Poverty Pork - '00 986

[Rosewood Red]

So it's been a while. Was in India for just over a couple of weeks. A lot has changed since I left 12 years ago. I lived there for eight years and it's barely recognisable The roads are better than the potholed ridden mess in the UK and Mumbai aiport makes anything we have to offer look like a third world country. Although the traffic is still chaotic. Saw a few Caymens and Cayennes. Wouldn't be comfortable driving in the city! On the country lanes like below though...

DSC_0420 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

DSC_0496 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

Sunset

DSC_0095 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

Mumbai Airport

Got home about mid-day yesterday. I think (hope - am due back in work tomorrow) my jet lag has gone after my 15 hour sleep.

Left the car with Cath whilst I was gone. I told her to replace the clutch, DMF, RMS, inspect the IMSB and renew the gearbox oil. Also mentioned about an advisory regarding a corroded rear brake line and my useless handbrake.

Was lucky as it turned out the bank 1 chain tensioner had locked up This was replaced along with an oil change.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mhhuzs7ldzddz8m/invoice ...

Slightly larger bill than expected at just over £1.6k. Good news is that the IMSB is in perfect condition and my suspicions were correct - being an early (Jan 2000) 2.7, it has the more robust dual-row bearing. Litronics, check. Zenith blue, check. Dual row IMSB, check

Mechanically, it's now pretty much spot on, bar the rear ARB, which is heavily corroded and needs replacing. I'll be tackling this before summer and replacing the AC condensers.

Couple of niggly bits like the oddments tray hinge and the archaic stereo will be done over a spare weekend.

Hope to collect next week. She's getting there...

Edited by Rosewood Red on Sunday 2nd April 14:01

[Rosewood Red]

Picked the car up today. The replacement clutch and DMF has made a massive difference. Later in the month, I plan on doing the spark plugs and air filter and speaking to Cath, bar the air con condensers and rear ARB, which will be tackled soon enough, it's mechanically now perfect.

DSC_0561 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

DSC_0562 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

Completely knackered cam chain tensioner. It's seized solid and there is some scoring. Lucky this was caught before it did any major damage.

I'm now just looking forward to enjoying it. Summer's coming...

DSC_0563 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

[culpz]

I personally commend you for having a very sensible and logical mindset. I wish i never got tainted into the trap of new cars. It's one that's hard to get out of and coupled with trying to get on the property ladder can leave you taking two steps back and only one forward, regardless of what great value deals can be had out there.

I was looking at the first gen Boxsters the other week, which makes a change from the usual hot hatches that i seem to obsess over. It is amazing how much (sports) car you can get for the money. But, as you know, you have to be prepared to keep on top of maintenance, which is rarely cheap.

It's to be expected though and going in with your eyes wide open shouldn't be too much of a shock to the system, having done your research anyway. Loving the purchase and the colour is spot-on!

[Rosewood Red]

Appreciate that culpz. Sometimes I do think I'm too sensible for my own good in certain regards, but on the flipside, I wouldn't classify myself as mainstream. Not that this is the place for introspection

Maybe one day I'll get a brand new car, but I've not set any goals for when that'll be. I'm happy with the Polo and the Boxster and don't really have anything else on my radar for now. I do lust for a W215 CL600 bi-turbo, but can't really justify a third car.

As it stands, spend during my tenure (date. place, item, mileage):

46. 09/10/2016 Euro Car Parts Brembo front brake pads, Pagid wear indicators £58.78 -
47. 15/10/2016 Montague Motor Eng. Labour for #46 £30.00 113,700
48. 18/10/2016 Cath Burrows Full inspection and report - long to-do list ? £108.00 113,888
49. 21/10/2016 Shell Shell Helix Ultra 5w40 1l (Porsche A40 approved) - noticed low level whilst refuelling, likely due to oil filter removal during above inspection £17.99 114,101
50. 25/10/2016 Euro Car Parts Bosch ABS sensor, OE radiator fan resistor, RARB bushes £155.76 -
51. 25/10/2016 Montague Motor Eng. Brake fluid change £35.00 114,304
52. 05/11/2016 Camskill (tyres) / Event Tyres (fitting) 2 x 265 35 R18Y XL Uniroyal Rainsport 3 (rears) £246.78 114,390
53. 14/11/2016 B&B Components 2 x TRW tie / track rod ends 2 x Meyle "coffin arms", 2 x Meyle "tuning forks" £383.94 -
54. 12/01/2017 Euro Car Parts OE front springs £137.85 -
55. 18/01/2017 Montague Motor Eng. Labour for #50, 53 and 54 £240.00 115,103
56. 20/01/2017 eBay special New OE keyhead £101.00 -
57. 21/01/2017 Nigel Langs Garage Geometry read out / adjustments, front wheels balanced £95.40 115,135
58. 21/01/2017 Porsche Bolton Oddments tray hinge repair kit, sunvisor assembly screw £27.26 -
59. 15/02/2017 Cath Burrows Rear coffin arms, tie bars, nuts, bolts, geometry, xenon level sensor droplink, power steering line support clip, radiator fan resistor (#50) fitted £736.16 115,363
60. 24/02/2017 Euro Car Parts Bosch S4 008 battery + lifetime warranty £95.99 115,516
61. 28/03/2017 Cath Burrows Clutch, DMF, RMS, IMSB inspection, bank 1 cam tensioner, oil, oil filter, renew exhaust clamps / fittings, gearbox oil, front xenon droplink / bracket, code keyhead, handbrake adjustment £1,628.02 115,955


So, just shy of £4100 in 6 months. That's more than I paid for the car in the first place! Sure, I've added value, but not £4k worth. It was never meant to be a fix and flip car. Perhaps not every single thing was absolutely necessary, but I like to do things properly. Either that or not at all.

I am happy it is finally at the point where it's pretty much done and now just needs keeping on top of. I do think this has put me off any future project cars though (famous last words? )

Edited by Rosewood Red on Wednesday 5th April 20:18

[whytheory]

Nice write up and nice car, hope it proves a worthy investment in the summer!

[Rosewood Red]

Went to the Lake District today. Was a lovely day, got four jumps in.

DSC_0593 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

And drove home into the sunset with the roof down

DSC_0595 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

A like minded BMW 850 driver (the first I've seen in the flesh, only ever seen 840s) was making progress on the A590 and overtook me. I decided to keep up at a distance. Caught up at a roundabout and gave a friendly toot and got a wave back. He then let me set the pace. Was good fun.

I find that it seems to be more of a quick cruiser than autobahn stormer. I enjoy the car the most on country lanes doing between 0.45 and 0.8 leptons with the roof down and stereo low / off. Whilst it will pick up its skirt and go, it's definitely more at home in the twisties.

[ATM]

I've recently added an early 996 c2 to my fleet. Sometimes it feels slow accelerating and might be one of the slower cars I have. But thrown into a bend it is amazing. It can clearly corner a lot faster than I can imagine. It's great and I love it. I'm now wandering if a later 997 with a 3.8 could be as good at corners but with the added thrust of the bigger engine. Although the early 996 and early Boxsters are quite light.

[Rosewood Red]

ATM said:

I've recently added an early 996 c2 to my fleet. Sometimes it feels slow accelerating and might be one of the slower cars I have. But thrown into a bend it is amazing. It can clearly corner a lot faster than I can imagine. It's great and I love it. I'm now wandering if a later 997 with a 3.8 could be as good at corners but with the added thrust of the bigger engine. Although the early 996 and early Boxsters are quite light.

Recently found your 996 thread again - I remember reading it when you first got it. I reached the point where you were having coolant issues; glad to hear everything is okay.

I've never driven a 996, but think I'd be happy with the pace of a 3.4. The quickest Porsche I've driven was a 986 S on knackered suspension. Certainly wasn't slow in a straight line. Then again, you're used to much faster cars than I am. A Jag XF 3.0 diesel that ended up following me to the dropzone yesterday didn't seem to have any issues keeping up, despite the owner claiming he had his foot to the floor on occasion.

I would like to try a 996 / 997 one day, but perhaps a Mezger. Although a 986 with a 996 C2 engine would be fun!

[Rosewood Red]

Took last Thursday off and went to my 'home' dropzone in North Lincolnshire for a long weekend. Fully loaded with a weeks worth of clothes / toiletries and skydiving gear / rigs for two people (which somehow all fit in the boots - I was expecting to have to use the passenger footwell!). Tank brimmed today and the old school method of working out economy shows it returned 25 MPG and I wasn't hanging about.

I heard a lound bang when I was coming back on the M62 on Monday and thought it was a stone chip but couldn't see anything. Found it when I got home. Annoying, as the windscreen has barely got 16k miles on it. It is quite nasty - will find out if it can be repaired on Saturday.

DSC_0620 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

Just had the spark plugs done along with the air filter.

Took some pictures whilst at Cath's.

DSC_0629 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

The business end.

DSC_0641 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

DSC_0632 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

DSC_0640 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

Something's missing...

DSC_0647 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

DSC_0636 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

DSC_0639 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

May have found a cheap rear ARB to replace the corroded one that's currently on.

[Rosewood Red]

Right, someone from Autoglass came earlier today only to say my windscreen couldn't be repaired as it was a 'double impact'. No aspersions towards fitting a new windscreen, but am a bit pissed off with Autoglass as this was clearly visible on the photos I uploaded to them. Also, the weather's lovely so rather than waiting around, I could have been doing something more productive / fun.

Anyway, not too impressed, I contacted glassman (Paul) who's a regular contributor to pistonheads and a member of TIPEC down south. I've only heard good things about him. He suggested a repair would seem possible by someone competent. Based near London meant logistics wouldn't work, however, he recommended someone very local to my place of work. I'll update with any further progress.

Now as the sun was out, I decided to tackle a couple of issues on my car. The passenger's outer window seal kept catching on the window whilst lowered, and folding in, putting a lot of stress on the window regulator. It'd pop back out when the window was raised. A new seal was nearly £200. A little bit of searching on the internet suggested some silicone spray may solve the problem. So, bought a can from Halfords. Didn't have any expectations, but it's fixed it!

Secondly, an issue with the light in the front boot. This generally doesn't work but I have seen it on once in a blue moon. The bulb was fine when swapped with the rear boot and my multimeter was saying zero volts. Also, the alarm wouldn't beep if locked with the boot open. I suspected the microswitch in the locking mechanism. Before buying a new one, I investigated. Below is a mini how-to:

You'll need socket set with 10mm head, a flat head screwdriver, fine nose pliers and maybe some silicone spray.

Open the boot. Notice the dead light. There's a plastic trim held in by four plastic screw-like fasteners (one's missing on mine...). These unlock by turning them 90 degrees so the 'head' is horizontal. You can then pull the trim off.

DSC_0655 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr
You'll be greeted with this:

DSC_0683 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

There are a couple of fasteners holding the front of the boot carpet in place (one's missing one mine...notice a theme? ). These come off with some twisting and pulling.

DSC_0685 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

I didn't take any pictures of this, but the latching mechanism is held in place with two 10mm bolts. Loosen these. There's a metal backing plate / cover that sits behind the mechanism.

DSC_0678 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr
You should be able to remove this with the bolts loosened. Remove the bolts completely. There are a couple of cables and an electrical connector that need to be removed.

Remove this one first. Just prises out with a flat head screwdriver. Be careful not to damage the rubber bung.
DSC_0677 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

Undo the electrical connector behind the boot carpet that leads to the mechanism. One side just simply slides off by depressing the ends and pulling. The other (below) is clipped into the front of the boot. The bit of plastic in the middle (this is the side that is clipped to the car) need to be prised away to unclip the connector from the car.

DSC_0674 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr
Once this is done, you should be able to squeeze the rubber bung and cable / connector through towards the front of the car and pull it through
DSC_0675 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

Disconnect the second cable. This is clipped at two points. Be careful not to cause any damage.

DSC_0673 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

You can now remove the latch mechanism.

DSC_0657 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

The microswitch and actuator cam are beneath a black plastic cover (with what look like a couple of philips screw heads at the bottom), which is clipped to the mechanism at the top. Unclip this and pop it out:

DSC_0664 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

The issue was obvious. The cam is spring loaded and should close the switch without any assistance. However it doesn't:

DSC_0670 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr
This is what it should do (and close the switch):

DSC_0669 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

Connect the microswitch back to the plug in the boot and you should be able to turn the light on and off my moving (and assisting) the cam to the closed and open position.

The microswitch and electrical connector can be easily prised out with a flat head screwdriver:

DSC_0671 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

I bent the metal actuator slightly with some fine nose pliers so the cam would have less resistance. I also lubed the cam with silicone. Once the switch and cam are assembed back together, ensure the cam now closes the switch without any assistance.
Refit the microswitch assembly to the latch mechanism and fit the whole this back to the car (reverse of removal). Don't bother with the trim panel just yet. The light should now be on.

DSC_0679 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

Close the latch mechanism manually with a screwdriver to ensure the microswitch is operating correctly and the light goes out. Make sure to push the latch all the way so it closes

2017-04-22_05-42-24 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

This is a good opportunity to test the boot release still works correctly. The latch should release and the light should come back on.
If all is well, close the boot. Check the level of the boot - you may have to loosen the bolts on the latch mechanism to adjust the height so the boot closes flush with the bumper.

You can test the microswitch is working by dropping the boot but not pushing it down. Try locking the car and the alarm will beep, indicating something isn't close. Unlock with the central locking and close the boot properly. Lock again and you shouldn't get a beep.
Total cost: £5 and some pennies.

Winning

[Rosewood Red]

So, things have been a little quiet lately.

Had a new OEM windscreen at the start of the month. Used a local firm off a recommendation from glassman on here that did an excellent job. Autoglass were useless and only contacted me to arrange fitting ten days after they originally came out to say it couldn't be repaired. The firm that did replace mine did try and repair it, but we weren't too happy with the results. They also managed to set fire to their own toolbox, which was amusing, but that's another story.

Today, my dodgy accelerator pedal finally gave up the ghost when the hinge made a load crack and was utterly fubared. I dismantled the old cable throttle pedal a member from boxa.net kindly sent me to have a look at the innards, which seemed slightly different to my DBW pedal. This was despite the internet suggesting otherwise. I managed to salvage the hinge and swap it. Not the best pic:


DSC_0862 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr


Fubared hinge on the left. Good one on the right. Porsche couldn't find this in their parts catalogue, even with the part number and wanted to sell me an entire pedal instead for three figures.

Was relatively easy to remove:


DSC_0863 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr


And take apart:

DSC_0861 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

DSC_0865 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr


And a bit of a pig to put back together again...but it was all done in about 45 minutes. Scary moment when I dropped the mounting screw in the hole the pedal used to be. A lot of profanity ensued, which undoubtedly helped retrieving it from under the carpet. The carpet is waterlogged at the front by the way. I just thought it was the rear, which I have mostly dried out. I only found this out by removing the pedal. I think I'll rip the whole thing out and just replace it in the coming months.

Went for a quick blast down the motorway and some B roads and all is well.

Earlier in the month, I obtained a rear anti roll bar from a chap in Otley who was breaking a 986. There was no play on the original bushes that were on the bar, but upon closer inspection, there was quite a bit of surface corrosion.

DSC_0778 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

It was still a solid bar. So, I sanded it down...

DSC_0780 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

Applied a layer of Kurust...

DSC_0789 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

And some Hammerite...


DSC_0795 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr


Finished product:

DSC_0866 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr


Will fit it on Saturday and see if it was worth it.

I also got contacted by a chap on here inviting me for a run with some Lamborghini enthusiasts on Sunday in Cheshire.

Shall report back.

[Rosewood Red]

Got the RARB fitted yesterday. Next point of call is to sort out the carpet and condensers.

So, went to my first SupercarSocial meet today. A nice chap from boxa.net came a long too in Suzi's twin Sounds a lot more fruitier than mine due to some reason and thought he had the exhaust bypass mod - I was surprised to find out that it's allegedly standard. 2.5 vs 2.7 though. After today, I do feel I need a more purposeful exhaust. I need to experience a drive in a 986 with the bypass mod before committing

It was a lovely day out and a great opportunity to meet like minded enthusiasts. Different cars, different walks of life, but the same passion.

My friend Paul brought his DSLR, which puts my phone pics to shame. I'll upload a selection once I've got hold of copies. However, here's a few of twin sisters with their grandfather:

DSC_0901 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

DSC_0899 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

DSC_0898 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

DSC_0895 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

1958 Porsche 356 Speedster. One of 24 RHD ever bullt.

[AdDaMan]

How is the handling now? If it still feels a little sketchy at motorway speeds i can almost guarantee you its those shocking tyres you bought.
I made the same mistake after reading lots of positive things about them. Absolutely ruined my stability and handling and in the end removed them after 500miles and all was perfect again.

[Rosewood Red]

AdDaMan said:

How is the handling now? If it still feels a little sketchy at motorway speeds i can almost guarantee you its those shocking tyres you bought.
I made the same mistake after reading lots of positive things about them. Absolutely ruined my stability and handling and in the end removed them after 500miles and all was perfect again.

Handling's pretty good now it's been aligned, although it could perhaps be improved further. Not sure if I'm expecting too much - haven't driven one on fresh suspension / tyres to figure out what to expect. Dampers and rear springs are original and closing in on 118k.

What tyres do you suggest? My fronts are some Dunlops that have decent tread, but are a little past it and really could do with replacing.

[Rosewood Red]

A few of / from my car from Paul's camera. The first one's my favourite.

NKA_0444 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

NKA_0443 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

NKA_0377 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

And THE shot of the 356. Captions on a postcard

NKA_0407 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

Full album: https://flic.kr/s/aHsm1bLh3u

[Rosewood Red]

Not much to report, apart from a year's ticket. First time in a while where there are no advisories!

DSC_1015 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

[Heaveho]

Donald Trump has a 356? Who knew.

Nice Boxster, btw, I like threads like this.

[Rosewood Red]

Heaveho said:

Donald Trump has a 356? Who knew.

Nice Boxster, btw, I like threads like this.

Ha, didn't notice the slight resemblance to the POTUS. Thanks for the compliment.

Haven't updated this in a while. The 986 has been behaving pretty well. The same can't be said about the Polo. June: broken front spring. July: blown starter motor. August: Misfire. All is good now (injector wiring loom was replaced a few weeks ago and no misfire in 1000 miles...).

I've enjoyed the car over summer. I've been on a couple of lovely drives with the Northern boxa.net crew in the Peak District. Some nice technical roads where you can really have fun without doing silly speeds.

DSC_1147 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

DSC_1157 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

DSC_1176 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr
Triplets!

DSC_1188 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

DSC_1187 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

DSC_1186 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

DSC_1185 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

DSC_1184 by ash_ashy_mo, on Flickr

I have made a few friends, some quite mechanically minded. I still haven't got round to sorting the AC condensers, but hope to embark on that soon. The mercury is starting to drop, but it's an absolute pig to demist. Apparently, working AC improves this.

Don't really have any plans to upgrade / change for some time. Plan on paying off the credit cards shortly and then perhaps saving for some bricks and mortar, as long as the Polo doesn't play up. There are a few bit and pieces I may tackle over the next year or so, including some minor bodywork / a good detail, ICE and perhaps a slightly fruitier exhaust.

Seems to be doing consistent mid to high 20s in the MPG department, even when used properly.

[CornedBeef]

That looks like a lot of fun, I'd love to get up there to drive some of those roads in the next year.

My 996 has a slightly wobbly pedal which I thought I was imagining, I wasn't aware they could snap! Is it quite a common issue? I'm cable throttled for what its worth.

The 986 is looking lovely and sounds like its coming together now after a bit of a backlog of maintenance bits!

[Rosewood Red]

CornedBeef, I spotted your thread after seeing your post in poppopbangbang's thread. Your 996 is lovely in guards red with the GT3 kit. You'd be more than welcome to join us in the Peak District one day. PM me closer to the time. Runs happen at least once a month, although I'm not too sure about winter.

Regarding the accelerator pedal, I'm not sure if it's a common problem per se, but there are a few threads online, so it's not unheard of. The cable throttle and DBW pedals are similar. The plastic hinge certainly had the same part number. Mine is a DBW car, but I swapped over the innards from a cable throttled 2.5 986.

You may have better luck than me tracking the hinge (WHY make it from plastic?!) quoting the part number above to your local OPC. Otherwise, obtain a good used 986 or 996 pedal and swap the hinge over.