Porsche Boxster 2.7 | Shed of the Week

They mentioned the VW Phaeton would by no means seem in Shed of the Week, but it surely did, simply final week. They most likely mentioned the similar about the Porsche Boxster, and but by Jiminy right here it’s. And it’s not simply any outdated 2.5 both, however a 2003 classic 2.7. Better but, not solely is it below Shed’s £2k value most, it’s nicely below it at £1,750. 

This can’t be proper, can it? The MOT historical past will need to have extra ink on it than a Hollywood prenup, certainly? Nope. Last May’s take a look at uncovered no faults. The mileage then, that have to be stratospheric? Wrong once more: it’s 98,000, equal to an annual common of below 4,700. Has it had a smash? Not from Shed’s vantage level. Any ‘category’ injury would nearly all the time seem someplace in an advert to keep away from time losing, and there’s no such point out right here. From the pics not less than all of it seems Stuttgart-straight with no dodgy panel gaps.

What, then? OK, there’s a catch, however possibly it’s not as nasty as you would possibly assume. We’ll get to that in a minute. First, let’s take pleasure in the second. For the 2003 mannequin 12 months (as right here) the Bosxter’s M96 2.7 flat-six which three years earlier had been upsized to 2.7 from the unique 2.5 was upgraded once more with VarioCam variable-valve timing to supply 225hp at 6,300rpm. Torque was unchanged at 192lb ft at 4,750rpm. The Boxster S had a six-speed handbook gearbox however the one in our base 2.7 will likely be a 5-speeder. That’s no biggie: it was nonetheless good for a 6.8-second 0-60mph time. On the chassis aspect, the ’03 Boxster inherited the springs and dampers from the ’02 Boxster S and its ragtop obtained a glass rear window. This specific automobile has good 19-inch wheels.

It’s all smelling nice thus far however now could be the time to carry your nostril a bit. Like the Phaeton, the 2.7 Boxster has some ways to crash and burn your pockets. The bearing for the intermediate shaft that was used to drive the camshafts on Boxsters between 2000 and 2008 was a weak level that considerably inexplicably continued to be a weak point on early examples of the ‘new and improved’ M97 engine from 2005. It’s mentioned that eight per cent of Porsche’s single-row IMS bearings (and one per cent of the later dual-rows) failed, resulting in a category motion lawsuit in the US. 

When the IMS did go it typically took the complete engine with it, however these M96s had been really nice engines after they had been as much as spec, and most of them had been. The ones that weren’t understandably generated loads of shouting from house owners who weren’t anticipating mechanical mayhem from a agency that was rightly famed for its engineering excellence.

Today you’ll don’t have any trouble discovering specialists who will fortunately improve the IMS bearing earlier than it goes, however they’ll most likely advise you to have the clutch changed whereas they’re in there. Expect to pay £1,500 for each jobs, or £750 for the clutch by itself, in the hope that the twin mass flywheel will likely be OK to soldier on for some time longer. 

Not that any of that is a matter right here. Nor, so far as we’re conscious, is the notoriously leaky M96 rear major seal. There was a cryptic advisory for ‘rear oil leak, but not excessive diff’ on our shed’s MOT report in May ‘22 but it wasn’t on there a 12 months later, hopefully reflecting the diploma of possession care that you simply’d anticipate from the service e-book’s 15 stamps. 

The subject right here is overheating. The M96 did have a separate repute for cylinder liner cracking and block porosity, both or each of which might result in head gasket failure and overheating, however the proven fact that this automobile has received so far as it has, plus its service historical past, makes Shed assume it might be one thing a lot much less sinister, like a thermostat that’s failed in the closed place stopping coolant move. It’s £50 or so for a brand new ’stat, and becoming it’s a simple four-bolt DIY job in case you don’t thoughts getting below the automobile, eradicating an engine cowl and draining the coolant. You would possibly need to test the radiator followers for proper performance and the water pump for seepage whilst you’re at it.  

Even in case you managed to blow £2,500 on fettling it you’d nonetheless be nicely forward of the recreation with related mileage 2.7 Boxsters going for nicely over £5,000 – and also you would possibly get it sorted for a tenth of that outlay, and even much less. Nab it fast earlier than Shed does. Spring’s simply round the nook.