maytag, you have some interesting comments. I think the main thing to remember is that this was always an intermittent noise, as stated before, UNTIL Thursday. We were both in the car then, and we started hearing the noise again, but as we rolled on, the sound changed. It became more...mechanical. It's really hard to describe noises--you have to hear them--but there was a bit of a metallic element that hadn't been appreciated before. Also, from a standing start, there was an additional creak/groan noise.
I've been in contact with my mechanic, who has given me the name of the flatbed company he uses. After talking with him, no way will I try to drive. The first 20 miles is 2-lane, totally rural, and the remaining interstate is busy, crowded, and not conducive to breakdowns.
As for my DIY question. Remember, we had this car up on a rack, and both spouse and the garage owner said it didn't appear to be CV joint related. You ask how someone can restore a 356 if you can't differentiate between CV joints and mudflaps. Again, remember that the sound was intermittent. When spouse and the garage owner went for a test drive, they couldn't reproduce it. When another friend went for a test drive--someone who owns 7 Porsches of various types and vintages--he came back saying it was "a really tight car." He didn't hear it. Something has since broken for good. Something changed. Perhaps there were 2 issues--after all, taping up the mud flap worked for a while until the tape came loose.
Ever look at a 356 engine? It's a whole lot simpler than a Boxster's. It wasn't hard to overhaul. All of the mechanical work, plus the interior and more was done right in our own garage about 17-18 years ago. We farmed out the paint and rust repair. I'm the first one to say 356s aren't glorified VWs, but the fact is they're a much more...fundamental...car than a Boxster or 911. Many a hippie has kept a Bug running with little more than bailing wire and hope, including some of my friends. He did restore the 356 (no need to use quote marks). I was there and I helped. We've owned that car for 51 years. He continues to do a lot of the work on our other cars, and the question is how far can he go on this one, and how much does he want to bother? Here's a photo of the 356, and the Boxster in question.
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