CR

Hi all,

Wow, it’s good to be back (almost). I’m a long time Porsche guy and looking to come back to the fold with a new-to-me Boxster. I had a 944 (now a spec car) and then had a 996 which I sold about 3 years ago. Really miss having a Porsche and want a convertible. So I’m close to pulling the trigger on one but wanted a couple opinions from some educated Porsche folks.

Car is a 99 base, manual, arena red. 107,000 miles. BBS sport design wheels, new top with glass window. Seats just reupholstered and are perfect. Rest of car is very clean. Well taken care of with records. Car has been very reliable for its current owner of the last 6 years so big items haven’t needed to be done. So no replacement of IMS, AOS, or RMS, but no signs showing that they need to be.. Water pump was changed during his ownership. Clutch feels great, shifted great, everything feels tight to me.

Had a PPI done today and car came back with a good bill of health other than a few little things. But how little are they?

- one part of horn doesn’t work (there must be two?)
- will need new tires in about 5,000 miles (no big deal to me)
- rear shocks had a very slight weep and may need replacing soon
- Two O2 sensors apparently had thrown codes that were stored in the ecu, but they aren’t throwing any codes on the dash; my guy said may need to replace at some point (this worried me the most, not sure how expensive they are)


Thats about it. Type 1 over revs was 526 (my guy said that was low, not sure how that number is calculated). No type 2 over revs.

Asking price is $7500. Sounds good to me but I don’t know the Boxster market that we’ll. Seems like there are prices all over the place. Owner of shop said it was a good price, but not a screaming deal.

Quick thoughts?

Thanks so much!

Chris

mikefocke

The O2 sensors are around $150 each for the Bosch part, no need for Porsche priced ones. Any muffler shop could install them (I had one done in VA and one in NC both at Muffler shops. Took 15 minutes each time and 10 was waiting for things to cool once driven onto the lift.)

At those miles, not surprising suspension may need an occasional part replaced.

Tires vary according to brand but they are your link to the road and are important to your safety so don't wait till they are down to the wear bars.

Horn is easy. $30-40 part on eBay.

You have a PPI, nothing big immediately. Car has records. You understand sellers motivation. Glass top a big plus. Seats a plus at this mileage. Wheels a plus. Assuming it had a 90k big service, you have 13k till the next big one.

Shawn Stanford

That sounds like an entirely reasonable deal.

brianmch

+1 from a guy who has bought two Boxsters in the last two years.

CR

dr914

Boxsters are a great buy for the money. 7500 will not even buy a rusty running 914 these days, and let's face it, the boxster is superior in every way (not that it is a fair comparison between are car of the 2000s and a car of the 70s! (LOL) I drive a boxster every day and love the cars. MUCH better than a 996 or 997

seanseidman

Any thoughts out there on buying a boxster, removing convertible, and creating a sort of street legal spb with a hardtop?
Had a 996 then an SPB, now race a Radical, and drive a miata, but miss driving the boxster.

mikefocke

Must be the season as I've read several "replacing the Miata" threads today. The Miata is a great cheap to run car. I didn't fit so I went Boxster twice. Wonderful experience. Lots being converted to SPBs. If you are going to race SPB, know the class rules as the model years are restrictive.

The key for you is finding that hardtop. Prices vary with location and season. And ther are a few aftermarket ones made light for racing or to look like a Cayman. If it is just to be a lightweight street car for fun runs or DEs, then that is a different universe.

seanseidman

i raced an spb and switched to a radical
that's why I have a hard top sitting in my garage dragging me back to buy a boxster
wondering if makes sense to run a boxster as a street car with the hardtop and removing the weight of the convertible, ie street legal spb