Boxob

Is it just a couple of days? The 986 and 987 have a sleep mode which kicks on after a number of days (I think 5 days for the 986).  Thereafter the remote doesn't work until the system has been woken up.

Snap!

It's not just the condition of the main battery that can trigger an alarm. The siren has its own rechargeable battery. With age that battery, which draws from the main battery, does not hold its charge as it used to. When it drops the alarm system 'thinks' it's being interferred with so triggers. 

Not heard of the fob battery causing a trigger.

On the 986, and I assume following models, there is a second seal below the external window seal you can see. In my experience it is this lower second seal which remains frozen to the window preventing the window from dropping. I have a credit card sized ice scraper which I  run along the second seal to free it. Window drops immediately.

Bad luck. Unwelcome early Chistmas present.

Take a photo of the pothole, the damage to the tyre and send it to the local council. You may get compensated. It depends whether the pothole has been reported to them and whether they've had adequate to to repair it. Google will give you the details.

This is today's Hegarty report:

1996–2004 Porsche Boxster

Several cars have been credited with saving Porsche over the years; the 924 of the 1970s, the Cayenne of the 2000s, and the company’s pivot to electric power with the Taycan will no doubt ensure its survival into the future. But in the 1990s it was the Boxster – by sharing its componentry with the 996-generation 911 and debuting far more efficient production methods at the company – that helped save Porsche.

Today the 986 Boxster (its name a cocktail mix of Boxer and Speedster) is seen as one of the most affordable ways to put a Stuttgart sports car on the driveway. It expanded Porsche’s customer base in 1996 too, but what you may not remember was just how many early reviews decreed it a better driver’s car than the 911 of the day.

Modest power from the new watercooled 2.5-litre flat-six proved little hindrance, though with 204bhp and a 0-60mph time in the mid-sixes, it was undoubtedly one of the Boxster’s weaker attributes. As was the car’s styling, seen as flabbier and less dramatic than the 1993 concept that spawned it, but viewed through the lens of 2020s motoring, the accessible performance and ‘90s curves (with those characteristic ‘fried egg’ headlights) no longer seem like limitations.

Nor, any longer, is price. At launch, the £33,950 Porsche asked for a Boxster was at the upper end of its class, though still little more than half that of a 3.6 Carrera, which was £61,395 that year. But Robert Gardian, the owner of the car you see here, paid an astonishing £2000 for it. While that’s lower than most, you can still get a decent Boxster today for little more than a similarly decent Mk1 MX-5. Gardian’s car has needed only standard maintenance since, and while it isn’t used daily, it is certainly used regularly, both on his local Welsh roads and further afield.

Some criticise the 986’s cabin for feeling a little cheap, but that’s only by the standard of other Porsches. Today it feels sturdy, with well-padded seats and an ideal, low-set driving position. The distinctive Porsche instrument binnacle sits ahead of the steering wheel, and there’s enough stowage space to make this roadster surprisingly practical, including handy cubbies in the doors’ armrests. Talking of usability, the Boxster boasts a boot and a ‘frunk’, so you can pack a fair number of bags for weekend escapes.

Such everyday details will be forgotten within minutes though, as you’ll be distracted by the quality of the Boxster’s controls. The steering weight is surprisingly meaty for a car that today feels quite small, but once up to speed the weighting is nigh-on perfect, and it’s not long before your fingertips register subtle messages from the road. Balance is notably mid-engined, but not scarily so, and the modest output and precise, predictable throttle response keep you out of trouble either way.

The highlight has to be that flat-six though: Cultured at low revs, the note hardens as you pass around 4000rpm, and the gearshift is as sweet as they come whether racing up or blipping down the ‘box. For a car more than two decades old, the brakes still feel mighty, too.

There are some known mechanical issues with these early Boxsters, from scoring in the cylinder bores to failure of the intermediate shaft ‘IMS’ bearing. You can refer to Hagerty’s buying guide for more details, but specialists are now well versed in rectification and prevention.

After some time behind the wheel, it’s hard not to conclude that the two grand Gardian paid – or even the five grand at which 986s are plentiful – simply will not buy you a better car. That Porsche crest on the bonnet is just the icing on the cake.

1999 Porsche Boxster 2.5
Engine: 6-cyl boxer, 2480cc
Transmission: 5-speed manual, RWD
Power: 204bhp @ 6000rpm
Weight: 1250kg

The Hagerty Valuation Team says
Hagerty Price Guide range, Fair to Concours: £4,875 to £12,650

The Boxster is becoming an increasingly familiar sight at auction in the UK. In 2017, fewer than 50 were sold that way, but in 2021 we’ve seen that number treble, to nearly 150 sales. The sell-through rate sits at 89 per cent, too. This indicates that the original, 986 Boxster has found its place with the modern-classic crowd, drivers who want a car that’s as useable and turn-key reliable as it is exciting to drive with the roof down and flat-six singing. A rise in average values of 5.3 per cent since mid-2019 is a further reflection of its current popularity, as are the number of adverts that exceed our top Price Guide value – usually a marker of a model increasing in value.

https://www.hagerty.co.uk/articles/market-analysis/2022-bull-market-list-10-of-britains-hottest-collectable-cars/

2 hours ago, Menoporsche said:

 (when I bend over, my bonnet pops and horn toots - oo-er...) 

That's a hell of a party trick! 

Perhaps there is something in it?

According to This is Money (14 December 2021) reporting on the Hagerty Bull Market List: 

Classic cars experts say you should buy right now: From the reborn Mini Cooper to the lightning-fast Ferrari 458 - ten predicted to soar in value from 2022

If you're a regular reader of classic car stories on This is Money you will know that we have recommended the original Porsche Boxster as a solid investment before - namely our first 'classic cars better than cash in the bank' feature this year.

1999 Porsche Boxster 2.5 specs 

Engine: 6-cyl boxer, 2480cc

Transmission: 5-speed manual, RWD 

Power: 204bhp @ 6000rpm

Weight: 1250kg

The Boxster, by sharing its componentry with the 996-generation 911 and debuting far more efficient production methods at the company, single-handedly helped save Porsche at the turn of the century. 

Today, the 986 Boxster is seen as one of the most affordable ways to own the iconic marque, with many early reviews claiming it to be a better driver’s car than the 911 of the day.

The two-seat roadster is becoming an increasingly familiar sight at auction in the UK. In 2017, fewer than 50 were sold that way, but in 2021 Hagerty reports that number has trebled, to nearly 150 sales. 

Of those going to the block, 89 per cent sell successfully on average. This indicates that the original Boxster has found its place with the modern-classic crowd, and a rise in average values of nearly five per cent in the last year is further reflection of this.

Optical illusion because your eye is focused on the roof of the 996 which is smaller than the open cabin of both Boxsters.

7 minutes ago, Photogirl said:

 I went to a big Porsche club gathering at Goodwood a few weeks ago and mine was one of only two 986s there. 

I went to a 1990s car Sunday breakfast club earlier this month. Not one Boxster on display. There were a couple in the carpark including mine.

1 hour ago, ½cwt said:

175,262 996 derivatives vs 164,874 986 derivatives.

Figures from Porsche.

Considerably fewer 986 2.5 Boxsters still on the road. Only 28 1996 models, 865 1997 models and 2237 1998 models. Even fewer in launch colours. 

According to Goodwood Road and Racing:

Porsche Boxster (986)

Porsche’s turn of the millennium styling language fell out of favour for a while but, 25 years on, an early 986 Boxster with the orange indicators and the ‘fried egg’ headlights looks ever more appealing, and there are plenty around at temptingly low prices. True, those early 2.5s had a modest 204PS (150kW) and if you want meaningful performance you’re better off holding out for the later 260PS (191kW) 3.2-litre S. But with opportunities to go quickly increasingly limited there’s growing appreciation that performance should be measured in quality as much as quantity. While they can be cheap to buy upkeep can prove costly so history is everything on a used Porsche. But if there’s one thing we’ve learned it’s that the early, purest examples of any particular model often end up being among the most sought after.

https://www.goodwood.com/grr/road/news/2021/11/the-eight-best-sub10k-investment-cars-to-buy-in-2022/

"Poor thing, just why?"

I have to agree. I understand resto-modding but can't see the point of this.  The mods seem to be modifications for the sake of modifications, they arn't subtle and, to my eyes, do nothing to improve the starting point.   I doubt there are any mechanical improvements.

Agree the comments as above by @the baronand @K.I.T.T.. If you can find sheet TPU (as used on the BMW Z8) that can be sewn in. The benefit is its flexible in any temperatures you're going to get in the UK, it doesn't crease or mark (so no Boxster chop required) and it's optically as good a glass. It's the Holy Grail but just a hard to find. It's available in huge rolls at a huge price but I've not been able to locate it in rear window size! Whilst looking I did find half a dozen unicorns rolling around in rocking horse sh!te though.

1 hour ago, Chukkieegg said:

And to be fair the suspension ain't the reason why Iost faith in it I think its the ongoing battle with emissions

The emissions issue will be resolved.

@Araf this is the SORN and insurance thread.

35 minutes ago, mortzz said:

Yes 

That, I think, is the problem. The trough fills up with water and finds it way through the filter housing to the interior of the car.  This happens if the trough gets very full or when the car is driven around corners and the water sloshes from side to side. Think of a bath with an overflow.

There is a drain under or near the battery which is blocked. It needs to be unblocked.

41 minutes ago, GmanB said:

Pollen filter is drivers side if I recall, it should not be wet, there is a drain hole fairly close on the off side (drivers UK) but a fair bit lower down, make sure it's not blocked. How are the window seals around there? Many leaves visible when you open the frunk?

Not sure why passenger side carpet is damp when you see water on the pollen filter.

The pollen filter is on the passenger side.

27 minutes ago, mortzz said:

The pollen filter wasn't wet but there was s fair bit of water in there,  I will ensure I turn the fan off never thought of that before 

Do you have water in the trough below the battery?

I'm pretty sure an excess lamda reading is indicative of an exhaust leak - it was in mine.  Remade the joints with some cement and lamda readings dropped to within spec and MoT passed.

15 minutes ago, SilverBud said:

Glad to hear it! Mines had all sorts done to it It doens'nt even look like a 986 any more 🤣

Photo required!

Given Maps comments about wheel size affecting emissions, out of interest what wheel size do you have? 16" or 17"?

This is a surprise. Surely it is sufficient for the emissions to be linked to the model e.g a 1998 Porche Boxster 2.5 rather than to a specific vehicle. Others who have obtained the Certicate have not had to go to this length.

Is each individual car tested when the emission figure are added to the V5? 

Having obtained your Certificate could the info be officially added to the V5?

Who produces this kit? Have you got a link?

There are generic locking wheel bolt/nut removal tools (sockets).  With the front wheels removed there's a better chance of locating the emergency release cable which is usually high up in the wing near the back of the lights.

By breaking the glass what do you hope to achieve? 

Excellent news for you. It should also be excellent news for all those with Boxsters of the same year and engine size. It shouldn't be necessary for every owner to go through the same hoops (and anxiety about selling their car). TfL need to update their data base for all models matching those for which they have already accepted a conforming certificate.