Buying a Used 986 Boxster

[Russdawg1]

Hi guys, first post.

I’m looking into buying a 1997 Porsche Boxster, and I was wondering if I could fact check my research.

So obviously these cars have some problems. No argument there. How severe, and how soon it should be proactively replaced is my question.

IMS Bearing - Seems to be the big ticket item. My research has shown that on the 1997 year which uses the dual row bearing, the failure rate is a measly 1%. Im willing to take the 99% chance of a Porsche that will function fine, but will be looking to replace the bearing if and when the clutch needs replacing as its $400 or so for peace of mind. Thoughts?

RMS - This is less important, obviously excessive leaking is bad, but replacing it is only laborious and the seal is like $20. If it is barely leaking or not leaking at all, I am golden?

Cylinder liner - Someone had said that this was a problem only in 1998, the first 1997 year, didn’t have this problem, and it was addressed in the 1999 year on.

Checking for oil emulsion and/or coolant mixing. If I see this, is it fixable? I wasn’t able to find too much on this. All I’m aware of is if I see the mayo of death around the cap, find a new car to purchase.

Coolant leaking in the back (damp or wet trunk area) - New tank is $600 or so, knock that off the price and still purchase?

Anything else I need to be aware of? Most of my reading has led me to believe that this is a fabulous car other than these problems, which are generally quite expensive and would be extremely deterring if it wasn’t for the fact that it’s labor that costs the most, not the part. I can supply free labor

Thanks!

[Starter986]

Originally Posted by Russdawg1

Hi guys, first post.

I’m looking into buying a 1997 Porsche Boxster, and I was wondering if I could fact check my research. GET A PPI. GET A PPI ON ANY BOXSTER IN WHICH SERIOUSLY YOU ARE INTERESTED. NARROW IT DOWN, AS THEY CAN RUN SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS.

So obviously these cars have some problems. No argument there. How severe, and how soon it should be proactively replaced is my question. HOW SOON? ABSENT HISTORICAL REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE RECORDS I'D FACTOR IN $$$ FOR THE IMPORTANT STUFF (PLUGS, COILS, TUBES, WATER PUMP, AOS, AIR FILTER... YOU KNOW... KNOCK OUT THE BASIC STUFF UNTIL YOU;RE SATISFIED THE CAR IS ROADWORTHY.

IMS Bearing - Seems to be the big ticket item. My research has shown that on the 1997 year which uses the dual row bearing, the failure rate is a measly 1%. Im willing to take the 99% chance of a Porsche that will function fine, but will be looking to replace the bearing if and when the clutch needs replacing as its $400 or so for peace of mind. Thoughts? I WAS ALL WORRIED FOR THE FIRST FEW MONTHS, THEN FORGOT ABOUT IT. I CAN LIVE WITH 1%. OF COURSE... THE LOWER THE MILEAGE ON THE CAR... THE MORE CONCERN. BRIGHTER MINDS THAN I WILL CHIME IN I'M SURE.

RMS - This is less important, obviously excessive leaking is bad, but replacing it is only laborious and the seal is like $20. If it is barely leaking or not leaking at all, I am golden? I DON'T KNOW. NO LEAKS ON MINE. IF THE CAR YOU'RE LOOKING AT NEEDS A RMS REPLACEMENT I'VE HEARD DO THE CLUTCH WHILE YOU'RE IN THERE... AND VICE VERSA.

Cylinder liner - Someone had said that this was a problem only in 1998, the first 1997 year, didn’t have this problem, and it was addressed in the 1999 year on. DON'T KNOW. MAYBE HAVE THE OIL EXAMINED/TESTED.

Checking for oil emulsion and/or coolant mixing. If I see this, is it fixable? I wasn’t able to find too much on this. All I’m aware of is if I see the mayo of death around the cap, find a new car to purchase. MAYO ISN'T THE DEATH KNELL. LOTS OF POSTS ON THIS FORUM ABOUT THAT CHALLENGE. IF YOU PULL THE DIPSTICK AND IT LOOKS LIKE OIL... YOU'RE GOOD. A LOOK IN THE COOLANT TANK... JUST COOLANT... YOU'RE GOOD.

Coolant leaking in the back (damp or wet trunk area) - New tank is $600 or so, knock that off the price and still purchase? GO OEM ON THE TANK. ONLY OEM, NO AFTERMARKET CRAP. LIKELY LESS THAN $600... OUR SPONSOR SELLS THE OEM ~$350. LABOR MIGHT BE COSTLY BUT, WITH PATIENCE AND TENACITY... YOU CAN DO IT.

Anything else I need to be aware of? Most of my reading has led me to believe that this is a fabulous car other than these problems, which are generally quite expensive and would be extremely deterring if it wasn’t for the fact that it’s labor that costs the most, not the part. I can supply free labor LOTS OF OTHER THINGS TO BE AWARE OF. MY RECOMMENDATION? START READING MANY, MANY POSTS UPON THIS FORUM. READ FIRST... ASK QUESTIONS LATER.

GOOD LUCK.

Thanks!

Welcome! I'll take a shot... and offer my opinions gleaned only from my experience upon these pages. My narrative is above and respective to your comments/inquiries.

See you around!

[Russdawg1]

Originally Posted by Starter986

Welcome! I'll take a shot... and offer my opinions gleaned only from my experience upon these pages. My narrative is above and respective to your comments/inquiries.

See you around!

Thank you so much! I'll definitely be doing some more research.

[maytag]

Originally Posted by Russdawg1

Hi guys, first post.

I’m looking into buying a 1997 Porsche Boxster, and I was wondering if I could fact check my research.

So obviously these cars have some problems. No argument there. How severe, and how soon it should be proactively replaced is my question.

IMS Bearing - Seems to be the big ticket item. My research has shown that on the 1997 year which uses the dual row bearing, the failure rate is a measly 1%. Im willing to take the 99% chance of a Porsche that will function fine, but will be looking to replace the bearing if and when the clutch needs replacing as its $400 or so for peace of mind. Thoughts?

RMS - This is less important, obviously excessive leaking is bad, but replacing it is only laborious and the seal is like $20. If it is barely leaking or not leaking at all, I am golden?

Cylinder liner - Someone had said that this was a problem only in 1998, the first 1997 year, didn’t have this problem, and it was addressed in the 1999 year on.

Checking for oil emulsion and/or coolant mixing. If I see this, is it fixable? I wasn’t able to find too much on this. All I’m aware of is if I see the mayo of death around the cap, find a new car to purchase.

Coolant leaking in the back (damp or wet trunk area) - New tank is $600 or so, knock that off the price and still purchase?

Anything else I need to be aware of? Most of my reading has led me to believe that this is a fabulous car other than these problems, which are generally quite expensive and would be extremely deterring if it wasn’t for the fact that it’s labor that costs the most, not the part. I can supply free labor

Thanks!

You're on the right track here.
However......
The prices you're quoting for the couple of items lead me to believe you're planning to pay somebody else to do these repairs? ($400 for the IMS when already open for Clutch and $600 for coolant expansion tank)
If that's the case, you get my standard answer to these posts:

If you are planning to PAY SOMEBODY ELSE to work on your 20-year-old car, then a car with a $225 shop-rate probably isn't the right one. Or more pointedly: Don't buy a 20-yr-old-porsche unless you're a DIY-er.


YMMV, BPW.

[Russdawg1]

Originally Posted by maytag

You're on the right track here.

However......

The prices you're quoting for the couple of items lead me to believe you're planning to pay somebody else to do these repairs? ($400 for the IMS when already open for Clutch and $600 for coolant expansion tank)

If that's the case, you get my standard answer to these posts:



If you are planning to PAY SOMEBODY ELSE to work on your 20-year-old car, then a car with a $225 shop-rate probably isn't the right one. Or more pointedly: Don't buy a 20-yr-old-porsche unless you're a DIY-er.

YMMV, BPW.

I actually wasn’t planning on paying anyone to do anything

The $600 for the tank was to knock off the craigslist price if I found it was cracked. $350 for tank, $250 for my personal enjoyment haha.

Every repair would be done by me, as this would be my “first car”.

$400 for the bearing was an overestimate also. It should come closer to $300, right?

I just haven’t found definitive prices for these parts in my research, I’ve been mainly looking for problems in the forums, not per say the cost and/or how to fix them. I’m getting to that now

[maytag]

Originally Posted by Russdawg1

I actually wasn’t planning on paying anyone to do anything

The $600 for the tank was to knock off the craigslist price if I found it was cracked. $350 for tank, $250 for my personal enjoyment haha.

Every repair would be done by me, as this would be my “first car”.

$400 for the bearing was an overestimate also. It should come closer to $300, right?

I just haven’t found definitive prices for these parts in my research, I’ve been mainly looking for problems in the forums, not per say the cost and/or how to fix them. I’m getting to that now

Perfect. If you approach the purchase with this attitude, I think you'll be very happy with the 986 boxster.
So my other bit of standard advice? Make sure the car you buy is the one that you think you can't live without. Don't search so long for "the right one" that ticks all of the practical boxes, but doesn't light your fire. Get the one that would make you jealous if you saw it in your neighbor's driveway.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

[paulofto]

Originally Posted by maytag

Get the one that would make you jealous if you saw it in your neighbor's driveway.

I love that! Excellent advise!

[Rob175]

As I've written in other posts.....my 20 yr old (1998) Boxster (beautiful) with 85,000 summer driving miles has only needed a new water pump and coolant tank in the 16 years I've owned it. With so very little work needed, I feel fine with spending the money with my "indy" shop, especially since I have no desire, place or expertise wrenching on it myself. So in those 16 years I've spent an average of about $130 per year (other than oil/filter changes)...........very very reasonable for such a fun and beautiful car.

[Russdawg1]

Originally Posted by paulofto

I love that! Excellent advise!

Originally Posted by maytag

Perfect. If you approach the purchase with this attitude, I think you'll be very happy with the 986 boxster.
So my other bit of standard advice? Make sure the car you buy is the one that you think you can't live without. Don't search so long for "the right one" that ticks all of the practical boxes, but doesn't light your fire. Get the one that would make you jealous if you saw it in your neighbor's driveway.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

Trust me, this beautiful white 986 I’m looking at makes me dream about driving it.

Thanks for the advice

[Russdawg1]

Originally Posted by Rob175

As I've written in other posts.....my 20 yr old (1998) Boxster (beautiful) with 85,000 summer driving miles has only needed a new water pump and coolant tank in the 16 years I've owned it. With so very little work needed, I feel fine with spending the money with my "indy" shop, especially since I have no desire, place or expertise wrenching on it myself. So in those 16 years I've spent an average of about $130 per year (other than oil/filter changes)...........very very reasonable for such a fun and beautiful car.

Thank you for your input! I do feel that sometimes the problems are blown out of proportion to how common they are. There are clearly plenty of happy owners with little or no problems!

[Nine8Six]

Lots of good FUD posts recently!

Fwiw, I bought this roadster for having fun. Didn't bought it to 'worry' about what could go wrong. You know, there are more or less 30k unique parts on this car and each and every one of them are a subject to fail a way or another. That is a whole lot of worrying, in case you are into that fear thingy

RE 'cost' of maintenance; personally I've spent on average $123,986 annually (lol). Nothing catastrophically failed mechanically (apart from the AOS). Those cost are only for fun mods.

Good luck with your upcoming Boxster

[CoBeerToad]

Don't forget about suspension. I don't know if everybody else replaces everything at 100k or not, but I did. If it is approaching or past 100k miles, you might want to check if the suspension was replaced or factor that in. Suspension is not my cup o' tea so I had somebody else do it and it set me back a tidy sum. I believe the parts alone were about $3500, but that was many beers ago, so I could be wrong.

I wish you luck on your search. I bought my '97 on accident and didn't do any research prior. Got lucky and we're still mostly best friends 8 1/2 years and 37,000 miles later.

[Russdawg1]

Originally Posted by Nine8Six

Lots of good FUD posts recently!



Fwiw, I bought this roadster for having fun. Didn't bought it to 'worry' about what could go wrong. You know, there are more or less 30k unique parts on this car and each and every one of them are a subject to fail a way or another. That is a whole lot of worrying, in case you are into that fear thingy



RE 'cost' of maintenance; personally I've spent on average $123,986 annually (lol). Nothing catastrophically failed mechanically (apart from the AOS). Those cost are only for fun mods.



Good luck with your upcoming Boxster

Having fun is definitely my goal!

Originally Posted by CoBeerToad

Don't forget about suspension. I don't know if everybody else replaces everything at 100k or not, but I did. If it is approaching or past 100k miles, you might want to check if the suspension was replaced or factor that in. Suspension is not my cup o' tea so I had somebody else do it and it set me back a tidy sum. I believe the parts alone were about $3500, but that was many beers ago, so I could be wrong.



I wish you luck on your search. I bought my '97 on accident and didn't do any research prior. Got lucky and we're still mostly best friends 8 1/2 years and 37,000 miles later.

Suspension. Got it. One of the ones I’m looking at had the suspension replaced at 100k or so. Guess that’s quite a plus. He also replaced the plastic window with a glass one and new top.

[thstone]

Originally Posted by Russdawg1

IMS Bearing - Seems to be the big ticket item. My research has shown that on the 1997 year which uses the dual row bearing, the failure rate is a measly 1%. Im willing to take the 99% chance of a Porsche that will function fine, but will be looking to replace the bearing if and when the clutch needs replacing as its $400 or so for peace of mind. Thoughts?

If the engine made it to 80K - 100K miles on the original IMSB , then the engine will likely make it to around 150K miles when something else will cause the engine to fail.

However, if you simply cannot sleep at night because of worrying about the IMSB, then bite the bullet, spend the money to replace the bearing, and get some sleep.

Originally Posted by Russdawg1

RMS - This is less important, obviously excessive leaking is bad, but replacing it is only laborious and the seal is like $20. If it is barely leaking or not leaking at all, I am golden?

You can live with some seepage and a couple of drips on the ground until the clutch needs replacement. Replace only if you find a puddle of oil under the car.

Originally Posted by Russdawg1

Cylinder liner - Someone had said that this was a problem only in 1998, the first 1997 year, didn’t have this problem, and it was addressed in the 1999 year on.

Ignore this concern. Only applied to early cars with brand new engines. Any car now will have tens of thousands of miles on it so its not a concern.

Originally Posted by Russdawg1

Checking for oil emulsion and/or coolant mixing. If I see this, is it fixable? I wasn’t able to find too much on this. All I’m aware of is if I see the mayo of death around the cap, find a new car to purchase.

Yes, intermix is fixable. The only question is "at what cost?". Sometimes its simply the oil/water cooler (or the seals) that need replacement. Other times, its something major inside the engine. Mayo is good on a sandwich, not so good in an engine (and if found in the engine, skip that car).

Originally Posted by Russdawg1

Coolant leaking in the back (damp or wet trunk area) - New tank is $600 or so, knock that off the price and still purchase?

Correct. DIY of the tank is a royal PITA. You'll need the extra $250 for beer during the job and whisky afterwards. And don't have any young kids around during the repair because you will definitely be cussing.

Originally Posted by Russdawg1

Anything else I need to be aware of? Most of my reading has led me to believe that this is a fabulous car other than these problems, which are generally quite expensive and would be extremely deterring if it wasn’t for the fact that it’s labor that costs the most, not the part. I can supply free labor !

There are no cheap Porsche's. Parts AND shop labor are both expensive. Plan on the occasional problem and repair needing to be done and you'll be fine.

[Russdawg1]

Originally Posted by thstone

If the engine made it to 80K - 100K miles on the original IMSB , then the engine will likely make it to around 150K miles when something else will cause the engine to fail.

However, if you simply cannot sleep at night because of worrying about the IMSB, then bite the bullet, spend the money to replace the bearing, and get some sleep.

You can live with some seepage and a couple of drips on the ground until the clutch needs replacement. Replace only if you find a puddle of oil under the car.

Ignore this concern. Only applied to early cars with brand new engines. Any car now will have tens of thousands of miles on it so its not a concern.

Yes, intermix is fixable. The only question is "at what cost?". Sometimes its simply the oil/water cooler (or the seals) that need replacement. Other times, its something major inside the engine. Mayo is good on a sandwich, not so good in an engine (and if found in the engine, skip that car).

Correct. DIY of the tank is a royal PITA. You'll need the extra $250 for beer during the job and whisky afterwards. And don't have any young kids around during the repair because you will definitely be cussing.

There are no cheap Porsche's. Parts AND shop labor are both expensive. Plan on the occasional problem and repair needing to be done and you'll be fine.

Thank you for your input. Glad for the confirmation on this stuff.

Everyday I can feel myself getting even close to driving one of these beasts. We have a fabulous road, highway 29 in Northern California that I would think is any driver’s dream. One day, I’ll find myself sliding corners, one hand on the wheel, other on the shifter, having the time of my life in this boxster!

Is it bad that I already am looking at upgrades and styling parts?

That GT2 style bumper looks fabulous and enables the possibility for a third, center radiator

[Nine8Six]

Originally Posted by Russdawg1

Is it bad that I already am looking at upgrades and styling parts?

Yes. Very bad. You'll understand what I meant by that in a few months

Originally Posted by Russdawg1

That GT2 style bumper looks fabulous and enables the possibility for a third, center radiator

Not only it enables the 3rd rad, but a very much functional front bumper in term of aerodynamics and road handling. If you like go-kart style handling at speed then that gt2 front-end (with the lip) is for you. Only disadvantage = forget underground parking lots lol Front lip is not far off the ground (4" clearance on mine)

[Rob175]

I suppose it depends on how "new" you want to make your "old" Boxster. Could mine use a suspension change after 20 years and 85,000 miles......SURE. But will I do it NO I won't. I just don't mind it, I don't race it, I don't track it....I just take it out on sunny summer days with the wife and we just drive. I fix or replace that which interferes with those summer drives.....there's really almost no end to what you can spend......

My suggestion is buy it, drive it for a year and then decide what you want to change/fix/replace and what you can afford. These Boxsters are built for simple top down fun, IMHO.

[Russdawg1]

Originally Posted by Rob175

I suppose it depends on how "new" you want to make your "old" Boxster. Could mine use a suspension change after 20 years and 85,000 miles......SURE. But will I do it NO I won't. I just don't mind it, I don't race it, I don't track it....I just take it out on sunny summer days with the wife and we just drive. I fix or replace that which interferes with those summer drives.....there's really almost no end to what you can spend......



My suggestion is buy it, drive it for a year and then decide what you want to change/fix/replace and what you can afford. These Boxsters are built for simple top down fun, IMHO.

So the age old “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”? That makes sense. Thanks for the suggestion. Not spending money that I don’t need to is definitely going to be a problem if this becomes my car.

Originally Posted by Nine8Six

Yes. Very bad. You'll understand what I meant by that in a few months

Not only it enables the 3rd rad, but a very much functional front bumper in term of aerodynamics and road handling. If you like go-kart style handling at speed then that gt2 front-end (with the lip) is for you. Only disadvantage = forget underground parking lots lol Front lip is not far off the ground (4" clearance on mine)

Man, even more reasons! Here I was hoping someone would say “No don’t do it! It’s just for looks!” But now I have a reason to get it other than looks! Thanks

[99Roadster]

Hello Russ....I was in the same boat as you when I bought mine back in 10/2019.

And I have learned tons of useful advice from being on this forum in the short few months I have been on it.

One of the first things I checked when looking at mine was I opened up the truck and gave myself a sigh of relief when it had a newer white coolant tank installed lol.

Yeah if you are going to be a DIYer then go for it and enjoy your lovely little Porsche!

[Russdawg1]

Originally Posted by 99Roadster

Hello Russ....I was in the same boat as you when I bought mine back in 10/2019.



And I have learned tons of useful advice from being on this forum in the short few months I have been on it.



One of the first things I checked when looking at mine was I opened up the truck and gave myself a sigh of relief when it had a newer white coolant tank installed lol.



Yeah if you are going to be a DIYer then go for it and enjoy your lovely little Porsche!

Thanks 99!