Austin Mickelson

Greetings Porche Experts!!

I am a humble new navy officer and I have gotten a little extra cash burning a hole in my pocket! Last weekend I stumbled upon 2 boxters!

1 is a 2004 bright yellow manual boxster s that supposedly was immaculately kept at 50k miles but for some reason when we hit about 70mph the oil/water heat gauge went to 250 and then back and forth and then started blinking so my dad and I drove it back to the dealership. They claimed it was just the coolant cap in the back not being screwed on right and they claimed to fix it however when I looked at it afterwards they admitted it still seemed like it wasn't screwed on all the way. We sat down and they (a Honda dealership) started using high pressure sales tactics so I walked away.

Right across the street a porche dealership is selling a gray 2002 boxster with an automatic tranny with 60k miles. It drove pretty well though there was a slight step up feeling when I tried hitting the gas. The glove compartment handle is broken so I can negotiate that into the deal to have them fix it as well as get me two new key fobs because they only had one and the plastic housing for the unlock buttons had been ghetto taped. (Still worked)

i have been poor all my life and this this is very tempting for me. Please help and have mercy at my lack of knowledge.

thank you!!

grrrmonster

Porsches require maintenance, and it's not cheap. When buying one (I've owned them for past 30 years) top on my list is maintenance. What was done, by whom, and without records to prove it I assume it wasn't done. Do searches here and on 986forum.com. Be informed as you conduct your search. You need to have budget set aside for maintenance- and for known weaknesses it is a good strategy to plan on having those addressed immediately when buying the car. Probably more important to find an independent Porsche repair shop with s sterling reputation first. Get their input, and insist On a prepurchase inspection before buying a car. These are fabulous vehicles but it's much better to know what to expect. Also suggest you connect with your local PCA chapter- you may find local folks who know a lot that can help you- and is also a pool of potential cars to purchase. I'm always highly skeptical of older Porsches for sale at a nonporsche dealership or used car lot that doesn't specialize in used Porsches. Good luck

Richard Jenkins

First, expect to to put in $5000 to change the IMS bearing, rms, and clutch or take the time to find car that recently had this done. If it is necessary, it can be debated, but if you don't, you will always be worrying. You will need to do some of the maintence yourself to keep it affordable.

If you are a"more power" person wait and find an "S" model. That being said, I have 1998 base Boxster and 2000 996, and love my Boxster. Both have been very dependable.

Mike Murphy

Even a poor man's Porsche is still a Porsche - a car intended for the rich.

I would honestly look at buying into a different brand car. It's not like you said that you've always wanted a Porsche all your life and have figured out a way to buy and maintain one. Porsche owners budget $1,000 -$2,000 per year for "just in case" items. While reliable, repairs are expensive. You may not have any issues, but you should plan and budget for some.

By the way, if a dealer is a douche, the one across the street is likely to be similar.

Austin Mickelson

Correction, it is a gray 2003 boxster that is at the actual porche dealership. That one in particular is what I'm looking at.

Question: does it really cost 5 grand to catch the IMS ahead of time and fix/replace the part? Since the car is automatic it doesn't need a clutch, so I can't fix them both at the same time. If it costs this much to fix an issue like that AHEAD of time, I'll walk away from this vehicle.

I love the car, but like you all are indicating maybe I don't fit into the economic class of person yet to be driving one. I can afford 1 to maybbbbe 2 grand worth of maintained average a year.

The porche dealership just told me now that I can take the car in for half the day and do a Pre-purchase inspection and I plan on sending it to a local shop here that specializes in porches.

They want about 10 grand for the 2003 Gray Boxster, and the other place (which is a honda dealer) wants 15 grand for the bright yellow 2004 Boxster S.

I am more interested in the gray one because of price even though I know the S is better on speed. Should I just save my money guys?

Macster

You have to be careful. While used Boxsters are pretty cheap these are not cheap cars to own. Dealer servicing is rather expensive.

Indy servicing is often touted as the way to go and if one has a good indy handy that I guess is the way to go. My experience has been the indy shops charge as much as the dealer and in one case insisted on using the wrong oil and refused me when I wanted to supply the right oil.

You can do some servicing yourself of course. Oil/filter servicies. Brake fluid/clutch fluid flush/bleeding. Brakes. I've been known to remove the wheels and have new tires fitted at an indy tire store. (I don't take the car there because the tire shop doesn't lift the car properly.)

Depending upon your skill set, your garage, motivation, spare time, etc., you can replace a water pump, a clutch, replace an AOS, coolant tank, and so on.

Regarding the cars you looked at the yellow car could have a number of things that could account for the behavior. The problem is the cause could be rather easy to address -- could just be low on coolant due to a leaking cap (the early caps leaked vapor under some conditions) -- or it could be a leaking coolant tank. Or it could be a cracked head. I think you were smart in walking away.

The 2nd car reads like there might be a Tip issue. For testing a Tip equipped car I advise one to do a k-turn with the Tip cold then again when it is hot to verify the Tip can handle rapid and repeated changes in direction without any issues. 'course, how the Tip works at all other times during a test ride then a test drive is important too. It should up shift and down shift without any drama under light, moderate, or heavy throttle.

The Tip can be repaired but you are faced with the expense of having the Tip removed then repaired -- and finding a reputable shop to repair the Tip -- then having it installed again. You would probably have a real problem getting the price of this car adjusted to take a Tip repair into account.

Besides it is not a good idea to buy a car with serious issues like a malfunctioning Tip transmission.

There are better examples out there. If you really want a Boxster keep looking.

Couple of things: General rule with buying a used car is to buy the best example you can find and afford. Ideally it should have no issues when you check the car out. Next you should have set aside 10% of the car's used car price for "just in case". Given these are "luxury sports" cars that 10% might want to be 15% or even 20%.

While the car may not be manifesting any issues when you check it out and buy it you can almost bet on the fact it will manifest issues after you buy it and begin to drive it. A water pump, AOS, clutch, wheel bearing, MAF, CV axle boot/bearing, battery, radiator, etc., can leak, slip, get noisy, quite working, develope a tear or a noise, die, leak, etc., and you will have to tap into that 10% (or more) "just in case money" to get the car back on the road.

paulofto

Remember, there is no such thing as a 'cheap' Porsche. It's a 'pay me now, or pay me later' proposition.

Any car with any obvious issues at time of sale is a real red flag for me. Any reputable dealer worth the name should have addressed any issues before trying to sell a vehicle. Setting you out for a test drive in a vehicle with obvious cooling problems is ridiculous. Yes, a loose coolant cap can exhibit the symptoms you indicate, but so does a damaged water pump or any number of causes.

If the car doesn't drive well on a test drive, how bad will it be after a purchase?

Save your money, keep looking, and you will find the one you want. Depending where you live you could find one right around the corner. I looked for about a year and found mine in my own neighbourhood.

A suggestion. Join the PCA as an associate and get to know some local members. As well, the magazine has PCA member classifieds where you may find the car you really want.

Good luck!

extanker

the cheapest porsche you buy will be the most expensive porsche you will ever own

mikefocke

I was once a newly minted Naval Officer and owned an Alfa Romeo at the time. My experience was that it all depended on the availability of a knowledgeable-of-the-brand mechanic. When I was in Newport, great mechanic, great experience. Charleston not so. Blew a head gasket in Myrtle Beach and had to go to sea and the mechanic left the car sitting out in the open with the top down.

So (having owned 3 Porsches) let me suggest. Where are you going to be stationed? Where will the car be kept if you are not around for weeks/months? Where is the mechanic that will maintain it for those things you can't do yourself? I suggest locating the great mechanic first and then seeing if he knows someone who has a car whose history he knows that is wanting to sell. Boxsters are great cars but hundreds are available and it is all about regular maintenance. And yes spend the money on the PPI if you can't see documentation on the maintenance history for the last 5 years ... and maybe even if you can.

A older foreign sports car is not something I'd want to own without some financial reserves. There was nothing so miserable as being stuck on the ship saving for the engine rebuild or whatever.

(And for all of that, my 2 Boxsters were less $$ maintenance than a comparable Honda of the same vintage/mileage. But Boxsters are now lots older and parts wear and age.)

San Rensho

Don't buy it. It is the poor mans Porsche and even worse, it's a "girl " car.

Shawn Stanford

So, here's my take: I'm on my fifth old Porsche. My 'newest' Porsche was a 944 turbo I bought with 52k on it. My daily driver is a used Cayenne I bought with 82k on it (147k now). I owned a '79 928 with something over 300k on it (ran like a beast). The 99 Boxster I bought three months ago has 173k on it. The 82 928 I have now is north of 100k.

All of them run fine, but they require maintenance, most of which I do myself (and I'm not a good mechanic). So, if you have a modicum of skills, the ability to ask questions on the internet and Google search, a reasonable set of tools, and a place to wrench, go for it. If you don't, then you're going to owe your *** to a mechanic. These cars aren't NASA space shuttles: They can be figured out and fixed, but...

And you HAVE TO DRIVE THE SNOT OUT OF THEM. Seriously. The more you drive them, the happier they'll be. I lost my early 928 because I deployed to Afghanistan for a year. When I got back, he didn't restart and during the troubleshooting process, I got hit with a flood. Otherwise, I'm certain he'd still be on the road.

So, yeah, if you're going to be cruising for long stretches, not the best car. But, if you're up for a little wrenching fun and you don't want to drive the same friggin' Acura, Mustang, or pickup as all your shipmates: Go for it.

AWDGuy

100% truth.

I bought a 2002 C4S for 24k CDN 4 years ago, while most others were selling in the 30-35k range.

The 1st week of ownership I replaced the voltage regulator
The 1st month I replaced the heat exchanger as it was leaking coolant
The 3rd month I found out I had scored cylinders and began a full engine tear down and repair

and I'm still not done getting it up to the condition I would like it in.

I now have a 40k C4S.

Could have waited 2 years and bought a Turbo instead.

Mister Quickie

Those prices are way too high. Scour Craigslist for people who need to sell in a short timeframe and lowball them since the average Porsche enthusiast is going to drag out PPIs, drives, maintenance records reviewing etc and then probably won't buy anyway.
Kind of like a chick who drags things out with coffees, lunches, concerts, brunch etc. until one or both of you lose interest in further pursuit.
You'll really be the only game in town and can almost name your price.
Screams of "it won't be well sorted" will be heard but that's where rule #1 of Porsche ownership comes in: "You must be able to DIY!".
Just because you pay more doesn't mean you get more. I paid premium price for a 944 from a reputable shop, PCA touted and all. It was a dog.
Look it over well, underbody and all, test drive it long and hard, if it cuts the mustard, mentally prepare to DIY.

I respectfully disagree. The Boxster is the lightest weight Porsche which gives it nimbleness and responsiveness that can match any more expensive model.
The hp can easily be upgraded to make it a monster.
Respray it to a manly color that says ef you.
Delete the mufflers so it sounds more aggressive.
It won't be a girl car.
If you walk into some hoity toity party and someone says they have a Panamera and you say you have a Boxster, everyone chuckles and you feel bad.
Walk into that same stuffed shirt soiree and say the Panamera is a waste of $, not enough hands on, too heavy, and too pretentious, I chose the Boxster because it's lighter weight, I can DIY easier, and decided to put the 150k difference into a vacation home instead. It's all about the story.

AWDGuy

Anyone who says its a girly car hasn't driven one at the track. They would not be saying such silly things if they did. What a performer.

San Rensho

Come on guys. Don't you recognize sarcasm when you see it? The newbie op posts the classic "the boxster is the poor mans (sic)Porche" so i taunt him a little and tell him also a girl car. And if you dont believe me go on tbe 996 forum where they call the Box a girl car.

And I agree with you. The Boxster is great car. I've taken mine on the track several times and I ran circles around the 996s.