02 Boxster - New owner questions

[mcdev]

Hello all. I'm the proud new owner of a 2002 Boxster!

First, thank you so much for these forums - already can tell this will be my go-to site for info and community.

I do have a few questions and am hoping you can perhaps help me out. The car I bought was from CarMax and unfortunately they dont know too much about it. It is, as mentioned, an '02 with 32k miles for $19k. It is immaculate and was obviously well kept.

The big thing I have a question about though is the remote/alarm system. I received two keys - neither had remote access capabilities. However the car itself has what appears to be a sensor in the center of the dash. Is it possible that I do have the capabilities but just not the keys? How can I tell? Currently I am having to manually un/lock the doors, which i would prefer to not have to do - not to mention I want to utilize the features that would allow me to leave the top down if I need to run into a store for a moment.

:-)

Next, I am only hearing sound from the front speakers despite twiddling with the factory stereo (cassette - about to order a replacement). Did this car ship with more than the front speakers?

Finally, if I wanted to order a hard top for winter, where would I start?

Again, I really appreciate any input and if you tell me what to look for I certainly will.

Thanks!

[brucenoah1956]

I bought my 2001 S used. It came with two keys, one had remote and one did not. The one without was a replacement that the non-Porsche dealer I bought it from had made for a spare. My guess is that you can get a key with remote made and programmed at a Porsche dealer.

My 2001 S also came with speakers only in the dash. Amazing, but true. You can look into options to add speakers to the doors and or rear package shelf.

On the hard top, I'd recommend looking on eBay. There are ususally several up for bids, and if you're lucky or wait long enough, you can find one with the same color as your car.

[ericinboca]

I have a Bose CDR-23 single CD player/receiver out of my '04 986S if interested. I have no idea if it would fit the connections in a 2002, but maybe some of the audiophiles could tell us??

[Loren]

I have a Bose CDR-23 single CD player/receiver out of my '04 986S if interested. I have no idea if it would fit the connections in a 2002, but maybe some of the audiophiles could tell us??

MY02 is non-MOST (fiber optic) and MY03 and newer is MOST. So, it won't work on this car.

[N41EF]

One thing I learned, is that if you don't use the key fob to lock or unlock the car, the alarm goes to slepp to save on battery charge. Read the owners manual about how the alarm works. Also, might want to read how to change the battery in the key fobs, worth a shot.

As far as leaving the top down going to the store, find yourself a "red clip". Do a search here and on eBay, it allows the alarm sensors to be used with the top down, neat feature.

There is an incredible amount of knowledge here, it's worth being a contributing member just for access to the info.

If you have no maintenance records, i'd flush the brake fluid, check the serp belt, check the boots on the half shafts, oil and filter change, and drain and replace coolant.

If you have tha base radio, you may well only have front dash speakers, Different packages had door speakers and a rear storage box/speakers. You can go back and add them if you wish. I have a set of door speakers to install, but am looking for grills.

Hard tops show up on eBay, depending on what color you are looking for and where you are located.

Edited October 1, 2009 by N41EF

[KevinH90]

Finally, if I wanted to order a hard top for winter, where would I start?

Thanks!

I found mine on eBay, but I've also seen them for sale in the classified section of this site, 986forum.com and Porsche Pete's Boxster Board. You may also see one on Craigslist from time-to-time. I was advised that there is a dealer in Florida that has some that are "take offs" from the cars of owners who relocated there from the North. I did not verify this, so it may be a myth.

Here are a few tips I gleaned while I was on the hunt 3 years ago:

A top from a 2005 and later Boxster (also referred to as a 987) will not fit your car.

Arctic Silver must be the most popular color available.

Prices are lower in the spring and early summer.

If you see someone selling a car with a hard top, offer to buy the top separately. This will allow the seller to reduce the price of the car. His or her net proceeds may be greater than if the car and top were sold together.

You will need items called "spin locks" to attach the top securely to the car. This forum contains instructions for installing them. You can search for the info.

Be prepared to travel to pick up your top. They are difficult and expensive to ship and most sellers don't want to fool with it.

I paid $610 for my top, but I think the going rate is more like $1000-1500. Be willing to pay more for a top that matches your car because painting it to match will probably cost $300-500 and won't be as good.

Good luck. Prices for Boxsters sure have come down since I bought mine.