2001 Porsche Boxster- Zanzibar over Black Leather, 5-speed, thousands in upgrades, all service done, 100% original paint, my personal car, just 41k miles, amazing!

2001 Porsche Boxster- Zanzibar…41,000 miles

As many of you know I am a writer for Porsche Panorama, the official magazine of the Porsche Club of America. I have enjoyed every piece that I have ever written, but overwhelmingly the piece I have received the most acclaim for is “The Power of Color” which was featured in the February 2018 edition. In this article we explored how color can vastly shape your perceptions and emotions around a particular car, simply changing the color on an identical car can move us 180 degrees in either direction. This particular Boxster is a perfect example of that; finished in a very rare shade called Zanzibar offered by Porsche only from 2001-2003 it simply stops traffic. In a more plebeian shade such as Arctic Silver it would simply blend in. Do you like attention, then read on…

Almost 3 years ago I decided that I really wanted to own a 1^stgeneration Boxster. I had sold quite a few of them, but had never personally owned one long term and I found myself drawn to the elegant, original design. I also wanted to gain some important experience to share with my clients that can only be learned by long-term ownership. Once I had decided that I wanted a 986 I immediately decided it had to be a SPECIAL 986,  a regular plain Jane example wouldn’t do…  My favorite color is Orange and I just HAD to have a Zanzibar car. I literally looked nationwide and they simply didn’t exist. Low and behold this car popped up 10 miles from my shop and was listed by a local PNWR PCA member! It was fate as it was local and the car was immaculate.

I drove the car home and immediately started plans to make it both unique and “my quality”. Up first was tackling the various maintenance tasks, here is what I did:

35,100 miles:

• New Roller Bearing IMS
• New Rear Main Seal
• LN Magnetic Drain Plug
• Full major 40k service- new spark plugs, belts, cabin air filter, air filter, brake fluid flush, oil and filter (Liqui Moly)
• New Battery

Now that I knew the car was mechanically up to par, I wanted to personalize the car, so I got busy:

• 18” OEM Turbo wheels in Matte Black
• OEM Sport Exhaust (valves wired open)
• OEM Litronic Headlights
• OEM 2003-2004 rear taillights
• Smoked front markers
• Painted to match bumperplugs
• OEM Hardtop wrapped in black
• OEM GT3 Center Console Delete
• Painted center console and dash trim strips
• Orange and Black Coco Mats
• I am sure some other things I am forgetting…

These changes RADICALLY altered the car; I get compliments and attention everywhere I take it. It’s crazy actually! It would cost you nearly my asking price to buy all these parts and do the above services, there are some advantages to being in the business, although this car is certainly not going to be a money maker for me!

Since that time I have driven the car almost 7,000 trouble free miles, it has been amazing. I am definitely struggling with selling it, but recently purchased a 2011 Boxster Spyder and I don’t need 2 Boxsters…

Right before it turned 40,000 miles I did the following:

• New water pump (preventative)
• New motor mounts
• Oil and Filter (Driven Oil)
• Oil Analysis done (happy to share the report with you, its clean)

Now that you know what I have done to it, lets talk about the other important items when purchasing any Porsche. This Boxster was sold new at McKenna Porsche in Norwalk, CA. The original owner drove the car 30,000 miles in the first 2 years and then it popped up for sale at Barrier Porsche in Bellevue, WA where it was purchased by a local PCA member who drove it just 4,000 miles over the next 13 years. I bought the car in 2017 when it had just 34,867 miles.  

Here is how the car was optioned from the factory:

• Zanzibar Red Exterior
• Black Partial Leather Interior
• 17” Boxster Design Wheels
• CD Shelf
• Black Mats
• Sport Package- Cruise Control, rear windstop, Hi-Fi Sound System, remote alarm system, CD Player
• Roll bars painted exterior color

Original MSRP $47,652

Condition:

The body is 100% original paint (paint meter verified) and has never been damaged. The Carfax is of course clean. It does have a few very minor rock chips commiserate with mileage. The body is near flawless. I just had my friends at Metropolitan Detail go over the car exterior and interior, so it is ready for any Porsche event.

The interior is likewise pristine; I am VERY particular about my cars! Mechanically I can’t think of anything it needs, everything works exactly as it should! I would drive the car to Florida tomorrow!

The car comes complete with the following:

• All the original books/manuals
• Both original keys
• Some removed original parts (console, cup holders, front markers, original floor mats)
• Porsche Battery Tender

I could keep going on about this car, but suffice it to say this is a very unique chance to buy a Porsche for less than $20k that garners more attention than many that cost 5x that! All the known issues have been attended to, mechanically it is without reproach and condition wise it is ready for anything from a drive, cars and coffee or even a concours. Come buy it before I change my mind…

Please note the photos posted above are just an assortment of photos I have taken while enjoying the car over the past couple of years. I will be doing a complete photo session with the car shortly.