Buying 99 Boxster - Concerns?
 

Hey everyone, currently in the market for an early model 986 and found one for $7500 w/ 75k miles. Current owner says he's selling it since he's leaving the country and it seems like a good price given the condition.

My concern is I ran a CarFax on it and it indicates an accident in 2015.

"Accident reported
Involving right side impact
Damage to right rear
Moderate damage reported
Airbags did not deploy"

Buyer was up front about it before I ran the VIN and said it was from some (and I'm quoting) "Indians that charged almost $9000 for a gas pump computer". Indicating it was no accident with any other car, but rather someone charging his insurance company.

I asked for any of the receipts/documentation regarding the incident and am not sure exactly how what he indicated could be related to the carfax report.

Again, the car does look in great shape inside and out and I would get a PPI done prior, but was curious if anyone had any opinions before I make a 3 hour drive to see more in person.

Thanks.

I'm remote, so I can't do the search, but there was a recent thread on this forum about this sort of thing, and how important it is to the value of the vehicle.
My personal opinion, is that it's not.
If it drives well, has been repaired professionally, in other words you wouldn't even know it had ever happened without looking at the Carfax, then it doesn't impact the value of this vehicle whatsoever.
This is not a collectible car, where future investors are going to care what shows up on the Carfax. Obviously, a branded title is different. But simple damage reported on the Carfax, but not visible in any other way, is nothing to worry about on this car.

For whatever it's worth, (and I realize that's not much) I would be more put-off by this guy's obviously racist jab. Personally, I don't do business, personally or professionally, with people who think that's okay.
But that's just me.
I would have a hard time loving a car, being emotionally attached to it, knowing it had once been in those hands.


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I would keep looking, there are better cars out there in that price range.

So was the seller the owner of the car when it had the "accident".

I prefer to buy from an owner and to know and verify the seller's motivation for selling.

I once had a guy buy a Boxster from me without even driving it. After we inked the contract, I asked him why he did that. His answer was he was in the business of reading people's body language and expressions. And he could tell more from how I spoke about the car than any paper records about how it had been cared for.

My two Boxster buys were the first from a lady who needed space in her 4 car garage for her Hummer now that she had 3 kids and the second was in the winter and an outdoor sales person needed a 4 person winter friendly car due to a job change.

I've driven 270 miles to save $3k on a new car. 50 miles to buy a Boxster. But I'd want a lot of information before I drove many miles to buy this one. And with the attitude on the other end, I'd want the meet to be on very safe territory, like a police station parking lot.

I bought a 2008 Nissan 350Z from a used car dealer in San Diego 9 years ago and had it shipped here in Canada without seeing and just talking to the salesman and I could tell the person was honest and when the car got here it was just like he called it. No regrets on buying it I just miss it. The Porsche was the same I bought it from a gentleman in Paris Ontario, hopped on the train he met me at the station took me to his house where the car was and then I drove it back home some four hundred kilometers and never had a PPI or any other checkup done on it. I got the Carfax from the seller and just talking to him was enough.

^^ I'm with Paul. ^^

Too many non-accident cars available to take any risk unless there is a discount.

You were lucky. Good for you.

I got screwed doing the exact same thing. The seller was nice. He seemed incredibly honest. He was upfront about everything. So I believed him and bought the car.

Then I spent $2,000 repairing all of the things that weren't working and which he had to know weren't working when he sold me the car. He literally lied through his teeth and smiled the whole time.

I learned a lesson the hard $$$$ way. Don't be me.

Sorry
 

I'm sorry you got screwed over, but I still think there are good people in the world.