Potential Boxster Owner

[Guest]

Hi guys, just new to the forum and not yet a Boxster owner. I have saw one which has caught my eye, red, left hand drive 2.5 1997 etc.

My only concern is the running costs and the potential for problems. I am 20 years old, and while im not short of money, i dont think i have the money to constantly fix problems (aswell as cope the insurance costs for someone under 21 [])

Just wantin some of you guy's views on this matter, i would be very grateful for any help you could give,

Gary

 

[Sandeep]

Hi potential owner

Well first of all good choice to go for a porsche boxster, you'll never regret it. The one that your on about is it on Autotrader?
Regarding potential problems it all depends on the overall condition of the car, how many owners it has had (the fewer the better), Full service history is a must (doesn't matter if its main dealer Porsche or independant) but it has to have been done on time, so go through the service book with a fine tooth comb. The main problem you will hear about from these forums is the RMS (rear main oil seal) issue. It affected a small percentage of early Boxsters but most should of been replaced under warrenty or as a matter of course. Receipts from the owner should prove this or even better the car your looking at has never had this problem. Lots and lots of receipts with the vehicle is a good sign of excellent ownership. You have to remember the boxster is a porsche so its not like your average car with average priced parts. Labour costs can be expensive because of the position of where the engine is located so makes even the smallest of repairs expensive. But if you look on this forum you'll find other boxster owners who have found porsche sepcialists which can half the labour costs and match or even beat the service provided by a Main Porsche dealer.


I generally say keep about £1000 aside a year for servicing and other repairs. I have a 1997 2.5 Boxster, I'm 28 years old with full no claims bonus and I pay £581 a year full comp with Elephant insurance.

 

[channella]

Difficult to say too much without knowing the car you refer to.

However, I would think that if you have the money today you do not need to buy any Boxster or deal with any Dealer that you are not happy with. So I'd suggest spending a bit longer looking at what else is available.

 

[kitchens]

Is this an official Porsche centre is so tell them to take a hike ,what attitude is that in this current climate ,just look around at the hundreds of 987 models that are for sale and get yourself a bargain,no need to take this sloppy sales attitude As far as the car is concerned it is great to drive I have a 2.7 and find it fine some will say go for the 3.2 but there is not a lot in it ,happy hunting

 

[Black80XSA]

If its an OPC then the rear tyres should be changed and anything bar very mino r chips should be rectified by full panel resprays - its part of their used car programme charter.

4year service is about £1k at an OPC with the service and all the other extras such as brake fluid and spark plugs - thats if they don't try to sting you for anything else such as clearing the front radiators oif leaves or deodorising/regassing the air con.

The minimum i would look for on a 2.7 would be 18" wheels, a sound system upgrade, part leather, heated seats and wind deflector. Auto air con is nice bt not that critical on the 987 since the base spec is manual air con and i'm always altering the temperature on my auto version anyway. If its an S then i'd be looking for a more extensive options list buying used, there are lots of cars out there so don't pay a lot more for fully loaded cars. I'd even say avoid cars with PCM snce the map upgrades are £400 a time, and the system does'at have all the features of a cheap sat nav unit. Dealers will tell you sat nav PCM is vital for resale, its vital for them to inflate their prices on the forecourt but not their part ex prices !
There are thousnads of cars out there - take your time, they are losing money as quickly as your Merc so no real rush

 

[Glyn]

I would insist the wheels are refurbished, The worn tyres replaced and the stone chips corrected as a take it or leave it deal - Be prepared to walk away but i dont think they will let you get very far as they will undoubtedly be making a tidy profit on the car even though they insist this is a great deal.

Dealers dont do you favours - they do themselves one

If the sales staff insist this is the very best they can do and they are not making on the deal (and your in the mood for a bit of sales staff baiting) then challenge them to show you their purchase receipt- (they will not do this as they will quote data protection act - it would reveal the previous owners name - but you will get that when you get the log book anyway so i dont quite get their point) but they could show you on their computer system what price it was booked in for.

The service - I think it is reasonable for them not to contribute to a service which is not due for a year and to be honest you will save a packet taking it to a Porsche Indy anyway