Kolshak

A friend of mine has 22k burning a hole in her pocket and wants to buy the newest 986 S possible with relatively low miles. I know to well the various changes to 996's over the years & the potential problems (RMS, IMS, crashing values, etc) but little about 986's.
Can someone point me to a 986 buyers guide and /or suggest what she can expect to get for ~ 22k?
Any must have 986 options, mods or issues to avoid?
thanks in advance for your advice

Macster

buying guides every so often.

Mike Focke has a 986 buyer's guide listed but I do not recall his web site's address.

I can't do it now -- away from home -- but email me with your fax number or give me an email address and I'll fax a copy of a Boxster buying guide to you or email one scanned into PDFs when I get back to the office, sometime this coming weekend or early next week.

Basically you want to make sure car has had no major body/paint work. Front bumper replacement/respray ok but major collision damage even if repaired as good as humanly possible is to be avoided.

Try to learn as much about car's history as possible. How was it maintained? Records? Check for mileage funny business. Run CarFax report but if it comes up clean don't take that as gospel. If it comes up "dirty" that's ok. Walk away from car.

Stay away from tracked car, modified cars, even if car put back "stock".

Have a dealership/service department perform a PPI on car, preferrably a dealership that has no interest in seeing the car sold on cause another car sale is not dependent upon this seller moving this car.

As for options.. it varies from buyer to buyer what's important. I like cruise control, auto climate control, manual, wind screen, and that's about it which is about all my 02 (bought new) came with.

You can also visit www.ppbb.com and post question there if you want some input.

Sincerely,

Macster.

Macster

http://mike.focke.googlepages.com/mi...oxsterwebpages

Sincerely,

Macster.

LVDell

macster, great link. thanks for posting. just what I was looking for

Giacomo

The litronic lights are a good option, a vast improvement over the stock lighting.

number9ine

Definitely agree that Mike Focke's page is worth reading. There's also a recent guide to Boxsters in Pano, maybe last month's issue.

She should buy the newest she can afford; 03+ S models get a few extra HP, some nice cosmetic upgrades to the bumpers and side vents, and most importantly a revised top with three roll hoops and a glass rear window. I'd look for something under 50k miles, 03 or newer, which should be right within her price range with a little negotiation. Bodywork is always something to look for, paint lines in the doors, hood, etc. If it's a nice job it's a negotiating point, if not, look elsewhere. Run a carfax.

Make sure to factor in the cost of replacement items like pads and rotors ($1100 or more for full job), tires ($900-1100), major services, etc. Ask the seller to provide receipts, and when the last service was. On the test drive, bring a rag. Put the top in service position (takes all of 2 minutes, read up on it here) and check the air filter in the driver side black box, look for oil spray, and anything else awry). Check the dipstick and oil filler tube for froth that suggests intermix. Check the rear compartment for a coolant smell (cracked expansion tank). Ask the seller what they've replaced, clutch, RMS, oil separator (AOS), coolant tank, oil filler tube, and clutch pedal spring are all common and may go if they haven't already. Check under the front bumper for road rash and factor that into negotiations, people often scrape it on curbs. A bumper respray is a few hundred dollars. She may not want a car that's been tracked unless she plans to do the same. Look for evidence of this, BK rollbar extender, firebottle mount, tire squibbles stuck to the fender liners, heat-cycled tires with uneven wear, "cheese-grater" rotors, etc.

As options go, the Litronic lamps are a big upgrade over the halogens. The 18" 5-spoke Carrera wheels ('03 and up) look great, but the 17s are nice too, with a better highway ride and cheaper tires. Bose is a must, otherwise you won't hear your music at highway speed with the top down. Windblocker is an option, but it's on just about all of them. Full leather can be nice, but requires maintenance and will get waterlogged if the top is left down in the rain. '03+ cars get MOST bus for the audio, meaning your only option for iPod or similar is an FM modulator or a $400+ box from Dension, mObridge, or NAV-TV. OBC is nice, shows exterior temp, trip computer, a few other goodies. Cruise is an option, so if she needs that look for it. For all-weather use she might look for a car with a hardtop, which is rare. One of my favorite options on my old Boxster was the rheostat for the intermittent wipers.

Whatever she does, make SURE she gets a full PPI. $2-300 bucks will uncover things that need attention, and on any 5+year-old car there will be something.

Best of luck!
M.

judd944

maybe have your friend get a 996 like yours?

On the 996 board:
https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...-warranty.html

Kolshak

Thanks for all the info guys - sounds like an 03+ is the deal....and no worries, I wouldn't let a friend buy a P-car without a mandatory PPI.
Macster - perfect link - thanks much!
* I saw that sweet 99 for sale. Couldn't let her buy that unless she also got me a Ruff body kit.