Ger's 2003 Porsche Boxster S

[geraintthomas]

The typeface on the Torque app is totally custom, just include your own font file

But yeah it's great, it's essentially an android tablet with a CD player and a car interface app permanently running on it. Stunning!

[Nine8Six]

Originally Posted by geraintthomas

The typeface on the Torque app is totally custom, just include your own font file

Can you hook me up with the exact same typeface, gauges and colors? If so then I'm jumping into your fanclub man

This.:

[geraintthomas]

I'll just send you my config so you'd have the same layout and everything

Let me fit the bezel first and I'll let you know the good and bad points, THEN you can decide

Unless you want the Torque files anyway to use on your phone?

[Nine8Six]

Originally Posted by geraintthomas

I'll just send you my config so you'd have the same layout and everything

Let me fit the bezel first and I'll let you know the good and bad points, THEN you can decide

Unless you want the Torque files anyway to use on your phone?

As odd as this may sound, I want the exact same everything that you have in that unit. Really like it just the way you did it and I don't think I'll do better anyway.

So.. yes, please. Let me get in gear and I'll take your offer. Please post when you are done and I'll shoot right after.

Thanks man, appreciate that

[geraintthomas]

Awesome

The only thing I'm having trouble with is securing the double din in the hole. Weirdly it slides in perfectly and stays in a nice position, but if I was so inclined I could just pull it out. I wouldn't mind it being a bit more permanent than that, so I need to investigate.

[geraintthomas]

As promised, more photos.

I've decided to remove all of the alcantara in the car. It faded blue and the edges started to curl, so I've removed it all. The only parts I need to re-buy are the a-pillars, so I'll pick some up off ebay soon.

Looks better though:



And so does the radio with the new fascia!



It's a gorgeous fit, and looks a lot nicer without the alcantara too. There's a gap at the bottom but it's not obvious at all.



The cage had to be screwed inside, and the radio was quite hard to get inside. It's such a bodgey job behind the radio with the wiring and the fitment, but it's sturdy and works a charm. I'll have no need to remove it anytime soon.

All in all it's cost me £270. £190 for the radio, £30 for the climate control relocation fascia, £30 for the double din cage fitting kit, £10 for the Xtrons bezel and £10 for the radio adapter. Like I've said, none of it was a simple plug and play.****

A little bit about what was done:

Installation:

- Purchased the Xtrons radio and above fitting kits
- Removed radio surround
- Dremeled the surround inner area to allow the double din radio to fit
- Screwed the double din cage into the sides of the radio surround
- Connected the 12v wire from the new radio loom to the 12v wire in the black connector on the original radio loom using thin spade connectors
- Connected a ground wire from the new radio loom to the ground wire in the black connector on the original radio loom using thin spade connectors
- Fed a 12v accessories switched feed from fuse E1 to the radio's switched 12v feed as the original loom doesn't have one (the CDR23 never needed one)
- Connected the front left positive & negative, and the front right positive & negative speaker wires from the new radio****loom to the correct wires in the brown connector on the original radio loom using spade connectors.
- Fed a wire from the grey/blue wire in the instrument cluster to the new radio loom's illumination wire, so the radio recognises the lights
- Screwed in the attachment plates to the side of the radio
- Connected the external GPS at the****back
- Slid the radio into place
- Attached the bezel
- TO DO: Buy an adapter for the radio wire

Setup:

- Designed and applied custom boot logo
- Designed and applied custom wallpaper to show Porsche logo in the upper left
- Installed Google Maps
- Installed Spotify
- Installed SoundCloud
- Installed Gmail
- Installed Torque
- Downloaded 'Icon Changer Free' to replace and rename the Torque app with a Porsche icon
- Enabled Torque to start straight into the dashboards when the app is launched, bypassing the Torque home page
- Customised the dashboards to show relevant information, and customised the look and feel to a more Porsche branded look (including a logo)
- Auto connects to phone's mobile WiFi hotspot

Tadaaaah! It's taken a while, but by god it looks good.

[Jgkram]

I think going back to the original interior looks much better and is more in keeping with your "style". However, how in the heck did you get the parts that clean again or are they all repurchased? Damn, I do love looking at your paint!

[geraintthomas]

Originally Posted by Jgkram

I think going back to the original interior looks much better and is more in keeping with your "style". However, how in the heck did you get the parts that clean again or are they all repurchased? Damn, I do love looking at your paint!

Hair dryer to soften the solvent and a solution called 'sticky stuff remover'. That's genuinely what it's called. Came up like new apart from the a-pillars as I've used stronger glue, so replacements are on the way.

[WillokBoy]

Okay, so the forum blocked my other account for having posted a link to a great tutorial about how to maintain your 986 yourself, sad...
So, I'm (was) BenWillok and I have to say Thanks a LOT for your feedback! I'll get my hands dirty right after work today and start changing and checking on those oils and filters
Yeah I found the added "S" sign looking idiotic too and I can't wait to remove it but then I'll need to think of the paint first, since the entire existing paint is a mess, they painted cheap black on top of original silver...
So I'm still hesitating between putting a nice brown colour like this (I know it's not the 986):



Or grey (I know it's not the 986 either but still looks amazing!):



Or blue:



Your opinion guys? :-)

[geraintthomas]

Originally Posted by WillokBoy

Okay, so the forum blocked my other account for having posted a link to a great tutorial about how to maintain your 986 yourself, sad...
So, I'm (was) BenWillok and I have to say Thanks a LOT for your feedback! I'll get my hands dirty right after work today and start changing and checking on those oils and filters
Yeah I found the added "S" sign looking idiotic too and I can't wait to remove it but then I'll need to think of the paint first, since the entire existing paint is a mess, they painted cheap black on top of original silver...
So I'm still hesitating between putting a nice brown colour like this (I know it's not the 986):



Or grey (I know it's not the 986 either but still looks amazing!):



Or blue:



Your opinion guys? :-)

You're going to paint it?!

Wow. If you're willing to spend that much money on it, be absolutely sure the car is mechanically perfect. You don't want to go spending thousands of dollars on something that could potentially break! But if you do, go for the grey

The colour it is now looks fine, give it a machine polish and it'll be gorgeous. You could then spend the money on something like the Aerokit for it, really make it look gorgeous.

Anyhoo. Slight problem for the MOT that's in two months, but it could be okay.

After installing my projectors, you'll notice that my sidelight bulbs have been completely obscured by the lens:



That's why I've installed the DRL's, so they act as sidelights. Unfortunately, I've found out that DRL's cannot be used as sidelights, so this setup would fail an MOT.

Luckily, due to the bizarre setup of the 996 and 986 headlight, the foglights are part of the main headlamp cluster as you know. The plan is to put much dimmer H7 bulbs (warm white LED for example) to match the brightness of a 501 W5W sidelight bulb, then wire those up to the sidelight loom.

The DRL's won't fail the MOT as they're not a testable item, but having no sidelights will. Front foglights also won't fail as they're not testable either, so this will completely solve the problem. I've just called the garage to confirm and they said as long as it's the same on both sides then they'll pass for a sidelight. Awesome.

I don't think I'd want those two lights to light up as sidelights all the time, but for the MOT it'll be fine. When I come to sell the car in the future, I'll just wire the DRL's as the front foglights and the original foglights as sidelights with smaller bulbs, like previously mentioned. Then all lighting will be covered and the new owner will be able to ignore everything and carry on as normal.

So yeah, didn't see that one coming! Should be fine though.

[RichRobby]

Ger

That's a shame about the sidelights as I've done just the same however I took my DRL feed from the fuse box and the sidelights still work, albeit very dim. I see on ebay that you can get 15 watt and even massive 50 watt T10 fitment bulbs so maybe that will solve the problem?

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[geraintthomas]

Originally Posted by RichRobby

Ger

That's a shame about the sidelights as I've done just the same however I took my DRL feed from the fuse box and the sidelights still work, albeit very dim. I see on ebay that you can get 15 watt and even massive 50 watt T10 fitment bulbs so maybe that will solve the problem?

Sent from my ONE A2003 using Tapatalk

It's alright, my suggestion will be fine essentially plugging the sidelight plug onto the fog light bulbs instead, job done.

Some more photos, just for the hell of it!

Off:


Boot:


On:






I think that looks bloody fantastic. Like I've said before I've tried to customise it so it doesn't look aftermarket, and due to the fact that there's not a single brand logo in sight, and as the hardware lights are the same colour, it feels completely standard

[grc0456]

Ger, you've created the dream 986. Tip of the hat to you!


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[geraintthomas]

Originally Posted by grc0456

Ger, you've created the dream 986. Tip of the hat to you!


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Still a long way to go yet

The following are going to be added this year:

- Original cruise control & on board computer
- GT3 front bumper & skirts
- Lowered and spacers on alloys
- Upgrading dash speakers, and adding door & rear headrest speakers
- Dash spoiler button
- Front parking sensors with dash button
- 997 Shifter
- Heated seats
- Maroon mohair roof

Then it'll be the dream 986

[grc0456]

Haha, so keep on dreaming. I'm doing the OBC fourth stalk enable this weekend.


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[geraintthomas]

Originally Posted by grc0456

Haha, so keep on dreaming. I'm doing the OBC fourth stalk enable this weekend.


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Wicked! I want the DOT Matrix dials see as they're plug and play, so need to save up a little more

The dials, mileage correction, cruise control enabling and the 4 stalks will cost about £400 and that's all with second hand parts. Would love to have it!

[grc0456]

Yeah, I'm just going with the pre-2003 display. Don't feel like getting a new cluster and mileage reset. Yours will look better, certainly.


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[RichRobby]

The Xtron looks bloody fantastic, congratulations, there might be a few if us wanting to copy that and get your custom display set up.

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[Nine8Six]

Thanks for the last few pics Ger, that look absolutely amazing

[RichRobby]

Originally Posted by RichRobby

Ger

That's a shame about the sidelights as I've done just the same however I took my DRL feed from the fuse box and the sidelights still work, albeit very dim. I see on ebay that you can get 15 watt and even massive 50 watt T10 fitment bulbs so maybe that will solve the problem?

Sent from my ONE A2003 using Tapatalk

I went ahead and bought 50 watt LED T10 bulbs to brighten up the obscured original sidelight but unfortunately they are too long and hit the projector shroud. They would have been great as they had a lens on them and would be super bright. Will have to find another use for them or try to return them.

Trying to find out the physical length of some 15 watt ones now.

I guess it would be useful to know how bright they need to be to pass an MOT?

Would much prefer to find a solution that kept the wiring original rather than go down the route of having to use the foglights.

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