salguod

Hello,

New to the forum, I just sold my 2002 E46 325Ci 5 speed and I'm looking to get a first generation Boxster as my next fair weather daily (I've got a Tundra for snow days). Looking for one in the sub-$10K range, hopefully. I've been dailying cheap, interesting cars (my last 3 dailies have cost a total of $5K) and I figure this may be close to my last time to get into a Porsche for the kind of money I want to spend. I don't mind a car with some needs, but I'm not looking for a project.

I'm typically not scared of high mileage (I drove my 318ti from 239K to almost 270K, my E46 from 150K to 188K and my Tundra has 295K), should I be with an 986? I see cars with 160K and more, but I wonder if that's an issue for an early Boxster.

I typically DIY almost everything, so mechanics fees aren't a concern (unless I really can't do it). I've got a pole barn I can work in (soon to have a lift, hopefully) and a truck I can drive if it's down for a time. I assume that whatever I buy will need something in the first few months of ownership.

I found and watched the Help Me DIY buyer's guide videos and have read through a couple threads with similar Qs and the Macster checklist. I've learned to check the floors for wetness (I've seen a few cheap Boxsters with ECU issues from water damage).

I know about the infamous IMS bearing and that the early cars have a (more robust?) dual row bearing.And that failure is generally pretty rare. What I don't know is what IMS bearing failure looks like. Are there early warning signs to watch for or is it really something that grenades your engine in an instant?

What other problem areas do I need to be aware of? For example, I knew that BMWs have weak cooling system parts, window regulators fail, control arms wear, the valve covers and oil filter housings leak, etc.

Any big maintenance items I should be aware of like timing belts?

These cars have both an electronic oil level readout on the dash and a dipstick, is that right? Is the electronic readout reliable? Is oil consumption a typical issue? For example, I understand that E46 BMWs all use oil at higher mileage, mine was 800-1200 miles per quart.

Thanks for any and all advice you can give.

ahutcheon

We've run a 2001 base (2.7l) from 200,000km to 230,000km over the last three years, it's been a toy and sometimes daily driver / grocery getter. Hasn't needed much beyond regular service items, engine seems solid. Suspension is a bit tired, but the chassis is fundamentally right enough that it isn't a big deal.

Much less needy than our younger and much lower mileage BMW. The Porsche is quite nicely put together and rewarding to work on once you accept the stuff like spark plugs takes a little effort.

I think I'm usually doing one top-up of the oil between changes, nothing like my other BMW (motorbike) which is more like the consumption you mention. Electronic readout seems pretty good, mine reads a bit higher than the dipstick but is consistent so if it gets a few segments down it's time for a dipstick check and topup.

Oh, fuel consumption is pretty reasonable on long cruises and around town, I guess the aero is good and it's relatively light. I didn't like the tiptronic 2.5 I test drove, but the 5 speed manual is fun.

Summary: I'd say go for it, I'm glad we did. Assuming you have some appetite for risk. A 986 supposedly can fail catastrophically. But it seems like a BMW is about guaranteed to serve you up something irritatingly non-cheap every 9 months or so.

Shawn Stanford

The #1 thing you need to know about Boxsters is that they're the Toyota Tercel of Porsches. They're reliable, inexpensive, and easy to maintain. They'll go forever with basic maintenance and regular use.

bcrdukes

C'mon, Shawn. At least compare it to the Corolla hahaha!

joseph mitro

I would never call any Porsche "inexpensive." they may be cheap to purchase but the parts are usually ridiculously expensive.

if you're working on a budget, an early base model with good mechanicals to begin with is probably going to be your best bet, especially if you DIY. While my 99 Boxster wasn't fast, it was fun as hell and sounded great with the top down and engine wound up

Shawn Stanford

'Inexpensive' compared to other Porsches, about the same as any other car.

I do most of the maintenance on my 928s, Boxsters, and Cayenne. I also maintain my child's '08 Jetta. The Boxster parts aren't any more expensive than the parts for the Jetta (with the exception of struts, which are stupidly expensive). Cayenne parts are also cheap, because most of them come from the VW parts bin (just make sure you buy the ones with the VW part numbers, rather than the Porsche part numbers!).

Of course, I shop around and I'm not averse to buying Chinese parts or used parts if they'll do the job.

928s, however, will crush you in parts cost. They didn't make very many of them, and they stopped making them a while ago.

salguod

Thanks all. I was prepared to look at one about an hour away tomorrow, but it was sold this week.

Currently talking with someone about a nice looking one about 5 hours away. Price seems right, interior and exterior seem nicely kept, especially for the 140K miles, and he claims to have records for the last 10 years / 40K miles.

The distance is a tougher call, making a test drive difficult, and it'd be a long wasted day if it doesn't work out. It's in a fairly small city in a rural area too, so finding a Porsche specialist to get a PPI will be tough.

bcrdukes

Where are you located? Would you be open to buying a Canadian vehicle? You might be able to stretch your dollar a bit further.

salguod

I'm open to it, sure, but would need to understand the import process. I'm not far from Windsor, ON.

salguod

In the process of closing a deal on a 140K mile 1998 about a 5 hour drive from here. It goes for a PPI tomorrow AM and, if that goes well, I pick it up Saturday.

It does have a lone CEL code, I posted about that separately. Doesn't feel like a deal breaker, of course the PPI should shed some light on it.

I'm pretty excited, and a bit nervous. I've never bought a car sight unseen and from that distance. But, there really wasn't anything attractive nearby, especially at this price.

I'll post more once I go pick it up.

salguod

Update: I bought it.

bcrdukes

Congrats and enjoy in good health!

ch3k

Congrat, Salguod - just found this and will enjoy reading your purchase thread!