About to buy a 1999 Boxster! Help!
 

Hello everyone! I'm seriously considering purchasing a 1999 Boxster today with 31,000 miles, and I'm hoping to get your educated oppinions. Do you guys think that this is a good deal?

http://d.im.craigslist.org/ji/hF/oFp...8Vt6hif7q7.jpg

Here are the specs on the car:

• 1999 Boxster
• Removable Hardtop
• Black Leather interior
• 5-speed manual
• Comes with both keys
• Isn't leaking any fluids and looks and drives like its in perfect condition
• Has the upgraded stereo with CD player
• Has the 17" upgraded wheels
• Comes with the Windscreen window thing
• Everything works
• Clear title
• One owner
• Has all the service records and it's a local car

What does everyone think, they are asking $19k for the car and I don't think that I can get them to budge on price at all. My biggest concern is that the car is Maroon in color, and I'm not too crazy about the color. Do you guys know what reselling a Porsche this color is like? Thanks for any help or advice!

My biggest concern is that the car is Maroon in color, and I'm not too crazy about the color. Do you guys know what reselling a Porsche this color is like? Thanks for any help or advice![/QUOTE]

if you dont like the color dont get it,dont rush take your time till a color you like comes along.or save up and get a S :D

It's Arena Red, my personal favorite color. The only thing I would be concerned with is the '99 MY. Find out if it was manufactured between Oct 1, '98 and March 31, '99. If not, I'd buy it, if so I'd leave it alone due to the bad blocks manufactured between those dates.

Only thing I'd be concerned about are the engine blocks and the catastrophic engine failures which appeared to be quite prevalent during that model year. If it happens, you're looking at around 9,000 to 11,000 for a new engine and install. There are plenty of other boxsters out there - - take your time. I almost purchased a '99 with 34K miles in Artic Silver for 17K but decided not to take it due to what I learned from this and other forums...

What do you guys think the success rates are in selling an Arena Red Boxster? The more I look at the color, the more it grows on me, but my biggest concern is that I won't be able to resell an Arena Red car.

I'll email the person selling the car and ask them the manufacturing date right now. Probably won't hear back to the middle of the day tomorrow though.

I have exactly the same year and color...except the hardtop, can't justify getting one here for NorCal....and I love it! I haven't seen one here in my area that has the same color (Arena Red)..if you get it, just make sure you get extended warranty from warranty direct.com. IMHO, thats a very good deal in my area but if the color is in the way...just wait it out!

What do you guys think of the price though? Is that a rip-off, okay, good, or great?

well, it depends on whats the market in your area. Here in bay area, I still see same MY 99 that's selling for $17.9K w/ 62k mi. or $24.8 w/ 22k mi.

The market in Seattle is always higher than almost any other area in the country. Considering how much it rains here you would think that nobody would want a convertible :p. I would buy a Boxster even if it wasn't a convertible personally so that isn't a factor to me, and that is actually why I like the fact soooo much that this one has a hard-top.

How hard is it to find pre-painted hard-tops on ebay for example? I really hate the thought of always looking back through a plastic back window. And I know that they switched to glass in 2003, but I can't afford an '03.

Your price is good considering;

~You get a hardtop!(Not cheap at all!)
~You have all the service records
~Low mileage

Just pay the extra $100-250 to get a certified Porsche mechanic to do a PPI(Pre-Purchase Inspection)

To be honest..I don't think you are getting ripped off with the asking price. Just the hard top alone if you buy it separate will cost, i think around $2400 or more. If you really like it, do what deliriousga suggested and just make sure that you get an extended warranty.
In my experience...I bought the ext. warranty for $2800 4yr/48k mi. basically my car will be covered till 100k mi. So far all the repairs that was done in my Box is covered by my warranty...ie...cam shaft seal/gasket, coolant reservoir bottle, airbag computer thingy, passenger side seatbelt, MAF. I spend almost $600 on mods already (that's just deambering it) and $600 something on 45k service change oil, fuel filter, fuel line, cabin filter 2 weeks after i bought it...

In the end, I love the car!

Hi,

A 1-owner '99 with Hardtop, records, and positive PPI is an OK deal at $19k. I think the rarity of Arena Red will be a plus on resale.

But, you don't buy a sports car thinking about resale. It's an insane purchase to begin with! Especially a Roadster in SeaTac!

Don't try to justify it with value retention - buy it because you LOVE IT! If you don't LOVE IT! PASS!!

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

man, what do u think a resale value of my color is? hehehhehe

Check the VIN if it has been any car accident. Thats all I have to say.

Get them down to 18-17 and get it. With a low milage engine you really really have to be carefull, mines got almost 80 thousand so I know it was made right. My advice, wait, get a 2000S. It should only cost about 4 grand more on average than a base model (what I read, dont know for fact).

Are you saying that mostly just because of the horsepower? What else do S models offer over the base model?

I almost think that if I could consider a 2000 S that I would rather try to go for a 2003 base model. Isn't it a huge upgrade along going from the 200hp '99 motor to the '00 motor with 20 more horsepower? What are the 0-60's on a 99 base, 00 base and then a 00 S?

Yes, the horsepower mainly. Not much changed over the years. Only notable exceptions are 3 spoke wheel, glass rear window, and the clear tailights and headlights of the 03 model. Other than that, the body is the same (except 987), seats, interior, and all that jazz.

No, its a 199 horse power motor to the 217 motor, and the S has the 240 motor. I am just saying, if you can find a 2000S with around 50,000 miles, Id get that one. And Id say the 99 is good (I have one), I love it, I just want a little more exclusivity, more power, the third oil cooler, lol, and the red brakes.

In this area (Seattle) that is a fair price if all is in good shape. I spent a lot of time looking before I bought mine and found none under $20k in the Seattle area. I eventually went with a S and spent a little over $30k for a 2001. I just picked up a color matched hardtop about a month ago for $1700. I have been looking for a hardtop locally since the day I got it. They are not real common in this area as people know they help out in the winter.

During the summer, I rarely had my top up. You know as well as I do that springtime and summertime in Seattle are great. If it was sunny, the top was down.

I would definately have that car checked out. Anything around here for that price may be to good to be true.

-David

The price sounds like it's in the ballpark if eveything checks out; a PPI is important to get.

Also, look at the sticker at the underside of the drivers door and find out the build date (ie.. 01/99). If it has been built between--roughly--10/1/98 and 3/31/99, it will be important to know if the engine has been replaced since that is the range of the "sleeved engine" fiasco.
Some think this is no big deal and all of the bad engines from this group have gone bang by now, but I continue to see reports of guys with '99's in this range that have engine failures.

Regarding the '00' S, I would think an S of that year would run at least +$5K more than the car you're considering.

BTW, I think Arena red is a great color.

Good luck with it.

I agree that it should go for 17,000 to 18,000. Check the tires which will cost another 1,000 to replace and make sure it has had it's 30k inspection which will also cost another 500 to 1,000. I am sure someone has said this, but make sure to get a Pre-Purchase Inspection (PPI) also.

One owner, low miles, perfect dealer service history, good PPI, good carfax (no wrecks, thefts), hardtop and you like the color and options... sounds like a winner. :)

Here in LA you can find lots of early S models for a similar price but they have been driven into the ground, have sketchy histories or turned into ghetto sleds with too many cheap bolt ons. As a confirmed 2.5er I don't think you will miss the extra 40 ponies.

I got the build date back from them and they said that it is a 02/99 car, so now I'm just waiting to find out if the engine has been replaced yet. If not, I guess I'll have to keep looking :(

Oh man not this again......

I would think that if there was/is a problem with the engine it would have surfaced by 30k? I have a Boxster from the "bad" build date w/ 55k on it w/o an issue.

Here we go again, just buy the car.

Hi,

The car is not suffering from the maybe 16% of early 99's which had the sleeved blocks. Get that myth out of your head. If it all checks out, go for it if that's what you want...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

I'm so confused... I've just seen some in this thread say to not get it if the build date is in that period and then others are now saying to just go for it regardless. :confused: Can someone please explain? Thank you.

Look at it this way;You know how you are told to stay from build dates from "xx/xxxx-xx/xxxx"? Disregard it,IT'S BLOWN WAYYYYYYYYYY OUT OF PORPORTION! There are plenty of member on this forum(I for one) who have one from that time period w/o an issue. Heck a boardmember(Ohioboxster) even has his 99' supercharged and oh wait....IT'S FINE! Don't pay any attention to it. :cheers:

dude, mine was built 2/99 and has 48k miles on it already. 2 weeks after I bought it, I took it in the dealer for 45k service (this is before i found out about the RMS issue and right after i sign up to this forum) and to my surprise, the service manager told me that my engine has been replaced already by previous owner. So far the only issue that i run into just last week was MAF and it's been replaced under warranty....

To sum it all up, either just go for it or get a PPI before you sign anything and if it turns out good, buy it and just make sure you get a very good ext. warranty @ warrantydirect.com so you could sleep better at night, save at least $2k for maintanance service or "just walk away from it if you are worry this much and don't even own the car yet" :cheers: :D

Good points!

thanks...

Make this as a fun experience searching for the car and good luck! Keep us posted...some over here are waiting for the birth of the new Boxster owner..hehehehehehe!