Porsche Boxster S (986) | PH fleet

It is a somewhat strange arrangement, getting a car that is not yours and that is not assumed for financial gain. (In memory, the box star is from my future father -in -law; he paid for work, I got it where it had to be.) No matter how hard you try, it is impossible not to form a sort of band, take a car here and there, witnessing it gets better and better on the road. You feel in a way that is responsible for its dramatic improvement, although of course it is the actual professionals who earn all credit.

But with the box star now ready (or at least what this summer is going) and back with his rightful owner, it is nice to look back on what has not been achieved in much time. What a somewhat sorry for himself old Porsche was that did not look very nice and a lot worse, is now a modern classic sports car. Well, at least I think so.

Looking back, the project was completed in the wrong direction, with all the cosmetic improvements made before the great mechanical work. So in addition to the paint details, the wheels were renovated, the calipers returned to red and replaced the roof, which ensured that the box star seemed at least the part. A rope -like 986 does not look great; Some cars can get away by not being in the best cosmetic state in a way that they can’t do so much. But when a 986 looks its best, there is almost exotic about how relatively little they cost (can you see that I am a bit attached?).

However, we all knew that the big work was underneath, and therefore in the course of the annual service, the Boxster was at Wrightune in Wallingford For a longer period. A quarter of a century before almost good enough was cared for, it meant that it was almost easier to mention what did not need a replacement instead of what did. Drive cheeses, discs, hanging arms, a cat, a backbox, an extension tank, negotiating, bushes, bolts, washers … you get the idea. It was a lot.

A big thank you here to GSF -Auto parts For their help with delivering a lot of bits and bobs that are needed for the box star in Wrightune. Many project cars have been in the making for years, while this thing was transformed in few more than three months. The window of opportunities between sorting the roof, the CarPlay and whatever, and then having it ready for Bicester, was really not very wide, so screaming at them because they got the right stuff at the right time. Nothing hurry forward, like preparing a car to show, and a man who wants his Porsche back before you get married to his daughter …

The resulting invoice for the time that was spent in Wrightune was sufficient to buy one of the more affordable boxsters that are currently in the PH advertisements. Add the rest of the work undertaken and the editions would buy some of the nicer 986s that we have for sale. Well done, it’s now a cork. The edition shows a number of things, I think: first, in case a memory was needed, it is that repairing old Porsches is never a cheap undertaking. Even if they are not worth much now – even if they are supposedly junior models – will do well of work in a way that would not require a little more humble.

Chris and the Wrightune team deserve a huge credit for avoiding new parts when the existing could be repaired (the anti-roll bars were shot and powder covered for the tenth of replacement costs, for example), but sometimes you just have to pay Porsche prizes. And they are a lot. We just tried not to deal where possible – a backbox from Dansk costs about a third as much as an OEM item. So just don’t say that you have not been warned …

The second that thousands spend on the Porsche has been demonstrated is that to be honest, a similar level of costs may be needed for many low kilometers, few cars there are. They can still be bought for little and continue to look visually fun, relatively speaking, not much effort. But it is the less sexy stuff underneath that really makes the difference between a box star who feels a good Porsche sports car and feels an old hope. I know that it sounds obvious, but if you are tempted by a 986 (member of the club), it is worth finding when important things have been replaced. Or allow a budget to do the work. Because it will cost a bit, but the car also transforms into what it should really be.

The suspension work feels the most important change for the Boxster. That is good, because that is where a considerable amount was spent. A suspension kit consists of arms (diagonal front, behind diagonal, lower and rear toe), drop -link and rail rods, which cost £ 1,170. I chose to replace the feathers and dampers with BC Racing BR series coilovers for £ 1,099; Probably a little closer to the stock would have fitted the nature of the build better, but Boy looks a box star for the resulting 30 mm riding height drop. The ride has not been erased either.

And the drive. My goodness, the drive – this is what people have been enthusiastic about with 986s. What floppy and vague was now alert and agile, which means that turns are through bends as a mid -engine Porsche should and the driver floods with feedback in the process. The new tightness means trust to continue and exploit the chassis that there has never been before, which has been such a pleasure with the roof down and roaring. It appears that old boxsters are fairly good if you haven’t heard it yet.

But for an over-preliminary period I was beaten with the small 986. There was also the usability of something new thanks to a good roof and the new stereo, with the traditional attraction of something with a large flat-six, a manual gearbox and a well-sorted chassis. I am sure that Russell will bring many more Happy Miles -Autorre. Hopefully I will get again soon, now it is a box star as it really should be. Could the wedding car, in fact …

Auto: 2001 Porsche Boxster S (986)
Run by: Matt Bird
On fleet since: April 2025
Mileage: 59,955
Last month at a glance: Boxster? Completed the size

Thanks to GSF For their help with the Boxster