Denny14

I am looking to purchase a 987.1 Boxster and have looked at one with 55K miles on it. A PPI was done by a local Porsche Dealer and it has a ton of thing listed. Some I understand, some I don't. I am able to do some things on my own, but need help to understand the depth of the ones I don't understand.

The big ones are the HVAC - air box foam, they quote $7278.93 to fix.
Another is the Radio/Stereo: vehicle does not have original PCM. There is an aftermarket radio on the car. I was told the factory radio will be included. the quote on that is $3450.82.

It does need tires, no argument there. I can replace wiper blades, hood struts, oil change, filters possibly belt.

Here is a picture of the entire thing. Thanks to anyone who can help me navigate this.





Dennis

RJ80

Regarding the air vent foam, many 987s are at the age where that starts to deteriorate. It is a common issue that most owners don't worry much about. If you search here on the forum for that specific issue you'll learn more about it, but it doesn't seem to have a serious effect on climate control performance to my knowledge.

The PCM is also a non-issue. You can likely reinstall the original if that's important to you, but probably your aftermarket version is far superior. It sounds like they are quoting you some outrageous Porsche dealer price for a new OEM unit and installation.

I think $132 for wiper blade replacement tells you everything you need to know about the mechanic that performed this PPI. Wiper blades shouldn't cost you more than $40-$50 and you can install them yourself in minutes. Ditto on the hood struts.

Is this mechanic a Porsche specialist? These prices are absolutely outrageous.

harveyf

I don't see anything to run away from here. I agree with RJ80 regarding the foam. These prices are high but I am sure there is a ton of labor involved to open up the dash and fix the problem. Due to that, I think most folks just let it blow the insulation out. It's annoying but that's about it. If you are reasonably well equiped to do things yourself, you can handle most of the items on this list.

BTW, that price on the 4 wheel alignment seems like a screaming deal. My cynical nature says it is so they can identify on the suspension members that must be replaced

BTW welcome to Rennlist. What took you so long?

XuTVJet

These prices are absolutely hilarious. Sad thing is, a lot of Porsche owners pay them.

Wipers = $40 and a few minutes
Hood struts = $30-70 and a few minutes
Gear oil replacement = $80-130 depending on the brand you use, $10 for a transfer pump, and 1 hour of your time
Drive belt = $30 and a 30 minutes
Horns = $60 and 1 hour spent removing the front bumper cover
Coil packs = Full OEM set for $250 and 1 hour of your time
Spark plugs = $120 and 2 hours of your time
Oil change = $100, $20 filter wrench/socket and 1 hour of your time
Pollen filter = $40 and 2 minutes
Air filter = $40 and 30 minutes
Brake fluid = $100, $70 Motive Powerbleeder, and 1 hour
Tires = Go to a Discount Tire or similar and save $300+. Please don't waste your money running N spec tires on a US-based car that doesn't routinely see triple digit sustained driving.
HVAC foam = Vacuum out vents and live with it
Headunit = Enjoy having a better system than OEM

With that said, there's no mention of bore scoping or a detailed check of the brakes rotors and pads or suspension. Bore score is the priciest potential issue when buying a 987.1. You definitely want a bore scope done and to also look so see if there is smoke on a cold start.

Denny14

Thanks for the info.

I have also been digging deep on the forum. Lot's of good stuff.

This was a local Porsche dealer that won't get my business. This was done by someone else who was interested in the car but walked away from it. I thought I was getting a free PPI, but it doesn't look like a real PPI.

The HVAC thing got me, but I understand it's not an issue and if it is an issue, it can be fixed.
The radio one confused me because of the PCM mention. That did not make sense to me. I will have the original radio but again not an issue.

The front rotors have been replaced, the state inspection caught that.

It has 55K miles and he is asking $20,500 and said he will negotiate.

There is another 08 I am looking at and am taking it to a Porsche specialist for a real PPI tomorrow morning.
That one has 95K and is asking $17,000. It is MUCH cleaner with heated seats, Bose speakers, wind deflectors. These were not on the 55K car.
The tires on that one, they are very new.

I will see the results of a complete PPI on this one tomorrow and go from there.

Thanks again, I am sure I will have more questions.

Dennis

RJ80

Thread title and invoice indicate this is not a Boxster S. A base 2.7 wouldn’t have this issue.

Shark Attack

this answer is the best. I'd just like o add, the only reason they are saying anything about the radio is because it is giving them a code on the scan. The radio is part of the fiber optic network. And if a part of that network is missing, it will give a code. You can have them simply program out the radio. Or ignore it. There isn't any lights that come on. A dealer is the only one who sees the trouble code. It affects nothing.

I'm a honda Motorsports dealer, and yes we are costly... but we are also honest... this Porsche dealer is a POS. By not sitting down with you and telling you these items are not a big deal.

Denny14

Thanks for all the comments. I ended passing on that car and bought a different one. I had a real PPI done by a Porsche mechanic. They loved the car and I am very happy.

old man neri

That's great. I like the colour.

RE: Wipers.
OE (SWF?) wiper blades can be expensive because the left one has a weird curve to it and the right one has a little wing (I can show you a picture if you wish). A normal after market blade is not and exact fit but will work. That being said, you can get these blade refills which are super cheap and work quite well.

Bxstr

Congrats on the car!

Also, I'll second what some others said, those prices they were quoting for repairs were hilarious. I've had good luck with dealers, but it goes to show not all are created equal and some really do charge high prices for simple services. But, a lot of that does come down to OEM (Bosch, for instance) vs Genuine (Porsche logo) parts. I bought genuine Porsche wiper blades and they're not cheap, I think $80-90. Genuine PCM is also not cheap, but I'd put in a PCCM+ in any 987/997.1 car. Such an amazing upgrade for $1500.