2003 Boxster S (Spyder Engine) $14,500

[jamesehatcher]

I am getting ready to sell my 2003 Boxster S.

Here is the deal on the car. I traded my 1998 for this car a month or so ago. The car had an IMS failure and needed a new engine. I was planning on keeping this car for myself but have decided I don't really need a Porsche with a baby on the way. If I don't sell it then I am probably going to make this a daily driver / DE Car.

With the help of Jake Raby at Flat6Innovations (he is an old high school friend of mine), I found a 2004 3.2 S Engine to put in the car...in fact it is the limited edition "Spyder" engine that has about 15 more HP than the standard 3.2L

We have the blown engine out and will be installing the new engine next weekend. I live in Gainesville GA and Jake will be doing the work for me at his shop in Cleveland, GA.

He will be updating the engine with the L/N IMS Bearing before installing it back in the car. He will also be putting a new clutch in while we have it apart.

This will not be a CPO Flat6Innovations engine. I asked Jake about the full CPO package, and he said that there is no need to do all that work as the engine didn't have a failure and was too low mileage to need all of the full rebuild package. He suggested the IMS upgrade for piece of mind and putting the new clutch in as its not that expensive since the engine is already out of the car. I really appreciate an honest man.

The car has 22,000 miles on it and the replacement Spyder engine has 27,000 miles on it. I have documentation for both.

The car does have a AL Rebuilt Title, but has no wreck history. I have the Auto Check Report in hand. I have called the former owner to document why the car had to be retitled. I suspect theft or some light damage in the rear (new paint). Nothing indicates any damage to the frame when it was repaired. The paint is good but NOT perfect.

I will be selling the car for $14,500. The price reflects the negative value from the title issue. This is going to be a super fast car, and having Jakes IMS upgrade is worth at a minimum of $3500. If you are looking for a show car, then this is not the one for you. If you want a solid, clean, and fast BosterS that you can drive and bring to the track then this might be the car for you. I would prefer to sell locally but will help with shipping if needed.

The car is Seal Grey Metalic. Kind of a very dark grey. The interior and top are black and both are in great/perfect shape. The car does have the upgraded Bose system. It has the six speed manual transmission.


Let me know

706-878-075

[Wayne 962]

Sounds like a neat package. One question though - the "Spyder" Boxster only came out last year as a 2011 model, so it's not possible for a 2004 engine to be associated with this car. Did you mean something else perhaps?

-Wayne

[Doug&Julie]

550 Special Edition maybe? Did that have a higher hp motor?

[jamesehatcher]

In 2004 Porsche made a limited edition 550 Spyder Edition. Jake told me that this particular engine had about 15 HP more than the standard S.

[terryengineh6]

never heared of it..

[jamesehatcher]

QUOTE FROM CAR GURUS

The 2004 Porsche Boxster S Anniversary Edition was a limited-edition model that commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Porsche 550 Spyder, which influenced the design of the Boxster. It was powered by a 3.2-liter horizontal six-cylinder that produced 264 horsepower. A six-speed manual transmission as standard, while a five-speed automatic Tiptronic transmission, with a gate for manual shifting, was optional.
Standard features for the Boxster S Anniversary Edition included air conditioning, power windows, power door locks, dual front and side airbags, leather seats, power heated mirrors, a keyless entry system, a power-adjustable driver's seat, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, and an AM/FM stereo system with an in-dash CD player.
The Boxster S Anniversary Edition also came with heated front seats, a trip computer, traction control, bi-xenon high-intensity headlights with headlight cleaners, a rear spoiler, four-wheel anti-lock brakes, and a power convertible top.
One of the few upgrades for 2004 was the addition of a sports exhaust system to the list of options.
Drivers thought the Boxster S Anniversary Edition was a worthy addition to the Porsche lineup. They praised the Boxster S's quickness, handling, reliability, suspension, and even its stereo system. Though most Boxster drivers found little to complain about, some would have liked to have had a little more legroom and storage space.
This Preview covers this trim only. Please see our 2004 Porsche Boxster Full Review for more details.

[smshirk]

Most of them were GT silver with Chocolate brown interior. Do you know what happened to the car? Was it totaled? I would like to have the interior

[jamesehatcher]

I don't know what happened to the car. I would be happy to call the shop where I bought the engine to see if they know where it went.

Here is what wiki has to say about 550 Spyder Limited Edition Boxster

550 Spyder 50th Anniversary Edition
In 2004 the 550 Spyder 50th Anniversary Edition was released, with a production run of just 1953 cars. These were all painted GT Silver Metallic, the same color as the car-show version of the Carrera GT supercar, and had unique cocoa-brown full-leather interior as standard with grey natural leather as a no-cost option. Each car also had special interior paintwork, a high-end BOSE sound system, two-tone grey and silver 18" Carrera wheels (unpainted as another zero-cost option), 5 mm (0.2 in) wheel spacers, the Boxster S sport exhaust, the M030 option sports suspension, and a plate on the center console piece commonly known as the "batwing" showing the production number. Only on the American market cars were the rear turn signals red rather than clear

[scottjk]

50 of the 550 Special Editions also came with black interior and top. Not much info out there about them but they exist.

[thstone]

Good price and I hope you find a buyer but lots of risk with unknown salvage history (Katrina, anyone?) and unknown engine history.

[smshirk]

Originally Posted by thstone

Good price and I hope you find a buyer but lots of risk with unknown salvage history (Katrina, anyone?) and unknown engine history.

You can count on the engine being in good shape if Jake let it out of his shop.

[thstone]

Originally Posted by smshirk

You can count on the engine being in good shape if Jake let it out of his shop.

"He will be updating the engine with the L/N IMS Bearing before installing it back in the car. He will also be putting a new clutch in while we have it apart.

This will not be a CPO Flat6Innovations engine. I asked Jake about the full CPO package, and he said that there is no need to do all that work as the engine didn't have a failure and was too low mileage to need all of the full rebuild package. He suggested the IMS upgrade for piece of mind and putting the new clutch in as its not that expensive since the engine is already out of the car. I really appreciate an honest man."

All Jake is doing is the IMS and clutch. The engine is not getting the Flat6I cpo treatment. Without any service or use history, the engine is still an unknown (and unknown has more risk than known).

[jamesehatcher]

I have 100% faith in Jake Raby. I was prepared to do the full CPO treatment on the engine and would have been out a lot more money. Jake convinced me (to the detriment of my bill to him) that it was not necessary. Show me another shop that would have done that. I am naive to these engines and could have easily been taken advantage of.

The engine will be dyno tested and driven by him for 500 miles before I pay the bill. I understand there are no guarantees with these type of deals, but I trust Jakes reputation.

After inspecting the car on the lift, it looks like the car was hit lightly on the right side sometime in the past. Nothing major structurally just light body damage. No evidence at all of flood damage. Heated seats and all electronics work great.

I have no problem keeping the car. I think the $14K range is more than fair for the car. I would love to get into racing cars, but I don't have the money right now. If I don't sell it, I will keep it as a daily driver and make it into a track car in the future.

[smshirk]

Are you doing the cooler thermostat or other upgrades?

[Boyd Freeman]

I just found a 550 spyder with just a little over 10,000 miles....Original owner, husband died, been sitting in the garage for over 5 years with the battery down...She just got it back on the road, and been driving it...It did have just over 5,000 miles...She is wanting to sell it for $28,000... Would the car be worth this much ???

[Boyd Freeman]

Could someone e-mail me about the car I just sent the message about and give me there opinion on whether it is worth 28,000.00 ???

[Cajundaddy]

Originally Posted by Boyd Freeman

Could someone e-mail me about the car I just sent the message about and give me there opinion on whether it is worth 28,000.00 ???

An ORIGINAL Porsche 550 Spyder... oh yes!
A 2004 Boxster 550 LE? Not likely. It would have to be one extraordinary car.

[epbrown]

Originally Posted by Boyd Freeman

I just found a 550 spyder with just a little over 10,000 miles....Original owner, husband died, been sitting in the garage for over 5 years with the battery down...She just got it back on the road, and been driving it...It did have just over 5,000 miles...She is wanting to sell it for $28,000... Would the car be worth this much ???

It's low-miles and a limited edition - if the 2004 550 Spyder is your dream car, this seems like a good fit. If you're just looking for 28 grand's worth of Boxster and don't care if it's a special edition, you can find a better bang for your buck.

[mbeardo]

My caution would be to get any insurance on it you can to make sure the IMS bearing does not go out. I just had an IMS failure on my 2004 550 Spyder, with 32K miles.
Other than that, it is a fun car and has some great extras the stock S does not have.

[Skitch]

Way to go on hijacking the OP's ad to sell his car.