boxster buyers guide and pointers!..

[Guest]

Hi, I registered on here a while back and posted a few times in the older car sections (classic 911/912 forum) as I was intending buying an older porsche as a second car. Unfortunately due to a change in personal circumstances, I have moved house in the last couple of months, and lost my garage []

Im still on the hunt for my first porsche, and am considering a boxster. I have always liked the boxster, but never considered using a porsche as an everyday car until now... I also considered a 964, however I think the boxster would be a better proposition for everyday use...

Anyway, does anyone know of a buyers guide, inspecion check list, etc for looking over cars? I am intending buying privately as I think I can probably get a lot more for my money that way, but am wary that I dont know an enormous amount about these cars... Also, are there common faults and issues I should be aware of?

Any comments on ownership and daily use would also be appreciated

Thanks in advance

Ben

PS... Im considering a 2.7 or S (pref the S, however it might be stretching my budget a bit) and Im based in Leicester so if you know of anywhere I could start locally, or any specialists close by who might help with an inspection I would be grateful

 

[Helen Goff]

Hi, im in Ashby-de-la-zouch, i've had Boxsters as my daily runner for over 5 years now. look for a car with full Porsche service history or at the very least good Porsche specialist.

for a pre purchase inspection i can recommend either one of the OPCs (Notts,Solihull,Suttoncoldfield,Sheffield) or Zentrum in Notts, autobahn/PCT in Coventry.

 

[Guest]

thanks helen.. I think I spoke to you before re: 912's, but due to sudden lack of garage space, Ive got to go back to one car again, and so the boxster seems like a good alrounder

Does anyone have any pointers or a buyers guide I can look through just to get an idea of what I should look out for; common faults, failures, etc..

b

 

[Mark_Bennett]

Peter Morgan has written a booklet that is just what you are looking for.
It's available from Club Office or from Amazon:
[FONT=verdana, helvetica, arial"]Porsche Boxster and Boxster S 1996 to 2005: Ultimate Buyer's Guide (Ultimate Buyers' Guide S.)
Peter Morgan [FONT=verdana, helvetica, arial"] [FONT=verdana, arial, helvetica"][size="-1"][*][FONT=verdana, arial, helvetica"][size="-1"]Paperback 72 pages (May 2, 2005) [/size][*] [FONT=verdana, arial, helvetica"][size="-1"]Publisher: Peter Morgan Media Ltd [/size][*][FONT=verdana, arial, helvetica"][size="-1"]Language: English[/size]
[*] [FONT=verdana, arial, helvetica"][size="-1"]ISBN: 0954999002[/size][*][FONT=verdana, arial, helvetica"][size="-1"]£9.95
[/size] [/size]

 

[Helen Goff]

both Porsche 911 world and GT purely porsche have done buyers guides for the Boxster. but to be honest appart from looking out for any oil drips between the back wheels, looking for strange wear on the tyres (as with all cars) and making sure its been serviced and only Porsche parts used.look out for any miss aligned bodywork or bubbly paint. then there really isn't much to say.

 

[thboxster]

Looking for oil drips, etc, are a good start, but you can always get a feel for whether the cars been looked after in the past or not just by it's appearance. Even if a car has been cleaned in and out, a car that has not been loved and looked after will look, just that bit shabbier than one that has been cared for.

Of course it's no guarantee, but if a car has been looked after, then it's probably had all the right maintenance at the right time to keep it in tip-top condition.

If you find one you like, you can always get an AA inspection done (or similar). If you buy from an OPC, you will obviously pay more, but if it's an approved vehicle then it will come with a suitable warranty. There's a spottles '02 2.7 in Reading. Coincidentaly my old car.

I'm shocked how much is on the price tag though!

 

[Helen Goff]

whats your budget Mr Cats?

 

[Mark_Bennett]

The above advice is all good, but I would suggest a book helps you find out the differences between models / different specs / year changes / etc.
If you are new to the car this might be helpful. []
All the people on this thread however know the cars intimately [8D]

A tenner well spent if you want to find out the bulk of it in one pocketable guide.

Please ask any specific questions you may have (or anyone else for that matter) we could do with a buyers guide we could perhaps "sticky" to the forum.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the tips guys... I have been looking around a bit more closely today, and I think an S is out of my range, so am looking at either a spot-on 2.5 with all the right bits, or pref a 2.7, which I think should be attainable; Im looking to spend about 16-18k, prob closer to 18 so I get the car I want.

Ideally I would like a black one with red interior, but I think that might be a bit of an uncommon combo. The second choice would be dark blue with brown interior, but again I think I might be narrowing my options considerably!..

I will continue my search for info, and if I find anything that might be useful to others, I will post it up!..

Thanks again for the responses

b

 

[Mark_Bennett]

There's a nice-sounding red one(!) in the Members for Sale area at the moment...

snip...

[FONT=arial"]1999T BOXSTER 2.5 RE[FONT=arial"]D 30,000 MILES ONLY, red centre consul.
[FONT=arial"]Multi stack CD, rear wind defletcter. Black Leather, condition A1 ++++
[FONT=arial"]Dry use only, always garaged. 11 months MOT Tax November 2005
£19,000 ono

Contact Mervyn 07739 502939

/snip

 

[Guest]

prob going to get flamed for this, but not really keen on red or silver... like the darker colours on the boxster shape. I know thats prob a bit of a secondary thing to consider compared with a good one with fpsh, etc for some people, but despite being a complete petrol-head, colour is v.important to me []

Other than the colour, sounds about spot on though...

b []

 

[Dapster]

You will get a 2.7 for £18k - I know because the OPC offered me £17.5 for my '01 (Y) 2.7 manual with lapis blue/black alcantara, climate, OBC, 17" alloys, sound pack, full OPC history, 1 owner and 50k miles and said that they hadn't seen a better one with that mileage. I eventually got a bit (but not much more) privately so if you can compromise on spec/age/owners you'll get a 2.7.

As with all things Porsche, you are best off getting the latest evolution. The 2.5 is a fine car with all the handling panache you need, but the 2.7 is better. More torque, much stronger performance, better fuel economy and in my opinion, a better noise. You'll also get the revised interior (3 spoke wheel, electronic lid releases, alu door handles and gearlever) plus materials more akin to a sports car and not cereal packaging.

 

[JCB..]

Looking for oil drips, etc, are a good start, but you can always get a feel for whether the cars been looked after in the past or not just by it's appearance. Even if a car has been cleaned in and out, a car that has not been loved and looked after will look, just that bit shabbier than one that has been cared for.

Hmmm...

If you are going to use your Boxster as a daily driver then it's going to look, sooner rather than later, shabby. I luv my car but after 5 years and 80k, daily driver, miles it looks just like a daily driver that's done 80k miles.

It's always been serviced, on time, by an OPC and is mechanically A1. It's always got me to where I want to go, be it the 10 miles to work or a 2000 round mile trip to the continent - so looks ain't everything!

JCB..

 

[Black80XSA]

Hi Ben, best of luck in your search

another forum member did a rough guide to Boxsters on another forum - click http://www.porsche-1.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=261 to view. Sorry if you have to register but its free []

If might be a little out of date, but it covers most of it.

I also did a collection day checklist, which might be a bit lengthy and non techy for a second hand inspection but is a starter for you - its in word which cannot be uploaded here [] so email me if interested.

 

[Guest]

Hi, thanks again for the responses gys. I understand the car is going to go downhill with use, however I dont do that many miles on a day-to-day basis, so Im not overly concerned with this... I generally average about 9000 miles per year in my car, as I live close to work and often dont go far at the weekends (bloody DIY!)

I have read a bit about the RMS failure on these cars; is this a high rate failure, or just a couple of horror stories, and whats the stance of Porsche GB? Seems most of the repair work is done on a goodwill basis in the US, but not sure about over here... I guess most of the cars I will be looking at are out of waranty, so this could be an issue, and then on the other hand, they are of an age where this sort of issue should already have been rectified?...

Can someone also go over the facelift and changes that came with it? From what Ive read there was a slight increase in power, a few cosmetic changes, and a glass rear window? Im guessing there is more to it than that, but not sure.. Im also a little confused as to when this came in; I have read 2000 in some places, and 2001 in others..

Thanks again for your responses guys

Ben

 

[Helen Goff]

The glass rear screen didn't come in untill 2003 (please correct me if im wrong...Mark will know for sure) the plastic screen really isn't a problem as long as you keep it clean and supple, remember to always help it fold away be performing the Boxster chop. i don't think your get a glass rear screened Boxster within your budget.

I dispute the scruffy through use statement. my last Boxster was 4 years old and had done over 43k and was as new inside and out (ok i had the outside re-sprayed after a few of trackdays) due to Larrys obsessive car cleaning habbit. not a scratch,crease or mark on any of the full interior leather.

 

[thboxster]

That was my feeling Helen when posting previously. I don't disagree with John as cars will start to look used the longer they are used, but IMO you can often tell a car that has been really cared for or one that hasn't. I used mine as a daily drive for 3 years and clock'd up 33,800 miles, but when getting rid of it, it was pristine inside and only needed a couple of minor tweaks to the outside to get it up to immaculate.

Incidentaly Helen, your Boxster isn't FE51... is it?

 

[JCB..]

I dispute the scruffy through use statement. my last Boxster was 4 years old and had done over 43k and was as new inside and out (ok i had the outside re-sprayed after a few of trackdays) due to Larrys obsessive car cleaning habbit. not a scratch,crease or mark on any of the full interior leather.

Dispute away!

If you use a Porsche as a working daily driver it's going to suffer wear and tear just the same as a Ford Mondeo.

JCB..

 

[Guest]

My cars always get babied to be honest, and I have an obsessive cleaning habit too; generally about 2-4hrs a weekend washing, hovering, polishing etc., and always use good quality wax, polish, clay, or whatever else is needed, so hopefully wont get too much abuse through daily use!.. I dont really use cars for lugging cement, bricks, rubish to the tip, etc. I have a mate with a van which I can borrow for that []

I have a bit more of an idea now as to what the boxter chop is, and to be honest it doesnt really bother me much... I cant see me using the "auto down" function with a smartop upgrade, however the auto-up might be nice, incase of drizzle [8D]
Wasnt sure if the glass window came in with the facelift or not, but I guess that would be a really easy way to spot pre/post if it did

ben

 

[Helen Goff]

ORIGINAL: JCB..

I dispute the scruffy through use statement. my last Boxster was 4 years old and had done over 43k and was as new inside and out (ok i had the outside re-sprayed after a few of trackdays) due to Larrys obsessive car cleaning habbit. not a scratch,crease or mark on any of the full interior leather.

Dispute away!

If you use a Porsche as a working daily driver it's going to suffer wear and tear just the same as a Ford Mondeo.

JCB..

Had ford mondeo thanks and that was concours when we sold it too infact the garage couldn't beleive it had been used.
BTW: when i bought my car i was working(for the first two years of its life) as an estate agent selling new houses on building sites, i then worked in Tescos..it was a working car.
if it was left to me to clean/polish/treat it it wouldn't look half as good but as i say Larry is obsessive and won't put a car away dirty even when we stay at Hotels