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Old 08-01-2005, 11:54 AM   #1
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30,000 maintenance in Portland, OR

Hello. Newbie here, but I've been reading everything here I can find - excellent site!

I've owned a 2001 Boxster for about a week now - it has 28,000 miles on it and I see that the prior owner had the oil changed at 25,000 at a dealership. My local dealer wants over $700 to do the 30,000 mile service, even though the oil doesn't need to be changed. I can change the cabin filter and air filter. I haven't taken the engine cover off yet to see where the sparkplugs are - are they hard to change? I've changed them on several prior cars so if I can get to them, I'm sure I can change them on the Boxster as well.

Finally, anyone know a respectable Porsche mechanic in Portland, OR that would be an alternative to the local dealer? The local dealer wanted to charge me $75 for the radio code and wanted me to bring the car in to do it(the prior owner replaced the battery and didn't have the code). I called the dealer up in Tacoma, Washington and they told me how to get the serial number to read out on the cd player and then I just called them back and they gave me the code over the phone. Needless to say, I'd prefer to stay away from the local dealer if possible after that experience.

Thank you in advance for your help.

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Old 08-01-2005, 12:15 PM   #2
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Talking Spark plugs are a breeze.

They are behind the rear tires. Take the tire off and they're in your face. There's a separate coil on top of eac one so you need an allen wrench (easier w/ a socket, either 4mm or 5mm, I can't remember exactly which one) and a spark plug socket. The allen wrench takes the two screws out that hold the coil on top of the plug.

The Boxster uses the 4-prong Bosche platinum plugs so there's no gapping, just put them in. Use some anti-seize on the plug threads and di-electric grease on the plug heads to keep them from sticking next time. I'd hate for you to have to replace a coil because the boot fused to the plug and tore in half later on.

You should also check your serpentine belt and the rollers at 30K miles.

Personally, I prefer a dealer who requires you to take the car in to get the code. I don't think they should charge you for the 10 seconds it takes to get it, but if a theif can just call the dealership with the S/N then the code becomes useless.

Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions about the 30K.

Good luck!
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Last edited by deliriousga; 08-01-2005 at 12:17 PM.
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Old 08-01-2005, 12:27 PM   #3
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Thank you, John! I see your point with the radio code thing, but charging $75 and making me go to the dealership (25 mile drive) are wrong for something that takes 2 minutes. I offered to fax a copy of the registration if they would give me the info. over the phone and they wouldn't.

I'm glad the plugs are so easy to change! Thanks again! I'd still like to have a good mechanic look over the car so if anyone knows of one in Portland, I'd love to find out who it is.
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Old 08-01-2005, 12:37 PM   #4
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[QUOTE=Killertraylor]I offered to fax a copy of the registration if they would give me the info. over the phone and they wouldn't.QUOTE]
Now that's just plain stupid on their part. Some dealers are only interested in the guy who wants to throw money at everything with no reguard.

I hope you find someone good in Portland. I'm sure there's one out there somewhere.
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Old 08-01-2005, 02:42 PM   #5
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mechanic in Portland

Michael Jordan at Stuttgardt Autoteck is very honest and a very good mechanic. They are in Lake Oswego and the phone # is 503-635-3098.
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Old 08-01-2005, 04:04 PM   #6
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On a 2001 you do not need to change the plugs at 30K. 60 K is the recommendation.
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Old 08-01-2005, 08:48 PM   #7
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ditto on Stuttgardt

I agree w/Tom on Michael Jordan and Jess over at Stuttgardt. I had them do the oil and filters when I got my 2001 Box a couple of months ago and I think I got out of there with only a $300 bill.

I am about to send my Box into Jeff Gamroth at Rothsport in Tualatin. He is going to put on a set of Pilot Sports, PSS9 coil overs (lowered and corner balanced), high temp brake fluid and racing pads, GT3 sways on front and rear, GT3 rockers and a GT3 nose. Jeff and his crew are primarily Porshce race cars builders and now that there is a break in the season I can get in and get some of his time. He has also offered to put in a 3.4L or maybe even a 3.6L over the winter with CAI and street-legal racing exhaust and put on some Cup passive brake cooling. But at probably around $25-$35k, I may have to think about that for awhile. I only paid $24k for it w/ less than 10k miles on it so the engine is pretty fresh abeit not a 3.6L. Jeff said with a bigger engine and all the mods he is about to put on, I would have "a weapon" that no 996 could touch.

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Last edited by PDXBoxster; 08-01-2005 at 08:50 PM.
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Old 08-01-2005, 09:35 PM   #8
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I didn't know there's a lot of portlanders owning a boxster. I just got my car back the dealer. roof transmission. almost $1000 in parts' 500 in labor, thanks for my extended warranty. They did handle almost everything except it took them 2 weeks to fixed it! and they didn't even wash my car so pretty dirty! So I give them about 7 out 10!
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Old 08-02-2005, 05:50 AM   #9
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Sadly the money on that conversion would likely go right down the drain at resale time. Not that this is the ruling issue, just thought I would mention it.

Now, a nice chevy V8 in a 944 can be done for under 10K!!!!!!!!




Quote:
Originally Posted by PDXBoxster
I agree w/Tom on Michael Jordan and Jess over at Stuttgardt. I had them do the oil and filters when I got my 2001 Box a couple of months ago and I think I got out of there with only a $300 bill.

I am about to send my Box into Jeff Gamroth at Rothsport in Tualatin. He is going to put on a set of Pilot Sports, PSS9 coil overs (lowered and corner balanced), high temp brake fluid and racing pads, GT3 sways on front and rear, GT3 rockers and a GT3 nose. Jeff and his crew are primarily Porshce race cars builders and now that there is a break in the season I can get in and get some of his time. He has also offered to put in a 3.4L or maybe even a 3.6L over the winter with CAI and street-legal racing exhaust and put on some Cup passive brake cooling. But at probably around $25-$35k, I may have to think about that for awhile. I only paid $24k for it w/ less than 10k miles on it so the engine is pretty fresh abeit not a 3.6L. Jeff said with a bigger engine and all the mods he is about to put on, I would have "a weapon" that no 996 could touch.

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Old 08-02-2005, 08:27 PM   #10
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Yeah, I agree...the conversion won't help resale..but then...

Brucelee,

I'm aware of the resale issue and you are absolutely right; I won't see much if I decide to sell the Box but I have no plans on doing that. We all own Boxsters here so I'm preaching to the choir when I say that the Boxster is the chassis to build upon. Just to show you the kind of guy Jeff Gamroth is, he even said the stuff I'm about to do has no payback, but then he said with a wry smile, "that's not why you do it."

When you see shootouts or track comparisons you usually see the Boxster ("S" in the articles I've read) beating out 911s and Corvettes or taking no less than runner-up. It isn't as powerful in a straight line, but the mid-engine can sure turn and I don't mean just left turns either.

My Box probably eventually will not have much original equipment on it but I always want it turning quickly. Even though I think the GT3 nose and rockers will make my Box look good and please my aesthetic side, I really like to drive it more than look at it and they are even an intergral part of the driving equation. Jeff believes that the GT3 nose and rockers create more downforce so turn entry speeds can be higher. On the Cup cars he builds and races he said he can tell when even the chin spoiler has come off (deep grass or something) because he cannot take turns at the same high speed as when it is on.

Anyway, I'm pretty jazzed; my Box goes to see Jeff tomorrow for about a week or so. One correction I should make is that after talking with Jeff today, only the front sway bar is a GT3 one since the front ends on Boxsters are pretty much 911s and only require some minor machine shop tweaks on the attach points. The rear cannot accomodate a GT3 sway so it will be something different (I have no idea yet, still looking around).

If anyone is interested I could take before and after pictures (maybe even some along the way while at Rothsport).
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Old 08-03-2005, 05:53 AM   #11
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The before and after pix would be most interesting.

Good luck with the project!

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Old 08-03-2005, 04:56 PM   #12
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took "before" pics

...and will start a new thread when the "after" work and pics are done.

I was told it take up to two weeks...but Jeff is going to try to have the paint work done concurrently with the mechanical mods.

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