Totally agree with all these comments. I think these old Boxsters are a tremendous value. Mine is a daily driver and has been for the last four years. I think the problem I had in the beginning was the car sat too much when owned previously. It only had 28k miles in its first 15 years of age. I gave it to my daighter as her first car to begin with and she put 20k miles on it. Then she wanted a truck so I started driving it for the last 10k. Car is tight and I love it around town. Great mileage. Very pure driving experience. No Q I recommend buying one to anyone who wants a great value in a roadster.

 

Z4 Design committee: "OK you guys design the front in the conference room. We are having the rear done at PS13 by 3rd graders at recess. Sides and top already completed by tag artists down by the railroad yard. The suspension committee was drawn from a hat. Picasso and Pollack will pick the best aspects of each. We all meet at noon and put em together. Start production at 3:"

 

My real comment and something I've done four times. A blue 97. A yellow 97. A black 99 and a current red 01 not to mention the new special edition 08 orange. I know this sounds cavalier but seriously. $8500. Where else do you get that much fun for $8500 unless you are Lamar Bias or Charlie Sheen? For $8500 buy it drive it til it drops throw it away and dig up another $8500. Or do what I did. Buy the first. Start the learning curve. Enjoy! Sell each of them for a small profit and keep improving. If the last one dies go back to comment 1. I have had zero major expense in any of my four early cars and I've driven the krap out of them and enjoyed every mile. My bugaboo is the top. Make sure the top mechanism has been rebuilt that is the only sure thing failure and it is a virtual certainty. If you are really thinking Z4 then just get a MIata.

 

I have to agree with pretty much all the comments here - especially the references back to the 944. Seems that the 944 and 986 are in the same price point these days.

Keep in mind the BMW has it's own issues - they aren't perfect either. I think the lengthier posts here are based on worst-case-scenario for the Box... a culmination of all the more "common" problems. I'd say the chances you're going to have ALL of those problems in one shot are pretty low. (The 944 has a similar LONG list of "typical problems" but only the most mis-treated cars have a majority of them.)

That all said - you're looking at premium marque German cars. BMW, Porsche, Benz... these were, what, $45,000-$50,000 cars when new? Just because you're buying it for $8k doesn't change the fact that you're going to have to maintain a $45,000-$50,000 car. And that's in "late 1990s" dollars... after inflation, etc. these cars were definitely big bucks. You need to be realistic about what you're looking at.

If you want an $8k roadster that will take little to no maintenance... look at a Miata. Seriously.

 

Thanks to all that posted,I a bought the boxster and am going to drive it and enjoy it until something happens.of course I will do the maintenance that needs to be done but not the ims until I need the clutch done.first thing I will do is change ignition switch key is hard to get out.thanks jimbo

 

Congrats! Welcome to the addiction.