What to look out for ??????
- Thread starter stirz
- Start date
unclewinks
New member
Hi Mark
If you can get anything above 2001 boxter,pre 2000 they had issues with cylinder liners either slipping or going
porous,so loss of water,My first boxter was a 2.5 36000 miles,after two months started losing water
only then did I find out about these problems,sold it very quickly,there are some good bargains to be found,But it is a must
to look in to the problem area's.excellent condition isn't always what it seems.Happy hunting.
If you can get anything above 2001 boxter,pre 2000 they had issues with cylinder liners either slipping or going
porous,so loss of water,My first boxter was a 2.5 36000 miles,after two months started losing water
only then did I find out about these problems,sold it very quickly,there are some good bargains to be found,But it is a must
to look in to the problem area's.excellent condition isn't always what it seems.Happy hunting.
sbloxxy
New member
Another point to bear in mind is that a lot of the usual stuff you would normally check on a used car needs to be checked extra carefully as certain items can be flippin' expensive on a Porsche. For example, a couple of worn tyres could easily cost £400 to replace. And things like a remote key not working properly can be £150+ to replace.
My first Boxster was a 2.5 1997 and was the most trouble free car i have had, bullet proof.
Kept this for 5 years and apart from consumables like tyres nothing major ever had to be done, MAF was the only poor running problem i had.
So many scary stories about the Porsche but it is just a car and like any other there are good builds and those built on a Friday afternoon, good owners and those that run them into the ground - or those that run them and dont recognise when they have a problem and get it fixed so new owners discover lots to do.
Sure - repairs are usually expensive but on an older model it is unlikely you will be taking to an OPC and probably more likely you will DIY - a service for example, a minor will set you back £300 plus but you can do it for about £100.
Lets face it a pre 2000 model will have had multiple owners, all you can hope is that each one of them have loved the car and rectified faults, if you can find one with the lowest number of owners possible then thats got to be good news.
Pre 2000 is also going to be cheap to purchase so look at it like any other car in that its a bit of a lottery as to the satisfaction value you will get from it.
Frankly i am amazed just how many owners get their dream Porsche then spend every minute of every day worrying about what is going to explode or terminally fail, every noise is a noise of concern, discussions on whether to have warranty or not, The radio not working becomes a serious issue, every knock is the engine falling out of the car.
And so many contributors to these forums only pile on the agony by diagnosing serious and expensive analysis of your reported problems - when they have no mechanical knowledge of how a car works - but have heard the phrase before and like the sound of it.
However all is not lost, there are many knowledgable contributors to Porsche forums, the moderators are usually reliable and you will be able to work out for yourself the usefull and the not so usefull.
Get the car you want, try it, if it feels good, sounds good, and if you really are risk averse then have an AA or RAC check done on it before you buy, then drive the thing, enjoy it and dont worry about trouble until trouble troubles you
Kept this for 5 years and apart from consumables like tyres nothing major ever had to be done, MAF was the only poor running problem i had.
So many scary stories about the Porsche but it is just a car and like any other there are good builds and those built on a Friday afternoon, good owners and those that run them into the ground - or those that run them and dont recognise when they have a problem and get it fixed so new owners discover lots to do.
Sure - repairs are usually expensive but on an older model it is unlikely you will be taking to an OPC and probably more likely you will DIY - a service for example, a minor will set you back £300 plus but you can do it for about £100.
Lets face it a pre 2000 model will have had multiple owners, all you can hope is that each one of them have loved the car and rectified faults, if you can find one with the lowest number of owners possible then thats got to be good news.
Pre 2000 is also going to be cheap to purchase so look at it like any other car in that its a bit of a lottery as to the satisfaction value you will get from it.
Frankly i am amazed just how many owners get their dream Porsche then spend every minute of every day worrying about what is going to explode or terminally fail, every noise is a noise of concern, discussions on whether to have warranty or not, The radio not working becomes a serious issue, every knock is the engine falling out of the car.
And so many contributors to these forums only pile on the agony by diagnosing serious and expensive analysis of your reported problems - when they have no mechanical knowledge of how a car works - but have heard the phrase before and like the sound of it.
However all is not lost, there are many knowledgable contributors to Porsche forums, the moderators are usually reliable and you will be able to work out for yourself the usefull and the not so usefull.
Get the car you want, try it, if it feels good, sounds good, and if you really are risk averse then have an AA or RAC check done on it before you buy, then drive the thing, enjoy it and dont worry about trouble until trouble troubles you
I bought a 2001 Boxster S back in August. It looked good and drove nicely but being new to Porsche and fairly risk averse I got the seller to take it to the Porsche dealer for a pre-sale checkup. Porsche identified £3k of work they would want to do on it. I used this to knock the price down and got the work done by an independent specialist for ~£500. I would definitely recommend getting this check done if you can! it gives you piece of mind and a great negotiating tool!
colinbythesea
New member
Had my year 2000 2.7 nearly 2 years. There are a couple of things that seem to be occurring as a common problem that have gone on mine. The coolant tanks in the boot can crack underneath. You can't see it and because there is a lump of polystyrene under the carpet in the boot the coolant sinks to the metal floor and the carpet stays dry. Just coolant loss and a smell in the boot seem to be the best signs.
Vibration around 3,000 revs. Front engine mount cured this.
Now the cold weather is back the suspension is starting to clonk over rough surfaces again. Suspect drop links on the roll bars and bushes. I am planning to recondition and fit new bushes next summer.
Vibration around 3,000 revs. Front engine mount cured this.
Now the cold weather is back the suspension is starting to clonk over rough surfaces again. Suspect drop links on the roll bars and bushes. I am planning to recondition and fit new bushes next summer.
dereksharpuk
New member
A Boxster is the best roadster money can buy. But it is a Porsche, not a MX5. Though you can pick one up for £7K you might spend more than that getting it fixed. Get a good independant or OPC to give it a thorough check. That will be money well spent. But don't expect it to be perfect; decide what you can live with (tatty trim) and what is important. By the way, the hood is expensive to replace and you do need it to work and be watertight.
colinbythesea
New member
Oh yes roof. Mine shredded one of the drive cables. Cheap to buy and absolute pig to fit and probably expensive on labour for somebody else to do. But any convertible is likely to wear out hood mechanism cables so not exclusively Boxster on this one.
dereksharpuk
New member
Not so on some cars. Nothing can be more simple than the hood on an MX5. There are no drive cables and you can erect the hood from the driving seat. Mind you, there is a compromise between simplicity and convenience. Eventhough I paid extra for the 'easy up hood' on my Morgan, it still took 19 minutes & 2 fingernails to put up [
]
Paul027 makes a very good point in a roundabout way. Any OPC will pick up lots of faults minor or major in any car 10yrs old + and to have them repaired by them you would doubtless spend 1000's. Buying a used Boxster at your price point and age demands that you expect a bit of compromise. There will be faults, it's deciding what you can live with and what you can't. My own car is for sale at the moment and I make it clear in my ad that it has some minor issues. I have lived with them they don't bother me, others mileage may vary. I have lived without the aircon and the split in the rear screen has largely been solved with a piece of waterproof tape(i simply have never got round to sorting it out) .Personally at this price your best to find a car that's mechanically sound that your happy with, lets face it it's not going to be perfect in every way. Ok I do have a bias here obviously, but you could spend several thou more on a car and find the faults only develop in that. The rear screen in the 2.5's is a lottery and so is aircon in almost any car! As ever you pays your money a takes your choice.
dereksharpuk
New member
Yes of course an OPC is looking for trade, and you will pay through the nose. That is why I agree with Laurence about what is important & what one can live with. Personally I would not live with a split rear screen, but if I could afford to get one of the many aftermarket repairers to fix it, I would. However, like a house survey, one needs to know the true condition of a motor car and indeed can use that 'terrible' survey to knock the price down.
GOOFY
New member
Stirz
If its done 70k miles it is unlikely to suffer the catostrophic engine failure cited above - porous liners, IMS etc as these occur earlier in engine life. Most issues will be minor and if you are a DIY'er then you will be pleasantly surprised how easy it is to mend along with the quality of the parts and assembly. The engine will be at its optimum, bedded in at this point and I am reliably informed that 60k mileage Boxters are generally more powerful than lower mileage examples. Ensure that the car has been used frequently and not laid to rest for long periods as from what I gather it is those that have not been frequently used that tend to suffer from major engine problems.
This is a list of issues I have encountered and either repaired my self/ specialist over last 5 years: (note I am very fussy and will take issue with anything I do not think feels right !).
That's it so far !
I think budget for around £ 500 for tidying up (as above) and you should be ok.
Go for it - and you will have one of the most rewarding driving experience ever - day to day to trackdays.
Good luck
If its done 70k miles it is unlikely to suffer the catostrophic engine failure cited above - porous liners, IMS etc as these occur earlier in engine life. Most issues will be minor and if you are a DIY'er then you will be pleasantly surprised how easy it is to mend along with the quality of the parts and assembly. The engine will be at its optimum, bedded in at this point and I am reliably informed that 60k mileage Boxters are generally more powerful than lower mileage examples. Ensure that the car has been used frequently and not laid to rest for long periods as from what I gather it is those that have not been frequently used that tend to suffer from major engine problems.
This is a list of issues I have encountered and either repaired my self/ specialist over last 5 years: (note I am very fussy and will take issue with anything I do not think feels right !).
- leaky door membranes - water in footwell ; very very common ;simple to fix ; cost £25k for seal; did it myself in 2hrs.
- front engine mount - symptom vibration, louder engine sound - not common, but me being fussy got replaced at local garage - £110 engine mount, could have done myself but did not fancy getting right underneath car with jack supporting engine. Took local garage 1hour.
- plastic screen murky - polish it out with BMW plastic screen polish ; works a treat; "chop" the hood on opening and you will avoid the dreaded split.
- drag links to anti roll bars play in joints- not major, some say you hear a knock; did them all (4) as a precaution - restored tight handling ; cost £25k per side; specialist 15mins each side.
- rear bulb failure ! did myself 20mins !
- The car has been inspected by Porsche OPC and only issue was a potential "loose" ignition switch (these can fail after time causing electrical issues).
That's it so far !
I think budget for around £ 500 for tidying up (as above) and you should be ok.
Go for it - and you will have one of the most rewarding driving experience ever - day to day to trackdays.
Good luck
Thank you for your detailed report it's all been logged , when I red the post about the linings slipping I must say it put me off buying , I can tackle most things but not engine rebuilds ! All I need to do is save some money up and keep a eye out ...... I tend to be very fussy and tight so can see this taking some time thanks for all your reply please keep them coming
................................................merry Xmas to you all
................................................merry Xmas to you all
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