The tale of the $1000 boxster

[rusty69911]

ok so your all going to say Im mad but here I go,
I kept seeing this car getting cheaper and cheaper, it was an insurance write off due to a minor fire on the parcel shelf, the toasted the seats and the carpet above the engine cover, also singed the manifolds and a few other bits but they are still functional just not pretty, its a 5 speed 2.5 so nothing special but I though I will try it as a cheap project,
no key so I dont know if its a runner, missing front panels lh radiator, rh door shell and the rh sill has been chopped off, no wheels or brakes either,
other wise complete haha
I can hear you all saying why bother, well a tidy boxster over here is still pulling 15K or 12k for a rough one, this gives me a bit to play with and build it how I want, or if the engine is ok use it for a buggy or something LOL

[Mark_T]

You are a brave man indeed! Keep us posted as your project progresses.

Have you thought that you might be further ahead to part out the remains and put the money towards a running car?

[rexcramer]

You a brave, brave man.

[Meir]

that is a very nice project.
just don't expect the car to worth more then 5K when you are done.
if you are fine with that, you are going to have a fun project.

[ekam]

You are in Australia. Looks like a proper car for the Fury Road.

[mikefocke]

I presume you know about Forums - PFA

Folks there might help you find parts.

A phrase I heard more than a few times in the weeks after 9/11 comes to mind "we're with 'ya mate".

[rusty69911]

like I said Im in Australia, so price of a tidy boxster is 15K so pretty sure it will be worth more than 5K, not that Im doing it to sell,
on the flip side parts are more expensive and harder to get than in the US too, bit of a challenge

[Prelude Guy]

I think the only people who will understand the project you are taking on are people who simply love to restore cars and prevent a car that is unique to be saved from the scrap yard.

Personally, I love working on cars like yours. Spending time tearing it apart, cleaning it up, restoring it, and enjoying watching the car being brought to life.

I will enjoy reading updates on this restoration.

[Giller]

Good luck with the project. I'm not sure how 'unique' a boxster is....there are still tons of them out there - but it is still a shame to see one put to sleep. So if you can bring her back to life, more power to you.

A lot will come down to the condition of the engine. If she turns over and runs, awesome, you are on your way. If not.....watch your budget.

[Smallblock454]

Good luck with your project. Hope you get the burn smell out of the cabin.

Regards, Markus

[10/10ths]

.......https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzim1iYhmGA

[rusty69911]

bahaha, thats funny,
yeah its a bit different in Australia, we arent quite so spoilt for choice as you guys in the US,
you guys wouldn't get it unless you lived here,
there is currently about 110 earlier (pre 05) boxsters for sale on carsales.com.au which is the main source for buying second hand here,
how many would be for sale in the us via whatever is the most common medium there?
prob 1500 haha
its all about the scale of thing isnt it,
heres hoping the motor runs otherwise it might be an audi v8 swap or yard art haha
Ive saved worse than this from death over the years, rust is usually the big killer here,
cheers Russ...

[rusty69911]

yeah they certainly arent unique, but they are a bit more interesting than the current domestic market here,

[particlewave]

A quick search of AutoTrader, which is only one of many online car markets, shows 647 1997-2004 Boxsters in US.

[Smallblock454]

Well over here in Germany it's 394. But there are also cars from Europe in this search.

http://suchen.mobile.de/

Regards
Markus

[Oggie]

Looks like fun.

If it is an insurance write off, are you sure you can get re-licensed once fixed (assuming that is what you intend)?

[BoxsterSteve]

Originally Posted by Oggie

Looks like fun.

If it is an insurance write off, are you sure you can get re-licensed once fixed (assuming that is what you intend)?

Re licensing depends on the classification of the original insurance write off. Some are parts only write offs.
Cases where rebuilding is permitted have stricter repair guidelines and recertification standards. Over here, rebuilders have to do a standard vehicle safety inspection as well as a structural safety to verify vehicle integrity after repairs.
Insurance may also be an issue, as some companies won't insure a rebuilt vehicle.
To the OP,, have fun. That looks like an interesting project.

[rusty69911]

its over 15 years old and the vin hasn't been cancelled, thats the rules over here,
I may not even register it, just get a permit and drive once and a while,
plus we have a couple of events a year such as hill climb and motorkahna type event in my town,
Im actually more of a fixer tinkerer than a driver, between myself and my wife we have 14 or so cars, only 4 of them registered haha most of them projects

[rusty69911]

Not much progress, audi v8 bolted up to test fit for front mounts, hardtop chopped to sit on for looks, quarter panel repair panel chopped to fit and rocker panel still waiting, front clip tacked on still needs trim and full weld, decided to chuck up for sale sadly, too many projects, any Aussie guys here interested go check it out on gumtree

[Brian in Tucson]

I didn't see this thread previously. I would never attempt to restore this catastrophe. An I'd be depressed and discouraged just to look at it.

Could make a nice parts car if the price were cheaper. No way it's worth $1000.