Help Needed on New purchase

[Andrew Follant]

Hi, Ive found a 2000 986 boxer s with full service history and 1 owner for £9,900 with 70k on the clock but it doesn't say anywhere out the ims bearing upgraded/replaced or the rear oil seal being changed. As some people I have spoken to have said this is a must do not buy unless what is the overall opinion please before I buy. Many thanks for your help.

[Daboy3000]

Welcome

If it's been ok for 22 years I would imagine it will continue to be fine. RMS is something you just change if it leaks, pretty common.   £10k seems a little overpriced to me though, it must be very special.

The IMS problem is so overhyped. 

Edited July 14, 2022 by Daboy3000

[Menoporsche]

What he said, both points. 

[Steve Laming]

Where is the car located? Perhaps someone on here knows it.

[Davey P]

1 minute ago, Menoporsche said:

What he said, both points. 

Another vote for what he said, £10K seems pretty punchy for a 22 year old Boxster (it would need to be in absolutely mint condition to justify that price IMHO)

[Andrew Follant]

thanks for all your comments its in Solihull at Strattons car sales

 

[Daboy3000]

4 minutes ago, Andrew Follant said:

thanks for all your comments its in Solihull at Strattons car sales

 

This one i guess.

https://www.strattoncars.co.uk/used-cars/14481296-porsche-boxster-3.2-986-s-2dr/

 

Looks like a clean car, not that high spec but a 3.2S.  Scuff on front bumper.  I am far from a pricing expert but it seems about £2k overpriced to me.

 

Edited July 14, 2022 by Daboy3000

[charlieboy2608]

A browse on a MOT history check reveals all the normal Boxster issues resulting from lack of use,the only outstanding one being the rear anti roll bar bushes are reported as worn.

As said many times about an old Porsche Boxster on this forum go in with your eyes wide open and be prepared for suspension component renewal-not scarmongering just being factual.

[½cwt]

Looking at these pictures, it has electric releases for the bonnet and boot and the newer format instruments so this is actually an early 2001 Model Year car. (Model years start in the Aug the year before)  The IMSB was changed to the problematic single row bearing part way through 20001 manufacture.  Ask the for the engine number. If it ends 11237 or lower then it has the old more robust dual row bearing.  In which case don't worry about it.  

[Andrew Follant]

thanks all

[Terryg]

2 hours ago, ½cwt said:

Looking at these pictures, it has electric releases for the bonnet and boot and the newer format instruments so this is actually an early 2001 Model Year car. (Model years start in the Aug the year before)  The IMSB was changed to the problematic single row bearing part way through 20001 manufacture.  Ask the for the engine number. If it ends 11237 or lower then it has the old more robust dual row bearing.  In which case don't worry about it.  

Makes sense since it also has a coloured crest on the steering wheel rather than the black crest that millennial edition had. The condition looks good but other than that the only thing exceptional is the price, unless you are impressed by one owner stat.

[TV8]

On 7/14/2022 at 3:30 PM, Terryg said:

Makes sense since it also has a coloured crest on the steering wheel rather than the black crest that millennial edition had. The condition looks good but other than that the only thing exceptional is the price, unless you are impressed by one owner stat.

By millennial, do you mean model year 2000? I ask as I looked at a Boxer that was slightly new than my 996 and I noticed my steering wheel was black vs coloured?

[TV8]

The car looks ok in the pictures and I have been looking at 986s for a while and that seems an ok price from a dealer. That said, I have not read the MOT advisories and would also be paying attention to the discs looking at those pictures. The inside of my 996 discs are a slightly "potted" but the outsides are perfect, which these are not. I am told that the corrosion on the inside is nothing to worry about and in 3 years, they have always been the same, not getting any worse or better.

Also, check the air-conditioning works fully hot and fully cold. There are some connectors under the car near the driver side doors that can let out the refrigerant as well as the normal problems with condensers. 

Re the RMS, not aware of the bearing change but Precision Porsche put the mileage around the 40k mark where if they get to that, you should be ok. Check the oil for debris obviously at each service.

Love the ambers on this car!

[½cwt]

1 hour ago, TV8 said:

By millennial, do you mean model year 2000? I ask as I looked at a Boxer that was slightly new than my 996 and I noticed my steering wheel was black vs coloured?

The Porsche crest in the centre of teh steering wheel was silver for the 2000 Model Year.

[½cwt]

1 hour ago, TV8 said:

The car looks ok in the pictures and I have been looking at 986s for a while and that seems an ok price from a dealer. That said, I have not read the MOT advisories and would also be paying attention to the discs looking at those pictures. The inside of my 996 discs are a slightly "potted" but the outsides are perfect, which these are not. I am told that the corrosion on the inside is nothing to worry about and in 3 years, they have always been the same, not getting any worse or better.

 

Mine were OK in October last year at service and MOT, some corrosion in a ring around the outer of the inside face and a little pitting (no comment on MOT), then by June:

Outside faces still fine

 

but inside faces

 

[Menoporsche]

The overwinter effect  

[TV8]

4 hours ago, ½cwt said:

The Porsche crest in the centre of teh steering wheel was silver for the 2000 Model Year.

Just realised I don’t actually know the year of my car for sure! 2000 I think but had a few questions about the throttle system and boot/bonnet release mechanism. It’s black and silver on the steering wheel though. 

[TV8]

4 hours ago, ½cwt said:

Mine were OK in October last year at service and MOT, some corrosion in a ring around the outer of the inside face and a little pitting (no comment on MOT), then by June:

Outside faces still fine

 

but inside faces

 

And @Menoporsche not sure what is meant by the “over winter effect” but those discs look like a relatively long term problem on these pics. I can’t understand how a balanced brake system can allow one side of the disks to rot like this?

[jonogt6]

4 minutes ago, TV8 said:

And @Menoporsche not sure what is meant by the “over winter effect” but those discs look like a relatively long term problem on these pics. I can’t understand how a balanced brake system can allow one side of the disks to rot like this?

Mr Tv8 I have to agree. It seems bizarre that discs can wear like that. By no means the first time I've seen it though.

[TV8]

13 minutes ago, jonogt6 said:

Mr Tv8 I have to agree. It seems bizarre that discs can wear like that. By no means the first time I've seen it though.

There are two bleed nipples on the callipers. Inner and outer, I think and if that is the case, then it’s a maintenance issue and no specialist is going to admit to that! 

[Menoporsche]

Rotting on the inside of the discs is a known issue with Boxsters and I assume from comments here that is linked with winter - whether more water, humidity or salt I don't know.  As he said they were OK in October and dead by next June, I see that's over winter.

[½cwt]

42 minutes ago, TV8 said:

Just realised I don’t actually know the year of my car for sure! 2000 I think but had a few questions about the throttle system and boot/bonnet release mechanism. It’s black and silver on the steering wheel though. 

Check the 10th digit of your VIN.  V = '97, W = '98, X = '99, Y = '00, 1 = '01, 2 = '02 3 = '03  etc... and starts with letters again with A = '10.

So if yours is 2000 it should be Y.

 

Thankfully they didn't make Z = '01 and then offset all the numbers by one to the calendar year.

[½cwt]

17 minutes ago, TV8 said:

There are two bleed nipples on the callipers. Inner and outer, I think and if that is the case, then it’s a maintenance issue and no specialist is going to admit to that! 

However an MOT tester most definitely should!!  Besides my Indy has never worked on the brakes, but bear in mind it is used all year round and if left with salty water, which is positively ducted onto the discs, is left on the faces they will decay faster than the drier outer faces.  My wife's Golf cabrio had the same problem, over a winter the inner faces of the disc just blew whilst the outers looked like they had normal wear, almost like the cast iron delaminating from corrosion.  neither brake system has any sponginess to indicate a bleed is required and when I changed the brakes neither had any stuck pistons.  Something to watch out for even if you ahve nice shiny outer faces to your discs.

[TV8]

11 hours ago, ½cwt said:

So if yours is 2000 it should be Y.

It is indeed! Thank you. 

[TV8]

On 7/14/2022 at 1:10 PM, ½cwt said:

Looking at these pictures, it has electric releases for the bonnet and boot and the newer format instruments so this is actually an early 2001 Model Year car. (Model years start in the Aug the year before)  The IMSB was changed to the problematic single row bearing part way through 20001 manufacture.  Ask the for the engine number. If it ends 11237 or lower then it has the old more robust dual row bearing.  In which case don't worry about it.  

Is the 3.4 engine similarly changed please? At some point I will re advertise the car for sale and a couple of people asked questions about the spec of the engine. It is engine number 66Y17040 what ever that means. I had one person asking me about the mechanism on the bonnet release as the type of manual operation was a factor in the overall build (apparently or more likely a reason to try and justify chipping me!) and some detail on hand re the engine can only be useful for those more thorough than me!