Chris_in_NH

yup, me too. i know someone that has both the Infinity and the Kenwood. he prefers the Infinity (which is too big for the Boxster). you can't blame him, it has a bigger driver and can hit lower bass notes (notes you can't 'hear', but 'feel'.)

sounds like he tapped/spliced into the door speaker wires, so that the bass signals are being sent to the doors AND rear speakers.

to hook up speaker wire, you shouldn't have to disconnect the battery. there's no real current in the speaker wire, and you're not really at risk of shorting anything. you won't need a radio code for your 2003.

use the search function and you shall find! ;) http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=1827

go to Wal*Mart, get some Rhino Ramps and 2 pairs of jackstands. simple! here's where to place the stands... http://members7.clubphoto.com/eric520065/773830/guest.phtml as far as pros/cons, the ramps are easier than the stands, but it's good to have stands if you need them. ;)

wupe, the rear speakers are small and are meant to change the placement of the soundstage from the front of the car to the middle. the rear speakers are meant to 'fill in' the sound, not so much to 'replace' the front speakers. what your installer *might* have done is he tapped into the door speaker wires at the amp, which are only providing BASS frequencies to the speakers. this could be the reason that your speakers don't sound the way you'd expect. from your description of the sound, it sounds like this is a real possibility. i'll bet you $1 this is what happened. since the speakers are so small, i don't think that you need amp channels to drive them. i drive mine right off of the stereo and they sound great. i would get rid of the rear speaker/amp connection and just wire the speakers up to the stereo. this way you'll get all the frequencies. i thought that the PNP kit came with the connector to wire them directly to the stereo. if not, contact the guy that sells the PNP kit. i hear he is very reasonable. just tell him what happened. maybe he'll set you up with another cable/connector. also, make sure you add some polyester fill (pillow stuffing) behind the rear speaker kit for better sound.

ok, so if you have the 3-prong connector you won't be able to use the Becker cable. you'll need to cut that whole connector off of the wire bundle, then attach the bullet connectors to terminate the wires. OR, you could just put male bullet connectors on your hookup wire, and plug those into the connector. that's probably easier. the connector is to power a cell phone or something like that. i don't know why there's switched and unswitched power. the good news is that you have another power source if you wanted to power another device. as far as the ground on the Sirius receiver, you just want to connect the Sirius ground to the ground of the wire bundle (brown wire, but double-check). you shouldn't have any buzzing problems. here are pics of the bullet connectors: female male

the connector may be velcro'ed down, or it could be flopping around loose. it should be the only loose wire bundle in the area. left/right, i don't know. there's not much space under there, so it should be easy to find. the side carpet pieces that i'm talking about are the carpet pieces that surround the center console. when you say 'center console side panels' i think of the vinyl/leather pieces at about knee-level. you don't need to remove those. just remove the carpeted pieces behind (towards the front of the car) those pieces. you'll see. the wire doesn't actually come off of the stereo. it's not connected to the stereo at all. here's a pic:

yes it will. here's a pic of a 2003 bumper on my '97. it is missing the bumperettes, as they were being painted. i also opted not to change to the 2003 spoiler. i like the way the '97 spoiler looks on the 2003 bumper.

Loren, thanks. i'm actually going to use a CD changer too that I purchased. i'm going to use a FM (inline) transmitter for connection to the system. although traditional FM sucks the inlines are not bad. still looking for a source for 12v switched to power the sirrius receiver. i'll check out the becker board again too! Shawn there is an 'extra' power outlet under the radio area. take off the carpet side panels and look/feel around for a bundle of wires that ends in a loose black plug. depending on what model year you have, the plug at the end of this wire bundle will have 3 or 4 connections (the plug is female). my car is a '97, so it only has the 3-connection-plug which is ground, switched (ignition on) 12v, and constant 12v. i'm not sure what the 4th wire (in later models) is for. if you have a multi-meter, you can test to see which wires are hot and when. you can order the telephone power cable from www.beckerautosound.com for this connector. this will be a 4-prong plug/wires that connects to the power plug under your dash. (hopefully you have the 4-connection plug - but if not you can just cut the plug off of the wires and terminate them like i did). the telephone power cable comes with instructions and a wire-color guide. (this cable is basically an 'extension cord'. you don't *need* it. see below if you just want to make your own.) once this is connected you will have bare wires on the other side of the becker plug and you can terminate them with bullet connectors or the connectors of your choice. connect the switched 12v to the power wire for the Sirius radio, and connect the ground wire (brown i believe) to the Sirius' ground wire. using wire terminations instead of just twisting wires together makes for a much more professional installation. personally, for this type of wiring, i like bullet connectors. there are both male/female connectors (so they fit together) and they crimp on to the end of your wires with a crimp tool. you can get a set of 10 pairs of male/female connectors for $2 and a crimp tool for $5 (multi-tool with wire strippers, pliers, crimp, bolt cutter, wire cutter - looks like pliers) in the auto parts section of Wal*Mart. terminating each wire takes about 10 seconds. these connections won't come undone, and are very easy to disassemble if needed. as an extra precaution, i use electrical tape to secure the connector on the end of the wire after i've crimped it. if you want, you could skip the whole cable from Becker and just do it yourself with 'hookup wire' (NOT speaker wire) from Wal*Mart and the connectors/crimp tool i mentioned above. the female plug under the dash looks like it would accept male bullet connectors (if it doesn't just cut the plug off and terminate with your connectors). so you would cut a length of wire (2 wires stuck together - red for hot and black for ground). strip both ends (4 wires) and apply male connectors to one end (to connect to the power plug) and put either male or female on the other end. put the opposite connectors on the Sirius wires so they connect. ta-da, you're done! and you didn't have to wait for Becker to send you a cable!

i clear coated mine on and they have been fine for 2+ years. from the post above, i guess you don't *need* to clear coat them, but it will protect the caliper paint and give the caliper that 'rubberized' look. i did 3 or 4 light coats of hi-temp clear.

after reading the symptoms of motor mount failure and CV joint failure, i think it's more likely the CV joint. i'll check the boots to see what they look like. the vibration is the same whether i am cornering or not (but again, only when accelerating.) any other help, tips appreciated.

i posted this over at PPBB as well... i was driving home tonight and all of a sudden, i got this stuttering vibration like i was driving over rough pavement. i instantly thought that i had a flat tire, and let the wheel loose in my hand to see if the car would pull hard to the left or right, but it didn't. tires are fine. i was able to make it home ok, but was very nervous. i just hit 100K miles a little while ago, so engine failure has been a concern at this point. the car is a 97, manual, 103,400 miles. has been driving fine, no problems at all lately. the vibration just started out of nowhere as i was on the highway in 5th gear doing about 65-70mph. when i pressed the accelerator pedal, i got a lugging kind of sound/feeling/vibration that comes from the rear of the car. the vibration/shuddering can not be felt through the steering wheel. i still had power to accelerate, and the vibration didn't seem to increase with rpms. the vibration was not an 'in the washer machine on the spin cycle'-type, violent vibration - it was kind of 'soft' like lugging (hard lugging, though), and very noticeable. i noticed that when i took the car out of gear (i.e. pressed the clutch pedal) the vibration stopped. when rev matching to the next lowest gear there was no vibration. if i then coasted in that lower gear, no vibration. but when i stepped on the gas in any gear, i get the vibration. the clutch seemed normal as it always does. no change from the usual. no clunking when changing gears, shifts smoothly, pedal travel/feel normal, etc. i also did not get a CEL, which i was entirely expecting. at least a CEL would give me a clue! ;) the wheels do need to be re-balanced, but they are not that far off. i got the vibration/shuddering at any speed, any gear, any RPM, ONLY when stepping on the gas pedal while in gear. no vibration otherwise (coasting, downshifting and coasting, revving while not in gear, etc.) i am thinking it could be all kinds of things. any expert advice, or has anyone had a similar experience? thanks!

from what i've heard, the Bose sub didn't give the amount of bass you would expect from a subwoofer. plus it was crazy expensive. personally, i'd look for a slim-line compact sub (like the Kenwood KSC-SW1) or a custom sub from Monney.com. here's a pic of the KSC-SW1 - i'll be buying one this week. this page briefly compares 3 of the smaller subs. http://www.bizrate.com/carsubwoofers/produ...226250--on.html custom from Monney... just my $.02

is it only during deceleration and not also with acceleration? if it's both, i would check tire pressures and get the wheels balanced.

sounds like something's not grounded correctly. have you done any work to the stereo, speakers or anything electrical with the car? which radio model do you have (CDR-210/220, etc.) does this happen when listening to the radio (AM and FM?) or when you are using the CD player, or both? if it's just the left speaker i would start there. i would check the connections on the affected speaker(s). do you have door speakers, and if so, do you get static from that door speaker as well as the dash speaker? when you check the wires, wiggle them a little to see if you can produce (or eliminate) the static. see if there is any exposed wire on the connections and if they are near or touching metal. i would also check the wires on the back of the stereo that connect to the speakers, and the wires that supply power and ground (it is a larger connector than the speaker connector, located in the bottom-most slot on the back of the radio, the ground wire is brown). if you have an amp, i would check those wires as well. it could also be the stereo, or it could just be the speaker. you could test to see if it's the stereo by swapping a friend's stereo for yours to see if his stereo produces the same static. you could also swap the left and right speakers to see if you get static on the 'right' speaker, or if it follows the 'left' speaker. if it's not the stereo, and it's not the speaker, then it has to be a wiring problem. let me know how you make out.

i usually don't drive the car in the winter. i don't have snow tires. i have had to drive the car with all-season tires in the winter in an emergency, and it would have been better to stay home. all-seasons are not that good in the snow/ice, actual performance summer tires would be much worse. but i do know plenty of people with winter tire packages that drive their boxsters all winter long. winter tires make the difference. as far as the hardtop, i personally wouldn't like the black/silver, but hey - try it out, maybe you'll like it. and if not, you can always get it painted. ;)

i have a top from a 2001 on my 97. just picked it up about a month ago. the fit is great, it took a little adjusting, but overall i love the look. i think it makes the car look like a completely different car. and the rear window is HUGE and CLEAR! i'm not used to it! :) some issues may be that if the hardtop was used a lot by the previous owner, it may have 'settled' a bit and grown to the shape of its previous position. if this is the case, initially your top may have a larger gap somewhere, but if you use it enough with the heat/cold cycles your car goes thru, it should conform to your car nicely with some time and use. either way, the top will fit perfectly enough for you to buy and use it. the other issue you may have is that the hardtop's paint is 5 years newer than your car's, so there may be a slight mismatch, with the top being a bit darker (and less scratched, dinged, etc.) than your car. the difference will be invisible to everyone except you and other enthusiast boxster owners. ;) you will also need a set of spinlocks. the 97's did not come with them. buy them from Suncoast Porsche, they are the lowest price i've seen at ~$50 for the set (L+R). one dealer wanted $150 for them - "haha - ok i'll call you back." installing them is relatively easy, but is a PITA. and i would NOT drive the car with the top without spinlocks. my windows fit without any tweaking. perfect. and the interior is SO much quieter now. you don't realize how loud it is with the conv top until you have the hardtop. if the hardtop is already your color and the price is right, i highly recommend it!

you have 4 options: 1. find an upholstery shop that repairs conv top windows and have them sew in a new window for you. cost is approx $300-500. ask your local dealer who they use. 2. buy a new aftermarket top for ~$500. this is a good option since it costs roughly the same to have a new window sewn in. you can also get the top fabric in your choice of color. for example, my car is Ocean Blue, so when my rear window cracked after 9 years, i ordered a blue aftermarket top instead of the standard black. keep in mind that if you don't know how to install the new top yourself, it will cost another $500-$1000 to have it professionally installed. 3. eBay has DIY soft top rear window kits that you sew in yourself. ~$100 for these. i've never seen a boxster top with one of these windows, but i can't imagine it looks too good. but, i may be wrong. ;) 4. you can end the soft top window problems forever if you replace the whole top with a glass-window top from GAHH or another manufacturer. these tops are made for both pre-2003 and 2003-on boxsters. the convertible top frame is different between the pre/post 2003 cars, but luckily they have both. cost is about $1000 for the top with glass window, and maybe another $700-$1000 to install professionally. many people like these tops. i think the glass window is a little small for my liking, but it's worth checking into. the fifth option is to buy a whole new top from Porsche for $2K+, but you said you didn't want to do this. personally, i would go with option 1 or 2 (or 4).

last i heard, the Zeintec top is ~$5000 USD. i imagine that it is easy to remove, it probably attaches the same way as a boxster hardtop - front latch and spinlocks. but you'd also need to put the clamshell and rear trunk panel back on, so it's not a 'hey, i'll just take the top off' thing. i wasn't so hot on the Zeintec top before. previous prototype versions didn't look as good as the latest one. it does look pretty good, but the side window still looks out of place. if they made it to fit a 911 side window (with flat, not curved back) it would look better. the problem there being you would need to change out your window every time you wanted to use the Zeintec top. or else keep the windows down. :) this version also looks like you remove the clamshell, where with previous versions the top just rested on the clamshell. it is much better looking now. but the rounded side window look still ruins it for me. plus a 986 can never really look like a Cayman because of the old body styling. 987s on the other hand would look pretty close i think. the other company that makes a 'Cayman' top looks like they took a 911 hardtop from a 911 cab and just put it on a boxster.

well, i have a 1997 non-S. yours also has a 996 prefix. hmm. maybe it's because i ordered over the internet. they sell at cost+15%, but maybe that's internet-only. ? in the future, i'd place the orders online. ;) let me know how you make out.

that can't be right. i'll have to look at my invoice from them, but i'm sure it was right around $200. did you talk with them, or get a price from their site? the part number i got was 986-618-260-00. edit: just checked my invoice for that part number - $211.01! ;)

i think i paid about $200 for the alarm unit from Sunset Imports. the dealer will of course charge you more.

thanks for agreeing with me. but i was referring to replacing the paper cone speakers in the door speaker enclosures. ;) (just so he wouldn't have to take the door panel off again to upgrade.) the dash speakers are much more accessible, but of course i recommend upgrading those crap speakers as well. :)

first, get rid of those stock speakers. seriously. unscrew the speakers and replace them with better ones before you install them in the car. the stock speakers are only 5" and you're not going to get much bass out of them, but even if you stay with the 5" size, i would buy some QUALITY 5" speakers to put in there. those 'tuned port speaker enclosures' (cabinets) can be modified to accept a 6.5" speaker, but it will take some work and a Dremel tool to do it. this would give you more bass, but i'm sure even the 5" speaker will fill out the sound enough, considering that you don't have any low-end at the moment. if your car is pre-wired for door speakers, there will be a connector in the door that matches up with the connector on the outside of the speaker enclosure (in your pic). if not, you can either make your own connector somehow, or just bypass the speaker enclosure connector by running a wire pair (+/-) directly from the speaker itself through the door. since you'll be installing an amp, you want to run this wire pair from the door into the front trunk. you'll also want to disconnect the front speaker connection from the back of the radio and run that into the front trunk. you'll be connecting the dash and door speakers to the amp. you will need a cable to connect the radio to the amp. i don't know what the cable is, but Becker probably sells it - www.beckerautosound.com. tell them which amp and radio model you have, and they should be able to tell you what you need. you'll also need to get power to the amp. i'm not sure how to do this, but hopefully your installer will. i still don't know why you're doing this instead of installing a real sub, but if you're going to go through with it, upgrade those speakers before you install the enclosures. the stock speakers are paper-cone crap! ;) to recap, you need to: -run all speaker wires into the front trunk to the amp -get a cable to connect the radio to the amp -install and power the amp good luck!