bought from a little old lady

[RandallNeighbour]

I gotta agree with LB about the 19's concerning ride quality and tire cost. 18's look great and give you LOTS more choice in tires at lower prices and keep the ride better.

Plus, Carrera 19's have an offset that require really large spacers... which translates into accentuated vibrations when your wheels are out of balance and they just might prematurely wear out your wheel bearings.

Welcome to our never-ending world of boxster mods, repairs, and maintenance!

[lowmiler]

I've flushed and replaced brake fluid before but not on a car with abs. Will that be a factor?

What about these wheels? They are the kind I am looking at.

new boxster owner from Manila

[Lil bastard]

Originally Posted by lowmiler

I've flushed and replaced brake fluid before but not on a car with abs. Will that be a factor?

What about these wheels? They are the kind I am looking at.

new boxster owner from Manila

ABS will not be a factor at all. The Boxster does have multiple chambers/bleeder valves in the calipers. Bleed inside valve first, outside last. You may get an ABS light on initial startup, but if properly bled, this will go out once the system pressurizes.

Obviously start with P-side rear and work you way to D-side front.

Definitely recommend power bleeder though. The pump-the-pedal method is a sure way to blow the master cylinder on an 11 y.o. car. Also, since the clutch and brakes share the same fluid reservoir, be sure to bleed the clutch slave cylinder too so you don't contaminate the new fluid.

As far as new wheels, what's on it now? Wheels/tires are a spendy pkg. and my recommendation would be to wait until you're sure the car is well sorted before blowing that $$ on nonessential stuff. No point in being the best looking car stuck in the driveway.

Cheers!

Cheers!

[lowmiler]

Originally Posted by Lil bastard

ABS will not be a factor at all. The Boxster does have multiple chambers/bleeder valves in the calipers. Bleed inside valve first, outside last. You may get an ABS light on initial startup, but if properly bled, this will go out once the system pressurizes.

Obviously start with P-side rear and work you way to D-side front.

Definitely recommend power bleeder though. The pump-the-pedal method is a sure way to blow the master cylinder on an 11 y.o. car. Also, since the clutch and brakes share the same fluid reservoir, be sure to bleed the clutch slave cylinder too so you don't contaminate the new fluid.

As far as new wheels, what's on it now? Wheels/tires are a spendy pkg. and my recommendation would be to wait until you're sure the car is well sorted before blowing that $$ on nonessential stuff. No point in being the best looking car stuck in the driveway.

Cheers!

Cheers!

Thanks for the info. I will get the power bleeder for sure. Right now it has the chrome 17" factory wheels. They look great. $600 for the other ones seems like a good deal, buy I will wait though and take care of the important stuff first.

[gschotland]

Definitely invest $62.97 (incl. shipping) in a Bentley shop manual. It'll pay for itself on your first project. Best money you'll ever spend on your Box.

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?app=spoffers&do=amazon

[super66]

Originally Posted by lowmiler

I've flushed and replaced brake fluid before but not on a car with abs. Will that be a factor?

What about these wheels? They are the kind I am looking at.

new boxster owner from Manila

I don't like those rims at all but thats just me....your car would look great with 19's....like mine.....

I will say my winter wheels are 18's and I originally had 18's for the summer...the ride isn't very different to me at all....I love the 19's...but there is obvious truth that they are more to replace...

[husker boxster]

I like the lobster claws. I currently have my snows on (Cayman 18s), but my original wheels are 19s. If you like the lobster claws, go with them. Just be sure the offsets are correct before you buy them (search on offset for more info).

Here's my car with the lobster's on:

[CaptainObvious]

I drove a car with 18" lobster forks and 19" lobster forks. I prefer the feedback from the 19s when cornering.

[jcb986]

Yeah, my back window cracked after a week of freezing weather here in Florida. Like you, my top is in near perfect condition. I priced a auto top shop and he has done 4 Boxster tops recently with bad back windows...$450. Porsche wanted $1600 for the same job.

[vipola]

Originally Posted by CaptainObvious

I drove a car with 18" lobster forks and 19" lobster forks. I prefer the feedback from the 19s when cornering.

There is 18inch lobseter for the boxster?!?!? I tought it was only offered in 19..

[CaptainObvious]

Originally Posted by vipola

There is 18inch lobseter for the boxster?!?!? I tought it was only offered in 19..

Yeah. A guy at my office has the 18" lobster forks on his Boxster S.

[lowmiler]

Originally Posted by husker boxster

I like the lobster claws. I currently have my snows on (Cayman 18s), but my original wheels are 19s. If you like the lobster claws, go with them. Just be sure the offsets are correct before you buy them (search on offset for more info).

Here's my car with the lobster's on:

So I researched offset for the Carrera lobster claws. Found a car on this site with them. et57 for the front and et46 for the back. Wheel size is 19x8 front and 19x9.5 back. Are the ones that came factory for the boxster different? BTW, I love your car! Did you paint the wheels black or did the come that way?

[Mark_T]

Congrats on your great deal! Here's a couple of differing opinions for you (the great thing about forums!):

Firstly, the brake fluid. The reason for changing brake fluid is that it is a hygroscopic fluid (absorbs water over time) and this will of course affect the efficiency of the brakes. (so far we probably all agree). BUT, as the fluid absorbs water it gets darker in color, so if your fluid is still completely clear then you don't need to flush it, regardless of how long it may have been in there. (the part we likely don't all agree on, but I think changing things that are still good just because the service manual says so is a crock) If the fluid is starting to darken then, by all means, change it.

Secondly, the top. I just don't get why everyone is so hot to get the glass window "upgrade". It is smaller than the plastic window (less rear visiblilty), more expensive, and I really, really hate the orange defroster lines. I don't think that just replacing the window is a good idea - looks like crap no matter how well it is done. Replace the whole top with a good quality one. If you do have your heart set on the glass window you can buy a glass window top upgrade that will fit your existing frame.

I got my replacement top (plastic window) for my '99 from Prestige out of England for about 2/3 the price of GAHH and I am very happy with the fit and quality. Prestige is one of the few that can "weld" in the plastic window, unlike many aftermarket suppliers who just stich it in. You can do the replacement yourself if you are careful and slightly mechanicall inclined.

Good luck with your project!

Mark

[Lil bastard]

Originally Posted by Mark_T

...BUT, as the fluid absorbs water it gets darker in color, so if your fluid is still completely clear then you don't need to flush it, regardless of how long it may have been in there. (the part we likely don't all agree on, but I think changing things that are still good just because the service manual says so is a crock) If the fluid is starting to darken then, by all means, change it.

Secondly, the top. I just don't get why everyone is so hot to get the glass window "upgrade". It is smaller than the plastic window (less rear visiblilty), more expensive, and I really, really hate the orange defroster lines. I don't think that just replacing the window is a good idea - looks like crap no matter how well it is done. Replace the whole top with a good quality one. If you do have your heart set on the glass window you can buy a glass window top upgrade that will fit your existing frame...Good luck with your project!

Mark

Well, we agree and disagree.

You absolutely CANNOT determine the moisture content in brake fluid by simply looking at it.

The ONLY way to accurately check it visually is with a refractometer.

An SAE study of 5000 3-yr. old cars found an avg. brake fluid moisture content of 8%. At 10% moisture content, you may as well be running pure water through the system. So changing the fluid every two years is not only prudent, but proven to be necessary.

Brake fluid is indeed hygroscopic and this means that not only will it hold moisture, but it will actually absorb moisture from the air. All brake hydraulic systems are 'open' in that they have a vent (usually in the cap) to prevent a vacuum from being created and every brake application causes this vent to pull in outside air. Not only is this a safety issue with potential fluid boil causing inefficient braking, but the moisture trapped by the fluid will lead to corrosion of the hard lines and brake internals.

I totally agree with you on the aftermarket glass window tops and would add that these also prevent you from putting the top into the 'Service' position making filter and fluid replacement difficult to impossible.

Cheers!

[lowmiler]

Originally Posted by Mark_T

Congrats on your great deal! Here's a couple of differing opinions for you (the great thing about forums!):

Firstly, the brake fluid. The reason for changing brake fluid is that it is a hygroscopic fluid (absorbs water over time) and this will of course affect the efficiency of the brakes. (so far we probably all agree). BUT, as the fluid absorbs water it gets darker in color, so if your fluid is still completely clear then you don't need to flush it, regardless of how long it may have been in there. (the part we likely don't all agree on, but I think changing things that are still good just because the service manual says so is a crock) If the fluid is starting to darken then, by all means, change it.

Secondly, the top. I just don't get why everyone is so hot to get the glass window "upgrade". It is smaller than the plastic window (less rear visiblilty), more expensive, and I really, really hate the orange defroster lines. I don't think that just replacing the window is a good idea - looks like crap no matter how well it is done. Replace the whole top with a good quality one. If you do have your heart set on the glass window you can buy a glass window top upgrade that will fit your existing frame.

I got my replacement top (plastic window) for my '99 from Prestige out of England for about 2/3 the price of GAHH and I am very happy with the fit and quality. Prestige is one of the few that can "weld" in the plastic window, unlike many aftermarket suppliers who just stich it in. You can do the replacement yourself if you are careful and slightly mechanicall inclined.

Good luck with your project!

Mark

Mark
Thanks so much for the input. The boxster community is great. I will check out the color of the brake fluid and make a decision to flush or not. I really don't think it is going to be that bad. I have known the woman I bought the car from for over five years. It sounds cliche but the only thing she ever really used the car for was to go to church on sundays and a few trips up north. The rest of the time it was in her garage. Thats really the reason I bought the car. I wasn't looking for a boxster but now that I have one I love it! I'm not sure what I will do about the back window yet. The weather is nice in Phoenix so most of my driving will be with the top down anyway.

[husker boxster]

Originally Posted by lowmiler

So I researched offset for the Carrera lobster claws. Found a car on this site with them. et57 for the front and et46 for the back. Wheel size is 19x8 front and 19x9.5 back. Are the ones that came factory for the boxster different? BTW, I love your car! Did you paint the wheels black or did the come that way?

The numbers you quote are correct for a 987. I'm not an authority on whether they will work on a 986 (19s were never a factory option on a 986). Others will need to chime in. The thing you have to watch are offsets listed for rear wheels. 997 / 996 rear wheel offsets are generally et65. Wheel stores say these wheels will fit a Box, which is correct if you want to slap a big spacer on. But it sounds like you're looking at a set of wheels that are designed for a Box. Offset determines how far in and out a wheel sits on the hub. You want to be sure there's enough room to miss suspension pieces, e-brake cables, and fender wells. Buy a set of wheels with the wrong offset and you've made an expensive mistake.

I previously had an 01S and bought a set of 18" Carrera S wheels from Wheel Dynamics. I see they currently don't offer them in 18", so maybe they're no longer available.

Thx for the compliment. Limited Editions came with the wheels in black from the factory. I'm generally not a fan of black wheels but think they work well in this situation.