Opinion on this 2001 Boxster

[GLASEM]

Checking out this 2001 Boxster this evening.

Your opinion???

Link below

Cars for Sale: 2001 Porsche Boxster Spyder in MILFORD, MI 48380: Convertible Details - 283930658 - AutoTrader.com

[Wayne 962]

Looks nice, it has the good headlamps on the front (clear corners). Those might be Xenon lamps, I can't tell exactly from the fuzzy photos. Seat memory is nice, but not exactly rare. Later models seem to have more legroom if you're tall, and the power seats of this era have more legroom than my wife's 1999 Boxster with manual seats. It's got the upgraded steering wheel, which is very nice, and often includes a better shift knob and gauge faces. Aftermarket amp in trunk. It has the orange rear taillamp lenses, which I would swap out to match the fronts. Looks like clear side markers. The Porsche embossed seats were about $100 each side, I think (my 996 has them and I think that's what they cost).

Looks pretty clean, but I know that you can find a Boxster 'S' for about that price out here. The 2.7 cars are really nice, but the premium for the 'S' model is not too much these days, and the added performance is really worth it in my opinion.

Hope this helps,

-Wayne

[GLASEM]

Wayne

Thanks again for your opinion
Passed on this one.

A lot of issues........numerous paint chips and scratches.......owner lives on an un-paved road and full of mud & gunk underneath.........glass window separating from convertible top........minor road rash on two wheels......owner not realy a Porsche "nut".......bought it because and had no knowledge of the car

Just not a good example

Agree on the "S". Not many Boxsters coming up for sale here in Michigan

[Wayne 962]

For that price, I think you probably could have gotten a much better car. As a point of reference, I figured my wife's 1999 Tip to be worth about $9500 (75,000 miles on it).

-Wayne

[Wayne 962]

The nice thing about Boxsters these days is that there are a *ton* of really good cars out there and available for sale.

-Wayne

[GLASEM]

Looked at another one this PM with 40K on it

Another not well taken care of car. For a 2000 had more paint issues than the one from yesterday. Paint looks like it went through the car wash on a weekly basis.

Wish that ton was close by

[Wayne 962]

Keep in mind that any car that is driven is going to have some rock chips / stone chips and the occasional door ding. Those are all repairable and/or liveable with. It's rare to find *any* car without some minor paint damage here or there. I personally don't prefer garage queens, as you can't really feel good about driving them - you're always worried about messing up the cosmetics. I have *one* car that is very, very good and almost new, paint-wise. I feel like I can't take this car to the track, or take it out on a muddy day, or drive it on a long trip because I'm worried about messing it up. Not very enjoyable that way.

-Wayne

[GLASEM]

I expect to see paint issues on any car driven.....but when I compare these that I looked at to my 1977 911 with original paint ( I am the 6th owner) and 184K miles they are not well taken care of.

Also.....when I attend our local PCA events and see the Boxsters of our member this age and they're near perfect......it makes me wonder.......do PCA members take better care of their cars? Could make an intersting poll thread.

Not one of the Boxsters was owned by a PCA member.....just bought it....took no real interest in the car.....other than own it and drive it.

[mikefocke]

So maybe the question to ask before visiting the next one is what maintenance have you done. If the guy goes on to talk about the preventative maintenance and the oil change interval, you have a probable. If not, then ask about the date of the last wax job and what they used on the car. 2 strikes and your out in this league.

My AS '01 shines as new and has a single small scratch on it where someone's belt buckle hit the top of the front fender getting something out of the front trunk long before me. A few small stone chips on the hood. Other than that, looks very good and the headlights are clear and chipless. Drive and you are gonna get those hood chips. Shows less on some colors.

[Wayne 962]

I think more important than anything else is frequent oil changes (every 3000-5000 miles).

-Wayne

[turboflyer]

Wayne I can see your quite active and respected on the list but really if the vehicle is using mobile one or a good synthetic that is quite the over kill. No matter how it is driven 7500 too 8500 is quite sufficient. Routine maintenance/ service records are a must for sure as part of the PPI. Paintless dent removal can work miracles. Good luck on your search.

[orcadigital]

Originally Posted by turboflyer

Wayne I can see your quite active and respected on the list but really if the vehicle is using mobile one or a good synthetic that is quite the over kill. No matter how it is driven 7500 too 8500 is quite sufficient. Routine maintenance/ service records are a must for sure as part of the PPI. Paintless dent removal can work miracles. Good luck on your search.

Porsche specifies those longer oil change intervals, but from my experience with oils and filters, 3-5k is a much better way to go. A chemical engineer once tried to explain to me how the bonding agents in the additive packages in oils break down as they are run through engine components, and that while the oil itself is capable of lubricating for longer intervals, the effects of the additives decrease signifigantly in a shorter period of time. Also filter technology while improving, is still not necessarily suited for longer oil change intervals as there is only so much debris one can hold. More so as newer cars and trucks go to smaller and smaller filters.

Again, just my experience.

[turboflyer]

My post was based on many oil analysis on my 01 Boxster S. Now at 75K. Also from input from the lab itself. Of course not all oil are the same when it comes to additive packages. I am using Mobile 1 0-40w Euro. I recently began adding two quarts of 10-40W MC oil to the mix just to boost things a bit. Probably not necessary.

[Wayne 962]

Originally Posted by turboflyer

Wayne I can see your quite active and respected on the list but really if the vehicle is using mobile one or a good synthetic that is quite the over kill. No matter how it is driven 7500 too 8500 is quite sufficient. Routine maintenance/ service records are a must for sure as part of the PPI. Paintless dent removal can work miracles. Good luck on your search.

The issue is not the breakdown of the oil, it's the contamination of the oil by gas and water/coolant residue. Charles Navarro at LN Engineering has studied this to death, and I'm in agreement with him and the oil analysis that he has done. The conclusions are that the oil becomes contaminated and degrades over a shorter period of time than the Porsche oil change intervals.

One of Charles' theories on the demise of the intermediate shaft bearing (IMS) is the fact that Porsche has specified longer oil changes. The pressure for longer oil changes is coming not from the manufacturers, but from environmental regulatory groups that want to see less used oil floating around. It's also theorized that the higher operating temperatures of the Boxster (the higher temp t-stat) is a result of Porsche wanting to burn off / evaporate any water / coolant that may have contaminated the oil. Installing a lower-temp thermostat adds a little bit of HP, and in my opinion is better for the engine.

You have a $60,000 performance sports car, and an oil change is quick, easy and about $35. Why wouldn't anyone perform such basic preventative maintenance and avoid potential problems? On my own cars, I typically change the oil every 3000-5000 miles. I think Porsche is now recommending 15,000, which is *way* too long.

-Wayne