My midlife crisis deepens; Porsche 987.1 Porsche Boxster S
Discussion
This should have been written and posted whilst I was sat on a train this afternoon, but our glorious public transport infrastructure royally bit me in the arse when all train in and out of Birmingham New Street due to an issue with overhead power cables. Rather than abandon collection altogether, I coughed up for an Uber which I ended up sharing with a random lady who happened be to heading to Oakham as well. Honestly, it wasn’t as creepy as it sounds, even though she did ask that I didn’t murder her! 
This will be quite a long post introducing my new car, so I’ll break it into sections to make it a bit more readable.
What happened to the Z4?
As always I’m thinking about cars and what to buy next and I’ve come to the conclusion that I wanted something fun to keep in the garage which meant I was looking at convertibles again. In addition, I’ve also come to the conclusion that an EV would really suit my wife’s usage; driving two miles to the next village to drop the boy off at school before another four miles to work. With that in mind, I’d hatched a plan for next year - I’d but a convertible of some sort for fun, I’ll take on the 330i for commuting, lugging bikes around etc and buy an i3 for my wife. Sorted.
Not long after this brainwave, a chap posted on a Z4 Facebook group that he was looking for a coupe and asked what was for sale. For some reason, I mentioned that I’d let my car go for the right money. We exchanged a few messages and the next thing I knew he was coming to see it and a deposit was left! Yikes. That escalated quickly.
It was then time to rack my brain and think about what I wanted to replace it with; a convertible, with at least six cylinders and for a similar sum to what I’d sold the Z4 for. The options were pretty limited and so it didn’t take long to settle on a Boxster. Not original I know.
I’ve been Porsche curious for a while. I’d ruled out a 996 / 997 911 because I’m simply not brave enough to buy a car without a documented engine rebuild and nor could I afford a fully sorted one. I had liked the Cayman’s that I looked at earlier this year so a Boxster seemed the sensible option.
The 986 isn’t my favourite, although a late facelift car looks pretty good. The interior is tad challenging in my opinion so I found myself looking at early 987.1 cars.
The Search
This proved quite challenging; I was fishing from the bottom of the market and the majority of sellers were basically f
ktards.
I missed out on a cracking Cobalt blue 2.7. It was very keenly priced, minimal options other than the sports steering wheel and heated seats. It’d had a Designtek exhaust fitted. Great history and the seller was actually a normal human being. The first person to view it snapped it up. Balls.
Next up was a black on black 2.7 locally with a fab spec; heated sport plus seats, extended leather, xenon’s, Bose etc. The car hadn’t done more than a few hundred miles per year for the last five years or so. The A/C was goosed despite him telling me it was fine and the roof was broken. Driving it on a very hit and humid day was an experience! He assured me it was some little plastic clips but he still hasn’t sorted it. That was quickly removed from the list.
I then missed out on a Guards Red 2.7 in Wales; extended leather, heated seats, embossed seats with red stitching, red seat belts and 19 inch lobster claws. The seller had been mucked about a few times but the first genuine buyer snapped it up.
There was a local 2.7 in silver with blue leather and again a good spec; extended leather, heated seats and xenon’s. It’d had a Top Gear exhaust fitted which sounded fab - it sounded faster than it actually was. With hindsight, it was probably too much noise wise to use every day. The car had had lots of owners but a stack of receipts and it’d had some cash chucked at it in the past with plenty of chunky bills. Downside was it was expensive compared to others, had dicthfinders fitted and was a bit mouldy inside. There was probably a good car in there but it wasn’t grabbing me.
There was another black on black car that I liked but trying to get info from the seller before travelling to see it was like getting blood out of a stone, so I sacked that one off as well.
Lots of other cars I found hadn’t covered many miles between MOT’s with reoccurring issues noted MOT’s. It seems now that these are cheap, they’re only getting the maintenance that they really really need. Anything else is left until it really needs to be fixed.
What I Bought
Via a 987 Facebook group, I was offered a Seal Grey 3.2 S. It is a lowish spec car - ocean blue leather, blue hood, rear parking sensors, Bose, 6 disc changer and xenon’s. Sellers pics below:
The good
I asked for pics of the damage and it was really, really minor. The front bumper was badly scuffed and one head light was broken plus there was a scuff on the end of the drivers side wing mirror and a small one on the rear arch. I’m guessing the insurance company bodyshop just wanted to replace and not fix. I’m guessing the Porchse parts prices plus labour killed it.
The chap selling the car is a proper car nut and a really good bloke. He has a hell of a collection squirrelled away in a unit with two post lifts etc. He bought the car from Copart and sorted the headlights and bumper. He’s also serviced it etc. He’s had all of the under trays off and it’s remarkably clean underneath and the exhaust bolts came apart with zero issue (they’re usually hateful).
He’s managed to track down the previous owner who wrote it off earlier this year after his partner passed away. He put loads of history in the glove box when it was collected but Copart binned it all. He spoke very highly of the car having done Euro trips in, the NC500 etc. He’d apparently bought it from a pilot who’d looked after it really well.
The Car
I went to see the car and despite it being a Cat D, it was the best car that I’d looked at. There were a few scuffs here and there but it was an honest car that drove really well - no mould inside, the roof worked as it should, A/C was freezing, no rattles or clunks.
A deal was done and a date to collect was arranged.
My Plans for the Car
First up is sorting the infotainment. Porchse didn’t even fit an aux socket so playing music from phone requires a bit more surgery. This is made more complicated by the Bose stereo which can be a pain. I’ll be going down the route of the finest Chineseium head units from Aliexpress which actually seem pretty good and are popular on the forums.
The floor mats could do with replacing and I’ve managed to find a good used set in on eBay which are due to arrive any day now.
The gear change is a bit sloppy although not as bad as others I’d driven. For now, I’ll stick in a Designtek short shifter which is a bit more wallet friendly than the GT3 jobbie.
I’ll look at sorting the final scuffs; I’ve sourced a replacement wing mirror and paint myself. The scuff on the arch which has been retouched up, I’ll get a quote to sort it properly.
The centre caps are a bit tired so I’ve bought a replacement set from Spyder Performance. They’re not OE but are much much wallet friendly; genuine Porsche centre caps make BMW good value.
It needs a good clean. The interior will be tackled soon but the exterior probably needs to wait for a nice overcast day.
This will be quite a long post introducing my new car, so I’ll break it into sections to make it a bit more readable.
What happened to the Z4?
As always I’m thinking about cars and what to buy next and I’ve come to the conclusion that I wanted something fun to keep in the garage which meant I was looking at convertibles again. In addition, I’ve also come to the conclusion that an EV would really suit my wife’s usage; driving two miles to the next village to drop the boy off at school before another four miles to work. With that in mind, I’d hatched a plan for next year - I’d but a convertible of some sort for fun, I’ll take on the 330i for commuting, lugging bikes around etc and buy an i3 for my wife. Sorted.
Not long after this brainwave, a chap posted on a Z4 Facebook group that he was looking for a coupe and asked what was for sale. For some reason, I mentioned that I’d let my car go for the right money. We exchanged a few messages and the next thing I knew he was coming to see it and a deposit was left! Yikes. That escalated quickly.
It was then time to rack my brain and think about what I wanted to replace it with; a convertible, with at least six cylinders and for a similar sum to what I’d sold the Z4 for. The options were pretty limited and so it didn’t take long to settle on a Boxster. Not original I know.
I’ve been Porsche curious for a while. I’d ruled out a 996 / 997 911 because I’m simply not brave enough to buy a car without a documented engine rebuild and nor could I afford a fully sorted one. I had liked the Cayman’s that I looked at earlier this year so a Boxster seemed the sensible option.
The 986 isn’t my favourite, although a late facelift car looks pretty good. The interior is tad challenging in my opinion so I found myself looking at early 987.1 cars.
The Search
This proved quite challenging; I was fishing from the bottom of the market and the majority of sellers were basically f
ktards.I missed out on a cracking Cobalt blue 2.7. It was very keenly priced, minimal options other than the sports steering wheel and heated seats. It’d had a Designtek exhaust fitted. Great history and the seller was actually a normal human being. The first person to view it snapped it up. Balls.
Next up was a black on black 2.7 locally with a fab spec; heated sport plus seats, extended leather, xenon’s, Bose etc. The car hadn’t done more than a few hundred miles per year for the last five years or so. The A/C was goosed despite him telling me it was fine and the roof was broken. Driving it on a very hit and humid day was an experience! He assured me it was some little plastic clips but he still hasn’t sorted it. That was quickly removed from the list.
I then missed out on a Guards Red 2.7 in Wales; extended leather, heated seats, embossed seats with red stitching, red seat belts and 19 inch lobster claws. The seller had been mucked about a few times but the first genuine buyer snapped it up.
There was a local 2.7 in silver with blue leather and again a good spec; extended leather, heated seats and xenon’s. It’d had a Top Gear exhaust fitted which sounded fab - it sounded faster than it actually was. With hindsight, it was probably too much noise wise to use every day. The car had had lots of owners but a stack of receipts and it’d had some cash chucked at it in the past with plenty of chunky bills. Downside was it was expensive compared to others, had dicthfinders fitted and was a bit mouldy inside. There was probably a good car in there but it wasn’t grabbing me.
There was another black on black car that I liked but trying to get info from the seller before travelling to see it was like getting blood out of a stone, so I sacked that one off as well.
Lots of other cars I found hadn’t covered many miles between MOT’s with reoccurring issues noted MOT’s. It seems now that these are cheap, they’re only getting the maintenance that they really really need. Anything else is left until it really needs to be fixed.
What I Bought
Via a 987 Facebook group, I was offered a Seal Grey 3.2 S. It is a lowish spec car - ocean blue leather, blue hood, rear parking sensors, Bose, 6 disc changer and xenon’s. Sellers pics below:
The good
- it’s covered 99,000 miles
- four brand new N rated Michelin Pilot Sport tyres
- new front dampers and springs
- new rear pads
- recent (used) back box
- fresh service (oil, oil filter, air filter and pollen filter)
- plugs are all spot on, Beru coils in great condition
- 12 months MOT with a clean pass a few days ago
- it’s an S, so noticeably punchier than the 2.7
- later 3.2 which is good and bad; the good bit is that it’s less likely to to suffer with IMS failure
- it’s cheaper to insure than the Z4 was. Not much at about £36 a year but it’s still less.
- a late June car means it’s in the higher tax bracket
- the usual surface rust at the base of the front wheel arches
- wheels would benefit from a refurb
- the biggie; it’s a Cat D car. That’s how I ended up with the cheapest 987.1 Boxster S for sale at the time.
I asked for pics of the damage and it was really, really minor. The front bumper was badly scuffed and one head light was broken plus there was a scuff on the end of the drivers side wing mirror and a small one on the rear arch. I’m guessing the insurance company bodyshop just wanted to replace and not fix. I’m guessing the Porchse parts prices plus labour killed it.
The chap selling the car is a proper car nut and a really good bloke. He has a hell of a collection squirrelled away in a unit with two post lifts etc. He bought the car from Copart and sorted the headlights and bumper. He’s also serviced it etc. He’s had all of the under trays off and it’s remarkably clean underneath and the exhaust bolts came apart with zero issue (they’re usually hateful).
He’s managed to track down the previous owner who wrote it off earlier this year after his partner passed away. He put loads of history in the glove box when it was collected but Copart binned it all. He spoke very highly of the car having done Euro trips in, the NC500 etc. He’d apparently bought it from a pilot who’d looked after it really well.
The Car
I went to see the car and despite it being a Cat D, it was the best car that I’d looked at. There were a few scuffs here and there but it was an honest car that drove really well - no mould inside, the roof worked as it should, A/C was freezing, no rattles or clunks.
A deal was done and a date to collect was arranged.
My Plans for the Car
First up is sorting the infotainment. Porchse didn’t even fit an aux socket so playing music from phone requires a bit more surgery. This is made more complicated by the Bose stereo which can be a pain. I’ll be going down the route of the finest Chineseium head units from Aliexpress which actually seem pretty good and are popular on the forums.
The floor mats could do with replacing and I’ve managed to find a good used set in on eBay which are due to arrive any day now.
The gear change is a bit sloppy although not as bad as others I’d driven. For now, I’ll stick in a Designtek short shifter which is a bit more wallet friendly than the GT3 jobbie.
I’ll look at sorting the final scuffs; I’ve sourced a replacement wing mirror and paint myself. The scuff on the arch which has been retouched up, I’ll get a quote to sort it properly.
The centre caps are a bit tired so I’ve bought a replacement set from Spyder Performance. They’re not OE but are much much wallet friendly; genuine Porsche centre caps make BMW good value.
It needs a good clean. The interior will be tackled soon but the exterior probably needs to wait for a nice overcast day.
I collected the car and managed to cover 60 miles or so without any issue which was a miracle considering today! The IMS is still intact and the car didn’t spontaneously combust.
Google maps took me home via some great roads.
Engine temps were rock solid, no punctures etc. The car had half a tank of fuel which was nice.
Initial thoughts are positive; the basic seats are really comfy and quite supportive, it seems well made (there are no rattle, creaks or squeaks like there were in my Z4).
It definitely needs a really good clean which I’ll start ASAP.
I did hire a few bits; one of the cup holders is broken and looking in eBay, replacements to are super expensive so it’ll be stating that way and two little carpet trims in the footwell are missing. I ordered replacements from eBay whilst stopping for dinner on the way home.
Google maps took me home via some great roads.
Engine temps were rock solid, no punctures etc. The car had half a tank of fuel which was nice.
Initial thoughts are positive; the basic seats are really comfy and quite supportive, it seems well made (there are no rattle, creaks or squeaks like there were in my Z4).
It definitely needs a really good clean which I’ll start ASAP.
I did hire a few bits; one of the cup holders is broken and looking in eBay, replacements to are super expensive so it’ll be stating that way
and two little carpet trims in the footwell are missing. I ordered replacements from eBay whilst stopping for dinner on the way home.cerb4.5lee said:
Nice one Sam! 
I'm really excited for you, but I'm also scared for you to be honest as well!
Wishing you the absolute best with it for sure.
Cheers Lee I'm really excited for you, but I'm also scared for you to be honest as well!
Wishing you the absolute best with it for sure.
After the 2.7, a late 3.2 seems to be a pretty safe bet. The 3.4 that replaced it in the .1 cars much less so hence why I avoid a Cayman S at the start of the year.
Nice. I’m a fan of the early 987s. My dad has a 2.7, he has a 2.5 986 and a 987 S like yours before.
I figured you’d gone for a convertible when I saw your bike rack for sale. As much as I miss my drives to Wales with my bike on my old BMW, Welsh roads are even better in a proper sportscar.
I figured you’d gone for a convertible when I saw your bike rack for sale. As much as I miss my drives to Wales with my bike on my old BMW, Welsh roads are even better in a proper sportscar.
Good choice going for the 3.2. I've had this for about a decade, 2005 3.2S. I didn't think it would be my thing, given my penchant for Jap stuff, but it's been very kind to me and I've come to like it very much. They go very well and mine can outperform my 410 / 400 Evo in terms of top speed.
I had a low mileage 987.2 3.4S off Copart also about a decade ago and repaired it. My best mate bought it off me and still has it. The car was a good buy, but Copart are a right crowd to deal with.
Good luck with yours, sounds like you've ended up with a decent car regardless of the history. Front coolant crossover pipes, backboxes corroding on the top corners ( where you can't see it ) and suspension knocks are common at the mileage. Mine's had the first two ( 80k miles ), the suspension has remained remarkably quiet in my ownership. I see yours has already had a used backbox, which is how I resolved it with mine. I kept the old backbox and intend to have it repaired as a spare.
MDifficult said:
Oh yes! I heartily approve.
Glad to see you ve succumbed to the inevitable Male Menoporsche but it ll get us all eventually!
Looks like a really smart buy and I can t wait to see what you do with it!
Thanks. Glad to see you ve succumbed to the inevitable Male Menoporsche but it ll get us all eventually!
Looks like a really smart buy and I can t wait to see what you do with it!
It’s a very obvious and dull choice but people seem to really love them so I figured it was a chance to try one.
I’m itching to give it a really good clean.
Craikeybaby said:
Nice. I m a fan of the early 987s. My dad has a 2.7, he has a 2.5 986 and a 987 S like yours before.
I figured you d gone for a convertible when I saw your bike rack for sale. As much as I miss my drives to Wales with my bike on my old BMW, Welsh roads are even better in a proper sportscar.
Cheers. I figured you d gone for a convertible when I saw your bike rack for sale. As much as I miss my drives to Wales with my bike on my old BMW, Welsh roads are even better in a proper sportscar.
I was thinking that I’d only be able to get a 2.7, but I’m pleased that I managed to sneak into a 3.2.
Having lives with a two seater for a year already and done the semi-interesting everyday car with my myriad at cylinder BMW’s, I decided that it was time to have a proper sportscar. Stuff like my M140i and 335i didn’t hold my interest for long.
Heaveho said:
Good choice going for the 3.2. I've had this for about a decade, 2005 3.2S. I didn't think it would be my thing, given my penchant for Jap stuff, but it's been very kind to me and I've come to like it very much. They go very well and mine can outperform my 410 / 400 Evo in terms of top speed.
I had a low mileage 987.2 3.4S off Copart also about a decade ago and repaired it. My best mate bought it off me and still has it. The car was a good buy, but Copart are a right crowd to deal with.
Good luck with yours, sounds like you've ended up with a decent car regardless of the history. Front coolant crossover pipes, backboxes corroding on the top corners ( where you can't see it ) and suspension knocks are common at the mileage. Mine's had the first two ( 80k miles ), the suspension has remained remarkably quiet in my ownership. I see yours has already had a used backbox, which is how I resolved it with mine. I kept the old backbox and intend to have it repaired as a spare.
Luckily I didn’t have to deal with Copart. The annoying bit is that they binned not only all of the history but the manuals etc. Judging by what they sell for, they’re probably on eBay! Gits.
The suspension on this is quieter than some of the other cars I drove. Front springs and struts are new. My plan is to gather parts over the winter and refresh in the spring.
Coolant crossover pipes look OK from what I can see, but I’m aware of the issue so will keep an eye on it.
The stock exhaust is quiet but I’ll leave it be until I’m not having to commute in it etc.
mooseracer said:
Nice!
I predict this getting under your skin - they are excellent cars, and a bit of a bargain at the moment imho.
Low mileage ones tend to give more problems than those with sensible use and miles on like yours (hope I haven't jinxed it!).
A few mods and that engine sounds
Thanks. I predict this getting under your skin - they are excellent cars, and a bit of a bargain at the moment imho.
Low mileage ones tend to give more problems than those with sensible use and miles on like yours (hope I haven't jinxed it!).
A few mods and that engine sounds
The 987 is in an odd place value wise with the lower end being less than a lot of 986’s. The 986 seems to be a bit more loved these days so good ones command quite strong money.
The low mileage ones all seemed to have a lot of potential issues caused by deferred maintenance. One car was described as wanted for nothing which was not what the MOT history suggested!
This needs a bit of love cosmetically but seems pretty sound mechanically.
The gear change will appear to have more play than cars you are used to, owing to the actuation arrangement.
Personally, I wouldn’t go shorter on shift ratio, it just makes the gearshift notchy and difficult. Quality components are key here, it’s all plastic. A cheap short shifter will often have more play than stock, it’s just that they’ve altered the position of the levers to make it feel as though it’s better.
Personally, I wouldn’t go shorter on shift ratio, it just makes the gearshift notchy and difficult. Quality components are key here, it’s all plastic. A cheap short shifter will often have more play than stock, it’s just that they’ve altered the position of the levers to make it feel as though it’s better.
This looks really nice and great value! 3.2 being the pick of the bunch for least liklihood of major problems.
I have the Aliexpress Android Auto unit in my Cayman and its been great for the 18 months or so I've had it. If you have any spare terminal pins and a crimping tool, you can make use of a vacant port in one of the porsche connectors so you wire it in without needing to cut/splice any wires on the Porsche loom.
I've also seen complete cupholder cassettes on Aliexpress for reasonable money but I don't know if they still do them?
I have the Aliexpress Android Auto unit in my Cayman and its been great for the 18 months or so I've had it. If you have any spare terminal pins and a crimping tool, you can make use of a vacant port in one of the porsche connectors so you wire it in without needing to cut/splice any wires on the Porsche loom.
I've also seen complete cupholder cassettes on Aliexpress for reasonable money but I don't know if they still do them?
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