"I also had my gearshift linkage slip off my gearbox, luckily in my driveway. After some research on the web, I was able to snap it back on and ty-rap it in place. A trip to the dealership for a permanent repair was a staggering $1400 quote to replace both cables. "
When I first got my 2000 base boxster and took it to the dealership for its 40K service, they said the shifter seemed a little loose. They suggested they replacace the shift cables, explaining that the tranny end could snap off and I did not want to be stranded with no way to select gears.
Foolishly believing they had my best interest in mind, I had them do it. I think it was 600.00 for parts and two hours labor. The car seemed to shift the same way it did before they replaced the cables. That was also when I found out that an oil change was something like 100.00+. Needless to say, I have not used the resources of dealerships (except to drool over new cars) for the last two years....
Ed