional pre-purchase inspection (PPI).
Get a professional pre-purchase inspection (PPI).
Get a professional pre-purchase inspection (PPI).

Yes, I said it three times just in case you considered ignoring it. It will be the best $300 you ever spend.

[morgal48]

After looking for a 987 for six months I stumbled on a 2000 "S" that came home with me. Second owner was selling after two years to buy a 944 turbo to race. Original owner drove 27k in 12 years. 2nd owner drove 8k in two years; and replaced IMS, RMS, plugs, tubes, oil, brake fluid, tires, AOS, and more - maybe $6k in all. During my two years it has a new motor mount and xmission mounts, water pump, trunk and frunk struts and speakers all around, along with other little things I can't not do. My contribution has been about $4k. I have all receipts (I think, based on mileage and date intervals from service records) from day 1, including window sticker, all manuals, radio code card (and both radio code stickers), and the Porsche sunglasses case that came in the owners manual binder. Documented, low mileage cars do exist. That said, the past four years - from 27k miles to 42k miles - has included over$10k in maintenance.

[Gelbster]

Originally Posted by thstone

My advice;

Get a professional pre-purchase inspection (PPI).
Get a professional pre-purchase inspection (PPI).
Get a professional pre-purchase inspection (PPI).

Yes, I said it three times just in case you considered ignoring it. It will be the best $300 you ever spend.

And I'll say this once:
Ask here for a recommendation for a competent Indie to do the PPI. The Dealer is not really interested in a PPI on a 20 year old car.

[DrCactus]

Write a cheque and enjoy.... 32K miles is about the time a lot of things start to need replacing and changing. Regardless, check the PPI see what it says and make sure no MAJOR issues. Just like any used car really - How much is she asking for it?

[Lew]

I absolutely agree the PPI is the thing to do. I live in SE Georgia and looked for a Independent Shop in nearby in Jacksonville FL. I see two in the Jacksonville area, and the one I called first was "Technical Dimensions. I talked to Seth and he was very informative on what they do at the shop. I was very impressed to hear what all they do in the three hour PPI. He mentioned first they look over the body for any paint repairs, and if any wreckage that may have occurred. I am familiar with changing the brake fluid on my Jetta every two years, and he mentioned part of the PPI is they use the hydrometer to check the brake fluid for water, etc. He went on for at least 10 min on what all they cover for $350. The reviews I read looked good. Seth said you will not find a better PPI in the country. Seth wanted to know the mileage, which is 32k, and he said most likely the car would need a clutch around 45K. I certainly agree a good and complete PPI like this shop does is money well spent. I know they want to do a good job on the PPI, because future service is what they really want.

Lew

Here is their Web Site: Technical Dimensions
Sent from my Desktop

[Gelbster]

Let's hear the price before we give more "advice" ?

[Lew]

The Lady is wanting 15k for the vehicle, which I think is to much.

[Gelbster]

Lew,
You are correct. But forget Blue book,Nada, and opinions. Just check EBay "Sold Listings".
Use the year range 1999-2002.
If it is a Base 2.7L it is way,way overpriced.
This will give you an idea for year 2000 for all Boxster flavors
2000 Porsche Boxster in Boxster | eBay

[Lew]

There is a big difference in price of 15k the lady is asking. Most on Ebay under "sold listings" are under 10k, and some under 5k.

I might make a 10k offer. If my offer is accepted, it will only stand if a PPI is good and nothing major is found.

[Gelbster]

Just remind the Seller(gently) that it is a 17 year old version of a not-very-sought-after model Porsche. If it had been an air-cooled Porsche it would be a different story.

[DrCactus]

I totally agree with Gel on this one, that price is absolutely too high and not just by a little but ALOT... I would even offer under 10K because you know she will come back higher... by the time that process is done you will still be over paying PLUS I just noticed that's American Dollars so even worse on price point. You will end up paying the price of what a 2001-2002 Model S car should really cost. It really sounds like you WANT a car real bad and may regret paying what you are later on.... trust me, I learned the hard way myself. However, fast forward 10 years now and I am still enjoying every speeding ticket I get.... hahaha Good Luck !

[Need_for_speed]

Welcome Lew!
Just as a point of reference for price, I purchased my 2000 base 986 back in January for $10k. It had 67,000 miles. It was in excellent condition, always garaged, California car with all service records. I had been shopping for quite some time and had looked at a total of 3 cars: a 2002 S for $12.8k, a 1998 for $9K, and a 1997 for $14K. That last one was hugely overpriced. I offered him $12K since it had a new top, but he declined. I just helped a buddy buy a 2000 S model for $12K.
As others have pointed out, prices are all over the place on these cars. Emotions play a big role. Keep in mind that when these cars show up for auction here in New England, they generally go for $6-8k, depending on condition.
Since I bought the car, I have put around $8k into her: IMS, clutch/RMS, plugs and tubes, AOS, wheel bearings (the rears were shot), water pump, idler pulley, fuel filter, chain tensioners, drive belt, and just about anything else that was rubber or plastic. I would expect your potential purchase will need the same.
These are wonderful cars and exert a mystical hold on you once you drive them. Good luck!

[Lew]

There is one thing I am not going to do is be in a rush to buy. In a earlier message I mentioned my Jetta VW TDI is being returned to a Dealer because it's in the Buyback program because of their emission cheat. I could buy a new Boxster with a down payment for what I am getting for my VW Jetta. That's 20k VW is to pay me, but I just don't want to spend that much money at this time. I have been looking at some other Boxsters at Porsche Dealers via the net, and on Ebay, etc. There is a Boxster out there for me, and since I will not have my Jetta, I will be driving my little truck until I find one. If anyone that has offered up advise, I would appreciate showing me a Boxster ad that interest you, just list the internet URL address to the car and I will take a look. Thanks again for everyone's replies.

Lew