Bought a Boxster from a bum
 

I recently acquired a 2000 2.5L manual Boxster from a police auction, and the backstory is quite unique. The previous owner, someone I wouldn't consider an expert (a homeless drug addict), found me after the auction trying to purchase the car back. He tried to warn me about several issues, but considering the source, I'm taking them with a grain of skepticism. Here's what I've been told:

1. The engine makes a concerning metal-on-metal noise upon starting. The previous owner resorted to pouring gas in the filter to start it, claiming a blown engine sound and finding a water and oil mixture when draining the oil.

2. There's a gooey substance in the fuel lines due to deteriorated rubber lines, causing clogs. The previous owner replaced the fuel pump, revealing a significantly deteriorated old pump.

3. Water leakage has caused mold in the interior carpet, and there's surface rust near the seat bolt areas.

I know this is a challenging project, and given the dubious expertise of the previous owner, I'm seeking advice on where to begin. Any insights would be greatly appreciated.

FFS, find the bum... buy him a happy meal... sit down with him for a couple hours and have him reveal everything he knows about the car. Previous owners can reveal a plethora of information. Ask him if he has a 986forum account.

He approached you. YOU. Clearly he retains an interest in the car. Just because he's a bum means jack ****************.

"There but for the grace of God go I". :cheers:

I would carefully search all possible hiding places for unusual non automotive substances. Why would he want to buy back a car in such bad condition if his is homeless? Or maybe it was his home...
If you have the mechanical abilities and a place to work, start looking for a used engine.
Blow the fuel lines out with compressed air and see what comes out.
I'd try to start the engine after checking the oil.
Remove the carpets and clean them and let the interior dry out. Cleanup the surface rust and apply anti rust paint.

Check the floor boards under the seats for pooling water.

Personally, I would mark the car's price up 25% for your trouble, sell it back to the bum, and move on. There are lots of Boxster's out there for sale without any of the potential heart aches of this one................

I actually spent a couple hours with the guy trying to figure out more information, even asking him to describe the sound in detail. I wouldn’t call him homeless but more of a meth head car hoarder. He gave me a bunch of details as far as what was wrong but said he was never able to actually start the car. He was only able to get the engine to turn by pouring gas in the filter. When I asked if it sounded like a fart can he said no more like it was chugging and struggling. His plan with the car was to put a wide body kit and wing and racing steering wheel. After he told me that I stopped listening to him and realized he might have no idea what’s actually wrong with this car. I took it to my mechanic who lives by my house to check it out and let me know what I have to do to get it running. I already found a couple used 2.5s in the area (Los Angeles). I plan on keeping this car and slowly bringing it back to a presentable condition. Also I have a 08 987.1s that I bought with a blown engine so I’ve been through this process before. I plan on starting a new thread to show some pics and the process soon.

Don't drive across any international boarders with that car!.....The sniffer dogs at the boarders might bust you for substances hid away by the previous owners.....LOL.

How much did you pay?
How much would the car be worth to you?
How well experienced are you with Porsches?

Put it this way.
If you think you can have cheap Porsche, it might be true, if the engine is OK. If the engine has issues and you are not able to fix it yourself, then the cost increases drastically. Electrical can be resolved easier, yet still may require Durametric (rental) or dealer visit.

So, if he wants the car back - depending what you want to accomplish - sell it back for double the price or invest and enjoy.

Me? Knowing this history? I would walk away.
I love projects, but there is a limitation. I have had mine, 2003, that was almost a project.
However, engine and tranny are OK. There were many other small things, though... that keep adding up and are annoying.

Before you replace anything you might want to verify the engine (by serial number and type) and what version DME you have. A 2000 MY car should be either a 2.7 or 3.2. MY 99 was the last year for 2.5.

2000 also started e-throttle from cable on the previous generation car.

It will be difficult to run a 2.5 in a car wired for the 2.7 or vice versa.

It’s a 2.5 one of the last ones made, I checked the vin to confirm.