You can buy an entire carpet set for about $800 using German Silverknit carpet and install it yourself for the cost of glue and multiple weekends of labor on your part. I just did that project this summer (details in the link in my signature).

Redoing the center console leather and rear seat cushion leather using a professional like Rob Budd at classic 9 - www.classic9leathershop.com - with you installing the finished pieces is probably around 1K USD.

This is assuming the cost of your labor is trivial. (meaning --- this is a PROJECT. The German glue is tough to remove).

 

To address your concern for the a/c system, if the a/c is in good working order, it is enough for Arizona's hot summers @ 115º. If it works here, I'm sure you'll be fine where you are.

 

Miata's are great cars! These cars need a bit more work to stay on top of but they are great as well.

If you enjoy working on cars, there's nothing more rewarding than working on a 964/993. This car will need a bit of tinkering but that's half the fun, the other is driving it. If you are going to do the work yourself I think you should go for it, if you are going to pay for labour, then I would highly recommend getting a good PPI checking out the engine/trans in particular and all the other 993 bits.

 

+1 .. H-A-L-L-E-L-U-J-A-H

The Frau's former MY00 Boxster and present MY10 Boxster are uber balanced mid-engine, hoot-of-a-cabriolet,,, to drive!
Just don't expect generations of memorable character,,, as in 911 air-cooled character; Carrera, 964 & 993 . . .

 

Seems a little rich. For me the paint work and burns shouldn't be a deal breaker if the pricing reflected the time and money it will take to put her right. I would be a little concerned that the cigarette burns reflect an attitude toward ownership that may manifest itself in deferred maintainence. In my experience these cars usually need suspension work (struts, steering rack, bushings, etc.) if not done already and that can add up in both time and money. I drive my cars, so I have learned to put up with imperfect paint....these cars are stone magnets! You should drive both a 997 and a 993, they are very different cars and appeal to different types of enthusiast. Bearing in mind individual cars can vary quite a bit between models but it should give you a good idea. Good luck with the hunt.

 

Came to an agreement to buy the car. I am excited to get started bringing it back into shape. I have a professional contact at my local Porsche dealership who will be giving it a once over for me to see just where I stand.

 

Try your best to find an independent that deals with older, air-cooled cars. The dealerships are focused on newer cars and don't have the air-cooled knowledge that you can find in a quality indy. Do some searching in the archives and then post a thread requesting a good shop near you (can't help you in Wisconsin...).

I learned the lesson of "find a shop with specific experience in your car" many moons ago with a 914. It took 1 trip to a proper shop to come back running better than it ever had in my 5 years of ownership. Sadly, I'd already bought another car and couldn't keep it, so off it went...

....to be fair, I do know the dealers are launching a Porsche Classic program to service older cars, but this is relatively new, so we'll need to see if it plays out well. It is sure to be pricey as dealerships tend to be. Their attempts to sell really expensive "Classic" oil doesn't give me great hope...

 

No kidding...