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Boxster Newbie

½cwt

Well-known member
Joined
1 Sep 2018
Messages
223
Got a company car a several months ago and finally got round to selling my 61 plate diesel golf. Been browsing Autotrader since with the thought of an engine format/size I'd not had before (Had straight 4 & 6, V6 and Flat 4 - 5 Subaru turbos of various sorts) and a budget of £5k. It was looking like being an Audi S4 of some sort, then Boxsters started pinging up which I didn't think were in budget. Even better when 3 different 3.2 S cars came up. Went out to see what looked like the best, stack of service history, pretty much immaculate paint for 19 years old.
Only a couple of faults, cruise not working (brake or clutch pedal switch), no gas in AC (a condenser with a hole in it I imagine at this stage) and no reverse lights (gearbox switch). From reading the forums looks like I can tackle most on this with my DIY skills.

£4750 later its sitting on my drive. Biggest surprise was the Insurance at less than £200 so scarily I must now be a responsible adult in someone's eyes at least.

Never thought I'd be a Porsche owner.

:D
 
:welcome:

Great choice of porsche! They say thats the entry point into the marque, but between you and me the 986 S is one of the best sports cars ever made, better than most 911s (Turbo and GT cars excluded). The design is finally becoming appreciated too.

Hope you enjoy it!

:thumb:
 
Congratulations and welcome, post some pics up then :thumb:
 
Welcome.

What he said ^^^^

Have recently bought a 986 Boxster S after following (and only just keeping up with in my 997) Ragpicker up and down the mountains in his on a recent Euro trip. Wonderful cars.

I had to replace the reversing light switch too. It's a simple job but made hard by location. If you're lucky you can simply remove the old one and replace with everything else in-situ. On mine the previous owner had helpfully rounded over the old one so the exhaust had to come off to get to it. Easy DIY although I did get a local specialist (Porsche Torque in Uxbridge) to remove the exhaust because they made light work of the inevitable rusted exhaust bolts/brackets which would have taken me much longer.
 
Thanks for the welcome.

The other good thing is it had a replacement clutch, RMS and release bearing and all 4 CV rubbers only 4k miles ago but 7 years!!) Previous user obviously didn't use it much but kept it in a garage and still serviced it every 12 months. Crazily he bought a 996 Carrera 2 from the dealer he traded the Boxster to. Guess there will be a seldom used 996 on the market in about 7 years time!

I'll get round to pictures when I take it somewhere picturesque.
 
Couple of little tips which you might already be aware of :

Check for damp carpets behind and under the seats which might point to blocked drain holes. The alarm unit is under the passenger seat and if it gets wet it's an expensive fix.

Also check for damp carpet in the rear trunk - the coolant expansion bottle can crack and leak.

Don't forget the "Boxster chop" if you've got the plastic rear screen to make sure it doesn't crack in cold weather.
 
Pleased to report it is 100% dry and no hint of water ingress. My wife has a VW EOS that had blocked drains at the front and a folded over drain channel in the roof panel, so all too familiar with damp musty cars whilst sorting that one out - thankfully all DIY innovation and persistence and a coule of tips from a Master Mechanic at VW so no cost.

Coolant was low when I picked it up so I'll keep an eye out for a leak if the level drops again.

Thanks for the 'chop' tip; though how to do that and hold the switch whilst the roof is folding. I'll try and work it out or phone a friend...
 
I think it had a glass one as it has a heated window switch and connector... I think she who must be obeyed might not go for that cost so soon after getting the car. Give it a couple of winters methinks.

Also planning to get a half car cover as it will be sheltered but outside. This is more of an investment than a cost as it will protect the car and even a high spec one is only 20% of the cost of a new hood. ;-)
 
Was the heated window switch not for when the hardtop is fitted. Should also operate the heated mirrors if they still work. That's how it is on the 996.

Oh and welcome to the forum. You're in the right place. :thumbs:
 
½cwt said:
I think it had a glass one as it has a heated window switch and connector... I think she who must be obeyed might not go for that cost so soon after getting the car. Give it a couple of winters methinks.

Ah yes, they all have that anyway - it's for the optional hard top.

Makes sense to live with it for a while and then get a feel for what upgrades you want to do (if any).

Looking forward to some pictures.

Cheers
Mark
 
Aye, there's a few well fettled boxsters on here now, thats for sure. Mine is a little rough around the edges compared to some (like Spiderlane and MJA911's) but mechanically it is in superb condition - see the link in my signature for a bit of a build thread :thumb:
 
:welcome:

I keep looking at Boxster's on eBay too thanks to RP :wack:

:grin:

Tell us about your previous cars :dont know:

:thumb:
 
Car history is lengthy with a number of anonymous early cars, Got a Nova GSi in '91, then a Carlton 3000 GSI 24v in '93, Subaru Legacy Turbo in '94, Impreza Turbo (UK) in '96, had company cars form '98 to 2001 (Rover 600 tti - yes 200 brake with turbo like a switch on the front wheels- then Vectra SRi 2.5 V6). Got made redundant so picked up another Legacy in '01, then an import Impreza 5 door with a chip until a big end went 4 years later then a UK Impreza 5 door. Family needs and economy took over so A6 2.5 TDI in '06, Seat Toledo TDi Sport '09, Jetta 2.0 TDi SE '10, Seat Exeo (previous model Audi A4) TDi Sport in '12, Golf Match Tech TDi '15, sold this when I got company car again, now Boxster.

I have had a couple of interesting Porsche experiences, back in '94 I was driven back home (Northamptonshire) from a series of track events in France and Spain in a 993 RS. 12 hours flat including the ferry. Rained for 2 hours on the Autoroute and the rear Yokos were effectively slick.

Secondly I worked for PalmerSport for 3 and a bit years as the parts and stores manager so got to play in their modified 996 tiptronic Carreras that they had '05-07.

You asked for a history.
 
I did...and thank you :thumbs:

Now I would like to ask for pictures please :grin:

:thumb:
 

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