boxsternewbie

Went to the dealership today and put a deposit on a 98 Boxster with 99,000 miles on it being sold for $9,000. Has all the repair records up to about 30,000 miles ago in late 2007, I even called the first owner and spoke with him about the car. Car has had two owners in the last 4 years/30,000 miles which would usually concern me but seeing how bad the job market has been I could see how two owners may have bought a sporty car and lost it within months.

While I was inspecting it I noticed the headlight lens looked like they've been burned:


I've read this can be caused by putting bulbs in that are too high a wattage. Should I be concerned about this? I'll replace the bulbs as soon as I purchase the car, but do these lenses need to be replaced before I purchase the car? I'm buying AS-IS due to the mileage, and I am aware I will need to spend ~$3,000 a year in maintenance, repairs, tires, etc, but I'd like to get these headlights sorted out, or at least know if this is a major problem that needs to be replaced before using the headlights or can be done in a few months.

Are there any other obvious signs I should check out before buying? I've read the guides:
http://www.iwantaporsche.net/BoxsterBuyersTips.htm
http://reviews.ebay.com/10-Things-I-...00000008432636
http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/b...g-boxster.html
http://www.babblers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=4923

Is there anything these guides might have missed I should be aware of?

Macster

My Boxster is not handy right now but IIRC its headlights, well, one, has a similar discoloration and I've not run anything in it but the standard over the Porsche parts counter light bulbs.

Now I said 'one' cause I had to have one headlight assembly replaced (accident damage) and the replacement being a factory new unit is as clear as the well a new one.

AFAIK the only 'cure' for a discolored headlight like your car has (and mine has) is to replace the headlight.

These are not cheap. IIRC my Boxster's headlight assembly cost around $800.

Compared to the cost of a Cayman S and a Turbo headlight assembly (both bi-xenon) the Boxster headlight assembly is believe it or not, inexpensive.

Now someone a while back I believe had some success polishing the outside of the headlight to remove some pitting and discoloration, so you may try a search and see what you can find on that subject and whether anyone has managed to clean up the inside surface.

I had not read the info at the links you provided, but if you assimulated all the info into your own used Boxster buyer guideline you should be ok.

Remember the Boxster is just a used car so a thorough used car check out should find issues if any exist.

Be sure to give the car a thorough test drive. Briefly, start the engine cold and be sure all the warning lights come and go off when the engine starts.

Let the engine idle a while (minutes) until nearly up to temp. This can take 10 or more minutes. All the while listen to the engine for any scary noises from cold, to warm, to near hot.

You can give the A/C a brief test mainly to ensure the fans come on when the A/C is switched on but after leave the A/C off. When on the fans run all the time and the engine runs cooler. When you take the car out you want the engine to get as hot as it can. Don't worry. The fans come on at 212F anyhow and the engine will not overheat. (If it does well, that's why you test drive a used car.)

Have the seller take you out as a passenger for a 15 mile ride. Have the driver cover roads engage in driving that gives you a good chance to experience the car in all situations.

Be sure the engine pulls strongly and smoothly from idle/near idle to redline and does this with back to back gear upshifts, say from from idle in 2nd to redline than a shift to 3rd and continue on until red line.

But really pay attention to the engine and the shifting, braking, steering, handling, ride, etc. everything.

Back at the starting point take the car out as a driver and cover the same route, drive the car the same way.

Back at the starting point and if you still like the car and believe you can buy it for a mutually agreeable price arrange to have the car given a PPI by a qualified tech.

The PPI should not only look for fluid leaks -- more likely to be visible if there are any -- after the 15/15 mile test ride/drive -- but signs of any body paint work, damage, bad alignment, excessive brake wear, signs of recent undercarrigage (engine/drivetrain, steering, etc.) work. I mean the list is pages long if the tech knows his stuff and is thorough.

Ideally the engine overrev counters should be read and explained to you. Do some math with the run time hours and odometer miles to verify the car's average speed is in the 30mph ballpark. If it is way less... could be a sign of odometer tampering.

Have the oil filter housing removed and the filter housing oil dumped in a clean drain pan and examine the oil and the filter for any scary metal bits. A flake or two of thin alum. no biggie. Run a magnet through the oil though and if it comes out with any bits stuck to it... could be an early sign of IMS bearing failure. Walk away from the car.

If you see anything else post pics here or probably better yet walk away from the car.

Happy shopping!

Sincerely,

Macster.

logray

If you buy the car and want to replace the headlight assembly with a used one you can generally find them for a few hundred bucks at most... and then since it would be used it might be a better match for the other side versus buying new. I bought a used one a few years back from a seller on ebay for $150 (local pickup). It matched my other 10 year old headlamp pretty nicely.

Extremely easy to install, and well spelled out in the instruction manual and use of included car tools.

Macster

Just a caveat to the OP: Know your seller. When my Turbo needed a new headlight the insurance company balked at the IIRC nearly $2K cost and the body shop reluctantly tried to find a 'used' one. It found one but the seller wanted the money (I do not know how much money) sent before he would ship the headlight.

The body shop refused saying something to the effect it does not buy parts that way and a new headlight was ordered and fitted.

Sincerely,

Macster.

sjfehr

My lights are discolored as well ('04, 77k miles), though not quite as dark as this. Kinda sad that it's normal, isn't it? Has anyone been able to clean it out? I didn't see a way to get in to do it properly.

On the bright side, replacing the headlights is REALLY easy, literally a 2-minute swap- undo a cam from the trunk (only tool you need should be in the spare tire toolkit), and the whole assembly slides right out as a unit. If it puts out enough light for you to drive comfortably and safely, I wouldn't worry about it.

aron in toronto

I do remember reading the "start" of an attempted DIY repair on polishing the inside of the lenses, but I don't recall if it was success or not. Essentially the poster made a polishing pad on the end of a long rod that he chucked in his drill and was able to reach through the back of the headlight assembly to access the inside of the lens. IIRC he was able to reduce some of the discoloration but was then left dealing with all the polishing dust and lint being trapped inside the headlight.

The 99 you're looking at, originally came with the amber headlight that are commonly available on eBay for not much $$$.

Heiko

Yeah the same thing is on my boxster, when i bought it it was at 81k and almost emediatly i switched the lights to higher watt arctic blue light bulbs and around 87k it started to show signs of burning. If i remember correctly theres alot of screws and stuff you have to undo if you wanna take out that plastic disc and polish it, but i would rather keep em that way and keep rolling with them. My car now has 97k and it doesnt look to get any worse. Happy shopping and listen to Macster.

Han Solo

We won the bid on a complete set of 1st gen Boxster front headlights and rear tail lights on eBay for about $250. Seller had recently upgraded to zenon and euro-look rears. I researched cleaning the interior lens and it's really difficult to crack open the headlight assembly. Buy a good used set and be done with it. IMO the used car dealer should knock off at least $500 for the burnt lenses.