adsach

I have a 2001 Boxtster S, 6 speed. The stick shift makes a sqeaking sound when used, also there is a sort of quiet thunk for the first four gears.

Is it possible to oil or grease the linkage from above by removing the leather (?) skirt covering the bottom of the shifter ? How do I go about removing this skirt ?

Sorry, I put this into the incorrect forum.

There is lots of good info about the stick shift at this B&M link http://bmracing.com/media/products/pdf/67.pdf

If I were you, I would remove the center console to get at the linkage and leave the leather boot hanging on the shifter in mid air.

Scopacetic,

Sorry for just out of the box saying you don't want to run Hoosiers. It all depends on your track history and your commitment to replacing tires. I personally am not a good enough to driver to run Hoosier's (only one day in a non-beginner run group) and wouldn't want to replace tires every 4-5 track days. Your needs and abilities may vary.

Just because so many folks want to begin with more equipment than they can handle, I am of the opinion that anyone who CAN be talked out of full race tires SHOULD be talked out of full race tires. If you are an instructor level at DE's you just might want to run Hoosier "Rs".

:oops:

huh, i never noticed ToolPants mentioned the relay, now I feel stupid for asking

I only noticed because I am considering this for a spring upgrade(moving to Boston where drivers are..um..erratic).

After your install, please make a post giving your impression of loudness and delay.

Can't avoid the delay because the compressor has to kick on. The Boxster is the 4th car over the years I have owned that I put air horns on. The delay in the Box air horns is very slight for some reason compared to the other cars. Since I retained the oem electric horns I like the delay. If I tap the horn (like when the light turns green and the car in front just sits) you hear just the electric horns. If I hit the horn harder then all horns come on. This is another reason I decided a switch was not necessary.

...

What is the Brand and model on your 'slight delay' air horns?

this is rare but a stock black boxster S and the guy looks like he was trying hard to overtake him but he couldn't although he had 75 hp over him... making him around the 350 range... maybe it's an M3? I wonder how a M3 would run against a 987 s but M3 has the SMG which is touted to be one of the best sequential pioneers.

Alternatively, another car which I would definitely be interested to watch a video on chasing around a boxster s or other way around a 987s chasing around a M3 and or SLK 55 AMG. The 55 AMG for sure is like way ahead of a 987s with a 5.5 L V8 churning out 300+ hp but that was what I drove for a while before. I don't think I will ever miss it but the 55 AMG still feels very much like a softie but it can definitely win in a drag race but running around the hills or curves, I don't think it will have too much of an advantage over the 987s. There was a video comparison made by Top Gear between boxster s and SLK 55 but the 987s definitely handles better. I am sure 987s would have no problem doing a few rounds on the R171 slk 350 but it would be fun to watch it head to head against some muscle cars like M3 or 55 AMG. What do you guys think?

I was also guessing this was an M3 but can't explain the T-tops. The taping car WAS NOT trying to overtake the Boxster, he was trying to film the Boxster. The notes for this movie indicate the driver/car that was doing the filming was capable of a 3 second faster lap time.

IMO the Boxster was more capable in the corner, but the driver was less capable. The video car seemed to have a better line on a few of the corners as well as obviously more horsepower. The interesting overtaking I noted was the duck tail 911 that got eaten by the Boxster. In my (limited) personal experience, it is the rare stock pre-993 Carrera that can stay ahead of my Boxster S in the twisties.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?d...591983063&q=987

Nice video!

I had to do a search on 987 after clicking the link

I don't think any of the 987 as made in Finland yet, but if demand increases Porsche probably will arrange to assemble some of them in Finland. About 1/2 the 986 Boxsters were from Uusikaupunki,Finland and there is no provable difference between the Finish and German cars. Some rumors that the Finish cars had better paint, but I even doubt that difference.

I'm fairly sure that the 987 is produced in the same facilities as the 986 and as such the majority are made in Finland. Most people I know in the UK regard having a Finnish made car as a good thing because German cars seem to have more problems....... as the majority of the expertise is based in Finland (because of the volume of Boxsters built there) German made cars may not be built to the same standards.

My 987S was built in Finland

Thanks for the correction Wads - I'll try not to pass this misinformation on to anyone else.

I am taking delivery on a Cayman S and want to get a set of track wheels and tires. I really want to run Hoosier S04's or S05's, but they are limited on available sizes. There are no 19 inch tires. The closest 18 inchers are 245/35 for front and 275/35 or 285/30 for rear. This is as compared to my stock 18 inch 235/40 front and 265/40 rear tires. The Hoosiers would end up with a tire diameter 1.5 to 2 cm smaller than stock. Any thoughts or alternatives anyone?

If you are planning to use these for autocross, some folks go with all 4 tires the same size.

Per the following website, http://www.1010tires.com/TireSizeCalculato...p?action=submit ,

The 245/35 gives you 4/10 inch wider tire and 3/10 lowered(radius) with 2.6% speedometer increase. They also fit your stock rims so this sounds like a good fit. and increases the accuracy of the speedometer.

If you are thinking of a full racetrack, even a short one like Lime Rock, you probably don't want to run Hoosier's.

I'm sure you know, it really helps to get a good aggressive alignment if you want to run fast around curves.

This is good trivia.

The hook inside the gas flap for the tether started for model year 2001 so a 2000 will not have it.

There were also 2 service actions/"recalls" for the caps on certain years.

Guess what year car is this current picture.

No idea from the gas cap - but with those little cup wheels I'm going to guess a '97-98.

The problem we are having now is with the body shop -- I thought I had an arrangement/verbal agreement with the shop about doing the GT3 bumper, but that was nullified by the owner. Seems the bottom line is still the MONEY!! They won't let me bring a bumper to them (with a discount for the original part ($713) to paint match and install at the price given by the insurance company. They ordered a $2300 GT3 bumper and expect me to pay the difference between the insurance $713 Boxster bumper and the $2300 GT3 bumper. Because the shop makes a lot of money on the parts they are not willing to do it my way!

The bumper I found in LA is $950 and not an aftermarket -- a real Porsche part!

So...now we are back to just repair to original Boxster and forget any upgrades.

I will be happy to get back a car with a "new" front end and look like a new car. The old bumper cover had those wonderful bottom scratches from the parking lots plus the normal rock chips. I'll do the GT3 the next time we get whacked in the front.

The LA source is www.departstop.com (talk to Dayton) -- not affiliated

I'll do the Lits on my own $ and install myself. The new wheels and Lits along with the newly painted front end will give us a new car -- that we, of course, will be very proud to own!

Also, I will be requesting dimished value damages from the insurance company based on Kevin's (in Atlanta) input -- pay an appraiser and submit to the insurance -- sue the owner if insurance doesn't pay.

BTW -- we did the clutch R/R with great success -- not that hard at all - it could be done in 6 hours (or less)the second time.

AND, how is your move to Boston going? Wish you well on your move!

We lived in Clifton Park for 3 years (before moving here in '95 and liked to go to Boston and Cape Cod for family trips. Except for the winters, we liked the whole NE.

That sucks about the price quote having built in parts overcharges. Having done the clutch I'm sure you realize replacing the front bumper cover is well within your mechanical skills. It's mostly an issue of paint color.

The move to Boston is going fine. Packed the non-essential kitchen items and some of the basement today. They are predicting temps in the 50s tomorrow, so I will be able to pack the garage and tool shed. I'm looking forward to Boston as I am a lot more a city guy than living in Niskayuna(just off Balltown) would suggest. I did a mental inventory and I actually have more non-work friends in the Boston area than the Albany area. I had even more in AZ before we have to migrate to cold country.

030 sport type running gear

030 is stiffer springs and sway bars and possible also shocks and suspension bushings. This is for the factory 'sport tuned' handling. Since you are ROW030 (Rest-Of-the-World/non-US) this also means the front springs lower the front end about 1/2 inch.

Some sway Sway Bar numbers (from around 2001):

Model ................. Diameter(F/R) ....... Thickness ....... Stiffness

Standard 2.xL ..... 23.1 / 18.5mm ..... 3.4 / 2.5mm .... 1.000 / 1.000

Standard S ......... 23.6 / 18.5mm ..... 3.5 / 2.5mm .... 1.094 / 1.000

M030 S ............... 24.0 / 19.0mm ..... 3.8 / 2.7mm .... 1.211 / 1.145

*Stiffness rating shows that the M030 front bar is 21.1% stiffer on the 'S' model and the rear is 14.5% stiffer. (more understeer-less roll)

My barber (Corvette guy) is encouraging us to keep the Boxster as original as possible -- What are the real benefits of doing that ??

I sugest you act like an owner, not a renter, and make her look anyway you like. Since noone NEEDS a Boxster, it really is all about how you feel about your car. After what you went through it makes sense to 'do a little extra' to rekindle the driving magic.

P.S. I second the vote on clear sidemarker (to go with your Xenon's) and would recommend the 5-spoke carrera style lightweights as an 18-inch wheel. Wheel enhancement has a large inventory of Porsche wheels and gives good service, but doesn't have the low, low prices you occaisionally find on the message boards.

I've noticed lately that at highway speeds (~80-90mph) I get a lot of vibration in the steering wheel and sometimes through the whole car. I have always noticed some bt assumed it was just because the car transmits more of the road through. I don't do a lot of highway driving so it's hard to say if this is new or just usually unnoticed. No strange treadwear that I can see - the tires are all 18 months old and the rears are just about at the point where they'll need to be replaced soon (and the tread wear is even). It also doesn't pull much in either direction.

Does this sound like it fits the "every 12-18 months" window for being caused by an alignment going slightly off, or does it seem like something more? I would have though I'd see more treadwear if it was due to the alignment.

Vibration is unlikely to be alignment. Vibration is almosty certainly wheel balance, bent wheel or failing tire.

Alignment is all about turn-in, tracking grooves, pulling to one side, and ultimately grip. Every 12-18 months is a personal thing, since I occaisionally track the car I want her to be well set up. Alignment every 3-4 years, is probably a good idea for a non track use car. "At least once" is definitely a good idea.

If you have had the car over 6 months I would get her aligned. Some folks have successfully talked their dealers into alignment as a warrantee item. Consider ing the numbers my car had a year after delivery, I would say it would have been justifiable as a warrantee claim. I could feel the difference immediately.

Anyone has any input on this front?

I didn't wait at all and ordered my 987s tiptronic and now most of the news is out on the 997TT except the deployment of PDK/DSG. P is really keeping that under the lid and seal so no news at all.

I know all 987, 997 2006 MY will get tiptronic S only and no PDK at all.

However, it will definitely be a bummer to find that I just ordered the 987s in tiptronic to be the last production year of a new model with tiptronic S cos it is highly likely that all MY 2007 cars will start to get PDK.

Does anyone know any news on the PDK deployment if at all?

As the Boxster is the lowest cost Porsche sold, it is also at the bottom of the list for features. Certain features are held back just to preserve a gap between the Boxster and Carrera/911. A simple example would be no glove box in the Boster until 2004, even though the same dash in the 996 had a glove box.

I suggest it is likely to be several years before the new high tech transmission technology "trickles down" to the Boxster. In a likely scenario - First the transmission goes into the TT/GT3/GT2 cars, then into the Carrera, then into the Cayenne, Cayman and the (as yet to be named) 4 door Porsche Sedan, then the second generation of dual clutch transmission hits TT/GT3/GT2, THEN we see the first generation new transmission in the Boxster .

I may be pessimistic here, as Ceramic brakes moved down the food chain very quickly. This is almost certainly due to the fact that Ceramic Brakes are a seperately billed high cost item. If the paddle shifted transmission is marketed like ceramic brakes , you may see it travel down the food chain to the Boxster in 2-4 years.

Just looked over the website and would be VERY curious what it can do. If it's nothing more than an OBD tool that will allow us to reset the airbag light then I would definitely pass. But........if it turns out to be closer to a PST2 then I am on board for the first group buy that gets organized.

Can't wait to hear your response to the product Loren.

Considering my local Porsche options, an airbag light reset + ODB2 reader would be worth about $175 to me. I am VERY pleased Loren will be doing an evaluation. :thumbup:

You have my sympathy Ed. About 3 years ago I saw a Cobalt Blue boxster parked alone under a single lamp in a parking lot of the Scottsdale airpark. I just had to stop my Boxster and stare for a minute. You have a truly stunning color at night.

Personally, I would go for the litronic headlights and very little else. I like the stock Boxster bumper cover.

the gear lever went all floppy and stuck in first. I am outside in the frezing UK weather taking the centre console out to see if I can do anything

This is a very good description of the feeling when my shifter cables slipped off the positioning bracket at the transmission end. This happened to me after I bent the retaining clips during a clutch replacement.

Simply replacing the cables back into the brackets fixed the problem.

Unfortunately I had to remove the aluminum bars (3/4 inch x 4inch by 18inch) and the metal plate covering the bottom of the engine to reach in and reseat the cable.

More than just an ODB2 reader, this website claims to have developed a tool similar to the PST2

http://www.durametric.com/porsche.php

The following table displays what modules can be read and reset using our software.

Has anyone tried this tool?

I haven't purchased one yet, but I am tempted.

I have noticed this condensation, too. In the 5 months I have owned my '03, it was sporadic; hardly ever in the summer months but present more as fall arrived. (I have tucked my car away for the winter, so I haven't checked for a month.) FWIW, I don't have the bleeder valve.

Bear in mind, the trunk gets pretty warm during normal operation, but it is vented...the 'owner service center' that is sealed separately is not. I'm inclined to go with humidity and temperature differential on the sealed side versus the outer. That said, I'll be checking that expansion tank cap when I prep for the spring, though....

Could some Porsche techs, and some reading this, be unfamiliar with this situation if it is climatic?

--Brian

I never had condensation living in Arizona(dry).

I had condensation ONCE living in Albany, NY(less dry).

I tightened the cap after seeing condensation and it hasn't come back in 2 years(still in Albany, but moving to Boston next month)

Considering what happened to ToolPants, I sure hope that was OK to put in print :lol:

hi,

~ how much does this cost? thanks.

I have paid $125-$140 for a full 4 wheel alignment to aggressive camber settings (-0.7 front and -1.7 rear). The price was similar at the Porsche independant and the Porsche dealer.

The independant shop claimed to have gotten better alignment numbers. The dealer dialed out all my camber and left me with measurable cross camber on their first try, they then realigned according to my original request charging only one fee for the two tries.

The first alignment (after 1 year of ownership), was a HUGE improvement. Subsequent alignments felt like small improvements(except for the one time when it was a noticeable loss of my aggressive settings).

For my tastes, it seems about right to have an alignment donce once every 12-18 months.

I shall install a set of sport headers from Techart Germany on my 986 S, MY01.

However, I have heard stories of broken bolts whilst removing the factory items. What special care is required,if any, to avoid such incidents? Are these incidents frequent or a remote possibility?

Anyway I shall use hand tools only and ease the bolts with WD40; definitely no power tools.

Your help will be appreciated.

On a 2001, I suspect it is inevitable that MOST of the rusty bolts and studs connecting your first catalytic to your factory headers will break. This will leave broken parts mostly in your old headers so while you will destroy bolts it should be easy enough to clean up the cats enough to connect to your new headers (using a new triangular flange gasket.) The studs to be careful about are those that connect your engine to your headers, they may all come off clean.

I wouldn't reuse any of the fastening bolts or nuts that secure the exhaust pipes.

You probably can leave the cats and muffler in place. If you do remove and reinstall the original cats and muffler, those that attach the muffler to the transaxle and body should be OK to reuse.

So does this mean that you now have a spare alternator, intake, pumps, etc?

my passenger side is missing that black screen located directly behind the headrest.. perhaps, as air passes through it whistles..

It is unlikely to be the windscreen. Often these sounds come from panel gaps. Likely causes are side-view mirrors, hood height adjustment, twisted rubber gasket around windshield, door latch adjustment, loose front quarter panel or side light.

Does a passenger hear the same sound? from the same place?

Do the gaps between the various panels (doors, hood, lights) look fairly uniform? Are they flush?

My 00' Boxster makes a thump noise when accelerating, doesnt happen all the time...I feel the thump/knock under the driver seat....any help would be appreciated. :help:

:lightbulb: #1)

Are you the only one driving your car?

Half the time I get my car back from a service appointment, the seat goes clunk as I pull away. The folks who move the car, move the seat but don't wiggle the seat to lock into one of the many locking positions on the sliders. Once it clunks into position the sound goes away until the next service call.

:lightbulb: #2)

I have also experienced a different clunk accelerating out of low speed corners. In that case, one of the semi-circular brackets holding my rear sway bar had come loose.