Boxster necessities (986 S)
Discussion
Have been offered a nice looking 986 S, 2002 car with 80k on it for £7500 (minus negotiation). Decent price? Dark grey with black, 996 17" wheels.
It's in great nick, has had the clear front lens conversion but still has the plastic rear screen. It also probably doesn't have heated seats (he's not sure as never used them, summer only) which as we're looking for a winter fun car probably doesn't fit the bill. Is it such a bargain that I should pounce on it and retro-fit heaters or new seats from eBay? Not many decent non-Cat C/D cars about at that price it seems. Also a look through the classifieds on here shows few cars with heated seats anyway.
How critical is the glass rear screen for useability? I remember my old Audi Cabrio, could not see anything other than headlights through it, don't want the OH driving like that.
Also the 80k... my Alfa GT has done 87k miles and although it's a fast car, it sort of feels slightly baggy if that makes sense. It feels like it's done the miles, though it might well have felt like that when new!
Is 80k seeing a Boxster getting saggy? It's a reasonble distance away so asking my questions before I go there, fall in love and buy on the spot like usual!
TIA
It's in great nick, has had the clear front lens conversion but still has the plastic rear screen. It also probably doesn't have heated seats (he's not sure as never used them, summer only) which as we're looking for a winter fun car probably doesn't fit the bill. Is it such a bargain that I should pounce on it and retro-fit heaters or new seats from eBay? Not many decent non-Cat C/D cars about at that price it seems. Also a look through the classifieds on here shows few cars with heated seats anyway.
How critical is the glass rear screen for useability? I remember my old Audi Cabrio, could not see anything other than headlights through it, don't want the OH driving like that.
Also the 80k... my Alfa GT has done 87k miles and although it's a fast car, it sort of feels slightly baggy if that makes sense. It feels like it's done the miles, though it might well have felt like that when new!
Is 80k seeing a Boxster getting saggy? It's a reasonble distance away so asking my questions before I go there, fall in love and buy on the spot like usual!
TIA
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Thanks, all good info, especialy the rear screen info. I can knock that into the price.. The car was bought when his M3 was pinched, he bought as a stop gap and fell in love a little bit. OH is now making him sell to reduce car numbers, sounds like he has a few. It's a friend of a friend via another forum so not completely going in cold, the guy knows the car and says it's a cracker.
I think I will make a call
I have a 2002 Boxster S with heated Seats and they are great.
As for current owner not knowing if the car has them or not I'd say it doesn't!
Centre console between the seats has two additional buttons similar to the electric window buttons but much further back, behind where the ashtray is.
It will cost a fortune, if possible at all to retro fit OEM Porsche heated seats.
Rumour is all seats have the heating elements fitted, can't confirm that but the problem will be that the car won't have the wiring, relays and whatever else is required to operate them.
Obviously I'm sure there are plenty of far cheaper aftermarket options to keep your arse toasty.
My Car is rapidly approaching the 100K mile mark and is not at all baggy, Porsche recently checked over the suspension and other than carring out a geo all was fine and they love to recommend the replacement of even the least worn components at the first oppurtunity. Unlike a specialist who will give you the real version of it's worn but there's another 50K left in it.
My car has the later model hood with a heated glass rear screen. The conversion was carried out not long before I purchased the car by some company in the west country for £600+VAT. Not bad for an all new hood, with heated glass screen and wired in to the correct button on the dash. Might be worth an internet search if your thinking of replacing the plastic screen.
Sounds awfully cheap so check it over thoroughly but otherwise gould be a damn good find.
Goodluck
As for current owner not knowing if the car has them or not I'd say it doesn't!
Centre console between the seats has two additional buttons similar to the electric window buttons but much further back, behind where the ashtray is.
It will cost a fortune, if possible at all to retro fit OEM Porsche heated seats.
Rumour is all seats have the heating elements fitted, can't confirm that but the problem will be that the car won't have the wiring, relays and whatever else is required to operate them.
Obviously I'm sure there are plenty of far cheaper aftermarket options to keep your arse toasty.
My Car is rapidly approaching the 100K mile mark and is not at all baggy, Porsche recently checked over the suspension and other than carring out a geo all was fine and they love to recommend the replacement of even the least worn components at the first oppurtunity. Unlike a specialist who will give you the real version of it's worn but there's another 50K left in it.
My car has the later model hood with a heated glass rear screen. The conversion was carried out not long before I purchased the car by some company in the west country for £600+VAT. Not bad for an all new hood, with heated glass screen and wired in to the correct button on the dash. Might be worth an internet search if your thinking of replacing the plastic screen.
Sounds awfully cheap so check it over thoroughly but otherwise gould be a damn good find.
Goodluck
Just talked to the owner's neighbour (the mutual friend from the Maser forum), the owner had a look, the car has the heated seats buttons and he's never pushed them as a summer-only car! So I'm thinking if the buttons are there, the heaters are there? It's a high spec car with factory satnav and phone prep so seems anyone speccing that would have ticked the heated seats button..?
FSH, the last two at independents. Guy also keeps the car at work due to lack of space at home, and his work is a mile from mine so I shall be looking at it on Monday!
It's due a service soon, and he's willing to have it done, I assume for no negotiation on price. Or I can negotiate the price in and have it serviced at Chelsea Carrera who used to do good things with my 964. What's better if the price is the same? I assume having it done myself will also act as an inspection and let me know what;s coming in the next year. However, it'd also mean it was too late to pull out as it were. Guess if it's not due absolutely immediately better to have the money off?
What do people pay for an indie service on an 80k miles 986S?
FSH, the last two at independents. Guy also keeps the car at work due to lack of space at home, and his work is a mile from mine so I shall be looking at it on Monday!
It's due a service soon, and he's willing to have it done, I assume for no negotiation on price. Or I can negotiate the price in and have it serviced at Chelsea Carrera who used to do good things with my 964. What's better if the price is the same? I assume having it done myself will also act as an inspection and let me know what;s coming in the next year. However, it'd also mean it was too late to pull out as it were. Guess if it's not due absolutely immediately better to have the money off?
What do people pay for an indie service on an 80k miles 986S?
Roberty said:
Centre console between the seats has two additional buttons similar to the electric window buttons but much further back, behind where the ashtray is.
This is the interior - not a great picture... The two buttons 6" behind the window buttons, are those for the heated seats? Very few interior shots on Google images to compare! They don't look like blanks though... Or are they for something else?
Edited by yeti on Monday 10th October 16:38
anonymous said:
[redacted]
That'll work hopefully, although when my old Maser came up for sale recently, Emblem rang me to ask if it was OK for them to reveal all about the car. Nothing to hide so obvously yes, but I doubt they'll tell me too much without his consent.Heart over head every time or we'd all be driving people carriers everywhere
There is no unzipping windows it all folds down with a finger held on the button whilst the car is stationary.
The Plastic window actually folds in half and this leads to problems after a few years as they slowly become brittle and this folding is what does them in.
I beleive this is sometime after they've become opaque so if you can easily see through it then you should be OK.
N.B. you can get an aftermarket hood mechanism control (relay) module that directly replaces the original.
It allows one touch roof up/down operation whilst moving up to 35mph, otherwise in the standard car you must be stationary and hold the button down throughout the entire operation.
Yes those buttons in the picture are for the heated seats, if it didn't have those then no heated seats.
If it has phone prep, sat nav etc then it was probably part of a Comfort pack which would have included heated seats & Porsche crests embossed in the head rests.
It's worth mentioning now, don't get excited about the Sat Nav it's crap. They stopped doing update discs for it in 2004 and there is no Postcode search. Don't get me wrong it can pretty much get you anywhere in the UK as long as you have the full adress but a £90 Tom Tom or Garmin does a far better job.
Otherwise it looks pretty good and a great price.
As long as your happy to spend up to a couple of grand a year on servicing, tyres and maintenace it should be a great daily.
Goodluck.
The Plastic window actually folds in half and this leads to problems after a few years as they slowly become brittle and this folding is what does them in.
I beleive this is sometime after they've become opaque so if you can easily see through it then you should be OK.
N.B. you can get an aftermarket hood mechanism control (relay) module that directly replaces the original.
It allows one touch roof up/down operation whilst moving up to 35mph, otherwise in the standard car you must be stationary and hold the button down throughout the entire operation.
Yes those buttons in the picture are for the heated seats, if it didn't have those then no heated seats.
If it has phone prep, sat nav etc then it was probably part of a Comfort pack which would have included heated seats & Porsche crests embossed in the head rests.
It's worth mentioning now, don't get excited about the Sat Nav it's crap. They stopped doing update discs for it in 2004 and there is no Postcode search. Don't get me wrong it can pretty much get you anywhere in the UK as long as you have the full adress but a £90 Tom Tom or Garmin does a far better job.
Otherwise it looks pretty good and a great price.
As long as your happy to spend up to a couple of grand a year on servicing, tyres and maintenace it should be a great daily.
Goodluck.
yeti said:
This is the interior - not a great picture... The two buttons 6" behind the window buttons, are those for the heated seats? Very few interior shots on Google images to compare! They don't look like blanks though... Or are they for something else?
Looking at that picture the Mobile Phone prep is not original Porsche, that's an aftermarket job.Just so you know.
There will be blank black buttons on every car, only the marked rocker switches are in place if it has heated seats. No seats have the wiring in place as standard as I know someone who installed the heated seat system, lots of money and hassle!
Remember the boxster chop for opening the roof with the plastic screen, it's in the manual.
Sounds a reasonable price if all the bills are there.....
Remember the boxster chop for opening the roof with the plastic screen, it's in the manual.
Sounds a reasonable price if all the bills are there.....
Sounds like a great price, mine was 47k miles, 2003 Boxster S and £12k, so well done.
Mine also has the buttons behind the ashtry, but no heated seats. Saying that they are the only buttons without some sort of symbol on.
I've recently had the Hayward and Scott exhaust mod done, which is brilliant and I highly recommend Wrightune for servicing, price is unbeatable and he really knows his stuff.
Best of luck.
Mine also has the buttons behind the ashtry, but no heated seats. Saying that they are the only buttons without some sort of symbol on.
I've recently had the Hayward and Scott exhaust mod done, which is brilliant and I highly recommend Wrightune for servicing, price is unbeatable and he really knows his stuff.
Best of luck.
stegefal said:
Mine also has the buttons behind the ashtry, but no heated seats. Saying that they are the only buttons without some sort of symbol on.
Nothing so easy sadly. Checked the service book, last one done March 2007! Guy claims it must have been serviced as it drives so well, irrelevant as far as I'm concerned. And they weren't heated seats, just blank buttons 
Looking at a silver/metropole 2000 car now, glass screen, sports exhaust, heated seats, FSH and so on for £8k now. Much less desirable colour (for me) and horrible orange indiators, but when you get into the nitty gritty of searching hard there are very few nice cars about at the low priced end of the market. Predictably.
yeti said:
Nothing so easy sadly. Checked the service book, last one done March 2007! Guy claims it must have been serviced as it drives so well, irrelevant as far as I'm concerned. And they weren't heated seats, just blank buttons
Looking at a silver/metropole 2000 car now, glass screen, sports exhaust, heated seats, FSH and so on for £8k now. Much less desirable colour (for me) and horrible orange indiators, but when you get into the nitty gritty of searching hard there are very few nice cars about at the low priced end of the market. Predictably.
Sorry to hear that, It did sound a little too good to be true at that price!Looking at a silver/metropole 2000 car now, glass screen, sports exhaust, heated seats, FSH and so on for £8k now. Much less desirable colour (for me) and horrible orange indiators, but when you get into the nitty gritty of searching hard there are very few nice cars about at the low priced end of the market. Predictably.
You did the right thing to walk away, some say FSH isn't everything but on a car like this I'd say it is.
Maintenance costs are already on the high side without having to pick up all the bills for the last 4 years of missed services and mantenance!
A decent car at the lower end of the price bracket is going to be hard to find but it's out there and worth the extra time to find it.
Goodluck with the new search.
Check the heated seats work - mine had heated seats, but the drivers one didn't work (the light came on and went off again straight away).
Rear screen can be replaced for about £250, or you can replace the roof with a glass screen for about £800. But to be honest, that is 4 new rear screens, so I'm not sure they are a cost effective measure. Mine was very hazy until I put a new one in, and then it was fine.
I'm out of touch with prices so can't comment (I sold my 2001 2.7 3 years ago for £7,200
), but mileage wise it should still feel tight. Mine had 92,000 on the clock and still pulled as good as when it had 50k on it.
Hope that helps
Rear screen can be replaced for about £250, or you can replace the roof with a glass screen for about £800. But to be honest, that is 4 new rear screens, so I'm not sure they are a cost effective measure. Mine was very hazy until I put a new one in, and then it was fine.
I'm out of touch with prices so can't comment (I sold my 2001 2.7 3 years ago for £7,200
), but mileage wise it should still feel tight. Mine had 92,000 on the clock and still pulled as good as when it had 50k on it.Hope that helps
Paul O said:
Check the heated seats work - mine had heated seats, but the drivers one didn't work (the light came on and went off again straight away).
That's a good point!My drivers seat started doing that, took it to the dealership and was told I required a new rear element and quoted £500+ to repair.
A warm arse is a nice to have not a £500+ necessity so I declined.
Bit of Interwebbing later and I found a how to guide on how to replace said element so Phoned the dealership for the price of just the rear element, built in to the cushion obviously.
£75 plus the Governments Vague Addition to the Total and about an hour of my own handy work and she was fixed.
Apparently the bottom cushion with element is a harder job and the part is three times the price!
Edited by Roberty on Tuesday 11th October 12:52
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