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muscatty · 07-24-2016, 01:02 PM

After one year of ownership, I thought I would share my experience of owning a high mileage Boxster. In July of 2015, I purchased a 1999 Boxster with 112,618 miles on the odometer for $5900.00. I did look at a 2009 Boxster with a lot less miles for a little over $20K, but I preferred the look of the older model and thought it would be a better project for the garage.

The PPI uncovered a few items that needed attention, but nothing that was a show stopper. The only things that would have caused immediate concern were the front tires and a tail light bulb, so I went ahead and replaced them with Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 and ordered a few other items that were recommended.

While waiting for the dealer to receive parts, I was able to enjoy the car for a little bit. The dealer had it for 1/2 a day at 114,729 miles for some of the additional items that were found during the PPI:

— Cabin Air Filter
— Cooling Fan Resistor - Passenger Side (The fan was always on at full speed so I was able to continue driving while I waited for the parts to arrive)
— Steering Lock/Ignition Lock (Preventative Recommendation)
— Center Console Arm Rest Hinge
— Shifter Adjustment
— Fuel Door Spring
— Radio Alarm Issue with after market radio installation - tape underneath the contact for the alarm.
— Clean all drainage ducts

The dealer noted that they replaced the water pump for the previous owner at 109,000 miles so I should be good for a while. The PPI also noted that the battery was a little old but still in ok shape; the rear break pads and rotors were fine but will need to be replaced in the future; the engine had a few oil leaks (cam covers and spark plug tubes, and oil pan but since it was not dripping oil when parked, I decided to enjoy the car for a little longer before scheduling the maintenance),

At 116,000 miles it was time for an oil change and I had a local shop take care of it for me.

My original goal was to purchase the car so that I had a project for the garage. Since it has been about 20 years since I did any maintenance on a car, and that was only a starter replacement in a old pickup truck, I knew I was going to need a little help to get started. So I spent a lot of time on the forums, learning as much as I could about my new project. During my research I learned about the M96/97 Engine Rebuild Class that Jake Raby and Tony Callas host. I highly recommend this class to anyone that wants to really understand the M96/97 engine.

With my new knowledge, it was time to start my winter maintenance at 119,000 miles. This is where the fun really began, and I learned a lot in the process.

First thing on the task list was to drop the engine and transmission out of the car. Once the engine was on the stand and scrubbed, I spent the next few months reviewing and replacing anything that had seen better days.

The list included the following:

Coolant Expansion Tank
Coolant Level Sensor
Temperature Sensor (Engine Coolant)
Low Temp Thermostat
4th and 5th timing chain
Timing Chain Rails
Timing Chain Pads for Chain Adjusters
Timing Chain Tensioners
Hydraulic Valve Lifters
DT40 Oil
Oil Filler Pipe
Oil Filler Cap
Oil Filter
LN Magnetic Oil Drain Plug with Washer
Air Filter
Air/Oil Separator
Spark Plugs
Spark Plug Tubes
Rear Main Seal (RMS)
LN Engineering IMS
Clutch
Dual Mass Flywheel
Front Engine Mounts

The above maintenance took me between December and April to complete and, besides being a lot of fun, I learned a lot about how the car works. With all the winter maintenance complete, and everything buttoned back up. I learned that the battery had lost its charge. Since it was just OK during the PPI, I decided to replace it. After a short drive I had a CEL, so I pulled out the Durametric (and with a little help) figured out that I needed a new O2 sensor in the passenger side front. Once replaced, the CEL stayed off and the real time values the Durametric collected during a longer drive looked good.

Since I did a lot of maintenance, I thought it would be a good idea to change the oil at 120,000 miles. All looked good.

At around 121,000 miles, I had to put on new rear Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tires, due to running over a nail.

Around 123,000 miles, the brake wear light popped on so it was time to replace the rear brake pads and rotors.

The odometer is approaching 125,000 miles, so I will be spending a little time in the garage for the oil change soon.

Overall the last year has been a blast and I would highly recommend purchasing a high mileage Boxster, to anyone that is looking for a project. My wife has been amazing through all of this and is beginning to enjoy the car more than I ever thought.

07-24-2016, 01:02 PM	#1
muscatty Registered User Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 9	High Mileage Boxster After 1 Year After one year of ownership, I thought I would share my experience of owning a high mileage Boxster. In July of 2015, I purchased a 1999 Boxster with 112,618 miles on the odometer for $5900.00. I did look at a 2009 Boxster with a lot less miles for a little over $20K, but I preferred the look of the older model and thought it would be a better project for the garage. The PPI uncovered a few items that needed attention, but nothing that was a show stopper. The only things that would have caused immediate concern were the front tires and a tail light bulb, so I went ahead and replaced them with Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 and ordered a few other items that were recommended. While waiting for the dealer to receive parts, I was able to enjoy the car for a little bit. The dealer had it for 1/2 a day at 114,729 miles for some of the additional items that were found during the PPI: — Cabin Air Filter — Cooling Fan Resistor - Passenger Side (The fan was always on at full speed so I was able to continue driving while I waited for the parts to arrive) — Steering Lock/Ignition Lock (Preventative Recommendation) — Center Console Arm Rest Hinge — Shifter Adjustment — Fuel Door Spring — Radio Alarm Issue with after market radio installation - tape underneath the contact for the alarm. — Clean all drainage ducts The dealer noted that they replaced the water pump for the previous owner at 109,000 miles so I should be good for a while. The PPI also noted that the battery was a little old but still in ok shape; the rear break pads and rotors were fine but will need to be replaced in the future; the engine had a few oil leaks (cam covers and spark plug tubes, and oil pan but since it was not dripping oil when parked, I decided to enjoy the car for a little longer before scheduling the maintenance), At 116,000 miles it was time for an oil change and I had a local shop take care of it for me. My original goal was to purchase the car so that I had a project for the garage. Since it has been about 20 years since I did any maintenance on a car, and that was only a starter replacement in a old pickup truck, I knew I was going to need a little help to get started. So I spent a lot of time on the forums, learning as much as I could about my new project. During my research I learned about the M96/97 Engine Rebuild Class that Jake Raby and Tony Callas host. I highly recommend this class to anyone that wants to really understand the M96/97 engine. With my new knowledge, it was time to start my winter maintenance at 119,000 miles. This is where the fun really began, and I learned a lot in the process. First thing on the task list was to drop the engine and transmission out of the car. Once the engine was on the stand and scrubbed, I spent the next few months reviewing and replacing anything that had seen better days. The list included the following: Coolant Expansion Tank Coolant Level Sensor Temperature Sensor (Engine Coolant) Low Temp Thermostat 4th and 5th timing chain Timing Chain Rails Timing Chain Pads for Chain Adjusters Timing Chain Tensioners Hydraulic Valve Lifters DT40 Oil Oil Filler Pipe Oil Filler Cap Oil Filter LN Magnetic Oil Drain Plug with Washer Air Filter Air/Oil Separator Spark Plugs Spark Plug Tubes Rear Main Seal (RMS) LN Engineering IMS Clutch Dual Mass Flywheel Front Engine Mounts The above maintenance took me between December and April to complete and, besides being a lot of fun, I learned a lot about how the car works. With all the winter maintenance complete, and everything buttoned back up. I learned that the battery had lost its charge. Since it was just OK during the PPI, I decided to replace it. After a short drive I had a CEL, so I pulled out the Durametric (and with a little help) figured out that I needed a new O2 sensor in the passenger side front. Once replaced, the CEL stayed off and the real time values the Durametric collected during a longer drive looked good. Since I did a lot of maintenance, I thought it would be a good idea to change the oil at 120,000 miles. All looked good. At around 121,000 miles, I had to put on new rear Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tires, due to running over a nail. Around 123,000 miles, the brake wear light popped on so it was time to replace the rear brake pads and rotors. The odometer is approaching 125,000 miles, so I will be spending a little time in the garage for the oil change soon. Overall the last year has been a blast and I would highly recommend purchasing a high mileage Boxster, to anyone that is looking for a project. My wife has been amazing through all of this and is beginning to enjoy the car more than I ever thought.