Advice Needed!

G7 · 9 Jul 2022

Saw a 1999 Boxster today to buy. It's done around 70k. Drove well, engine was good, steering had a little play/vagueness in it but not too much. We were coming to an agreement for around 5k. He had no movement on that figure so took one last look before agreeing.

I noticed all the wheel nuts were rusted brown. I then noticed the bottom of the sills had rust bubbling through. I then looked under the car as best I could and saw this rust everywhere.. as I touched these rusted parts, they crumbled in my hand.. what you guys think?

T8 · 10 Jul 2022

It's a 23 year old car but in the current market £5k doesn't seem too steep.

What else have you seen for that money :?:

Luddite · 10 Jul 2022

I suspect buying a Porsche as a cheap car can work out to be very expensive in time, given the cost of spare parts for a Boxter is unlikely to be any less expensive than for a 911.. ?

If you spent another £5k on the car it would seem unlikely to increase in value by the same amount, if at all. The thing about corrosion is that it is the corrosion you don`t see that can cause the real problems.

Cheap Porsches are perhaps more for those who may not afford to pay for a proven good Porsche, and more suited to the die hard enthusiast who either has the skills or wants to learn the the skills to restore an old Porsche, i.e. it is a passion, and that passion can be called upon to carry one through the pain on occasion, without that passion , you might end up very disappointed..? Been there done that and it made no economical sense whatsoever..

Of course I could be entirely wrong and the despite described as "crumbling in my hand" overall the bodywork could pass another MOT with a few patches welded in... There is more than one patchwork Porsche out there being enjoyed to the max.

Good luck in your choices. :thumb:

G7 · 10 Jul 2022

T8 said:
It's a 23 year old car but in the current market £5k doesn't seem too steep.

What else have you seen for that money :?:

There a few for that price if you briefly scan autotrader yes.

What I was more concerned about is what that severe rust means for the actual car. For example, the bits of rust below the doors i was not worried about. However, the severe rust to certain parts - like the last picture I posted, I am not sure if that is a dangerous part to have severe rust in. Hence this advice thread I started.

I am thinking of taking whichever car I buy on a road trip this summer.

G7 · 10 Jul 2022

Luddite said:
I suspect buying a Porsche as a cheap car can work out to be very expensive in time, given the cost of spare parts for a Boxter is unlikely to be any less expensive than for a 911.. ?

If you spent another £5k on the car it would seem unlikely to increase in value by the same amount, if at all. The thing about corrosion is that it is the corrosion you don`t see that can cause the real problems.

Cheap Porsches are perhaps more for those who may not afford to pay for a proven good Porsche, and more suited to the die hard enthusiast who either has the skills or wants to learn the the skills to restore an old Porsche, i.e. it is a passion, and that passion can be called upon to carry one through the pain on occasion, without that passion , you might end up very disappointed..? Been there done that and it made no economical sense whatsoever..

Of course I could be entirely wrong and the despite described as "crumbling in my hand" overall the bodywork could pass another MOT with a few patches welded in... There is more than one patchwork Porsche out there being enjoyed to the max.

Good luck in your choices. :thumb:

Thanks. In the final picture, do you know if that is a structurally important part that is flaming in rust?

Luddite · 10 Jul 2022

I`m guessing the car has an MOT and if it is recent, the hope is that the examiner was not sticking his neck out given the hole in what looks to be the floor pan..? If indeed you do intend to go on a road trip... I have done that in a rusty old car many decades past, and got away with it... JUST..!!!

Also given your road trip ideals, I would like it proven that the jacking points could lift and support the weight of the car for a wheel change....

Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

G7 · 10 Jul 2022

Luddite said:
I`m guessing the car has an MOT and if it is recent, the hope is that the examiner was not sticking his neck out given the hole in what looks to be the floor pan..? If indeed you do intend to go on a road trip... I have done that in a rusty old car many decades past, and got away with it... JUST..!!!

Also given your road trip ideals, I would like it proven that the jacking points could lift and support the weight of the car for a wheel change....

Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Yes, I didn't buy the thing and just said I needed to get some advice. He told me he already had other buyers lined up so I could miss out etc etc but I just couldn't pull the trigger on it. I was literally all in before I looked under the car.

Also you highlight exactly my thinking: How catastrophic is this rust for a 3000k road trip? I was thinking how this could manifest on the road trip. The engine, gear box seemed solid enough etc. Another point is he only had a partial service history so no idea about if the clutch was ever changed etc.

I saw his latest MOT - they talked about pitted break discs etc but nothing about the massive rust under the car - which I put down to a poor inspection or maybe just a friendly mechanic doing a friend a favour? The guy's wife even said to me that if the rust was that bad, the MOT would have failed the car.

Luddite · 10 Jul 2022

When I went on a road trip it was only circa 1200 miles in an old Mini.. I carried a kit of tools and well knew how to use them... Seems to me that you are prepared to take on a bit of risk and compound that risk by hoping to complete a 3k mile road trip.. in a £5k Porsche with obvious corrosion issues... If you are really going to do this, have him jack the car up from the most corroded jacking point, and if it manages that without issue then hopefully the rest will be better.... But be prepared to run if the floor gives way ....!

I suspect there will be quite a few Boxters to choose from on the market. I suspect it may be best not to be talked into anything.

G7 · 10 Jul 2022

Luddite said:
When I went on a road trip it was only circa 1200 miles in an old Mini.. I carried a kit of tools and well knew how to use them... Seems to me that you are prepared to take on a bit of risk and compound that risk by hoping to complete a 3k mile road trip.. in a £5k Porsche with obvious corrosion issues... If you are really going to do this, have him jack the car up from the most corroded jacking point, and if it manages that without issue then hopefully the rest will be better.... But be prepared to run if the floor gives way ....!

I suspect there will be quite a few Boxters to choose from on the market. I suspect it may be best not to be talked into anything.

Yea, and the thing I have noticed is lots of these 20 year old porsches have rust. I have a 22 year old FIAT. Always kept it outside. The paint on the bonnet has peeled off.. thing is worn. But actually, very little if no rust.

Yea, I can be a risk taker but i have to draw the line somewhere i think. And in fact it is even more than 3k. I am probably driving as far as Greece..

Â½cwt · 1 Aug 2022

A bit late to the party on this one. Walk away if its not too late! You'll find a better 986 for the same money. It is more important to buy on condition than age or mileage. A frequently used one will ultimately usually cost you less in running repairs than a rarely used garage queen.

Zingari · 1 Aug 2022

You could always liberally coat really thick underseal on it and then you can't see it. Problem gone away :thumb:

Some bits, like the jacking points are atypical. The other sill areas perhaps need an informed view by an Indy that knows Boxsters of this age. That said I'm not aware they are 'rust buckets' but weather/storage/conditions can affect indivual cars.

In the 80s my pal had a MkIV Spitfire that he put side on into a post. He repaired it with chicken wire, old newspapers (broadsheets recommended) for filler to bulk it out and top coated in plastic padding before painting. Not a bad job. I never did find out if there were problems with the next owners, but I suppose they'd have something to read whilst they worked.

Â½cwt · 1 Aug 2022

Zingari said:
You could always liberally coat really thick underseal on it and then you can't see it. Problem gone away :thumb:

Some bits, like the jacking points are atypical. The other sill areas perhaps need an informed view by an Indy that knows Boxsters of this age. That said I'm not aware they are 'rust buckets' but weather/storage/conditions can affect indivual cars.

In the 80s my pal had a MkIV Spitfire that he put side on into a post. He repaired it with chicken wire, old newspapers (broadsheets recommended) for filler to bulk it out and top coated in plastic padding before painting. Not a bad job. I never did find out if there were problems with the next owners, but I suppose they'd have something to read whilst they worked.

They are not rust buckets, which is why you should walk away from this one.
A suggestion made here on 911uk to me 4 years ago when buying my Boxster was: for Boxster specific advice go to boxa.net. An active UK centric Boxster forum. It has been a gold mine of advice and information, but still worth hanging around on here as there is useful info on the 911 'brothers' to relevant to the various Boxsters and Caymans.

berni29 · 9 Aug 2022

Hi

Also late on this one. Run. It does not have to be like that. The odd spot of rust yes. That no.

Berni

Advice Needed!

G7

New member

Attachments

T8

Super Moderator

Luddite

Indianapolis

G7

New member

G7

New member

Luddite

Indianapolis

G7

New member

Luddite

Indianapolis

G7

New member

Â½cwt

Monza

Zingari

Brands Hatch

Â½cwt

Monza

berni29

Paul Ricard

Similar threads

Latest posts

New Threads

Porsche Model Range

Porsche 911

Porsche Hypercars

Other Current Porsche Model

Porsche Legacy Models

Forum statistics