2003 Porsche Boxster S
Discussion
Escy said:
Was it all parts at the gear stick end?
Surprisingly. There's a tad amount of play, but nothing abnormal. It was an eBay shifter for about £40.RoadRunner220 said:
If it was my car, and I was selling, I think I'd put a link to this thread in the advert. That way, any prospective buyer would be able to have a read through and get an understanding of why, despite the mileage, this is worth more than every other 122k or so mileage Boxster.
This thread, and others like it, are like an extra level of service history.
That's a great idea. I'll keep it in mind if I do ever want to sell. If someone mentioned a good figure I'd consider it, but as it stands I'm happy to keep it indefinitely and just enjoy it!This thread, and others like it, are like an extra level of service history.
snotrag said:
How old are the dampers, wishbones, bushes, engine mounts, radiators etc?
Dampers, wishbones and engine mounts are original.Radiators, tuning fork arms, coffin arms and bushes are new.
Half and half I suppose. I'm guessing your argument is that these parts are still old and may bring the price down? Would totally make sense too. The suspension is something I want to refresh soon with a full coilover setup set to almost standard height.
Anyway. I'm not selling... just a thought about its value.
Thought I'd show a tip on how I keep the paintwork the condition it is, especially the front end. It's not had a respray and as you can imagine from a 17 year old car, stone chips on black paint were a pain.
This is where this comes in:
It's not actual T-Cut. What I mean by that is, it's not abrasive in any form. It doesn't "remove" scratches, it just hides them. It's pretty much a coloured glaze/filler. It puts black into all of the defects of the paint, drastically reducing the appearance of stone chips too. You can get other products that do similar things, but this is one I've used for years and love it.
As you can see after a fresh application of it:
Obviously it's not permanent, but it takes less than 15 minutes to apply and lasts a very long time, especially with sealant/wax over the top. Thought other people with black paint may want to try it out!
Thought I'd show a tip on how I keep the paintwork the condition it is, especially the front end. It's not had a respray and as you can imagine from a 17 year old car, stone chips on black paint were a pain.
This is where this comes in:
It's not actual T-Cut. What I mean by that is, it's not abrasive in any form. It doesn't "remove" scratches, it just hides them. It's pretty much a coloured glaze/filler. It puts black into all of the defects of the paint, drastically reducing the appearance of stone chips too. You can get other products that do similar things, but this is one I've used for years and love it.
As you can see after a fresh application of it:
Obviously it's not permanent, but it takes less than 15 minutes to apply and lasts a very long time, especially with sealant/wax over the top. Thought other people with black paint may want to try it out!
Nuisance said:
Good thread, just read the lot.
And your wheels look a million times better in silver.
Thank you. I totally agree, not too sure what I was thinking at the time...And your wheels look a million times better in silver.
Right so I've given the drop link on the O/S front a go. I've already changed the N/S front a few years back, but when I went to change the rear N/S the bolt rounded, and I had to get a new suspension strut and hub carrier.
I don't know how the hell I did the other front before, doing this one has terrified me.
I've not been able to do it. I've cut the drop link off, and it does turn with a breaker bar. Managed to get one, maybe two full turns... but the socket doesn't seem as straight on as it was at the start. It's starting to angle a little the more force I give it, so anymore and it's going to slip and round the nut. I've booked it into a garage for next Friday for them to get it out. Hopefully they'll be able to use an air gun or something.
Damn. So close too. At least it turns.
This is booked into a garage Friday, so will be replaced and back on the road then.
As all good things come to an end, it may be time to sell the car.
We're looking for a house next year and are saving up for the deposit. Maddie's having an inheritance coming in soon from her Grandad who unfortunately passed away quite recently, but it's quite a substantial inheritance, and could actually pay for the deposit twice over. I've explained that there's no way she's going to pay for the deposit by herself, and that I need to at least put something towards it as it's only fair. I've been living on my own for a long time and haven't had much chance to save. I've got a little bit, but there's other things we want to do too.
Here's the dilemma.
1. I keep the car. If I keep it, we'd have to wait until I save up a few grand, and it's not fair on either of us. Maddie's incredibly understanding and knows how much the car means to me, and is actively saying "keep it and we'll wait, we'll manage something", but I know that's not fair. The other half of this decision is that I'm keeping a car that is very expensive to run and maintain, even by myself. Tyres, brakes, fuel, service parts, and any repairs are very expensive. Before last August when I repaired the car fully, its track record wasn't great and had every common fault under the sun. Since I put it back on the road and repaired it, not a single thing has gone wrong on it (aside from this drop link, which has been knocking for years and haven't got round to doing it). But because I've had a bad experience previously, I've lost trust in it. So I'd be keeping a car that I don't trust, that's expensive to keep, and causing us to wait to buy a house. But I'd keep the car. I'd keep what means a hell of a lot to me, and what I've put my heart into making what it is today.
2. I sell the car, and I buy an MX-5 NC. These cars are fantastic, cheap to run, cheap parts, incredible handling and are very reliable being Japanese. I can buy one for around £3,000-£4,000, and have a profit of £3,000-£4,000 from selling the Porsche, which can go straight towards the house. I'd also not worry about things going wrong on it, about parts being expensive, and we won't have to wait to save up - when the inheritance comes in, we can house shop straight away. If we waited (like I was going to above) on top of this, the deposit would be even bigger, and the house would be even nicer. In the future, maybe in only a few years time, I could always buy another Boxster (maybe a 987 S) and start over. But I'd loose this car, and everything I've done to it. I support Porsche and what they do, support Porsche Motorsports when I was the GT World Championship and WEC, read about them in magazines, and smile that there's one on the drive. If I sell it, I won't have that anymore. I'd have a Mazda. It's a great little car, but it's not special. It doesn't sound the way the Porsche sounds and feels the way it feels. I'd be absolutely devastated selling this car, especially since I've fixed everything on it and it hasn't gone wrong since I put it back on the road, and it may be absolutely fine for years to come now. I don't want to sell it at all, but feel like I should and maybe it's for the best.
Then Maddie says "Don't sell it then!", and we're back to point 1.
It's something I'm thinking of over the next few days. My insurance runs out on the 5th August, and it's MOT is up in the next two weeks. I won't insure it for a year if I know I'm going to get rid of it, so it could be up for sale very shortly if I decide to do that.
I'm in no rush. We're not looking for a house until that inheritance comes in around Christmas time, which means if I do decide to sell it, I won't give in to any stupid offers. To be honest I'm not comfortable in settling for the normal price of a Boxster S with this miles on it, purely because of the condition as well as the work that's been done. Anyone on here knows how much I've looked after it, and I believe that reflects in the price. If it doesn't with the buyer, I'll wait. It'll sit on my drive until I get a price I'm happy with, or until next year where I feel it really needs to go.
So there we go. I'm absolutely gutted, feel like crap, don't know what to do, but I feel like I should sell it soon. It's been an incredible 5 years, and I have to remember that it's just a pile of metal and I can get another in a few years time.
Comments very welcome.
As all good things come to an end, it may be time to sell the car.
We're looking for a house next year and are saving up for the deposit. Maddie's having an inheritance coming in soon from her Grandad who unfortunately passed away quite recently, but it's quite a substantial inheritance, and could actually pay for the deposit twice over. I've explained that there's no way she's going to pay for the deposit by herself, and that I need to at least put something towards it as it's only fair. I've been living on my own for a long time and haven't had much chance to save. I've got a little bit, but there's other things we want to do too.
Here's the dilemma.
1. I keep the car. If I keep it, we'd have to wait until I save up a few grand, and it's not fair on either of us. Maddie's incredibly understanding and knows how much the car means to me, and is actively saying "keep it and we'll wait, we'll manage something", but I know that's not fair. The other half of this decision is that I'm keeping a car that is very expensive to run and maintain, even by myself. Tyres, brakes, fuel, service parts, and any repairs are very expensive. Before last August when I repaired the car fully, its track record wasn't great and had every common fault under the sun. Since I put it back on the road and repaired it, not a single thing has gone wrong on it (aside from this drop link, which has been knocking for years and haven't got round to doing it). But because I've had a bad experience previously, I've lost trust in it. So I'd be keeping a car that I don't trust, that's expensive to keep, and causing us to wait to buy a house. But I'd keep the car. I'd keep what means a hell of a lot to me, and what I've put my heart into making what it is today.
2. I sell the car, and I buy an MX-5 NC. These cars are fantastic, cheap to run, cheap parts, incredible handling and are very reliable being Japanese. I can buy one for around £3,000-£4,000, and have a profit of £3,000-£4,000 from selling the Porsche, which can go straight towards the house. I'd also not worry about things going wrong on it, about parts being expensive, and we won't have to wait to save up - when the inheritance comes in, we can house shop straight away. If we waited (like I was going to above) on top of this, the deposit would be even bigger, and the house would be even nicer. In the future, maybe in only a few years time, I could always buy another Boxster (maybe a 987 S) and start over. But I'd loose this car, and everything I've done to it. I support Porsche and what they do, support Porsche Motorsports when I was the GT World Championship and WEC, read about them in magazines, and smile that there's one on the drive. If I sell it, I won't have that anymore. I'd have a Mazda. It's a great little car, but it's not special. It doesn't sound the way the Porsche sounds and feels the way it feels. I'd be absolutely devastated selling this car, especially since I've fixed everything on it and it hasn't gone wrong since I put it back on the road, and it may be absolutely fine for years to come now. I don't want to sell it at all, but feel like I should and maybe it's for the best.
Then Maddie says "Don't sell it then!", and we're back to point 1.
It's something I'm thinking of over the next few days. My insurance runs out on the 5th August, and it's MOT is up in the next two weeks. I won't insure it for a year if I know I'm going to get rid of it, so it could be up for sale very shortly if I decide to do that.
I'm in no rush. We're not looking for a house until that inheritance comes in around Christmas time, which means if I do decide to sell it, I won't give in to any stupid offers. To be honest I'm not comfortable in settling for the normal price of a Boxster S with this miles on it, purely because of the condition as well as the work that's been done. Anyone on here knows how much I've looked after it, and I believe that reflects in the price. If it doesn't with the buyer, I'll wait. It'll sit on my drive until I get a price I'm happy with, or until next year where I feel it really needs to go.
So there we go. I'm absolutely gutted, feel like crap, don't know what to do, but I feel like I should sell it soon. It's been an incredible 5 years, and I have to remember that it's just a pile of metal and I can get another in a few years time.
Comments very welcome.
Smitters said:
Honestly, I'd keep it, and sell the Focus when it comes to it if you still need the money. Do some maths and see if it's really cheaper to run two cars or one. If you need two, get thee to Shed-life. Aka, my 1999 Audi A4 TDI and my Caterham. One must facilitate the other.
I have to be honest, you'll probably get into the NC info, scope creep will kick in and before long the budget's £5k for a Mk3.5 Sport Tech, because metal roof, better suspension, lsd etc. Plus you're talking about selling the car when you need the money, which always puts you at a disadvantage. This closes the gap between selling price and buying price and this diminishes the deposit and thus the reason for sale.
Between now and then, save like a boss in all areas of life. You're clearly someone who can do very well at what they put their mind to, so between now and next year, frugality reigns supreme. It'll suck for a few months and then you'll have a house on your terms and a Porsche.
I can't have the Boxster as my only car when the Focus is a 5 door 78mpg reliable car. It doesn't make any sense. It's far cheaper to run the Focus than the Boxster, and more practical and reliable. I mentioned that I'd be spending around £3,000 for a NC, not £5,000. I've also said that I don't need the money now as I'm in no rush - it'll be up for sale soon, but I can wait until next year if I get stupid offers. There's no rush.I have to be honest, you'll probably get into the NC info, scope creep will kick in and before long the budget's £5k for a Mk3.5 Sport Tech, because metal roof, better suspension, lsd etc. Plus you're talking about selling the car when you need the money, which always puts you at a disadvantage. This closes the gap between selling price and buying price and this diminishes the deposit and thus the reason for sale.
Between now and then, save like a boss in all areas of life. You're clearly someone who can do very well at what they put their mind to, so between now and next year, frugality reigns supreme. It'll suck for a few months and then you'll have a house on your terms and a Porsche.
Appreciate the idea though.
sdh2903 said:
I had the exact same dilemma when we wanted to buy our first home 6 years ago. I was running a 320d daily and a self built westfield.
The area we were wanting to buy the properties were increasing in price by 3-5% a year. So it was keep both cars and save for another year or sell the westfield and buy the house now. With the house prices going up by 10k in that year meant we would have had to compromise on the house if we'd waited.
In the end I sold the westfield which broke my heart, however we got a house for life at a price we could afford. Then after getting the house sorted, building a new garage and past the first 2 years of high interest, I've built another westfield.
Every situation is obviously different but to me the short term loss of a toy car was totally the right thing to do.
That's made me feel much better, knowing you've been through the exact same thing, even down to getting another in the future.The area we were wanting to buy the properties were increasing in price by 3-5% a year. So it was keep both cars and save for another year or sell the westfield and buy the house now. With the house prices going up by 10k in that year meant we would have had to compromise on the house if we'd waited.
In the end I sold the westfield which broke my heart, however we got a house for life at a price we could afford. Then after getting the house sorted, building a new garage and past the first 2 years of high interest, I've built another westfield.
Every situation is obviously different but to me the short term loss of a toy car was totally the right thing to do.
Selling or keeping this boxster is the difference in looking for a house with or without a garage. If I sell it, we could get one sooner with a garage. That'll be a nicer house with a garage and an MX-5 I could work on. If I keep it, I'm keeping an expensive car to run, and we wouldn't have as nice of a house.
I think my mind is already made up, it's just a very hard pill to swallow and it's going to break my heart to get rid of it.
So there we are. Accepting offers I suppose.
drdino said:
Keep the Boxster and repay the additional deposit to your partner over the course of time you'd be saving?
She has other things she'd like to put her inheritance towards. She needs a new laptop, wants to learn to drive etc. I can't ask her to do that as that'll be too much.
LanceRS said:
My suggestion and it is just a suggestion, if you do have to sell the Porsche, buy the house and then try to save for it’s replacement.
It seems that the MX5 is a car to have because you don’t have the funds available for a Boxster rather than because you have a great urge to own one. If that is the case, it will never be the car that you want, because what you really want is the Porsche. As such any money spent on buying and running the Mazda will prolong the time it takes you to get back into the car that you really desire.
In any event, it will be a great shame to see it go and I for one will miss this thread.
Very good suggestion! I haven't really explained it that much, but there's always been an MX-5 scratch I wanted to itch. I even wanted to build one for the track a few years back. I've always said if I don't have the Boxster I'd have an MX-5, and now is the perfect chance to itch that scratch.It seems that the MX5 is a car to have because you don’t have the funds available for a Boxster rather than because you have a great urge to own one. If that is the case, it will never be the car that you want, because what you really want is the Porsche. As such any money spent on buying and running the Mazda will prolong the time it takes you to get back into the car that you really desire.
In any event, it will be a great shame to see it go and I for one will miss this thread.
I drove a friends NC after I bought the Boxster, and wasn't sure if I'd made a mistake - it drove so sweet. I'm quite looking forward to getting it and using it as a platform to spruce up. Who knows, I may go wild at it over time. In 2 years time I'd have paid off an old loan and could buy another Boxster if need be, but it may be something else by then.
In either sense, the MX-5 is something I've fancied for quite a while, and I'm getting excited at the prospect of researching what can be done, etc. If that wasn't the case I'd totally do what you said, as that would be the way to go.
stichill99 said:
Don't rush the house purchase! 10% of mortgages are not getting paid just now. The can is getting kicked down the road and a house crash is coming. The most expensive thing you will ever buy so just be canny! This time we are not in a housing boom and all the facts say we are due a correction!
Good to know! Thank you. It won't be until spring next year (her inheritance doesn't come in until Christmas) but that's definitely good to know that.
And just like that, it's sold. The new owner is driving it back home as we speak, and is a very happy owner by the seems of it.
I'm so happy that it's gone to a like-minded enthusiast that's on this forum, who's also going to keep it a part of this thread with some updates/upgrades that I originally planned. The car is still getting the treatment it deserves, and it makes me happy.
I do feel completely gut-wrenched though. I've put everything into this car since 2015 and it's been my main passion, and seeing it drive off hit me hard and brought a tear. It's comforting knowing it's going to such a good owner though, so it's not all bad.
Whilst half of the money from it is going on the house deposit, half is going towards an MX-5 NC that I plan on slowly turning into a track car, which is something I've always wanted to do. They're cheap and very fun cars which I'm going to enjoy and tinker with, meanwhile the other half of the money from the Boxster will mean the difference between an 'okay' house, and a nice house with a garage. For us it was worth selling. Maddie (other half) has been so understanding and didn't want me to sell the car as she knew how much it meant to me, but if it meant that we could have a better house, sooner, and I'd still get a car I could tinker with, then it had to be done.
I know it sounds daft and I feel like I'm acting like someone's died for crying out loud, but that car feels like a mate. I'm completely heartbroken that it's gone, but excited for things in our future. I'll most likely make another thread on PistonHeads with the MX-5, but realistically I won't be very active on here. I'm glad to have made some friends here though, and I'll try to stick around. Thanks for the great memories everyone.
I took one last photo before he drove off. Beefy, I'm gonna miss you.
I'm so happy that it's gone to a like-minded enthusiast that's on this forum, who's also going to keep it a part of this thread with some updates/upgrades that I originally planned. The car is still getting the treatment it deserves, and it makes me happy.
I do feel completely gut-wrenched though. I've put everything into this car since 2015 and it's been my main passion, and seeing it drive off hit me hard and brought a tear. It's comforting knowing it's going to such a good owner though, so it's not all bad.
Whilst half of the money from it is going on the house deposit, half is going towards an MX-5 NC that I plan on slowly turning into a track car, which is something I've always wanted to do. They're cheap and very fun cars which I'm going to enjoy and tinker with, meanwhile the other half of the money from the Boxster will mean the difference between an 'okay' house, and a nice house with a garage. For us it was worth selling. Maddie (other half) has been so understanding and didn't want me to sell the car as she knew how much it meant to me, but if it meant that we could have a better house, sooner, and I'd still get a car I could tinker with, then it had to be done.
I know it sounds daft and I feel like I'm acting like someone's died for crying out loud, but that car feels like a mate. I'm completely heartbroken that it's gone, but excited for things in our future. I'll most likely make another thread on PistonHeads with the MX-5, but realistically I won't be very active on here. I'm glad to have made some friends here though, and I'll try to stick around. Thanks for the great memories everyone.
I took one last photo before he drove off. Beefy, I'm gonna miss you.
Podie said:
Not sure on your budget, but there is a Kuro edition in the PH classifieds...
I'm only looking to spend around £3,000 to be honest. Looking for an NC 2.0 Option Pack with a hard top. They pop up from time to time, so I'll be patient. I'd rather get the option as the 5 speed box is supposedly nicer, the seats are cloth (comfier and not boiling in the sun), and the suspension takes to lowering springs better. The sport has bilsteins which are terrible if lowered, so you'd need to change the shocks too.There's a gorgeous one on EBay at the moment, NC 2.0 Option in blue with a hard top for £3,000, so I may be in touch with the owner. Near London though, so a bit of a drive.
snotrag said:
Get a sport. The '5 speed feels nicer' is one of those things like '8v golfs are faster than 16v Golfs' rubbish.
Theres a bigger difference between any of the gearboxes with a nice shifter and fresh oil, than there is between 5 and 6 speed. And seeing as changing gear is possibly the best bit about driving, with the 6 speed you get to do it more!
If your changing suspension then you want to be changing shocks anyway.
17" wheels too look miles better.
That's very good to know. I did read a few posts of people who had both and preferred it. I'll see what I can get!Theres a bigger difference between any of the gearboxes with a nice shifter and fresh oil, than there is between 5 and 6 speed. And seeing as changing gear is possibly the best bit about driving, with the 6 speed you get to do it more!
If your changing suspension then you want to be changing shocks anyway.
17" wheels too look miles better.
Heaveho said:
For most other Boxsters at that age and mileage, I'd agree, but given how fastidious Ger had been in looking after it, and how well documented the last 5 years of the cars life has been, I'd have payed a premium for that car had I been in the market. There's a lot to be said for being able to see such a detailed and transparent internet history. It really is in outstanding condition.
This. People can be quite ignorant and judge far too quickly on "Oh it's that mileage it's not worth that." Not saying ATM was, but mileage doesn't say everything.I get annoyed at this.
I'll give an example. I went to the garage that I always go to for MOT's and there was a 2004 986 Boxster S in black, like mine. It had the front aero bumper and the side skirts, and factory parking sensors too. It also had 80,000 on the clock. That was all that was good about it, as the paint was faded and unloved, the wheels were corroded and bubbling horrendously, the headlights were yellow, interior leather oily and cracked, handbrake and gearknob worn, and so on. From 6ft it looked fine, but it very much looked like a tired 16 year old car.
Now put mine and that car on AutoTrader, and everyone will say that one is worth more because it's a year younger with less miles and more features. Absolute b
ks. Mine has had so many components replaced, lots of improvements and upgrades, and the car went through a full cosmetic restoration. It's literally immaculate with perfect condition paintwork and interior, and lots of new components underneath , all documented ensuring it's reliability. Knowing all of the common faults have been rectified with a 45 page history since I've owned it, and full main dealer Porsche service history before that, it's more than worth what I sold it for.
So no, I don't think I was asking much at all, I was being fair and the new owner has had themselves a solid car that's in better condition, mechanically and cosmetically, than cars half it's age/mileage.
But of course people will ignore all of that and will continue to judge and think "That's a bit high for the mileage isn't it?", and we're back to square one. Mileage isn't everything.
I'll give an example. I went to the garage that I always go to for MOT's and there was a 2004 986 Boxster S in black, like mine. It had the front aero bumper and the side skirts, and factory parking sensors too. It also had 80,000 on the clock. That was all that was good about it, as the paint was faded and unloved, the wheels were corroded and bubbling horrendously, the headlights were yellow, interior leather oily and cracked, handbrake and gearknob worn, and so on. From 6ft it looked fine, but it very much looked like a tired 16 year old car.
Now put mine and that car on AutoTrader, and everyone will say that one is worth more because it's a year younger with less miles and more features. Absolute b
ks. Mine has had so many components replaced, lots of improvements and upgrades, and the car went through a full cosmetic restoration. It's literally immaculate with perfect condition paintwork and interior, and lots of new components underneath , all documented ensuring it's reliability. Knowing all of the common faults have been rectified with a 45 page history since I've owned it, and full main dealer Porsche service history before that, it's more than worth what I sold it for.So no, I don't think I was asking much at all, I was being fair and the new owner has had themselves a solid car that's in better condition, mechanically and cosmetically, than cars half it's age/mileage.
But of course people will ignore all of that and will continue to judge and think "That's a bit high for the mileage isn't it?", and we're back to square one. Mileage isn't everything.
Edited by geraintthomas on Wednesday 12th August 00:03
Edited by geraintthomas on Wednesday 12th August 00:03
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