New guy here...

[Porschekid]

Just saying Hi. I'm 20 years old, out of college and in the market for a Boxster. I may get a little criticism for looking for such a car at my age but I would like it while I can still afford it incase some unforseen things may happen in the near future (marriage,kids,etc.) I have been a Porsche fanatic all of my life and love and research all models dating back to the 356's. Right now I'm looking for a base model Boxster 2000+ for around $25,000. I have a 2000 metallic forest green/tan interior one that I test drove and have my eye on right now. My neighbor has the same color 996 turbo and I'm in love with it. I would love an S model but don't think I can truely afford one at this time. You don't think I may end up regretting not waiting to get an S in the future will I? I'm probably going to put around $10,000 and finance the rest over 3 years even though I may be able to pay it off in a year pretty easily. Any comments/advice are most certainly welcome. :cheers:

[YellowJacket]

Wow, your post sounds extraordinarily familiar. I was in the same boat a couple months ago, having just graduated college, having a similar amount of money to put down, and financing the rest over the same term. I, too, intend to probably pay the loan off this year. Instead of stretching to get a 2000+, I bought a 97 w/ low mileage (36k) and an extended warranty from a dealer for $24k. I think it was a smart decision -- given the option between a high-mileage 2000 or cherry 97 in the same price range, I got one that has never had a problem in its life, and has 2 years of warranty in case it does. Not to mention it had a couple nice little extras like new tires, service, oil, belts, and brakes.

Also, having bought a base model over an "S", I would say I don't think you'll regret it. Unless you're completely immature about your driving, or live in the middle of Montana, there aren't exactly a lot of times to really appreciate the difference between the "S" and the base. I rarely get a chance to get mine over 4 krpm, and when I do, I'm not exactly participating in 1/4 mile races at the drag strip. When I need the power, I have enough. And more often than not, it's the handling that makes me smile. Besides all of this, the "S" is a lot more expensive on insurance and gas. And at our age, insurance is at a premium, even with a good record!! Put that "S" money towards saving for your first home or something, in my opinion.

By the way, off subject I know, but how did you get out of college (4 year program, I'm assuming) by the time you're 20?? I finished at 22, and most of my friends my age are still in school. I'm guessing you weren't an engineering major! :-P Whatever you are, you did quite well to finish 2 years ahead of schedule!

Edit: To add 1 last thing: You should not listen to those who say it's not financially intelligent to buy such a car at such an age. If you can afford it (meaning you can do this, pay your rent, put money in your 401k, have 6 mo. of emergency funds in the bank, etc, etc, etc) then I think you should tell those people to f... off and go for it! There's never a financially intelligent time to buy a fun car. When you have more money, you'll have a family and kids. My dad still speaks fondly of his Shelby and his Mach1 from the 60's and 70's. He's making infinitely more money now, but what does he drive? A 98 F150 and an 05 Altima. Because all his money is going towards putting his third child through college and making "smart" decisions like investing in property and stocks. I certainly dont' want to be in his same situation at his age, but not be able to look back on the exciting days of driving your dream car.

[QporscheQ]

There are a lot of relatively young Boxster owners here (including myself at 26) and we all seem to have similar stories. I took a lot of crap for buying the car, but most of the "older" people I know whose opinions actually matter to me were very excited, and I got a lot of the "awesome . . . When I was your age I bought a ( insert your classic car here ) story and it was the greatest thing . . . yadadada" stories. Even a lot of my friends were skeptical at first. I was the immoral kid from the east coast to a lot of people when I moved to the Mid-west. Now after seeing how much I enjoyed my car, the vast majority of my friends have bought an impressive array of sports cars. Even two of the older guys at work went out and bought new cars ( including a Porsche :) )

Buying my Boxster is the best thing I have ever done. I have minor remorse for not getting the 'S' but Im not too worried about it. When you think about saving $15k or so its not so bad.

YellowJacket, where did you do your undergrad?

[YellowJacket]

YellowJacket, where did you do your undergrad?

Georgia Tech (which is where the "yellowjacket" comes from). Industrial Engineering major. Why do you ask?

[QporscheQ]

ahhh. Sorry, Im an idiot. I saw the Richmond and I was just curious. Im a Hokie.

[donv]

I too have an IE undergrad degree - a great major, but it appears to be on the decline in the US. We don't seem to be wanting to make our own stuff here anymore, so there's less I to E! (Why the brains that be thought we could make more $$ by becoming a "service" economy always puzzled me... once they start outsourcing the Execs, bet they'll change their tune.) Finally had to change careers to avoid the "one step ahead of outsourcing" dance... :dance:

[YellowJacket]

I too have an IE undergrad degree - a great major, but it appears to be on the decline in the US. We don't seem to be wanting to make our own stuff here anymore, so there's less I to E! (Why the brains that be thought we could make more $$ by becoming a "service" economy always puzzled me... once they start outsourcing the Execs, bet they'll change their tune.) Finally had to change careers to avoid the "one step ahead of outsourcing" dance... :dance:

Yeah, as much as I enjoyed the IE curriculum, it wasn't what I wanted to do with the next 30 years, so I'm actually building risk mitigation models for a financial services company for now. Loosely related to IE, I suppose, but not your traditional plant engineer job. Like you said, with all the outsourcing, I don't think that plant work in the US is a great place to be starting out right now.

[YellowJacket]

ahhh. Sorry, Im an idiot. I saw the Richmond and I was just curious. Im a Hokie.

Ahh... a Hokie, huh? Well, welcome to the ACC!

[Porschekid]

Nice to hear from some young Porsche owners. I don't want to have the image of a young prick or anything, I just happen to love cars (Porsches expecially) and I don't think there would be any better feeling than seeing that car in my driveway and using it as a weekend/fairweather car. I don't think I will drive it to work just so I don't have any bad thoughts floating around the office about me. The one I'm looking at is a 2000 with 40k miles, full leather, in dash cd-changer, 18" wheels and he's asking $24k for it. Carfax reported one accident with a deer but I'm not sure how severe it was and there isn't anything visually wrong with the car. Sound like a good deal? Anything else I should check out?

-thanks guys

[Brucelee]

What you buy with your own money is your business and no one elses. It is legal, it is all good!

Other people's opinions are well, just opinions. They belong in the garbage can.

ENJOY your Porsche experience, however you make it happen!

[YellowJacket]

Carfax reported one accident with a deer but I'm not sure how severe it was and there isn't anything visually wrong with the car. Sound like a good deal?


Take your wallet and run away!!! First of all, I grew up in an area where accidents with deer were pretty common. I have seen many cars that were hit by deers, and they ALL had significant damage. I've seen a Suburban nearly totalled, a 240SX that spent 4 months in the shop with repairs, several cars totalled, etc, etc. Deer accidents are no small fender-bender. And the way Porsches are designed to deform in front-end collisions (in the interest of safety of course), there is quite a good chance that there was frame damage, or at the very least very extensive sheet metal damage. The car will never drive like it's supposed to, will have tire wear and alignment problems always, and will develop squeeks and rattles over time that will drive you to insanity.

The other thing to point out is that Carfax doesn't catch all accidents. For them to show an accident, it has to be pretty severe, or involved usually. I've been rear-ended and had $3000 of damage to my M3 including frame damage, and Carfax showed no record of it. So beware -- this is most likely BAD.

When buying a Porsche, there is a certain paradox -- thinking with your brain is MUCH more difficult than with most cars, and thinking with your heart is MUCH more dangerous. This car you're looking at is priced too low, and now you see why. My advice -- walk away. There are thousands of Boxsters out there -- you'll find one that's in better shape, even if it's not a 2000.

If it looks too good to be true....

[Brucelee]

Regarding due diligence PRIOR to buying a used Boxster

Any reported accident is a no/no. Walk away.

Most accidents DO NOT make car fax. Most title issues do.

Have a Box PRE INSPECTED by a reputable dealer. Pay the money and have them focus UNDER THE CAR., where you cannot see.

Focus here is FRAME DAMAGE, tires and wheels, and suspension issues, and the drive train. WATER DAMAGE will also show up there.

Find someone with a PAINT METER to go over the panels with you. Painted panesl per se may not be an issue but BONDO is!

More tips if you need them.

Call me at 760-522-7327.

Good luck

[Porschekid]

Hmm, even if they allow me to take it somewhere to be looked at you think I shouldn't take it? Any idea what a Porsche dealership may charge for that? I could maybe use the accident as justification for an even lower price. I drove it and couldn't feel anything wrong with the ride. The car is just the perfect exterior/interior color for me with full leather and I'm not sure if I'll come across another as nice. Maybe I AM just thinking with my heart here. :(

[Porschekid]

Link to car. (http://inventory.autotrader.com/inventory/vehicle_details.jsp?position=37&car_id=177049111&color=1&searchType=preowned&dealerId=553894&make=any&model=any&pass=2&toYear=any&fromYear=any&toPrice=999999.0&fromPrice=0.0&searchFilter=any&sort=make)

[YellowJacket]

Hmm, even if they allow me to take it somewhere to be looked at you think I shouldn't take it? Any idea what a Porsche dealership may charge for that? I could maybe use the accident as justification for an even lower price. I drove it and couldn't feel anything wrong with the ride. The car is just the perfect exterior/interior color for me with full leather and I'm not sure if I'll come across another as nice. Maybe I AM just thinking with my heart here. :(

A good pre-purchase inspect will run you around $100 (that was at an indepenant Euro repair shop in the burbs of Atlanta). But they're just going to tell what you already know -- that it's had SIGNIFICANT body damage. You couldn't pay me to take that car!! Knowing that I paid the same price for my pristine Box with even lower mileage and a warranty makes me feel even better about my purchase!

You often can't feel anything wrong with it. Because they've just balanced the tires and done an alignment and such. But a car with frame damage or hidden suspension damage (almost always frame damage w/ a deer -- look at the size of a deer!!!) will SLOWLY wear the tires unevenly to the point where you'll need tires twice as often, and the ride will always be miserable except the first week you replace tires, balance, and align. And then will come the squeeks and rattles. Seriously -- they will drive you crazy.

You are definitely thinking with your heart -- but at least you're aware of this. Go to a Porsche dealer, tell him your budget, and see what he can find. You won't get a 2000, but you'll get a car that will run circles around that one as far as condition goes. If you want a recommendation for a good dealer that will ship anywhere, contact Linn Matthews at Jim Ellis Porsche in Atlanta. He will ship anywhere in the US, and is a very upstanding and fair dealer who will tell you everything as it is.

Seriously -- talk to someone who's been through this before you go making a rash decision you'll definitely regret. Call Bruce, or PM me and I'll give you my number, or go talk to a Porsche dealer.

[Pilot2519j]

[QUOTE=Porschekid]Just saying Hi. I'm 20 years old, out of college and in the market for a Boxster. I may get a little criticism for looking for such a car at my age but I would like it while I can still afford it incase some unforseen things may happen in the near future (marriage,kids,etc.) I have been a Porsche fanatic all of my life and love and research all models dating back to the 356's.

Congrats from a oldster in the group. In my case I bought mine at 55 and have been with permanent grin driving! Whether in a traffic jam or blasting upstate NY I enjoy the car immensely. My father, god rest his soul, put the kabash on me when my wife and I were going to buy a Spirtfire. My father's " Son that is the car for the perfect egotist". Oh well so much for the Spitfire, british racing green, until I got absolution from my wife in December of 2003. I was looking to buy another Audi S-4 when I got totally turned off with the salesman. I turned to BMW and got the cold shoulder. In my quagmire my wife said why don't you look at the Porsche? I thought I could not afford the 911. I did not even realize that the Boxster even existed, that is how deep I had removed Porsche from my buying list. All Porsches for me where unattainable or so I thought.
The salesman told me the Boxster is 43K but we have a Boxster S demo with 3300 miles and the rest is history. My Christmas present which I waited 35 yrs to have, there it was silver covertible all new things for me. Essentially my wife broke the spell of my fathers famous cabash " Son that is the car for the perfect egotist". Though it took all those years to purge I am happy for myself and for all those that buy the car and appreciate the car for what it is and the history of the marque rather than those who get things as status symbols. Age has nothing to do with it. If you are able to get it young, more power to you. All I will ever say is to enjoy it wisely to be careful and go like a bat out of hell, when you can. :cool:

[Porschekid]

^Thanks for your experience Pilot.

I'm just not sure how to tell how severe the accident was unless I took it somewhere to be looked at. Ive had family members hit a deer and only bust a headlight, dent a fender, etc.
Here is the incidents I got from Carfax:
CARFAX searched more than 3 billion records from over 5,300 sources and found
13 record(s) for this 2000 PORSCHE BOXSTER (WP0CA2980YU628255).

Date:
Mileage Reading:
Source:
General Comments:


08/18/2000 18 New York
Inspection Station
New York City Area
Passed safety inspection


08/18/2000 New York
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Stony Point, NY
Registered as
personal vehicle


09/29/2000 New York
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Stony Point, NY
Title issued or updated
First owner reported


06/29/2001 4,313 New Jersey
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Paramus, NJ
Title #DA20011800016
Title issued or updated
New owner reported


07/11/2001 4,335 New York
Inspection Station
New York City Area
Passed safety inspection


07/17/2001 5,094 Inspection Co.
New York
Vehicle Inspected


10/18/2001 New York
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Lisle, IL
Title issued or updated


03/05/2002 9,372 Inspection Co.
New York
Vehicle Inspected
Anti-theft device present
at the time of inspection


03/15/2003 New York
Police Report
Case #30886341
Accident Reported
Vehicle involved in crash
in Suffolk County
with a deer


06/02/2003 New York
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Mountain Dale, NY
Registration issued or renewed
Registered as
personal vehicle
Passed safety inspection


01/13/2005 42,648 Auto Auction
Sold at auction
in Pennsylvania
Listed as
a fleet vehicle


01/20/2005 Pennsylvania
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Pittsburgh, PA
Title issued or updated
New owner reported


02/07/2005 Porsche Cars North America No recalls open for repair

[Porschekid]

Any chance I could maybe have that county look up the report for me?

[YellowJacket]

Well by all means, then, take it somewhere and have it checked out. But showing up on Carfax is an almost guarantee that it was severe. Your family member who broke a headlight hitting a deer probably didn't even report it to his insurance company.

[Porschekid]

Well, I'm thinking I could tell them I'm concerned about possible structural damage from the accident and see if I can find someone to check it out for cheap. Worst they can say is no and I'll give them the finger and leave. Longshot, but if anyone knows someone in the Pgh area to take a look at it I would appreciate it.

[YellowJacket]

Any chance I could maybe have that county look up the report for me?

Probably not, but usually with a little bit of research, you can find the previous owner and he can probably tell you intimate details of the experience. It took me one afternoon, about 4 hours, to track down the entire lineage of owners for used car I bought one time. Start with:

*Contact local dealers in the area that the accident occured, and give them the VIN
*See if you can find a registration or insurance card in the car with someone's name on it.
*See if you can get a look at the title which should have the previous owner's name on it.
*Use 411.com or directory assistance to locate these people.
*Use some social-engineering to talk people into telling you thinks the're not supposed to (at the dealer, DMV, whatever). Oh, by the way, I don't advocate, suggest or condone this option in cases where it might be illegal; I am simply saying that if there were no laws to the contrary, it would be an effective method.
*Get creative. You'll have the full history and a copy of the body shop estimate in 2 hours.

By the way, it just occured to me that their was a police report for the deer accident. Most accidents involving one car (if you back into a light post in your own back yard, or hit a dog on a neighborhood street) don't involve police reports. People are usually police-adverse unless there are multiple cars involved. So a police report is a probable indication the car was not driveable after the accident, and the police were called as a result of worrying about safety of the driver, or to get the car towed (all of which indicate serious accidents).

[Brucelee]

If they won't allow you to take this car to a Porsche dealership for inspection, well, that would tell you something about them and their practices, and maybe the car.

In my dealership, I allow any customer to have our cars checked by the local Porsche dealer. They charge $190 for that service but each dealer will charge what they will, a simple phone call will tell you that.

Re: the accident, all I can tell you is that as a dealer, I flat out will not buy a car that I have an accident flag on from Car Fax or Auto Check. This will live with your car and when you go to sell it, you have very sig. problems with finding buyers and with valuation.

As a pro, I can tell you that you are thinking with your heart, which is fine on Valentine's day. When buying a Porsche, keep in mind, there is ALWAYS another one out there WITHOUT a story.





Hmm, even if they allow me to take it somewhere to be looked at you think I shouldn't take it? Any idea what a Porsche dealership may charge for that? I could maybe use the accident as justification for an even lower price. I drove it and couldn't feel anything wrong with the ride. The car is just the perfect exterior/interior color for me with full leather and I'm not sure if I'll come across another as nice. Maybe I AM just thinking with my heart here. :(

[Porschekid]

I wonder if anyone has heard of the wholesale auto store in Bedford Heights, OH? They seem to have alot of VERY reasonably priced Boxsters in stock and have no bad feedback on Ebay. They are about 100 miles from me but seem to have alot of 2000+ Boxsters under $25,000.
http://motors.search.ebay.com/_W0QQfgtpZ1QQfrppZ25QQsassZthewholesaleautostore
http://www.autotrader.com/dealers/ida/index_view.jsp?dealership_view_name=thewholesaleautostore&car_id=175894121&dealer_id=55043574

[ViO]

When I bought my car (2003 boxster) in April last year, I was looking at a Boxster S also, but I then realized that I'd rather buy a brand new 2003 boxster (with Xenons, and the Bose System) that wasn't titled, than pay a the same price for a used Boxster S that had mileage / no xenons / no bose system. Mainly because I live on Long Island in New York and im never going to use the full potential of the 'S'. Good to see another young person on the board, I was 19 when I bought my car, I'm 20 now. By the way, my favorite porsche color is Rain Forest Green Metallic, I almost bought a boxster in that color, but ended up with Arctic Silver. If I ever buy a 911 C4S or a GT3 after graduate school, I'm going to order it in Rain Forest Green Metallic, I think its just a very cool looking custom color.

Good Luck, and post pictures when you decide on a car!

[Brucelee]

From an economic view, buying new is USUALLY a big hit on the depreciation side and the most expensive way to go. If you keeping your car 10 yrs, whats the big deal?

However, if you buy a car every 3-4 yrs, used CAN be a very viable way to reduce dep and interest costs, sales tax, insurance and local prop tax costs. You must simply shop very very carefully as used is used.

Having said that, if it were me and I was into performance in any way, I would buy an S. Moreover, they are a bit easier to sell.

Just my two cents.

[ViO]

Bruce is right, but personally I don't plan on selling my car, which is why I bought new. If I end up buying a Maserati Coupe I would buy a pre-owned ... MSRP is like 104k for them, but after a year they go down to 80, and 2 years, you can pick one up with like 5k miles on it for around 63k if you check dupont registry or ebay. Thats a good example of what bruce is saying in terms of bang for the buck getting a pre-owned car and saving a ton of money off sticker price.

[jfmillr]

Well I would agree, It is not necessarily a good thing that some of these reports show up on Carfax, but remeber anytime a claim regardless to how small or big it is the insurance company enters it into their database which in turn ends up in Carfax. I would recommend taking it to someone to look for frame damage or evidence of being realigned on a frame machine. I would tell you as long as the frame hasnt been altered and it still straight then go for it. Some might not agree but I personally think everything else is fixable. I just personally wouldnt want it if there has been frame damage or evidence of prior damage. Beyond that go for it!