- Pepita Picks
- Posts
- September seller panic
September seller panic
This week: 981 at 987 prices, manual and auto Boxster twins, and a toy car coupe
Deal hunting season is here
Looking at the market this week, I felt something new was in the air. The approaching fall season is bringing opportunities to the surface.
New convertible listings keep popping up from owners who'd rather give cabs a new home than lock them away sad in storage for the winter.
Whether it's a plush 981 or a more raw 987, these cars fulfill the Pepita dream perfectly: amazingly engineered machines that drive just as well in summer as they handle winter roads. Thank you, German engineers.
They're Porsches first, convertibles second. Time to get yours.
This week:
A 981 priced like it's broken (it's not)
The manual Boxster you've been waiting for...
...plus its Tiptronic twin in a rare color combo
And a bonus badass pick that you couldn’t see coming
Onwards!
—RF
A 981 priced like it's broken (spoiler: it's not)
2014 981 Boxster | 7-speed PDK | Rancho Santa Fe, CA | Asking: $21,000
PROS
| CONS
|
A 2014 981 Boxster for $21K. This is what other sellers are asking for their average 987s these days.
It’s a certified pre-owned car, garaged, non-smoker, exclusively Porsche serviced and with recent maintenance. This seller mentions "Carfax and PPI reports available" unprompted. What else can we ask?
This 981 has been priced to move. It won’t last long.
Market Report
Clean 981 Boxsters typically start around $25K-30K, depending on the miles. This one's priced like the average 987.1 asking price, creating a rare opportunity to jump a full generation for basically the same money.
What You (and Your Mechanic) Should Know
981s are the reliability sweet spot of modern Boxsters. No IMS bearing concerns, no bore scoring issues, and the 2.7L flat-six is proven robust. The main known weak point is the water pump, which typically needs replacement around 60K-80K miles. Budget between $600-$1200 for the job and get it done soon after getting the car keys, if it hasn't been replaced yet.
Your manual Boxster is here
2006 987.1 Boxster | 5-speed manual | Petaluma, CA | Asking: $18,500
PROS
| CONS
|
First impressions count, and this Seal Gray Boxster got my attention right off the bat. The color and wheel combo looks great, there's a PCA sticker in the window (always a fan of that), and the ad has enough appealing details at a good price to get me interested.
The car is no garage queen, and I'd still want more service history and ownership details, but early signs look good. Sport Package, manual transmission, and reasonable miles at a fair price. If this doesn’t do it, what will?
Your automatic Boxster is also here
2008 987.1 Boxster | Tiptronic | Raleigh, NC | Asking: $16,495
PROS
| CONS
|
What a gorgeous little car this is. That Carrara White paint (why not call it Carrera at that point?) with Sand Beige interior makes it stand out from—you guessed it—the endless parade of silver and black cars. And at this price point, it's exactly what an affordable Porsche should be.
Same family ownership for the last four years, recent motor service, and they just did a full soft top mechanism replacement. Give this car a good buff and you've got yourself an amazing deal for the next top-down driving season.
Market Report
Manual 987.1 Boxsters typically ask $18K-22K depending on condition and miles. This one sits right in the sweet spot for a well-optioned base model with reasonable miles.
Tiptronic 987.1 Boxsters typically trade $2K-3K below manual examples, putting this right in the sweet spot for automatic buyers. The color combination alone sets it apart from most examples in this price range.
What You (and Your Mechanic) Should Know
Both 2006 and 2008 models use the updated IMS bearing design with failure rates under 1%. No bore scoring concerns with the 2.7L base engine.
At 66K, the manual Boxster will need a clutch service in the next 10K-15K miles (typically between $1,700 and $2,500 at a specialist in parts and labor).
Recent soft top work in the Tiptronic car is a major plus, a job like this can cost up to $1,000 if the motors fail.
A Hot Wheels you can climb inside
2007 987.1 Cayman “Safari” | 6-speed manual | Evergreen, CO | Asking: $37,750
PROS
| CONS
|
When you woke up this morning, did you know you needed this thing in your life? I surely didn’t. And yet here we are. A most likely terrible financial decision that looks fun as hell.
This Porsche finally realizes my childhood dream of owning a real-life Hot Wheels car. The work list reads like it has been approved by Carlos Sainz Sr. himself: Falken Wildpeak tires, Method wheels, Eurowise lift kit, sway bar links, Hella lights, Yakima everything.
Who’s gonna take this thing for its first ride in the mud?
Market Report
Who cares.
What You (and Your Mechanic) Should Know
Where the nearest trail is.
Adopted Puppies
More puppies gone this week. The 996 C4 from last week already has a new owner. It was on the market less than 10 days. Someone on reddit snatched it (and it seems they got it under asking price as well) The $17,000 manual Boxster from a few issues back also sold recently. Winter storage season = buying season. |  (tap on image for Imgur backups) |
Porsche Problems
Big Ask
If this newsletter helped you learn something new about affordable Porsches, would you mind forwarding it to someone who loves cars but thinks Porsches are out of reach?
It's the best way to help me keep Pepita going.
See you next week with more affordable picks!
Take care,
—RF