Cheap HP?

[WoBoxster]

I am 16 years old and i have a 1998 Boxster. I am looking for a Cheaper way to add more HP too it. Something under 2K. I am also looking for new tires, any suggestions?

[St. Louis Boxster]

16? A boxster? Consider yourself a lucky kid and forget the additional horsepower. Now, go get a haircut and do your homework !!!

[Brucelee]

Originally Posted by WoBoxster

I am 16 years old and i have a 1998 Boxster. I am looking for a Cheap way to add more HP too it. I am also looking for new tires, any suggestions?

I think you need to define "CHEAP" for us and we might be able to help a bit.

Re Tires. I have had good luck with Yokohamas. Good tire for the money!

Thanks for joinng us!

[Fletcher]

Cheap and h.p. don't play well together in Boxsterland. The mods I have planned for my 04 2.7 to give me about 25h.p. are going to cost about 4-5k...These cars are not cheap to hop up. But with intake, exhaust, headers, cats and ecu you can get real power gains and a much lighter wallet.

[donv]

WoB, hope this will be taken in the spirit it is intended. In your lucky position and at your age I would recommend that instead of putting the $2K into parts to make your car faster, you spend it on educating you to drive even better. There are several performance driving schools as well as local Porsche Chapters' Driver's Ed/Autocross events that would fit well within your budget and produce a better outcome than bolting on various bits of plastic and metal, etc. The stock Boxster has more performance than most people's skill can ever use. It has been estimated that most people don't drive these cars to more than 60% of their potential performance. So one way of thinking about it is you could get a ~35% performance gain (40% would be going to the edge a bit) by improving the driver's skills to utilize the full performance of the car vs. changing the car itself in some way.

Also, this is an investment that you get to take with you when you change cars later and doesn't depreciate like the car and accessories will.

I've done the local autocross "school" and a driver's ed event and it made me a faster, safer driver (and I'd had a few years more of practice up to that point than you ). You'll learn to carry more speed through corners and how to stop better, etc.

BTW, if you need new tires, that $2K could already have found a new home...

[IceBox]

Unfortunatley, the Boxster just isn't set up for 'tuning' in the way Hondas and their ilk are. There are cheap and not-so-cheap ways of differentiating you Box from others i.e., changing the rear spoiler, new rims, etc., but exhaust seem to start @ $700 or more, intakes at $400, and in the end they really don't add much in the way of hp. Which isn't to say you shouldn't do it, just be prepared to part with cash. BTW, congrats on scoring a great ride at 16. The advice about going to a performance driving school is very good. I just attended the Bridgestone F2000 school at Mosport and I'm 38. I wish I'd done it sooner.

[Brucelee]

The driving school idea is top rate. Thanks for that!

[Pilot2519j]

Originally Posted by WoBoxster

I am 16 years old and i have a 1998 Boxster. I am looking for a Cheaper way to add more HP too it. Something under 2K. I am also looking for new tires, any suggestions?

Obviously we are talking the remote control Porsche Boxster right? A 16 yr old with a Boxster sacre blue.

[jfmillr]

Only 2 k to spend? You are going to need a lot more then that to add the kind of HP you might be looking for.
I like the driving school and kumho tires idea. I personally like the Pilot sports more(thats what I have) but I dont tear them up. I almost never intentionally spin my tires.
When I was 16 I didnt have the priviledge of driving a Porsche, but have been fortunate enough to have some very nice cars along the way. I would say enjoy the car as much as you can in its semi-stock condition. It should be plenty of power for you.
If you want to see what I did to my 986(Boxster) the feel free to browse www.09860.com
Enjoy your car!

[Brucelee]

Hey, my first car was a 63 Vette, but of course that was in 67, so it was not QUITE such a big deal.

Paid $2250 for it!

Hmmm, I should have kept that car?

[Adam]

Especially if it was a split window coup. Doh!

[IceBox]

Frankly I'm suprised at all the back-handed comments regarding this guy's age. Seems to me he's gone out of his way to find an informative site and has asked the question we all ask; 'How can my Boxster go faster'. And in reply, most people are making broad assumptions regarding the' stupid' things he's likely to do. At 16, Sebastion Bourdais competed at Le Mans, surely he had the talent and intelligence to snag the ride. I suspect no one said 'Sacre Blue' which should be spelt 'Bleu', by the way. I wont make any judgement calls on that poster's brain-power based on a spelling mistake. Nor will I point out that 22 is a tiny hop from 16, and in no way speaks to any greater degree of wisdom or skill. And aren't we all in a position to consider ourselves lucky that we can afford to drive a Boxster? At 16 or 60? I'd now go get a hair-cut but genetics and time have taken care of that option, and as for homework, I never did it when I had it! And don't anybody get their panties in a twist, just think how you'd feel if you went to ask for some helpful suggestions, and got some of these responses instead.

[Brucelee]

You know when I bought it they had a silver split window for sale for about $200 more. I really only had the money I paid for the convertible and was going to owe my Mom for the fees etc.

Moreover, it was summer and you know, having the top down really did make it seem way better than having the coupe.

It was only years later that collectors decided that they had to have the split window!

Go figure.

Re: our new member, I say, to have a Box at 16 is might y awesome indeed.!

Originally Posted by Adam

Especially if it was a split window coup. Doh!