Today was a wonderful day because I'm finally part of the family. I'm officially driving a Porsche Boxster and I'm not a poser anymore. The box is street legal!! No more driving up and down my street. I took it for it's maiden voyage and it was mostly amazing. I think it feels a little down on power compared to the 996 ,but I still have some things to look into. Exhaust being the biggest. Otherwise it performed exactly how I expected. I do have some comments on things I've done to it and how they performed.
First off is the engine. This is how it should have came from the factory. It's a sports car and now it feels like one. The 3.4 has just enough power to bring it to the right level. It took a lot of money and time, but I think it was worth it. I am a little greedy and wish for more though. It still feels like the right mini van could give you a run for your money in the quarter.
The interior is not really that loud with all the insulation removed. It is however really hot. It feels like the heater is blowing on you from behind. I started off down the road with the windows down and no AC. After about five miles I put the top down and it was tolerable. I was running with the AC pump bypassed at first to lesson the amount of things that could give me trouble. I've worked out most of the bugs associated with how it runs so I'll be installing a complete accessory belt tomorrow. Another issue I'm having is my fans are not working at all and that might contribute to the heat. They were working at first but it seems like ever since I got the cluster temp working, the fans stopped working. Might be coincidence. I don't think my air pump is working either but the engine fan is. Some more stuff to look into. The box runs at about 185 and climbs to around 200 if I stop.
I'm so glad I removed the top mechanisms and built that latch so everything can be manual. It really only takes a few seconds to raise or lower the top. It may not be for everyone but it simplifies that whole contraption greatly.
I love the coilovers! Thanks Randall! They are very stiff and it feels like a go kart. They are definitely not for someone who wants a Cadillac ride. You won't like them if you live in a state with bad roads either. This part of Texas has great roads and the solidness they give are much appreciated. It's a bummer I don't have any roads close by that are curvy enough to put them through a test.
As stated earlier, the exhaust needs some work. I have the Chinese headers followed by secondary pipes from a 97-99, and then a Dansk sausage muffler. Those secondary pipes are tiny and I'm thinking about fabricating my own using the exhaust/cat from a 996. I'm hoping that will help with flow and sound. I'm not sure what to do about the muffler yet. It's only 3 lbs lighter and not that much louder than the factory muffler. It does sound good after 4000rpm though. I'm thinking I might cut it open and see about removing weight and restrictions. Besides working the bugs out, the exhaust is last on my list and then this thread will be done.
Almost forgot to add. I have come to love arena red and everyone seems to comment about the color. At some point I'll need to repaint the whole car because you can tell which parts I painted. It matches perfectly at some angles and light, but other angles there's a difference in color.
