2003 Porsche Boxster S

[geraintthomas]

CallorFold said:

Car looks fantastic! Make sure you keep this thread updated

I certainly will

Andy665 said:

I had a Boxster S up until 6 months ago, always wanted one but for some reason I never got on with it - it did everything I expected it to do but always left me cold - no logical reason for it at all

Yours is a lovely example, make sure you check its got the correct expansion cap - Porsche are on I think the 5th version - buy the latest version if yours has not got it - well worth checking to see if the expansion tank has been replaced as they are prone to developing hairline cracks - I lost most of my coolant last Christmas - only opened up when it got hot - its a horrible job to replace unless you have 3 right hands and 18 very slender figures - new tank is about £200

Good shout, I’ll have a look at that! Thanks for the heads up.

Adamski69 said:

Excellent purchase dude, you will grow to love it more and more the more you use it, and use it you must! We bought our 2001 986 S approx 7 years back and it has been immensely enjoyable as an everyday / fair or foul weather / fun / euro strop tool.

It is Lapis Blue with Savanah and came with all the spec, litronics, full leaher etc etc etc. It had around 20k miles on it when we got it and it now has 96k. A specialist has looked after it for all its servicing and maintenance requirements and with the knowledge he has and experience with the brand has saved us a small fortune with up keep, find a good specialist would be key advice as many things Porsche will just quote to replace have very easy, relatively cheap and workable solutions to fix, in one case saving over £1400.00 on a 'fix' that it didn't really need. Quick pic of said car...



It is bog standard, runs Contis as P Zero's got difficult to get but really happy with the ride on 17's, drove one with 18's and the ride got a bit crashy at times, but just a personal thing.

You are right about parking them up, don't. We did it 2 years back for the winter, garaged, started it every weekend etc but when it came to putting the tax back on it it needed discs (they corrode on the backs way faster than the front faces, coil packs, Air Oil Seperater, battery, then the alternator went so incl a service approx £2k. When it was on year round commuting duty it was flawless and between services kept and eye on fluid levels but it just needed fuel to make it go. We love it and will probably never sell it now.

Oh, and on a few trips down through europe loaded with 2 adults, a wek of luggage on a boot rack, 40 odd bottles of wine, pots of mustard, boxes of glasses and all the other cr4p one accumulates whilst travelling returned a very respectable 35mpg on the motorway slogs. Amazing.

It’s my daily and I can’t see why I wouldn’t want to use it every day. it’s bloody fantastic! I really care for the cars I have, so that point in conjunction with it being well used will hopefully make this boxster last quite a while

Heaveho said:

Hi, they won't be barmy money, and they're not advertised, so won't be going anywhere quickly. You can have them and 8 tyres for £250 if you want them.......the wheels aren't perfect obviously, but they aren't buckled, the insides are clean and tidy when you look through the spokes, and they looked very decent on my car. If you want to pm me your number, I can text you some pics, can't get them on here as I don't have a lead for the new phone yet, and I'm a numpty at doing the whole pics thing anyway!

Your car looks great in the pics.

Cheers, Andy.

Sounds fantastic, I’ll definitely be giving you a shout. I’ll PM you my number now

[Heaveho]

Geraint, just tried to send you the wheel pics, phone wasn't happy and they didn't go, I'll keep trying! Cheers, Andy.

[geraintthomas]

It's okay they did come through! Never seen those wheels before, are they genuine Porsche? They look lovely.

[anomaly]

That looks like a lovely example. They're really great cars and such value at the moment, I can't see them dropping much further. Here's a picture of ours, this thread reminds me that I should use it more!

[Drew986]

geraintthomas said:

That's exactly what I'm getting done ProSpeed in Cardiff quoted £130 to do the job as they've done it before. Brilliant value for money!

The back box bypass or Oettles modification is one of the best things I did to my 986 S, I ran a group buy on Boxa.net many, many moons ago, got the guys at H&S in Essex to do about 6 members cars, not one of them was disappointed. in fact, they still have a picture of my back box with the mod done on their website.

You'll love the results, I promise.

Edited by Drew986 on Thursday 10th December 21:06

[geraintthomas]

I can't wait more important for me though is the alloys. 18's always suited the boxster a lot more than 17's.

[Scho]

Nice!

Looks to be in exceptional condition.

How are the plastics in the interior holding up?

[Diesel Meister]

FFS - another Box thread. Give me strength.

(Lovely car. I want one. Badly)

[geraintthomas]

Scho said:

Nice!

Looks to be in exceptional condition.

How are the plastics in the interior holding up?

It is and the plastics are fine. Not sure what they're meant to be doing? They don't rattle and there's no wear if that's what you mean.

Diesel Meister said:

FFS - another Box thread. Give me strength.

(Lovely car. I want one. Badly)

I considered an Audi TT Mk2, Lotus Elise S1, a Nissan 350z and a Porsche Boxster S.

The Audi was too 'bland'. Didn't turn heads, and was refined to the point where your input doesn't really mean anything in terms of getting joy from it.

The Lotus would have been incredible. Pretty to look at and exceptional to drive - but I do Motorway journeys at least once or twice a week, and with it being my daily, the fact that it would have been noisy and uncomfortable on long journeys, wouldn't have air con or electric windows, would have been a big bummer.

The Nissan 350z was due to the fact that I already had a Japanese car and loved the reliability. With it being rear wheel drive and a V6, it was tempting. But that interior... ridiculously bland. I couldn't live with it.

And then there was the Boxster. I couldn't find anything wrong with having one, at all. It's based on the 996, has an incredible 3.2 flat 6, looks fantastic, comfortable, quiet, mind blowing performance, the interior is a lovely place to be (the fact that everything is covered in leather and carpet makes it feel quality). Everything just feels 'premium'. Couldn't think of a reason not to buy one!

So I did and I really, really recommend one to you.

[el romeral]

Scho said:

Nice!

Looks to be in exceptional condition.

How are the plastics in the interior holding up?

Regarding the plastics, do you mean have they become sticky with age and exposure to the sun? Have read about this with some other makes.

The car looks great OP, how could one not enjoy such a machine?

Thanks for describing the roof mod. Will have a go at that and also the de snorkel too!

[RoadRunner220]

I've been looking at these recently in the classifieds, they do seem very good value.

This thread hasn't helped deter me away from them.

[geraintthomas]

el romeral said:

Regarding the plastics, do you mean have they become sticky with age and exposure to the sun? Have read about this with some other makes.

The car looks great OP, how could one not enjoy such a machine?

Thanks for describing the roof mod. Will have a go at that and also the de snorkel too!

Not a problem I'm sure I've seen a thread on how to make it one-touch. I'll look into that...

RoadRunner220 said:

I've been looking at these recently in the classifieds, they do seem very good value.

This thread hasn't helped deter me away from them.

They're outstanding cars. I'd seriously recommend one

[geraintthomas]

Will be getting these alloys soon thanks to a fellow PistonHeads friend:



That'll set the car off nicely!

[kingkongsfinger]

Nice !

[ajh38]

Are they 987 wheels?

[TheLordJohn]

Car is stunning, (new) wheels look fantastic.
As do the 17's on the example someone has posted previously.
Nowt wrong with the interior, SO much nicer than 'generic German black leather'!
Lovely motors, these Boxsters.

Edited by TheLordJohn on Wednesday 23 December 21:18

[Heaveho]

ajh38 said:

Are they 987 wheels?

They are indeed 987 wheels.

[geraintthomas]

kingkongsfinger said:

Nice !

Thanking you

ajh38 said:

Are they 987 wheels?

They are yes there's a variant nicknamed Lobster wheels, but I think these are crab wheels.

TheLordJohn said:

Car is stunning, (new) wheels look fantastic.
As do the 17's on the example someone has posted previously.
Nowt wrong with the interior, SO much nicer than 'generic German black leather'!
Lovely motors, these Boxsters.

Edited by TheLordJohn on Wednesday 23 December 21:18

Thanks bud. I'm not a massive fan of the 17's on the previous example (no offense!) mainly because the 18" turbo twists are simply a smoother version of them. I don't mind my wheels, I just think they're a little too small. I completely agree with the interior though, it's a lot better than the normal black interiors you get. Plus you get to see the contrast between the black trim parts and the leather.

[geraintthomas]

So a lot has happened since. Prepare for a big post!


New Parts

LED Cree Indicators:

 
LED Cree numberplate bulbs:

 

 
Polished the exhaust up:
 
Left original, right polished:

 
Both polished:


Some new 18" Boxster S 987 alloys with Michellin N Rated tyres:

 
With new coloured centre caps (look how old the others are!)

 
(Photos on the car further down)
 

Exhaust

But this is the best modification of them all...
 
I've just had bypass pipes fitted to the exhaust! They start after the cat's and go straight to the tail pipes, bypassing the back box. They're small tubes so it's not horrendously loud, but jesus what an incredible sound it gives.
 
During:

 
You can just see the two pipes go into the tail pipes to the left and right of them:

 
And the result:
 
Before:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zwazw6F6D0
 
After:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N71oYX-ejZk
 
And a couple of clips straight out of the exhaust garage, and onto some snowy roads:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Thocwey5K9w
 
It sounds INCREDIBLE. Very much GT3 like. It's possible to drive it quietly but, at the moment, I hands down refuse to the modification to the exhaust cost £130, and mimics the same technique as the Porsche Sports Exhaust. The only difference is that the PSE is switchable between quiet and loud, where as this is always on. You can get a PSE second hand for over £1,000, or have this done for £130. 
 
So there we are! Apologies for the terrible photos too.


New Photos

The next few days allowed me to take some great photos with the new wheels:
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Can't wait for the summer to give it a good overhaul. It's almost perfect as it is, but I want it to be [u]perfect[/u] 
 
Further Cleaning

I polished the exhaust up further:


...and finally gave the engine bay a clean.
 
Before:
 

 
After:

 
Not quite where I want it to be yet, but a damn sight better.

 
Floor Mats
 
I've just grabbed some genuine floor mats from a Boxster with a matching interior for £30. A bargain considering they're £100 new. They were used, have very little marks in terms of wear, but do have a few stains on the drivers carpet as you can see:
 

 

 

 
I bought them as a punt to see if I can get the stains out with a good steamer and shampoo.

And here's them after a clean! Here they were before I started. Disgusting...
 

 
Look at the dirt that came off after steaming one mat!
 

 
Shampoo after cleaning:
 

 
And after a couple of hours, here's the result:
 

 
Very happy not bad for £30.
 
 
Parking Sensors 

I've also installed parking sensors.
 
Bumper off:
 

 
Marking up where the sensors go:
 

 
And done!
 

 

 
Forgot to photograph the steps in between, was on a roll and didn't want to stop.
 
The sensors are outstanding, exactly like the Celica's. I've muted the speaker a fair bit as it was ridiculously loud, and then ran the wiring in a very neat and OEM way underneath the cabin storage behind the seats, so it's completely out of sight. You get a nice little 'beep' when you put it in reverse, which is handy as it's now an audible indicator when you're in reverse. They look a lot, lot better than the standard early 986 and 996 sensors.
 
 
Window Fixed
 
I also fixed a few gremlins in my drivers window. Ever since replacing the regulator, it never dropped as much as it should have when you pull the handle, it went down way too far into the door when the window is wound down fully (which made the glass shake when closing the door), and sometimes the window would travel up, get stuck, and go back down again. I just altered the bolts slightly, and it seemed to be a smoother run. Then I put 3 cable ties at the bottom of the runner to act as a bumper so the window doesn't drop into the door. And then I did a cable tie fix on the window cable to take some slack out of it. Seems to be good now
 
While doing it, I used an old Ikea carpet that I was going to throw out, but after finding that it's a perfect fit between the front and back wheels, and gives a really nice work mat area, I'm keeping it!
 

 
Result. Anyway, good productive day today
 
Footwell Lights
 
I've ordered some footwell lights. There's two sets going in. The first set is a bright set that will operate when the door opens, mimicking the function of the interior light. It'll be a warm-white multi-SMD LED bulb board in each footwell, to match the colour of a halogen bulb but with the added benefit of being low wattage and longer life. The second set of footwell lights will be a single amber SMD that are on constantly, but will act as a very dim ambient light that's only visible if you really look for it. Pretty much exactly like the light found by the interior light.
 
So onwards with the footwell installation:
 
Behind the fusebox is this wiring loom, and behind this wiring loom there's a few wires coming through the door:
 

 
It's a very, very tight spot. So first of all I had to extend the wires, to make it easier to wire in footwell lights later:
 

 
Then I made the loom. I've got two warm-white SMD pads that mimic the amber colour of a halogen bulb:
 

 
And fitted!
 

 
They're brilliant. Perfectly authentic and they look completely genuine. The only fiddly bit was cutting the wires above the fusebox, and putting extensions of wire on them, only because there was literally no room to work and the wires were very short due to them being part of a very well wrapped loom.
 
I'll get on with installing the constant-on very dim amber SMD's soon.
 
 
Bodywork Overhaul
 
The next day was spent cleaning and protecting the roof, but it stained the paint slightly, so it led me to do a complete overhaul on the car's paintwork. There's nothing wrong with the paint, but I thought I'd see what a full detailing session would do (clay, sealant, etc). It turned out to be brilliant.
 
What I did:
 
- Roof pressure washed
- Cleaned using AutoGlym Soft Top Cleaner
- Roof rinsed of remaining cleaner
- Protected using AutoGlym Soft Top Protection
- Wheels cleaned and waxed with AutoGlym HD Wax
- Body pressure washed
- Washed using AutoGlym Body Shampoo Conditioner
- Rinsed and dried
- Meguiars clay bar with AutoGlym Rapid Detailer
- Polished using AutoGlym Super Resin Polish
- Sealed using AutoGlym Extra Gloss Protection Sealant
 
This was the dirt that came off the roof:
 

 
And the condition of the roof afterwards:
 

 
I've never clay'd a car before. This was the dirt off just a door, even when the car was washed and dried perfectly:
 

 
And here's the result, sorry there aren't anymore photos!
 

 

 
And a video showing the reflection:
 
[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiKLlZT_Cz0&feature=youtu.be[/media]
 
It's outstanding. I've never seen paint in as good condition as this
 
The roof came up really good too. Sorry there aren't any proper photos, it took me 6 hours to do this today so I was shattered after it!
 
 
Headlight Project
 
I've also ordered these:
 

 
They're pre-facelift ones with the amber indicators. Don't worry, they're not staying amber.
 
My drivers side headlamp has an adjuster that's snapped, which means I'm no longer able to adjust the headlight left and right, only up and down. My MOT is due in a couple of weeks so I've ordered these to also help pass the MOT.
 
They're also for my bi-xenon projector retrofit project. I bought them early because of the MOT. I also couldn't bare to rip apart my originals to retrofit them, so I bought spares.
 
The amber can be sanded back and polished up to clear again so that they look identical to my facelift headlights. Why don't I just buy a spare set of facelift lights, rather than go through this hassle? Well two reasons. First reason is that pre-facelift headlights are A LOT cheaper (£60 each, as opposed to £250 each), and the glue is a lot drier, meaning they'll split easier. Sand back the amber part and they look like facelift lights, but cheaper and easier to open. It's a win win.
 
So after the MOT, and after I've de-ambered them, I'll split them. I'll order some bi-xenon projectors with some H1 5000k bulbs, and I'll get to work on the retrofit.
 
The photo on the right is like mine, the photo on the left is what they'll look like:
 

 
Once the projectors have been fitted, and I have 5000k HID bulbs in, I'll remove my SMD LED side lights and put warm white ones in.
 
You might be wondering why, but in my opinion the combination of the white/purple hue of a xenon headlight, along with the warm tint of a side light, makes for an attractive colour combination. Like this:
 

 
To me that look fantastic. So I'll be putting warm white LED side lights back in, to mimic the look of halogen ones, but brighter and more reliable.
 
That's all for now!

Edited by geraintthomas on Monday 21st March 14:04

Edited by geraintthomas on Monday 21st March 17:08

[Podie]

Nice update - good to see it coming along nicely