Hoping to become a first time Porsche Boxster owner - Looking for advice

[AmandaJ]

Hi Everyone.
Apologies. I am new to this forum and I hope this is OK to post?
I was wondering if anybody could give advice on owning a second hand Porsche Boxster?
For example, is it preferrable to look for a car under a certain mileage to reduce the amount of issues that may occur? Or perhaps a certain year?
I came across a beautiful example of a 2005 3.2 Porsche Boxster S with 42000 miles, but this is in Essex, and having not driven a Porsche before, this is a long way for me to travel (albeit I'd be willing to for the right car)
I think my worry is having owned new cars, I'd like to understand a little more about common faults (If there are any) Did certain years experience more issues than others? Is mileage a factor? As much as I am willing to pay to put any issues right, I'm scared of buying a money pit. Are my fears unfounded?

Many thanks in advance.

 

[CLIFFWILKINS]

Hi.
Not sure what budget you have if you can stretch to a Gen 2 Boxster which will be a 2010 model year onwards.
If the budget will not stretch to that my only advice to you is if you find a car your interested in is to get an inspection from either a OPC or a Porsche specialist it worth a couple of hundred quid as it can save you a lot of money and heartache with expensive issues.
If it turns out a bad one there's plenty out there don't be afraid to go for the smaller engine they are plenty fast enough for our roads and more economical.
Good luck with your search the forum is a good place to source a Boxster they occasionally come up for sale from members.
Cliff.

 

[Steve24]

My advice is to look for a car that has documented history of being well looked after. I have a 16 yr old Boxster S which has been very reliable over the past 4 years. Just the normal wear and tear stuff; cv joint, brakes, corroded pipes. Probably because it had been cherished and serviced by its former owner. When you do get the slightly hefty maintenance bill you just remind yourself that most people are losing twice that in depreciation each year, whereas, I can probably sell mine for close to what I paid for her 4 years ago.
Good luck!
steve

 

[Cirrus 76]

Hi Amanda,

Being new to the Porsche scene I've recently bought a Boxster S 3.4 myself so can share my findings. I am no expert but relied upon information I'd found available on various websites (including here!).

I've come across some people saying the examples of cars having over 100,000 miles is not an issue providing their service history is up to date. Asking the seller about service history is a must in my view, to make sure that everything that was outlined in the service such as any faults or advisories have been fixed and this is backed up with invoices - same goes for MOT fails. Ensure an HPI or similar vehicle check is done to make sure you are not being a stolen vehicle or one with finance owing on it.

A lot of the things to look out for may seem like you need to be a mechanic but that's not the case really - having someone with you who knows a little about cars is worth it if you are not sure yourself. Just having a friend or reletive with you is a good thing to make you feel at ease.

Here is the list of things I took with me when viewing the car I bought: -
Before test drive: -
- Bell housing for oil leaks (have a look under the rear of the car)
- Coolent radiators and air conditioning condensors (check for mulsh either side of the front grills)
- Creaking roof when operating up and down
- Check behind the seats for any water or dampness (needsless to say there's a leak somewhere or drain holes are blocked!)
- Check for any warning lights on the instrument dashboard
- Check oil for any white goo
- Check exhaust for any rust or rotting (have a look at the tailpipe and as far under as you can see)

On test drive: -
- Steering cluncky feel from turning lock to lock
- Jumping our of 2nd gear
- Bearing noises (whining sounds)
- Mass Air Flow (M.A.F.) hesitation under acceleration

This is what got me by so hope it's useful ;-)

Sorry for the long reply!
Alan.

 

[AmandaJ]

Hi Cliff, Steve,
Thank you both for responding. Very good advice regarding the inspection, and also the point on depreciation!
I'll continue researching and will hopefully have the guts to the bite the bullet with the right car! It sounds like it's a case of you get out what you put in in terms of time and research, and the rest is down to good ownership and servicing.
The Porsche Club seems interesting, and i'll also keep browsing this forum.
Thank you again.
Amanda

 

[AmandaJ]

Thank you Alan.
That's reassuring to know on the mileage front. I think it's getting out of the mindset of owning a low mileage car. I also worried about how old the car would feel, as unfortunately my buget wont allow me to get anything too new! However after sitting in a few that went out of the window.
Thank you for all of the information. It's really useful to have whilst searching. I did speak to a specialist over the weekend and they mentioned to check for leaks from the roof, and ensuring the roof drains are clear and untampered.
Amanda

 

[Cirrus 76]

Hi again,

Me having gone for a 2006/7 with model known as the 987, I can say to me it doesn't feel old by any means. If anything a good one should feel as tight and solid as a car many years newer - I guess this is just the Porsche build quality perhaps.

I'd say a lot of it is certainly down to budget as I'd set my heart on not spending much over £12,000 and I thought I'd done well. There are a number of cars a similar age but not the S model for less than that depending on preference. Also there must be a ton of folks on here who have the older model known as the 986 who can give you feedback of how this model feels, these are great value for money providing they've been looked after.

Happy hunting!
Alan.

 

[AmandaJ]

Hi Alan.
You're a mirror image of my budget and model. Im looking around the £12k mark give or take, and at the 987's.
There seems to be an abundance of 2.7's, and agreeing with Cliffs comment earlier, I'm sure they are more than fast enough, but my preferred spec would be the 3.2.
I feel much more comfortable with the mileage now which is opening up the options.
Amanda

 

[Cirrus 76]

Hi Amanda,

You should be able to find an S for the price you are looking to spend although there are less of them out there compared with the 2.7. If you keep your eyes peeled on any of the used car sites or set up a custom search using them you may get lucky. This time of year you will also see price drops as the weather gets colder, although I can't be sure if Boxster go the same way as other soft-tops. As a bargaining point you could look closer at the specs including heated seats, HID-Xenon headlights and if you find two cars of interest for the same price one has them and the other doesn't you could get them to lower the price. I got £200 off mine as I thought the brake discs needed replacing.

In relation to engine size you have to be aware of the tax on the higher engine size. I'd say keep a look out for the 3.4 as this is the later model compared to the 3.2 although you are looking at £495 / year for tax!!
Alan.

 

[jdpef356]

All good advice above. Try looking for something a little different. ??

You budget should get.you into a.550 anniversary model. Manufactured in 2004 only and the last of the 986 has all the goodies on you will ever need. Good colour GT Silver. Only 1953 made and has great the 3.2 engine. Well worth al ook and get it PPI if.your.in doubt. 1st good move buying
Porsche. 2nd.is.join the club.
Good luck with tour search.

 

[jdpef356]

Sorry can't seem to edit above.

Meant.to add I'm speaking from experience as I have owned a.550 anniversary or spyder.as.some call them for 8 years.
Great car.

 

[Boxbrownie]

All good advice above. Try looking for something a little different. ??

You budget should get.you into a.550 anniversary model. Manufactured in 2004 only and the last of the 986 has all the goodies on you will ever need. Good colour GT Silver. Only 1953 made and has great the 3.2 engine. Well worth al ook and get it PPI if.your.in doubt. 1st good move buying
Porsche. 2nd.is.join the club.
Good luck with tour search.

I think with your budget this is excellent advice, buy a good (most have been looked after it appears) 550 Anniversay model, they come up for sale regularly and have great investment potential as well as having just about every decent extra you could want, we were looking at these until we decided to more than double our budget and find a nice PDK model, mainly as Mrs BB liked the idea of the same box as our Audi for negociating the hills and narrow lanes (lots of reverse giving way) down this way.

 

[Pezky]

Strangely, I'm new to Boxster ownership having picked up a 2005 987 Boxster S last week[]
Spend time researching models and spec, don't get worked up about IMS failure. Checking MOT history online is a good way of checking how a car is looked after.
£12K will get a good one
A pre March 2006 model is good as only £295 road tax instead of £500!!!!

 

[Araf]

I've just sold my Sept 2007 3.4 S for a lot less than your budget. It had 105k miles on the clock, and was a little unloved, but it had never been neglected and still drove very well. It had 6 months Porsche warranty left, from when I put it back on the warranty scheme in March - which was a bonus for the new owner.

Give it a month or so of bad weather, and (IMHO) you'll probably find Gen2 2.9 cars dropping close to your price range.

 

[jdpef356]

Just me but I would not look at a car with over 100k on the clock. If you use on a regular basis it will soon be up and away beyond the point of selling at anywhere near the price you purchased for. As indicated by the post above an unloved car (whatever that is?) I guess paint scratches dents, marked and torn interior, cracked glass can cost a fortune to correct. Go for quality every time. The first part of ownership is the search and that should be an enjoyable experience. You are looking to purchase your pride and you, not looking and thinking, how much more do I have to spend to get that looking the way I want it. Plenty of cars with sensible mileage and properly loved are out in the market place. I have no affiliation to this car but this is the sort of thing that would make me pick up the phone. Good luck with the search.

http://www.pistonheads.co...on--------2004/6158143

 

[BartyB]

Asking the seller about service history is a must in my view, to make sure that everything that was outlined in the service such as any faults or advisories have been fixed and this is backed up with invoices - same goes for MOT fails. Ensure an HPI or similar vehicle check is done to make sure you are not being a stolen vehicle or one with finance owing on it.

As an additional tool, there's an incredibly useful app for checking the current MoT status and past MoT histories of any vehicle registered with the DVLA going back to 2006. It's called 'MoT History' by AmpSoft and can be downloaded for Android and iPhone. It shows passes, fails and any advisories and is helpful in establishing the general maintenance standard of any vehicle you are thinking of buying (or just to be a bit nosey about your neighbours' or workmates' cars []). I find it invaluable to check out lots that are going through car auctions. It can also help establish if a vehicle has been clocked (or had an odometer replaced) between MoTs.

Alan.

 

[Araf]

Just me but I would not look at a car with over 100k on the clock.

And that's exactly the reason why I do. The cost price reflects the lack of desirability. 10 months later I sold it for what I paid (though I did put a warranty on it) - but it's still the cheapest running costs of the Boxsters I've had.

'Unloved' was a little flaking lacquer on the front PU corroded wheels and just filthy. Mechanically it was better than a lot of 50k mile cars I have driven.

I appreciate the cars for what they are, but they still have to earn their place on the drive. I guess one person's pride and joy is another person's everyday transport.

 

[AmandaJ]

That's true Araf. I've heard from a lot of people that even above 100k they're still good runners. I've been so far removed from looking at an older car I was worried they would 'feel' old, but having sat in one and heard from yourselves in this forum, I feel confident I'm looking at the right car. I'm very excited and have become slightly obsessed! I would prefer a car with lower mileage however, ideally around the 40k mark - and it's surprising how many are available with that kind of mileage!
I came across the perfect example last week via a site put forward by a member, and it had just sold [] so I'm feeling confident that I can get my hands on a decent mileage and spec that I like.
The 550 anniversary editions do look lovely I must admit. And you're right the specifications are really good. Joining this forum makes me realise I knew very little about Porsche! It's been very interesting hearing the views of everyone and is definitely helping me in finding my first car []
I'll definitely have a look at that app Alan, thank you. I'm sure anything like this will be a big help.

Amanda

 

[andrew.risk]

Hi Amanda,
I bought my 2006 Boxster 2.7 2 years ago for about £12.5k. It had 42,000 miles and an excellent service history, was in very nice condition and came with a 12 month warranty from a trusted local dealer which gave me confidence in case anything fell off after a couple of months. In fact they did change the air con condensers under warranty about six months after I bought it, these should definitely be looked at on a car of this age. If you're lucky they will have been replaced already, but check the aircon will blow cold when checking the car over.
Mine is a fairly basic spec but that was a positive to me as less to go wrong! Other than servicing, and tyres this year the only work required was to replace the flange bolts on the exhaust, a very common problem at this age. The exhaust is fine as it is stainless steel, but the bolts are mild steel and rust away! It has passed 2 MOTs with no issues and no advisories.
I echo everything else that folk have said. Give the car a good look over, once you've seen a few you can spot the "tired" and unloved ones and walk away as there are plenty of very nice examples out there. Comprehensive service history with a main dealer and a Porsche specialist is important.
Oh and I have to say I love driving it, you can't beat a nice sunny day with the roof down and the sound of that engine! I use it regularly apart from in the depths of winter, and have done a few road trips including this year to Le mans. And it certainly doesn't feel like a 10 year old car.
Good luck, enjoy looking and you will love it when you find the right one.
Andrew.

 

[Araf]

There's quite a few coming on the market now that summer is over. I know that you're on BoXa.net and there's usually a few that pop up on there.

Good luck with the hunt.

BTW, if you're looking for the cheaper tax band, then from late 2006 the 2.7 boxster (with 5 speed manual only) dropped back into the lower tax band at £295 per year. That was the only engine (and gearbox) from end of March 2006 to the new Gen2s in 2009 that was in the lower tax band.