The hue of today’s Nice Price or No Dice 986 is described in the ad as being “HOT SEXY FERRARI RED.” Let’s decide if this Boxster’s price has us green with envy over its next owner.
Seattle-based hard rockers Heart ruled FM radio in the 1970s. One of the band’s biggest hits of the era was 1977’s “Barracuda,” the lead single off the album ‘Little Queen.’ Riding on an insistent and guttural guitar riff joined with a drum beat that feels like a stampede of wild horses, “Barracuda” has proved a staple of rock radio and baseball stadium organists for nearly half a century.
The 1965 Plymouth Barracuda we looked at yesterday proved nearly as popular as that Heart hit, with many of you singing the praises of its awesome style and rock-solid Slant Six engine. Our car was in impeccable condition and featured a number of comfort and safety upgrades, making it an almost-perfect, practical car show contender. Naturally, we would all like things to be a bit cheaper, but at $16,500, our Barracuda took home a solid 55% ‘Nice Price’ win. And, we all know what song the car’s next owner should blast (on cassette, of course) for their first drive home.
Arrest me red
I’ll start the discussion on today’s 1997 Porsche 986 Boxster by saying I’m going to have to sit this one out. As many of you know, I own a 2001 Boxster in triple black, and I enjoy that car so much that I think all Boxsters are wonderful and feel that everyone should own one, regardless of cost.
Okay, with that out of the way, let’s take a look at this first-year 986 and see just how wonderful it might be.
This is a dealer-offered car, but instead of a dusty lot, the seller has chosen to display the Porsche parked on a suburban cul-de-sac, backed by neatly landscaped yards and big homes. Fancy! Based on the seller’s other listings, this is the coolest car in their inventory.
Part of that cool factor comes from the Porsche’s presence in Arenarot-met (Arena Red) over a black top and interior, matched with silver factory alloys. It’s an extroverted look, and it seems well-kept at first glance. Looking closer reveals some boogers. The Boxster script on the boot lid is broken, which is a bugaboo on all these cars, and there’s some sort of weird sticker or badge stuck on the back bumper. The most observant will also note that the tail lamps have been replaced with units from a 2003/04 car. Other issues include chipping in the paint and the clear coat rubbing off the wheels.
A Very Fun Car!
Being a convertible means the interior gets more exposure to the elements—sun, dirt, bird poop—than the average closed car. On this car, however, it all looks like it has put up a good fight. The leather on the seating surfaces looks fairly tired and is splitting in a couple of places, but it seems serviceable overall. These early models have a rather ungainly four-spoke steering wheel and a shift knob that looks like it’s out of an old Beetle. Both of those are easy, albeit not cheap, fixes. Someone has replaced the original Becker stereo and cubby with a massive double-DIN unit, but at least it doesn’t look too out of place.
Despite those minor issues, the car looks pretty good overall. According to the ad, there are 120,950 miles under this Boxster’s belt, which is sort of a plus, since any of the common issues these cars express would have likely reared up by now. Six-figure mileage can also raise concerns about wear and tear, especially on the M96 2.5-liter flat-six and the clutch it so happily taxes. These engines managed a modest 205 horsepower when new, but with a car as light as the Boxster, even that makes them feel quick. The seller confirms this, calling the Porsche “A Very Fun Car” in the ad.
A collection of parts
Fortunately, the seller also notes that not all of this car is original. The ad lists the parts that have been replaced, and the years in which the work was done. That includes a new convertible top in 2020; an alternator in 2022; new suspension bits in 2022 and 2023; and an A/C compressor all the way back in 2019. The brakes have also been replaced, and the battery is new. Not new are the Continental tires, which the seller says did time on another car before joining the Boxster brigade.
Everything is now said to work as it should, with the seller twice claiming the car “RUNS EXCELLENT.” It also has passed its smog test and comes with a clean title and, according to the seller, an accident-free history. That all makes for a compelling argument for this being a reasonably solid and desirable Boxster. Something else to consider is the entry into the Porsche Club, which even a lowly Boxster like this will provide. That’s sort of like gaining access to the airline lounge, but with more exhaust fumes and noise, so it’s better.
Boxster it up, I’ll take it
All it would take to make that all happen is dropping a $6,950 wad of bills on the seller. There may be some additional fees and taxes to pay, since this is a dealer, after all, but we’ll focus on that asking price for our purposes.
What’s your take on this Boxster and that $6,950 price tag? Does that seem fair given the car’s presentation? Or is that too much considering the age—newer cars being a bit more desirable—and the high-for-a-Porsche mileage? Would you roll the dice on this HOT AND SEXY car, or would you turn it a cold shoulder?
You decide!
Los Angeles, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to FauxShizzle for the hookup!
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