Our first Porsche - 987 Boxster S
Discussion
Hi PHers!
I’m starting this to document and share what has been a pretty special experience so far and one I hope continues down that track, o ur first experience of Porsche ownership.
I wanted to start by providing a bit of background of how we ended up deciding the right car to own whilst living in London at 25 was a Boxster S.
I say we, because I share ownership 50:50 with my rather wonderful girlfriend Beth, who will no doubt feature heavily throughout the stories and adventures we go on together with the car.
We’re both very much car people, I come from a household known for it’s strong affiliation with BMW’s and have been doing trackways with my dad and independently in them since 17. Beth’s interest in cars stems from growing up watching Top Gear and her parents having an interesting variety of cars, namely on her Mum’s account, being brought up in an original Mini for most of her childhood!
However, whilst Beth likes cars, enjoying looking at them, tinkering with them and being in them, the enjoyment of driving still eludes her. Which leads to the question how did someone that doesn’t like driving decide to spend a not insignificant amount of money on a car they’ll rarely use?
Well the Boxster isn’t the first car we’ve owned together, having had a Mini Roadster S previously and Beth was using my £500 MG TF of Car Throttle fame before we went halves on the mini. Each car change has come with a focus on them being easier to drive, the MG was a tough thing to be fair, a £500 car is a £500 car… The Mini being more modern, safer and easier was supposed to get Beth driving more, but that sadly didn’t make much difference in how comfortable Beth felt driving it.
4521E78F-FE9E-490A-8C7E-07457378CEB1 by Monty Robins, on Flickr
I miss this thing much more than I should!
Untitled by Monty Robins, on Flickr
The Mini whilst out in the York Moors last year.
The aha moment came when my sister who has always hated driving got an Automatic Jazz(we’re a way off track here I know, but bear with). Suddenly she was no longer concerned about driving, losing the clutch and gearstick completely “shifted” her focus and confidence.
Seeing this transformation we decided it would make sense for Beth to have a go in the Jazz to see if the same revelation could happen, which it did… and so began the hunt for an automatic car that would suit both of our needs.
The prospect of an automatic mini was distinctly unappealing and I wanted something with plenty of grunt to avoid the frustrating down changes the Jazz makes for any sort of acceleration.
Living within the ULEZ zone, that was always going to be a factor in what we could choose, though it strangely didn’t really limit what we were considering given the desire to go petrol. Having used my dad’s e89 Z4 for a few trips together they were a strong contender, along with Audi TT’s(one of Beth’s favourites) and of course the Boxster.
I had my first Porsche experience at 14, in a friends 987 Spyder, a very solid start and I’ve been in love with Porsche’s since. This was further cemented by a trip in his GT3 to the Ring at 17, so I knew which option I liked… That being said, up until this point, I’d never actually got behind the wheel of one myself.
It’s quite an experience getting behind the wheel of one of Stugartt’s creations for the first time, for some reason the brand and badge carry a sense of occasion like nothing else I had driven up until this point, Bentley included (though I wonder if the Porsche being attainable changed the dynamic here).
A 2008 2.7 Tiptronic at a local dealer isn’t quite the crème de la crème of Porsche’s, yet it still didn’t struggle to leave an impression. While it was mainly an exercise around getting an idea of what a Boxster would be like, being out of budget, it didn’t fail to sell us on the idea. Beth had a go too, allowing me to believe that this might actually happen.
Porsche we test drove by Monty Robins, on Flickr
The 2.7 was surprisingly potent and though it was clear the Tiptronic would take a bit of getting used to, it was better than I was expecting. The brakes were the most disappointing though, lots of people I know in the BM world have upgraded to these callipers over standard. However given how hard they were to use in the Boxster, I couldn’t help being left wondering why friends had made the change.
As I have learnt from experience with previous cars, it is often unwise to buy the first one you try, so we left the dealer, sold on the idea that a Boxster is what we needed to find.
Initially we had a few spec requirements in mind:
- Tiptronic of course
- An S - being deep in to my 330 has taught me to start with the top model, it’s often cheaper in the long run - #shouldhaveboughtanM3
- Heated seats
- Bose sound system
- Cruise control
The colour of the interior and exterior weren’t such important factors with the goal of finding the right car, though I’d like to avoid black having just had two of them. One thing I have always loved is an unusual colour Porsche, their bright and brash colour ways can look brilliant with the right wheel combination etc… Interior wise I have been a long term fan of the blue interiors Porsche do, but also love a tan/beige interior like the 2.7 we drove and my BM has the same.
I suspected we might be in for a long wait for something to turn up that met spec and budget requirements, toying with the idea of a cheap high mileage car. Broadening the search criteria still didn’t yield anything in the first 7 days and I began to think this would take a few months for the right car to appear.
Sometimes things happen in life in mysterious ways though and 8 days after beginning our search a 2006, 3.2 S popped up at a well regarded dealer in High Wycombe (where my folks live). It was Silver (bummer, but not black), 48k on the clock, blue interior (winner), blue roof (right result!) with only 3 previous owners. Spec included Bose, cruise control and heated seats. It was missing a few bits I would have loved; steering wheel controls, PASM and Porsche Crest in the headrests, but it was more than good enough to be worth a look. Only downside, it was £2K over our £12k budget…
My dad kingly popped over the next afternoon to see and drive the car. A nice example he said, but the brakes were rubbish and the roof and rear spoiler weren’t working because a control unit head failed that day(in retrospect, I should have paid more attention to this at the time). Based on it driving right and looking right to my dad, we agreed to buy it provided the Dealer had the issues rectified before the sale.
The Dealer was great, putting the car into the local Porsche specialists, Chelsea Carrera, for an inspection and service, and to have the issues rectified before we took it. He also arranged for my old man to see the car whilst up on the ramp with Chelsea Carrera to get their opinions on it.
It’s probably fair to say that the Dealer hadn’t predicted what would happen next, the car need its big service, the coil packs crumbled on removal, its disks were shot and the front rad hoses were weeping. On top of the control unit that needed replacing, this was going to be a big bill.
Leaky hoses:
Untitled by Monty Robins, on Flickr
A big bill it was, so much so that any hope of wiggle room on the price of the car was wiped out. But still, seeing the car underneath before purchasing it and having a specialist run through it with us provided reassurance that we weren’t likely to end up with a rotter.
Having done discs and pads plenty of times ourselves before we agreed that we would change them, knowing we could source and install replacements for a lot less than the cost that would be passed on.
It took a week or so for the work to be completed and so just two weeks after deciding that it was a Boxster we were after, Beth and I drove out of London to pick it up, funnily enough just before our parents were to meet for the first time.
Shiny coil packs in:
Untitled by Monty Robins, on Flickr
The test drive was as expected save for a minor blip with the gearbox, it seemed to hold back when I booted the car in auto mode and it did leave me a little anxious. The issue wouldn’t occur in manual mode and a bit of googling helped me conclude it was likely due to different driving styles of its previous owner and recent usage vs my hard and sporadic acceleration - it hasn’t happened since either.
So we did the deal, keeping our Mini to sell privately both Beth and I drove the short journey home with roofs down both cars, with more than a little bit of disbelief that we were now the proud owners of a proper sports car. It did take longer than expected to sort everything at the dealer and as a result our parents met with out us, which was especially funny given Beth’s parents weren’t aware of what we were doing, kind of ruined the surprise sadly!
Porsche pics by Monty Robins, on Flickr
Staying at my parents that night, the Boxster was subjected to it first drive out the very next morning. We went with my dad in the Z4 and a friend in his 997 C2S, heading out to Bicester and back down via Norsk in Haddenham. Aware of the brakes still needing attention, we went steadily, having a chance to learn the balance, feel and power of the car.
Untitled by Monty Robins, on Flickr
There’s something about driving a mid-engined motor that I love, the feeling on the front end is so different, a sensation that I would say was even apparent in the MG, but the steering feel of the Boxster makes it a far more precise and engaging drive.
I was staggered at how quick it is compared to the 330, 50 bhp more makes more of a difference than I expected, combined with not physically changing gear I could focus more on the road and found the speeds to be creeping up more quickly than I anticipated for a first drive.
The whole time Beth and I were fizzing with excitement, struggling to believe the car was our and how much fun we now had available to us as and when we choose.
With the afternoon free we gave the cars interior a more thorough clean. It had just been valeted before the sale, but we’re both pretty anal when it comes to removing other peoples filth, so the cotton buds and microfibres were out to get the cabin back to as near new as we could manage.
Untitled by Monty Robins, on Flickr
I’m starting this to document and share what has been a pretty special experience so far and one I hope continues down that track, o ur first experience of Porsche ownership.
I wanted to start by providing a bit of background of how we ended up deciding the right car to own whilst living in London at 25 was a Boxster S.
I say we, because I share ownership 50:50 with my rather wonderful girlfriend Beth, who will no doubt feature heavily throughout the stories and adventures we go on together with the car.
We’re both very much car people, I come from a household known for it’s strong affiliation with BMW’s and have been doing trackways with my dad and independently in them since 17. Beth’s interest in cars stems from growing up watching Top Gear and her parents having an interesting variety of cars, namely on her Mum’s account, being brought up in an original Mini for most of her childhood!
However, whilst Beth likes cars, enjoying looking at them, tinkering with them and being in them, the enjoyment of driving still eludes her. Which leads to the question how did someone that doesn’t like driving decide to spend a not insignificant amount of money on a car they’ll rarely use?
Well the Boxster isn’t the first car we’ve owned together, having had a Mini Roadster S previously and Beth was using my £500 MG TF of Car Throttle fame before we went halves on the mini. Each car change has come with a focus on them being easier to drive, the MG was a tough thing to be fair, a £500 car is a £500 car… The Mini being more modern, safer and easier was supposed to get Beth driving more, but that sadly didn’t make much difference in how comfortable Beth felt driving it.
4521E78F-FE9E-490A-8C7E-07457378CEB1 by Monty Robins, on FlickrI miss this thing much more than I should!
Untitled by Monty Robins, on FlickrThe Mini whilst out in the York Moors last year.
The aha moment came when my sister who has always hated driving got an Automatic Jazz(we’re a way off track here I know, but bear with). Suddenly she was no longer concerned about driving, losing the clutch and gearstick completely “shifted” her focus and confidence.
Seeing this transformation we decided it would make sense for Beth to have a go in the Jazz to see if the same revelation could happen, which it did… and so began the hunt for an automatic car that would suit both of our needs.
The prospect of an automatic mini was distinctly unappealing and I wanted something with plenty of grunt to avoid the frustrating down changes the Jazz makes for any sort of acceleration.
Living within the ULEZ zone, that was always going to be a factor in what we could choose, though it strangely didn’t really limit what we were considering given the desire to go petrol. Having used my dad’s e89 Z4 for a few trips together they were a strong contender, along with Audi TT’s(one of Beth’s favourites) and of course the Boxster.
I had my first Porsche experience at 14, in a friends 987 Spyder, a very solid start and I’ve been in love with Porsche’s since. This was further cemented by a trip in his GT3 to the Ring at 17, so I knew which option I liked… That being said, up until this point, I’d never actually got behind the wheel of one myself.
It’s quite an experience getting behind the wheel of one of Stugartt’s creations for the first time, for some reason the brand and badge carry a sense of occasion like nothing else I had driven up until this point, Bentley included (though I wonder if the Porsche being attainable changed the dynamic here).
A 2008 2.7 Tiptronic at a local dealer isn’t quite the crème de la crème of Porsche’s, yet it still didn’t struggle to leave an impression. While it was mainly an exercise around getting an idea of what a Boxster would be like, being out of budget, it didn’t fail to sell us on the idea. Beth had a go too, allowing me to believe that this might actually happen.
Porsche we test drove by Monty Robins, on FlickrThe 2.7 was surprisingly potent and though it was clear the Tiptronic would take a bit of getting used to, it was better than I was expecting. The brakes were the most disappointing though, lots of people I know in the BM world have upgraded to these callipers over standard. However given how hard they were to use in the Boxster, I couldn’t help being left wondering why friends had made the change.
As I have learnt from experience with previous cars, it is often unwise to buy the first one you try, so we left the dealer, sold on the idea that a Boxster is what we needed to find.
Initially we had a few spec requirements in mind:
- Tiptronic of course
- An S - being deep in to my 330 has taught me to start with the top model, it’s often cheaper in the long run - #shouldhaveboughtanM3
- Heated seats
- Bose sound system
- Cruise control
The colour of the interior and exterior weren’t such important factors with the goal of finding the right car, though I’d like to avoid black having just had two of them. One thing I have always loved is an unusual colour Porsche, their bright and brash colour ways can look brilliant with the right wheel combination etc… Interior wise I have been a long term fan of the blue interiors Porsche do, but also love a tan/beige interior like the 2.7 we drove and my BM has the same.
I suspected we might be in for a long wait for something to turn up that met spec and budget requirements, toying with the idea of a cheap high mileage car. Broadening the search criteria still didn’t yield anything in the first 7 days and I began to think this would take a few months for the right car to appear.
Sometimes things happen in life in mysterious ways though and 8 days after beginning our search a 2006, 3.2 S popped up at a well regarded dealer in High Wycombe (where my folks live). It was Silver (bummer, but not black), 48k on the clock, blue interior (winner), blue roof (right result!) with only 3 previous owners. Spec included Bose, cruise control and heated seats. It was missing a few bits I would have loved; steering wheel controls, PASM and Porsche Crest in the headrests, but it was more than good enough to be worth a look. Only downside, it was £2K over our £12k budget…
My dad kingly popped over the next afternoon to see and drive the car. A nice example he said, but the brakes were rubbish and the roof and rear spoiler weren’t working because a control unit head failed that day(in retrospect, I should have paid more attention to this at the time). Based on it driving right and looking right to my dad, we agreed to buy it provided the Dealer had the issues rectified before the sale.
The Dealer was great, putting the car into the local Porsche specialists, Chelsea Carrera, for an inspection and service, and to have the issues rectified before we took it. He also arranged for my old man to see the car whilst up on the ramp with Chelsea Carrera to get their opinions on it.
It’s probably fair to say that the Dealer hadn’t predicted what would happen next, the car need its big service, the coil packs crumbled on removal, its disks were shot and the front rad hoses were weeping. On top of the control unit that needed replacing, this was going to be a big bill.
Leaky hoses:
Untitled by Monty Robins, on FlickrA big bill it was, so much so that any hope of wiggle room on the price of the car was wiped out. But still, seeing the car underneath before purchasing it and having a specialist run through it with us provided reassurance that we weren’t likely to end up with a rotter.
Having done discs and pads plenty of times ourselves before we agreed that we would change them, knowing we could source and install replacements for a lot less than the cost that would be passed on.
It took a week or so for the work to be completed and so just two weeks after deciding that it was a Boxster we were after, Beth and I drove out of London to pick it up, funnily enough just before our parents were to meet for the first time.
Shiny coil packs in:
Untitled by Monty Robins, on FlickrThe test drive was as expected save for a minor blip with the gearbox, it seemed to hold back when I booted the car in auto mode and it did leave me a little anxious. The issue wouldn’t occur in manual mode and a bit of googling helped me conclude it was likely due to different driving styles of its previous owner and recent usage vs my hard and sporadic acceleration - it hasn’t happened since either.
So we did the deal, keeping our Mini to sell privately both Beth and I drove the short journey home with roofs down both cars, with more than a little bit of disbelief that we were now the proud owners of a proper sports car. It did take longer than expected to sort everything at the dealer and as a result our parents met with out us, which was especially funny given Beth’s parents weren’t aware of what we were doing, kind of ruined the surprise sadly!
Porsche pics by Monty Robins, on FlickrStaying at my parents that night, the Boxster was subjected to it first drive out the very next morning. We went with my dad in the Z4 and a friend in his 997 C2S, heading out to Bicester and back down via Norsk in Haddenham. Aware of the brakes still needing attention, we went steadily, having a chance to learn the balance, feel and power of the car.
Untitled by Monty Robins, on FlickrThere’s something about driving a mid-engined motor that I love, the feeling on the front end is so different, a sensation that I would say was even apparent in the MG, but the steering feel of the Boxster makes it a far more precise and engaging drive.
I was staggered at how quick it is compared to the 330, 50 bhp more makes more of a difference than I expected, combined with not physically changing gear I could focus more on the road and found the speeds to be creeping up more quickly than I anticipated for a first drive.
The whole time Beth and I were fizzing with excitement, struggling to believe the car was our and how much fun we now had available to us as and when we choose.
With the afternoon free we gave the cars interior a more thorough clean. It had just been valeted before the sale, but we’re both pretty anal when it comes to removing other peoples filth, so the cotton buds and microfibres were out to get the cabin back to as near new as we could manage.
Untitled by Monty Robins, on FlickrJust be aware that brakes in Porsches do tend to need a good shove on the pedal - if I get out of our Alfa guilietta into the 987 it feels like they've stopped working! It's the same again though going from the 987 into the 996... They are effective however, you just need to recalibrate slightly. That's assuming the pads, discs fluid are all in good condition obviously.
As above get some additional elastic on that roof, there are plenty of guides online about the fix and it's super simple, but ignore it for too long and it can damage the frame.
As above get some additional elastic on that roof, there are plenty of guides online about the fix and it's super simple, but ignore it for too long and it can damage the frame.
shalmaneser said:
Just be aware that brakes in Porsches do tend to need a good shove on the pedal - if I get out of our Alfa guilietta into the 987 it feels like they've stopped working! It's the same again though going from the 987 into the 996... They are effective however, you just need to recalibrate slightly. That's assuming the pads, discs fluid are all in good condition obviously.
As above get some additional elastic on that roof, there are plenty of guides online about the fix and it's super simple, but ignore it for too long and it can damage the frame.
This is exactly correct. Porsche don’t use anywhere near as much servo assistance on the brakes as most manufacturers do, meaning you need more pressure on the pedal. Getting out of my 330(F series) into my 987S I always have to make a conscious effort the first few times. I use the brakes. When you’ve adjusted to them, you’ll find that they’re very effective - Porsches have always stopped well.As above get some additional elastic on that roof, there are plenty of guides online about the fix and it's super simple, but ignore it for too long and it can damage the frame.
mattman said:
They are great cars - looks like you need to adjust fix the elastic on the roof to get it to sit back under the rails - simple job to do.
Also get yourself over to Boxa.net if you haven’t already - great source of Boxster knowledge.
And lastly - enjoy!
Yep, sorted the roof now, funnily enough I genuinely thought this is how they were meant to be as it's how so many I had seen were! Also get yourself over to Boxa.net if you haven’t already - great source of Boxster knowledge.
And lastly - enjoy!
Cloudy147 said:
Looks great, congrats on the purchase!!! Nice spec too.
Thanks Cloudy!Magnum 475 said:
shalmaneser said:
Just be aware that brakes in Porsches do tend to need a good shove on the pedal - if I get out of our Alfa guilietta into the 987 it feels like they've stopped working! It's the same again though going from the 987 into the 996... They are effective however, you just need to recalibrate slightly. That's assuming the pads, discs fluid are all in good condition obviously.
As above get some additional elastic on that roof, there are plenty of guides online about the fix and it's super simple, but ignore it for too long and it can damage the frame.
This is exactly correct. Porsche don’t use anywhere near as much servo assistance on the brakes as most manufacturers do, meaning you need more pressure on the pedal. Getting out of my 330(F series) into my 987S I always have to make a conscious effort the first few times. I use the brakes. When you’ve adjusted to them, you’ll find that they’re very effective - Porsches have always stopped well.As above get some additional elastic on that roof, there are plenty of guides online about the fix and it's super simple, but ignore it for too long and it can damage the frame.
First Improvements:
As with any used car, I expected there to be a bedding in period where we run through a few pieces that need resolving before getting it just so.
With the Boxster there were a couple of items on the list I was planning to sort quickly and a couple that I didn’t expect which we had to see to as well.
First item on the list was the brakes and I ordered the replacement discs and pads the afternoon we bought the car. I read quite a lot about different brands and things that people found to work well on Porsche’s before electing to fit Pagid discs and pads all round based on my own very positive experiences with their products on the BM. I will add, at this point I hadn’t planned to use the Boxster for anymore than road driving and in hindsight, should have put some more focused brake pads in.
We set about swapping out the brakes early on the following Saturday morning with Beth tackling the OS and me on NS. As expected, it was a relatively simple process, but next time I do this I will likely replace the backing plates too as they have seen better days.
Beth getting to it:
Porsche pics by Monty Robins, on Flickr
The discs were pretty damn bad, and while the pads had plenty of life in them, it makes more sense in my head to install new pads on new discs so that’s what we did.
Untitled by Monty Robins, on Flickr
Side by side with a replacement:
New front discs better then the old ones... by Monty Robins, on Flickr
All as it should be:
Fresh disks in by Monty Robins, on Flickr
Car back together and the bed in period of being easy on the pads began, I have to admit to still being disappointed in the feel of the brakes in the car though. I was hoping that refreshing the discs and pads, given how bad they were would improve the initial bite, but they still feel incredibly wooden. A a result, a set of braided lines will likely be going on at some point. If anyone has any advice an experience on what might be causing this or a way to improve it, I am all ears!
New discs always looked good behind big wheels:
Porsche pics by Monty Robins, on Flickr
I felt more confident now knowing that the car had suitable amounts of contact patch between the pad and discs to press on and expect it to stop.
The other thing that was niggling me with the car was the tyre’s. While it had Goodyear Eagle F1’s all round, they were all different ages and tread depths ranging from 2014-17. I am a firm believer that with four small patches of rubber holding a car to the road it’s nice to have the confidence that they’re in great shape and the best insurance policy going in my mind.
Black Friday did us a solid here with a good discount on Black Circles, a set of PS4S’s all round were bought for just below £800 fitted - top result!
We got them fitted to the car in Elephant and Castle the following Sunday morning and spent the afternoon rolling around the Surrey hills with the roof down, stopping for a roast to warm up. It’s afternoon’s like these which are why we love having a cab and the Boxster was splendid fun.
Porsche pics by Monty Robins, on Flickr
We were really happy with the car at this point, it was shaping up to be a lovely motor and my concerns about the risks associated with buying an old Porsche were starting to ease. We made a quick morning run up to Caffeine and Machine, always a fun run on the back roads and something interesting to see at the end of it.
Trip to Caffeine and machine by Monty Robins, on Flickr
As with any used car, I expected there to be a bedding in period where we run through a few pieces that need resolving before getting it just so.
With the Boxster there were a couple of items on the list I was planning to sort quickly and a couple that I didn’t expect which we had to see to as well.
First item on the list was the brakes and I ordered the replacement discs and pads the afternoon we bought the car. I read quite a lot about different brands and things that people found to work well on Porsche’s before electing to fit Pagid discs and pads all round based on my own very positive experiences with their products on the BM. I will add, at this point I hadn’t planned to use the Boxster for anymore than road driving and in hindsight, should have put some more focused brake pads in.
We set about swapping out the brakes early on the following Saturday morning with Beth tackling the OS and me on NS. As expected, it was a relatively simple process, but next time I do this I will likely replace the backing plates too as they have seen better days.
Beth getting to it:
Porsche pics by Monty Robins, on FlickrThe discs were pretty damn bad, and while the pads had plenty of life in them, it makes more sense in my head to install new pads on new discs so that’s what we did.
Untitled by Monty Robins, on FlickrSide by side with a replacement:
New front discs better then the old ones... by Monty Robins, on FlickrAll as it should be:
Fresh disks in by Monty Robins, on FlickrCar back together and the bed in period of being easy on the pads began, I have to admit to still being disappointed in the feel of the brakes in the car though. I was hoping that refreshing the discs and pads, given how bad they were would improve the initial bite, but they still feel incredibly wooden. A a result, a set of braided lines will likely be going on at some point. If anyone has any advice an experience on what might be causing this or a way to improve it, I am all ears!
New discs always looked good behind big wheels:
Porsche pics by Monty Robins, on FlickrI felt more confident now knowing that the car had suitable amounts of contact patch between the pad and discs to press on and expect it to stop.
The other thing that was niggling me with the car was the tyre’s. While it had Goodyear Eagle F1’s all round, they were all different ages and tread depths ranging from 2014-17. I am a firm believer that with four small patches of rubber holding a car to the road it’s nice to have the confidence that they’re in great shape and the best insurance policy going in my mind.
Black Friday did us a solid here with a good discount on Black Circles, a set of PS4S’s all round were bought for just below £800 fitted - top result!
We got them fitted to the car in Elephant and Castle the following Sunday morning and spent the afternoon rolling around the Surrey hills with the roof down, stopping for a roast to warm up. It’s afternoon’s like these which are why we love having a cab and the Boxster was splendid fun.
Porsche pics by Monty Robins, on FlickrWe were really happy with the car at this point, it was shaping up to be a lovely motor and my concerns about the risks associated with buying an old Porsche were starting to ease. We made a quick morning run up to Caffeine and Machine, always a fun run on the back roads and something interesting to see at the end of it.
Trip to Caffeine and machine by Monty Robins, on FlickrYou're lucky the caliper bolts all came out nicely, it can be a nightmare job! I do agree the brakes lack initial bite, be interested to see what you can do to improve it. I actually ran 996 calipers with csl calipers on my e46 m3 and they were very very good. I assume the difference is down to the strength of the brake servo.
I run yellowstuff pads and pagid discs on track, with heat in them they're mighty and very resistant to fade but from cold they're crap and noisy.
I run yellowstuff pads and pagid discs on track, with heat in them they're mighty and very resistant to fade but from cold they're crap and noisy.
Fantastic thread!
Funnily enough I also have a love for the MGTF. Iv still got mine but purchased a 997.1 C2S to use as a daily (threads on both cars on my profile)
I'm also a fellow young Porsche owner at 22.Its funny some of the looks you'll get just because your young and drive around in a Porsche. Constant comments such as "aren't you lucky" or "has your dad let you drive his car" drive me mad. Working hard and buying a nice car at a young age seems to be a strange concept for some people to understand.
Here's a picture of each car:
I get what you are saying about the brake feel, on my 997 you have the press the brakes hard to get them to do anything, they are fantastic once they are pressed hard but I am also thinking the braided brake line route may improve the pedal feel - its been really bugging me recently.
Its also nice to see you getting stuck in with doing the maintenance yourself, I was used to the MG being a pain to work on with bolts snapping and everything being old and rusty. Working on the 997 in comparison is a breeze as everything is better quality than on the mg and it just comes apart and goes together so much easier.
You are extremely lucky to have your other half as interested in cars as you are, and the fact she is willing to get stuck in with fixing them is fantastic.
My girlfriend is still struggling to understand the difference between the MG and the 911 - to her they are both cars with 4 wheels so she sees no difference
I hope you keep enjoying the car and I look forward to any future updates.
Funnily enough I also have a love for the MGTF. Iv still got mine but purchased a 997.1 C2S to use as a daily (threads on both cars on my profile)
I'm also a fellow young Porsche owner at 22.Its funny some of the looks you'll get just because your young and drive around in a Porsche. Constant comments such as "aren't you lucky" or "has your dad let you drive his car" drive me mad. Working hard and buying a nice car at a young age seems to be a strange concept for some people to understand.
Here's a picture of each car:
I get what you are saying about the brake feel, on my 997 you have the press the brakes hard to get them to do anything, they are fantastic once they are pressed hard but I am also thinking the braided brake line route may improve the pedal feel - its been really bugging me recently.
Its also nice to see you getting stuck in with doing the maintenance yourself, I was used to the MG being a pain to work on with bolts snapping and everything being old and rusty. Working on the 997 in comparison is a breeze as everything is better quality than on the mg and it just comes apart and goes together so much easier.
You are extremely lucky to have your other half as interested in cars as you are, and the fact she is willing to get stuck in with fixing them is fantastic.
My girlfriend is still struggling to understand the difference between the MG and the 911 - to her they are both cars with 4 wheels so she sees no difference
I hope you keep enjoying the car and I look forward to any future updates.
Edited by adean22 on Friday 27th May 13:28
Nice car and enjoyed reading this thread as well.
I bought my first Porsche (987.2 S) a year ago this month and absolutely love it!
Just finished planning a 16 day tour through France, Switserland and Italy for July which I'm very excited about.
I can recommend joining Boxa.net, great forum and resource for information.
Also, there's a nice Porsche event next month in Southampton that's always good fun : https://www.beaulieu.co.uk/events/simply-porsche/
I bought my first Porsche (987.2 S) a year ago this month and absolutely love it!
Just finished planning a 16 day tour through France, Switserland and Italy for July which I'm very excited about.
I can recommend joining Boxa.net, great forum and resource for information.
Also, there's a nice Porsche event next month in Southampton that's always good fun : https://www.beaulieu.co.uk/events/simply-porsche/
Montyjsr said:
Yep, sorted the roof now, funnily enough I genuinely thought this is how they were meant to be as it's how so many I had seen were!
I noticed you take photo's of work as you go along. Did you by any chance take any photo's of your roof fix as you were doing it ? I've seen a few youtube video's but it's still on my to-do list.
Joey Deacon said:
My girlfriend has never even opened the bonnet on any car she has ever owned, looks like Beth is a keeper!
Yeah she's pretty mega! been together quite a long time now, can't see that changing! Fortunate she's the type of person that finds most things interesting and likes learning! 
She also proof reads this which is pretty helpful as I have always been a maths guy! 
shalmaneser said:
You're lucky the caliper bolts all came out nicely, it can be a nightmare job! I do agree the brakes lack initial bite, be interested to see what you can do to improve it. I actually ran 996 calipers with csl calipers on my e46 m3 and they were very very good. I assume the difference is down to the strength of the brake servo.
I run yellowstuff pads and pagid discs on track, with heat in them they're mighty and very resistant to fade but from cold they're crap and noisy.
Yeah, I'm at a bit of a loss with it still, I think fresh braided lines and replacing the caliper line to them will help improve consistency of flow. I've recently swapped to a set of DS2500's last week before heading away - a few months ahead of where this is currently and they made an immediate improvement, my mother's buy cheap buy twice saying `seems to ring true!I run yellowstuff pads and pagid discs on track, with heat in them they're mighty and very resistant to fade but from cold they're crap and noisy.
adean22 said:
Fantastic thread!
Funnily enough I also have a love for the MGTF. Iv still got mine but purchased a 997.1 C2S to use as a daily (threads on both cars on my profile)
I'm also a fellow young Porsche owner at 22.Its funny some of the looks you'll get just because your young and drive around in a Porsche. Constant comments such as "aren't you lucky" or "has your dad let you drive his car" drive me mad. Working hard and buying a nice car at a young age seems to be a strange concept for some people to understand.
I get what you are saying about the brake feel, on my 997 you have the press the brakes hard to get them to do anything, they are fantastic once they are pressed hard but I am also thinking the braided brake line route may improve the pedal feel - its been really bugging me recently.
Its also nice to see you getting stuck in with doing the maintenance yourself, I was used to the MG being a pain to work on with bolts snapping and everything being old and rusty. Working on the 997 in comparison is a breeze as everything is better quality than on the mg and it just comes apart and goes together so much easier.
You are extremely lucky to have your other half as interested in cars as you are, and the fact she is willing to get stuck in with fixing them is fantastic.
My girlfriend is still struggling to understand the difference between the MG and the 911 - to her they are both cars with 4 wheels so she sees no difference
I hope you keep enjoying the car and I look forward to any future updates.
Envious of you having the MGTF still, but with the BM it was a third car for us and difficult to justify keeping when a good friend needed some wheels. Funnily enough I also have a love for the MGTF. Iv still got mine but purchased a 997.1 C2S to use as a daily (threads on both cars on my profile)
I'm also a fellow young Porsche owner at 22.Its funny some of the looks you'll get just because your young and drive around in a Porsche. Constant comments such as "aren't you lucky" or "has your dad let you drive his car" drive me mad. Working hard and buying a nice car at a young age seems to be a strange concept for some people to understand.
I get what you are saying about the brake feel, on my 997 you have the press the brakes hard to get them to do anything, they are fantastic once they are pressed hard but I am also thinking the braided brake line route may improve the pedal feel - its been really bugging me recently.
Its also nice to see you getting stuck in with doing the maintenance yourself, I was used to the MG being a pain to work on with bolts snapping and everything being old and rusty. Working on the 997 in comparison is a breeze as everything is better quality than on the mg and it just comes apart and goes together so much easier.
You are extremely lucky to have your other half as interested in cars as you are, and the fact she is willing to get stuck in with fixing them is fantastic.
My girlfriend is still struggling to understand the difference between the MG and the 911 - to her they are both cars with 4 wheels so she sees no difference
I hope you keep enjoying the car and I look forward to any future updates.
Edited by adean22 on Friday 27th May 13:28
A 911 at 22 is seriously impressive, great effort!
And yep, I have had the, "Is that your Dad's car?" heckle already, I often wonder what folks think when they see Beth driving it on her own with the roof off, I know she would certainly catch my eye! Without being confident on the self maintenance we wouldn't have gone ahead with the Boxster, I looked at the costs of consumables before purchase and realised they weren't that different to BMW bits and getting the spanners out means the costs shouldn't go much above that. We will continue to get it serviced though in order to maintain the FSH, along with recording a file of bits we have done and this thread ofc!
More updates to come - holiday this past week has allowed me the chance to write it all up.
Medic-one said:
Nice car and enjoyed reading this thread as well.
I bought my first Porsche (987.2 S) a year ago this month and absolutely love it!
Just finished planning a 16 day tour through France, Switserland and Italy for July which I'm very excited about.
I can recommend joining Boxa.net, great forum and resource for information.
Also, there's a nice Porsche event next month in Southampton that's always good fun : https://www.beaulieu.co.uk/events/simply-porsche/
Your motor look gorgeous there, you have the side graphic we're considering adding to ours at some point, was it something you did? I bought my first Porsche (987.2 S) a year ago this month and absolutely love it!
Just finished planning a 16 day tour through France, Switserland and Italy for July which I'm very excited about.
I can recommend joining Boxa.net, great forum and resource for information.
Also, there's a nice Porsche event next month in Southampton that's always good fun : https://www.beaulieu.co.uk/events/simply-porsche/
That's pretty cool, I'd be interested to know what route you're taking as we're planning to do route Napoleon and a few other bits in September. Planning a route is a task for the bank holiday weekend.
Second recommendation for Boxa.net, I shall have to get that checked out! Sadly I fly out to Barca for work that Sunday so won't be able to join
Side note: I see the code for your image in the quote is different to how I'm uploading them through Flickr, is it any easier or quicker? Uploading the photos is the biggest PITA I'm finding so far!
Medic-one said:
I noticed you take photo's of work as you go along. Did you by any chance take any photo's of your roof fix as you were doing it ?
I've seen a few youtube video's but it's still on my to-do list.
I've seen a few youtube video's but it's still on my to-do list.
sc0tt said:
I also need to fix mine so any tips appreciated.
They are great cars, mine needs a good stamp on the brakes also so I know what you mean re. Pedal feel.
Enjoy it!
I'm afraid not Medic-one and sc0tt! They are great cars, mine needs a good stamp on the brakes also so I know what you mean re. Pedal feel.
Enjoy it!
It was properly quick though, we basically had the roof half open, then unscrewed the elastics, popped a hole through them much further along and rescrewed them, worked perfectly. A lot of youtube vids show stitching in new elastic, but we thought we would try this and it's worked without an issue for the last four months. It might fail in the long run, but seems to be doing the trick for now
In the run up to Christmas, Beth and I began talking presents for each other. Typically we like to buy each other something big that we will use a lot rather than more trivial things and one of the things both of us really wanted was to be able to play music from our phones in the car.
With our plan to keep the car for the next five years, it made sense to bring it’s tech up to date now to have the benefit for the full time of our ownership. That being said, a head unit upgrade isn’t a cheap thing, especially when looking to retain the Bose system so it was a great option for our Christmas treat.
Both being iPhone users, the decision was to have something with Apple CarPlay, but we weren’t particularly fussed about being able to use it wirelessly though as we often have phones charging in the car anyway. We settled on an entry level Pioneer unit, covering the CarPlay requirement along with additional features we’re unlikely to use. In order to get the thing to work we required a fitting kit, which we ordered from InCarAudio and it was excellent. To retain the Bose, the kit costs almost as much as the head unit itself, but it made the process of installing the whole thing a dream and the final outcome looks really smart.
Removing the old unit required the side panels to be removed first:
Porsche pics by Monty Robins, on Flickr
We tested the new unit before putting the trim back together:
Untitled by Monty Robins, on Flickr
A few of the bolts required some unusual positions(Porsche cup holders also work well for cans of beer when working on them!
:
Untitled by Monty Robins, on Flickr
The install did leave us with one decision to make, where to route the USB Cable? As we want to be able to connect phones on both sides of the car somewhere in the middle was the obvious place. Not wanting to drill any holes in the interior, we settled on popping it through the edge of the centre panels trim, allowing plenty of flexibility with an iPhone cable connected.
Untitled by Monty Robins, on Flickr
Untitled by Monty Robins, on Flickr
Overall, the end install isn’t quite an OE look which is a shame like the one Porsche do for the 986, but the improvement in our experience was well worth it if anyone is currently debating the change.
With our plan to keep the car for the next five years, it made sense to bring it’s tech up to date now to have the benefit for the full time of our ownership. That being said, a head unit upgrade isn’t a cheap thing, especially when looking to retain the Bose system so it was a great option for our Christmas treat.
Both being iPhone users, the decision was to have something with Apple CarPlay, but we weren’t particularly fussed about being able to use it wirelessly though as we often have phones charging in the car anyway. We settled on an entry level Pioneer unit, covering the CarPlay requirement along with additional features we’re unlikely to use. In order to get the thing to work we required a fitting kit, which we ordered from InCarAudio and it was excellent. To retain the Bose, the kit costs almost as much as the head unit itself, but it made the process of installing the whole thing a dream and the final outcome looks really smart.
Removing the old unit required the side panels to be removed first:
Porsche pics by Monty Robins, on FlickrWe tested the new unit before putting the trim back together:
Untitled by Monty Robins, on FlickrA few of the bolts required some unusual positions(Porsche cup holders also work well for cans of beer when working on them!
:Untitled by Monty Robins, on FlickrThe install did leave us with one decision to make, where to route the USB Cable? As we want to be able to connect phones on both sides of the car somewhere in the middle was the obvious place. Not wanting to drill any holes in the interior, we settled on popping it through the edge of the centre panels trim, allowing plenty of flexibility with an iPhone cable connected.
Untitled by Monty Robins, on FlickrUntitled by Monty Robins, on FlickrOverall, the end install isn’t quite an OE look which is a shame like the one Porsche do for the 986, but the improvement in our experience was well worth it if anyone is currently debating the change.
sc0tt said:
Link for the item please, how difficult was the install? Feel free to PM me. Looks great.
As everything has, the head unit has gone up in price (by 30) since we bought it:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pioneer-Double-Display-Ca...
This was the fitting kit we used which retains the Bose:
https://incartec.co.uk/product/FK-9591-IGNB-porsch...
InCarTec, also offer different kits depending on your OE system, if you don't have Bose and if you have steering wheel controls. This page is the most helpful for a 987.1:
https://incartec.co.uk/Porsche/Boxster-987/Stereo-...
The install was pretty simple, we watched a few Youtube clips that helped get an idea of what to do. I also spent an evening figuring out which parts of the adapter kit we would use for our needs, relatively simple to do, but made the actual install a lot quicker. It probably took a total of 90 minutes, if that. I think we only had the one can each whilst doing it, so can't have been too long
Edited by Montyjsr on Friday 27th May 21:00
Montyjsr said:
IYour motor look gorgeous there, you have the side graphic we're considering adding to ours at some point, was it something you did?
That's pretty cool, I'd be interested to know what route you're taking as we're planning to do route Napoleon and a few other bits in September. Planning a route is a task for the bank holiday weekend.
Cheers dude. That's pretty cool, I'd be interested to know what route you're taking as we're planning to do route Napoleon and a few other bits in September. Planning a route is a task for the bank holiday weekend.
I added the graphics after buying it. Initially I wanted a red one, but couldn't find one in the right spec, then I found this one with all the options I wanted so went for it, and not long after buying it I saw a white Cayman with similar red decals and quite liked the look of it so bought them and just added them to the car. I think the red decals go well with the red seatbelts and brake calipers.
Before :
After :
Also added a little sticker to the inside of the boot spoiler :
Our Euro trip route looks like this :
Calais - Luxemburg (1 night) - Baden Baden (2 nights) - through the Black forest (B500) to Brienz (1 night) - Drive the Grimsel, Furka, Gotthard, Tremola & Nuefenen pass - Lake Como (3 nights) - Lake Garda (3 nights) - Bormio (1 night) - Drive the Stelvio Pass - Stuttgart (2 nights, Porsche & Mercedes Museum) - Reims (2 nights). Should be fun!
That’s looks smart. I’ve had the itch for one of these for a while, but always been put off by potential repair bills and maintenance costs… something which your first post alludes to with the dealer having to sort the issues before pick up. Maybe I just need to pull on the big boy pants…
Love the mini roadster as well. Although I am somewhat biased as I have the coupe version. (Which is currently broken on the drive. Fail. )
Love the mini roadster as well. Although I am somewhat biased as I have the coupe version. (Which is currently broken on the drive. Fail. )
Medic-one said:
Cheers dude.
I added the graphics after buying it. Initially I wanted a red one, but couldn't find one in the right spec, then I found this one with all the options I wanted so went for it, and not long after buying it I saw a white Cayman with similar red decals and quite liked the look of it so bought them and just added them to the car. I think the red decals go well with the red seatbelts and brake calipers.
Also added a little sticker to the inside of the boot spoiler.
Our Euro trip route looks like this:
Calais - Luxemburg (1 night) - Baden Baden (2 nights) - through the Black forest (B500) to Brienz (1 night) - Drive the Grimsel, Furka, Gotthard, Tremola & Nuefenen pass - Lake Como (3 nights) - Lake Garda (3 nights) - Bormio (1 night) - Drive the Stelvio Pass - Stuttgart (2 nights, Porsche & Mercedes Museum) - Reims (2 nights). Should be fun!
Yeah they're a nice addition and make the car stand out more than standard. I quite like the spoiler sticker too, Beth really doesn't like the spoiler though so might consider other options like we have seen on a few. I added the graphics after buying it. Initially I wanted a red one, but couldn't find one in the right spec, then I found this one with all the options I wanted so went for it, and not long after buying it I saw a white Cayman with similar red decals and quite liked the look of it so bought them and just added them to the car. I think the red decals go well with the red seatbelts and brake calipers.
Also added a little sticker to the inside of the boot spoiler.
Our Euro trip route looks like this:
Calais - Luxemburg (1 night) - Baden Baden (2 nights) - through the Black forest (B500) to Brienz (1 night) - Drive the Grimsel, Furka, Gotthard, Tremola & Nuefenen pass - Lake Como (3 nights) - Lake Garda (3 nights) - Bormio (1 night) - Drive the Stelvio Pass - Stuttgart (2 nights, Porsche & Mercedes Museum) - Reims (2 nights). Should be fun!
Route looks good, goes the other way round to what we will be planning as our goal is to end up at the Ring to meet a few good friends who are doing a track day there. Be keen to hear how you get on if you do a write up of it?
Shappers24 said:
That’s looks smart. I’ve had the itch for one of these for a while, but always been put off by potential repair bills and maintenance costs… something which your first post alludes to with the dealer having to sort the issues before pick up. Maybe I just need to pull on the big boy pants…
Love the mini roadster as well. Although I am somewhat biased as I have the coupe version. (Which is currently broken on the drive. Fail. )
Mmm, the bills are potentially expensive, but if you do your research beforehand you can find a car that will mitigate some of those risks. With ours being a tiptronic, it needed to be before the 2006 march tax increase to avoid being £580+ a year to tax and we wanted a 2006 model to get the upgraded IMS bearing, which I'm happy to say ours has based on engine numbers. Love the mini roadster as well. Although I am somewhat biased as I have the coupe version. (Which is currently broken on the drive. Fail. )
Compared to the Mini, it is actually cheaper for us to insure and at £550 for relatively central London, it felt very reasonable. Servicing costs will be a lot granted, though given we split everything between two of us it becomes a lot more bearable. The biggest expense is fuel, the thing drinks it compared with the roadster! The ownership experience is worth it though, we get a sense of excitement every time we use it, even if it's just for the run out to my folks down the M40 or across town to Beth's. If you're umming and ahhing, I would say look at a few, take your time to find the right car and then pull the trigger
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