Question on Boxster Common Engine Failures

Great site. Never owned a Porsche before but have been offered a 2002 3.2s Boxster by a friend. It has 80k miles. I know it's close to needing a service and I doubt it's had a new IMS bearing so I would have to factor that into the price. Air on has to be recharged every summer so I suspect a leak somewhere. He does about 5k miles a year in it and I would probably do the same. What do you think? Worth the risk?

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[Casey at Pelican Parts]

The Boxster S is a fantastic car to drive. They have their issues but I feel the driving pleasure outweighs the "risks." Now is a fantastic time to own a Boxster, we know their weak spots and there are plenty of options to prevent catastrophic failure. Plan to replace the IMS Bearing ASAP, and any time the gearbox is removed after that. One more piece of information I would like to share on that A/C problem, that could be an evaporator core leak which would require removal of the dashboard to replace. This can cost up to a few thousand dollars to replace. Make sure that leak gets diagnosed before you guys determine a fair price.

- Casey