Looking to upgrade the Miata, my daily driver. I am currently loking a an '04 S and an '03 S, both nicely equiped. Several questions from a newbie.

I think I want an '03 or newer, I like the clear lights and some of the upgrades. Should I be over looking the earlier cars? 2000-2002? Any specific areas I should look at?

Can factory cruise control be added very easily? I'm thinking not but thought I would ask.

The '04 (55k miles)just had a clutch and a "service" done at a local independent shop. I will talk to them tomorrow about a PPI, but what should be done at the 60K service?

Thanks in advance.

 

2003 brought a few significant changes to the Boxster; it was the first year with a glass rear windscreen, and I believe that was the first year with a real glovebox, too.

If you're going to be doing DIY on your car, you might want to join the renntech.org forums, too. There's a whole page there devoted to major/minor maintenance which comes every 15k miles, with major every 30k. The 60k maint is a "major" one, and includes changing the spark plug and oil. Most of the 15k maints are just inspections and fixing whatever got broken that you hadn't already noticed.

 

As sjfehr pointed out teh 03 came with glass rear window. A plus imho but the window IIRC is a bit smaller. You might want to drive an 03 and an older model with the plastic window to see if the difference is a show stopper.

Used to be in the older models -- pre-2003 -- you could add/enable the on-board computer with the installation of the stalk, connecting it to the car's wiring harness (in the steering column), and then having someone activate this functionality in the car's control system with the Porsche PST2 diagnostics computer.

I do not know if this also enabled cruise control. I think not as cruise is on a separate stalk. My 02 Boxster has cruise but no on-board computer and my Turbo has both an on-board computer and cruise and in both cars the cruise is on the right lower hand side of the column while the on-board computer in the Turbo is on the left lower hand side of the column. The Boxster has an 'empty' stalk location where the on-board computer stalk would be.

Generally adding something like cruise after the fact is a problem, but with modern cars, at least Porsches, not always.

The cruise control logic is in the engine controller/e-Gas controller so all you would need is the stalk. As for the wiring the wiring/connectors might be present: Generally (there's that word again) the same wiring harness is used regardless of what sub-systems are installed in the car but not always.

Which after all of the above means is you're on your own. I can't help. Sorry.

Basically you are looking at a used car so a good thorough used car checkout will go a long way to helping you eliminate cars that you need not consider any further, or find cars that warrant further consideration.

For checking out a car you do not want your focus to be to narrow. For instance, while you may find the engine oil tight if you overlook the car is seriously twisted from being an accident an improperly repaired... not good.

Visit Pedro's Garage and look for the pages supplied by Mike Focke that I believe have some write ups on the specifics of checking out a used Boxster.

Sincerely,

Macster.

 

Wander over to https://sites.google.com/site/mikefo...oxsterwebpages and read the whole section on buying and selling a 986 Boxster. Guarantee you'll know more about the car, model year differences, good points and bad etc than 99% of the dealers as the pages and thoughts have been collected by someone who owned several and has been quite active on the 7 Boxster forums for years. Don't get scared by the "bad" as you'll just be getting a completely honest picture and there are so many more important good points.

Loved my Boxsters.

 

Thanks, great site, lots of info.