Commander42

I have been looking and reading a lot on these cars. Ran up on a 13K car, not highly optioned. Black with grey leather, no defects in the body or top, but boy does it need a heavy duty polish, swirls and light scratches from hell. Appears to have the original tires, I assume at 13K. Older adult driven. If you don't say I am completely nuts, I will get the car inspected. Based on what I read, looks like IMS, plus some other obvious seals etc. right away. Should I run away from this? He is asking a decent price for somebody that does not know it needs $5K from the start .
I could have a clean updated, more bullet proof 13K car for maybe $21K?

recycled sixties

I have a Boxster 2001 base and it had 30k miles on it and for peace of mind after PPI I had the IMS Guardian installed . The latter is if you are concerned and perhaps you should be if you purchase one with such low mileage. If you do purchase it consider having a new ims installed, new tires etc.

For sure if you like the car get a PPI done. Anything that is wrong can be deducted from asking price. Try a few other Boxsters to make a comparison. I have a black Boxster and it is a b-tch to keep clean.However I do enjoy it but maintenance costs plan on $1500 -2000/year after most of everything is sorted out.

gfl

I dont think you are crazy. But keep in mind that low miles on a 14 year old car is not the same as "great condition". Many things break down with age, and there is even some speculation that hard use prolongs the life of many splash-lubricated parts - it also cuts down on moisture, acid etc in the oil.

On the other hand, for $21k you will get a car with many new parts (that you buy) and likely less wear on many rubber parts, wheel bearings, etc. And low wear on the interior. I always think the best used car is the best value, not the cheapest one.

A PPI by you or someone else is essential in my book.

I'm sorta restoring a 2000S too, ultimately as a track vehicle. fun.

Grant

Macster

Up to you. At 13K miles the car is still "new" so there's some risk a new car problem surfacing as you put miles on the car. However my 02 required nothing in its first 80K miles but an RMS so not every "new" car is a money pit.

OTOH you have a 12 year old car and one that was not used much so there's some risk of issues arising from this lack of use. Dry seals. AC o-rings leaking, etc.

What kind of servicing has the car had? Original tires is one thing but original oil? I hope not. What about brake fluid/clutch fluid flush/bleed services? Plugs are probably due on time. Check with your dealer service department so see what Porsche recommends for plug change intervals.

Be sure you spend some time with the car the engine running before you buy. Have owner take you on a test ride then you test drive the car. The engine wants to run about an hour if possible.

After a thorough used car checkout then get a PPI which among many things would look for any fluid leaks.

AP328

I have a 4k mile 1999 Boxster we bought new and when it is driven I do push it, partly for fun and partly for lubrication. Other than routine maintenance we haven't done anything, but we are likely going to do the IMS this year.

zeroroot

The condition of the car with that low mileage has me a bit concerned. Last year I picked up a 2000 base model boxster with 14,300 miles on it, but it looked like it had just rolled off the showroom floor. Even in the excellent condition mine was in, it needed:

• MAF Sensor
• Fuel sensor (old one was rusted due to condensation in gas tank)
• Plastic rear window badly fogged
• New keyless entry / key reprogrammed
• Tires (had the originals from 2000)

Somewhat minor issues by themselves, but expensive altogether. Just be prepared to spend a few dollars at the onset.

perfectlap

1K miles a year is not really a good thing with these cars. Luckily it's the S model which is not prone to the pitfalls (d-chunk) from kid gloves driving like many of the 2.5 Boxster and 3.4 Carreras. With these cars the longer the drive, and more frequent the driving, the better it is for the engine...helps get out the bad stuff. A very very thorough PPI and oil analysis (Blackstone) labs would be wise. These cars are worth very little unless the engine holds up. It's actually pretty shocking, it's almost as if you're buying an engine and they're nice enough toss in two seats and a steering wheel.

p.s.
I bought my 2000 S with 9K miles. It was as mint as mint condition gets -- and in exact configuration I wanted. I had exactly one unexpected repair before the 70K mile mark and that only cost $300 even at the dealer. But Once I crossed over 70K miles... major maintenance and unexpected repairs, including top shelf rubber have easily exceeded the market value of the car. But even those cars are a bit of a misnomer because a car that has had all of its needed upkeep rarely sells for "a bargain". If it's put up for sale at all.

mikefocke

Let me answer a different question, though related. Would I want to pay $21k for a 2000S in pristine condition today? No.

I sold a perfect (defined as needing nothing, 5 month old 300 mile Michelin PS2 N-rated on all 4 wheels) with new O2 sensors etc) 2001S with 58k miles on it for $13.5k. Threw in spare parts, boxes of docs, repair manuals, tools, etc. And that was a year ago so the car is now a year older.

Parts age, especially plastic parts. And lacking constant oil changes (defined as documented at least yearly) bad things happen to expensive parts.

If I had $21k to spend, I'd be shopping for a mid-mileage, later model ('03-'04) with documented service and I'd still get a PPI. I know you can find such a car, I just looked.

Good luck.