- Seller: Jesse M
- Location: Boise, Idaho
- Mileage: 54,672 Shown
- Chassis #: WP0CA2901U620176
- Title Status: Clean
- Engine: 2.7-Liter Boxer-6
- Transmission: 5-Speed Manual
After purchasing a 2003 Porsche Boxster S, we decided to dive into water-cooled Porsches. We bought a beautiful 996 911, which we recently sold to make room for a big project. While our Boxster S was a blast, we decided to see what an unmodified example was like and if it was worth the extra to get an S. When this low-mileage Boxster came up for sale here in Boise, we decided we better try it out. Honestly, we don’t see why you really need an S, the base car is fantastic! We would love to keep this one, as it’s in immaculate condition, and its color combo looks awesome. Unfortunately, we still aren’t done with three ongoing restorations, and we’ve decided to let someone else enjoy this Boxster so we can focus on finishing other projects (although driving this one sounds like a lot more fun).
This Boxster was sold new in Littleton, Colorado, and spent its first year and a half in Colorado. It then journeyed to Idaho, where it has stayed ever since. It might be a base car, but it’s still well-optioned. Most Boxsters were painted silver with black interior, but this one was optioned with Rain Forest Green Metallic paint and Savanna Beige partial leather seats. It also received the Sport Package, full power seats, and 17″ Sport Classic Wheels. The previous owner spent a sizeable amount of money to ensure the car was in top condition and would stay that way for years to come. More on that in a moment.
Inside, you’ll find an immaculate interior with only a few minor flaws. The only real issues are a small tear in the passenger seat, and the floor mats have gone missing, but a set of OEM floor mats are already on the way. The Sport Package added the wind stop, cruise control, alarm system, and CD Radio sound system. Everything works as it should and shows minimal wear. The damage to the passenger seat is minor but noticeable from the driver’s seat. It appears to have had something poke it, but we aren’t sure exactly what happened. Replacement seat bottoms are available, but an upholstery shop might be able to fix it.
Given the mid-engine design, getting a good look at the engine is hard, so sorry we don’t have any good engine photos. Being a base model car means it’s equipped with the 2.7-liter flat-6 and is rated at 217 horsepower. While not as powerful as the S’ 3.2-liter, it’s plenty of power to be a blast to drive. This one should be good to go for years to come, as it’s had a ton of work done over the years. We have documents going back to when the car was sold new and it has had regular maintenance throughout its life. In 2023, the previous owner spent nearly $14k to have the engine equipped with an EPS Eternal IMS bearing, plus had the timing chains, chain rail, clutch, flywheel, gaskets, and crankcase bolts done. Bore scoring is among people’s concerns with these engines, but an oil analysis shows the engine is in great shape, plus a visual inspection was done in April of 2023 and didn’t find any signs of scoring. The car starts and runs beautifully, without any odd noises. The level of documentation included with this Boxster is incredible!
As much fun as the Boxster S was, the base car offers more than enough performance for the street. It sounds great without being obnoxious, and acceleration is brisk. While the handling isn’t as aggressive as the S, it’s still on point and provides a more comfortable drive. If you want a track car, the S is the better choice, but for a daily driver, this base Boxster is the one to have! You don’t find many in this color combo, especially ones that are as well-documented as this one. So, if you’d love to have it, be sure to bid below. Don’t hesitate to leave any questions you have in the comment section, and we will do our best to get you an answer!
Bid On This Auction
Ehatcher bid $13,000.00 2024-12-28 10:55:09
AirCooledOne bid $12,750.00 2024-12-28 10:41:50- Ehatcher bid $12,250.00 2024-12-28 10:38:36
- AirCooledOne bid $12,000.00 2024-12-28 10:30:33
Stickman bid $11,500.00 2024-12-28 10:26:05- AirCooledOne bid $11,000.00 2024-12-28 10:09:29
Jim H bid $8,996.00 2024-12-27 13:01:39
R Scott bid $5,500.00 2024-12-26 21:35:27
OldGTRacer bid $5,000.00 2024-12-26 18:12:56
Brock bid $4,250.00 2024-12-23 12:10:50
accessbuilders bid $3,500.00 2024-12-22 04:20:24
Geo buyer bid $3,000.00 2024-12-21 17:51:55- accessbuilders bid $2,500.00 2024-12-21 04:38:19
Scott Marquis bid $627.00 2024-12-19 21:39:28- R SCOTT pearson bid $100.00 2024-12-19 19:23:06
Color combination is a classic. I did not know about the scoring problem though or the issue with the IMS bearing. Not a cheap hobby by any means.
Porsche claims the IMS bearing issue impacted less than 1% of cars, early cars seem to be less prone than ones built after they refreshed the 986 and 996. Bore scoring seems to primarily be an issue with engines that didn’t receive regular oil changes, but who knows for sure? This car received regular maintenance, a new IMS bearing, and was checked for bore scoring by a reputable shop here in Boise when they did the bearing and clutch in 2023.
I will have a hard time seeing it leave Barn Finds HQ. It is a fun car to drive. I love the handling, the engine noises, and the color combination.
The IMS bearing ruined a great car for a lot of folks, some l knew personally. These are very nice road cars and fun to drive.
That’s a sweet color combo on these. This would be worth crossing the country for, and in. Best of all, I have an old friend in Boise who could probably store it for me until Spring. This bears watching!
But can I get the wife to give up her Fiat?
Bid at $687? Sacrilege. Should be at least “986”!
Looking at those Eurosport invoices, it looks like the owner single handedly kept this outfit in business! Lost count at over $15,000!
I owned a 2003 tip and loved it , tastes are for everyone and these colors are not for me but i do miss my boxster
YOLO
…would someone please explain to me why I must pay $9.00 a month for the privilege of bidding PLUS the buyer’s fee ? …don’t mind the buyer’s fee, but why the other charges ? …thanks, AL
The membership requirement has helped us eliminate deadbeat bidding. If it’s that big of a deal for you and your actually serious, we can come up with a solution.
I guess you weren’t actually interested in bidding?
Is there a reserve on this car. Thanks.
Yes, there is a reasonable reserve set.
I sold quite a few but when it came to a purchase I bought a Nissan 350Z Touring Convertible … the Boxter is a joy to drive, as is the Z-car … and as noted, the Porsche engine “music” is a joy in itself … besides power, maintenance and upkeep was a high priority – the Nissan was better for both … and, with the Porsche you can set the cruise control at 140 but the Nissan is limited to 91 …
I tried to post this question yesterday, but looks like it didn’t work – would you please clarify what the blemish is on the wheel lip (~ 2 o’clock position) in the second wheel photo in the gallery? It looks like a deep scratch or possibly a crack.
I’ll take a look at the wheel tomorrow and see what that spot is.
I found the spot and it’s not a crack or a scratch. It was something sticky. I cleaned the wheel and provided before and after photos
Here’s after wiping it off.
I didn’t do a full detail of the wheel, but washed it off and took additional photos of it.
Thank you for the clarification
Photos of the new floor mats have been added to the gallery.
How long have you owned the Boxster, and how many miles have you driven it?
I’ve only owned it a few months. Right after I bought it, an air-cooled 911 popped up that I could turn down!
A really gorgeous color combination. Will be huge fun for the money. $2,000 to drop the engine and trans to do the IMS and clutch.
IMS and clutch already done!
I recently helped a good friend to sell his 2001 Boxster with only 21k miles. The car ran great and looked great, like just out of the showroom and had the desirable silver metallic paint. I put in on BAT thinking that was the right place to sell this car and the some of those Porsche guys tried to tear it apart. The IMS bearing had no issues, the car had its original tires which were in great shape but people didn’t like that. The bidding didn’t get over $13000 which was a disappointment because this was a nice original car. It didn’t meet the reserve my friend wanted. I took it off and sold it on Craigslist for $16,500. Go figure!! I liked driving it and it was a fun, nice ride!!
Timing is everything, any auction can go sideways , i follow some and its like the stock market sometimes…
I ve seen price drops because of keyboard mechanics and all their bs
But, there isn’t only one reason or bad venue
YOLO
Original tires on a 2001 model year car – so 23 year old tires? Even if they look good, tires that old are pretty universally considered to be unsafe.
Low mileage cars are great but if you’re friend’s Boxster still had the original tires on it, that probably means the service was behind too. It can cost a lot of money to catch even a low mileage car up because it will still need all the consumables. As mentioned, this car had $15k worth of service work done recently so that’s nice because the new owner doesn’t have to budget that in. I’m sure bidders on your car were thinking about what it was going to take to replace everything it needed. The local buyer might not have spent the time figuring that all out.
Thanks Jesse. I learned much more about these cars through that sale. This car seems to have had all that maintenance work done to it. It certainly seems to be worth much more than the bidding has reached. Good luck to the owner!!!
I have a 1998 Boxster with 210,000 km and still with the original IMS and clutch. No special maintenance other than regular oil & filter changes. It’s a great driving car and easy to maintain – I replaced the water pump, air-oil separator, mass-air-flow sensor, O2 sensors, front and rear brake pads without difficulty.
Pelican Parts “101 Projects for your Boxster” is a recommended book. And the Durametric diagnostic software.
Why does the intro to this ad look so familiar?
It’s exactly the same as the ad for another Boxter about a month ago.
That’s because we had two!
This auction is ending in less than an hour. I’ll be around if anyone has any last minute questions. Good luck!
Great deal for the winner! Such a rare color combo.
Well bought! This one is headed to a Barn Finds reader in Pennsylvania. Thanks for everyone’s interest.