Average prices for a 3.2s

[Nadeem]

Good morning everyone, yes I'm a newbie.....looking to venture in to my first boxster acquisition. I've been looking at both 2.7 and 3.2. I need a little more education are all 3.2 =3.2s?  If not what's the difference. 

I'm looking at a 3.2s manual 2003 fsh @5950 had clutch and ims changes at 86k dealer history up to 60k and then independent, current mileage 99k...your thoughts please.

Many thanks.

[geraintthomas]

So in short:

2.5 are early Boxster models from '96 to '99. They're quite different to the successors after it in lots of ways mechanically, but are still lovely cars. They replaced the 2.5 with a 2.7.

2.7 is a Boxster. 3.2 is a Boxster S. Between '99 and '02 are pre-facelift cars, and between '03 and '05 are facelift cars. Engines are almost identical between facelift and pre-facelift.

So a 2001 2.7 is a pre-facelift non-S boxster. A 2003 3.2 is a facelift Boxster S.

Average price around 80k on the clock for a facelift S is around £7,000, I think?

My personal recommendation when it comes to mileage; don't get a low mileage car. These cars need to be driven and it's been recorded that the most amount of IMS failures have happened on cars that aren't driven as much as they should be. Rubber on the seals gets brittle when not used, breaks when pushed eventually, leaks fluids and fails. Don't let the whole IMS thing put you off - it's been documented to hell and back and it's been a big scare story, but in the real world it's very rare and, as mentioned above, if you find a looked after one with good miles on the clock then you'll be fine. The fact you've found one with the IMS been done on is great, but it's perfectly fine to buy one with the standard bearing.

I'd say drive it when you can and buy it! But whatever Boxster you drive, it'll no doubt put a smile on your face.

Show some photos!

 

[Nadeem]

Many thanks for that. ..that was a great intro to the Boxster time line. ..much appreciated

[edc]

It's all about the mechanical condition and maintenance. Don't get too sucked in to the shiny pics. The real money spent is underneath. At the age 986 are now there is just like many other cars a bunch of things that will be near or at the end of their useful life. If you want the best full fat experience then you want one with as fresh suspension as you can get. After all these things are about the way that car goes and feels. 

[NicGun]

21 minutes ago, edc said:

It's all about the mechanical condition and maintenance. Don't get too sucked in to the shiny pics. The real money spent is underneath. At the age 986 are now there is just like many other cars a bunch of things that will be near or at the end of their useful life. If you want the best full fat experience then you want one with as fresh suspension as you can get. After all these things are about the way that car goes and feels. 

⬆︎⬆︎⬆︎ THIS ⬆︎⬆︎⬆︎

We bought our 986S two years ago and inspected (and drove over a dozen, including some early 987's) the car I eventually purchased was a 2000MY but it's condition and the way it drove was head and shoulders above all the others - because it had money spent consistently by its 3 previous owners, recent suspension refresh, clutch etc.

We also have owned a 2018 Audi A4 Allroad Quattro from new - and the now 20yr old Boxster still feels tight and mechanically fresh (and wonderfully analogue) even compared to a brand new over £40k Audi.

[PaulQ]

Replacing all ten suspension arms, dampers etc doesn't come cheap, so try and buy one with as many new bits as you can, or budget accordingly for a car on original components

 

[½cwt]

Also as you are buying a 15+year old sports car make sure you budget also includes £1-1.5k for extra work above servicing and other running costs for repairs in the first 12 to 18 months so you are covered for any nasty surprises.  If you don't spend it on repairs you have it for tweaks, customising, adding factory or aftermarket options.  Price seems to be reasonable for what you've described.  Also the better you are on the spanners the cheaper ownership will be as labour even at a decent independent specialist is above normal independent garage prices.

Not trying to put you off as they are great cars to own and drive, just helping you avoid buying up to your budget and getting bitten by extra bills which might sour the experience.

[edc]

A full suspension overhaul doesn't come cheap but will show the seriousness of a previous owner. It rarely breaks leaving you stranded unlike say a water pump but night and day difference between a fresh car and an old baggy one. 

Once you are sat in the seat, you can't see the odd chip in the paint, a kerbed wheel, a foggy headlamp etc. But what you will definitely notice if not right is sharp solid brakes, a well looked after gearshift, a smooth clutch, good feel and sensitivity from the steering wheel, less intrusive suspension noise, a good flow to the car and a good tight feeling right up to and beyond the limit. I've done 2 suspension rebuilds at 75k/13 years and 105k/11 years and catastrophic engine issue aside it is the biggest spend but the one that makes you want to drive and enjoy the car. 

[Ninesomething]

Having driven only 2 before I bought (I was lucky) I think I would say don't zero in on one car - go and try lots of them. Which at the moment might be quite difficult. But - you'll get a bit of a feel and you'll be better equipped to make a good choice. And just keep doing your research. Which is fun too.

[Nadeem]

3 hours ago, NicGun said:

⬆︎⬆︎⬆︎ THIS ⬆︎⬆︎⬆︎

We bought our 986S two years ago and inspected (and drove over a dozen, including some early 987's) the car I eventually purchased was a 2000MY but it's condition and the way it drove was head and shoulders above all the others - because it had money spent consistently by its 3 previous owners, recent suspension refresh, clutch etc.

We also have owned a 2018 Audi A4 Allroad Quattro from new - and the now 20yr old Boxster still feels tight and mechanically fresh (and wonderfully analogue) even compared to a brand new over £40k Audi.

WoW. ...that's pretty awesome...wishing you many years of safe and happy motoring buddy

[Nadeem]

2 hours ago, edc said:

A full suspension overhaul doesn't come cheap but will show the seriousness of a previous owner. It rarely breaks leaving you stranded unlike say a water pump but night and day difference between a fresh car and an old baggy one. 

Once you are sat in the seat, you can't see the odd chip in the paint, a kerbed wheel, a foggy headlamp etc. But what you will definitely notice if not right is sharp solid brakes, a well looked after gearshift, a smooth clutch, good feel and sensitivity from the steering wheel, less intrusive suspension noise, a good flow to the car and a good tight feeling right up to and beyond the limit. I've done 2 suspension rebuilds at 75k/13 years and 105k/11 years and catastrophic engine issue aside it is the biggest spend but the one that makes you want to drive and enjoy the car. 

On average what's the spend on an all round suspension replacement? İ take it that means ball joints, track rod ends, coils???

[Nadeem]

2 hours ago, ½cwt said:

Also as you are buying a 15+year old sports car make sure you budget also includes £1-1.5k for extra work above servicing and other running costs for repairs in the first 12 to 18 months so you are covered for any nasty surprises.  If you don't spend it on repairs you have it for tweaks, customising, adding factory or aftermarket options.  Price seems to be reasonable for what you've described.  Also the better you are on the spanners the cheaper ownership will be as labour even at a decent independent specialist is above normal independent garage prices.

Not trying to put you off as they are great cars to own and drive, just helping you avoid buying up to your budget and getting bitten by extra bills which might sour the experience.

Sound advice. ...many thanks.

[NicGun]

17 minutes ago, Nadeem said:

WoW. ...that's pretty awesome...wishing you many years of safe and happy motoring buddy

 

As suggested as a caveat you'll still need a contingency for things irrespective (general rule is £1k'ish annually for first year or two, over and above regular servicing) even if you buy a car that's had lots spent etc - as they are now old cars and things will and do wear out.

For example aside from servicing and tyres (plus a gearbox oil change and all coil packs) I've had a replacement window regulator, indicator column stalks, top mounts, CV joint and bump stops, oil filler tube, horn, exhaust clamps and 4 wheel alignment.

Buy as cherished / well maintained an example as you can, look after it and you should have a cracking drivers car.

[edc]

40 minutes ago, Nadeem said:

On average what's the spend on an all round suspension replacement? İ take it that means ball joints, track rod ends, coils???

A lot depends on whether you do it yourself and if not the labour rate of your mechanic. The other variable is the parts of course. 

But based on work I've had done going as far back as 2013 to around 2017 you're looking at around £1500 for a spring and damper kit fitted, assuming £600 for the kit. Around £1400 for a set up and all suspension arms being renewed. You would save a chunk of labour cost if you did both together. 

[½cwt]

30 minutes ago, edc said:

A lot depends on whether you do it yourself and if not the labour rate of your mechanic. The other variable is the parts of course. 

But based on work I've had done going as far back as 2013 to around 2017 you're looking at around £1500 for a spring and damper kit fitted, assuming £600 for the kit. Around £1400 for a set up and all suspension arms being renewed. You would save a chunk of labour cost if you did both together. 

Unfortunately ball joints are part of the bottom arm and things like dampers and even anti-roll bar drop link can be a complete b*tch to get out of he alloy uprights which is time consuming for you or costly if you are paying labour and the parts can be costly if you have to go OE Porsche in particular but worth saying 'Hi' to the team in the Parts Department at your nearest OPC (Official Porsche Centre).  That said there is a decent amount of after market and salvage options out there to soften the blow to the wallet when it comes.  There is a lot of info on here on who makes what, for example I've just bought 2 new Sachs top mount, Sachs supply the to Porsche but you can see on mine where the Porsche markings were removed before they were zinc protected,  £50 the pair, from Porsche about £90-100 each so at least £130 saved for the same quailty! Same with and ABS sensor I change a few weeks ago, the 'after market' part form the original Porsche supplier even had the Porsche part number on it still.

[stevemag]

Price's are all over the place in this coronavirus lock down year

Buy the best you can find for the least money 

Remember that many of the cars a over 20yrs old and over 100,00 miles

So do  your homework ,this may help 

https://www.classicandsportscar.com/features/buyers-guide-porsche-boxster-986?fbclid=IwAR0sKhTZH0QfLSt7HXsn6lnNe3IlXDCDZliDGqYQgr8SpIPzv3W_JO5y3Mw

 

Good luck 

[Dazzevans]

I have been offered a 3.2 tiptronic 2001 on 75,000 miles for £6,999. They are in the process of overhauling the engine (piston rings, de-coking, IMS bearing replacement etc) while it is out. Previously owned by a doctor. Good price?

P.S. They are an independent Porsche specialist. 

[stevemag]

6 minutes ago, Dazzevans said:

I have been offered a 3.2 tiptronic 2001 on 75,000 miles for £6,999. They are in the process of overhauling the engine (piston rings, de-coking, IMS bearing replacement etc) while it is out. Previously owned by a doctor. Good price?

P.S. They are an independent Porsche specialist. 

At that money your into 987 3.2s at about 2005yr  .......manual gear box

Just saying prices are all over the place at present

[Nadeem]

Thank you all your great support and advice...@stevemag that article is awesome. 

[JohnnyUK]

1 hour ago, stevemag said:

At that money your into 987 3.2s at about 2005yr  .......manual gear box

Just saying prices are all over the place at present

My understanding is that the 987 is a fair step forward in space and maturity from the 986? 

[stevemag]

11 minutes ago, JohnnyUK said:

My understanding is that the 987 is a fair step forward in space and maturity from the 986? 

It is.......but I just prefer the original body shape, less driver aids, plain dash and basic vehicle 

but

My previous classic was a 33yr old Morgan.

So a 20yr old boxster 986 is a vast upgrade for me 

[stew72]

I pretty much agree with all of the above. When a car gets to this kind of age, if your paying good money, service history is good but evidence of recent expenditure is better.

I bought my 2000S back in 2016, it was the cheapest roadworthy example available at the time and I got it for £4200. There were issues that were obvious when I bought it and a couple that weren't. Since then I've covered around 7000 miles in it and spent nearly £2k in service and repairs. The thing is, when buying I looked at several more shiny examples, both trade and private that were between £5k - £6k and I'm pretty sure the costs to run these would have been similar.

In answer to your question though, the 2003 3.2S sounds reasonable if the clutch and IMS change has been done with quality parts.

[Irishcrx]

Like others have said forget about age and mileage you want to buy on condition , a well kept 986 will have a serious owner who has invested in it over the years and should drive really well.

I bought mine last year for £3500 and it’s a 3.2 S  including hardtop but I bought it needing work as I like a bit of a project , for me I wanted to make sure it had a strong engine and the rest I could work with . 
 

In the past year I’ve spent around 4K euro in refreshing it , so far I’ve changed the oil and filters , coils, spark plugs , refurbished the alloys , bought 4 new tyres , replaced a wheel bearing , changed the rear discs and pads , changed the brake lines and fluid, fixed electrical connections , dyed the seats back to original color , replaced the front and rear badges.

About to be done is the front and rear drop links , front control arms and coffin arms , ARB bushes and 4 shocks.

Shes worth the money as she’s a brilliant drive but taking on the above isn’t for everybody so buy careful and of course budget for some work in year one of about 1.5k there is always something that will come up.

[Menoporsche]

On 4/23/2020 at 6:58 PM, Dazzevans said:

I have been offered a 3.2 tiptronic 2001 on 75,000 miles for £6,999. They are in the process of overhauling the engine (piston rings, de-coking, IMS bearing replacement etc) while it is out. Previously owned by a doctor. Good price?

P.S. They are an independent Porsche specialist. 

Welcome.

At 7k for a 2001 car I would expect it to be very high quality.  Not sure why they are doing piston rings at that mileage, no-one else does, though we are starting to see reports of bottom end implosions (still very very rare).  IMS bearing replacement is also becoming questionable on a car where nothing has gone wrong in such a time and mileage. Presumably ancillaries such as coil packs, engine mounts and water pump will also be done, these are the usual tired engine components. I would hope for a full suspension refresh within that price as well, that's what spoils most old Boxsters, far more important to enjoyment of the car than piston rings.

[½cwt]

2 hours ago, Irishcrx said:

About to be done is the front and rear drop links , front control arms and coffin arms , ARB bushes and 4 shocks.

Good luck with those.  Based on my experience over the last couple of weekends, getting anything steel out of the alloy upright casting is brutal....  Seriously, unless you want hours of frustration and physical exertion or have serious kit like a press and an oxyacetylene torch, I'd get uprights that have been stripped of the drop links and the shock absorbers from a salvage outlet.....