I am wanting to buy a car and needing advice

[NewArt]

An S model will tack a premium price on a prospective purchase. I think it depends on your preferences in a car. Personally, I wouldn't consider a base model, but then I track my car and am always looking for ways to go faster! The base model however, can give a great deal of weekend driving enjoyment and save you a chunk of change which can be used to fix the thing when it breaks (and it will!). There is probably a better selection of base models on the market than S models but on resale, you will get more traffic and a better price with the S.
It's your move.

[Brian in Tucson]

Good first stop, Josh. Welcome.

I bought a very forlorn 2001 Boxster base last summer. Cheap, $3200 us$.

But the saying goes, "There's no such thing as a cheap Porsche." I knew there were problems, the seats had been eaten by the sun, the top was worn and windowless, the power windows didn't work, the coolant tank leaked, the top electrics didn't work, it (the top) had been converted to manual, and it was dirty beyond belief.

As I got into it, I found that struts were blown, the cv joint boots were torn, the engine leaked coolant and oil & smoked & smelled awful.

The good: well it drives awfully nice. And it keeps my mind sharp (these things are not easy to work on.)

Currently, it's sitting in the carport on jackstands. Engine has been replaced with one that doesn't/won't leak oil, with a later style IMS--the engine was factory remanufactured after 2005. I've looked at the usual indicators of its life, no corrosion in the cooling system parts, the oil filter was clean, and the oil was a lovely amber color.

Oh, and I had the weathered, oxidized, peeling clear coat paint repainted---from silver to red.

Why, you may be asking, is Brian telling me all this?

First, there really is no such thing as a cheap Porsche. It's either been neglected or abused. Neither is good.

Second, my experience will inform you of possible problems. Spring for the Pre Purchase inspection. Please.

Third, if you've worked on other cars, the Boxster is probably unlike anything you've ever worked on. Not terribly difficult, but for a newbie like me everything is a puzzle. Nothing is terribly straightforward, but there's lots of Youtube, and the Porsche fixers are a willing lot, they like to share, and they know their beans.

Again, welcome and good hunting! Bag a good one!

[78F350]

Lots of people post the same question and the most common answers contain:
"Buy the best maintained, newest S model you can afford, and have a PPI done."
"The least expensive Porsche you buy will be the most expensive car..."

In concept, I understand and agree with them, but the question that you need to answer is "Who are you, and why do you want the car?"

I have more than one Boxster, but my daily driver is a 1999 with the Tiptronic transmission. With basic care, it is a great car for it's age; it's comfortable, reasonably economical, fun to drive, and it's a Porsche. While there are many enthusiasts in online forums discussing modifications and the best oil, there are also many thousands of owners who just drive them. Happily.

The following threads give another perspective on Boxster ownership from Retroman1969. He bought a 1999 Tiptronic Boxster with the intention of putting a lot of miles on it as a daily driver. Over two years he put more than 50,000 miles on it and chronicled the problems and work that he had done to it:
http://986forum.com/forums/boxster-general-discussions/54957-bought-beater-boxster.html
http://986forum.com/forums/boxster-general-discussions/59827-hyper-daily-driver-one-year-later.html
http://986forum.com/forums/boxster-general-discussions/61228-big-test-repairs-long-route-66-ghost-town-trip.html

...there's more if you search for Retroman1969's posts. When the car "died", I bought it from him and did some maintenance and minor repairs (A few hundred $ in parts and my own labor). I put another 1,500 miles on it, kept the brand new top, and sold the car for about $1,000 more than I paid for it. I recently saw the car for sale again for about twice what I sold it for.

The S model is a great enthusiast's car, but for a reliable and affordable Porsche, I'd consider a 1999 base model.