Boxster Newbie

The return of Marty Wild · 23 Oct 2018

I had a pair of the Zunsport on my Cayman, wasn't massively impressed so sold them on here.

Got some guards/LED DRLs from an American chap in the end. But not sure they fit a Boxster, don't think they do.

Â½cwt · 24 Oct 2018

I dropped into DW in Wellingborough and they happen to have a 997 they'd just fitted grilles to. They looked good enough for me to plan to part with my money. When I do I'll post some pics but don't hold your breath, a lot of nice to haves that I'm planning for the car but I need to prioritise.

Â½cwt · 10 Nov 2018

Took a bit of a break from doing work on the car as the weather has got colder and wetter, however I finally got the re-gas of the AC done today and all good so it was just rotten condensers.

Also fitted a new head unit (details in a another thread) and have swapped the CD storage unit in the lower console for a bin (thanks 9apart). Now have space for wallet and phones as well as oddments.

I've also bought a half cover for the winter to give some protection from the worst of the weather.

I have noticed in the colder weather that it takes time for the gearbox to warm up as it is rather baulky when the oil is still warming through. All fine once up to temp.

Still trying to trace the minor coolant leak. It only seem to lose fluid when up to temp and under pressure so it is manageable for now. Going to get it on a ramp sometime to check it more easily than just working off the floor.

Â½cwt · 7 Apr 2019

After another break in work on the car I've picked up a few small jobs in preparation for its MOT next month. It has also been to my local indy (DW Performance) for a service and 'box oil change. Much crisper throttle response on new plugs and smoother 'box on fresh oil. Pleased that the old fluids were just old and not showing any other issues. The only advisory other than finally establishing the location of a minor water leak is that the coffin arm rubbers are showing their age and could do with replacement in the next 12 months or so.

I've bought and fitted the new headlamp washers and now only was the lamps and not most of the road around the car and it also keeps the washer fluid in the tank when I fill it up.

I've replaced the ash tray in the console with the storage tray option (Having an alarm problem following this, the cause of which is proving a mystery but its not the locking storage cover microswitch) and replaced the damaged aero lips on the leading edge of the wheel arches as one was missing completely and two were damaged.

Planning the first major expedition with a trip to France in late May. Must get cruise control retro fitted before that...

ragpicker · 7 Apr 2019

Sounds like you've been enjoying your boxster 1/2cwt!

Cracking thread but its just missing a few more interesting pics of the car whilst you're working on it - I'd love to see the CV change on the axle stands as it was hard enough on my lift.. The inboard drivers rear being the biggest PITA.

Are you going to install the cruise yourself?

Â½cwt · 7 Apr 2019

Ah, CV boots.

Near side was a definite PITA!. Managed to take the inner CV race apart on the shaft and got the inner off but couldn't manoeuvre the various bits to the right postions to get the outer off the shaft by about 2mm. In the end a moment of madness led to the idea of pulling the boots through the joint, and with a bit of lubrication that is how the nearside CV boots got into their correct postions. Rebuilding a CV joint onto a shaft under the car outside in fading light without getting the outer off was a real joy! But not joyful enough to stop to take pics I'm afraid. Took about 10 hours to do both sides and I learned a lot.

Tempted to do cruise but I'm not too keen on electrics. Might talk to my Indy to see if he's OK for me to source the parts and do the mechanical bits and run the cables with him just doing final connections and activation.

I've also got to track down another electrical fault with the interior lighting as I mentioned.

Still loving driving the car, really sweet today with new plugs sharpening up the throttle response and some fun in the damp this afternoon. :thumbs:

Â½cwt · 12 Apr 2019

Come to an arrangement with my indy. I'll do the column switch change and run the cables for the cruise system, he'll then connect up and code it in. Got a 4 stalk column switch on line second hand from a breaker today so hopefully cruise control for less that £400. @ragpicker I will take pictures of this process.

Also had a chance to drive it a little more since the service. plug change has really improved the throttle response and power too it feels. After years in diesels I'd forgotten just how much a set of new spark plugs can pep up a motor, particularly a normally aspirated one.

Â½cwt · 13 Apr 2019

Got round to taking pictures of the centre consoles with all the storage options updated, no CD storage or ash tray units and new head unit for audio system. New front speakers planed shortly and possibly speakers to the rear parcel shelf unit, no door speakers fitted in this one.

Â½cwt · 30 Apr 2019

So ticking off a few more of the nice to have jobs and ran into a couple of essentials.
Took it for MOT and failed on side repeaters not being orange (it has been updated to clear/smoke lights by one of the previous owners) and brake pipe corrosion on the clip under the passenger side. Turned out to be minor surface corrosion showing in the grease on the clip. Cleaned it all up with a bit of emery cloth and fitted two new orange bulbs, took it back and now have MOT to 13/5/2020. A couple of advisories on condition of front tyres (rubber cracking in places) and rubbers beginning to deteriorate on 3 coffin arms.
Also when setting about fitting new deflectors to front of front wheel arches, decided to open both windows to cool the car and a cable failed in the passenger side window regulator. £65 from breaker and an hour and a half to fit, sorted.

Built up courage to tackle the cruise. Built loom first from instructions in a couple of threads on other forums. Took about 4 hours to do the actual in car installation along with another hour stripping out an old car phone kit and a tracker, parts of which I found when going the new head unit. Took it down to Dove House in Wellingborough and they switched the option on in the DMS (and told me some info on what has been triggering the alarm for no charge!)and Bob's your uncle, working cruise first time and cost all in £260 including more wires and connectors than actually needed of which £230 was the 4 stalk set from a breaker. BARGAIN! I only scrapped on crimp terminal in the whole exercise as well.
Just the coolant to change as I need to change on front hose and two seals in the a/c system at the joint in front of the right rear wheel (signs of leaked lubricant around the joining block) as the recharge after doing the condensers has lost pressure and no longer cools.

Then all things being equal off to France at the end of May in the Boxster instead of the wife's VW Eos.

isysman · 2 May 2019

Hi and a belated welcome to the forum.

I'm a boxster owner and I started in Porsches with a 986 2.5 (one of the first). Great cars and now a bargain. If you are handy with a spanner (which it look like you are) then it's possibly to keep one without breaking the bank.

Â½cwt · 26 May 2019

Keeping going with handiness on the spanners. Got the hose changed on the cooing system. With hind sight I think it was only a spring type hose clamp that had failed not the hose and one of the two bands on that style of clamp had broken on two hoses. Both replaced with jubilee type clamps and after many litres of coolant all now running and fully bled.

Slight downside when I went to do this job the car was quite hot so I let the windows down to cl the interior, driver's side OK but passenger side when 'thunk' and the motor kept running. Replacement regulator system from Douglas Valley Breakers via eBay. At least it failed at home not when out and about. Also had to get a few door panel clips from local OPC.

I've also purchased the Porsche cup holders that clip in the vents. they are surprisingly sturdy for what they appear to be and for £60 not too bad value and will certainly last longer than any aftermarket version that clip onto vent louvres.

Finally got round to giving the car a full clay bar clean and then Auto Glym super resin polish and extra gloss treatment, plus rain-X to the screen.

Replaced the front tyres with GY Asymmetric 3 225/45/17 standard load tyres and a track up. Original Bridgestone S-02 were over 5 years old and the read starting to crack even if they had 4 - 5mm left on them. Better front end grip and balance, however discovered the one front wheel is slightly buckled which has shown up in spades on this weekend's drive down through France at sustained 80 mph it vibrates like hell; up to 70mph its OK. Still the destination (near Le Mans) was worth the pain. Also repainted the wheel bolts using Hammerite smooth in silver whilst sorting out the wheel centre alignment (tyre fitters never get this detail right!). This has let me ditch the aftermarket chrome caps fitted by PO and only covered the standard wheel bolts, not the locking ones. I also purchased a Boot-bag boot lid storage bag for the trip . Doesn't obscure rear vision too much and was a worthwhile investment.

Â½cwt · 2 Jun 2019

Just over 3000 miles covered since I bought the car, 1300 of which were last week in France to the Le Mans area (I know, too soon, but I will be back in 2 weeks time but not with the Boxster alas) but I got to the circuit as you can see below.
Ran faultlessly other than the vibration from the slightly buckled front left (see above post) and achieved over 28mpg too!!
Cup holders work perfectly to keep a can or bottle cool if the a/c is on. Not a lot else about storage in the car is cool though, front of back. Thankfully our cool box fits perfectly in the front to keep those things cool whilst travelling.

Â½cwt · 31 Aug 2019

Today is my 365th day of Porsche ownership! I've been off line for a while but still tinkering with a few more tasks.
I've upgraded the dash speakers and fitted rear speakers to the engine cover storage unit along with the Porsche grilles. Fantastic to have all round sound.
Finally got into the electrics and thanks to input from @Richard Hamilton and despite finding some minor water damage in my alarm module I now have interior lights and vanity lights that work, so I celebrated by removing the pre-face PSA parts bin light and fitted the face light unit.
Also took it to Tyres Northampton today to get the front left rim straightened as its running out of true, detectable just short of about 70 mph and a real vibration over 80mph when on the continent :angel: Great now with not detectable problem even though they said it was not quite spot on so only charged a reduced price and balance the other front too. Top Job!

Only jobs outstanding from when I got it or that have come up this year are front to rear brake line which is showing some corrosion and a respray for the front bumper cover which had a split in the paint when I got it. But I might go for a full respray at some point so I'm holing off on this for the moment.

So after a year I've had good fun driving it, some fun upgrading and fixing it and a little frustration occasionally when fixing it too! Exactly what I wanted, Some fun and a hobby.

Â½cwt · 23 Nov 2019

Splashed out on a set of refurbed 996 GT3 style 18" rims for what I reckon was a very low price from a well regarded member on another UK forum. They are currently fitted with slightly odd size winter tyres, previous owner was very keen to get N rated tyres apparently, so the rears are a Panamera size so about 10% over size in rolling radius. They do fit onto a 986with these tyres (I haven't got M030 suspension) though he was using them on a 981. I'll use the tyres this winter just to get some value out of them and use the satnav to give ma a calibrated speed...
Still the main aim is to fit regular rubber to these and then refurbish the standard rims, which I have now established were finished in the wrong sliver/grey by a previous owner, to fit winters on.

isysman · 23 Nov 2019

Are they GT2 'style' wheels? Photo would be good.

Be careful with incorrect tyres, you don' want to end up on a ditch.

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