atmorris

She's a Porsche 986 !

My opinion, FWIW, as a guy faced with the same decision 6 months ago: ROW M030 is T-H-E way to go for a street/track car. The difference in the handling is impressive to say the least. A bit stiffer, but not objectionable for every day use, but get a good alignment done and start hitting some tight corners hard, and I guarantee your mouth will drop when you begin to see what it can do. Roll is unnoticable, if any. It just plants and rails through the twisties. Drops the car just enough and gives it a more aggressive look as a bonus. Best $1000 I have spent by FAR. Good alignment setup is critical. I also have 18's. I went -1.2 degrees front camber; -2.0 degrees rear camber; Front and rear toe both at at 1/32". Some like 0 toe front and 1/16" rear, but I was more comfortable with a touch of toe dialed in. Tire pressures I keep at 30psi for "spirited" driving or track, drop to 28 to soften the ride a little for long trips. Andy Andy, Where did you find M030 for $1K? I haven't been able to find anywhere near that price. THanks, Hung I got my setup here: Suncoast Porsche

I have my '03 with ROW M030 set as follows: Camber F -1.2 degrees both sides Camber R -2.0 degrees both sides Front toe 1/32 Rear toe 1/32 Great street/track setup. On the street, the car drives like it has claws, it just plants and rails around the twisties and switchbacks, and doesn't railroad track much at all. However, I only drive mine a few thousand miles a year, so I can't say how tire wear will be. I don't really care because, I'm not worried if I have to put a set of tires on every few years. Haven't got it on a track yet, but I'm dying to.

Assuming you followed the PNP instructions carefully, I'm not sure what you could have done here. I can't see how plugging the PNP kit into the CDR23 would have caused a problem because that is what you do on cars that are not equiped with the amp. I'm assuming that since the instructions are pretty clear, you didn't add the amp extension and then plug it in to the CDR23. I have heard that if you use the rear speaker kit on a system without an amp (hooked directly to the HU) that the speakers are underpowered and flat sounding. My system has an amp, so I'm not sure if this is true or not. Irregardless, with the system returned to its previous state, you should be hearing full sound. The CDR23 outputs full spectrum sound to the amp as far as I know. The only filtering is done inside the amp, and only on the door speaker "sub" channels. As I understand what you said, at this point, you are now listening to the stock system, dash and door speakers only with no rears hooked up....and you hear only bass frequencies. Are you sure the dash drivers aren't dead? Maybe you are just hearing the output from the door speakers?

FWIW - I installed MB Quarts at first based on the same conclusion you have pointed out. It didn't take long at all for me to rip them out and replace them with the Polk drivers, because I found the Quarts WAY too bright and harsh, and not very "tight" sounding. I know another guy who did the same thing, but changed the Quarts out for Boston Acoustics drivers for the same reason. A lot of people seem to like the Focal drivers, but I have noticed that they are usually talking about the more expensive Focals, not the cheaper ones. Good luck with your project.

Depends. What is your budget? How particular about sound quality are you? Do you drive top down often?...at highway speed or around town speed? All affect what you will need/want to do. A 2004 is MOST bus, and the HU and amp "talk" over a fiber optic buss. So, if you want to replace the HU, you have to replace the amp as well. The stock drivers are paper cone units of fairly cheap construction (remember, the car only cost around 60k new....<smirk>) so their sound quality isn't very high even with a better source. Then there is soundfield to consider. Does your S have the rear storage compartment option? Does it contain the rear speaker option? If not, you will probably want to hunt down a rear storage compartment and buy a PNP rear speaker kit off eBay for it. Adding rear speakers balances out the soundstage in the car so the music comes from AROUND you instead of just in front of you. What I did was this: 1) I trashed the stock CDR23 for an Alpine CDA-9885 head unit. This plays MP3 disks and has an iPod input as well. Alpine has two cheaper models than this as well, the 9883 and the 9881. Nakamichi is another good choice in a HU. 2) I replaced the stock 6x40w amp with a Swiss Audio 6x100w amp. I got a good deal off eBay for the amp. Profile amps are a pretty good amp as well and very affordable. There are lots of good amps out there: Infinity;Alpine;Profile;Polk;pick your poison. I went with 100 watts per channel because I have the top down a lot - and I don't drive slow. I also like to have a good amount of headroom in an amplifier so that the strong pulses and passages stay clean and tight. I would say that 70W per channel would be the minimum you want for a Boxster. 3) I bought the PNP rear speaker kit and installed it. 4) I replace ALL the drivers in the car (the 4" in the dash, the 5 1/2" in the doors, AND the 3 1/2" in the PNP kit) with Polk Audio db series drivers. I put 6 1/2" in the doors for more bottom end, but you can just replace the 5 1/4" drivers with better ones. My sound system is loud, clean, and tight. I have plenty of top-down power, and clean tight highs and mid bass. The sound stage is all around you and fills the interior, even top-down. I spent around $1000 and did all the work myself. It was not difficult. It could benifit froma a small powered sub, but I will not trade off the boot space - it sounds just fine as is. Andy

Well, that would depend a lot on the valving and spring rates of the specific units your looking at, but generally yes, they will still be stiffer even on the softest settings.

My opinion, FWIW, as a guy faced with the same decision 6 months ago: ROW M030 is T-H-E way to go for a street/track car. The difference in the handling is impressive to say the least. A bit stiffer, but not objectionable for every day use, but get a good alignment done and start hitting some tight corners hard, and I guarantee your mouth will drop when you begin to see what it can do. Roll is unnoticable, if any. It just plants and rails through the twisties. Drops the car just enough and gives it a more aggressive look as a bonus. Best $1000 I have spent by FAR. Good alignment setup is critical. I also have 18's. I went -1.2 degrees front camber; -2.0 degrees rear camber; Front and rear toe both at at 1/32". Some like 0 toe front and 1/16" rear, but I was more comfortable with a touch of toe dialed in. Tire pressures I keep at 30psi for "spirited" driving or track, drop to 28 to soften the ride a little for long trips. Andy

I doubt that would help much. GHL's mount using the stock isolator bar, and they still resonate. Ditto, the B&B exhausts. Also, the factory mufflers on the 97-99 boxsters were mounted solid, as they didn't introduce the vibration isolator mount until model year 2000, but even then, the early OEM mufflers didn't noticeably resonate. I think at the end of the day, it's the muffler interior design that determines the amount of resonance you get. I haven't cut one of these open, but I'm betting it is just 2 big open chambers. Another thought that has gone through my mind is that placing crossflow tube between the two chambers might kill some of the resonance also.

...I want proof:D Austrian made, for the ignorants. They also make the systems for Gemballa, ACS, Brabus and more. Thats what I thought although a little pricy. What do you think of this:http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/97-04-Porsc...29043QQtcZphoto? for less than half the price? I have one of these. It is a sweet sounding exhaust, and very light, but a little loud for my tastes. I want to modify my stock muffler like a PSE. Great! Did you find any annoying cabin drone? Were there any resonance in lower rpm range? From what I have read when you modify stock muffler like PSE it will sound like open valve full time, over 100db. and that's very loud. Yes, a bit. ALL aftermarket Boxster exhausts have some resonance from what I have been able to determine. This exhaust produces some resonance from about 2200 to 2600 rpm, which I can stay away from most of the time, but that rpm range is right about at 55 to 60 mph in 5th gear. Also, if you try and roll the throttle on at low rpms, but you shouldn't be doing this anyway. Shift down and the resonance stops. It really doesn't bother me at all when I have the top down, but it does bug me a little when I have to ride with the top up, especially in slow but not stop and go traffic....but then I usually just turn up the tunes :-) ON THE OTHER HAND.....it sounds sooooooooooo sweet when I put my foot in it, even a little, that I really debate with myself about taking it back off. It definately DOES announce it's entrance and departure now. :thumbup: So far the gearhead inside me always wins out, and it is still on there...... :P It is WAY lighter than the stock unit. I do not notice any difference in the lateral handling of the rear, but I do notice that I can break the tires lose much easier than I could before (not necessarily a good thing at the cost of these tires). P.S.....I have been told, by a reputable Porsche mechanic, that if you were to remove the islation mount from a stock muffler and mount it solid as all the aftermarket mufflers mount, that it would introduce some resonance as well. I have been thinking about trying to adapt the stock isolator bar to my aftermarket exhaust to see if it cuts down on the resonance any.

...I want proof:D Austrian made, for the ignorants. They also make the systems for Gemballa, ACS, Brabus and more. Thats what I thought although a little pricy. What do you think of this:http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/97-04-Porsc...29043QQtcZphoto? for less than half the price? I have one of these. It is a sweet sounding exhaust, and very light, but a little loud for my tastes. I want to modify my stock muffler like a PSE.

No problem....we're all in this together :P

:clapping: :thumbup: :lol:

Here's a really complete article that should help: http://www.bombaydigital.com/boxster/proje...es/change_pads/

Hey Lyn ! Glad to see you got it done. Glad I could be of help.

Yep, if I had the cash, that's what I'd do (and may still if my engine ever goes).....3.4L in a Boxster. Best of both worlds - mid engine handling, Carerra HP. Add PSS9 and GT# bars, or ROW M030 kit and you've got a Killer sports car.......what Porsche would have made the Boxster if it weren't for the fact that it would totally kick the 911's *** then.

Exactly the same way, based on how you are describing the 2000. I have a 2003 and the grills attach by 3 clips and a screw up through the top edge.

I figured as much, but just thought it would be worth checking on. My '03 is barely broken in at 20k original miles. Thanks for the response guys.

Alpine makes 2 units that will fit the bill, as an alternative to the Naks, and cost a bit less. The more expensive Naks look more bone stock, but the Alpines look good as well, aren't "blingy", at least in my opinion, and the sound quality is great. Check out the Alpine CDA-9883 and 9885. The 9885 is better if you are feeding amp(s) as you are, and can swing it, because it has 4v outputs where the 9883 outputs are 2v (although 2v is fine.) It does make a difference. As to the CDR23 - if I remember correctly, the front speaker outs are used to feed the stock amp, which then applies internal low pass filtering to the door outs (the violets and greens) making them a sort of sub system, and also feeds the rear storage speakers if you have that option. However, the CDR23 does have both front and rear channel output pinouts located on the HU. B3,4,5 and 6 are the fronts and B1,2,7,and 8 are the rears. However, these are high level outputs and as such really are not the best way to feed an amp, although it can be done. Best way is to replace the HU with maybe a Nak or Alpine unit with the number of pre outs that you want (2 sets for dash/door, or three if you have the rear storage shelf speakers or other rears.)

I know this is probably nothing but...... Started my 986 for the first time in maybe a week the other day and heard a tapping coming from the left rear side near the airbox area. Sounded a lot like lifters tapping. It didn't seem to be clearing up right away, so I shut the car off, double checked the oil, and restarted it. No tapping on the restart at all. I did not hear this tapping again the rest of the weekend. What concerns me is that a) the oil was/is full, B) was just changed 5k miles ago, and c) the car had only sat for MAYBE 5 days since it was last run. Any comments or cautions? Just want to be sure it might not be an early warning of some sort......

CDR23 ?

5 MPH off seems to be common. I have seen MANY comments to that effect before. To be honest, between the 5mph cushion and the K40, I don't worry about it TOO much....

GUYS...be carefull. I just did a HU and amp install, and found the Bently diagrams to be incorrect in a lot of places. I would try to find a wiring diagram elswhere. The BN/BU wire is indeed the alarm wire. It grounds through the radio chassis. I believe if the radio is ripped out the ground loop is broken and the alarm is triggered.

While installing a new head unit and amp in my 2003 w/M490 this weekend, it became obvious to me that the wiring diagrams, for the sound system at least, in the Bentley manual are wrong. Can Loren or someone else confirm the following speaker wiring color codes to me ? FR (dash speaker) = Red/Red-Brn FL (dash speaker) = Yel/Yel-Brn Right Door Speaker = Grn/Grn-Brn Left Door Speaker = Violet/Violet-Brn ? If I remember correctly from when I changed my door speakers, BOTH sides were Grn/Grn-Brn. If that is correct, what is the Violet/Violet-Brn for ? Also, anyone know where I can get a set of accurate wiring diagrams ? If this one is incorrect, the others may be as well..... Thanks Andy

Part 2 coming very soon ! This weekend I will be replacing the head unit and amplifier. I will write that one up as well. I think I'll call it "Guide_to_Modifying_the_Boxster_Sound_System - Part_Deux" :P