Don't fret the AOS...it's a ~$125 part and easily replaced on 2003-04 Boxsters without going underneath the car.
I did my buddies 03S about a month ago. I'd never done an AOS and it took me 2 hours start to finish. Most of the first thirty minutes was just locating the tubes and bolts that needed to be removed. It looked daunting at first but was really a piece of cake.