2007 Boxster. Thinking about purchasing Advice?

[Scottsta]

Hi all. Local dealer has a 2007 Boxster with 20K miles on it. Asking 33K. One owner and appears to be in great shape. This will be my first Porche. I'm going to take it to my local independent Porche mechanic to get it checked out but is there anything in particular I should be concerned with? 33K seems a little high to me. I'm prepared to offer around 30K.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Scott

[RandallNeighbour]

30k miles for a car of that age doesn't seem too high to me. Lots of people drive boxsters as daily drivers.

Ask the indy mechanic to hook it up to a PST tool and find out how much it's been over-revved past redline. Everyone does it a couple of times, but the number should not be dozens or hundreds. If so, walk away. (This comment assumes its a manual tranny)... If the indy mechanic doesn't have a PST tool (Porsche System Tester) you should find someone else to do this for you or find another indy altogether. The PPI should include a full diagnostic test with this tool.

I will always get an oil change before I buy a car to see what's left in the filter. If I find anything significant, I will walk away.

Also, make sure the motor mount, wheel bearings, and all the control arms are in good shape and not worn and needing replacement. Even at 30k, these can go out prematurely and they're not cheap. And it goes without saying that brake pads and discs aren't cheap to replace so make sure there's lots of material left on both.

And one last thing I wish I had done that's not included in a PPI (pre purchase inspection). 4 wheel alignment. Costs a hundred bucks on a car you may not buy, but if the car cannot be brought into full alignment, you know it's been wrecked and not repaired properly.

[RandallNeighbour]

BTW, budget for an IMS bearing replacement right away from someone that Jake Raby trusts in your area to do it. Then you don't have to worry about it going out on you.

[Scottsta]

Thanks for all the good advice. I currently drive a BMW 330i and I've become accustom to large repair and maintenance bills and one of my concerns is that the Boxster will cost me even more to repair/maintain.

With regards to the IMS bearings is that still an issue on a 2007 Model year (987)? I thought I had read somewhere that issue was resolved with the 987.

Thanks again.

Scott

[BYprodriver]

Originally Posted by Scottsta

Thanks for all the good advice. I currently drive a BMW 330i and I've become accustom to large repair and maintenance bills and one of my concerns is that the Boxster will cost me even more to repair/maintain.

With regards to the IMS bearings is that still an issue on a 2007 Model year (987)? I thought I had read somewhere that issue was resolved with the 987.

Thanks again.

Scott

Scott, Randall must be multi-tasking & missed your year & mileage. 2007 Porsches IMSB can not be replaced without disassembling the entire engine. This new design IMSB is better than the previous version but they do fail rarely. This is why any PPI should include removing the oil filter for inspection of any foreign debris. About 1/2 quart of oil may be lost but that is the only issue. With only 20,K miles on this car & the very high asking price, the car should be perfect. For $30,K you can buy alot of Porsche so I would look around alot before jumping on anything.

[Scottsta]

Thanks. I will try to get the dealer to come off that price if everything checks out.