potential canadian buyer wants advice
 

I came across a '98 Boxster with 140,000km. When I test drove it today, I think that the car is shaking a little bit when the engine is idle (but it seems to drive/rev fine otherwise). Is it normal? Should I be concerned?

The condition is not mint, with some usual wear on seats/carpet and some scrathes/dents here/there that would be expected from an 8-year old car. Owner is asking for ~cdn$20,000 (which is a few thousands dollars less than some typical '97-'99 here in Canada with about 7-80,000km). Is it worth it?

I have another daily driver so it's going to be my 2nd car and likely weekend cruiser only, but I don't want to get a 'money pit' either. How much should I expect to spend on maintaining a relatively high mileage Boxster like this one?

Thanks for help and sorry if similar questions have been asked million times... (Too lazy to search)

We always recommend a pre-purchase inspection on ANY used Porsche. Prefer that a Porsche service shop do this.

Expect to pay about $220 US for this, but it will likely save you thousands.

Do a search on buying here and you will get tons of good info.

Good luck.

I have a 98 Box which I bought last year with 112K on it. Do not buy the car under any circumstances without taking it to a reputable shop or Porsche for a full pre-purchase inspection - which must include plugging the car into their computer. You will then get a full read-out of all fault codes (if any) and you will then be able to adjust the price based upon the work involved.

I love my car - but boy - if I knew then what I know now............................

Do your homework and good luck!

PS - If I had to do it over - I would definately buy a low mileage car and pay a few bucks more!
AK

Sorry Ant - one more thing - if you want a referral to a superb shop in TO, let me know.
AK

Thanks everyone. Yeah, I do plan to take it to a mechanic to do a thorough inspection before confirming the deal...

Akpud, yeah, if you don't mind, can you forward me info about a good shop?

I am planning to take it to my mechanic to do an inspection but I need to call them on Monday to see whether they are equipped to inspect Porsche. They specialize in European cars like BMW and Benz but I am not sure if they are experts in Porsche or not. So, I may need your shop (or call up an offical Porsche shop like Pfaff) as a backup if I don't trust them being able to handle Porsche...

Thanks

Yeah, you definately want a Porsche mechanic - preferably a dealer. I bought my '99 at a MB/BMW place and they admitted they couldn't work on Porsches.

Personally, I would pass on this vehicle. You stated that it dings/scratches normal for an 8 year old car. Maybe for most cars - but given how most people treat their Porsches on this forum, I'm leary of any vehicle that isn't in significantly better shape than (for it's age) than a similar non-P car. My Box is 7 years old with no dings, 2 rock chips, and one surface scratch (haven't buffed it out yet). Granted, for the miles you can expect more damage. There are just so many Boxsters out there with low miles at reasonable asking prices.

Just whatever you do - check out some other Boxsters before you buy. I think you'll be surprised at how much more you can get with little or no more money.

As to the "shaking" at idle - it may just be set a bit low. I know that when mine is idling properly it actually feels like it's not running....

I agree with Denverpete. You'd be surprised at how many cars there are out there if you just look for a bit. And don't do the pre-purch anywhere except somewhere they can plug it in to the diagnostic software.

I'll send you a PM on the shop in TO.
AK

I also think you should look for another car. When I was searching for one, every car I saw with the exception of 2 were in pristine condition (interior/exterior). The 2 that had scratches, major dings, torn leather also had mechanical problems. What was the idle RPM, if it was normal then you would need to worry about the shaking. In any event I would be concerned about the owner who would drive car with the engine shaking at idle. What other maintenance did they fail to do, or what other problems with the car did they fail to repair and now has become a bigger issue.

When I bought my car the mechanic who looked at it advised me that based on the problems with the car he cautioned me about other hidden issues because he felt the car was not cared for. As it turned out I was able to contact the previous owner, get the history. With that information the mechanic gave me the ok to buy it.

Rob

Indeed. Plenty of good Boxster inventory.

Be patient!

Thanks for all the inputs.

Yeah, I've decided to pass on this one. I wasn't really planning to get one until later this year anyway -- it just happens that this owner, one of my friend's friend (whom I don't really know well), was leaving the country and selling this....

Hey Ant - did you get my PM about the shop in Toronto?
AK