gandrade1

I spent some time going back and forth about whether to install a B and M Short Shifter (SSK)or to follow the recommendations of some of the folks on the other forums, and decided to install the 997 shifter in my 02 996TT. Loren helped me install it, and I find that the throw is a good 30% shorter, plus the action is smoother and the gears engage more postiviely. I was having some issues with a perioidic missed downshift from 5 to 2nd on the old shifter. That's all cleared up by virtue of the positive action of the shift mechanism.....I also have the added benefit of the fact the 997 shifter only costs me $156 from Pelican, whereas the B and M runs $200.

Sounds interesting...Could we expect a DIY Article on that?

I have a B&M, but keep on postponing the installation, since I heard that the shift becomes harder in the winter - I live in NJ. Plus I am not sure It would not cause the missing gears problem.

Thanks Bob, that helped. I figure if I have to try this hard to convince myself that it looks good to me then I really don't like it. Mind you I didn't know when I got it that the pipes would interfere with putting diffusers on there.

I am going to sell this one and put the new Dansk on it instead.

Chris

+1 for the PSE!

Let me know if you decide to sell either of them, I have the stock Boxster muffler and either your Maxspeed or the PSE sound and look better than mine. I just can't convince myself to spend $600 or $1200 on an exhaust.

All the best,

Gus

Well...based solely on the pessimistic report above - a 2003.

Not sure the reliability could change that much from year to year. Unless we are talking about the first year the model has been released and the immediately subsequent year.

Honestly, get the latest one if you have the $. Unless I am totally wrong they are all 996 based and no major changes were made.

Best,

Gus

I don't know what post you read or what the negative(s) alleged regarding using the clay bar, but I have no problems using it myself. Heed the advice about immediately disposing of any clay dropped on the ground or otherwise potentially contaminated. The stuff is relatively cheap, so additional advice from me is to not to try to extend its use; considering the time/effort you will put in, using fresh clay is a small price. Also use fresh rags to wife the surface clean. I doubt you'll regret the results from the plan you outline. --Brian

Thanks, Q-Ship986

I will stick to the plan

This is the posting I was talking about Visit Paint Restorer...9th comment top to bottom.

Best,

Gus

I have posted info on putting in air horns on a base 986 Boxster. Somehow I erased all my favorites so I can's give you a link. You will have to search.

On the 986 base there is plenty room under the bumper cover for the compressor and the trumpets. I mounted them on bracket I have left over from a garage door motor install. Then bolted the bracket to the car.

I still have the electric horns hooked up, plus the air horns. Sandy came up with a schematic so I could install a switch, and switch back and forth between the electric and air horns. Never go around to putting a switch in. In reality I would not have time to play around with a switch if another truk decides to back up into me, which is the reason I put air horns in.

Thank you so much...

That is great to know.

I am gonna go for the the 3 trumpets then... I am assuming I can get a bracket at Home Depot, Loews, etc.

I will probably just remove the OEM horn, buy some wire to extend the original ones to the center of the bumper and plug them to the terminals on the back of the compressor.

Am I missing something? Any advive on the wires to buy length, material of the bracket?

Best,

Gus

will post pics tomorrow..but followed all the great advice..clay bar and Meguires NXT next generation wax 2.0 and I'm extremely happy with the results! Thanks for all the advice!!

Bmohr

Just got the Meguiars claybar...but read a posting somewhere here that totaly discourages the use of claybars.

Is it safe or can I damage my car? It will be my first detail job - in order:

- Through wash with Meguiar's shampoo;

- Claybar with Quik Detailing (both from Meguiars);

- Meguiar's Swirl Remover (applied manually, since I have no machine)

- Wash again

- Zaino ZAIO

- Zaino Z-5 (not sure if the number is right here, but I have it home)

Is this a good routine? I have a black 01 Boxster and it shows some swirl marks

Best,

Gus

Guys,

I came across the pic below and found out that the color is a Signal Orange. I love it and would even consider getting a custom order with this color. Is that possible?

What do you guys think about this color on a newer 911?

Best,

Gus

Anyone?

I was just at the dealer yesterday, and they had a car with them on the floor. If you are large, they are a bit tight. I am 6'2", and around 250, and they were a bit tight. Very nice for Auto Cross, but not wonderful for any long distance drives. (NO wiggle room, not much adjustment - fore and aft only).

Coming from the power seats, I guess I am spoiled by the adjustability of those.

I did not find them very difficult to get in and out of, but they were not as easy as normal seating. For looks alone, they would be a real tempting choice!

A bit tight for you is good for me - I'm 5'9" 160 lbs. How was the seat height? I like to sit faily high, and I'm worried the seat will put me too low. I would guess that if you were at the limit of headroom, that might be about right for me. Auto Cross and tracking is what I'll be spending a good amount of time doing, I'll switch to a a highway cruiser for longer drives. Thanks for the information!

In my modest opinion, unless you are talking about the GT3 style seats, no OEM seat will provide you with ideal support for Autocross or Tracking. I would probably just get the regular seats and use the extra $$$ to buy a pair of Recaros or Sparcos that fit you perfectly to use during the 'track season'. A good installer will make sure you have a setup that allows for easy change between seats (15 to 20 min).

I currently have Kirkey's in my car (which I do not recommend to you because of the 'less than polished look'), but they feel comfortable even in the longer drives. You might be surprised by how comfortable the aftermarket seats are if you get the right size for you. You will most likely not even feel the need to switch between OEM and Aftermarket seats that frequently!

Best,

Gus

OK, I finally found an AutoZone that had the "B" cap wrench. Of course it matched and worked like a charm. I have new oil in the car now :)

Thanks all for your help,

azzar0.

Cool man...Happy to help

Hi guys,

I found a horn that my father used to have in the early 80s, and it brings good memories...despite its less than subtle sound!

Well... enough of the drama...

(1) Is there anyway that I can get this installed in the Boxster? Its a 01 US base with two radiators.

(2) What additional parts do I need to purchase?

(3) I am more concerned about the electrical connections to be made. It seems that I can just remove the OEM horn; use the original wires and just connect the positive terminal and the negative terminal to the compressor?

(4) Any suggestion on the place I can stick this in? What do I buy in order to fabricate the 'brackets'?

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

I am not really a skilled DIYer, despite getting much better in the last year thanks to this forum. That being said I am assuming this is a simple install. Please, let me know if I am over simplifying it.

All the best,

Gus

Link to the Website that carries it

I am planning on doing an oil change on my 98 Boxster. I haven't been able to find a filter wrench (my local dealer told me they don't sell tools), so I am going to order the wrench from Sunset Imports tomorrow.

My question is: can I go ahead and change the oil and replace the filter a week later or should I just wait until I get the wrench? The reason I am asking is because I already have the car up on jack stands and it would be really good if I could get the oil changed since the car is perfectly horizontal. My thinking was that when I get the wrench I could just jack up the left rear wheel and replace the filter, without having the level the car horizontally and lift it up on 4 jack stands again...

Thanks,

azzar0.

Hi azzaro... go to Autozone they have a wrench for Mercedes that fits exactly in our filter cover... I paid 6 bucks for it! OEM oil filter "B" cap wrench #25401. This wrench has the 14 flat 74 MM size for 3/8" drive.

Best,

Gus

PM Sent.

E

Replied...

Thx,

Gus

Hi guys,

Any idea where I can find one of these for my 01 Boxster? I don't intend to pay the $700 they are asking for the new one.

Please, let me know if you have any ideas.

All the best,

Gus

Hello - does anybody know the weight of a stock Boxster 17 inch twist wheel? Wondering how the weight compares to lightweight track wheels and if I should just buy another set of stock rims for some track tires or go for some lightweight wheels.

Thanks,

Ben

Have the same dilemma. What lightweight wheels do you have in mind?

I've used the black one - worked fine except for the time I forgot to take out the white plug.

Likewise, but I knocked the drain plug into the hole and did not notice until it overflowed.

Griot's has a nice one I'm going to order. 16 quarts (I think) and a free replacement white plug. Great to reduce trips to oil recyclers. Yep, I lost my plug at the recycler's.

FWIW, I pour the used oil into empty washer fluid containers (they have a nice tight cap) and/or the 5-quart containers that the new oil came in. Our county hazardous waste collection center likes to just collect the containers of used fluid, rather than emptying something and giving it back to you. --Brian

Take the used oil to PepBoys and they will let you keep your container...but in my experience you will have to pour the used oil in their recycle container yourself!!!

Best,

Gus

You will need to cut the original connectors and you will only need two of the four wires - so tape the other two well.

OK, I saw the diagram of the parts from a PET image that was included in another thread, I saw that there are 'high' and 'low' note horns, makes sense that I would only need one set of connections.

Does anybody know if these already go through a relay to supply power or if the receive power directly from the switch in the steering wheel?

In the past I know that steering wheel switches tend to get burnt out from the higher current of the air horns so a relay would normally be required?

Also, are the horns located ahead of the front wheels (behind the inner fender skirt)?

Anyway could you please share the link to these diagrams?

BTW... Which of the Griots Garage horns did you get? Are they dual-tone?

Best,

Gus

I would recommend using your pretty (but heavy) 18" wheels for the street and getting a light-weight set of 17" wheels for the track. There's a better selection of track tires for 17" wheels and they're less expensive. I love the Kumho VictoRacers which are quite sticky, wear well and have very stiff sidewalls but are not made in 18" sizes.

Depending on your budget, you can either get a set of take-off OEM wheels (maybe $1000?) or, for about $2200 you can get a set of custom made 3-piece forged wheels from CCW ( www.ccwheel.com ). I have the "Classic" in the track model. These are similar to the wheels you would get from Fikse or HRE for twice the price. You can specify the width and the offset but the guys at CCW know the proper fitment for Boxsters. If you get them 8" wide in front and 9.5" wide in the rear, you can mount either "standard" size 225,255 width tires or "super-sized" 245,275 width tires.

http://gotbluemilk.com/web080302b/40/imagepages/image13.html

Man, those definitely look cool...

Another question is - I plan on upgrading my car in a couple of years - would I have any clearance (offset) issues with the 17''s if I went for a 2003 - 2004 996?

Thanks,

Gus

Hi guys,

I am looking for a good set of 17'' or 18'' aftermarket wheels to equip my 986 with. I want to use my 18'' Carrera twists on the track and get something to drive all year around with All-seasons or the other way around (aftermarket for track and Carrera twists with all-seasons).

Well, I know about BBS, HRE etc... But I am really not willing to spend that much money, especially if I am gonna drive with those over the nice NJ potholes.

I thought about getting OEM take offs, but was wondering if I could get something more 'agressive' looking and new... I also question whether the only wheels comparable (in quality) to the OEMs are really the BBS or alikes. Are the OEMs really that good??? :huh:

Any opinions are greatly appreciated.

All the best,

Gus

When it comes to motorsports, tires are a consumable. Expect to wear out tires quickly if you autox or DE. I also recommend that you get another set of But all you have to do is search youtube for "HPDE accident" to see examples. Here's one that's a good lesson:

I am not trying to scare you away but I believe that conciously understanding the risks and accepting them is important before you start.

Hi Alan,

So what is the lesson here - what went wrong?

What are the chances that an instructor will suggest we take a turn as quickly as the guy in the film did, if our line is not consistent?

I did get a little scared...And this driver seems to have flipped over very easily!

Best,

Gus

Hi there,

First post and it's a request for help!

I am looking to fit the following wheels on my 2001 Boxster S....

Front - 8J x 18 offset ET57 p/n 997.362.136.00 225/40

Rear - 10J x 18" offset ET58 p/n 997.362.140.01 265/35

What spacers, if any, would I need to fit them to my Boxster?

Thanks for any advice!

best regards

McBee

7mm spacer should work for the front. In the rear, you'll want a 10mm-12mm spacer.

Sorry for the ignorance, but how do you guys calculate these numbers... I know what the suggested OEM diameter, width and offset are for my model (986). How do I go from there if I want to look at aftermarket wheels which do not match the OEM width and offset? How do you add spacers to that equation?

Thank you so much,

Gus

Hi Juniinc,

I ordered exactly that part (in black) and got it on Monday... It looks a little 'old-fashioned' compared to the one I currently have (like the one K.Brandsma posted above).

I was thinking about returning the part, specially because I need to order the 'shift pattern' emblem and I could not find anyone that looks nice - was looking for an aluminum one (5 speed), but all I could find were the ones in eagleday.com

Not sure what the alternative is... I really wanted to go for the Momo knob (carbon fiber look), but see no way to attach it to my shifter. The Momo has a round shape and, despite having several 'rubber rings' to adapt the knob to shifters with different diameters, I bet none of them will fit our oddily shaped shifter.

If you have any other idea, please let me know.

Best

Gus

Will the 18" Cayman S 5 spoke wheels fit without issue on a my06 987?

Can I use the original lugs from the 17" original Boxster wheels?

Are there any spacers involved?

Have I forgotten anything? :huh:

Thanks!

I am leaning towards those wheels myself... for my 01 Boxster (986).

I was wondering if they would fit.

Do you have the offsets and width of those?

What is the number or title of the TSB you guys mentioned.

All the best,

Gus

It sounds like the time may not be right for you to take the plunge. You're young, get a plan and set some goals and eventually you'll reach success.

When I first got my 996, I hated the comments that some people would make. "You make too much money" "You charge us too much" "Must be nice" "I wish I could afford such a nice car"

People still make them. But it wasn't until my father told me something that made me not care about the comments any more: "What do they know? It's not a symbol of making too much money or being rich, it's a symbol of success and the people that understand that have respect, not envy."

So, go buy the Accord, save your money and get on the road to success.

-g

Congrats on your success. I am also young and, after reading your sincere intro, I was expecting some constructive advice rather than just 'go buy the Accord'. What about a 2003/2004 Boxster - an excellent entry level Porsche with minor issues if you get those MYs. They are around 30k. You can, also, easily get a warranty!

Obviously, the topic starter (a prion BMW M owner) is looking for a sports car and not a Japanese, mid-size, sedan... While I appreciate your honesty, I find your comments a little off-topic.

All the best,

Gus

I'm looking for a wiring diagram to install a relay so that I will have running headlights on when the ignition is turned on. The car is from California and I require running headlights in Canada. Thanks.

2001 Boxster S 3.2

6sp transmission

Check this out... It might be exactly what you are looking for.

I have purchased from these guys before - good products and delivery

Daytime Lights

Best,

Gus