BUYING USED PORSCHE BOXSTER SERIES I - 1997 - 2004 Boxster, the everyday Porsche
This is not a hairdresser’s car, says Dave Moore.
THERE’S a modern adage that those who don’t like Porsche Boxsters, or refer to them as ‘‘hairdressers’ cars’’ can be divided into two camps. The first one consists of those who’ve never driven one and take their opinions from Top Gear. The second camp is occupied by those who have driven one and now wonder why they spent $100k more on the 911 instead.
The fact is, the Boxster, even after 17 years on the market, is still a terrific drive and in the right hands can embarrass a 911, with superb balance and poise and, of course, an engine that’s much closer to the driver, so the soundtrack is that much crisper.
When it came out, the Boxster offered all the thrills for just over half the price of a 911, and while there are some things to watch for, it’s a fairly reliable car that really can give you a buzz on every trip.
We’re dealing with the series one 1996 to 2004 model here, which is the one with the fried-egg lights, small side intakes and the almost palindromic front and rear styling.
It originated with a 150kW 2.5-litre flat six, later enlarged to a 2.7-litre unit putting out 160kW, with the quicker S model offering 185kW from 3.2 litres. The S took heftier brakes and a six-speed manual to the base car’s fivespeeds, and both cars could be had with a Tiptronic automatic, which might make it a tad less of a driver’s car, but doesn’t remove as much fun as you’d expect. At its launch, the car set the standard for roadholding, handling and performance, and while the level of thrills might be commensurate with the engine size and transmission you choose, even in its smallest, least powerful form, it’s a very sweet drive.
With two boots it’s a surprisingly practical car, if the kids have flown the coop. You can get a huge amount in the front one, while the rear one above the engine is larger than some hatchbacks’ load areas and can easily cope with shopping on its own.
The power hood takes less than 20 seconds to operate and while the cabin is not as neat and well laid out as later models’, it’s made for big Germans, which means most people fit in quite easily and sit relatively low in the cockpit, where, helped by an industrial-strength heater, you can drive with the roof down all year around when it’s not raining. If you really do want to keep up with 911s, the Boxster S is the only choice. Most New Zealand cars had traction control, but many used imports didn’t.
While the Boxster isn’t skittish, as a 911 can be, such equipment is worth looking out for. Don’t let your mates put you off a Tiptronic, you might even find it’s a cheaper prospect. Also, neither the 2.5 and 2.7-litre engines are exactly sluggish. They all make much the same noise and for an ordinary driver, they’re quite quick enough, thanks. Look out for crash damage, it can be expensive to get exactly right, and avoid any car with a hint of scruffiness – if they look tatty, who knows what such an owner has or hasn’t done to the car’s insides? Leaky hoods can be a problem, and water ingress can muck up the electrics.
Check for uneven tyre wear and badly worn brakes – there’s no need for a big bill straight after buying the car.
It’s essential you have someone check the car over for you, looking for things like a dripping rear main seal, radiator overflow leaks, both of which could presage some seriously expensive repairs.
Probably the biggest weakness of early Boxsters is intermediate shaft bearing failure. This can occur after years of use when oil and contaminants from the motor seep
Not as neat inside as later models, but comprehensive, though some used import custom jobs were even worse than this. past the bearing seal, rinsing the original lubricant and becoming trapped inside. The bearing, now with less than ideal lubricant quality, can wear prematurely, causing timing chain movement and disengagement, and bang! When it does fail, debris from the bearing runs throughout the engine, causing further damage. See why a full factory history is so important? Those people who don’t like Boxsters, belong to camps one or two above. Take them for a drive, they’ll soon come around. We saw a nice, well-sorted 2.5-litre from 1997 with less than 70,000km clocked for $22,000, albeit with a Tiptronic transmission. More recent, but cheaper at $19,000, with just over 100,000km up but with little paper work was a 2.7-litre unit from 2000. There was also a New Zealand New Zealand-new Tiptronic 2.5 at $13000 with 125,000km but with no history.
Best of all were the two 3.2 manuals we discovered, one with 100,000km clocked and the other just over 80,000 for the same $27,000 sticker. With good histories and the right stamps, these would be worth further investigation.
It is essential that evidence of reg- ular servicing is available with your potential Porsche. It will help it retain value, and can help prevent calamitous problems in the future. Keep the service intervals up and the stamps in the service book to prove it. If there’s no history and just a cheap sticker to attract you, walk away from the car. A Boxster needs serious attention every 100,000km or so, and it’s always best to have evidence, for you and any future owners.
Servicing costs can be expensive, especially if you use a franchised dealer, but we’d advise you to, unless a fellow Porsche owner has someone to recommend. On the fuel-use front, the 2.5-litre can manage 8L/100km in combined running, with the 2.7 and 3.2 models consuming 9.8L/100km and 10.5L/100km respectively, which for the driving experience is a bargain and we can think of less entertaining roadsters that use a lot more. It’s possible to hook a Boxster up to the factory diagnostic tool called the PST2 which can ask the onboard computer about what sort have revs have been regularly used by the driver. Too much and it could show the vehicle has been used on the track. One thing to remember, no Boxster is cheap enough to compensate for a lack of a fully checked ownership and service history.