Ger's 2003 Porsche Boxster S
 

I started a thread in the General Discussion area a while ago, but thought I'd start a proper one here :)

I've bought a 2003 Porsche Boxster S. It's absolutely beautiful.

Photos of it outside the showroom before I bought it:

http://i.imgur.com/Sf38i5wl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Hp3HKdQl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/J8dnKMpl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/kqA5iPbl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/tFISoRQl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/DNVLG0Hl.jpg


And some crappy iPhone photos I took myself (no chance to use the DSLR yet).

Just leaving the showroom in York, to start a 4.5 hour drive to Cardiff:

http://i.imgur.com/OPIfkSGl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ipvkaCgl.jpg


My dad enjoying the car:

http://i.imgur.com/oT3HSm2l.jpg



(Continued...)

Home at last - first photo on the driveway:

http://i.imgur.com/IUh9aRPl.jpg


My Nephew seemed to like it:

http://i.imgur.com/0UosO2fl.jpg


The car is beautiful. Paintwork is immaculate, it's been two stage polished, no dings, nothing. The car drives amazingly too. Rear wheel drive launches and a 3.2 flat 6 is unreal. I thought the celica was fast, but faaaahking hell. This is unreal.

I've got a few things I'd like to do though! Here's the list:

Performance & Maintenance
- De-snorkel air vent

Exterior & Engine Bay
- Metal polish exhaust
- Respray rear badge silver
- Cayman spoiler Link
- Projector retrofit headlights Link
- Refurbish alloys & coloured centre caps Link
- Apply missing ‘Porsche’ caliper decal Link
- LED Cree indicators Link + Link
- Rear parking sensors Link
- Porsche dust caps Link
- Change alloys to 18” variants

Interior & Other Trim
- Buy BEAT 285BT Stereo Link
- Upgrade speakers
- Retrofit cruise control
- Retrofit on board computer

Other & Possibilities
- Exhaust bypass pipes with hand valves
- Auto-dimming mirror
- Fire extinguisher
- Heated seats
- Install dash spoiler control button


And here's what I've done so far:

Performance & Maintenance
- Modified roof relay (on-the-move opening)

Exterior & Engine Bay
- 5000k HID Xenon H7R Headlights
- 5000k side lights
- 5000k number plate lights
- Aero wipers

Interior & Other Trim
- USB charger

Refurbished & Replaced
- Battery

Photos of the new sidelights and headlights:

Sidelights:

http://i.imgur.com/66altXzl.jpg

Headlights:

http://i.imgur.com/lZZG0M3l.jpg

Due to the headlights having a shield over the bulb in the refractor lens, if you use a H7R bulb instead of a H7, you get absolutely no glare. It's fantastic - HID's in a reflector bulb hardly work, but some headlights are fine with it. The Renault Laguna and Honda Civic are two off the top of my head that come with them from the factory. I did this through sheer curiosity and it turned out great! I'm still going to retrofit projectors though.


I seriously need to clean this engine bay:

http://i.imgur.com/5wzmygml.jpg

Button was broken on the spare key fob. Re-soldered a new one and it works fine now:

http://i.imgur.com/oEl1Vm9l.jpg

Did the modification to the roof so that you can lower it on the move without the handbrake (not my photo):

http://i.imgur.com/4jfTnOrl.jpg


So yeah! I'm over the moon with it :) especially since it costs £40 a month less to insure than the Celica T-Sport I used to own. Couldn't believe that.

The car's been flawless for weeks, but unfortunately with all this terrible rain I've got a misfiring engine when driven hard, but fine when I drive it normally. I'm in the process of replacing all plugs and coil packs so I'll get back to you on that issue - doesn't seem serious though.

Also, here's the condition of the paintwork. It's a video as photos doesn't do its justice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pufC19VkOg

I'll keep you guys updated!

Car looks fantastic. Nice job waxing.

One question. Where did you get the replacement microswitch for the key fob? I have a broken one as well and would like to fix it it.

Thanks!

Thanks :) they're on Ebay, just search for Porsche keyfob micro switch.

Congrats and welcome, great looking Boxster!:cheers: You have a nice list which will keep you busy. Hopefully the rain will end soon!

This car looks so clean already, by the time you are done with it, it will be unbelievable.

Thanks guys, appreciate it! :)

Decided to give the exhaust a good polish.

Left side unpolished, right side polished:

http://i.imgur.com/JLw72qGl.jpg

Both polished:

http://i.imgur.com/DEYtfCil.jpg

Also decided to give the windscreen scuttle some bumper trim gel.

Before:

http://i.imgur.com/ObCeJYQl.jpg

During:

http://i.imgur.com/JQLNllJl.jpg

After:

http://i.imgur.com/rZ0DiPWl.jpg

And gave the headlights a polish and coating of wax:

http://i.imgur.com/6dPSR4Ul.jpg

That's all for now!

My girlfriend bought me a Porsche boot bag :)

http://i.imgur.com/wZnkdPAl.jpg

Awesome work
 

Two questions:
Exactly what polish did you use for the tailpipe? I tried to do mine with a Turtlewax chrome polish a got weak results.
Also what EXACTLY bumper gel did you use on your windscreen scuttle?
The both look great!

Metal Polish:
Meguiar's NXT Generation Metal Polysh
Meguiar's NXT Generation Metal Polysh: Amazon.co.uk: Car & Motorbike

Bumper Gel:
Autoglym 325ml Bumper Care by Autoglym
Autoglym 325ml Bumper Care: Amazon.co.uk: Car & Motorbike

Apply both with a soft foam applicator and remove with a microfibres :)

If you find the autoglym bumper gel tends to make a waxy mess in the rain, I heartily recommend Chemical Guys Fade to Black (it's an aerosol). Be sure to wipe it down completely with a microfibre towel once it's dwelled for 30 minutes or so.

Nowadays I only use bumper gel if I need to get some polishing residue out of non-black plastics. It used to be my go-to product though :)

The car looks great GT, and couldn't have found a better home it seems! Sucks for me that your links didn't paste into the post intact.

What are your plans for the HID projector retrofit? And where did you mount the ballasts?

Al.

Nice find! That is one clean looking ride ;)

Thanks :) well I've got a HID kit in there at the moment with the reflectors, but I'm running H7R bulbs and, in all fairness, they're great with no glare. And whilst running a 5000k kit, they just look like crisp clear bright bulbs.

Well I had a chat to Particlewave about this and it seems I can't do it with a heat gun, but the trouble in the UK is finding an oven big enough to fit the headlights in. It's a bit of a sticky situation! The only other option is to pay someone to do it for me, but then the price will get close to second hand litronics.

I'm going to have to find some sort of way.

Cheers bud :)

Nice! Where did she find it?


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I have an 03 Boxster S 6 speed as well. Original IMS 122k+ miles, owned it since 70k miles and besides basic maintenance, absolutely no mechanical problems. runs like a dream.

Nice peace of mind :)

Mine's developed a couple of problems. I'm having spluttering and rattling from the car when hot (after a hard drive):

From inside: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i69lltfykW8

From outside: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyKCsiF_RJo

I thought it was misfiring, but it now sounds like the exhaust. It only happens when hot though? I've replaced coils and plugs and it's the same. I wonder if it's the cat.

Also my drivers window regulator has snapped so I'll have to replace that. Damn it!

Still, could be worse.

Just mounted the ballasts to the HID's properly. Drilled holes through the covers and fed the wires through, using the rubber grommets on the HID wires to plug the holes. Screwed the ballasts to the back of the cover, and then re-fit the lights.

So much better than cramming the ballasts inside the lamp housing! Was paranoid of heat.

I'm in two minds about the projector retrofit now. I do really, really want it, but I don't have an oven big enough, and my original plan for a heat gun isn't a good idea apparently. I'm not sure what my options are :(

Is using a heat gun *carefully* an option?

re: sound of the videos, I could really only hear an exhaust leak. It sounded like from the headers to me. Did you find a leak?

Not yet, haven't had chance. How did you think it was from the headers?

Apparently using a heat gun doesn't apply heat in the right areas

I could be wrong of course, but it seemed to be only a single cylinder or perhaps two leaking. Only happening at certain temps is consistent with a cracked header/collector too. Eyeball your headers first is all I'm really suggesting.

I guess the headlights are sealed with butyl rubber as per most lights, but the sealing point isn't around the outer edge of the light like 'normal'. That's damned annoying that is! Especially when the right projector shrouds really lift these headlights appearance wise.

Ger's 2003 Porsche Boxster S
 

My new method will look a lot like what's used in this video...

http://youtu.be/n_7dW3g6Xqw

Hope I don't burn my house down.

You need to make the hole a little bigger with a dremmel and get rid of the notches for the lens to sit flat, but yeah it's very similar.

It's just opening the lens. I can't close the oven door with the headlight in as it won't fit, and leaving the oven door open will loose too much heat. I'm not buying an oven just for this job (even if it is a scrap one), and apparently I can't use a heat gun.

This is looking less likely by the minute :(

Ger, remember that heat plays a big part in a lot of things. It expands things. I had a Nissan that had a leaking head gasket. It would run rough when cold, then heat would expand the gasket and seal it and it would run perfect again. I'm guessing some variation of this is happening to your exhaust headers.

I thought the cardboard box being used with a heatgun had promise? To date I've only ever needed a heat gun but I like the approach he uses in the video better.

But that's what made me think that it wasn't an exhaust blow, because it happens when hot and not cold. But I suppose leaks and cracks could expand.

I'll have a little look to see if I can see anything myself, but I can't imagine I'll be successful. I'll take it to an exhaust garage whenever I get time.

Heating a cardboard box to 225*C? Not sure I could do that...

Your source (particleweave), used 225 Fahrenheit, not Celsius in this video?

http://986forum.com/forums/diy-project-guides/51565-how-open-sealed-headlight.html

His 'old' video lists it as 225F which makes sense seeing as he's in the US.

So maybe double check with him? I can't claim to have done it myself and they certainly aren't sealed with Butyl rubber which is all I've worked with to date, so don't take my word for it :)

Oops. That'll be about 107C then. Still bloody hot!

The only other way I can think of doing it is to use a heat gun from further away for a longer amount of time, so that it's not direct scalding heat but heating it gradually.

Exhaust blow has been fixed :) gasket between the header and the cat. The mechanic replaced both gaskets to be sure on both sides, and replaced a few corroded U-clamps on the back box. Did the whole thing for £30, cash in hand. Very happy!

http://i.imgur.com/WEvP2kQl.jpg

Sounds better than it ever did, it must have always had a slight blow.

All that's left to do now is to fix the drivers window regulator that snapped a few days ago, and the car's back to normal. £80 for the regulator unfortunately but it's not the end of the world. Could be worse.

Awesome result! :)

Nice! Always great when its a low cost repair
Unfortunately it will cost you a lot more to get the steering wheel moved to the correct side

Cheers :cheers:

So gave the car a good clean a couple of days ago...

http://i.imgur.com/HpwzzB2l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/2pUFqSBl.jpg

Aaaaand how it was when I woke up this morning:

http://i.imgur.com/zqnrir0l.jpg

Practically a bloody ice cube!

Well being so clean the coating of frost is nice and even! ;)

Hopefully this Saturday I'll have time to fit the new window regulator so the car can be completely back to normal. Sunday I won't have time as I'm going to pick up some new 18" cayman wheels! Wooo!

Anyway - I've updated my to-do list for the car:

http://i.imgur.com/RbCHDEv.png

Some updates!

Window regulator has been fixed, all back to normal now. The window doesn't seem to drop as far as it used to but it doesn't catch on anything and is still a perfect seal, so no complaints there.

I've bought some new number plate LED's but Cree ones this time. One of my bulbs has gone so it's time for a change.

I've bought 4x Cree LED indicator bulbs, as well as a replacement relay for the flasher. I had these bulbs on my Celica and they're outstanding. Very bright, instant on and off, modernises the car to no extent.

And, I've just bought these from a forum member:

http://i.imgur.com/y5Z7Tujl.jpg

Putting them on today! Great guy, had a good chat and I'm really pleased with the wheels :)

I'll post photos of the wheels on the car later, but it may be dark!

And on the car:

http://i.imgur.com/oiM6D4Fl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/puKskSKl.jpg

So much better. Also bought these:

http://i.imgur.com/RmIeiYhl.jpg

Comparing it to the old ones:

http://i.imgur.com/PvLGj8al.jpg

And on the car:

http://i.imgur.com/R9jQvTll.jpg

Freshened it up!

These also came in the post.

Cree number plate bulbs:

http://i.imgur.com/AYiruCEl.jpg

Left one is the old LED, the right is the new Cree LED:

http://i.imgur.com/JHXJH4bl.jpg

And both in:

http://i.imgur.com/oOMKxYql.jpg

Some Cree LED indicator bulbs also came (4 in total):

http://i.imgur.com/w6AHpYvl.jpg

And a relay to make them work:

http://i.imgur.com/2gHJpdsl.jpg

I tried the bulbs. They're outstanding, but unfortunately the relay didn't work so I've bought resistors to place onto each bulbs wiring to make them work.

That's it for now!

Those wheels are a great fit on the 986. I'm jealous! :cool:

Agreed - the wheels look great. I was thinking that the old ones looked pretty good, but the new ones are much better.

Those centre caps are a nice touch too.

A nice look on the 986 with those wheels. I love wheels of all kinds and I think all of the Box's wear them well!


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Thanks guys, appreciate it :)