sequel95

Hi guys and gals. I finally pulled the trigger on a 2001 Boxster S with 47k miles. Lapis blue with tan interior. Had the IMS bearing replaced 2 years ago for $700 for the part, so hopefully it is the LNE version. Working to gather more info today on the bearing from the shop that installed it. Seller was a great guy and had a lot of preventative work done (clutch, AOS and belts and more) recently. I did not do a PPI as I know these cars well and didn't want to let it slip away. He had other guys on the way to buy it. Paid $12500 and seller included car cover, manuals, 2 keys and floor mats. Will post a few pics later. Thanks for all your insight in helping me focus on the right areas. The Carfax is clean. I ran it while at his house. He also did front rotors and pads recently.

Macster

Looks like a very nice car.

My 2002 base is lapis blue and even after 15+ years of looking at it the color is still quite beautiful to my eyes.

sequel95

Thanks Macster. I want to drive through lake country (Erin, WI, Highway 83) near my house, however, the US Open starts today. Too much traffic on the road so I will have to find a less exciting path.

Macster

Years ago when I lived just 30 miles east of KC Mo took a road trip in my Boxster. Among other places I drove my Boxster up through WI on mainly I-94 until Eau Claire then continued north on highway 53.

It was on this road I spotted my first and only bear. One ran across the road in front of my Boxster.

Got up to Duluth -- I remember it was in Duluth that I encountered my fist laser speed trap (my V1 warned me but I wasn't speeding anyhow -- up there the Boxster stands out like crazy) then headed east on 2 and ended up spending the night just north of the Mackinaw Bridge. Next morning I headed south across the bridge, accompanied by some light snow, and continued south down through the middle of Michigan.

My first time and only time in Wisconsin. It is a pretty state and maybe one of these days I'll get back there and look around some more.

sequel95

Well, attempted to pick up car last night. Title had a lien on it, and he said he paid it off. So he has to deal with DMV this morning and hopefully I will pick it up tonight 6/13.

Macster, northern WI and the UP are beautiful parts of the country (in summer and especially fall). I do a client event in Detroit in July and plan to take the ferry across Lake Michigan with my Boxster on board for a fun drive across MI. The ferry is a wonderful experience.

navair

You have good taste, here's mine!

Skyhawk172

and here is mine

sequel95

Either of you guys have issues with rear view mirror discoloration of glass? I wonder if I can just use an old school Boxster non-auto-dimming mirror as a replacement.

Skyhawk172

my rear view mirror is fine wish it was auto dimming though

Macster

If you have an auto-dimming mirror which my Boxster does not have but my Turbo does have you can send it out to be repaired at Radar-Mirror.

Link:

http://www.radar-mirror.com/

I followed the link at the web site to pay the $$99 plus shipping and sent one of my two bad mirrors in (I have 2: the original mirror and the 25.5 month on new factory mirror that went bad just 25.5 months after I bought and out of the 24 month parts warranty) and less than 2 weeks later the mirror came back repaired. I had it installed at the dealer and so far -- approx. a month now -- the repaired mirror is just fine.

When I get time I will set up to send the 2nd mirror to be repaired and keep it as back up just in case.

(Radar-Mirror offers a lifetime warranty on its mirror repair but I didn't go for it but of course you can go for it if you want.)

PelicanParts.com

Congrats on the new ride! I'm attaching a link to our site's DIY tech articles on the 986 platform. I hope these DIYs will be helpful to you if you're going to be doing the maintenance down the line.

Porsche Boxster 986/987 (1997-2004) Technical Articles

patdonahue

I think our cars are related! Enjoy it they are wonderful cars!

Macster

Here's a pic of mine with a bit of snow on it... (Sorry for the focus, or lack thereof, but it was a long long drive in the snow from Ft. Smith ARK to Butler MO.)

sequel95

Hi guys. I picked up the 986S on Tuesday night. Almost ran out of gas on drive home but found a gas station just in time! Took the day off work yesterday to sort the car. Cleaned the front radiators and while front wheels were off, inspected brakes. The anti-rattle spring was not installed under the dowel pin w/cotter pin, so fixed that. Can't believe a shop would not catch such an mistake when doing a brake job (done a year ago). Cleaned wheels while off and scraped a lot of rocks stuck to wheel with tar. Took off oil filter to do a quick check. Just some "latex" like material in filter. Just traces. My guess is from too much gasket material when valve covers were replaced a year ago. Added about a half quart of oil and about 8 oz of VW G12 antifreeze I use on my Passat wagon.

Visited Umansky Porsche for a front plate kit, and inquired about a second key. Ouch. Did not order the key yet. Hoping someone has a cheaper alternative.

Going to order spin on kit from LN Engineering and perhaps the Joe Gibbs oil.

Here is a shot at my office today:

Macster

Be sure the front and rear body water drains are free of any trash build up.

When you wash the car or it gets wet from being out in the rain be sure to feel along the inside carpeted bottoms of the doors. The door membrane can leak (due to age mainly) and let water from the wet side into the dry side of the door and this can wreck havoc on the car's electrical system, security system if not quickly attended to.

The problem I have with that Joe Gibbs oil is 1) One has to run a 5w-30 "flushing oil" for a while. There's a post on I think this board from a Boxster owner who picked up a used Boxster with 5w-30 oil and the engine appears to have suffered some very serious internal problem. Whether it is from the oil or not one can't know but I prefer to not tempt fate and avoid using any non-approved oil and certainly one that doesn't even have the right low and high temperature viscosity. 2) With a boutique oil this limits one to doing the oil change at home or first gathering up all the required amount of oil and schlepping this oil to wherever one had the oil service done. While not recently I have in the past had to have the Boxster (or Turbo) serviced on the road at a distant (nearly 2K miles distant) from home dealer. Trying to get a special oil could mean the car would be tied up for perhaps days awaiting the oil.