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Gonna look at my first 987.2 this weekend, any final tips ?


Medic-one

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Only driven a 2003 986 S a few days ago, because that was up for sale up the road from where I live, but I kinda want a 987, and have seen a nice one for sale I'm going to look at this Saturday. 

It's a 2011 987.2  3.4 S with PDK (and paddles), with sport and sport+ mode, Bose with Satnav, and cruise control and has done 63.000 miles.  

It's well looked after by the looks of it, but any tips of what to look out for specifically and/or to check to make sure it works correct are much appreciated. 

 

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Make sure you pick it up as quickly as possible once you pay a deposit. These 987.2Ss can be slippery these days....

Good luck!

 

Cheers, Baggers.

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On 4/21/2021 at 6:13 PM, Medic-one said:

Only driven a 2003 986 S a few days ago, because that was up for sale up the road from where I live, but I kinda want a 987, and have seen a nice one for sale I'm going to look at this Saturday. 

It's a 2011 987.2  3.4 S with PDK (and paddles), with sport and sport+ mode, Bose with Satnav, and cruise control and has done 63.000 miles.  

It's well looked after by the looks of it, but any tips of what to look out for specifically and/or to check to make sure it works correct are much appreciated. 

 

Hi, welcome and good luck on the car hunt, some suggestions aside from all the regular 2nd hand car stuff to look for (tyres etc) ...

Check the roof operation and that it sits correctly both sides. 

Check Windows go up/down with roof. Window regulators can get tired at this kind of age. If you hear rattling coming from the doors when driving that could be a few things including worn regulators.

Check the roof rear drains are clear, which you can see with the roof half-way up.  This is normally a clue as to how careful the owner is in looking after the car. Blocked drains can lead to water getting into the car under the seats, causing havoc with the electronics under the passenger seat.

Check the areas under the seats are dry and show no signs of water ingress (again re drains)

Evidence of coolant pipes including cross-overs having been done (about 1k to do that lot)

Inside of disk brakes - they like to corrode even though can look fine from the outside (tip always give the car an Italian tune-up after washing the wheels, helps prevent this)

Brake bleed nipples like to corrode on the callipers (you normally only find out at brake fluid change time)

Evidence of PDK oil change having been done to schedule - every 6 years. Look for any evidence of leaks off the PDK box. They are solid gearboxes in the most part, expensive (7k OPC refurb, 15k new) to replace if you get a bad 'un. Don't let that put you off the right car, just be aware.

If a Porsche original battery check the negative terminal for week and year stamp - will tell you how old it is. Anything over about 5 years be prepared to replace it.

Check what suspension parts have been replaced - lower coffin arms are a common requirement (check for rattle, rattle, rattle) when driving

General exhaust condition (assume it's not got PSE from the above, if it has make sure the valves are operating). Manifold bolts to rear boxes are a weak point, check to see if they have been replaced, originals are made from Camembert.

Check the aircon/climate control is working. Stone hits to the rads/condensers are not uncommon with the leaks they bring. Assuming UV dye in the system a UV torch (few quid from Amazon) will show any leaks.

If it has heated seats check they are in working order.

Check front end paint work for stone chips. Lots of these cars will have front end resprays as they pick up stone chips.

Service History (a guide not a guarantee car will be in great condition). Plugs, Serpentine belt and Brake fluid are all extras in Porsche servicing land - again ensure they have been done as needed.

Coil packs can crack with age and when they get hot in the wet and cause misfires (ask me how I know - had this happen 2 weeks into ownership of a 987.1 !)

Standard lights are poor. Bi Xenon will give a much improved night-time experience, look for the headlight washers which will indicate it should have the better lights onboard.

 

Porsche Club GB 987 Buyers guide

https://www.porscheclubgb.com/regions-registers/registers/modern/boxster/boxster-buyers-guides/987-buyers-guide

I hope some of that helps.

Edited by iborguk
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pretty much everything @iborguk has said - seems to be around 10 years old they start needing stuff like the cross pipes - have a look at my owners thread for examples of some of the costs i had around that age. PDK should have had a oil/filter change around 60k - so should have been down at 63k

Check everything works down to the Sat Nav actually takes you where you want to go. Check tyres for even wear if not, another indication of suspension work may be required. Other than that, usual checks for crash damage - quite often you will find cars have had paint on the front as they do pick up stone chips.

Check the front edge of the rear wheel arches as they can also pick up a lot of stone chips. Also, check the inner edges of the front wheel arches at the bottom as they pick up lots of stone chips and can rust - easy to fix, but can be used as a bargaining point

Edited by Mattman42
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1 hour ago, Medic-one said:

Only driven a 2003 986 S a few days ago, because that was up for sale up the road from where I live, but I kinda want a 987, and have seen a nice one for sale I'm going to look at this Saturday. 

It's a 2011 987.2  3.4 S with PDK (and paddles), with sport and sport+ mode, Bose with Satnav, and cruise control and has done 63.000 miles.  

It's well looked after by the looks of it, but any tips of what to look out for specifically and/or to check to make sure it works correct are much appreciated. 

 

Roof drain location thread - good idea to familiarise yourself with this, they need to be checked and cleaned regularly (compressed air/trombone cleaner - Amazon etc)

Edited by iborguk
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Take a small torch to help check the rads are clear of debris and the front water pipes are leak free, a known issue at 10 years or so. Put the wheels on full lock to get a better view, look both sides. A decent dealer should have checked them and fixed if necessary. Is the dealer a known Porsche specialist?

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2 hours ago, Medic-one said:

Only driven a 2003 986 S a few days ago, because that was up for sale up the road from where I live, but I kinda want a 987, and have seen a nice one for sale I'm going to look at this Saturday. 

It's a 2011 987.2  3.4 S with PDK (and paddles), with sport and sport+ mode, Bose with Satnav, and cruise control and has done 63.000 miles.  

It's well looked after by the looks of it, but any tips of what to look out for specifically and/or to check to make sure it works correct are much appreciated. 

 

that's more or less my car. 

same tips as any Boxster really

check roof closes properly 

service history

try pdk in lazy auto

sport mode

sport + mode should red line

gets up to water temp with 2-3 miles of cold start. 

A little puff of blue smoke is fine but dissipates within 30seconds

@Mattman42 and @Topbox also give sage advice

Edited by Pinewood
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Damn.  Missed the chance to chip in and everyone has got there ahead of me.  
brain dump 

I will add “engine air filter” at 6 years 60k miles bizarre it’s not an every major service item but it isn’t.  Not a ton to sort out but another good indicator of someone who cared.  Window operation.  
 

Make sure you don’t have to lean too hard on the switches to make them work.  Seen a few (my first one included) where the switch operation was sticky.  Fixed with a good wd40 drink but a negotiating point. 
 

Check the armrest for universal audio (aux, iPod, usb). If it’s there good but it also needs a “y cable” and sone extra bits to hook a phone to play tunes but it’s a good start.  Cable is 30 quid from Porsche if it’s missing - again a negotiating point.  
 

a 987.2 has an option on the onboard computer to check the oil level and also it will tell you when it thinks it’s next service is due.  Go through the options (left stubby stick on column) look in the info section oil and service are in there.  
 

wheel bolts rust so have a look and see if they look nasty.  Again a few quid fixes new from Porsche 100 quid ish. Other sources available etc.  Locking wheelnut, toolkit, tyre gunk, 12v tyre pump all in the little rectangle in the front boot on the rear of the “boot space/front of the plastics”

chdck both keys work all buttons and start the car.  Check they both work in the  drivers door and the glove box.
 

and then buy it and practice a stupid grin on your face.  

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If it’s the white one in Wales that has been for sale for a very long time. 
Unless his advert is wrong, it’s got a short mot on it so that would be a bargaining point for me. No extended leather or chrono by the looks of it, relatively basic spec and already has 5 owners. Quite a few which some people don’t like and doesn’t bother others.

those centre caps need sorting too, looks blooming awful with silver caps!

of course if it’s not that one, then that’s all just b*ll*x ! 😁

Edited by Mattman42
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9 hours ago, Mattman42 said:

If it’s the white one in Wales that has been for sale for a very long time. 
Unless his advert is wrong, it’s got a short mot on it so that would be a bargaining point for me. No extended leather or chrono by the looks of it, relatively basic spec and already has 5 owners. Quite a few which some people don’t like and doesn’t bother others.

those centre caps need sorting too, looks blooming awful with silver caps!

of course if it’s not that one, then that’s all just b*ll*x ! 😁

It's not the one in Wales 😁

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9 hours ago, Mattman42 said:

If it’s the white one in Wales that has been for sale for a very long time. 
Unless his advert is wrong, it’s got a short mot on it so that would be a bargaining point for me. No extended leather or chrono by the looks of it, relatively basic spec and already has 5 owners. Quite a few which some people don’t like and doesn’t bother others.

those centre caps need sorting too, looks blooming awful with silver caps!

of course if it’s not that one, then that’s all just b*ll*x ! 😁

Thought it was this one too.. reason I said check MOT.  If it’s a 2.9 there’s about 3 for sale with similar mileage so you have a few to look at 

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1 hour ago, wolverinemac said:

Thought it was this one too.. reason I said check MOT.  If it’s a 2.9 there’s about 3 for sale with similar mileage so you have a few to look at 

Nevermind read the beginning, its a 3.4s you are looking at.  Good luck!!! 

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Just had a message from the owner that the (new) battery was flat again so he's booked it into a porsche dealer in 3 weeks time. 

I saw a message he put up on a boxer Facebook group stating he had issues with battery drain, and he's since replaced the unit with the heating controls and had the pcm (reboot issues) repaired but looks like it's still draining the battery. 

It has got all the specs I want so I'm just gonna have to be patient and wait for porsche to (hopefully!) fix it. 🤞🏻

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15 hours ago, Mattman42 said:

pretty much everything @iborguk has said - seems to be around 10 years old they start needing stuff like the cross pipes - have a look at my owners thread for examples of some of the costs i had around that age. PDK should have had a oil/filter change around 60k - so should have been down at 63k

Check everything works down to the Sat Nav actually takes you where you want to go. Check tyres for even wear if not, another indication of suspension work may be required. Other than that, usual checks for crash damage - quite often you will find cars have had paint on the front as they do pick up stone chips.

Check the front edge of the rear wheel arches as they can also pick up a lot of stone chips. Also, check the inner edges of the front wheel arches at the bottom as they pick up lots of stone chips and can rust - easy to fix, but can be used as a bargaining point

I have a 2011 with sat nav. Pretty useless - it didn't take standard UK 7 digit post codes. Had the software ungraded to the latest which does - in theory. With the latest maps. Still pretty useless around London. Maps seem to be 20 years out of date.  Best not to consider sat nav as a worthwhile feature, IMHO. You'll still need an external one.

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2 hours ago, Medic-one said:

Yea I've read that, but it does look nicer as part of the dashboard. 

I'll probably still use my phone for sat nav as that will always have the latest maps on it. 

The rest of the package (on mine) is just fine. Bluetooth link to the phone (but only for the phone part) and a USB input that take a memory stick with about as many MPs as you'd need. Info from that displays on the screen.

Think you'll very much like the 3.4 PDK. And find you'll rarely need manual control. It pulls like a train from low revs in near any gear. And can trickle through town with no fuss. Nice relaxed cruising at speed too, due to the tall 7th gear. But goes like the clappers when you tell it to. Very nice car indeed for everyday use.

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2 hours ago, DaveEFI said:

The rest of the package (on mine) is just fine. Bluetooth link to the phone (but only for the phone part) and a USB input that take a memory stick with about as many MPs as you'd need. Info from that displays on the screen.

Think you'll very much like the 3.4 PDK. And find you'll rarely need manual control. It pulls like a train from low revs in near any gear. And can trickle through town with no fuss. Nice relaxed cruising at speed too, due to the tall 7th gear. But goes like the clappers when you tell it to. Very nice car indeed for everyday use.

^^^ This ^^^

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Other common things to look out for / negotiate with:-

Age of tyres - check the DOT .  Anything over 6 years old is a fail as far as Porsche OPC concerned;

Front suspension - bump stop perished and shocker corrosion, wheel at full lock, pull down the boot and have a good look;

 

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1 minute ago, Clivescoobydo said:

That must be a unique requirement to OPC!?

Seems so - flags as needs urgent attention on their 111 point check.  Whereas Michelin themselves state:- 

According to Michelin, an average tyre should last 25,000 miles. However, if you don't use your car very much - or own a classic - then tyre manufacturers' recommend that all tyres regardless of depth should be replaced after 10 years.
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So drove over to SE London yesterday to view this 2011 987.2 S.  

Very nice chap, had a 987.1 before this and clearly an enthusiast, but also really into his motorbikes and doesn't use the car enough to keep it. 

Had a good look around, had my list of questions/tips from this thread with me, tested everything to make sure it worked as it should, and then we went for a drive, and I was able to have a decent drive in it as well, some country lanes in Kent as well as a bit of motorway.  I was there for well over 1.5 hour.

Very impressed with it, with the roof and windows down it feels fast, even at lower speeds, and I loved the PDK, both using the gearknob and the paddles. 

20210424-133941.jpg

20210424-133751.jpg

 

The only issue's are the battery is still being drained by something. But it's booked into his local OPC in 2 weeks time to have that sorted, and he said the roof doesn't always go back underneath the seal

20210424-133715.jpg

 

He said the first time that happened he took it to some upholstery place which tightened the elastic bands on the inside, but he said his wife has small hands and she'll be able to do that, resolving the problem, before sale. I take it that's a common problem with these roofs ?

Edited by Medic-one
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