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"Buying First Boxster - Advise Please!"


Hook

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Hi all,

I am looking to buy my first Porsche, a Boxster and would appreciate any advice as to what I should be looking out for to avoid a costly experience and hence an unejoyable one. :)

Regards

Hook

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Hi Hook,

We recently purchased a 2001 Boxster 2.7 Tip From PCM,before this we were looking at earlier models but were told by a few people in the trade that these early models did have problems, one of which we had a pre purchase check done only to find it need over $8k spent on it to bring it up to scrach, the 2001 we purchased is great, and I would suggest you only deal with a reputable dealer like PCM.

Good Luck. PC5953

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Buy the latest possible model you can affort, preferably an S version manual. You live in Romsey, the hood will always be up. Go for it buy a 911! and drive it on those country roads - you won't regret it. A perfectly biased opinion on my part of course.

Good Luck

Paul M.

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Hi Hook,

I have a 911 and my father a Boxter. I love the balance of the boxter, easier car to drive harder. Boxter S preferable but look for combo of later year, low Km's and flawless service history...budget pending.

The Boxter is the modern day 'peoples' 550.

Good luck with it.

AndyS

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hook, here's a thought for you. I've been looking at the Porsche New Zealand site. 1 A$=1.30$NZ, there are Boxsters over there,that's(roughly) 30% off, say NZ$50.000 = A$38,500, that's a big discount?

Frequent shipping of containers, might be worth checking custom's conditions and ADR compliance.

Paul M.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hook,

Sorry for the late reply, maybe too late. Anyhoo...

As an owner of a 2000 Boxster S purchased from PCM, I can only agree with the summary of much of the advice above:

- Buy an S manual

- Buy the latest model your budget can afford

- Full Service history is important

- If you buy from PCM with 12 month warranty fine, but if you buy elsewhere with a shorter, perhaps more limited warranty, get a paid, documented, inspection report (including compression tests) from PCM, Weltmeister, NinePlus or another reputable Porsche service centre

- And if you are real nervous and know a decent panel repair guy, just buy him a beer and get him to run his eye over the paint quality and panel fit

I suspect there are no certainties in the used car purchasing business so you must to do all you can to minimise the risks.

Our S (admittedly on 'only' 17" rims) is the fastest and most comfortable point-to-point car I own to drive on the bumpy roads arounds the Mornington Peninsula.It is 10 years old now, done 90K plus, and with a good clean and wipe looks near new. You WILL NOT be disappointed with it's handling, acceleration or braking. I agree that, at some point, you might also buy a 911!

Back issues of GT Purely Porsche have great 'Buyers Guides' and I am sure there is valuable info there on buying used Boxsters.

Good luck!

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  • 2 months later...
  • 9 months later...

To everyone who replied to my post last year thanks for all the advice. Unfortunately I didn't buy one back then but am back looking again.

Would anyone be able to advise what the difference is between a 2000 2.7 Boxster and a 2001 2.7.

I realise I was advised to buy 2001 or later, however I have come across what appears to be a very good 2000 2.7 with full service history at again what appears to be a reasonable price but am not sure whether I should even bother with it as it is not a 2001 and it is also in NSW. If t isn't a concern I would be more than willing to go up there and check it out.

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  • 3 weeks later...

To everyone who replied to my post last year thanks for all the advice. Unfortunately I didn't buy one back then but am back looking again.

Would anyone be able to advise what the difference is between a 2000 2.7 Boxster and a 2001 2.7.

I realise I was advised to buy 2001 or later, however I have come across what appears to be a very good 2000 2.7 with full service history at again what appears to be a reasonable price but am not sure whether I should even bother with it as it is not a 2001 and it is also in NSW. If t isn't a concern I would be more than willing to go up there and check it out.

Hi I'm not much use to you in terms of any differences between 00 and 01 cars.

However if you're looking at Carsales, that 00 2.7 w. 150k on it has been there for many months.

There is a '01 in SA with only 105k on it for not much more money.

However you might be much better off trying to stretch to a S. 3.2L '01 in yellow for high 30s. Maybe a good one to negotiate, since yellow will likely be relatively harder to sell than typical silver & grey ones.

There are always a few interesting cars that pop up and sell quickly. I'd try to see those, in case you can get a really good one.

Since these are relatively expensive cars to maintain, you might as well try to start with the best one you can afford. :)

PS. Call me a heretic or an idiot if you lilke, but I keep noticing it's possible to buy a Lotus Elise of a similar vintage with half the ks. Something to use as a negotiating tactic if you have that on your list of alternatives and let the seller know that you're not tied to that particular car.

So for me, I'd be trying to get a special Boxster S with reasonable ks, for a reasonable not excessive premium over the 2.7 base model.

Now that the weather is getting colder, sellers may get more motivated to sell, too.

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+1 get an inspection report

+1 get an S if you can stretch to it

Two of the most common problems on the M96 engine in the 986 Boxsters are:

Rear main seal

Intermediate Shaft Bearing (IMS)

If going for the 2.7, I think I'd want to get an IMS retrofit done for peace of mind.

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  • 1 month later...

There are a series of articles on buying a Boxster at http://sites.google.com/site/mikefocke2/mikesporscheboxsterwebpages which may be of some use. While from a US perspective, they are based on the experiences of one owner who has had multiple Porsches and has followed the forums and incorporated many of the thought of others into the articles.

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  • 1 year later...

Hook.. if you are still around :) did you end up buying a Boxster? My folks live in Romsey, so when I get one thats probably one of the most regular places I'll be driving from the CBD too.

How's it drive on that awful Lancefield Road?

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  • 3 weeks later...

myred911 - about 18 months ago that road had some of the biggest, nastiest pot holes I've ever seen. I heard quite a few of the locals destroyed rims hitting these holes too. It was like driving an obstacle course! It's all fixed up now.

My father was a country Policeman for 30 odd years, in the Kyneton/Lancefield/Kilmore areas - he saw many nasty fatalities. I seriously believe it when he says 'when your numbers are up, they are up' so clearly you have lots more Porsche driving to do :D

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