father in law drops it on me..
 

my f.i.l. gave me his 2000 boxster as payment for work. It was sitting on his driveway for several years due to a horrible crash on his Harley. it smells of mold inside and needs months of rehab….

can someone tell my the major things to do get it running good? should i pull out gas tank and clean it out? i know oil and filter must be changed… what is a good oil and filter to buy? i know genuine parts are the safest. if a long time owner can give me a heads up on what is in my future.. i would be so grateful. I'm in new Orleans and like to jazz it up

Congratulations, let me be the first to say "pictures or it didn't happen". Don't take the tank out. You can drain the tank by removing a quick disconnect on the firewall behind the drivers seat. its under the car, above a plastic shelf just in front of the engine. You'll need a fresh battery and you'll have to jumper the fuel pump relay. Timco just did that. New fluids are in order, then fire it up!

The first thing you need is a press. As in printing press. Then get the plates for $100 bills, usually on eBay. You'll need a lot of paper, too.

First, there are a thousand threads on here about oil and filters. Sit back, use the search, and prepare to be amused and bemused.
Second - not a bad idea to get it to a Porsche mechanic for a once over. Get it up on a lift and take a real, close look at suspension et al.
As Timco said - these cars can cost a mint, so best be prepared.

How many years do you mean by several years?

it sounds like your FIL may be finally repaying you for more than just your labor.

Now that was damn funny! True and funny. :cheers:

In all seriousness, I'd put in some fresh gas, oil, and a filter and see if it fires. If the engine starts, then I'd follow up quickly with an entire major service.

Then I'd drive it until I found a problem.
Then fix it.
Then I'd drive it until I found a problem.
Then fix it.
Then I'd drive it until I found a problem.
Then fix it.

You get the idea...

If you can DIY some of the work, I would recommend a stack about 20 high of those home printed $100 bills to get you through the first year. If everything has to go to a shop to be fixed, go 30 high on the stack. And that will just be to get it and keep it mostly running. Rehab will take a separate stack...

Did your F.I.L. mention that there are no cheap Porsche's?

also in new Orleans here. if you need some help with your new boxy feel free to private message me. I have figured out my way around the 986 and would be willing to assist you when I can.

^^
+ 1

isn't this place cool or what..?

Oh, he'll ask about oil soon enough...

Not to mention the CATS…….

Don't let these guys put you off. The Boxster is probably one of the most reliable Porsches you can own. True sitting is never good for a car, but after a routine change of fluids, perhaps plugs and wires, a thorough cleaning of the interior, you should have the car back up and running presuming there were no prior major problems.

Pictures!!!

Did you actually manage to keep a straight face while you typed that? :D Most peeps budget about $2K a year upkeep on a healthy Boxster. I'm betting this one will be at least double that for the first couple of years until he gets it sorted out, if he's lucky. Moldy interior, sludge in the gas tank, gummed up injectors and fuel filter, mouse nests in rotted wiring, toxic old oil, another mouse nest in the air filter... it could be pretty scary. Any bets on what he'll find between the rads and the condensers?

Hey Randall, you gonna weigh in on this one? (Randall refers to his as the black hole for dead presidents)

Reliable within the Porsche world....

I'll compare the repairs my car has seen against the '00 Ranger with twice the mileage and incomparable work loads. Guess which one has seen more water pumps, fuel pumps, fluid changes, suspension parts, and so on......

This is a high maintenance car at 11 years old. Unless you can afford to feed it properly and maintain it proper, be it yourself or at an Indy, it's not the car for you. Lots more attention per mile average than anything I've ever owned.

No regrets, however!! :cheers:

I've been around the block with british cars, you don't even want to go there, trust me.

Any 11+ year old car is going to require attention and a repair budget. I don't doubt this car has the potential to be a money pit, but the fear mongering on some Porsche forums is unlike anything I've ever seen.

My face is still straight :p

Timco, Speaking of reliability, did you get your fuel pump sorted? :rolleyes:

I'll reinforce that any vehicle that is over ten years old and/or has been sitting for a long time will require a fair bit of maintenance before hitting the road.
As a somewhat recent owner on the used Porsche scene, I'll try to summarize my experience for a little perspective. Some have had a horrible experience, most have had a good experience. I'd guess mine is average.

I have two '99 986s. 97,000 miles and 140,000 miles. One I've had for two years, the other for 6 months.
I took each to a reputable Porsche independent shop for a once-over. Very important on these cars to keep them up.
The first one (97,000) had been fairly well maintained, but required just under $2,000 in maintenance to be put in 100% good form. After that , it was my daily driver for a little over a year and needed nothing. (still needs nothing other than regular fluid and filter services).
The second one was much more neglected and higher miles. Had been sitting awhile. Bought as a daily driver-work car. It needed a bit over $3,000 in maintenance before hitting the road. Since then, it has been very reliable (like the first one). I drive it over 3,000 miles per month as my job requires lots of traveling. Original alternator went out, a couple of leaks were fixed, original rear control arm replaced. Otherwise has been a rock and has never stranded me. Has been through floods, blinding snowstorms, long stretches on dirt roads, highway, city, and a minor accident. Still chugging. Gets a clean bill of health at every service interval.
Will they remain ths way long-term? I can't answer that yet, but that has been my initial experience with Boxsters.
The point is, it's likely going to be a stiff initial investment since it has been sitting. After that, you could have a nice car that you enjoy for years. Just be prepared to shell out more than the average car when it does need something.

PS: In recent years, I have owned a Jeep, Land Rover, Nissan Pickup, and Ford Focus (all about the same age as the Boxsters) as work cars. Except for the Nissan, they were all less reliable than the Boxsters have been (the Rover, insanely less reliable) and not as much fun to own.

Sorry for long-winded post. I thought some detail was needed. ;)

[frownie-face]

NO. I am full of fail and disappoint. Indy says oh, I can get these in fast and now it's Thursday. If it's not in his hand today in an hour and a half, I'll buy a plane ticket and fly to where one is I guess.

Well, again, my example vehicle is 15 years old with more than twice the duty and a fraction of the repairs I've done in 3+ years of Boxster ownership. If I had to pay an Indy for every fix I'd be making a 911 S Turbo 4 payment.

Usually from graduates of the school of "been there, done that"

Cool story. Guess I've been lucky because all my pcars have been exceedingly reliable. Ditto for most people I know.

Deffered Boxster maintenance/repair is like owing money to the IRS... it only accrues with interest. the #1 truth of owning a Porsche: you can pay now, you can pay later but you will pay. Sure if the car only comes out for Sunday ice cream cones it will be reliable enough. But start pouring on the miles where climates vary from very cold to very hot and Porsche reliability becomes an oxymoron. Perhsps compared to a Ferrari it's an old Volvo...

By the way, someone mentioned comparing against an 11 year old car. Like many Boxster owners my previous car was a Miata. It is probably the most commonly found car at any track day or autocross from LA to South Florida to NY and everywhere in between. On the street you can drive the wheels off the car year round and not face 1/10th the repair costs of any Porsche and any mechanic will jump right in without saying "I don't touch those cars".
if you like to modify your cars youcan do as much as you like without spending enough to buy another car. I had a head turner that received just as many compliments as the Boxster. Oh and you get air bags unlike one of those old British cars with suspect electrical.

Porsche build cars that perform well but durability is not their concern. Most of their buyers will not daily drive and once the warranty comes nearer to the end they trade in for a new weekend toy. The Japanese figured out how to build for performance and daily use durability and we reward this by paying the Germans a big mark up instead of the Japanese.

Most drop out from that school before the tuition bill comes due.


Come to think of it if I had dropped out before 60k miles I would probably be singing how reliable the Porsche academy was. Once I stuck around for junior and senior status they sent me the reality check bill. Bailing before the "big wave" is something that predates the water cooled era at the Porsche academy..heard 993 alumni talking about deciding on whether to skip the big wave too.
In Japan the big wave has nothing to do with cars...they engineer things to last.

I think Mr Lebowski has been effectively scared off. :(

thank you.. i promise to post pics of the car real soon. have a great weekend men

you are correct! i did find a mouse nest..you are reading my mind

Don't let 'em scare you, man.
I may jinx myself, but my 14yr old 96k-mile car has needed over the last 30K miles:
1) new rear trailing arms-old ones were still functional but noisy
2) new AOS -cured the occasional smoky startup
3) new coolant reservoir - truly a poor design and a PIA to replace
4) new MAF sensor - maybe could have gotten by with a cleaning but was starting a 500 mile trip and didn't want to take any chances
5) one CV boot
6) routine maintenance
7) oh, and a motor mount - was starting to wear out

All of this did in fact cost more than similar repairs on my elderly Jeep and Honda, but the frequency of required attention is only slightly more. In return, I usually arrive at work in a state of being mildly thrilled from the commute, and have a short 20 min vacation on the way home. And there is one deer that positively owes his life to the handling of the Porsche - with either of my other vehicles, he would have been an expensive hood ornament.
For me, for now, I am very pleased with it overall.I have no problems with its build quality, and for an older sports car it seems reliable. The comprehensive driving experience is unmatched in its price range, but , as noted, one must factor in maintenance, which will be more than most other marques.
Any comparable newer and more reliable car will start at about $30K, so the way I look at it, I got a $30K car for half that and $2k a year in maintenance. You on the other hand, did not get a car for free, just deeply discounted by the time you factor in the catch-up maintenance. But then, your thoroughbred must be fed/groomed/exercised/stabled, and all of that will cost a little more than for your quarter horse. So if your not up for the upkeep....
Anyway, welcome. Get it right, and I predict you will be hooked after the first spirited drive. If the numbers don't work for you, or the driving experience isn't that important to you, or you need more seats, or whatever, then once it is sorted, pass it on to someone at a different point in their life, possibly for a tidy profit if you did the work yourself.

^^ excellent post. I've owned many cars over the years and none of them have been maintenance free after they started aging. These cars are getting on in years. I have around $9500 total invested in my daily driver, including the purchase price and accident repair which wasn't the car's fault. It's a lot of smile-inducing car for the money.
I look forward to the pictures. :)