04' Boxster S / SE

[flmont]

Is the 04 special edition Boxster worth buying or is it just a S with a Bose system,..??
the color choice is interesting,but would it be worth anything more in say 10 yrs,or less due to more mileage..It has 60 K miles now and they are asking 15K. Thanxs. FM

[10/10ths]

Buy it.

Buy it now.

[Oldcarguy]

Originally Posted by flmont

Is the 04 special edition Boxster worth buying or is it just a S with a Bose system,..??
the color choice is interesting,but would it be worth anything more in say 10 yrs,or less due to more mileage..It has 60 K miles now and they are asking 15K. Thanxs. FM

More than just ‘a S with a Bose system’:

- 264 hp, 7 more than the Boxster S (largely due to ECU reprogramming)
- 987 airbox
- shorter-throw shifter (for the manual)
- unique exhaust tip
- 10-mm-lower suspension (M030) with five-mm-wider track (via factory spacers)
- Xenon headlights
- full leather interior
- sports seats
- GT Metallic Silver exterior with matching interior trim
- 18” Carrera Light wheels painted in two tone Seal Gray and Arctic Silver
- only 500 of the 1,953 total worldwide production were exported to the US for sale

Asking prices are running around 12,000 to 29,000 USD right now. There are currently three or four for sale on Craiglist.

The SE has dedicated Porsche issued product literature, posters, etc. and it was the last year for 986 production (typical move for Porsche to issue an SE edition at the end of a model run). Who knows regarding the value of an SE for the future. Mine is in excellent condition and it’s my leisure driver. I never expect a car I buy to appreciate.

The current price for any particular example is dependent on a lot of variables, so it’s impossible to comment regarding the car you are considering. Here’s the link to our 550SE ‘show and tell’ thread:

Official 2004 Boxster S 550 Anniversary Edition thread

[flmont]

Yea Iam thinking about it,..I do like it !!,..But there is no production sticker under the front bonnet at least I cant see it from the pics online,.It should have one in that location correct,...?? Thanks Frank

[Oldcarguy]

Originally Posted by flmont

Yea Iam thinking about it,..I do like it !!,..But there is no production sticker under the front bonnet at least I cant see it from the pics online,.It should have one in that location correct,...?? Thanks Frank

You’re welcome. Yes, there should be a manufacturing/options sticker on the frunk lid underside. For me it would be a point to resolve with the owner. No reason to remove it and they typically stay put (even if sometimes faded to be almost unreadable).

[flmont]

well they sent me a pic of the underside of bonnet and NO paper sticker,..It does have the dealers ID tag at bottom LHS,but I could not read that info,..

should that be a deal breaker,I betcha it crunched the hood and more at some point.

[Oldcarguy]

Originally Posted by flmont

well they sent me a pic of the underside of bonnet and NO paper sticker,..It does have the dealers ID tag at bottom LHS,but I could not read that info,..

should that be a deal breaker,I betcha it crunched the hood and more at some point.

Impossible to say from a distance. Is there a CARFAX or similar report? If so, bear in mind that a CARFAX or similiar report may not show any or all repairs if they were kept off of the books. Also, a PrePurchaseInspection (PPI) might uncover repairs - or - the car might be great with a perfectly good reason why it doesn’t have the sticker.

A professional would need to do a hands on inspection to give you an informed opinion.

[flmont]

Thanks Oldcarguy,...I did find out it went to our local Porsche shop, for a front trunk release and a headlight washer fix,.A. he did not mention anything about replacing hood,B.does not show that service on the car fax,just shows tires and Alignment,

Wish I could talk with the last owner,..

[Todd Mac]

$15K sounds pretty good assuming its in good shape. I paid more for mine this past spring. The GT Silver with Cocoa interior and black dials is really nice. I've had a lot of compliments and really enjoy that you don't see many.

[flmont]

Well Iam told a local Tempe AZ shop looked at it in the past,.a month or so back,..and they said it needed a clutch and they thought it might have seen a hail storm had a bunch of minor dings/dents and as we know that is a complete paint job which I could do,..but not for 15 K Iam trying to get up there to take a look at it IDCare about a clutch job, but the dings might be a issue if there are a lot of them,..plus no production sticker bugs me..Frank

[78F350]

Originally Posted by flmont

... it might have seen a hail storm had a bunch of minor dings/dents and as we know that is a complete paint job //,..plus no production sticker bugs me..Frank

I bought this 2004 S/SE, unseen, no PPI, and not sure if it would be repairable:



...and I'd be a little concerned about the one you are looking at.

For a 'Special Edition' car, original paint and condition is important. Otherwise, why not just buy any nice '03-'04 to do some SE mods on and repaint.

• Minor hail dents that can be fixed by a good PDR guy? Great. Every panel dented and paint compromised? It's not so Special any more.
• Needing a clutch? That's maintenance. No big deal, get a good IMS bearing upgrade while you're in there.
• 'No sticker' is a concern, but shouldn't be a deal breaker. The sticker doesn't just fall off. It was likely repainted, or the frunk lid replaced. I'd want to know why or at least have a VERY good look at the whole front end with the bumper and frunk carpet removed. Can you verify the VIN?
• I looked up the build sheet on mine using the VIN:

For the right price, even with flaws, it could be a great car. It depends on what you are really looking for. For me it was about bringing a car back from the brink. I had resources and just enough experience - with the help of the forum. I know not everyone is into that. Most people just want to drive a nice car.

If you want a 04 S SE, and have a few hundred $ to gamble, get a good PPI from someone who knows these cars. Without a good independent, detailed inspection, $15k would be too much risk IMHO.

[flmont]

Yes,..I ran a carfax,..everything came back fine,..no mention of any issues causing the loss of the sticker or possible hail damage,..I wish there was a way to get to the PO could answer a lot of question's...I would like to do 13K for it,..yours, I hope was dirt cheap,..But a great save for sure....Thanks Frank

[78F350]

Originally Posted by flmont

Yes,..I ran a carfax,..everything came back fine...

My comment about checking the VIN, was not to get a CARFAX history, but just to verify the build and options since the sticker is missing.
CARFAX is not really of much use unless everything done to the car has been fully logged and reported.

Originally Posted by Oldcarguy

... bear in mind that a CARFAX or similiar report may not show any or all repairs if they were kept off of the books. Also, a PrePurchaseInspection (PPI) might uncover repairs - or - the car might be great with a perfectly good reason why it doesn’t have the sticker.

A professional would need to do a hands on inspection to give you an informed opinion.

The best advice on how to proceed is as Oldcarguy said, get a detailed Pre-Purchase Inspection from a reputable shop that knows Porsches.
I have bought a lot of depreciated Boxsters, repaired all of the common problems and a few uncommon ones. I know that I will still miss things that a professional (not caught up in the emotion of a buy) will find.
Find a good shop local to the car, or ask here on the forum for a recommendation. Have it looked at in detail by someone who is being paid by you to find problems. Talk with the person that did the inspection. Then decide what it's worth to you.

[78F350]

It's a slow day at work, so I looked up the car... It could just be the angle of the photo, but it does look like the bumper and edge of the hood do not quite line up evenly. One of my '99s is like that and it had both airbags blown when I got it. A good collision shop can fix it at a reasonable cost, but I haven't bothered (yet).



Again, I'd recommend a good PPI to figure out if there's an issue. Overall, I though the car looked very good in the ad and if there aren't any surprises, $15k isn't bad.

[Blackcloud]

Good call. Looks like the car was hit at some point. If it’s not an insurance claim, Carfax doesn’t report it.

[flmont]

Hey Thanks for that 78F350,..I appreciate the insight,..and I didn't notice the hood line's great catch,..sometimes the carfax companies just gather info,..they show it titled in Green valley 20 min's from Tucson,..never seen it at any local Porsche events
But oh yes Ill have it doubled checked if I go for it..!! Thanks Frank

P.S. I drive a 97 F250 288 Plus K runs great !!!! Uses just a little bit of oil !!

[flmont]

Ahh ok Thanks Blackcloud,...Frank

[Starter986]

Originally Posted by Blackcloud

Good call. Looks like the car was hit at some point. If it’s not an insurance claim, Carfax doesn’t report it.

... or someone took off their bumper cover to clean the radiators.

I did that... reinstalled the bumper cover... and noticed that while the "gap" is even... it's about 1/4 inch larger than it should be. I failed to "snug" it back when I reinstalled it. I'll correct it when next I pull the bumper cover.

[Ottomotion]

Buy this one instead and use the $2K plus you save for gas on the drive home and having the drivers seat replaced....

https://redding.craigslist.org/ctd/d/2004-porsche-boxster-rwd-6/6764045855.html

I cant make out the production number, but wouldn't it be cool to have #986?....or #550?

[BoxMann]

Originally Posted by Oldcarguy

Asking prices are running around 12,000 to 29,000 USD right now. There are currently three or four for sale on Craiglist.

Craigslist in which area? I don't think there's a way to do a national search in Craigslist. I think a 200 mile radius of a zip code is all you can do.