kriss

base boxster,51,000miles,$13,900...new potenza tires at 47000(front tires on the outside of tread seem scrubbed a bit),new top(plastic window),the rms was replaced but not the ims-does one always go along with the other?....can't confirm regular oil changes/service(this is the 3rd owner)but car looks well cared for...original brakes? of course there would be a ppi. is it worth pursuing?

Plyman438

I paid $15,400 not including taxes and other fees, and it's a 2001 red standard Boxster with 54,000 miles, new top also, new water pump, and all new fluids just before I bought it a month ago. It was priced $700 below average price for that vehicle. It also came with two month limited warranty. So sounds like good deal to me assuming body, underside, and interior are in very good condition. Mine passed a PPI at local Porsche dealer. It's usually best to do the IMS upgrade when you do the RMS since labor is the greatest cost in dropping the trans to get at it. I will do the IN upgrade when my clutch starts to wear out or RMS starts leaking onto ground, whichever comes first. My PPI only cost $117 and had other PPI's done until I got one that passed. The range was $117 to $138 depending upon dealer. You really don't know what you have until you get vehicle on hoist and really check out the underside. The build quality is so good on the Boxster that it hides problems underneath. I PPI'd a couple that had half the underside panels torn off.

racer

Sounds like an average deal. What options does it have? My "base" (by base I mean 2.7 motor) had the "sport design" package which added 18" wheels, sport seats and some other interior upgrades. new top is nice (the window usually cracks); RMS is nice.. but independent of IMS. Does it have options you might want?

Is the clutch original? motor mounts tend to fail by this mileage. Waterpumps usually go by 60K miles.

Factory oil change intervals are pretty large, with Synthetic recommended.. At the very least, budget for an oil change upon purchase. Also check for brake fluid flushes. When I bought mine I flushed them out because I had no records of it ever being done. Amazingly "dirty" fluid came out. Brake pads/rotors might still be ok, but given age, I'd consider "baselining" any recent purchase.

its a nice rule of thumb to keep between 10-15% of price paid for some unforseen issues like those mentioned above. BTW, brakes and oil changes are pretty easy D-I-Y items if you're so inclined.

cretinx

sounds about right if it passes the PPI

Macster

Tire wear could be alignment due to just normal alignment issues, or bad accident repair, or simply agressive driving, track driving even.

When the RMS is replaced generally the IMS end plate is upgraded to a newer design with a 3-rib seal and new bolts. This is (or was done) to address a potential oil leak. (Many 'RMS' leaks were in fact leaks from the IMS end plate/bolts.) The IMS bearing upgrade is a whole 'nother thing.

At some point what services a car had X number of years and miles back (you do not give the model year) matters little. What matters more is what the condition of the car is now.

Is the engine quiet at cold start, and does it remain quiet as it idles and warms up? What does the engine run like and sound like over a longish test ride/drive? (15 miles test ride, then 15 miles (same route) test drive.)

Essentially you want to get to a point that you know the car well enough that it is worth spending money -- and that you believe you can make a deal for -- to have a PPI done. You want to PPI only one car. The car you end up buying.

As many questions about the car's condition you can answer the less likely you'll waste money having a PPI done on a car that proves to not be a car you want to buy.

The car needs to be subjected to a thorough used car checkout and if nothing showstopper severe found then a PPI done.

I don't know about the price. My market price info on Boxsters is way out of date.


Sincerely,

Macster.

Landseer

PPI is important.

Have been watching closely the last couple weeks as a shop owner friend unwravels the hidden problems of a low-mile boxster that a client purchased recently. (I'd love a boxster and wanted to learn what to look for)

The journey began with bad running, then no-start, and soon with the discovery that an engine warning light had been clipped behind the dash by a middleman....which meant some additional digging into the nether-regions of the little beast. The repairs needed are both electrical and electronic. Proprietary modules, hopefully that can be soldered back into service with new generic parts.

PPI by a good shop or boxster-focused rennlister would have been helpful. The seller, a licensed car dealer, would have been forced into an ethical position with the information that would have been revealed.