PPI Results on a 2001 S i am 'looking' at

[petee c]

- ahh the 'joys' of online shopping.......

it's an 01 with 43000 miles. It's been in rev range 1 about 4900 times. none in range 2

- car needs an alignment (is this more difficult on a Boxster than another car?)

- Left rear outer CV boot is ripped, gritty inside, prolly ripped for a while. - what are the fixes for this? Is a full axle needed, or can it be cleaned and repacked, with just a new boot? difference in price?

- tires are worn, cupped, and old.

- climate control unit works, but the LCD is cracked making it difficult to read.

- car drives well, and the underside looks very dry.

- stone chips on hood, appropriate for it's age

- superficial swirl marks (dark colour paint)

- passenger side wheels are curbed.

- small indent in rear bumper about the size of a quarter, where paint has creased

- apparently the radio works, but the computer can't connect to it....?

-brake flush due in oct 09. However, I can do this myself, if I can get to the master cylinder. brake pads are in decent shape with lots of life left.

- the indie shop questioned the green coolant in the car....... which is kinda strange to me to since in Canada, Dexcool - long life coolants are orange or pink...... What are your findings?

- I am going to negotiate a discount on the Pass side wheels being curbed, tires worn, and the LCD on the AC cracked.

- I would like the CV Joint fixed (axle replaced, or boot replaced, with at least a 3 month - 6000 mile warranty on the repair) before buying the car.....

Peter

[geoff]

I can answer a few of these

Alignment - the suspension shop I go to in LA (they do lots of Porsches) charges more because it takes more time to do an alignment, but they also are more precise in how they do the alignment. $150 for my Boxster vs. about $90 for a Camry. I'm finding you probably should do an alignment more often than a typical passenger car.

Tires - they wear. Misaligned suspension makes it worse. You will go through rear tires faster than front tires. The rears only last about 8K miles for some people, need changing more often than the oil (if you stick with Porsche's recommendations). I got over 25K miles on my original rears. Lots of tire options, but Porsche "N rated" ones are not cheap. Discount Tire/America's Tire, Tirerack and Costco have better prices than the dealer. Not sure what your options are in Canada

Climate control LCD - somebody on eBay sells just the replacement LCD, search here for details. Or you can get a used unit from an auto wrecking yard, or a new one from the dealer. Sunset in Oregon (look at the top of every page for "Porsche Parts at Dealer Cost") usually has the best dealer prices.

Swirl marks - check out one of the bazillion car detailing web sites. The process is basically wash, clay, polish and wax. Everyone has an opinion on their favorite brands

Curbed wheels - lots of mobile wheel repair guys, or you can send the wheels to someplace like Wheel Enhancement to have them made like new. There's a DIY article here and elsewhere on repairing curb rash. Wurth silver followed by clear coat is the matching color

Radio - I don't think the computer (PST2 or PIWIS) can connect to the fine radio in my '01 Boxster either. Unless you have a fancy nav system, it's a pretty basic radio

Brake flush - reservoir is easily accessible in the front trunk

CV boots - most Porsche dealers have a one or two year warranty on repairs and OEM parts come with a two year warranty

The longer I have my '01 Boxster, the more I enjoy driving it and appreciate how well engineered the car is :)