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Hello everybody. I am new here having purchased my first Porsche today, a 2002 Boxster. I have owned a number of cars over the years but never shopped around for a Porsche do I thought to stop in here for some advice. The car has 114k on it, with a new clutch, flywheel, top, IMS, and brakes in the last 20k. Here are a couple simple questions I am hoping you guys can answer:
1. What are the simple, nagging maintenance issues to watch during my ownership? With the exception of the IMS, that has been addressed.
2. The suspension needs to be refreshed after the last 12 years and 114k miles. Is there a simple suspension setup out there with new bushings, a slight drop, and slightly stiffer ride? I don’t want to make this car too aggressive; I do drive it to work after all.
3. I would like to bump up the power slightly, I understand that an intake and chip would net me around 20 hp, how much stress does the chip put on the engine?
4. What are some of the more simple exterior add-ons to make the car look a little more aggressive? Again, I am looking for basic stuff, maybe a subtle lip or rear spoiler.

Thanks in advance guys!

It ain't real without pictures

1. Water pump, AOS, serpentine belt, coolant reservoir, motor mounts, MAFs, spark plug tubes, coil packs.

2. ROW M030 suspension from Suncoast, about $1400, along with the suspension overhaul kit from Pelican, about $2000.

Boxster Euro Suspension Kit (ROW M030):Porsche Parts & Porsche Accessories - Wholesale Porsche Parts & Tequipment
Porsche Boxster (1997-2004) - Suspension, Shocks & Springs - Page 1

3. IMHO, any diversion from the stock intake is not recommended, and I don't trust the performance claims of the chips.

4. I prefer the stock factory look, but I'm sure that several forum members can help you spend your money on body mods. ;)

Just sayin'...........

TO

Thank you for the feedback, that was exactly what I was looking for.

114K miles will probably require a full suspension overhaul if it was driven during in extreme weather (very hot, very cold or both) in typical urban environments. Unless you plan on doing much of this yourself, it will be very expensive since its not just shocks and springs proposition as TeamOxford as listed. You'll be near $6K all in on parts, labor, taxes and the alignment. You'll probably also need new wheel bearings which probably squeal like sea lion by now.

But water pump/coolant tank, coolant cap, hoses, etc. and AOS should be done first if you're still on the original factory parts. These things can actually kill the engine during a failure. A water pump that's been in the car too long will claim more engines than the over-blown IMS issue.

What is an AOS?

A very weird thing Porsche came up with.

Pelican Technical Article: Boxster Air / Oil Separator Replacement - 986 / 987


You should download a copy of 101 Projects for Your Porsche Boxster by Wayne Dempsey (who runs this forum). Read cover to cover. It lists prices of parts, hours of labor and degree of difficulty for every common repair and maintenance. I use it guesstimate my mechanics's bill, a few times I've been within a few bucks of the actual invoice.

Will do, I am mechanically literate, just new to the Porsche world. I'll pikc up the nuanced terminology.