Build vs buy, which will make me less poor?

[Nickanator8]

Originally Posted by 78F350

Do you have a write-up I can read on this car? Doing some light off-roading is (probably) in my boxster's future (mostly forest access roads and the like) and I'd love to learn more about what does and doesn't work.

[78F350]

Originally Posted by Nickanator8

Do you have a write-up I can read on this car? Doing some light off-roading is (probably) in my boxster's future (mostly forest access roads and the like) and I'd love to learn more about what does and doesn't work.

The info for that car is spread around a bit. It has evolved quite a lot over the years. If I have a quiet night at work tonight or tomorrow, I'll post some of the details. Pics https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAButx

I did a quick search of the Denver area and came up with this one that has some obvious minor issues. Might be worth looking into and making a below asking price offer: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/201345082892763/?

and if I was local I'd try a $2k offer on this considering parts value: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/3037764579865666/? *Parting out a 986 can take a lot of time and effort, but if you need parts for yourself a parts car is a great option.

[Nickanator8]

Originally Posted by 78F350

I did a quick search of the Denver area and came up with this one that has some obvious minor issues. Might be worth looking into and making a below asking price offer: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/201345082892763/?

I've seen this one and it is my front-runner of "fix it up" options. Here is the list of things that I took note of when I took a look.

Creaking suspension
Strange noise on startup
Both side mirror motors do not work
The windshield is cracked and needs replacing
One of the headlight sprayers is missing
The convertible motor is slow and sounds tired. May need replacing soon
The front bumper seems misaligned
The plastic undertray on the front bumper is partially disconnected and scrapes on the ground occasionally, particularly when reversing
The rear bumper is cracked
The driver's seat is torn and needs repair or replacing
The clear coat is peeling, there are hail dents and lots of scratches and scrapes. Just about every panel has some kind of damage
The battery was disconnected when we arrived, no idea what that means
Bottle of antifreeze in the trunk
The plastic trim by the windshield has hail damage and needs replacing
The clear coat is peeling on all four wheels
All of the Porsche crest center caps are damaged in some way
Most of the lug nuts are rusty
Rubber gaskets around headlights look dry-rotted
Two tire brands: Michelin Pilot Sport All Season and Cooper RS3-G1, all from 2021
And I'm probably missing other stuff.

When I drove it the car seemed fine, but I remember either the gas or brake had a lot of dead space at the beginning. It shifted through all the gears fine and seemed to drive well. I neglected to test the wipers and turn signals, and probably a few other things. There are no reliable records of any kind of service done. Also, the seat was a massive pain to adjust.

With the exception of the strange startup noise and windshield, these mostly sound like things I could theoretically take care of myself or just live with. Safelight will install a new windshield for $520, but the strange startup noise is what is giving me pause. It could be nothing, or it could be a serious concern. The bodywork makes it a 20-foot car at best and it's probably more money to get all of that repaired than the car would be worth with half the miles.

Honestly, this is the car that I'm debating making an offer on, I'm just not sure what kind of an offer would make it worth all of the known and unknown work. Beyond that, it just seems like a lot of little things and even though I feel like I've done a decent job of searching for all the replacement parts I would need from eBay, I'm sure I'm forgetting things, and the dollar signs are quickly adding up.

I already own the book "101 Projects for Your Porsche Boxster" and between that, the Youtube channel "Help Me DIY", and this forum it's giving me confidence that any problem I might encounter I will at least have a guide to get me through, but this would still be my first project car and it's intimidating.

I'd like to think that I'm reasonably mechanically minded, but I lack experience doing anything beyond oil changes, air filters, and swapping between winter and summer tires. I'd love to believe that I can tackle anything that gets thrown at me, but I also want to be realistic with my abilities. Tutorials are one thing, but they are no substitution for experience.

So yeah, hope that wall of text didn't put you to sleep, lol.

[elgyqc]

Originally Posted by Nickanator8

I've seen this one and it is my front-runner of "fix it up" options. Here is the list of things that I took note of when I took a look.

Creaking suspension
Strange noise on startup
Both side mirror motors do not work
The windshield is cracked and needs replacing
One of the headlight sprayers is missing
The convertible motor is slow and sounds tired. May need replacing soon
The front bumper seems misaligned
The plastic undertray on the front bumper is partially disconnected and scrapes on the ground occasionally, particularly when reversing
The rear bumper is cracked
The driver's seat is torn and needs repair or replacing
The clear coat is peeling, there are hail dents and lots of scratches and scrapes. Just about every panel has some kind of damage
The battery was disconnected when we arrived, no idea what that means
Bottle of antifreeze in the trunk
The plastic trim by the windshield has hail damage and needs replacing
The clear coat is peeling on all four wheels
All of the Porsche crest center caps are damaged in some way
Most of the lug nuts are rusty
Rubber gaskets around headlights look dry-rotted
Two tire brands: Michelin Pilot Sport All Season and Cooper RS3-G1, all from 2021
And I'm probably missing other stuff.

When I drove it the car seemed fine, but I remember either the gas or brake had a lot of dead space at the beginning. It shifted through all the gears fine and seemed to drive well. I neglected to test the wipers and turn signals, and probably a few other things. There are no reliable records of any kind of service done. Also, the seat was a massive pain to adjust.

With the exception of the strange startup noise and windshield, these mostly sound like things I could theoretically take care of myself or just live with. Safelight will install a new windshield for $520, but the strange startup noise is what is giving me pause. It could be nothing, or it could be a serious concern. The bodywork makes it a 20-foot car at best and it's probably more money to get all of that repaired than the car would be worth with half the miles.

Honestly, this is the car that I'm debating making an offer on, I'm just not sure what kind of an offer would make it worth all of the known and unknown work. Beyond that, it just seems like a lot of little things and even though I feel like I've done a decent job of searching for all the replacement parts I would need from eBay, I'm sure I'm forgetting things, and the dollar signs are quickly adding up.

I already own the book "101 Projects for Your Porsche Boxster" and between that, the Youtube channel "Help Me DIY", and this forum it's giving me confidence that any problem I might encounter I will at least have a guide to get me through, but this would still be my first project car and it's intimidating.

I'd like to think that I'm reasonably mechanically minded, but I lack experience doing anything beyond oil changes, air filters, and swapping between winter and summer tires. I'd love to believe that I can tackle anything that gets thrown at me, but I also want to be realistic with my abilities. Tutorials are one thing, but they are no substitution for experience.

So yeah, hope that wall of text didn't put you to sleep, lol.

That is quite a list! On the positive side they are things that are relatively simple to fix. And you can drive and enjoy the car while fixing it, with help from the forums and youtube.
Normally I am not put off by things that are purely appearance, but even I am struck by all the esthetic issues, that is not work that I enjoy... and I am not very good at it... but that's just me.
If you intend to do your own work you need tools and a place to work, most of the things on your list can be done in a driveway. Anything more complex may need a garage, do you have one or access to one for short (or medium or long, depending) periods of time? Include some money in your budget for tools beyond the standard ones or see if you can beg, borrow, rent or steal them locally. I have accumulated a lot tools.
Too bad you are so far away, I have decided to sell my 2000 base Boxster which I have done a lot of work on and which has the maintenance up to date. It is the first Boxster that I bought, as mentioned in my first post.

[Nickanator8]

Originally Posted by elgyqc

That is quite a list! On the positive side they are things that are relatively simple to fix. And you can drive and enjoy the car while fixing it, with help from the forums and youtube.
Normally I am not put off by things that are purely appearance, but even I am struck by all the esthetic issues, that is not work that I enjoy... and I am not very good at it... but that's just me.
If you intend to do your own work you need tools and a place to work, most of the things on your list can be done in a driveway. Anything more complex may need a garage, do you have one or access to one for short (or medium or long, depending) periods of time? Include some money in your budget for tools beyond the standard ones or see if you can beg, borrow, rent or steal them locally. I have accumulated a lot tools.
Too bad you are so far away, I have decided to sell my 2000 base Boxster which I have done a lot of work on and which has the maintenance up to date. It is the first Boxster that I bought, as mentioned in my first post.

I've got a garage and some basic hand tools already. Jack, jack stands, ramps, socket set, stuff like that. I'm also within walking distance of two auto parts stores that offer free tool rentals as well so I have some options there.

Here are all the photos I took of the car.

https://imgur.com/a/BdWG7Ih

[elgyqc]

Originally Posted by Nickanator8

I've got a garage and some basic hand tools already. Jack, jack stands, ramps, socket set, stuff like that. I'm also within walking distance of two auto parts stores that offer free tool rentals as well so I have some options there.

Here are all the photos I took of the car.

https://imgur.com/a/BdWG7Ih

Sounds like you are in a position to take on most of the necessary repairs. I hadn't noticed that it was an S... that makes it much more interesting.

Here is my take on your list.
Should be looked into and discussed before buying
The battery was disconnected when we arrived, no idea what that means
Strange noise on startup
The windshield is cracked and needs replacing
Bottle of antifreeze in the trunk (could be nothing, I keep oil and antifreeze in the trunk just in case)

Future projects
Creaking suspension (does it clunk on bumps? My base does which I take as its way of saying "do some maintenance". I had it aligned and the tech didn't see anything untoward.)

Can be lived with
Two tire brands: Michelin Pilot Sport All Season and Cooper RS3-G1, all from 2021
(The good news is that the tires are good. I have often run with different tires front and back, but given my little old man driving habits that doesn't cause any problems. Your use may be different.)
Both side mirror motors do not work (adjust manually)
One of the headlight sprayers is missing (buy some paper towels and windex
The convertible motor is slow and sounds tired. May need replacing soon (is it slower than other Boxsters? May be normal and converting it to manual is free and isn't much of a hassle)
The front bumper seems misaligned (may be misinstalled, there are a bunch slots and such that have to be properly assembled. Or could be the result of broken mounting pieces.)
The plastic undertray on the front bumper is partially disconnected and scrapes on the ground occasionally, particularly when reversing (I think all Boxsters have broken undertrays... just to varying degrees. Remove them and put them back after you get around to fixing them.)
The rear bumper is cracked (not that difficult to repair... I used fiberglass on my front bumper cover (and undertrays))
The driver's seat is torn and needs repair or replacing (put seat covers on till you have the time and/or money)

Appearance... how important is this to you? Can be taken care of over time and will not affect the performance on the windy bits of road.
The clear coat is peeling, there are hail dents and lots of scratches and scrapes. Just about every panel has some kind of damage
The plastic trim by the windshield has hail damage and needs replacing
The clear coat is peeling on all four wheels
All of the Porsche crest center caps are damaged in some way
Most of the lug nuts are rusty
Rubber gaskets around headlights look dry-rotted

I hope some other forum members will chime in with their opinions (although having the opinions of 78F350 and I is a great start... well having 78F350's opinion is a great start...).

[Nickanator8]

Originally Posted by elgyqc

Sounds like you are in a position to take on most of the necessary repairs. I hadn't noticed that it was an S... that makes it much more interesting.

Here is my take on your list.
Should be looked into and discussed before buying
The battery was disconnected when we arrived, no idea what that means
Strange noise on startup
The windshield is cracked and needs replacing
Bottle of antifreeze in the trunk (could be nothing, I keep oil and antifreeze in the trunk just in case)

Future projects
Creaking suspension (does it clunk on bumps? My base does which I take as its way of saying "do some maintenance". I had it aligned and the tech didn't see anything untoward.)

Can be lived with
Two tire brands: Michelin Pilot Sport All Season and Cooper RS3-G1, all from 2021
(The good news is that the tires are good. I have often run with different tires front and back, but given my little old man driving habits that doesn't cause any problems. Your use may be different.)
Both side mirror motors do not work (adjust manually)
One of the headlight sprayers is missing (buy some paper towels and windex
The convertible motor is slow and sounds tired. May need replacing soon (is it slower than other Boxsters? May be normal and converting it to manual is free and isn't much of a hassle)
The front bumper seems misaligned (may be misinstalled, there are a bunch slots and such that have to be properly assembled. Or could be the result of broken mounting pieces.)
The plastic undertray on the front bumper is partially disconnected and scrapes on the ground occasionally, particularly when reversing (I think all Boxsters have broken undertrays... just to varying degrees. Remove them and put them back after you get around to fixing them.)
The rear bumper is cracked (not that difficult to repair... I used fiberglass on my front bumper cover (and undertrays))
The driver's seat is torn and needs repair or replacing (put seat covers on till you have the time and/or money)

Appearance... how important is this to you? Can be taken care of over time and will not affect the performance on the windy bits of road.
The clear coat is peeling, there are hail dents and lots of scratches and scrapes. Just about every panel has some kind of damage
The plastic trim by the windshield has hail damage and needs replacing
The clear coat is peeling on all four wheels
All of the Porsche crest center caps are damaged in some way
Most of the lug nuts are rusty
Rubber gaskets around headlights look dry-rotted

I hope some other forum members will chime in with their opinions (although having the opinions of 78F350 and I is a great start... well having 78F350's opinion is a great start...).

I really appreciate the perspective. I think a concern I have in the back of my mind with the laundry list of issues is if they are an indication of the mechanical state of the car. I feel like a PPI, even for a pretty cheap car, might not be a bad idea just to make sure I'm not walking onto a landmine of a car.

EDIT: re the top moving slowly, it's compared to other cars I've driven. I hadn't considered converting it to a manual operation, though one of the cars I looked at did have those motors removed. It seemed to scratch up the paint and gaskets in a not-so-great way so I'm a bit hesitant to go that route.