The 5-6k Boxster - good/bad idea?

The 5-6k Boxster - good/bad idea?

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Discussion

g3org3y

Original Poster:

20,681 posts

193 months

Saturday 10th March 2012
quotequote all
Inspired by the recent thread of the chap who couldn't resist a Boxster for 5k and is now in a sticky situation with his wife, I had a quick check of the Classifieds to find quite a few examples were to be found in this price bracket. I must say, it is most tempting!

Potential money pit? Is it easy to service yourself (parts from ECP etc)?

What are the engines like, seems like the cheaper ones typically have the 2.5. Worth spending more to get the 2.7?

Good/bad experiences?

Junior Bianno

1,400 posts

195 months

Saturday 10th March 2012
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Try the Porsche forum...

Funkstar De Luxe

790 posts

185 months

Saturday 10th March 2012
quotequote all
I bought a 2001 2.7 Boxster last year for 6k. Car initially had 55k on the clock, now has 83k. Faultless so far.

Done oil change sparkplugs etc. Myself, no problem.

Early 2.5 can suffer from serious block faults now - I believe it was a big issue at the time. Wouldn't take the risk of a 2.5 just to save a couple of hundred quid.

But, yeah, go for it.

Oh, regularly does 34 to the gallon too, and that's mostly town driving. I don't really have a bad word to say about mine.

carreauchompeur

17,864 posts

206 months

Saturday 10th March 2012
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Argh, here comes my next car hankering. Lovely cars for the money.

Megaflow

9,487 posts

227 months

Saturday 10th March 2012
quotequote all
Funkstar De Luxe said:
I bought a 2001 2.7 Boxster last year for 6k. Car initially had 55k on the clock, now has 83k. Faultless so far.

Done oil change sparkplugs etc. Myself, no problem.

Early 2.5 can suffer from serious block faults now - I believe it was a big issue at the time. Wouldn't take the risk of a 2.5 just to save a couple of hundred quid.

But, yeah, go for it.

Oh, regularly does 34 to the gallon too, and that's mostly town driving. I don't really have a bad word to say about mine.
This...

The early 2.5 have got some serious and well know engine faults. I'd steer well clear.

rallycross

12,863 posts

239 months

Saturday 10th March 2012
quotequote all
Good idea.

The bigger engined Boxster is a great car.

I've got a 2002 3.2S you could have for £6.5k.

Not mega fast but enough to be fun, superb steering and poise, the 3.2 comes with good spec eg aircon power hood, xenons, Bose etc.

Find a good mechanic and bills are reasonable.

John D.

18,008 posts

211 months

Saturday 10th March 2012
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carreauchompeur said:
Argh, here comes my next car hankering. Lovely cars for the money.
I'm with you. Very tempting.

Tidy S1 Elise is slightly higher up the want list though!

Roadrunner23

541 posts

197 months

Saturday 10th March 2012
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Megaflow said:
This...

The early 2.5 have got some serious and well know engine faults. I'd steer well clear.
Thats not entirely correct. All Boxsters and early 911's suffered from IMS failures. These mainly happened anywhere up to 50,000 miles in the early years. Most early Boxsters are out of the danger zone now as any failure would have happened in the early years and a lot of them have past the 50,000 mile milestone.

Edited by Roadrunner23 on Saturday 10th March 20:30

willttqs

123 posts

151 months

Saturday 10th March 2012
quotequote all
yeah i would steer clear of the 2.5, the 3.2 six speeders are the ones to go for, although they will have plenty of miles for this money.

GestapoWatch

1,385 posts

192 months

Saturday 10th March 2012
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Came so close to taking the plunge last year and this may tip me over the edge!!

Can fatties get in em and where would a baby reside?

snorkel sucker

2,663 posts

205 months

Saturday 10th March 2012
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There is already a brilliant thread running here

kprm77

417 posts

263 months

Saturday 10th March 2012
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2.7 Boxter for sale on the A8 forum - http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/showthread.php?t=4136 - bit above budget though at £7.5k..

carreauchompeur

17,864 posts

206 months

Saturday 10th March 2012
quotequote all
I've driven a 3.2S. Whilst a bit "numb" it was thoroughly rapid. Well worth a look for the money providing a decent "fighting fund" can be maintained.

TheInternet

4,743 posts

165 months

Saturday 10th March 2012
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kprm77 said:
2.7 Boxter for sale on the A8 forum - http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/showthread.php?t=4136
...which links to the advert on PH : http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3629542.htm

billzeebub

3,865 posts

201 months

Saturday 10th March 2012
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Best mate has a 2002 2.7 that he has owned from new, and never had anything fail. Superb car and as long as you get one that has good history/previous owners should be brilliant. Like any car when it gets to this price level there will be a fair few wannabes owning them that either can't afford the upkeep or don't have the mental eptitude to treat a car with sympathetic care. As long as you are careful who you buy from should be fine..

ThunderSpook

3,633 posts

213 months

Saturday 10th March 2012
quotequote all
I bought one last year, a 2.5 with 90k on the clock. Sold it a year later with 96k on the clock and it never missed a beat. The only things I had to spend on were a new battery and some new rear tyres. Check my profile, you can see the things I spent money on.

The stuff about engine failure only occurs under 40k so you can pretty much ignore that. RMS is not a problem, they all leak slightly, it does them good.

Shock horror I didn't even have mine inspected by a specialist when I bought it.

Go for it, you're unlikely to regret it.

ThunderSpook

3,633 posts

213 months

Saturday 10th March 2012
quotequote all
Megaflow said:
This...

The early 2.5 have got some serious and well know engine faults. I'd steer well clear.
Just to confirm, this is rubbish.

ThunderSpook

3,633 posts

213 months

Saturday 10th March 2012
quotequote all
GestapoWatch said:
Came so close to taking the plunge last year and this may tip me over the edge!!

Can fatties get in em and where would a baby reside?
You need the airbag deactivation kit and then a baby seat fits in the front no probs. My daughter was born a month after I got mine and she came out with me loads of times.

Oh, and yes to the other question smile

anonymous-user

56 months

Saturday 10th March 2012
quotequote all
ThunderSpook said:
Megaflow said:
This...

The early 2.5 have got some serious and well know engine faults. I'd steer well clear.
Just to confirm, this is rubbish.
No, it isn't. Early Boxsters are well known for engine problems the same as 996s.

Edited to add - I see you owned one. Yours may have been ok but this article explains the long list of things that have the possibility of going wrong http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/Boxster_T...

Edited by St John Smythe on Saturday 10th March 22:32

PlayersNo6

1,102 posts

158 months

Saturday 10th March 2012
quotequote all
snorkel sucker said:
There is already a brilliant thread running here
And a not so brilliant one here :

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

I've also been considering for the last 12 months but not yet taken the plunge.

cmoose appears to be the expert on early Boxsters here.