The price of early boxsters

[PurcyP]

Hi everyone thought id ask a quick question.

The early boxsters are frequently coming up for sale for the £3500-£5000 mark now to me that is seemingly a lot of car for the money.

What is the reason to their low price? i know about the IMS issues and the apparent social stigma of owning a boxster but for such a premium marquee car the price does seem awfully low.

I have had rx8s in the pass so do know about the whole "cheap car but expensive to run" thing but i cant think why these boxsters command such a low price? its not like a rotary that could blow up any moment.

Cheers all
Adam

 

[markiii]

If you are paranoid about ims its, it's exactly like a rotary that could blow up at any moment.

Look at the 987 prices, most people prefer them, so the the 986 has to sell proportionally cheaper

 

[Motorhead]

Yes, surprisingly cheap Adam - some very tidy early cars out there with 70-80k miles on the clock. The S models always seem to attract a premium, possibly because they often have a better spec.

It's all down to supply and demand but maybe people are scared off unnecessarily by fears of high cost servicing, repair and insurance in addition to IMS/RMS issues.

Jeff

 

[Glyn]

The Early Boxsters, especially the 2.5 were superbly reliable, but they are now very old so does it really matter if an engine lets go - cheap as chips to replace.
Its only when you have a car of high value that a catastrophic engine failure becomes a problem.
Your familiar with the Rotarys, I too had RX7s, the 13B engine had its issues with oil contaminating the plugs if you switched the engine off just after starting it, the rotor tips wore out around 30K miles and fuel consumption was massive - but they drove brilliantly.
All cars have their foibles but you must realise the Boxsters seem to induce paranoia as they are bought by so many people just attracted to the Porsche brand and every day they start up in fear of something going wrong - so they write about their car, analyse every creak and take advice from non mechanically competent owners who diagnose the slightest misfire as impending doom - they then share that doom with others.

Your right in that they are a lot of car for the small amount of money you can get one for, They are a great driving car- If you like them, like the drive go get one and just enjoy it.
My first 2.5 I kept for 5 years, maintained and serviced it myself - it was just a car and I hadn't joined any Porsche forums so I didn't hear the scare stories, I was no more concerned with this car than any other car I had owned, Apart from annual service, a few tyres and the obligatory MAF change (they eat MAFs) this car cost nothing to run, never ever let me down and I don't think my experience was unusual.

 

[Motorhead]

I have to agree with what you say Glyn. The internet is a great spreader of bad as well as good news, and people who have a complaint tend to voice their opinons louder and more often that those who are satisfied with a product or service.

The fact is that if you're prepared to do some research and buy on condition and service and repair history, there are some excellent early cars out there at bargain prices which will give buyers the sort of positive experience which you yourself have had.

Jeff

 

[tex]

Alot of parts used in the 911 996 are the same parts used for the 986 boxster and whether its a 996 or a boxster the all have the same faults ok the 911 looks way better and has more street cred but for the cash ye just cannot beat them i mean its still a porsche at the end of the day

 

[JonathanT75]

I bought a 1999 2.5 Boxster last year with 110K on the clock for £3.5K. And its proved very reliable. If they are well serviced and driven regularly. But do shop around when buying at the bottom of the market. I had to go and view 4 others before I bought my one, If its not right, walk away.

 

[PurcyP]

Blimey lots of replies.

Too right in regards to comments about the voice of negative opinion overshadows positives, the rx8 is a prime example of that, my rx8 was faultless and never gave me issues.

The thing is, Porsche are still top marquee which is why i find it strange that boxsters are such a low price, other cars like the mazda i can understand more as it isnt a premium marquee brand.
So you begin to wonder why such a premium car is such low price? and thats when the questions begin.

but its obvious, that in this case its a low price to take advantage of rather than be weary of.

 

[edh]

They are fantastic value at the moment - as long as you buy the right one

Buy badly and you could be into big bills for suspension, clutch, air con, hood, coolant tank, rads etc..

I'd suggest buying privately from an enthusiast who can show you lots of evidence of recent maintenance. The S tends to have a nicer spec & a leather interior. It's also significantly quicker, but does appear to carry a slightly bigger risk.

 

[Motorhead]

According to this site [ https://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/vehicle/porsche_boxster#!tax ], as at Q4 2000 there were 5,283 Boxsters licensed here.

Even allowing for some scrappage in the last 14 years that's quite a few cars, so maybe there are just too few punters chasing too many cars.

Jeff

 

[Clewsey]

My 986 S with 125k on the clock just went for just under 7k. Loved and cherished and has gone to a lucky buyer knowing the IMS/RMS/Clutch/AOS has been replaced. I prefer not to remind myself of the money I spent on it but you can't scrimp on a Porsche!

 

[JonathanT75]

They can only go up from this low

 

[Ivor]

I remember going on a club visit to Porsche GB at Reading some years ago and the UK manager saying that Porsche had overproduced and were concerned about future used values.

 

[suziep]

Interesting reading guys. I purchased my 986S [3.2] in 2002 for circa £40K and I was wondering how much she's worth now. She only has 62Kmiles on the clock, mostly because I was abroad for 5+years. When I came back last year I replaced the two remaining radiators that needed to be done, had a new expansion tank [second hand from Douglas Valley saved me a fortune] and new PZeros all round last month that were £25 cheaper than the last ones I got in 2007! All pretty good value considering I'd done nothing since 2008. She may not be worth v much but I agree that you get a whole lot of car for the money and she still attracts attention [some unwanted, judging by the random damage to the paintwork I keep discovering] but for the most part, she's admired. I won't be selling her any time soon!!

BTW I too owned an RX7 from new in Kuwait in the 1980s. I never had any trouble with her despite being driven in the desert [no roads at that time] beached on hidden manhole covers and reversed into a chasm I'd not seen as it was covered over by a piece of plywood and sand! A couple of friendly Iranians lifted her up and out for me that time!!
Suz