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Great story and thanks for sharing. I still have the 2003 986 I purchased new. It's got 34,142 miles on the clock and I've only put 4k miles on it in the last 8 years. I do annual oil/fluid changes on it and spent 8 hours last Sunday completing it's service. The car has zero leaks of any sort and has never shown any metal in the oil, magnetic drain plug, or filter. I've had many cars since I purchased this one and currently own two other Porches besides the 986. I just can't bring myself to sell this car because it was the first Porsche that I purchased new, and I've just got a soft spot for it. It's not worth much (base with a Tip) and I guess the car is worth more to me due to my history with it.....I bought it new in Honolulu when I lived/worked there and it was my daily driver for 3 years...than the money I'd get for it. I shipped it back with me when I moved back to the mainland and it's held it's place in the garage/shop ever since. Maybe someday it will appreciate in value but that's not why I keep it around
I hear you. In today's market, mine is worth perhaps $15K, but I wouldn't sell it for $50K. It's worth more than that to me for some of the same reasons yours is to you.
Great story, enjoyed reading it. I'm one week into my first Porsche, also a Boxster. 2002 with 41,000 miles, though mine will be daily driver. Congrats on 21 years with yours!
Great stories! These have been enjoyable to read. Here are my two "bookends" A 2001 BoxsterS one of the early 6 cylinder mid-engine S models and a 2015 CaymanS a later 6 cylinder mid engine S model. Both drive great with very distinct differences, just truly wonderful, fun cars. I was going to regretfully trade in the Boxster for the Cayman but the salesman told me I would be better off selling it myself as it was in excellent shape and they were limited on what they could give me for a 15 year old car. So I kept it and found it hard to get serious about selling it. A short while later when I found the 6 cylinder mid engine cars were going extinct I was really happy I kept it!.
I saw my 2003 986 I bought new 10 years ago on Autotrader. Bought it the next day at the local dealer. I new the guy who I had sold it to and he had taken very good care of it. Sold my 2013 981 a week later. The 981 is a great car, but there is something about that 986 that I missed. I added Fabspeed exhaust, and short shift kit and now it's a real blast to drive.
Happy to hear the car has been good to you. I’m picking up a ‘97 Artic Silver / Boxster Red in a week. I’ll be the third owner. VIN shows it’s the 2,314th car made.
I’d be interested to know if that is close to your car.
Happy to hear the car has been good to you. I’m picking up a ‘97 Artic Silver / Boxster Red in a week. I’ll be the third owner. VIN shows it’s the 2,314th car made.
I’d be interested to know if that is close to your car.
Mine is 2057. Congrats on your '97 - the full leather makes a big difference in the richness/quality feel of the early 986 interior. The '97 (which, of course I am partial to) is a one off, being the first year, built by Porsche in Stuttgart and having "clean" interior door panels (not having side airbags). Best of luck...I'm taking mine out for a long ride today! Happy New Year!
Thanks for the great story! Amazing that you've kept the car original and in such great condition. I have a 1999 Arctic White Boxster manual with black interior, bought it in 2013, and I still love the car. Every time I drive it, I find myself thinking, "I love this car!" When I bought it I had a 1969 Jaguar E-Type manual, and a 1978 Alfa Romeo manual and 1984 Alfa Romeo GTV-6 manual as my "fun" cars. My daily driver was a 1989 Jaguar XJS V-12 auto. I was feeling like wanted something a little more modern, but had never really been a Porsche fan. Then stuck in traffic one day I saw a Boxster ahead of me and really liked the way it looked. I started looking for one and found it shortly thereafter. Loved the way it looked and drove, sold both Jaguars and both Alfas, and bought a 1999 996 Carrera manual as well, with a Honda Ridgeline as my daily driver. At this point it would be fair to say I'm all in on Porsche! They are technologically interesting cars and I enjoy wrenching on them, but they are not so complex that a shadetree mechanic could not maintain them. Keep up the good work!
When I bought my 1st car in 1978,( 455 cid Firebird) I had zero respect for Porsche's because then they were so slow from a stop. (Low Torque)
In 2000 I got a job test driving new cars before delivering automotive journalist's. Porsche was one of our clients along with the majority of other cars.
After test driving all 95 vehicles I was really impressed with the 986's & 996's & gave special attention to prepping them.My driving skills were improving also especially after taking several classes.
I was very confident test driving new cars in L.A. traffic. I some point I chose the Boxster S as the funnest car & realized it was a major contrbutor to my driving "skill"
A Management change made me choose to quit the best job I ever had in 2003. 1st order of business after quiting was to buy my own Boxster S. I liked the 2000's cause I didn't want PSM, found waht I wanted in Portland OR
so my wife & I flew up & & drove it back down to So.CA via HWY 1. Best trip of my life. Got home & won a $7,000 settlement from my former employer for all the overtime I didn't get paid for! (delivering vehicles to celibrities) So True
Last edited by Byprodriver; 04-05-2020 at 02:49 PM.
Reason: Picture
Thanks for the great story! Amazing that you've kept the car original and in such great condition. I have a 1999 Arctic White Boxster manual with black interior, bought it in 2013, and I still love the car. Every time I drive it, I find myself thinking, "I love this car!" When I bought it I had a 1969 Jaguar E-Type manual, and a 1978 Alfa Romeo manual and 1984 Alfa Romeo GTV-6 manual as my "fun" cars. My daily driver was a 1989 Jaguar XJS V-12 auto. I was feeling like wanted something a little more modern, but had never really been a Porsche fan. Then stuck in traffic one day I saw a Boxster ahead of me and really liked the way it looked. I started looking for one and found it shortly thereafter. Loved the way it looked and drove, sold both Jaguars and both Alfas, and bought a 1999 996 Carrera manual as well, with a Honda Ridgeline as my daily driver. At this point it would be fair to say I'm all in on Porsche! They are technologically interesting cars and I enjoy wrenching on them, but they are not so complex that a shadetree mechanic could not maintain them. Keep up the good work!
Perhaps yours is also Glacier White, a '99 color - not to be confused with Arctic Silver.
Terrific story and a beautiful car. I've had at least one Porsche of some sort in my fleet since 1980. When I bought my first Boxster, an '02S nine years ago I knew I found the model Porsche I would own forever. I now have nine of them: five '99s, two '00s, an '01S and an '02S. Several are projects including a Spec Boxster build. I have a Biarritz White '00 with a Metropol Blue interior. It's "almost" my perfect Boxster. When I find and own a White '99 with a Boxster Red interior I'll officially have reached Boxster nirvana.
Congratulations of finding your perfect Boxster early in the journey.
09-13-2018, 10:22 AM
