Boxster Wannabe
 

New guy looking for a base Boxster. I joined the PCA Test Drive and will be looking through The Mart. I am located in Northern Virginia in case anyone here knows of a good car. My wife wants to drive it so a Tiptronic is preferred. No need to sell me on the 5-speed; having raced Spec Miatas I love the shifting, but the deal is I need an auto.

Not afraid of a 90-100k mile car with decent service records. I found a few candidates but have yet to look. I assume $6-7k for a 1999-ish 100k miler is a fair deal?

I have built numerous cars so I'm not afraid to wrench on them. Is it practical to think I could drop the tranny (Tiptronic) myself to do an IMS/RMS service? Or if a 5-speed, DIY the IMS/RMS/Clutch?
I'm not averse to paying for professional help, but my joy of owning a car comes from the maintenance.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

There are plenty of youtube videos on dropping the tranny and doing the clutch and/or the IMS. I have a tiptronic for the exact same reason you need one. I came to the conclusion not to worry about the IMS, because the failure rate is relatively low, and price for used motors is low enough that the cost ratio of the IMS replacement "insurance" to a replacement motor is too low.

Regarding prices, it pretty much varies by region, but if you can get one for 6-7k I think you'll do pretty well for yourself. But of course, do your due diligence.

Good luck in your search!

Seems like the Tiptronic prices are quite a bit lower than the 5 speed. Whenever I was pricing around and seen a really good deal, it was a auto with low miles. I wanted a manual so would pass. Seems like the Auto's were more a weekend out with the wife, kinda car. Not a slamming gears and screaming around corners kinda car.

Thanks. Yep, this car will be a weekend cruiser with the wife. I’ve done enough gear slamming (and repairing). I’m brave enough to tackle a 5-speed rebuild but not an automatic so I’m trying to weigh in the cost of a tranny repair as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes, that range is fair. Maybe a bit more for a well cared one owner car with maintenance records, maybe a bit less for a car with three or four previous owners and looking worn.


Given the information that you provided, you definitely should be able to do this work yourself.

Yeah that seems a fare price....As you can see from my info below about my car I just paid $10,000 for it and it spent its entire life in TX then I bought it from a dealer in IL that bought it at an auction.

I've been looking hot and heavy for about the last 3 months and when this popped up I had to have it......I think I did ok for my first Porsche.