Newbie Q's
 

Hello fellow Boxster owners :)

I have a few newbie Q's for you all:

1) When does a 986 S clutch usually need replacing, assuming normal use?

2) Are 986 & 996 cars the same from the windscreen forward? That is, will a 996 Turbo / GT3 bumper fit on a 986?

3) I read a lot on TPC's turbo kit but can't really find any reports or info on Turbowerx's kit - anybody with any feedback on Turbowerx?

4) Can you retro-fit a 03+ 986 glovebox into a 2000-03 model?

Thanks in advanace :)

My responses (others may vary):

1. 60K-80K is about normal. It depends on the type of driving (city vs hwy, etc.). I've heard of them needing replacement with as few as 40K miles and others going beyond 100K.

2. Yes - to a point. The parts are interchangeable up through 2001. When the 996 changed headlights in 2002, the bumpers changed and won't work on the 986. Not sure about the fenders from '02 on. The hoods are the same throught the range.

3. Turbos on Boxsters are an iffy proposition unless you change the internal components to lower the compression. Not worth the risk in my opinion.

4. No - at least not without changing the entire dashboard. A lot of work for another half cubic foot of storage.

The clutch is largely dependent on your launch self-control.

Fender have to be changed too. Someone on this site (I think) reported on doing the later 996 headlights, bumper and fenders.

Not sure about the S, but my Boxster had its first clutch change at 92000 miles. It largely depends on how you use it I guess.

I bought my car with 46k on the clock and it had a new clutch in it (couldn't have had more than a couple thousand miles on it).

Guess the guy that had my car previously had a bit of a heavy foot..

I had a look at two black on black 01 S's today.

One of them did not have speakers in the doors, nor an amp, and had an aftermarket head unit. I mentioned to the seller that I thought they call came with speakers in the doors, and he said "oh the bose upgrade" and I thought NO as isn't the BOSE upgrade a different head unit & speakers in the back too?

Was door speakers an option - as well as the amp?

One of the cars had a rattle in the door when the window was down too - not sure if this is common?

Not all models came with speakers in the doors. The door speakers were an option. The BOSE system is yet another upgrade option as well. I do think that all models came with factory amps though, but yours may have been taken out when the aftermarket head unit was installed which is what is powering your dash speakers. The rear speakerbox behind the seats is also an option if you don't have the Bose upgrade.

I'm not sure if Australia models are different, but here's what I know about cars stateside:

A Boxster from 1997 to 2004 is the same as a 911 from 1999 to 2001 (cosmetically). 2002 is when the front end changed on the 996 911s. There is one exception, the 2001 911 TURBO. The 2001 model year and up Turbos' bumpers/fenders/headlights will not fit the 986.

Pretty sure they are the same here, I've noticed the 2001+ 911's have different shaped lights.

The reason why I ask is that I would like a more aggressive front bumper for my S, and wanting to know which OEM one I might be able to get one from.

How can I tell if a car has traction control or PSM?

Have many people racked up the miles on these cars to know how the engine responds to higher milage?

Pretty easy.
There will be a button on the dash that says either TC or PSCM.

If you wanted to get in depth, you could look at the build code sticker under the front hood, and see if the car has options 222 and 224. That's what my '98 has on it, and it makes climbing snowy hills slightly more possible.

That was an entertaining drive last week.
I won't be trying that again.

BC.

Thanks for all the responses so far, have helped.

I saw a factory stacker for sale on an auction site, will that plug into a car with a factory head unit (non-bose)??