Boxster Newbie

Â½cwt · 23 Nov 2019

I did miss out the word 'style' and GT2 was a typo, should have been GT3, it is Saturday evening... :? Rims sizes are:

Front 18 X 8 ET50
Rear 18 X 10 ET47

As for tyres I'll fit then and if anything feels funny I'll swap back until I can afford correct rubber in a summer pattern. I have looked into the cost of a better size for the rear but not sure if I want to commit money to winter tyres I'd then be having to run on the intended summer wheels for 2 or 3 years. The rolling radius on the current rears is about +10% so it will feel more sluggish and I know the speedo will be out (GPS digital speedo to cross check), but the winter tyres weren't the aim of the purchase, possibly just a side benefit.

Pics to follow once fitted, hopefully tomorrow if the rain holds off.

Â½cwt · 24 Nov 2019

OK, no pics I'm afraid. The winter tyre sizes fitted are fractionally too big for a 986 as they rub the spring platforms, so without going for spacers and longer bolts which will use up tyre budget they are now nicely packed up in the shed waiting for summer tyres to be fitted once I've run down the rubber on the standard 17" rims.

A little disappointed as they will look fantastic, but not entirely surprised and avoids ditch finding potential.

Â½cwt · 1 May 2020

Bit of a break since my last post, however I've been enjoying the car up 'til lockdown anyway. So I set about planning to paint/refurb the calipers to make them nice and shiny and red again as a lot of the lacquer has peel off. As I took the front wheels off I discovered front right spring had broken at about 125mm from the end of the bottom of the coil. Not an unusual failure, had it on a couple of other cars. On closer inspection the bump stops were in pretty poor condition too and the rubber was split on a track rod end. So the job in hand changed. New original blue/yellow springs, new bump stops (after market), new ARB bushes (Meyle), new track rod (TRW), new top mounts (ZF Sachs), the last were clearly the same as Porsche, Sachs are the original supplier, but with the numbers ground off prior to final metal surface treatment and £50 the pair not £140 each!!!
A bit of a struggle getting top nuts off the shock, had to buy a new more powerful impact wrench too. The strut top bearings were stripped, inspected (no discernable wear) and re-greased. Couldn't get one drop link out of the upright casting but as it is sound it stayed in place. A pleasant surprise was that after slackening the inboard bolt on the coffin arm the whole strut comes clear of the wheel arch allowing the top of the strut to be dismantled on the car without having to crack the bottom ball joint.
Lots of cleaning to ducts to front rad and the rads themselves. Just need a track up and lockdown to lift before enjoying it again!
Oh, and the calipers? They will get painted another time.

Â½cwt · 9 Nov 2020

Again a bit of a break, however after the front suspension work I fitted the 911 GT3 lookalike wheels I acquired a few months ago where seized camber bolts were found in the geo check... We managed a trip to the Loire Valley (and an obligatory lap of the Le Mans circuit) in the 6 week window when it was possible to take a proper holiday, however on return it was time for a service and MOT. Not good news, service found a leaking rear damper and recommended that coffin arms were changed and there was play in a front tuning fork. Gave it a clean up and went for MOT. Passed but with advisories on all coffin arm bushes...
Time to bit bullet. So armed with 4 new coffin arms, front tuning forks and and toe links for Spyder Performance, 4 Koni Special Active dampers, 4 new drop links, rear bump stops and 4 new camber bolts over 4 weekends (rain didn't help as I work outside) all the suspension was changed except rear tuning forks and rear top mounts. I did find a front tuning fork not only with 'play' but a bend! I needed to buy a reciprocating saw to cut out the camber bolts, and a magnetic induction heater to get the drop links out of the uprights (thoroughly recommended, makes it easier but still a task) but by chipping away at it it was all back together last night for a quick test drive. No more rattles, squeaks and knocks (i thought some were scuttle or roof related) and a SMOOOOOTH ride on the Konis. Just needs a full geo and it should be something like Porsche actually intended when they built it.
Not a cheap exercise but with careful research before buying, the right mix of quality aftermarket parts and some new power tools the bill for front and rear (bear in mind no labour) was around £1700. Not cheap but Porsche OE parts from my OPC for the rear only was about £3200 incl discount, but the job is DIY-able if you have a flat area to work on.

berni29 · 9 Nov 2020

Hello!

Excellent work. I bet you are pleased that is all over. A mix of pleasure and pain working on a 986 Boxster.

All the best

Berni

Â½cwt · 13 Nov 2020

Got the geometry done. Runs straight and smooth on all surfaces, follows road camber a bit but that's to be expected. All rattle, creak and squeak free.
A lot of work and not cheap even if you do it yourself I've sent around £1500 and done all the work at home) but I can thoroughly recommend a suspension refresh on any 986 (an probably 987) still on its original suspension. As someone pointed out on another forum if you drive several of the same age that are on the original parts, you never know what the suspension was really like when it was new.

Â½cwt · 2 May 2021

Passed a milestone today, now have a 100,000 mile 3.2 Boxster.

The return of Marty Wild · 3 May 2021

Must say I love a good 986 these days. Seem to be en vogue at the moment too. Market picking up to (possibly) but could be the Covid release effect.

Just had Koni Sport and Eibach hollow adjustable ARBs put on by CG, difference is night and day.

Been toying with the idea of ripping the AC out. But reading about your drives around France make me question that.

The return of Marty Wild · 3 May 2021

P.s. my god that tuning fork looks none too clever!

Â½cwt · 3 May 2021

Was slightly scary to find that tuning fork! The indy I use for servicing had said it was knocking but not that it was bent! However it was the starting point along with their comment on the rubbers in the coffin arms and a weep on the left rear shock (cleaned it up to get it through MOT a couple of days later so not too bad) to do the full suspension refresh.

It has transformed the car and I recommend it to anyone with a 986 as all the rubber bits will be tired and more importantly aged even if only half my mileage.

The return of Marty Wild · 3 May 2021

CG certainly has brought my one back to life. They're just at that age now where they need a little love.

Â½cwt · 3 May 2021

Gave mine some cosmetic 'love' too, respray of front bumper, grilles refinished in correct titanium colour for an S, black mesh behind the grilles and new number plates along with free surrounds from Porsche! And also a new vinyl screen for the hood.

Before:

After

Â½cwt · 3 May 2021

So I'll try those links again:

Not working for some reason :?

The return of Marty Wild · 3 May 2021

Definitely up for seeing some pics! You say the lower front bumper grills in silver are called 'Titanium'?

I want to make silver my secondary colour to match with the front grills and amberectomy.

Â½cwt · 3 May 2021

The front grilles in an S, along with a strip in the windscreen surround should be Titanium 9A4 colour ref. Porsche however do not list this as a paint colour. I managed to find I think it was paints4u online who have a match for it.

https://i.imgur.com/fyOevBW.jpg?1

Damned links still not working. Just copy and paste the URL into your browser.

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