New to 986 and Spec Boxster
 

Hello all, as the title states, I am new to both the 986 platform and Spec Boxster. I was able to find some information online, outlining the Spec Boxster class.

https:/www.windingroad.com/articles/blogs/spec-986-and-spec-boxster/

As I begin my search for a donor car, should I stick to 1997-1999? From what I gather these model years have a lower incidence of the IMS bearing problem. Regardless of which year I get, I plan to address the IMS bearing right away, if not already addressed.

Any general advantages/disadvantages of sticking to ‘97-‘99 versus ‘00+ model years?

Sorry if these questions are very basic. I am new to P cars and hope to find a driver quality 986 that I can enjoy on the road as I slowly piece together an HPDE/Spec Boxster. Thank you.

If you want to race Spec Boxster (SPB) with PCA, you should start with downloading and reading the rules from here.

The PCA rules limit SPB to '97-'99 Boxsters with the 2.5L engine and the 5-spd gear box. Later Boxsters, including later engines and/or transmissions, are not allowed in this class. I believe the NASA and POC rules are the same -- There was some effort years ago to standardize the rules across PCA, NASA and POC, so you can race an SPB with all three organizations with minimal changes.

However, if you find a later Boxster, there are other classes to race in, they're just not legal for SPB.

I'll address another large issue. IF you know you want to race or own a dedicated track car with a cage and a trailer & tow vehicle are in the cards, buy a pre-built used SPB and save a lot of money. If you are unsure of those two things AND you are mechanical inclined, enjoy wrenching, are in no rush for a race ready car, want to keep it street "legal" for a while and don't mind paying more than by all means find a good donor car and have it. That was the route I intentionally took and enjoyed the process immensely.

In your hunt for a donor car remember a few key things:
Do not pay over $10K for a bone stock car but with the insane used car prices people want right now it could be a challenge. If the seller's car has items you'll have to buy anyways then figure that in to their ask. There's a '98 on PCA Mart for $17K with 45K on engine but it has a factory hard top ($2K), PSS9 shocks ($2,300), GT3 Seats ($$$), etc. so it makes it a decent fair asking price. https://mart.pca.org/ads/51404

Look for a cosmetically challenged car, torn or malfunctioning soft top etc., all things you can use as negotiating points but in reality you don't care about because you're tearing it all out anyways. Big plus if the donor has a factory hard top. Unless they have a receipt for the install then the IMS is original in my eyes but remember the 97-99 had a double row bearing with a much lower failure rate for whatever that's worth. With that I just put a new used 45K mile engine in my car and installed a $900 LN bearing as the engine was already out.

If you're committed to making this a track car and not a weekend car that you track sometimes, the first thing you should address is safety. I'll leave it at that for now..

When you get the car to the point of it being a good track car it will then be miserable on the road unless it's only smooth roads and no traffic. There's no free lunch

Thanks for the insight. As much as I’d like to make it a dedicated track car from the start, I do not have the physical space for a trailer at the moment. That jump up to track car, trailer, and tow rig is about 3-5 years out.

Ideally, I want to find a ‘97-‘99 Boxster that is in good shape that I can use on the street while doing mods that allow it to be comfortable enough while on road. Once the trailer and tow ring fall into place, I can rip out the carpet, radio, HVAC, and put in a cage/other remaining SPB parts.

My biggest concern is IMS. Hopefully I’ll find a daily driver that already has it taken care of or factor the work into the price of the car. I see the incidence of IMS bearing failure is low for ‘97-‘99, but I will likely get it done if not done already.

IMS is a non-issue and the least of your concerns...just install the LNE retrofit and you are good to go. You can do the solution but if it's a track car probably not worth the extra money and installation as you'll be doing a clutch long before the retrofit times out.

I am also new to SPB. My first race is in September. I would echo what those above said...buy one already built. In the meantime take the extra money you would spend building the car and buy a 2nd 986 (or any other Porsche) to use for track days to get a feel for the car. Then buy one already built once you are ready for the trailer/truck. You will come out ahead.

Given your timeframe of for trailer availability you might want to rethink your approach. You want to buy a street legal HPDE car for use during the next 3 years and in that time you can hopefully attend some events where spec boxsters are running. Talk to those folks, find out which shops are familiar with setting up spec cars, etc. Might even find a good one for sale as many others have mentioned. Make the HPDE purchase separate from the track car.

Thanks for the insight. I know the SPB should be 1997-1999, I will also look into getting an already built SPB when the time comes.

Does it matter so much what year the street/HPDE 986 Boxster is? Is there a most desirable spec of Boxsters across all years of the 986? I know the single row IMS comes into play, but is there generally a specific spec to look for (for example, 2003 Boxster S, etc)? Thank you.

Take a step back and think through the best way to approach all this. Figure out what tracks you will run on and with which groups run the track day. This matters because some PCA clubs will require a roll cage on a convertible car once you are out of the beginner group. If you have a roll bar, that might make your stock seat belts hard to use. Running a harness on a street car then raises more issues. These kindof things can snowball. And you still need to figure out is this an HPDE car that is street legal mainly so it can be driven to and from a track or because you plan on actually daily driving it for general transportation. A porsche might be cheap to buy, doesn't mean its cheap to maintain.

So figure out the needs first, then the wants, then what compromises you can tolerate and finally what cars fit the bill. Good luck!

There are many solid, sorted SPBs for sale -- it's just not worth building your own.

If it was me (actually the is sort of what I did) -- and I had the space -- I would buy an existing SPB (or wait) -- AND buy a street Boxster -- I would address the reliability for tracking and put a deep sump on the street Boxster ( or S) -- ignore the IMS -- maybe put a under driver pulley on it -- and start with DEs. You will likely need a roll-bar extender as well.

Then when you are ready to actually race -- sell your street boxster and if you haven't already buy an existing SPB. You'll come out way ahead --

I need to update it, but I had a very similar idea and goals originally and I made what became a build journal thread about the process of building a stock 97 Boxster into a Spec Boxster and earning my race license. I’ve linked it below in case you’re interested.

I’ve enjoyed it and have no regrets, but I absolutely would have saved money and a lot of time by doing DEs in a carefully chosen street/track car and then selling it when I earned my race license to buy an already-built race car and a trailer etc.

Really it’s about what you want. Building a race car is an experience that you will pay to have. If you do it, you’ll have a garage project, know the car much better, and have a lot of seat time when it comes time to go racing. There’s no wrong answer, but building is definitely the more expensive option.

https://rennlist.com/forums/spec-box...d-cooling.html

First, let me just say you are headed in the right direction. Driving in the SPB class is a total blast. Cost of running so much more reasonable, and the cars are relatively inexpensive to purchase. The drivers are an enthusiastic, competitive bunch. They race hard, but laugh and share a beer afterward.

You didn't mention your level of experience. I bought my SPB after the event where I was promoted to solo. Perhaps it was a bit early to make the jump, but in hindsight I would do it again. It got me familiar with the car, and I gained confidence/experience.
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I would add a vote to the buy an existing SPB. Just jump into the deep end. Attend a Club Race and find a shop that provides track support, or that builds/services them, and tell them you are interested- they will have a customer whose interest is waning, and is looking to unload their car. Even buying a built car, expect any car you buy will require some attention, such as recharge/new fire suppression system, wheel bearings, brakes, harness, and netting. You will want to make sure everything is up to date.

Good luck with your journey, and hope you get out there soon.