I threw that in for Paul ;)

Man maybe I'm getting jaded but I can't see how 22K for an 02 bimmer is a better deal than any 986 Boxster S on the market right now.

Unless you really, really need that back seat space. Which you don't- you deal with it easily, trust me. (I've never been in a situation where I couldn't fit something in my car and thought 'DAMN I knew I shouldn't have bought this Porsche')

Maybe I'm getting with 986S's like Paul is with Mustangs. Oh wait, this is a Porsche forum, maybe that's OK :)

I would walk, just on the clear-coat issue alone. Like Rob said, the other issues are common/normal, but I have never seen peeling clearcoat on a E46, let alone one with 33k miles. YMMV.

Buy an M... Just not *this* M.

I'm going to fan my fire. 40K miles. All records. Perfect in every way when I got her. You don't even want to know how much less I paid than a 22K bimmer with clear coat issues. :)

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1291089037.jpg

If you weren't so far away I'd kick you square in the nads right now.... I want a fun DD so bad I can't stand it. I'd settle for a Non S boxster even...

I really should have 4 seats with a 4 yr old and a 2 yr old. Again, sort of guilty looking at a toy for Dad here.

It is on the drivers rear just behind the door under the window and the rear bumper cover that clearcoat is peeling. It may well have been painted. I will find out what happened tomorrow. My wifes crv was hit across the front and no airbags deployed but enough damage to replace one headlight, front bumper and rad cradle. The damage was over 7k and when I had the car aligned it needed nothing. So if the car was keyed or a grocery cart hit it I am OK with that - so long as it wasnt hit hard. You think the price is high on this oneÉ Remember in Canada things are usually higher than our neighbors to the south.

You really don't want a car with bad clear, It goes downhill from there.

Can a good body guy not blend it in and fix it without doing it all over againÉÉ

If someone can tell me how to get a question mark on this laptop...please :)

Yes, but for 22k you should be able to find a car with good paint....

Of the 46 cars in the 2001-2006 year range in Ontario only 5 of them were cheaper and all of these had at least twice the miles on them. I`d guess most of those ones would have had paint work too.

Now I a have to think. Thanks again for the input.

It's the $22k w/ the clear coat that was the questionable thing, not the clear coat in itself.

I figured mine with 88k miles and a few little cosmetic issues (similar things, interior handles, etc.) is only worth around $14kish. (Though that is here in the US, not Canada)

Don't want to talk you out of it, just don't want to see you upset with the depreciation later, they are starting to bottom out around $10k for a ratty one, and nice ones are to be had for $15k.

If *all* of them go for more up there, then don't mind our complaining about the cheap fast cars down here. ;)

Oh, I understand. We are used to paying more up here (not saying we like it). I could get him to grab me a US car as he has done that before. I was looking for that too but I'd hate to go to the trouble to see it had a clear coat or some other issue as well, after the trouble of getting it here just for me. There was a 2002 non S Boxster for 18k ish with only 22000 miles in Ohio on Ebay that would be up to 22K+ by the time we got it here and it is still 2 seats short.

And a non-S Boxster isn't nearly as fast. Even an S isn't quite there.

Could you get some pics of the clear coat maybe, we might be over-imagining it.

I had my camera yesterday but spent all the time in the car. I could try to get a pic.

On the side of the car it was about 4" long and maybe 3/8" to 1/2" of peel, down off the bottom edge of the rear window. It's like a small ledge there. Similar of the plastic bumper cover up near the top edge where it meets the fender which looks fine. Color wise it looks fine and car is straight and fits like a glove.

FWIW, the 2003 E46 M3 I bought for $21.5K has absolutely perfect paint. Not a scratch or blemish on it. OK a few rock chips if you get on your hands and knees and look under the front bumper, but that's it.

Take your time and you'll find one that's right.

Completely missed the fact that you're in Canada, slightly explains the pricing.

Peeling clearcoat in those areas signifies a color blend of the leading edge of the quarter panel near the door. Which suggests that (at least) the door was repainted. I'd walk away

I bought a 2002 M3 back in June

http://vintagebus.com/gallery/mod/image/2103898b.JPG

Bingo. And why on earth would you not cross a very near border to save thousands of dollars and get a better car? What am I missing here?? It's not like you have to travel to Europe or Russia to find a better selection... :confused: