elgy

I was originally looking for a Boxster for a friend of mine, but he decided to put off buying till next year. I had already found this 2000 5-speed and it was too good of a deal, so I ended up buying it for myself!
A couple of new pictures.




It was the cheapest Boxster that I saw in Canada over the couple of weeks that I was looking, and went from $7000 to $6500 while I was thinking about it! It is a 2000 5 speed with 135,000KM (84,000 mi). On the 50 kilometer run home it ran really nicely, no strange noises; clutch, brakes, transmission and engine all seemed fine. As usual I did not get a PPI before buying.

First thing I did was to change the oil and filter and carefully inspect the old filter, seems to be fine. This is a early 2000 build (January) so I hope it has the double row IMS bearing. The clutch and brakes were supposedly done 4 years ago and it has supposedly only done a few thousand kilometers since. No records or documentation of course.
Although is runs really nicely and seems basically in good shape it is amazing the amount of maintenance that was not done. In exploring the car I found;
- the drains had not been cleaned out recently (done).
- while working on the rear drains under the clamshell I found that the right side pushrod that opens the clamshell had broken and damaged the drain pan. The clamshell was being raised, lowered and locked by the left side mechanics only. As well the rubber bushing in the remaining push rod was missing.
- the air and cabin filters were filthy, obviously hadn’t been changed recently. I blew the worst out with compressed air while wait for new filters.
- The driver’s seat height adjustment was seized and the lever broken.
- although the front brake pads were OK the rear pads were at the end of their life… so they likely only changed the fronts last time around.
- the trim piece on the driver’s door sill with the levers to open the front and rear trunks was flopping around. It had been removed and the screws not retightened (actually 2 of then were in the compartment on the console) (done).
- there was only one front trunk lid shock and it was not strong enough to hold the lid open (replaced).
- the spare tire was flat, a bad valve I think. New valve and new air installed.
- the parking brake warning light was not working properly, which lead to problems opening and closing the top. I found that the wires had become unclipped and cut under the lever (fixed).
- gas filler lock is not working.
- the leather seats are badly cracked with some tears, which I obviously knew, I have put seat covers on them for the time being.
- the front bumper has hit something resulting in cracked paint on the nose. Also there is a hole in the bumper cover near the right-side grill.
- the rear window is almost completely opaque, I’m waiting on materials to replace the window.
- there is only one key. I plan to have another one made… not the $600 Porsche with remote, just one that will open and lock the doors and start the engine.

Good news;
Checked the serpentine belt – it was OK

Other things I have done;
- Built a license plate mount, if there was ever one it is MIA and the plate was mounted too low.
- Updated tool kit, it was missing the bar for the lug nut socket and I added a wrench that will make it possible to change the serpentine belt with the tools in the car. I am going to change the belt and keep the old one for an emergency spare.
- Bought a genuine Boxster car cover (used).
- after finding a puddle of water on the passenger side, caused by the damaged drip pan, I hope, I decided to do something about the immobiliser. I put a plastic bag around it, reasonable well sealed around the wiring harness but open at the top to prevent condensation. It should keep up to one and a half to two inches of water out. That’s almost an inch over the top of the immobiliser case.
- took the front bumper cover off to clean the radiators and fix the hole in it.

Not done yet:
- repair drip pan under the roof and reinstall the “trim covers” that go on the side of the drip pans. They were in the trunk.

Waiting for parts to:
- change the rear brake pads and I will do the parking brake shoes while I have the wheels off.
- fix the top’s mechanicals.
- new serpentine belt, air filter and cabin filter

On the site “howtoporsche.com” I found the Boxster Service Schedule and I have been working my way through it. Most of it is checking the condition of parts that wear or degrade over time. My aim is to get service up to date so that I can follow normal service intervals.

I am still debating whether I will drop the transmission to inspect the clutch and change the IMSB this winter.

Macster

Be careful changing the engine air filter. If there is any trash on top of the filter and there almost certainly will be you want to be sure none falls off into the air box. You should be prepared to shop vacuum out the air box to make sure nothing falls into the air box off the filter. (Or possibly was there from the previous filter change.) Any leaves for example can get pulled up against the plastic mesh in the air intake tube that leads to the MAF then on to the intake manifold. The mesh will likely prevent the trash from going any further but the presence of the trash can upset the air flow and the MAF output can be affected.

Be sure you schedule a brake and clutch fluid flush and bleed sooner rather than later. If you want to wait until after you change the rear pads I guess that's ok, but don't delay this too long. The factory calls for this to be done every 2 years and I know from my experience with my 2002 letting it go 2.5 years had the clutch acting up and affecting shifting. The fluid deteriorates due to moisture absorption.

If the rear rotors have an approx. 1mm lip around the outer edge the rotors are "done for". They have worn down to minimum thickness. My experience is in just replacing the pads that by the time the replacement pads are worn and need to be replaced the rotors are worn undersized. After the 1st just pads only change when it came time to replace the pads again I just budgeted for both pads and rotors. I got around 50K miles from the front brakes and way more than that from the rear brakes. I never had to replace the parking brake shoes.

Be sure after you wash the car you drive the car and long enough so you can use the brakes hard enough to get them hot so they dry. If you leave the car sit with wet brakes they'll rust up something fierce and under some circumstances this can lead to pulsing brakes (which is often blamed on "warped" rotors).

The front and back body water drains must be kept clear/clean and free flowing at all times. I was very careful to avoid parking the car under a tree or under/near any plants that could shed any leaves/trash onto the car. Whenever I came up to the car I picked off any leaves that might be on the car at the base of the windshield.

While not as dire as letting the drain basins go the radiator ducts should be kept clean and free of any real accumulation of trash.

Also, after a wash or after the car has been in the rain check along the door bottoms for any signs of dampness. After so many years the door membranes can fail and let water from the wet side of the door into the dry side. The water can affect the door lock/window behavior but can also let water into the cabin.

If the bottom of either door is damp/wet you need to get the car in and have the door membrane replaced. I would have both doors done at the same time.

My only experience with a non locking gas cap cover/lid is the locking pin bushing/guide (a plastic bushing) came loose somehow. I found it on the bottom of the basin when I opened the lid. Not realizing what it was at first I (thankfully) just put it in the ash tray. When I later discovered the lid was not locking I worked the key and observed the locking pin twitching but not moving out or in any distance. Seeing this it then occurred to me what was going on and I snapped the bushing into the hole in the basin sheet metal with of course the locking pin through the hole in the bushing. Afterwards when I worked the lock/unlock button on the key the locking pin moved out and in and the lid then was locked.

Over the years both the rear and front trunk lid struts wore out. I just bought a new pair and installed them myself.

At some point the brake light switch didn't work right -- wore out -- and I replaced it along the clutch engine start interlock switch, the clutch cruise control deactivate switch, and the brake cruise control deactivate switch. The switches were not expensive at all and I figured might as well take care of all these while I was standing on my head in the car working under the dash. (Later I found my local dealer would install these switches, and bulbs, for free as long as I bought the parts from the dealer's parts department.)

harrisonrick

I checked my drains front and back when I got the car home too...I think its best to not park any convertible outside when it could rain if at all possible. Just my bugaboo...don't want a downpour to overwhelm the drains and leak water into the cabin.

Macster

My Boxster was driven quite a bit and in all kinds of weather. While when at home it was either in a garage or under a carport often at work or on a road trip it sat out in the rain. I never worried about it as I kept the drains clean. The top and in fact the rest of the car's seals/weather stripping were superb and the car never had any signs of water in it at all other than when as I covered earlier when the door membranes failed due to age or the time the top finally developed a leak -- after around 14 years of exposure -- and was replaced.

Besides when I took the car in for service often it would get washed. If the drains are blocked wash water overflowing into the cabin is just as bad as rain water.

zcrew

Recently took possession of a similar car and will be going through a similar checklist.

Congrats! Nice find and good work!

elgy

The maintenance steps are pretty well done now.
- the hole in the bumper cover is fixed.
- the first attempt at replacing the rear window didn't work, I’m waiting on materials to do a proper replacement.
- found a place to get new a key made for $150 CDN. Will do that in the spring when it comes out of storage.
- new serpentine belt installed, the old one is in the frunk as a spare.
- here is a picture of my immobiliser partial solution.



- the drip pans under the roof have been repaired/strengthened, no more leaks that I can see.
- changed the rear brake pads, serpentine belt, air filter and cabin filter. The parking brake shoes turned out to be in great shape.
- I have all the parts to repair the top's mechanics, but I ended up converting to manual because I didn't feel like doing all the fiddling necessary to get the mechanism adjusted and synchronised... and manual operation is so easy. The clamshell is still electrically operated.

While doing this I made up an Excel spreadsheet with the maintenance steps detailed in the list from the howtoporsche.com site which I am attaching. I don't guarantee that it is complete or error-free, use at your own risk, but hope it will help others.

As I mentioned elsewhere I am selling this Boxster to a friend and I have since bought another 2000 Boxster which I am in the process of doing the same maintenance on... so putting my spreadsheet to good use. The story of my 2 Boxsters is here:
https://rennlist.com/forums/rennspor...a-boxster.html

NuttyProfessor

Beautiful car. Your list is very detailed and thorough, but I wouldn't bypass the most important preventive step. That is, replace the IMS bearing! And while the shop is handling the bearing, get yourself a clutch and AOS replacement. Brakes are an easy DIY project. Save money there and do it yourself.

elgy

I spent the summer enjoying my Boxster after all the work I put into last year.
Almost all the things on my todo list are done including
- lots of work on the front bumper, a big improvement just needs a final coat of paint to blend into the original paint. I won't be perfect but a big improvement.
- I replaced the rear window... again not perfect, there are some ripples but I am happy with it.

... OK lots of ripples in it, but I can see through it!
- got my second key for $172 CDN
- changed the rear brake pads, the parking brake shoes were like new.
- the top is now manual... I replaced the broken bits, but it needs some adjusting of the mechanism and I got lazy. Someday I might get back to this but raising and lowering it manually is so easy. The cowl raises and lowers electrically.
- new serpentine belt, air filter and cabin filter

At some time I want to drop the transmission to check the clutch (which chatters occasionally) and inspect the IMSB. I think the motor mount needs to be changed and eventually the cam chain tensioners are going to demand attention as my deviations are at the upper limit or just over.

Starter986

OK. So the top now is manual. Have you given it a drive? Does anything flop around when you're driving? Does the decklid (that otherwise would be down snug) hop up and down when you go over bumps or during regular driving?

Thanks!!

elgy

The decklid (or cowl or clamshell as it is called variously) remains electrically driven, so when closed it is clamped down in the normal manner. I use the button on the dash to raise the clamshell, when it is high enough for the roof to clear it I unclip the top and fold it back into its retracted position. This can be done while seated in the drivers seat, then push the button to lower the clamshell. To raise the roof I have to get out of the car, mostly a question of leverage and flexibility (which I no longer have). Drove it all summer and there is no noise from the top.

NuttyProfessor

If you're going to drop the transmission anyway, replace the clutch and IMS bearing. I went with the IMS Solution. The chain tensioners are a big problem with the 5-chain engines. Are you going to do the job yourself?

elgy

Yes I will do all the work myself.

On the IMS, I will do the same thing as I did on the blue Boxster that I replaced the clutch on last year. I inspected the bearing and it was fine so I left it alone, except for removing the seal. My decision is explained in post #60 of this thread.
http://986forum.com/forums/boxster-g...bearing-3.html
The above thread is one of the more calm and informative that I have read on the IMSB.

If the bearing needs to be replaced I will either put together my own kit, as others have done, or perhaps the FVD kit. There is no way I am spending $1200 to $2500 CDN on the IMSB for a car that cost me $6500 CDN.