the baron Posted October 5, 2018 Report Share Posted October 5, 2018 On 8/30/2018 at 8:03 PM, Doctor_Slow said: Having had a poster of a Porsche on my bedroom wall as a boy, I’d long wanted to buy one. I decided to finally take the plunge a few months ago before middle age turned into old age. Originally, I looked for a 924S or a 944 since those are the cars I’d lusted over as a teen, but was amazed by the value of 986 Boxsters. Is there any other mid-engine, well balanced convertible sports car available for such little money? I’d read this and other threads on BoXa.net (many thanks to all of you for invaluable information!) and elsewhere, so decided to buy a cheap, scruffy car in the knowledge that I’d be spending at least the purchase price on renovation. The “logic” behind it is that I’d have a car that I knew was mechanically sound (if scruffy round the edges), whereas if I’d have spent more with my luck I’d still have to spend big. Anyway, about four months or so ago I parted with £2,850 and bought a 1997 manual 2.5 Boxster with 108,000 miles from a local ‘home dealer’. I’ve never given a car a name before, but as an exception, have christened the Boxster “Scruff”: At purchase: The Good Full (if optimistic) MOT. No undue rattles from the engine. No overheating on extended idle with fans operating appropriately. No damp patches in boot, or mayonnaise in the oil. No leaks. No obvious rattles from the suspension going over bumps (although there were some significant problems which became clear after purchase…). Clutch was reasonably light and seems to have good life left in it. Bodywork was straight with no signs of accident damage. Later glass windowed OEM hood, which worked without popping/grinding and was water tight. Four speakers, amp and CD changer which, along with stereo was OEM and functional. Aluminium gearknob and handbrake trim. Retrimmed seats (two-tone, not possibly to everyone’s taste but I like them). Toolkit and spares present. All MOTs present along with some service history and bills (the last owner seemed to have neglected servicing, or at least recording it, but there were periods where is was detailed). Wind deflector and both ‘bug catchers’ present and correct. The Bad Obviously needed some remedial maintenance and servicing. As expected, after inspection at my local independent this turned into quite a list… Air conditioning was non-functional. Some hesitation from the engine under acceleration. Passenger side windscreen regulator wasn’t working (but spare was supplied). Washer spray was weak. Exhaust back box is corroded and splitting on a seam. Small under-bumper exhaust heat shield loose. The Ugly Some scratches to the paintwork (particularly a scrape on the front bumper and on the body where a hard top had been inexpertly put on/removed), stonechips on the nose and kerbing to the alloys. This is not so important to me, as the car needs to live on the street for now and, although I admire other people’s immaculate cars, I am not a fan of waxing and polishing. Mismatched rear budget tyres (fairly new Nexen 8000 on one side and Accelera Phi on the other). Fronts were three-year-old Kumhos with good tread depth, so acceptable. Delamination of the windscreen at the edges. Scratches and wear to the gear knob. Rusted wheel nuts During four months of ownership I’ve done a few jobs myself (such as the window regulator) and had considerable work done at my independent (brakes, suspension). Currently the car has cost me just under the purchase price to deal with the main issues, with the exhaust back box, a small engine oil leak, hood sensor, air conditioning and paint to deal with. Neglecting the paintwork (which I intend to for a couple of years!), it’ll cost me a few hundred to put right the final things. Then I’ll have a “mechanically A1” (according to my independent) Boxster and my sub-£3,000 bargain will have cost around £6,000… As hs0zfe suggests above, it's the deferred maintenance that costs! Great looking car Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheoCristian Posted October 6, 2018 Report Share Posted October 6, 2018 I bought a boxster S couple of weeks ago, its only 67000 on the clock, 5 owners, its got a dent on nearside rear panel, and offside rear arch its got some scratches and few dings came with 2 keys , booklet and some stamps, remote central locking not working, has few knocks from the suspensions newish tyres, havent been on the road for nearly 3 years, took it for an MOT passed with some advisories like brake discs pitted and corroded, and pin bushes only payed 3200 for it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hs0zfe Posted October 7, 2018 Report Share Posted October 7, 2018 On 8/7/2017 at 12:58 AM, Loz987 said: An idea from another thread I didn't wish to hi jack. This a thread for all those who've acquired a Boxster for £3500 or less. Tell us what you got for your money and what if any troubles came with Porsche ownership at this price point. Might become really useful for prospective new owners. This is the third Boxster I've bought under £3500 and the closest to the threshold for good reason. Great pedigree and history all backed up on paper. Super drivers spec from the factory and key components refreshed less than a year before I got her. No mechanical failures beyond a MAF sensor that I've just replaced for £18 inc shipping. Goes very well for north of 110k on the clocks. Nice clean original example for the most part. Seen some hard action but goes very well for an 18 year old car. Lets here about the others. Perhaps we can help a few would-be Porsche owners make the right decision Where is a bright green smiley when one needs it? Am speechless with envy! What a deal you have got! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonybandit Posted October 7, 2018 Report Share Posted October 7, 2018 On 9/3/2017 at 9:54 AM, bagss2 said: See here (and scroll down to the Which Bearing is Inside Your Engine? section, which contains a table): http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/Boxster_Tech/14-ENGINE-Intermediate_Shaft_Bearing/14-ENGINE-Intermediate_Shaft_Bearing.htm Cheers, Baggers. going on that information looks like i have a 2001 2.7 boxster with a duel row ims..... cooooool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonybandit Posted October 7, 2018 Report Share Posted October 7, 2018 i bought this for £3800 nearly 2 years ago. its a 2001 2,7, with 84000 miles. nearly 2 years later it has only done 86200 miles. ive had a few things to do but its never made me fall out with it. i know its not less than 3500 but it was damn close lol. it does shoe there is some bargins out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D_G Posted October 10, 2018 Report Share Posted October 10, 2018 On 6/6/2018 at 11:22 PM, Thehighlander said: The Boxster I had last year was a 2.7 on 174k and that was £3400. Couldn't believe this one. Was just in Porsche Glasgow getting a 2nd key. Also gave me the 5 digit private plate as he couldn't be arsed taking it off. I need some luck like that! I took my bike in for some work doing on it last week. As it was going to be a couple of hours the guy asked if there was anything I’d like to have a test ride on. I took the 1290 Super Duke GT out, pulled into Petrol station on the way to Whitby, wind was blowing a hooley and came out to the bike laying down! Absolutely gutted, I felt sick to the pit of my stomach. Snapped clutch lever, bent gear lever, grazed fairing and bar end. Ended up costing me £220 for the pleasure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Anderson Posted October 13, 2018 Report Share Posted October 13, 2018 I just bought a boxster 3.2s 986 forest green 2000 full service history 64000 miles mint condition. Paid £6800 for it but i believe a got a bargain. Opinions welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowbos Posted October 13, 2018 Report Share Posted October 13, 2018 2 hours ago, Jimmy Anderson said: I just bought a boxster 3.2s 986 forest green 2000 full service history 64000 miles mint condition. Paid £6800 for it but i believe a got a bargain. Opinions welcome. Welcome! Get yourself a thread started in the Newbie lounge. Description of the car and some nice photos would be great. Host photos using Flickr or Imgur or similar and insert a link to each photo - don’t try to upload to the forum directly. How is the drive? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr96er Posted January 2, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2019 Any recent entrants to the sub£3500 Boxster world? ‘‘Tis the season! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el 3.2S Posted January 2, 2019 Report Share Posted January 2, 2019 13 minutes ago, Loz987 said: Any recent entrants to the sub£3500 Boxster world? ‘‘Tis the season! https://www.gumtree.com/p/porsche/porsche-boxster-2.5-convertible-1999-t-reg-6-months-mot/1324503636 One I spotted for sale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfymac Posted January 2, 2019 Report Share Posted January 2, 2019 Funnily enough I've just joined the bargain Boxster club with buying a very similar car to the above. Mine is a Stuttgart built 1997 with the SportTechnic package (Sport Chassis). Needs a few things done including the drop links need replacing and the anti-rollbars need repainting. Paid £2700, has some history including a £1500 bill 5000 miles ago...not sure if that's a good sign or just the start of things to come 105k on the clock but in overall good condition. I've always fancied one since playing Porsche Challenge on the original Playstation! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr96er Posted January 2, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2019 @surfymac nice one!! Fair price for a nice little car👍 Often reassuruing to see money has been spent, I find ultimately that the first three months/1000 miles or so of living with a car tell you plenty. Not many big deals to go wrong in this cars. Usual suspects aren’t scary MAF, cool packs, plugs seem to solve most woes. Rads Rot when covered in leaves for years, £60 each. I’ve had a fuel pump fail costing £48 shipped from a brrakers with no probs in 6000+ miles... The amount of fun I’ve had however... I pity most fancy car owners. As this is so much B road bang for so little buck, it’s sublime! Welcome to the club! 🎉🥂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickyg63 Posted January 2, 2019 Report Share Posted January 2, 2019 i think you'll be fine, you can sort bits as and when you need to! Enjoy!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfymac Posted January 2, 2019 Report Share Posted January 2, 2019 I’ve had about 8 MX-5s over the years. Turbo and Supercharged a couple of them so not shy of working on cars. It looks like the Boxster isn’t too complex so hopefully I can do many jobs myself. Good to see my one has had six new coil packs, two lambda sensors, brakes rebuilt and basic servicing done in the last few thousand miles. I’m surprised at how solid it feels compared to the Mazda! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr96er Posted January 2, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2019 1 hour ago, surfymac said: I’ve had about 8 MX-5s over the years. Turbo and Supercharged a couple of them so not shy of working on cars. It looks like the Boxster isn’t too complex so hopefully I can do many jobs myself. Good to see my one has had six new coil packs, two lambda sensors, brakes rebuilt and basic servicing done in the last few thousand miles. I’m surprised at how solid it feels compared to the Mazda! I sold a lovely Boxster to a former MX5 driver and he felt the same way about the build and the performance. Unfortunately he had a mishap in the wet with all that extra torque, so do be careful, won’t you. They are splendid little motors that require a mod engines high torque from 4K mindset. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor_Slow Posted January 3, 2019 Report Share Posted January 3, 2019 3 hours ago, surfymac said: I’ve had about 8 MX-5s over the years. Turbo and Supercharged a couple of them so not shy of working on cars. It looks like the Boxster isn’t too complex so hopefully I can do many jobs myself. Good to see my one has had six new coil packs, two lambda sensors, brakes rebuilt and basic servicing done in the last few thousand miles. I’m surprised at how solid it feels compared to the Mazda! Very well bought at that price with the recent work done - enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southy Posted January 3, 2019 Report Share Posted January 3, 2019 21 hours ago, surfymac said: I’ve had about 8 MX-5s over the years. Turbo and Supercharged a couple of them so not shy of working on cars. It looks like the Boxster isn’t too complex so hopefully I can do many jobs myself. Good to see my one has had six new coil packs, two lambda sensors, brakes rebuilt and basic servicing done in the last few thousand miles. I’m surprised at how solid it feels compared to the Mazda! Great stuff welcome, now don't forget check out the events threads, this forum is great for info etc, but where it stands out mostly is the meet ups, were all Porsche mad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr96er Posted January 3, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2019 24 minutes ago, Southy said: Great stuff welcome, now don't forget check out the events threads, this forum is great for info etc, but where it stands out mostly is the meet ups, were all Porsche mad Yup! Wot he said 👆 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattman42 Posted January 3, 2019 Report Share Posted January 3, 2019 Some super cheap options available at the moment. If I bought this the gearbox would explode, whereas if Mike Brewer bought it, it would be a washer and a bit of rubbber to replace. I guess the bumper dent would pop back out with some heat applied and the wing could be fixed by a smart repair Seems a bit of an unusual colour - not quite silver, nor gunmetal - or just the Photos? https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201901033605949?advertising-location=at_cars&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=New&sort=price-asc&postcode=rg225ls&make=PORSCHE&radius=1500&model=BOXSTER&page=1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulQ Posted January 3, 2019 Report Share Posted January 3, 2019 15 minutes ago, Mattman42 said: Some super cheap options available at the moment. If I bought this the gearbox would explode, whereas if Mike Brewer bought it, it would be a washer and a bit of rubbber to replace. I guess the bumper dent would pop back out with some heat applied and the wing could be fixed by a smart repair Seems a bit of an unusual colour - not quite silver, nor gunmetal - or just the Photos? https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201901033605949?advertising-location=at_cars&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=New&sort=price-asc&postcode=rg225ls&make=PORSCHE&radius=1500&model=BOXSTER&page=1 Lots of MOT history to read. 😀 Think its meridian silver.? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clivescoobydo Posted January 3, 2019 Report Share Posted January 3, 2019 37 minutes ago, Mattman42 said: I guess the bumper dent would pop back out with some heat applied and the wing could be fixed by a smart repair Seems a bit of an unusual colour - not quite silver, nor gunmetal - or just the Photos? You ever seen that happen with your own eyes Matt? Don't believe all you see on youtube its like the igniting of fuel to blow a dent out.......and that colours called filthy silver lol. @Jason986S seen the same one on facebook and it sounds like a dog. If something looks to good to be true, it....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattman42 Posted January 3, 2019 Report Share Posted January 3, 2019 3 minutes ago, Clivescoobydo said: You ever seen that happen with your own eyes Matt? Don't believe all you see on youtube its like the igniting of fuel to blow a dent out.......and that colours called filthy silver lol. @Jason986S seen the same one on facebook and it sounds like a dog. If something looks to good to be true, it....... Yes, actually got a dent out myself with a hairdryer, on a very hot day, not as big as that one though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clivescoobydo Posted January 3, 2019 Report Share Posted January 3, 2019 24 minutes ago, Mattman42 said: Yes, actually got a dent out myself with a hairdryer, on a very hot day, not as big as that one though On that basis you'd need an industrial heater on that one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southy Posted January 3, 2019 Report Share Posted January 3, 2019 something like this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattman42 Posted January 3, 2019 Report Share Posted January 3, 2019 ^^^^ 😂😂😂😂😂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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