Considering a 2005 Boxster S Tip, thoughts?
 

I have located a Basalt Black 2005 Boxster S Tip Locally advertised for $29,999. It has the optional 19s but other than that not too many options. Exterior is a solid 8 1/2-10, some small scratches on the front bumper cover and there was paintwork at one time on the passenger rear fenderwell(could only tell with a meter). Carfax is clean, I would be the 4th owner. Service records are all there and car has just been in for an inspection. They found that it has a very small(few drops every couple weeks) rear main seal leak.

My question is what is a good value to place on this car? I was told the rear main wasnt an issue as its common and it should be fine for a long time. I come from 964s and 930s so oil on the ground is pretty much par for the course. However with this new of a car the leak concerns me. I think I could have the car for around 26,500 or so... what are your thoughts? Thanks for any advice!

Rob

RMS leaks on tips are rare.

Just make sure they aren't casually 'assigning' the leak to the RMS because it's the easiest theory.

Since it's just been in for an inspection it's probably to late to autopsy the oil filter, but that seems to be the best tattle of motor heath.

BD

What you were told has to be taken in the context of anything a car seller is telling you is intended to get you to pay as much for the car as possible and to buy the car as soon as possible.

Not sure the car's desirable. That oil leak may be an RMS. But as BD correctly pointed out RMS leaks are not common in Tip equipped cars.

I do not know about the 964s and 930s but my long term experience with my 02 Boxster (with over 250K miles on it) and my 03 Turbo (with over 86K miles on it) oil/fluid leaks are uncommon and when they show up -- RMS in the Boxster at 25K miles (fixed under warranty) -- or a selector shaft seal leak in the Turbo (tranny replaced under warranty) or a clutch slave cylinder (replaced under warranty along with a bad clutch accumulator) oil/fluid leaks are nothing to be dismissed as just a characteristic of the marque.

The leak could from an RMS. But it might be from an AOS, or a camshaft cover, or a spark plug tube, or... from a IMS end plate which can be an early warning of a pending IMS bearing failure.

I would prefer the leak was accurately diagnosed. If it is from say a camshaft cover that's one thing. (My 02 Boxster has developed a very slight seep from this area but no oil has yet to show up anywhere other than just a hint of some under the joint between the cover and the head, but the tech tells me a reseal of this cover is not that much work and is almost invariably successful in stopping the leak once and for all.)

Anyhow, if the leak is coming from the RMS/IMS end plate area -- I might add here that even if the tranny was removed there's no way to know for certain which is leaking since the RMS sits directly above the IMS end plate -- the next owner of this particular car assumes added risk.

Ideally the leak should be id' and fixed and done by a reputable shop that gives out a good warranty that is transferrable to the new owner: You if you end up with the car.

If the leak is in the RMS area then this complicates things. While the RMS can be replaced easily enough and the IMS end plate and a new seal and new micro-sealed bolts replaced, the car has to be used some afterwards to make sure the leak is all that was wrong and that it was taken care of.

I hate to say you need to keep looking, but I dare say you need to quit trying to talk yourself into a car that has some issues.

Sincerely,

Macster.

great advice, thank you guys :)

The car is currently at an independent service shop and being sold on consignment. It has had most of its service work there so i'm sure they diagnosed it properly. However I am definitely concerned that if they've done the work that they would understand an RMS leak would need attention. I got quoted $4800 at the dealer to fix it and im going to steer clear of this car.. maybe find my wife a nice tip cayman S ;)

Rob