Porsche Boxster 986.2 2.7
Discussion
Following on from
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
I appear to be the new owner of a porsche.
Background:
I was very happy with the m3, all was well. Having come back from the NBR I had an idea of a few things I'd like to do, refresh the brakes/vanos/suspension & possibly go a little bit more track orientated with the interior. None of that is cheap. No danger though, had a while to go through it. Then a good friend and I were chatting over a beer and the subject of me potentially selling the m3 came up and he seemed interested. A long story short - without having to advertise the M it was bought by one of my best friends as his toy for next years 'ring trip (that I may or may not be going on)
To clarify, I'm still not entirely sure I did the right thing
I adored the M and still do, it was my dream car in many ways and I'd invested quite a bit already in the new clutch and the new head unit etc.
My rationale for the porsche is
running costs
maintenance costs
you know me - I'm going through cars faster than underwear changes of late
The M had the opportunity to cost quite a bit of money over the next few months, I don't like to compromise on maintenance etc so I'd rather let the car go to someone who will appreciate it and pilot it very well whilst having the pockets to maintain it to the highest level rather it falling in to a state of 'less repair' in my custody. An example of this
front discs for the M £350-£500 pair
986 £60 each
The theme continues like that with most perishables so (somewhat ironically) the 986 should cost a fair bit less to maintain. It's a sight better on fuel too, 170 miles home yesterday from Hertfordshire on less than half a tank.
So why the budget 2.7 rather than the S? Mainly (and there's about 100 small reasons I'll prob forget/gloss over) I didn't want to swap one expensive badge for another, the S was in budget but I completely ignored them. I actually like the fact that 2.7 is the lesser of the two, it appeals to my new found 'thrifty' side. It can't be compared to the likes of the 330ci to the M as the porsche is a different animal completely of course. I just didn't want M levels of cost, consumables/Insurance costs/higher fuel bills etc. All unnecessary when (as it turns out) the 2.7 is an absolute gem
This particular 2.7 was found on Boxa.net and was pretty much perfect spec for me. Taken from the ad:
Manual 2.7
2004 (53 Plate) Facelift model with glass rear screen and glove box.
77k Miles
3 owners from new
Atlas Grey
17" Boxster S Alloys
Black Full Extended Leather interior
Heated Sports seats
Litronic Xenon headlights
Computer
Climate Control
Wind deflector
Previously had BOSE, but replaced with a Pioneer System, which sounds much better.
Rear BOSE speakers replaced with storage compartment
Owned for 6 years
4 New Michelin PS2 tyres
Lots of service history, most recently in my ownership at Cambridge OPC, last year replaced plugs, coil packs and front springs
both keys & valet key present
It's rare (in my experience of looking at loads of them) to find such a highly specced 2.7, It's much better specced than 3/4 of the S's I glanced over, I love the sports seats and the 2.7 in face lift guise utilizes the 02' S suspension. Its asking price was ... optimistic but a chat with the seller got us down to a more reasonable figure and a ball park was agreed before travelling the 3 hours to view the car.
Upon inspection, apart from the condition of the paintwork (not the paint itself actually more just how dirty it was) it was as described, incredibly well maintained and free from hardly any interior wear. It looks almost new bar a few wear marks on 1 or 2 interior plastic items. The test drive revealed a healthy engine and a competent chassis along with strong brakes so a deal was done, my first flat 6.
So how does the 986 and m3 compare? Well hard to say as they're so different but initial thoughts while they're still fresh are:
The m3 would annihilate the 2.7 in a straight line. I learned from my return trip that the 986 has exactly the same out and out pace as a 2008 Honda S2000GT (my friends car who graciously offered to take me to see it) but, I just don't care. Speed is relative and although the S54 is an unmatched masterpiece in my experience the M96 is a bloody good engine too; they deliver their power very differently however. The M would wake up at 5k and absolutely scream to 8k, not lacking in power below that by any means but a real jackal/hyde nature. The 986 though has such a huge available torque range, any revs, any gear and it just goes well. Things do escalate as you rev on and it pulls harder and harder but the delivery is more linear and dare I say more usable and exploitable as a result. Redline comes up quickly and into the next cog it just keeps pulling. It feels much quicker than its 228hp number. I've just come back from a drive after a clean (yes pics of a porsche on axle stands covered in foam in-bound) and it reached thirteen miles an hour at the top of fourth very easily, relentless grunt.
I love the interior, you really do feel like you're sat in something special. I must admit I've become a bit of a fanboi over the last 2 days, falling in love with the marque a little bit more every time I sit in it/start it up, go for a drive.
The m3 is definitely the more lively of the two cars, always wanting to move around on roundabouts etc which is superb. I took the same roundabout earlier at the same speed and the same inputs I would have with the BM with the PSM off and where the M would be 'playful' the porsche was completely un-phased, it gripped and took off, not even unsettled by the pace I was travelling it, I'll have to re calibrate my limits to match the cars in time.
The grip is probably in no short measure helped by the brand new Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tyres fitted just before I picked it up. fantastic and a very good indicator of a car that's been loved rather than scrimped upon.
Anyway, the car is amazing, I love it. I'm looking forward to an already planned trip the 'ring next June and France in the same month. Nothing needs doing to it before either of those trips. At least; not at the moment.
pictures, I took 88 today
I'm hoping the 1200D picked up both the before and after well as it's a pretty stark contrast
We'll go from dirty to clean
I've zoomed in here to try and capture the state of the surface of the car, plenty of bugs on the front bumper and dried water runs/grime all over the rest of the car
drivers door cubby
Not brilliantly captured but yea - it was dirty.
I employed some new snow foam by Valetpro, seems to work extremely well and an excellent price too. Also some soft brushes, 1 for interior work to remove dust from the cabin etc & one for exterior panels; in between the Boxster decal and door shuts etc
So onto the actual cleaning, and preparation for cleaning. Wheels first
I took some arch shots to show them in their raw state and to do a before/after. I simply ran out of daylight toward to the end of the process but I'll get the arches as clean as possible and document soon
They're cleaner than they were, just not as clean as I'd like them. But we'll survive.
Ooo under body
surface rust but all solid with no loose or rattling heat shields etc
Onto the actual wheels then, these took me bloody ages:
Rinse
AD Very Cherry wheel cleaner diluted 4:1 applied with a brush to agitate and foam
rinse
AG PH neutral shampoo wash with micro fiber mitt
rinse
KKD FErrum iron contaminant remover
rinse
another and final stage of AG PH neutral shampoo wash with micro fiber mitt
They're not in good enough condition to warrant a clay/seal so all good for now
new tyres as discussed
Now in my wisdom it doesn't actually look like I took any 'after' shots with them off the car
but they were silver when I finished honest.
onto the body work then. I tackled the badges, vents and filler cap area first with aforementioned brush and a good APC, came up well, also raised the spoiler so as not to miss the hidden portion when retracted
1st snow foam application and left to dwell for about 20 mins
You'll notice the foam is 'clinging' very well to the car. I'll put this down the quality of the product but also (and I think predominantly) to the fact that the paint has not seen much wax in the recent past, if the bodywork had any product applied with hydrophobic properties the foam would have a harder time clinging.
After the following:
a second SF application
a thorough interference wash with a new MF mitt
rinse
KKD FErrum iron contaminent reomver applied to lower body arch areas
rinse
clay mitt & quick detailer of the glass/paintwork
rinse
it looked something like this
you'll notice that even though the car has been thoroughly washed and even clayed the water still has some sheeting properties to it, some beading, but no where near the level we need it at to ensure good protection and glass
so onto the polish stage, applied by hand with MF pad applicator
AD Euphoria for the first coat
and then to seal, Infinity Wax Light (should have used dark but it's all I had, wax is wax boys
)
At this point I really started to lose the light so whipped the camera out and took some nudes before it went totally dark. After the Euphoria stage
& After the Infinity Wax stage
Paintwork is now pretty perfect, hardly a swirl it turns out, it must have been well cared for in the past
and down again, the camera really has done the job here, it was almost completely dark by this point
I really wish I'd had the time before losing the light to take some good 'after' photos of the dirty areas I'd highlighted (& remembered to capture the clean wheels before refitting but time was against me)
I ran out of time to do:
complete interior
both boots
exhaust tip
treat the exterior rubbers etc
But will save for another weekend. So all in all very happy. Oh, also as an added bonus a chap called Chris Denning who is seemingly regarded as one of the foremost Porsche specialists in the country is about 4 miles away from me with his own Indy worskhop, so no doubt I'll be visiting him soon! I've already spoken with him and it turns out we even have some mutual acquaintances in the road rally world so that's cool.
Oh two things as footnotes,
1. I was brought around to the idea of porsche ownership by the two boys on the Cammed & Tubbed podcast, great listen and I'd imagine of interest to you if you've made it this far, so it's their fault I've bought this thing in the first place
2. I'll never call it a porschuh, I feel like I'm bragging enough just saying I own a prosche, let alone pronouncing it correctly. I'm referring to it as the 986 currently, sounds less overtly-ostentatious
So that's my first two days of boxster ownership. More updates to follow
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
I appear to be the new owner of a porsche.
Background:
I was very happy with the m3, all was well. Having come back from the NBR I had an idea of a few things I'd like to do, refresh the brakes/vanos/suspension & possibly go a little bit more track orientated with the interior. None of that is cheap. No danger though, had a while to go through it. Then a good friend and I were chatting over a beer and the subject of me potentially selling the m3 came up and he seemed interested. A long story short - without having to advertise the M it was bought by one of my best friends as his toy for next years 'ring trip (that I may or may not be going on)
To clarify, I'm still not entirely sure I did the right thing
I adored the M and still do, it was my dream car in many ways and I'd invested quite a bit already in the new clutch and the new head unit etc. My rationale for the porsche is
running costs
maintenance costs
you know me - I'm going through cars faster than underwear changes of late
The M had the opportunity to cost quite a bit of money over the next few months, I don't like to compromise on maintenance etc so I'd rather let the car go to someone who will appreciate it and pilot it very well whilst having the pockets to maintain it to the highest level rather it falling in to a state of 'less repair' in my custody. An example of this
front discs for the M £350-£500 pair
986 £60 each
The theme continues like that with most perishables so (somewhat ironically) the 986 should cost a fair bit less to maintain. It's a sight better on fuel too, 170 miles home yesterday from Hertfordshire on less than half a tank.
So why the budget 2.7 rather than the S? Mainly (and there's about 100 small reasons I'll prob forget/gloss over) I didn't want to swap one expensive badge for another, the S was in budget but I completely ignored them. I actually like the fact that 2.7 is the lesser of the two, it appeals to my new found 'thrifty' side. It can't be compared to the likes of the 330ci to the M as the porsche is a different animal completely of course. I just didn't want M levels of cost, consumables/Insurance costs/higher fuel bills etc. All unnecessary when (as it turns out) the 2.7 is an absolute gem
This particular 2.7 was found on Boxa.net and was pretty much perfect spec for me. Taken from the ad:
Manual 2.7
2004 (53 Plate) Facelift model with glass rear screen and glove box.
77k Miles
3 owners from new
Atlas Grey
17" Boxster S Alloys
Black Full Extended Leather interior
Heated Sports seats
Litronic Xenon headlights
Computer
Climate Control
Wind deflector
Previously had BOSE, but replaced with a Pioneer System, which sounds much better.
Rear BOSE speakers replaced with storage compartment
Owned for 6 years
4 New Michelin PS2 tyres
Lots of service history, most recently in my ownership at Cambridge OPC, last year replaced plugs, coil packs and front springs
both keys & valet key present
It's rare (in my experience of looking at loads of them) to find such a highly specced 2.7, It's much better specced than 3/4 of the S's I glanced over, I love the sports seats and the 2.7 in face lift guise utilizes the 02' S suspension. Its asking price was ... optimistic but a chat with the seller got us down to a more reasonable figure and a ball park was agreed before travelling the 3 hours to view the car.
Upon inspection, apart from the condition of the paintwork (not the paint itself actually more just how dirty it was) it was as described, incredibly well maintained and free from hardly any interior wear. It looks almost new bar a few wear marks on 1 or 2 interior plastic items. The test drive revealed a healthy engine and a competent chassis along with strong brakes so a deal was done, my first flat 6.
So how does the 986 and m3 compare? Well hard to say as they're so different but initial thoughts while they're still fresh are:
The m3 would annihilate the 2.7 in a straight line. I learned from my return trip that the 986 has exactly the same out and out pace as a 2008 Honda S2000GT (my friends car who graciously offered to take me to see it) but, I just don't care. Speed is relative and although the S54 is an unmatched masterpiece in my experience the M96 is a bloody good engine too; they deliver their power very differently however. The M would wake up at 5k and absolutely scream to 8k, not lacking in power below that by any means but a real jackal/hyde nature. The 986 though has such a huge available torque range, any revs, any gear and it just goes well. Things do escalate as you rev on and it pulls harder and harder but the delivery is more linear and dare I say more usable and exploitable as a result. Redline comes up quickly and into the next cog it just keeps pulling. It feels much quicker than its 228hp number. I've just come back from a drive after a clean (yes pics of a porsche on axle stands covered in foam in-bound) and it reached thirteen miles an hour at the top of fourth very easily, relentless grunt.
I love the interior, you really do feel like you're sat in something special. I must admit I've become a bit of a fanboi over the last 2 days, falling in love with the marque a little bit more every time I sit in it/start it up, go for a drive.
The m3 is definitely the more lively of the two cars, always wanting to move around on roundabouts etc which is superb. I took the same roundabout earlier at the same speed and the same inputs I would have with the BM with the PSM off and where the M would be 'playful' the porsche was completely un-phased, it gripped and took off, not even unsettled by the pace I was travelling it, I'll have to re calibrate my limits to match the cars in time.
The grip is probably in no short measure helped by the brand new Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tyres fitted just before I picked it up. fantastic and a very good indicator of a car that's been loved rather than scrimped upon.
Anyway, the car is amazing, I love it. I'm looking forward to an already planned trip the 'ring next June and France in the same month. Nothing needs doing to it before either of those trips. At least; not at the moment.
pictures, I took 88 today
I'm hoping the 1200D picked up both the before and after well as it's a pretty stark contrast We'll go from dirty to clean
I've zoomed in here to try and capture the state of the surface of the car, plenty of bugs on the front bumper and dried water runs/grime all over the rest of the car
drivers door cubby
Not brilliantly captured but yea - it was dirty.
I employed some new snow foam by Valetpro, seems to work extremely well and an excellent price too. Also some soft brushes, 1 for interior work to remove dust from the cabin etc & one for exterior panels; in between the Boxster decal and door shuts etc
So onto the actual cleaning, and preparation for cleaning. Wheels first
I took some arch shots to show them in their raw state and to do a before/after. I simply ran out of daylight toward to the end of the process but I'll get the arches as clean as possible and document soon
They're cleaner than they were, just not as clean as I'd like them. But we'll survive.
Ooo under body
surface rust but all solid with no loose or rattling heat shields etc
Onto the actual wheels then, these took me bloody ages:
Rinse
AD Very Cherry wheel cleaner diluted 4:1 applied with a brush to agitate and foam
rinse
AG PH neutral shampoo wash with micro fiber mitt
rinse
KKD FErrum iron contaminant remover
rinse
another and final stage of AG PH neutral shampoo wash with micro fiber mitt
They're not in good enough condition to warrant a clay/seal so all good for now
new tyres as discussed
Now in my wisdom it doesn't actually look like I took any 'after' shots with them off the car
but they were silver when I finished honest.onto the body work then. I tackled the badges, vents and filler cap area first with aforementioned brush and a good APC, came up well, also raised the spoiler so as not to miss the hidden portion when retracted
1st snow foam application and left to dwell for about 20 mins
You'll notice the foam is 'clinging' very well to the car. I'll put this down the quality of the product but also (and I think predominantly) to the fact that the paint has not seen much wax in the recent past, if the bodywork had any product applied with hydrophobic properties the foam would have a harder time clinging.
After the following:
a second SF application
a thorough interference wash with a new MF mitt
rinse
KKD FErrum iron contaminent reomver applied to lower body arch areas
rinse
clay mitt & quick detailer of the glass/paintwork
rinse
it looked something like this
you'll notice that even though the car has been thoroughly washed and even clayed the water still has some sheeting properties to it, some beading, but no where near the level we need it at to ensure good protection and glass
so onto the polish stage, applied by hand with MF pad applicator
AD Euphoria for the first coat
and then to seal, Infinity Wax Light (should have used dark but it's all I had, wax is wax boys
)
At this point I really started to lose the light so whipped the camera out and took some nudes before it went totally dark. After the Euphoria stage
& After the Infinity Wax stage
Paintwork is now pretty perfect, hardly a swirl it turns out, it must have been well cared for in the past
and down again, the camera really has done the job here, it was almost completely dark by this point
I really wish I'd had the time before losing the light to take some good 'after' photos of the dirty areas I'd highlighted (& remembered to capture the clean wheels before refitting but time was against me)
I ran out of time to do:
complete interior
both boots
exhaust tip
treat the exterior rubbers etc
But will save for another weekend. So all in all very happy. Oh, also as an added bonus a chap called Chris Denning who is seemingly regarded as one of the foremost Porsche specialists in the country is about 4 miles away from me with his own Indy worskhop, so no doubt I'll be visiting him soon! I've already spoken with him and it turns out we even have some mutual acquaintances in the road rally world so that's cool.
Oh two things as footnotes,
1. I was brought around to the idea of porsche ownership by the two boys on the Cammed & Tubbed podcast, great listen and I'd imagine of interest to you if you've made it this far, so it's their fault I've bought this thing in the first place
2. I'll never call it a porschuh, I feel like I'm bragging enough just saying I own a prosche, let alone pronouncing it correctly. I'm referring to it as the 986 currently, sounds less overtly-ostentatious
So that's my first two days of boxster ownership. More updates to follow
Edited by squareflops on Saturday 21st January 11:49
thecremeegg said:
First person to actually like a Porsche Interior possibly? 
Didn't fancy something like a Z4M Coupe? The running costs on one of these would worry me but I bet it's a joy to drive!
people don't rate the interiors on these? Well that's a first world problem huh.. I'm keen on it. Didn't fancy something like a Z4M Coupe? The running costs on one of these would worry me but I bet it's a joy to drive!
No, if I was thinking of staying with BMW I would have stuck with the M3, it wasn't the failing of the M, it was the ability to buy porsche.
thecremeegg said:
Seriously though, looks great!
Cheers! 
Craikeybaby said:
Nice car! My Dad had a 986 and a 987S and actually prefers the 2.7, real world performance is more than enough, but is much cheaper to run.
yea pretty much this exactly. I'm sure the S is lovely but the 2.7 is pretty perfect in terms of pace offset against running costs. Glad to hear I'm not the only one with this train of thought I saw an S with light green interior a few days ago 
they really did offer some odd colour combinations.
If you can do it dude I'm pretty sure you won't be disappointed. It seems that the IMS issue has been over stated too, plenty of smoke about the problem but not much fire. Chris Denning had some interesting feedback on the question that put my mind at ease. Regular oil changes (every year) with genuine filter is highly recommended by him.
Sorry went off on a bit of a tangent there
they really did offer some odd colour combinations. If you can do it dude I'm pretty sure you won't be disappointed. It seems that the IMS issue has been over stated too, plenty of smoke about the problem but not much fire. Chris Denning had some interesting feedback on the question that put my mind at ease. Regular oil changes (every year) with genuine filter is highly recommended by him.
Sorry went off on a bit of a tangent there
Cheers for the words guys 
I'll attempt to answer the main points/quesitons
The porsche however offers 90% of the enjoyment of the VX on a hoon but also offers enjoyment in all other realms other than trying to get a double bed home from DFS. Would I perosnally own the 986 and the VX, no. Unless I was doing dedicated track work with the VX, then - for sure I would (based on very deep pockets that I do not have of course)
Your situation may be very different to mine James but for me alone, I wouldn't own the two at the same time.
I'd like to think not with this one, but I've said that before
That last question leads me into tomorrows meeting with Chris Denning. I'm popping over to his to familiarize myself with his business and ask a few questions to get a feel for what the maintenance schedule will look like with mine. Lets just hope I can afford him ha, although I'm sure from speaking to him and reading reviews that he is the only man to take mine to from now on. Will update when I've spoken to him.
random iphone pic for no reasons
I'll attempt to answer the main points/quesitons
james_gt3rs said:
Interested in how the Boxster compares to the VX220... I keep thinking that the two would go together well for me 
hmm, interesting hypothetical garage James. For me the two cars aren't dissimilar enough to warrant owning both. True the porsche offers exponentially more comfort and practicality (a roller skate is more practical than the 220) and the VX far more raw enjoyment but they are both fundamentally impractical (subjective) 2 seater convertibles with an emphasis on driver enjoyment. I'd see the boxster as a 2nd car, the VX more of a 3rd or 4th if that makes sense. The VX was a delight to drive fast on a country road when the sun was shining and the traffic was minimal. All other times - I found it pretty miserable tbh The porsche however offers 90% of the enjoyment of the VX on a hoon but also offers enjoyment in all other realms other than trying to get a double bed home from DFS. Would I perosnally own the 986 and the VX, no. Unless I was doing dedicated track work with the VX, then - for sure I would (based on very deep pockets that I do not have of course
)Your situation may be very different to mine James but for me alone, I wouldn't own the two at the same time.
JakeT said:
I reckon this one has three months before it's gone... 
You know me so well Jake I'd like to think not with this one, but I've said that beforeabarber said:
Get some guards for the rads up front as they are vulnerable. Hows the hood? Are you going to stick to the yearly servicing you now have on the Porker?
rad guards, hmm hadn't considered those I'll look into it. Hood is OK, not amazing, not terrible. Some signs of wear but seems to be watertight and there's no whistles or leaks at speeds of thirteen mph so I'm pleased enough with it. Yes, if funds allow I definitely will be.That last question leads me into tomorrows meeting with Chris Denning. I'm popping over to his to familiarize myself with his business and ask a few questions to get a feel for what the maintenance schedule will look like with mine. Lets just hope I can afford him ha, although I'm sure from speaking to him and reading reviews that he is the only man to take mine to from now on. Will update when I've spoken to him.
random iphone pic for no reasons
Well saw Chris Denning on Wednesday. Very helpful guy with a huge amount of knowledge about these cars. He was very happy to talk over some common issues and give some advice etc. It's almost a shame the 2.7 doesn't really need anything doing to it for about a year! Service wise that is. I'll get him to look over it in the new year before any real mileage is done and for sure before we do NBR/France in June.
Tangentially when I was letting it down last weekend my jack from Halfords wasn't able to move/roll with the articulation of the car and the jack head actually started to shift on the jacking point. A slight moment as I did not want the jack head (which is quite small) slipping off the jack point all together and going through the floor of the car. So a quick google search and picked up an SGS item with a much bigger jack head with rubber pad included. 34kgs!
Weirdly my mate come over today and gave me an actual hockey puck that apparently doubles up as a perfect cushion between jack/axle stand and body. I may pick up 3/4 more @ £3 each
Tangentially when I was letting it down last weekend my jack from Halfords wasn't able to move/roll with the articulation of the car and the jack head actually started to shift on the jacking point. A slight moment as I did not want the jack head (which is quite small) slipping off the jack point all together and going through the floor of the car. So a quick google search and picked up an SGS item with a much bigger jack head with rubber pad included. 34kgs!
Weirdly my mate come over today and gave me an actual hockey puck that apparently doubles up as a perfect cushion between jack/axle stand and body. I may pick up 3/4 more @ £3 each
certainly is very heavy. But if we've learnt anything from Boris "Heavy is good, heavy is reliable"
Found a handy options decoder @
http://www.kindel.com/porsche/options/options.asp
and ran mine through
Porsche Option Decoder
The following matches were found in the database. Note that you may see duplicates depending on your car's type and year.
Code Option Description
197 Higher amperage battery
288 Headlight washer
288 996: Light washers
375 996: Color coded seat backs
375 Clutch lining without asbestos
411 Licence braket, front
441 Fader, antenna booster, 4 speakers
441 Radio speakers and antenna amplifier
476 Brake pad with abrasive pad
476 996: Traction control
551 Air Deflector (Cabriolet)
567 Windshield green graduated tint
571 Fog tail lamp
573 Air conditioner
601 Litronic Headlights
659 Onboard computer
680 Digital Sound
692 Remote CD changer (6-disc)
981 All leather lining
983 Leather seats front and rear
983 Leather seats front (NOT REAR)
C16 UK LUX spec: tinted windows, metallic paint, and a few other goodies.
Some 'nice to haves' in there
Found a handy options decoder @
http://www.kindel.com/porsche/options/options.asp
and ran mine through
Porsche Option Decoder
The following matches were found in the database. Note that you may see duplicates depending on your car's type and year.
Code Option Description
197 Higher amperage battery
288 Headlight washer
288 996: Light washers
375 996: Color coded seat backs
375 Clutch lining without asbestos
411 Licence braket, front
441 Fader, antenna booster, 4 speakers
441 Radio speakers and antenna amplifier
476 Brake pad with abrasive pad
476 996: Traction control
551 Air Deflector (Cabriolet)
567 Windshield green graduated tint
571 Fog tail lamp
573 Air conditioner
601 Litronic Headlights
659 Onboard computer
680 Digital Sound
692 Remote CD changer (6-disc)
981 All leather lining
983 Leather seats front and rear
983 Leather seats front (NOT REAR)
C16 UK LUX spec: tinted windows, metallic paint, and a few other goodies.
Some 'nice to haves' in there
cheers dude, give me a few weeks at least
Little bit of tinkering this afternoon just so I don't feel like I've wasted the weekend not doing anything; cold out there..
Checked the front rads for leaf ingress, hardly anything collected in the front bumper so they must have been cleared out quite regularly in the past (or at least once recently!) Also checked the drain holes fore and aft which were clear too. Chris Denning mentioned if these get blocked the first thing that gets flooded is the main EMS which would be very bad.
Well as it's daylight I took a few more pics of the thing clean, I seem to have a limitless threshold for clean pics of my own car, I can only assume it drives most other people mad
The only other thing I did that I didn't get a chance to do last weekend were the floor mats. Not too dirty but some mud staining around Porsche emblem.
AG interior shampoo used with a bit of water and a stiff bristled brush to agitate. A wet vac to suck out the worst then a damp micro fiber cloth used in a twisting montion to pull the remainder of the grime out, they seem to have come up OK, left hand side of the cloth as shown was the side used to clean so some appreciable dirt removed
and cleaned (I'm not one to put stripes in the carpets as some do, maybe I should have)
No further plans for now, which I find quite vexing ha.. Oh I do have some Valetpro Black to the Future on order which will be used on the arch liners and exterior plastics after a scrub down with AD Citrus APC which is also inbound; so that's something I guess.
Little bit of tinkering this afternoon just so I don't feel like I've wasted the weekend not doing anything; cold out there..
Checked the front rads for leaf ingress, hardly anything collected in the front bumper so they must have been cleared out quite regularly in the past (or at least once recently!) Also checked the drain holes fore and aft which were clear too. Chris Denning mentioned if these get blocked the first thing that gets flooded is the main EMS which would be very bad.
Well as it's daylight I took a few more pics of the thing clean, I seem to have a limitless threshold for clean pics of my own car, I can only assume it drives most other people mad
The only other thing I did that I didn't get a chance to do last weekend were the floor mats. Not too dirty but some mud staining around Porsche emblem.
AG interior shampoo used with a bit of water and a stiff bristled brush to agitate. A wet vac to suck out the worst then a damp micro fiber cloth used in a twisting montion to pull the remainder of the grime out, they seem to have come up OK, left hand side of the cloth as shown was the side used to clean so some appreciable dirt removed
and cleaned (I'm not one to put stripes in the carpets as some do, maybe I should have)
No further plans for now, which I find quite vexing ha.. Oh I do have some Valetpro Black to the Future on order which will be used on the arch liners and exterior plastics after a scrub down with AD Citrus APC which is also inbound; so that's something I guess.
Stumbled upon a fellas channel in the US covering 986 ownership called Burner's Cars (recommended by our own Road and Race YT channel chap) A particularly interesting vid was
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7J4bhz9brg
detailing removal of leaves etc from in front of the air con condensers that collect in the front bumper. Something I've wanted to do but wasn't quite sure how to go about it.
So watched the vid last night and got started a few hours ago
car up for easier underside access
Burner's video was very clear so followed his steps
all very simple to disassemble
torx bolts on the underside of the bumper, rusted but not seized (greased before re-fitting)
removal of front slap panel cover
and bumper comes off very easily, about 20 mins faffing
leaves something resembling this
so the leafs in question. Good job to remove them; especially in winter as they can get wet/freeze/expand/crack the condensers
Removal of the condenser cowls to reveal the condensers and rads
plenty of build up, the near side seems to have had a wasps nest in it at some point
re positioning the condenser reveals build up in between the rads
and took the opportunity to clean the cowls whilst they were off
untreated drivers side
treated passenger side
drivers side much the same
lots of feathers in this one
and all done. put back together without an issue. It's all very nicely constructed and is very easy to work on.
I'm not expecting to notice any difference in cooling etc but I'm in no doubt that the cooling system will work more efficiently now that the obstructions have been removed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7J4bhz9brg
detailing removal of leaves etc from in front of the air con condensers that collect in the front bumper. Something I've wanted to do but wasn't quite sure how to go about it.
So watched the vid last night and got started a few hours ago
car up for easier underside access
Burner's video was very clear so followed his steps
all very simple to disassemble
torx bolts on the underside of the bumper, rusted but not seized (greased before re-fitting)
removal of front slap panel cover
and bumper comes off very easily, about 20 mins faffing
leaves something resembling this
so the leafs in question. Good job to remove them; especially in winter as they can get wet/freeze/expand/crack the condensers
Removal of the condenser cowls to reveal the condensers and rads
plenty of build up, the near side seems to have had a wasps nest in it at some point
re positioning the condenser reveals build up in between the rads
and took the opportunity to clean the cowls whilst they were off
untreated drivers side
treated passenger side
drivers side much the same
lots of feathers in this one
and all done. put back together without an issue. It's all very nicely constructed and is very easy to work on.
I'm not expecting to notice any difference in cooling etc but I'm in no doubt that the cooling system will work more efficiently now that the obstructions have been removed.
Edited by squareflops on Monday 26th December 16:32
Rick101 said:
Very nice.
This is how a car should be looked after. I'm not quite as skillful but I am just as particular. I find it quite bizarre that someone's 'pride & joy' only goes for a basic service one a year, often bi annually.
Rarely a week goes by without me paying some attention to my car, often no more than just a thorough wash, but enough time to give it a good check over.
Well done
cheers bud This is how a car should be looked after. I'm not quite as skillful but I am just as particular. I find it quite bizarre that someone's 'pride & joy' only goes for a basic service one a year, often bi annually.
Rarely a week goes by without me paying some attention to my car, often no more than just a thorough wash, but enough time to give it a good check over.
Well done
I'm sure you're as skillful as I; as I'm not very good with a spanner either
indeed I baulk at the state of some peoples cars even superficially sometimes but no doubt it's just not some peoples focus 
Got to love a good wash, the boxing day sales aren't helping though, products may be reduced but still can't afford them
edc said:
Did you look to relocate the emergency front boot release whilst in there?
the who what now send nudes..crmax said:
You have bought a very nice car and you´re giving it quite a bit of love I like that, although I would never have the patience to do that. Selling the M3 to get a non-S Boxster is not the most obvious step, but sounds perfectly logical after reading your story 
cheers bud, ' I like that, although I would never have the patience to do that. Selling the M3 to get a non-S Boxster is not the most obvious step, but sounds perfectly logical after reading your story ' is as confident as I still am about about selling the M3 ha, it kinda makes sense; right? GTIAlex said:
I like your Micra as well.
Micra is still going strong, should be having a new clutch and drivers side outer cv kit soon, should make it quieter at leastGTIAlex said:
Did you have a Subaru at some point? Im sure I have a memory of a blue scooby being parked on that drive in another readers ride.
Yes bud that was mine. It was chavvy/had 15 owners but I loved it. In hindsight I should have really stopped at the Subaru and kept it, I absolutely loved it, maybe I'll have another in the future. 
GTIAlex said:
Nice work with the 986, been eyeing them up myself but got another year left on the FieSTa lease...can't wait to get back into owning something and faffing.
I'd recommend one. It astounds me the price of some at the moment. the early 2.5 litres about going for 2.8./3.5k, crazy for the car. The pre 2000 cars have the dual row IMS bearing also so on paper should be more reliable than the later single row M96 equipped cars. I'd love a budget early 2.5, just can't convince the mrs of the same thing 
Not car content this update but garage. Not even really an update but I feel like bookmarking the day
Decided to do a few things that had been bugging me for a while. Id always put off doing the job mentioned below up until now as domestic household electrics are not my forte; but.. the position of my garage light switch has been the focus of great annoyance for a while. It is, or was at the back of the garage so I'd have fight my way past the car in the pitch black during night time to get to it. Conversely when leaving the garage I'd need to switch the lights off then walk down the left hand side of the garage in darkness - so I moved the light switch.
This sounds incredibly simple and to the vast majority of you guys I'm sure it is but as I said I wasn't that confident, the potential to set fire to the garage wiring or electrocuting myself has always made this job more than I was willing to tackle. But f
k it, how hard could it be? They're just wires.
So I popped to Screwfix and picked up
10m twin & earth 2.5mm cable
tower cable clips for above
a box of splice line connectors to connect old twin and earth to new
chocbox to house the connectors
a 600mm spirit level
a bench vice
before I started I killed the power to the garage and stripped off the old cable clips to the existing light switch. I then removed the face plate of the switch and was greeted by
At this point I realized there were 2 cables going in to the box not 1 (did I mention I don't know much about wiring) so this doubled the amount of work I had to do and also doubled my chances of fking something up. This photo and some others served as a map for when it went back together and I clearly labelled both cables 'In' & 'Out'.
I joined the two cables with the splice line connectors (these seem very sketchy as they remind me of scotch blocks used to bodge ICE wiring in my old cars many years ago but they came recommended by an electrician so ... cool)
Cables partially run and chocboxed
so tucked the wires and secured along the garage wall then re positioned the switch box with a rawlplug and self tapper.
right next to the door
I checked, double checked and triple checked all of my connections before turning the breaker back on and saying "brown = live, blue =neutral" about 100 times whilst looking at the wires to make sure I'd got everything right. I do prefer the old system of red = live, black neutral as the initial letters were different whereas now using the harmonized system both start with B so it's harder to differentiate if that makes sense. Good job I'm not an electrician
So that's done, all lights still work and the garage hasn't burnt down yet so I'm taking that as a win.
In addition as mentioned earlier I renewed my ancient wooden spirit level with a much lighter one. And something I've found wanting for a few times in recent months; a vice. The one from Screwfix is about the cutest little vice I've ever seen, smaller than most I've used in the past but it fits the size of the garage well and I'm unlikely to need anything bigger for what I have in mind. It works well in as much as the jaws clear the bench to allow for long items to be held vertically without interference, not all do it appears having done some research before purchasing.
I did mess up a little with the fixtures. I measured the bench drop at 55m and bought the 70mm 8mm bolts with large washers and nyloc nuts. All good right? No. I forgot to take into account the height of the vice itself so the bolts came flush with the bottom bench
Thankfully I had a flat wood drill bit so instead of going back to Screwfix and having buy longer bolts I just drilled up into the bench support and countersunk the nuts
and all fitted, isn't she just the cutest thing
In other news I'm half way through moving the air tools from the LHS side of my back board to the right as I seldomly use these. In their place on the 'main' side of the backboard I'm waiting on 3X clip strips that will allow me to mount more every day items like screw drivers, spanners, sockets and alike; I'm getting tired of going in and out of my tool boxes every time I need something.
Not sure whether to mount the breaker bar and torque wrenches horizontally or vertically. I'm sure I'll figure it out
Decided to do a few things that had been bugging me for a while. Id always put off doing the job mentioned below up until now as domestic household electrics are not my forte; but.. the position of my garage light switch has been the focus of great annoyance for a while. It is, or was at the back of the garage so I'd have fight my way past the car in the pitch black during night time to get to it. Conversely when leaving the garage I'd need to switch the lights off then walk down the left hand side of the garage in darkness - so I moved the light switch.
This sounds incredibly simple and to the vast majority of you guys I'm sure it is but as I said I wasn't that confident, the potential to set fire to the garage wiring or electrocuting myself has always made this job more than I was willing to tackle. But f
k it, how hard could it be? They're just wires. So I popped to Screwfix and picked up
10m twin & earth 2.5mm cable
tower cable clips for above
a box of splice line connectors to connect old twin and earth to new
chocbox to house the connectors
a 600mm spirit level
a bench vice
before I started I killed the power to the garage and stripped off the old cable clips to the existing light switch. I then removed the face plate of the switch and was greeted by
At this point I realized there were 2 cables going in to the box not 1 (did I mention I don't know much about wiring) so this doubled the amount of work I had to do and also doubled my chances of f
king something up. This photo and some others served as a map for when it went back together and I clearly labelled both cables 'In' & 'Out'. I joined the two cables with the splice line connectors (these seem very sketchy as they remind me of scotch blocks used to bodge ICE wiring in my old cars many years ago but they came recommended by an electrician so ... cool)
Cables partially run and chocboxed
so tucked the wires and secured along the garage wall then re positioned the switch box with a rawlplug and self tapper.
right next to the door
I checked, double checked and triple checked all of my connections before turning the breaker back on and saying "brown = live, blue =neutral" about 100 times whilst looking at the wires to make sure I'd got everything right. I do prefer the old system of red = live, black neutral as the initial letters were different whereas now using the harmonized system both start with B so it's harder to differentiate if that makes sense. Good job I'm not an electrician
So that's done, all lights still work and the garage hasn't burnt down yet so I'm taking that as a win.
In addition as mentioned earlier I renewed my ancient wooden spirit level with a much lighter one. And something I've found wanting for a few times in recent months; a vice. The one from Screwfix is about the cutest little vice I've ever seen, smaller than most I've used in the past but it fits the size of the garage well and I'm unlikely to need anything bigger for what I have in mind. It works well in as much as the jaws clear the bench to allow for long items to be held vertically without interference, not all do it appears having done some research before purchasing.
I did mess up a little with the fixtures. I measured the bench drop at 55m and bought the 70mm 8mm bolts with large washers and nyloc nuts. All good right? No. I forgot to take into account the height of the vice itself so the bolts came flush with the bottom bench
Thankfully I had a flat wood drill bit so instead of going back to Screwfix and having buy longer bolts I just drilled up into the bench support and countersunk the nuts
and all fitted, isn't she just the cutest thing
In other news I'm half way through moving the air tools from the LHS side of my back board to the right as I seldomly use these. In their place on the 'main' side of the backboard I'm waiting on 3X clip strips that will allow me to mount more every day items like screw drivers, spanners, sockets and alike; I'm getting tired of going in and out of my tool boxes every time I need something.
Not sure whether to mount the breaker bar and torque wrenches horizontally or vertically. I'm sure I'll figure it out
MOT passed today with no advisories which is nice.
Also garage related I received the clip strips so arranged the tool board slightly better
Bottom left on the board are commonly used spanners/extensions/ratchets and next to the breaker bar/torque wrenches are the two most used wheel nut impact sockets labelled porsche and nissan.
You'll notice the 6mm die grinder from Draper on the far right, it really is a tiny thing, just about as big as my hand. I should have ordered some bits at the same time really - I still have no idea what I'm ever going to use it for
Also garage related I received the clip strips so arranged the tool board slightly better
Bottom left on the board are commonly used spanners/extensions/ratchets and next to the breaker bar/torque wrenches are the two most used wheel nut impact sockets labelled porsche and nissan.
You'll notice the 6mm die grinder from Draper on the far right, it really is a tiny thing, just about as big as my hand. I should have ordered some bits at the same time really
- I still have no idea what I'm ever going to use it for Edited by squareflops on Saturday 7th January 16:53
Sorry AU I guess having kids potentially dents the motivation to do these tertiary bits n bobs! The clip strips really are useful though and provide a quick fix for mounting what you need most. Recommended.
I spent about 20 mins flicking through the best garage thread on here and that provided all the inspiration I needed!
cheers dude haha, I'd recommend doing both things you mentioned above though!
we're lucky to have garages, make the most of them!
I guess having kids potentially dents the motivation to do these tertiary bits n bobs! The clip strips really are useful though and provide a quick fix for mounting what you need most. Recommended. I spent about 20 mins flicking through the best garage thread on here and that provided all the inspiration I needed!
cheers dude haha, I'd recommend doing both things you mentioned above though!
we're lucky to have garages, make the most of them!
TR4man said:
I don't think I've seen many garages with a link of ammo hanging on the wall!
ah yea they're fake, prob not the best idea to have a live ammo clip on the property sounds good Sunnysider! yea pretty underwhelming for outright pace (it's still quick of course). I haven't really had a chance to get up to a good pace on a twisty road yet, or even the roof down given the weather but soon hopefully.
I really shouldn't say I'll never sell this one given my previous but I really do hope I can hold onto it for the foreseeable future. I can't see me wanting to change particularly, I can't afford anything else now anyway
Busy day. Was in Glastonbury this morning at 9 (from Cardiff) to collect my mates R26 Megane which has had a new clutch, SM flywheel and Quaife atb diff fitted. He's very happy and the car now drives much more nicely apparently. Then it was off to Prospeed in Cardiff to have the 1" bypass pipes fitted to the Boxster. The only thing I really wanted to do with the boxster is make it slightly louder as after the m3 the very quiet standard system was somewhat lacking. Boy has it woken the thing up!
The Boxster now sounds incredible. The YT vid doesn't really do it justice as it was recorded on an iPhone but oh wow it sounds superb. Not too loud while driving but a stunning bark now exists on acceleration and the pops on over run are music to the ears. I wouldn't say subtle or savage, somewhere in between, prefect. Extremely happy with Prospeeds work once again.
https://youtu.be/F9cxhhpov6c
The Boxster now sounds incredible. The YT vid doesn't really do it justice as it was recorded on an iPhone but oh wow it sounds superb. Not too loud while driving but a stunning bark now exists on acceleration and the pops on over run are music to the ears. I wouldn't say subtle or savage, somewhere in between, prefect. Extremely happy with Prospeeds work once again.
https://youtu.be/F9cxhhpov6c
Cheers bud! I'm really pleased with it. Yea I believe it is the same as the oettle(sp?) mod, pipes are welded in from each side of the silencer (pre-silencer) and brought around to the tail pipe. I'll get some pictures of it tomorrow when the light is better. You are correct though, no droning on a run/partial throttle but WO and boy does it sound purposeful.
986s great little cars indeed, but now with big bore Porsche sound!
986s great little cars indeed, but now with big bore Porsche sound!
few more snaps of the work done
At Prospeed, Wentloog Road, Cardiff
being worked on
and today showing the route of the pipes
near side pipe
tail pipe with a lick of black paint on both bypass pipes to soften the look
off side pipe
Went for a drive today, no less awesome
Cars pretty filthy at the moment but will give it a good wash next weekend and clean the tail pipe up a little etc.
At Prospeed, Wentloog Road, Cardiff
being worked on
and today showing the route of the pipes
near side pipe
tail pipe with a lick of black paint on both bypass pipes to soften the look
off side pipe
Went for a drive today, no less awesome
Cars pretty filthy at the moment but will give it a good wash next weekend and clean the tail pipe up a little etc.
SebringMan said:
Do you still have this or have you got the MX-5 only now?
I ask as I debate about getting a Boxster now and again. But I am liking my M3. I am still a little surprised that you sold it!
Still have the boxster SM. The MX-5 was to replace the low mileage CVT Micra the missus was driving. Her job changed which equaled more motorway miles etc so she really wanted something with a bit more poke. I ask as I debate about getting a Boxster now and again. But I am liking my M3. I am still a little surprised that you sold it!
I loved, and still do love the m3. It was an odd choice I'll totally admit; but not one I regrat. The m3 was an amazing machine but running costs long term were a little daunting, I could have done it but it wouldn't have been the car I ideally wanted, sacrifices would have to have been made and I don't like to compromise; too much. The boxster is a surprisingly economical car to run in comparison. I'd say drive one, spiritedly if you can. On paper (and in the real word) it has no where near as much pace ad the M, but that doesn't translate to 'slower' when driving the boxster. Point to point it's an incredibly capable car and would chase the m3 down a b-road I'd wager, I'll maybe find out when the new owner of my m3 and I go on a jaunt to Brecon to watch the Gremlin rally sat night. Good roads, late at night, hopefully dry.
It really does feel more special when you're in it too. Well; it does to me this is all rather subjective.
If you're local have a go in mine, bin it you buy it
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff