1997 suggested upgrades?

[hoser]

Hello. Pretty much a total newbie here and looking at buying a 1997 Boxster from a car-fanatic family member. Only about 30K miles on it and it's been mostly garage sitting lately since he has a 911/4 and other cars too.

I'm sure I'll be getting a very good price on it, but are there any suggested mechanical upgrades or accessories you'd recommend on this year model?

[Jeph]

Yeah, first things first. Take care of that goofy looking shifter/knob. It looks like a door-knob from the 70's wrapped in plasticy leather! Then you're set (depending on which rims you've got).

[Patto]

Get rid of any amber lights if has any.

[Brucelee]

First things first.

Before you buy it, take it to the local Porsche dealer and get a complete pre-purchase inspection. Make sure they do a top to bottom job complete with paint meter inspection and a focus on the frame and suspension. RMS and other leaks are of course, a must for this inspection.

Also have the seller provide a complete maint history.

Lastly, run a car fax.

Then we can help you with mods galore.

Good luck.

[MNBoxster]

Hi,

My suggestion is to get a proper purchase as BL suggests. Then drive the Car As Is for several months. This will familiarize you with the Car and give you a better understanding of which Mods will be the most important to You.

This will also give you some time to recover from the Purchase Shock and to Shake Down the Car and correct those Mundane, Non-Sexy, things which may require your $$. No point in doing a bunch of Mods and then find out you need Plugs, Oil Change, Alignment, Clutch, Window Adjustment, Top Adjustment, etc, only to find out that you've already busted the Bank on non-essential items.

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[RandallNeighbour]

As the owner of a 1997 myself, I'd say these are the things you should do to the car, in the order of importance, after you get your Pre Purchase Inspection (as these things are often overlooked in a PPI)...

1. The plastic coolant resovoir cracks with age. Get this replaced if it has not been done yet. Best PM you can do. I'm going to do mine soon, even though it's not leaking... why risk it?

2. Convertible top transmission cables. If they're not the reinforced ones replaced under warranty in 1999, replace these immediately to avoid the $2000+ damage the old ones cause when they heat up in the summer and stretch, disengaging one side of the top transmission while the other torques up your clamshell and top.

3. Check to see that both your radiators are functioning. Get the car up to temp, run the AC on high, and walk to the front of the car to insure you can feel hot air blowing downward in front of both front tires. Replace if needed. (Sometimes, a PPI mechanic will not check this the way they should).

Then comes the fun stuff...

4. Replace the nasty shift knob with a newer style. Takes 30 seconds to swap out and makes you instantly feel like you're driving a far newer car. $150 or less.

5. Trash the CDR-210 and buy a good aftermarket stereo head unit for the car. I put in an Alpine head unit that was only $225 and it sounds a million times better than any Becker unit you could buy.

6. Get the rear speaker kit and a rear storage compartment in which to install it. Watch ebay for these and as far as the storage compartment, bid very high in the last seconds to snag it... they are $550 at the parts counter new. This upgrade makes top down driving far more enjoyable when talking about listening to tunes.

6. Buy new tail lamps and side markers that have no amber in them. $180.00 plus s/h from Suncoast Motorsports. This will make your car look like a 2002 and far better.

7. Buy the litronic replacement headlamps and clear corners. $1300 when they go on sale. And get the wiring done instead of just installing them because seeing those blue beams tilt up and down is so cool you won't believe how pleased you will be with them over your old halogen headlamps!

8. Replace your top with an aftermarket glass one. Chopping the plastic every time you drop the top is a total pain in the ass. I'm saving up for this next!

Here's my 02 cents' worth of opinions on power upgrades (aftermarket intakes and exhaust systems or air filters): Don't bother. They're expensive and don't do what the sellers claim they will do. I'd desnorkel your intake though as it makes for a nice growl when you punch it. Basically, enjoy the 2.5 liter engine for what it is... a nice engine for the car that propels it just fine, and takes you to twisty roads where the car is simply in a league of its own, regardless of engine size.

[hoser]

Since I don't own one yet, I'm not clear on these.
1. How much does it cost to replace the plastic coolant resovoir?

2. How much to replace the convertible top transmission cables with reinforced ones?

3. What is the problem with the amber lights?

4. What does this mean and what's the cost?
"Replace your top with an aftermarket glass one. Chopping the plastic every time you drop the top is a total pain in the ass. I'm saving up for this next!"

Thanks!