PASM

[justinfielding]

Hi guys,

I'm currently looking to buy an 05/06 Boxster S and am finding it very difficult to locate one with PASM; those that do have it seem to be rather overpriced (i.e. comparing two similar spec cars, the one with PASM would be around £35k as opposed to £28k without).

My question is whether or not it's worth holding out for? I'm not going to track the car (if I did I wouldn't be pushing it at all) but I do like that fact that the PASM lowers the car by 10mm which does give it a more aggressive stance. For day to day driving and the odd blast down a country lane will PASM make any noticeable difference to my driving experience?

Thanks,

Justin.

[eqs]

justin, if I were you, try it out. Like most things in life, it's a personal thing and everyone's going to tell you y or n because of this or that. It is very much firmer on - really firm for everyday roads but good for track, and off, much more absorbent on rougher roadways just like P says. Yes 10 mm, but esthetically that's totally personal. 19s give you a firmer ride also that I like w/o pasm. If you have found the car w/o pasm, buy it. You will be lucky or crazy to ever use even 50% of the potential of that car on normal roadways w/o killing yourself or others. It is a very fun droptop.

As I've noted before, have lotsa fun, but always be safe, it only takes a split second.

Oh and try to find an 06+ as 05s have more first year glitches (see TSBs) and you won't find many pasms, that's normal.

Cheers and good luck, hope this helps. :)

[justinfielding]

Thanks :)

I've actually found a really nice one here but it's about £2k over my budget and the ceramic brakes scare me -- I've heard horror stories of people having to pay thousands of pounds to replace a disc!

I test drove a 2005 model with PASM last week. It was a very nice spec car; I would have brought it if it didn't have terracotta leather (looks nice but I couldn't have lived with it every day). I thought the ride was impressively smooth for a sports car. I haven't driven an S without PASM, only a 2.7 and that was just around an industrial estate so I barely reached 25mph.

At the moment my list of must have options are:

Heated Sports seats

PASM

19" wheels

Decent colour combo like Silver/Black, Silver/Cocoa, Black/Sand, Blue/Sand (almost anything but that horrible blue leather or black on black which looks dull)

Tracker

Nice to have options are:

BOSE

Cruise control (can retrofit if need be)

Xenons (can fit aftermarket if need be)

Is that being too picky? I don't really want to spend this much on a car if it's not exactly what I want. On the other hand if I hold back too long the summer will be over by the time I find something! lol

What kind of first year glitches should I watch out for if I can't find an 06 within my budget?

[eqs]

Hi Justin, look for TSBs here, then talk to a knowledgeable mechanic at your dealer - that's what I did.

You were right imo to wait, I had a similar experience, colours weren't right for me - and passed. Thank g_d! I would have suffered day after day looking at the wrong colour combo - that's like water torture!

I do have that boring blk/blk, but I like stealth - it gets way too much attention already from the wrong sorts. :eek: (see p_lice)

I have all the things you've noted +, and I simply love them. I tried PASM in a 987S and Cayman S and came away with too soft in off mode and too stiff in on mode. The regular was juuuuust right ...... just like the 3 bears.

The 19s give a slightly firmer ride w/little roll and are perfect for what I do.

As I've noted before, if you find the car you like, love, right now, buy it. Life's too short and there will always be an upgrade, this year, next year, whatever .......

Cheers and hope you find what you're looking for. :cheers:

And Justin, just checked out that link ...... that's a hotly optioned out car - just do your homework first - really do your homework .... and if it checks out, buy it. Overbudget, you're not going to worry about overbudget if that is in fact a good specimen - your grin will be this wide. :thumbup:

[Spongebob_Greenpants]

Oh and try to find an 06+ as 05s have more first year glitches (see TSBs) and you won't find many pasms, that's normal.

Cheers and good luck, hope this helps. :)

Pardon me if this is a dense question, but what does (see TSBs) mean?

>>edit<< Technical Service Bulliten, got it. :)

From consumer reports, the '05 cars have the top rating, we'll call it 5 stars, in the reliability history table except for fuel systems, where they are 2 stars, 3 stars in "engine minor", and 4 stars in electrical. The '06 cars have 2 stars in cooling system, 4 stars in fuel system, and otherwise 5 stars. The overal rating for reliability expecation for '05 cars is 3 stars, 4 stars for '06.

For whatever reason - and take the CR data for what its worth - the '03 cars are the worst.

Edited May 12, 2008 by Spongebob_Greenpants

[eqs]

Hey SB, the 03 and 05+ are much different animals as you know. And for questions to me, no worries - nothing's dense. Just trying to help, that's all. The top mechanic at my dealer told me to avoid 05s that's all - common knowledge with any manufacturer's first year units. Obviously there are good ones (that wasn't for you SB, just that '05 owners get a little upset when I post that, that's all).

Anyways, cheers :cheers:

Edited May 12, 2008 by eqs

[berty987]

Personally I wouldn't be too upset about sports seats , though agree if you are getting a car with leather seats then the seat heating is a must . If you will use the car in winter or plan having the hood down on colder days the seat heating is well worth it. The sports seats can restict your movement so unless it's the adaptive seat you are getting , the adjustments are minimal. As to Bose , I have it in my car and its by no means perfect , but certainly a lot better than the standard equipment. If the car is priced well with standard sound system then get yourself a decent head unit with sat nav and change out the speakers. If the car has PCM 2.1 (porsche nav) its worth getting one also with bose. As to you original question about PASM I agree you rarely use it in sport mode , but the suspension does adapt automatically as you increase speed , or go onto a poor surface, so it can be deceptive how much its actually contributing. PCCB are going to be very expensive to replace pads..steer clear you don't need the lower unpsrung weight on a road car and they are very pricey to replace - think thousands !

My spec would be :

Right colour interior/ exterior

Stock suspesnion

Standard headlights- good enough on a 987

Leather seats/ interior - car looks more like a prestige model as a result

Sports exhaust - if you can find one makes a great sound but no extra power

Heated seats

3.2S though the 2.7 is just as good if driven well

Sport steering wheel - does make a difference

You can add different wheels, cruise control , short shift , and a decent sat nav stereo at a later date.

[justinfielding]

Game on. I’ve found a high spec Boxster S; grey with black leather and ali trim It’s maxed out with PASM, Sport Chrono, 19” wheels, new tyres all round, Satnav with phone prep, bi-xenon’s, Cruise, BOSE, embossed heated adaptive sports seats and a hard top. The only thing it doesn’t have is PCCB which is a bonus.

It’s a 04/2006, 1 owner and 31,000 miles, serviced at 19,000 last July (I cross-checked this with the dealer). The previous owner has just replaced it with a new M3. It’s also just within budget at £29k. The manufacturer’s warranty expired last month and it’s a trade sale so there is no warranty included.

There is another buyer interested but she hasn’t put down a deposit yet as she wants to trade in (could be rubbish but they seem decent enough and I’m sure a car with this spec will go very quickly). If I’m going to get it then I should let them know first thing tomorrow morning.

The spec is perfect and the car spotless apart from a little scuff on the driver seat and one alloy with a very slightly scraped rim; both could be put right relatively cheaply if at all.

I would plan to take it to an OPC, have a 111 point check, then take out an OPC warranty. My only concern is buying it with no warranty. I’m worried that the OPC might uncover something horrible or drum up ‘issues’ to get in some additional work before letting me buy a warranty. I’ve heard they can be a bit of a pain and my experience of OPC as a potential buyer so far isn’t great. What’s peoples experience in this situation? I would put down a deposit over the phone and obviously walk away if I noticed anything strange during the test drive (rather than hand over thousands for something I was suspicious of).

It’s a tough decision – I might not find a nice spec car like this for quite a while and summer is in full swing! Could be in a new car by the weekend...

[eqs]

justin, factory warranty is 4 yrs here in NA, and just put a "subject to" w/your deposit and you s/b gtg. Having an out is always wise - that's what I did. I locked out the others and was able to check it out thoroughly to my satisfaction. I am a verrry happy camper, as 2 others were willing to buy it full price immediate, after I locked it up.

Cheers and good luck :)

[justinfielding]

What's 'you s/b gtg'?!? Sorry, bye, got to go?

4 years factory warranty, nice! I'm still a bit concerned about buying without a warranty but I think I'm going to go for it :huh:

[eqs]

[should be good to go]

And you can add to your contract that the purchase price indicated is "subject to" - you being 100% satisfied with the conclusions of an OPC vehicle inspection (ie. whatever wording you deem is necessary to get out of the contract if you have to). This way, all you are out is the cost of the OPC inspection if you decide that the OPC will not give you an OPC warranty as you desire. The deposit should also be refundable. Check first that the OPC will indeed give you an extended warranty if you bring an outside vehicle to them like this should it pass the required inspection.

If you check my other posts you will find other buy criteria also to possibly consider.

Anyways, hope this helps and good luck :)

[Spongebob_Greenpants]

Hey SB, the 03 and 05+ are much different animals as you know. And for questions to me, no worries - nothing's dense. Just trying to help, that's all. The top mechanic at my dealer told me to avoid 05s that's all - common knowledge with any manufacturer's first year units. Obviously there are good ones (that wasn't for you SB, just that '05 owners get a little upset when I post that, that's all).

Anyways, cheers :cheers:

I harbor some first-year-of-new-model anxieties too, in general. :) There is quite a list of TSB's for the '05s, which I found via google.

Still, the best deal/options list on a 987 i've found in shopping is on an '05 and its 33% less $$ than a new one with the same setup (and I can have it before fall).

Ahh the joys and miseries of car shopping. :)

[gandrade1]

Thanks :)

I test drove a 2005 model with PASM last week. It was a very nice spec car; I would have brought it if it didn't have terracotta leather (looks nice but I couldn't have lived with it every day). I thought the ride was impressively smooth for a sports car.

Did this car have all the options you are looking for?

If yes and the price is right...I would go for it! Plus, Terracota is not a very common color, which might differentiate the car a bit and I believe you would grow to love it... In the end if the car handles the way you like, the optionals and the exterior color are right you will get used to the color of the leather!

That's my personal opinion!

All the best,

Gus