A friend of mine is looking for a sub 20k boxster. What should he wory about?
A friend of mine is looking for a sub 20k boxster. What should he wory about?
I have no idea but when I read the title my brain immediately read:
STOP. Boxter time. Break it down. Whoaaaa. Whoaaaa.
Here's a pretty good buyers guide. Ignore the prices listed. The low end is still too high.
http://www.excellence-mag.com/resources/buyers-guide/1035392063
He should make sure the Rear Main Seal has been replaced by the factory. Have him get the vin and check it with Porsche. If it hasn't been replaced, find a car that has had the RMS done.
If I were shopping for a Boxster right now, and I just might be, I'd either be spending in the 20's for a Porsche CPO car with a warranty, or I'd buy a cheap 98-99 car with a bunch of miles and run it until it dies.
bentvalve wrote: A friend of mine is looking for a sub 20k boxster. What should he wory about?
IMS failure, water pump impeller failure, CV boots, AOS failure, convertible top replacement...the list goes on and on.
The first thing is a PPI (pre purchase inspection), it's the best 100.00 buck you'll ever spend.
I didn't do it and it cost me $1300.00 to get the car inspected in Md.
Service history...lots is good.
After all that it's all good. I love cranking up my S to 6000 rpm and hearing that Porsche wail !
Is there any reason to buy a Boxster over an older 911? They are about the same price from what I have seen.
Woody wrote: or I'd buy a cheap low mileage 98-99 car with a bunch of miles and run it until it dies.
Huh?
Being the cheapskate I am - get a cheap one and drive the wheels off - then convert to spec boxster and drive even harder. The low end of the market is something like 6-7k - compared to the low end of the 911s at around 8-10k. For long term value - 911s are on the rise, boxsters are still depreciating. Or go even cheaper with a boxster with dead engine and drop a 996 engine in it or turbo subie, lsx or suitable hoonage type engine. Or buy my bottom of market targa. 
The poster formally known as 96DXCivic wrote: Is there any reason to buy a Boxster over an older 911? They are about the same price from what I have seen.
Looks, lower polar moment, better handling, vert (*). Until a water cooled 911 has GT3 or Turbo on it's tail it doesn't hit my radar.
Note any Boxster is better looking than any 911, but when you make a 911 into a vert it transcends plain and goes straight to fugly without passing go or collecting $200.
In reply to oldtin:
If I could find a decent Boxster anywhere near me for $6-7K, it would be in my garage.
$6k Boxster Not mine, no affiliation, could be a pig, but they are getting cheap.
Without a strong service history and an inspection, I wouldn't go near a Boxster. The last one I looked at for $8K needed a new top including rods and motors ($3K?) and didn't have a clean body panel on it and it had been hit a couple of times ($5K?). It easily needed another $1-2K in various cosmetic and electrical issues. It had high mileage on a leaky engine ($3-5K). So if I could have talked him down to $6K and put another $12K or so into it and had a car that was maybe worth $8-9K with the high mileage and ugly carfax.
A decent, clean, cheap, older Boxster is on average going to cost you $10K. You might as well buy the nicest one you can find to start with. Leave the others for track rats.
8500 buy it now price with clean carfax - looks like several are stuck in the 5-6k bid range on flea bay. It would kinda suck to shell out 20k for one knowing it will be worth 10k in no time. Something to be said for cheap stuff that's worth at least as much as you paid for it when it's time to move on.
Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: I have no idea but when I read the title my brain immediately read: STOP. Boxter time. Break it down. Whoaaaa. Whoaaaa.
Please Boxtah, don't hurt 'em!
Woody wrote: If I were shopping for a Boxster right now, and I just might be, I'd either be spending in the 20's for a Porsche CPO car with a warranty, or I'd buy a cheap low mileage 98-99 car with a bunch of miles and run it until it dies.
I've been doing this for about a year and haven't really had much trouble with mine... I bought my 97 with 60K, and it just turned 90K this morning. The worst problem I've had is a defective VarioCam solenoid. $1200 at the Porsche dealer to have it repaired...but I'm not that clever. I bought the part for $250 and tortured myself for 12 hours fixing it myself (I took the engine out; they would have left it in, hence their ability to repair it far faster and more efficiently than I could/did).
mtn wrote:Woody wrote: or I'd buy a cheap low mileage 98-99 car with a bunch of miles and run it until it dies.Huh?
Doh! How'd that get in there? Fixed now.
The first thing is a PPI (pre purchase inspection), it's the best 100.00 buck you'll ever spend.
The last PPI I had done cost nearly $500, but it was still worth every penny.
All the above is good advice. Beyond that, make sure he gets a Boxster S. It is well worth the extra coin.
I've driven my friend's Boxster. It's a phun little car. Corners very well. I think it will out accelerate the Camry now that they had it fixed. I think it was like 2-3 large for various sensors, plastic air box, etc.
In reply to oldtin:
Low-end 911's for $8k to $10k? Where are these, what are they usually as far as years & options (I assume late-70's targa's?) and how much money usually comes after purchase to put them right & usable as a daily?
oh snap
^^^I have a driver 85 targa - had it in the classifieds a while back in that range. Useable as a DD as is. I've had it 5 years - stone reliable. It could go another 40k before it will need any significant cash thrown at it. It's got a bunch of miles and sketchy records. Cheap ones are out there - some are useable, some are money pits, especially if you pay someone to work on them.
This is the time of year to find the best deals on Porsches.
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