DVA Posted March 22 Report Share Posted March 22 I recently went to view a Boxster S for sale and the experience for me was odd. The car looked clean all over with some small marks but nothing major. On opening the front and rear boots the carpets were very damp. The seller said he’d jet washed the car and water had probably got through the seals. On start up there was blue smoke for a second before it cleared. He wouldn’t let me drive the car, instead going through all the gears while talking loudly (could’ve been the noise of the engine). I noticed what looked like an orange Engjne management light on the dash and a red light that looked like the boot was open. When he stopped he immediately switched off the engine. There was barely a second between him stopping, switching it off and getting out. Whenever I’ve gone to look at cars, I’m able to check things like all the fluids and belts as well as suspension, brakes and tyre wear. Needless to say I won’t be buying the car, but a couple of questions. Why would he turn the engine off immediately after stopping without letting it idle? Is the blue smoke on start up a natural trait of these cars? In future, where would I need to look for things like fluid checks and belts? Can the dampness in the boots really be down to faulty seals due to the car being jet washed? Its the first time I’ve looked at a Boxster as I’m looking to replace my Z4. thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norbert Posted March 22 Report Share Posted March 22 (edited) Is the blue smoke on start up a natural trait of these cars? - If the smoke clears off after start up, it's a typical sign of bad Air Oil Separator (AOS). The part is not expensive but DIY could be PIA if you have bigger hands. Typical issue with these cars. Worst case scenario is bore scored engine, however, that would lead to continuous blue smoke. In future, where would I need to look for things like fluid checks and belts? - Coolant tank and oil dipstick live in the rear boot. If you are talking about the aux belt, it's accessible from the cabin after removing the carpet behind the seats and removing a bunch of 10 mm bolts. It's not an easy thing to look around in a boxster's engine. Can the dampness in the boots really be down to faulty seals due to the car being jet washed? - I don’t know, those seals must be really really if that's the case. Lift the carpet and see whether under the carpet is wet. If yes, the following are the typical culprits: 1. Damp front boot: Clogged drains around the battery. 2. Damp rear boot: Leaking coolant tank. 3. Damp interior: Clogged drains where the convertible roof folds. Edited March 22 by Norbert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DVA Posted March 22 Author Report Share Posted March 22 Thank you, my budget is around the £10k mark including any jobs I may need to do on the car. This one seemed to be at the top of that budget. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobbie Posted March 22 Report Share Posted March 22 Not allowing a drive or driving you in it is a massive red flag. Could be an issue with going into 2nd as these can get difficult from cold. Not letting it idle could be because it has an irratic idle due to faulty MAF, air leaks or something more serious. I’ve always jet washed my car and never had a wet boot due to this. You did well to walk away from that one. They were definitely hiding a few faults. I’d be more than happy to take someone out in mine and red line it, emergency brake etc and then leave them to look over the car on their own because I know it’s mechanically sound. Most genuine sellers want to show you what it can do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McDonald Posted March 22 Report Share Posted March 22 8 hours ago, DVA said: On opening the front and rear boots the carpets were very damp. The seller said he’d jet washed the car and water had probably got through the seals. He wouldn’t let me drive the car, instead going through all the gears while talking loudly (could’ve been the noise of the engine). I noticed what looked like an orange Engjne management light on the dash and a red light that looked like the boot was open. When he stopped he immediately switched off the engine. There was barely a second between him stopping, switching it off and getting out. If a jet wash penetrates the seals, so will heavy rain. If you suspected he was talking loudly to conceal something, did you ask him to be quiet & let you listen to the car? Did you question the lights on the dash? When he stopped & switched off immediately, did you ask him to start the engine so that you could listen to tickover? His answers to these enquiries would have been enlightening. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nelmo Posted March 22 Report Share Posted March 22 Yeah, you did well to walk away from that one - sounds very dodgy. I get the blue smoke on startup sometimes but I hoped that was because there are several days between drives and my car sits on my sloping drive, which I read somewhere can lead to oil pooling,,,er,,,somewhere. But that might be wishful thinking and my AOS needs replacing (no indication in previous service records that it has ever been done). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bally4563 Posted March 22 Report Share Posted March 22 1 hour ago, DVA said: Thank you, my budget is around the £10k mark including any jobs I may need to do on the car. This one seemed to be at the top of that budget. My advice would be to take some one with you in future that knows these vehicles 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Rat Posted March 22 Report Share Posted March 22 There are buying guides on this forum and internet/You Tube. Well worth a look. If really old school, a few books available. Good luck. 🤙🏻 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
½cwt Posted March 22 Report Share Posted March 22 3 hours ago, DVA said: Thank you, my budget is around the £10k mark including any jobs I may need to do on the car. This one seemed to be at the top of that budget. That is a realistic budget and roughly equals the purchase price plus what I've spent on mine over 5 years (most has been DIY so no labour), to include full suspension refurb, aircon condensers, all hard lines and flexi hoses in brake system, steering inner and outer joints, front and rear bumper resprays, all 4 CV boots, replacement vinyl window on hood, AOS (not fitted this yet), to list a few big ones. In this budget I also added 18" wheels, a new head unit, upgraded the speaker system and retro fitted cruise control. Luggage compartments should be dry. Rear can get wet if the header tank fails but then you'd also see low water level and if very low the red light on the temp gauge would be blinking slowly. The place to check of damp is on the bottom edge of door cards and under the carpet under the passenger seat as the main alarm control electronics are under there and are prone to flooding if water gets in (£600 upwards to fix) due to blocked front of rear drains or failed door inner membranes. If it knocks and rattles a bit when driving it will be worn/old suspension and the gears can also be balky particularly when cold in the 6 speed 'box. This is improved by a gearbox oil change, but a 'box refurb if the synchros have been damaged badly is about £2.5k!!! (possibly why the vendor didn't want you to drive it) However a front engine mount with a failing rubber bush can also make the gear change quality poor and this is a cheap fix. A puff of oil smoke on start up is common as oil settles in the bores in the horizontal cylinders, but on going or puffs or even clouds when driving is the air oil separator AOS. As for turning off promptly, these engines can be nosy with cam chains and also lazy tappets when idling. Bore score mentioned above on the 3.2 is very very rare (More often on the larger capacity 3.4 or 3.6 in the 996/987/997) but is a tick/slap type noise at idle; look up the Wheeler Dealers 997 Carrera episode for the noise. More common is an oil leak from the bell housing which is often the rear main seal, but can also point to a leak from the IMS bearing, read the topic on the Technical Section for more info on this and which models years have more issues than others. Other oil seeping can be from the spark plug tubes. There are lots out there, they will not be perfect even if they are expensive. Buy on condition and the last 5 years of service history (clutch, flywheel, brakes & suspension are the big ticket items to look for to justify higher pricing) low milage is not a big concern as it can often mean under use or under maintained and not driving these can be as harm full as deterioration of rubbers etc can be worse, but any doubts, walk away. Keep posting any questions you have, we'll help where we can. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TV8 Posted March 22 Report Share Posted March 22 to me, how long the person has had the car is important. If they have had it a while, look at what they have spent on maintenance and servicing in that time and recently. Even if it has been DIY, they should have receipts for parts. They are old cars and there are no guarantees but I would always take regular maintenance over no maintenance! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everywhen Posted March 22 Report Share Posted March 22 12 hours ago, DVA said: Thank you, my budget is around the £10k mark including any jobs I may need to do on the car. This one seemed to be at the top of that budget. Then the purchase price needs to be no more than £5k then, the rest will be spent making it drive like it should.😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattman42 Posted March 22 Report Share Posted March 22 At 10k you are well into good 987 money as well. Unless you have a desire for a 986 specifically, I would also consider the 987. As others have said, that one had more red flags than a Chinese parade, you did well to avoid. Buy on condition and maintenance. And let us know where you are, there maybe someone local willing to help out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
½cwt Posted March 22 Report Share Posted March 22 3 hours ago, Everywhen said: Then the purchase price needs to be no more than £5k then, the rest will be spent making it drive like it should.😉 You should find the right car, at around £6 to £6.5k that has had some of the big jobs done. I didn't do my suspension for two years and the brake lines and steering for 4 years so it can be spread out. £7k Should also get you into a decent 987 but with some of the bigger jobs pending over 2 or 3 years. Boxster S are all 16 to 25 years old now so all will need some work. The biggies are parts for a full suspension rebuild even using good after market bits is around £1200 by the time you include shocks and all the arm and top mounts etc. A clutch and flywheel will be about £800. If you are a decent DIYer then that's only £2k. But remember tyres could be old or worn as can brakes hence the buy on condition an maintenance record not just mileage and low number of owners advice. A wheel refurb is £400 too if required. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobbie Posted March 23 Report Share Posted March 23 12 hours ago, Everywhen said: Then the purchase price needs to be no more than £5k then, the rest will be spent making it drive like it should.😉 Strong disagree on that approach. A £5k car will be in obvious need of lots of expensive work, you can’t polish a turd. Much better to hunt out the cars that have been well maintained by enthusiasts such as those found advertised on here. They’re usually not that much more expensive than badly maintained cars. Given the cost of labour and parts on these cars, buying cheap is a false economy unless you like sourcing parts off eBay and rolling around under your car at weekends. Certainly agree on making it drive like it should and hopefully a previous owner has already started replacing the suspension. My 986 was bought at 140k off here and had been well maintained, but it did need the suspension replacing. Luckily I don’t mind ebay and rolling around under cars. Transformed the car👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TV8 Posted March 23 Report Share Posted March 23 There is a Facebook group called Torque Boxsters run by someone on here. He has cars for sale from time to time and has a good reputation for the work he does on people cars and I would expect him to buy good cars from and check them over before selling on. Worth looking up. I would tag him but can’t remember his username! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TV8 Posted March 23 Report Share Posted March 23 Found him and plenty of recommendations in this thread. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
½cwt Posted March 23 Report Share Posted March 23 1 hour ago, TV8 said: Found him and plenty of recommendations in this thread. Yes, Paul knows his Boxsters and regularly help out with question from owners on here and on the FB group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everywhen Posted March 23 Report Share Posted March 23 4 hours ago, Nobbie said: Strong disagree on that approach. A £5k car will be in obvious need of lots of expensive work, you can’t polish a turd. Much better to hunt out the cars that have been well maintained by enthusiasts such as those found advertised on here. They’re usually not that much more expensive than badly maintained cars. Given the cost of labour and parts on these cars, buying cheap is a false economy unless you like sourcing parts off eBay and rolling around under your car at weekends. Certainly agree on making it drive like it should and hopefully a previous owner has already started replacing the suspension. My 986 was bought at 140k off here and had been well maintained, but it did need the suspension replacing. Luckily I don’t mind ebay and rolling around under cars. Transformed the car👍 I too like eBay and rolling around under cars. I was also being a little provocative to make the point that these are now old cars. Even if you managed to find a car with low miles, full Porsche history, always kept in a heated garage with a blanket over the seats, and a receipt book as thick as the Bible, it would still need lots replacing due to age. You are right that cars that have been sorted cost not much more than cars that need work. I had a look on Autotrader and there is lots of choice, some at £11K! Most around £3.5 - £5k. I actually recognised some of the cars listed from when I was looking for mine 12 months ago, still for sale, same photos, same price. They look good in the photos too and apparently “drive nice”. Could this be because they need a lot of work doing? I read almost all the listings and only one mentioned having had the suspension done, the rest were just the usual “full service history” which based on my experience when looking for mine means a service book with some stamps on from years ago most from AN Other Motors and without any details of what was carried out. Now, if it were me advertising my car and I had spent the money on suspension, clutch, etc I’d mention it, which leaves me to be believe that these cars are sitting on 20+yr old suspension etc. Unless there are invoices to show what has been done don’t believe it. Beware of adverts that list the spec and very little else as this has most likely just been cut and pasted by a seller who really knows very little about that they are selling, probably a dealer selling it posing as a private seller as they don’t want it on the forecourt as they know it will need loads of work. Based on my experience when looking for my turd, most of these cars after the first 3-4 owners have been bought as summer runarounds and suffer from deferred maintenance, mine certainly had. I was actually taking to someone the other day who admired my 986 and said they had looked on Autotrader and was amazed to see how cheap they were. I said that they would need work and their reply was “If it’s got a MOT just run it for the summer and sell it on, you’ve had a Porsche for the summer”. Hopefully, eventually, they then end up in the hands of people who inhabit forums like this and get the love they deserve. Buying off a marque forum is an excellent way of getting a car that has had the attention it needs. If you can’t, buy one with a rust free body, and a smooth running engine, everything else that matters can, and will, be replaced. These cars are so good that they drive well on old worn suspension, but don’t be fooled, put on some Koni SA dampers and change the tuning forks, Coffin arms etc. and your jaw will drop with the improvement! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedBarediver Posted March 27 Report Share Posted March 27 On 3/23/2024 at 8:31 AM, TV8 said: Found him and plenty of recommendations in this thread. On 3/23/2024 at 10:26 AM, ½cwt said: Yes, Paul knows his Boxsters and regularly help out with question from owners on here and on the FB group. I can highly recommend Paul as well. He did the suspension work on my car and it absolutely transformed it. If he sells you a Boxster you can rest assured that it is in tip-top condition. Last time I was there picking up mine he was busy with a lovely Anniversary model 986. Gorgeous car. If he hasn't sold it yet, that would be a great buy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanmr2 Posted March 27 Report Share Posted March 27 I am selling my Boxster S and it has been pampered in my ownership and I have spent thousands of pounds on it in my 6 years that I have had the car so it has all the work done on the car including a full suspension refurbishment. I have placed an add on this site in the for sale section today so if you’re interested please get in touch Cheers Dean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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