Eunos Cosmo's Car Thread: Clarksonian urges

[Eunos_Cosmo]

A few months ago when I was simultaneously lusting after an NSX and an air-cooled 911 it dawned on me that there is a car that lives sort of between the two. The highly-overlooked first generation Porsche Boxster. I decided to go drive on on a whim. The first one I drove was absolutely, heart-breakingly wonderful. It's possibly the most-90s car I've ever been in, in the best way possible. I then drove (sort of) an S. While it was absolutely and considerably faster, it didn't have the same charm as the base car, and it also wasn't as clean. I like base model cars. I'm still not sure why.

So today I went back and bought the first one. It's not replacing my little Mazda as I still have use for that car and don't feel I've quite gotten my money's worth out of it. It will remain.

The Boxster is a 99 2.5 5 speed car. It has a frankly-astonishingly-low 44,000 miles on it. The sticker when new was $41,000. I paid a humorously small amount for it. It was vetted with a respected mechanic who deemed it mechanically sound. The interior and body are nearly perfect. I worried quite a bit about the IMS bearing issue and the sleeve issue. But for several reasons, I'm inclined to believe this motor is ok.

I will take more pictures soon and often. I'm planning a drive down to big sur early tomorrow morning. For now, here is a terrible garage photo.

I own a silver Porsche with a red interior.

 

[Dennisch]

Good choice. 👍

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Woke up at 5:45am this morning to drive my Porsche. It felt like a road trip in GTA V at full scale.

6:30 - Crossing the San Francisco Bay Bridge, just west of Yerba Buena Island. On the right side of the frame you can just make out the tip of the TransAmerica Pyramid rising over the bridge wall.

7:30 - Arrived in Half Moon Bay, a little too early for the diner I was planning on getting breakfast at. So I found a Coffee shop and read my book until it was 8. Got a window seat with a partial view of my 986.

10:30 - Blasted down PCH to Monterey and Carmel. Decided to take a break and call my gf to tell her to come now (she's 2,000 miles away) and enjoy the beach with me. This is just south of Pebble Beach and west of Laguna Seca Raceway for those who aren't familiar with the geography. The beaches here are...made of pebbles and the water is incredibly clear. Cruise America RV's should be banned and their owners/drivers made to wear dunce caps.

11:00 - The Northern California morning had been grey and a little cold (I left with a jacket) as usual but just as I was leaving the beach the clouds decided to go away. So of course...

~12:00 - South of Carmel highway 1 becomes a little bit more entertaining. It's not far off of coastal roads in Italy, but unfortunately packed full of other motorists and bicyclists, and still more Cruise America RV's! The implications of this sign are significant. Sorry rest-of-the-country, I don't think it gets better than this:

@Bixby Bridge

I decided the Bixby bridge was far enough so I turned around and head back. Went through Salinas to pick up a burger from In-N-Out and trundled my way up 101 in painfully heavy traffic. Finally I took my buddy for a spin through the Berkeley Hills before calling it a day. This map is not quite complete, but my trip meter configured well over 400 miles.

 

[GTP_Ingram]

Still a fantastic looking thing, the 986 Boxster. I'm not usually a fan of silver cars, but the big exception to the rule is when it's paired with a red leather interior

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Still a fantastic looking thing, the 986 Boxster. I'm not usually a fan of silver cars, but the big exception to the rule is when it's paired with a red leather interior

I feel exactly the same way. The color combo is exactly the same as the original 1993 show car, a show car I quite like.

I like the original concept so much that I'm gonna try to get a pair of Speedline 3.6 three-piece wheels and powdercoat them the same color.

 

[Heldenzeit]

I really like these and would love to own one. Just wish there were 986 Caymans though.

👍

 

[JrDarknes]

I don't think I've ever seen one of these with red interior in person. Only images.

I really like these and would love to own one. Just wish there were 986 Caymans though.

👍

Yea I wish they did to. My dad would receive the Porsche catalog for parts and stuff in the mail and I think I remember them having a hardtop that made the boxster look like a Cayman. I don't remember it looking to great though.

 

[homeforsummer]

Cruise America RV's should be banned and their owners/drivers made to wear dunce caps.

I was thinking of renting one next time I go out there. Think it's inexperience with RV driving rather than the drivers themselves. Can't argue with the cost of them though...

Sorry rest-of-the-country, I don't think it gets better than this

I reckon some of the roads further inland are even better, even if they don't quite have the PCH scenery. Fewer Cruise America RVs though...

 

[Heldenzeit]

Yea I wish they did to. My dad would receive the Porsche catalog for parts and stuff in the mail and I think I remember them having a hardtop that made the boxster look like a Cayman. I don't remember it looking to great though.

The Zeintop!

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

I was thinking of renting one next time I go out there. Think it's inexperience with RV driving rather than the drivers themselves. Can't argue with the cost of them though...

I reckon some of the roads further inland are even better, even if they don't quite have the PCH scenery. Fewer Cruise America RVs though...

Oh for sure. I meant generally California. I've got a few 'secret' roads that essentially go nowhere (which means zero traffic and bicyclists.) However, my first drive just had to be PCH.

 

[SPhilli911]

Very nice, I love the color of the interior on the silver car, reminds me of a scale model I used to have. If you are worried about the IMS bearing, why not do some preventative maintenance and replace it? There must be some Porsche shop out there that will do it (my friend did it on his '97 Boxster a few years back at a nearby, highly reputable Porsche shop for $1600), and it's probably worth the peace of mind that it won't go wrong on you, especially because with the 1999 Boxster, the job isn't as invasive.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

I'm not worried about it to be honest. I might change it to the ceramic type when I change the clutch, but not until then.

 

[Crash]

Thanks for the little drive report! That's a stunning drive there with lovely roads, glad to see you being able to enjoy the PCH with the Porsche.

 

[SPhilli911]

I'm not worried about it to be honest. I might change it to the ceramic type when I change the clutch, but not until then.

Fair enough. Just make sure go out and drive the car regularly and hard! Don't baby it, keep the revs up. Contrary to what you might think, that is better for the IMS bearing. Have fun!

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

For a few miles I was chasing a 997 GT3 down PCH as the sun was rising and before the traffic got thick. I remember thinking to myself, "is this real life?"

 

[TB]

I remember thinking to myself, "is this real life?"

At least you weren't

*puts on sunglasses*

Caught in a landslide.

YEEAAAAHHHH!

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

First grocery run (completely unnecessary as my Mazda2 is much better suited for tasks like this, but I just had to)

A guy in the parking lot looked at me incredulously as I was loading the bags, "You're trunk is the front?"


This was almost, but not quite as good as the time I walked into Autozone to buy spark plugs for my RX-7 and the salesguy asked as he looked at his computer, "Is your engine a 1.3 liter.....uh........zero.....cylinder?"

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

I'm thinking I'd like to do a few mods. I'd like it slightly lower (maybe euro-spec suspension would suffice) and I'd like a wheel/tire setup somewhere between factory and the original concept car. I also want to do headers and a catback, but that might cause smog issues....but i have 2 years until I need to smog again...

I'm kinda liking these wheels

I like that they are essentially a 3-piece version of the factory wheels. I'd love to paint the centers either grey or a subtle bronze as the '93 show car. Those wheels with a subtle ride height reduction and I think the car would look stunning.

Here is the '93 concept car for reference:

 

[Heldenzeit]

Anything after-cat won't affect smog, so maybe just do that. Header would help, but I can't imagine you would want to change it out every two years.

Or just pay someone off haha....

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

This one was pretty brutal. Mt Hamilton rises nearly a mile above San Jose. Fantastic drive though. Had a run-in with a skilled rider on a Triumph Speed Triple. Tried to keep up, but he was gone.

I stopped in Arroyo Mocha Canyon for some photos:

I need to take some proper photos with my DSLR sometime soon.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

I'm wanting to do a few subtle mods to the car. Essentially headers, catback, euro-spec suspension, and wheels/tires.

On that last front, I've been looking around at what the community at large has selected for Boxsters. The best (to me) I've seen is the Speedline 3.6-type wheels (as above) with a beefy sidewall. I really dislike tall wheels and skinny sidewalls. So I'd like to stick with 17" wheels. Importantly, I'd like to keep the look as late 90s as possible. I think it's because I was 10 when this car came out, but I really love that period of car design. Unfortunately, I'm having hard time finding wheels from that period. Any suggestions? For as expansive as the industry is, it's nearly impossible to find information about superseded or otherwise discontinued wheels or find old catalogs.

I really love the OZ Futura wheel as on this 964 (that stance is almost perfect IMO, just needs a 1/4-1/2" less ride height)

I'm worried that Futura's are a little late 80s early 90s though. Not quite contemporary with the Boxster and I think it would be a little too 'retro' (putting them on a newer Porsche like this is definitely retro:

The 5 spoke RUF wheels are quite nice, but a little too tall for my liking:

To be sure, I'm looking for wheels with some apparent mass to them as I think they contrast with the delicate form of the Boxster quite well. This rules out most BBS-type mesh wheels. The RF design is quite nice, but again, it has the same anachronistic issue as the Futuras.

The Speedline 3.6 is the leading candidate so far, but I would like to see some other suggestions.

Yes I am being quite ridiculous.

 

[Heldenzeit]

Speedlines for sure. Futuras are cool, but don't fit the car IMO. Love the RUF wheels, but not as much as the Speedlines.

Found this on a search:

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Berkeley Hills meet

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

In other news, I think I found the wheels I want. The only problem is that they are no longer made. They are the ETA Beta wheel.

It appears they still have some wheel centers in stock on their website. Anyone know how to go about building a set of custom wheels from centers only? The centers seem very reasonably priced at ~$300. How much would the barrels be?

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

More driving...this time up north to Sausalito, Stinson Beach & the Panoramic Highway.

Headed out around 2pm and made it for Coffee and Lunch @ Sausalito around 3. You can see angel island prominently here...

...and downtown San Francisco the other direction...

...better view without a Porsche obstructing...

Then I went over to the Marina and, shockingly, there were no signs or instructions otherwise prohibiting me from going out on the docks (unlike Oakland or SF, for instance) so I went to check out the boats in their berths...

Afterwards I trudged up the 1 stuck behind a city bus (ughhh) until I got to my next destination, the rather wonderful Stinson beach. Found a friend in the parking lot...

I arrived just in time for the sun to start setting:

Leaving, I decided to skip the 1 and take the Panoramic highway...and I was in for a sensational view as expected...

On the way across the mountain I ran into a rather enthusiastic Honda Fit driver. I wasn't exactly pushing my car, but I wasn't having to slow down for him either. It was a great drive

 

[homeforsummer]

This thread, and watching a video yesterday on the Porsche Challenge PS1 game, is making me want an early Boxster in exactly that colour combo. Not sure it'd have quite the same appeal in dreary UK weather as it does on the PCH though...

 

[Heldenzeit]

For barrels, check out Wheelflip, or I think there's another company in NorCal that rebuilds wheels too.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

I think I decided on the wheels I want. I've always quite liked the Cayman S (987) wheels but never much liked the looks of the Cayman. I decided to see what they might look like on my car, so I photoshopped them on. They would be 1" taller than my 17s. I really love the thick spokes on the Cayman S wheels that recall the old RSR type wheels without being too literal. I love dark wheels on Porsche's as they look so purposeful, but I think black makes them practically invisible. I'd like to a dark satin bronze (yeah yeah, like RWB)

Here is the before:

and after:

The photo is a bit weird and it forces the front wheel to look a little detached, but it was a quick photshop to get the point across! This is imagining the car dropped 3/4"-1" in the front and maybe 1/4-1/2" in the rear with ~50 sidewall profile on the rear. Something with some girth to it. I threw the Mobile 1 horse on there for fun. I kinda dig it though. If I do white letter tires, I'll have to do headers and a barely-there catback to match....

Overall I quite like it and I like the idea of the Cayman wheels as they are unparalleled quality (Porsche engineering!) for considerably less money than quality aftermarket wheels, and I know they will fit!

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Close to pulling the trigger on a Top Speed catback. With bypass pipes (but on the stock manifolds mind you) it sounds like this:



Honestly not far off a GT3 to my ear. As I live in California, I'm not gonna attempt a bypass pipe. However, my car doesn't have cats integrated into the manifolds, so I *might* be able to get away with a set of headers provided they don't look to carefully and fail me on visual. Next smog inspection is two years away anyways...

Kreissieg sounds a bit better, but it costs literally 20x more money...



I think with a good set of headers, the Top Speed could sound nearly as good as the Kreissieg.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

UPDATE!!

Having sold my Mazda2, my Boxster is now my only vehicle! Great timing as premium gas approaches $4/g in California....

My check engine light has been on and the code readout showed both banks running lean. I figured this was either the MAF or a vacuum leak. After having my mechanic do a vacuum leak check and replace the oil fill tube (had a crack in it) the CEL still remained on. So I decided to investigate the MAF myself.

This is the first time I've gone "under the hood" on my Boxster, mostly because it's a pain in the ass. It's a 10-15 minute process just to get to the engine. Once exposed, access isn't too bad.

I took the MAF out and gave it a good blast of MAF cleaner and then reinstalled it. The car barely ran at first which spooked me. I disconnected the MAF, re-tightened the bolts, and gave it another go. Ran well.

I've been driving it for 2 days since then, and I have to say it's a revelation. I assume the MAF has been dirty since before I've owned the car because it's always had an off-idle sluggishness and lack of throttle response below 1500rpm. It always felt like the clutch and throttle were toggle switches that if you didn't get the timing *just* perfect, the car would jerk around and the engine would bog. I always thought it was a problematic clutch to be dealt with later.

The car is soooo much better to drive! Off-idle torque and response is massively improved and the judders I used to think was clutch related are gone. The car just engages and moves out smoothly....just as easily as my Mazda did. Fuel mileage is up, water & exhaust gas temps are down, the car is running more smoothly throughout the revband, and it's just so much more tractable.

Looking at Porsche part & labor prices, I would have spent likely around $750 on a new MAF from Porsche and at least $400 for install. Probably at least $700 total with my indie mechanic. I was able to fix mine in the parking lot of an O'rielly's for less than $25!

In general, I feel much closer to the car now that I've wrenched on it a little. Add to the fact that fixing it makes it a delight to drive (always was on a back road, never was in the city) and I'm excited about this car all over again.

Bonus pic with a deer at my apartment.