17 captured repliesDiscussion pagination complete · Source accounts, not a confirmed diagnosis
THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHWhat would you pay for this? 1997 Boxster; 56k Miles (Pics inside) - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners
Reported or suspected cause
only model year not
Reported cause
No successful repair reported for this finding.
1
Identified cause
0
Suspected cause
0
Reported fixes
Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that report identifying a cause
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Reported cause
Part required was only made for the 1997 because it was the only model year not to have side air bags.
What would you pay for this? 1997 Boxster; 56k Miles (Pics inside) - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners
Read full discussion summary
Leading evidence: 'only model year not' (1 discussions report identifying this cause; no attributable repair resolution). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'only model year not' (1 discussions; 1 report identifying it and 0 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Adjust listing price' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
Source reports, not a diagnosis or a success probability. Counts refer to discussions and can overlap.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
The listing price has been adjusted to reflect the problem with the park and door lock."
What would you pay for this? 1997 Boxster; 56k Miles (Pics inside) - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners
Repair 1997, i'd say avoid the first year boxsters
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
As the owner of a heavily repaired 1997, I'd say avoid the first year Boxsters.
What would you pay for this? 1997 Boxster; 56k Miles (Pics inside) - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners
Replace ignition switch right away
Suggestion or failed attempt
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
What would you pay for this? 1997 Boxster; 56k Miles (Pics inside) - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners
Coverage and how to read this overview
Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.
17 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
986Forum: 1 discussions
0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.
0 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.
Generation: 20261026T105141Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
Hi, all. Long time lurking so thanks for the great info. Looking to pull the trigger on a fun car for my wife this C-Mas. We don't need this car (does anyone need a Porsche?), so I'm only going to buy if the right car comes along. I've been emailing a bit with the seller of this Boxster:
Porsche Boxster Base Convertible 2 Door | eBay
I'm also attaching some pictures of the accident. What are your thoughts on a decent price to pick this up. Or, would you walk away from this car? There are some weird issues with the doors and shifter:
"Please note the "Not so perfect parts":
Passenger door does not lock, but the alarm goes on either way when you lock the car
The dash does not reflect that the car is in park and shows it is in Reverse instead - and sometimes we have to start the car in Neutral- this is not a problem with the shifting, it just does not show it is in park. Car shifts, reverses and parks fine, but the dash board doesn't show the parking mode - I have had NO problems shifting at all or getting in any of the reverse and shifting gears. I just want to be 100% honest about this problem. The listing price has been adjusted to reflect the problem with the park and door lock."
Agreed... definitely keep looking. For reference, the '97 Manual I purchased earlier this year:
115k miles, more than that listing
Silver, black interior
Yellowing and cracked in one corner window in soft top
Had to replace ignition switch right away
Passenger door solenoid buzzes when locking, but locks
New clutch about 4k miles ago
No accidents
Hard top in great condition
No dents or dings, some paint chipping on bumper and where hard top attaches
Completely stock
Had to drive from Denver to Vegas to pick it up
$6000, not including the drive
The right car is out there, keep looking, and be wary of previous accidents as YOU don't know how well it was fixed.
I also agree it's a pass.
There are plenty of examples out there near that price range with no prior accidents and no gremlins. That one just seems like a headache on wheels.
Best of luck on the search!
It's a 97 with a reconstructed title.
Not necessarily a reliability issue, but a big drag on value. Does it have documented repairs from a reputable shop?
It has had a front end wreck
before
the new wheels were installed and a rear end wreck
after
they were installed.
To me anyway, it has clearly had TWO collisions. May not be a big deal again if repairs were done professionally.
I don't know those wheels, but they look like they may be 19s which may look great (I like them, but some may not), but will wear out what is left of that 18 year old suspension.
I would not add value for the wheels
Kenwood stereo?
Meh. Although the original Becker head units are dated and not that good, having a good condition original is often valued higher than an aftermarket hack job.
56K is very low mileage that's a big plus!
...If it is legit and not because it was sitting in the body shop for a few years.
Silver with the red interior is a killer combo.
My favorite. Big plus. I have two. I still want a good look at ALL of the 18 year old leather. Floor mats are faded, but the rest looks pretty well cared for.
The door lock and gear position switch are most likely age/wear issues and not a big deal.
At a shop charging $100/hr labor they could be expensive. To a hobby mechanic with a Bentley manual and Forum, not that big a deal.
Without having a shop do a full PPI, I'd be stuck at about $4,500. With a good PPI not much over $5k if it all checks good.
I have seen too many awesome cars sit here in the classified section for too long to spend any more than that. The seller has it way overvalued. Plan to walk away.
There are plenty of early Boxsters out there and a good number are well taken care of. Pay a little more upfront for a good car and save way more later and enjoy the car more. There's nothing more fun sucking on a new ride than lots of time in the shop and lots of money fixing someone elses problems. Good hunting (that half the fun!).
This one is across the country and has about 3x the miles:
http://986forum.com/forums/boxsters-sale-wanted/57525-fs-1999-boxster-986-tasteful-upgrades-row-m030-fikse-fm5-fvd-headers-exhaust.html
Detailed history
Quality upgrades
Proper care and maintenance
I'd put this one way ahead of the one on eBay and it is priced lower. $5,900
These cars are already going to need a lot of maintenance and cause you some headaches. While they are worth it, you don't want one that's gonna cause extra heartache.
Aside from the fact that I'd pass on this vehicle at any price, the passenger door lock IS A BIG DEAL. Part required was only made for the 1997 because it was the only model year not to have side air bags. Part will cost $200 and take an hour or so to R/R if you've never done the job before.
As the owner of a heavily repaired 1997, I'd say avoid the first year Boxsters. Subframe wasn't made strong enough to handle 18 inch wheels, plus it's underpowered in my opinion. As I always tell prospective Boxster owners, buy the newest S model you can find, and if you can't afford that car then you can't afford a Boxster yet... be patient, wait, save more money, and get a 2003 S or newer Boxster and you won't regret waiting and delaying gratification.
In fact, save even more for even longer and buy a 2007S or younger Boxster. They really got nice and fast after 2007 and that's a car one could keep for 20+ years and not get tired of in any respect.
