Diary of a 1999 high mileage Boxster

[randy_k]

I PM'd Wayne about starting this thread and he thought it was a good idea. Basically, I'm starting this thead because, I have witnessed several members on this site. Buy older Boxsters and get cold feet afterwards.
A little history about me before I get going. I've been an avid Scale R/C airplane builder for the last 20 years. And was an Admin on the best R/C scale site for 5 years. Woke up one day and decided. I was just tired of it. Spending upwards of 4k and 4 years of my life. To put something in the air that could easily crash because of a $10.00 part failure. Well, let's just say. Wasn't fun anymore.
Enough of that. I started out, looking for a 944. As I had owned one and loved it. I couldn't fnd one here an ABQ that I wanted. A buddy of mine had been watching this Boxster on Craigs list that was for sale for awhile as the price kept getting lower. He convinced me to take a look at it. The dealer let me take it for 3 days. I fell in love with the handleing and the quickness was better than the 944 I used to own. My buddy is also an insurance adjuster and went over it with a fine tooth comb and it had never been wrecked nor did the Auto Check show any accidents. Although it had a bra on it. I pulled it of and the front of the hood was rusting. It had rock chips on the front edege of the hood and the owners solution was to put a bra on it to cover them. Well, water runs downhill and it sat in the bra and started to rust where the water sat on bare metal. This is no big woo to me. I, with the help of a couple of friends can re-paint it. No visible leaks from the engine. And it sounded fine. I came to deal with the dealer and paid $7000 for it. It has 105,000 miles on it. Purchased it on 12/24/2010. Christmas eve. Santa will wish he had my sley.
So what I'm going to do. Is take you guys from where it is now with a lttle more background in my next post. Through fixing it up. After gathering info from Wayne's site an other places. Just thought it would be a good idea. To concentrate this info in one place and maybe relieve other peoples fear of buying one this old. They're to much of a bargain and to much fun. You just need some determintion and a few bucks and free time. I have more free time than bucks. But hey. This thing I can insure. An R/C apirlane. Not so much. Let me know your thoughts as I go along.
Thanks for the great site Wayne!!!

[ronster]

Bought my '99 with 74K on it two years ago and never had as much fun with a car than this one. Autox all year and 2-3 DE sessions a year when I can afford it. It's got 93K on it and runs and looks as good as any new car on the road. The fun part is my neighbors think I paid $90K or more for it. I just keep quite and smile when they tell me that.

[WhipE350]

Randy, good idea. I got a brand new benz 22 months ago, and was just crazy into it, the problem is there wasn't anything to do mechanically to the car and I was starting to get the bug. I've always been good with my hands and needed something other then my house to work on. I remember last Aug I went to the Waynesville Inn in the NC Mountains having no idea there was a Porsche gathering. I had looked a Porsche Caymans before but now I was really interested. I can't really remember what triggered my Boxster bug, in fact I always thought they were a little cool but kind of weird looking. Anyway, I remember finding Wayne's website and all his instructional stuff...I couldn't believe someone would have documented so much great stuff. I'm a visual person so this is all I needed to take the leap. I remember having a little concern after my purchase but I figured that was normal after buying something 11 years old that the only way to get over that was to dive in. I'm sure eventually something will happen that takes a long time to figure out, a lot of asking questions, and learning. I could get so frustrated that I may in the end have to take it to an Indy...hopefully that won't happen though...that is my only fear that I won't be able to fix something myself.

I see folks all the times on the forums worried about how much stuff will cost to have fixed right after buying one...when it is polite I like to ask if they like working on cars and if they do they should dig in, these are really easy cars to work on, this coming from a guy a year ago that thought there was some magic to replacing brake pads and not killing myself the first time I drove it.

Oh I got a 2000 'S' in early Nov with 53k miles, the list of things I have done is long, most just because it was fun. I'm ready to do my clutch, IMS, RMS and am sure I can do it. This has been 4 really great months!

[randy_k]

Ronster and Whip, Thanks for the prop's. I think one of the first things you have to do. Is get the engine compartment open. With the top in the service postion. Take a look and you'll see. it's just as easy. If not easier to work on than other car. In fact. I'd take working on this thing over my F150, any day. It may say Porsche on it. Get over it. It's just a car. It has nut's bolt's, washers that hold things together. DO not be afraid of it. The thing I've really found to like, is there is no question as to what tool to grab. It's all freaking metric. No guessing, like some American cars that can go both way's. I don't need a metric crescent wrench. LOL
I'll add to this thread tamalli, with more info on where it's been and what I have done. And where we are headed.
Randy

[Wayne 962]

I think these Boxsters are far easier to work on than the early 911s. These cars just snap together!

-Wayne

[drewbz818]

After reading so many post I really do think I got a sweet deal, found a 97 Boxster w/ 133k miles for 5k, clean title who was owned by a pilot. Car was just super nice looking, thought there had to be something wrong with it, there wasnt, he had to leave the country couldnt wait to get top dollar for it. As they say his loss my gain. Was kind of worried if I would be able to work on it, but yeah it is just nuts and bolts. (high end ones)

[randy_k]

Originally Posted by drewbz818

After reading so many post I really do think I got a sweet deal, found a 97 Boxster w/ 133k miles for 5k, clean title who was owned by a pilot. Car was just super nice looking, thought there had to be something wrong with it, there wasnt, he had to leave the country couldnt wait to get top dollar for it. As they say his loss my gain. Was kind of worried if I would be able to work on it, but yeah it is just nuts and bolts. (high end ones)

Great find! What is it that you have had to fix on yours? Just curious

Randy

[drewbz818]

The starter, job completed, next tie rod ends. And would like to do ims soon, dont need it, just for some peace of mind.

[orcadigital]

Great deal and congratulations!

My 97 Boxster is up to 107k miles and have had it almost a year. Replaced the MAF and brakes (zimmerman rotors, portfield pads), and the thing runs like a top. Been out to a DE with it, but mostly due to work schedule, it's just a daily driver and fun weekend car. One of the best $6k's i ever spent.

[thstone]

Welcome and we'll be glad to follow your story...

Yeah, I'm in the same club! I bought my '99 last Nov and have loved every minute of owning it. I've done all of my own maint with the help of Wayne's book and parts. Now that I'm driving DE's regularly it has me thinking about some PSS9's .... I guess that this is the slippery slope that everyone talks about.

The guy with the real foresight was Wayne who saw the 2nd wave of Boxster owners like us coming...

[randy_k]

Good stuff guy's. You were luckier than me. Or smarter? A couple of issues I knew about when I bought it, was some interior things. Interior door lights missing, the overhead dome light was loose and the dash speaker grills, were cracked. Not major stuff. But I wanted it right for me. First thing I found out is that the grill's either come as blanks when bought new or with the speakers. The blanks are not just grills but have a piece of plastic glued into the opening on the back where the speakers go. What that means is if bought new as grills they are worthless. Unless you just want to fill the hole. And not have speakers. I ordered a set from a Porsche dealer and found that out the hard way. They took them back as they didn't realize it. Started digging around online and found a pair with the speakers removed at a junk yard. 25 bucks shipped. The reason I bring this up is to addess shopping for parts for these things. I'll get to that next. Although that was more than fair. Sometimes you can get caught up into the, because it's used, it must be cheaper syndrome. Not so!
Randy

[pastagreyhound]

Enjoying this read. Interesting stuff.

[EPWilson]

Subscribed! I spent a little more than double what you did on my '99, but it had 34k miles on it. I'm interested to hear your story as I suspect there are things that I should watch out for (or replace) due to age as opposed to mileage.

[randy_k]

Guy's. Thanks for your interest! Just a quick pic of what you get if you think you're ordering just speaker grills. As you can see. There is a piece of plastic glued into the opening, where the speakers go. Also just to address the pricing thing. When I went to replace the overhead dome light. I called the junk yard, where I bought the grills. They quoted me 20 bucks for a used one and 5 bucks shipping. I gave the Porsche dealer accross the freeway from where I work and they quoted me 20 bucks plus tax, for a new one. Just a small example of what to consider when buying things for these cars. Do you research. Oh Wayne, by the way. I did buy the interior door lights from you. Great service.
Randy

[randy_k]

Forgot, FYI. The speakers in these things a two piece seperates. 4" midrange and a 1" dome tweater. If you want to put after market speakers in them to replace the stock ones. The easy way is to take a Dremel tool to the stock speakers and cut the plastic speaker basket off at the top of the speaker and use and use the ring you have left to hold the after market speaker in the opening. The stock ones in mine had been replaced with Kenwoods. Althought the guy who did it did a crap job. I cleaned up what he had done and put them back in the grills I had purchased.

[dmcummins]

I bought a 2000S for my wife in 2005 with around 30,000 on it. It was her daily driver till late last year when she chose to go the 4 door route. So now I drive it. It now has around 96,000 on it. I have done the scheduled maintenance myself, except for the transmission oil change, had it done at a local shop.

So far I have replaced the AOS, one oxygen sensor, and the water pump. I had a problem recently with a check engine light after it sat this winter, but I cleaned the MAF and so far I have not thrown any codes.

Ive though about selling the Boxster a time or two, but its really been a good reliable car, and just fun to drive. And for what their selling for now, a real bargain. I'm guessing mine is only worth around 10k now. I worry about the IMS , but if she holds out a couple more years or to 150k, I'll be happy.

[randy_k]

cummins, I'm just trying to get this thing to a reliable level. A couple of problems with mine. The previous owner was a single female. No offense to the female audience. But typically. Maintenance is a word that isn't in there vocabulary. Second is. I bought this thing in winter and because the average temp outside was about thirty degrees or so. And the distances I was driving it. Were short. It never got above 140 degrees on the temp gauge. But now that the outside temps are getting warmer. The temp gauge is hitting 180 or there abouts and problems are cropping up. Which I'll address later. There was one issue I incountered due to the cold temps. That had to do with the brakes. I'll post that info next.
Enjoy your ride and thanks for chiming in!

[dmcummins]

I also replaced the brakes. No different than most cars.

[randy_k]

Cummins, My brake problem only occurred at temps below 20 degrees. Didn't know I had a problem, until on New Years day. Had some friends over and one of them wanted a ride. It was 5 degrees outside. Started the car, hopped in and took off. Well the brakes where slow to stop the car and would stick.
My first thought was. It had water in the fluid. Took it to my indy shop here and had it flushed and changed. According to the maintenance schedule on these things. It was probably due anyway. They did flush a bunch of crap out of it. Also checked the pads and rotors while there. All good. All seemed fine, until the next weekend, when it got down below 20 degrees. Then the same thing.
Started doing some digging and found a fellow overseas that was experiencing the same issue. On another forum.
As it turns out. The early years, 1997 till 2001 had a problem with the way the lower brake booster mounting hole, held it to the mount and would let, moisture get into it. Moisture + cold temps=freezing.
When it got that cold again. I confirmed that, that was a problem. By taking a heat gun to the booster. After a few minutes. I had brakes again.
I have since bought one, off of a wrecked 2002. The mounting holes are different in the way they seal and should eliminate the problem. Although I have not mounted it yet. Shortly after I bought it. The temps outside weren't a problem anymore. But when winter comes? I will. Pic below, of the other guys booster. You can see that it's not good.
Randy

[mdrips]

After driving a Honda Fit the last 2 years (I gave it to my daughter), a VW Golf for 12 years before that, and a Yugo for 8 years, I decided it was time to buy a Porsche. Despite reading many threads along the subject of “and then the IMS failed and I had to sell my house”, I decided to take the plunge and buy a used Boxster. I found a very well maintained (possible better maintained than I can afford) 2001 Boxster for $9500 with 101K miles on it.
My first “new Porsche owner” trial by fire was to order a second key from the local Porsche dealer for a mere (choke!) $500 (including programming). Floor mats ran up an additional $125. I found a nick on a sidewall of one of the nitrogen filled, but somewhat worn rear tires, so replacing those is on the financial event horizon. I plan to do an oil change next week ($125-$170) so there is a wee bit of investment in owning a Porsche. Oh yeah, I need to replace the non-functional (I checked the fuse) cigarette lighter with one that will let me plug in a GPS.
It would be nice to find a non-dealer Porsche shop in the greater Sacramento area in order to possibly save a nickel or even a whole dime on Porsche service.
Having said all of that, I LOVE driving this car even with my wife in it. It’s just amazing. I’ve already encountered numerous “Fast and Furious” types who want to race at stop lights, which isn’t my thing.
I have no regrets even if the IMS fails and I have to fill the car with dirt and plant flowers in it. Just owning it for less than a week has been worth the price I paid.