Third Brake light - Aw Nuts!
 

Disassembled my center brake light assembly to replace a bulb and the receiving nuts that hold the bolts in place disintegrated due to age (97 boxster)

Anyone have any ideas for me so I can drive my car while the nuts are coming in on special order?

I guess I've just learned my first lesson about owning a 7 year old Porsche. If you take it apart to repair it, get ready to halt the job and wait two weeks for parts you will discover you need!

Does anyone see why I couldn't find a pair of matching nuts and bolts and just use them instead?

What is so special about the nuts that hold it in place.

You may want to take a look at your yellow pages and check into stores who specialize in nuts and bolts.

I have a surplus store near me that has a bunch of weird stuff, surprisingly having some stuff to fix many things on the Boxster.

You would be surprised how many airplane parts are similar.

My two cents...

It's a special plastic and metal nut that is surrounded by a black rubber gasket to hold it in the hole from the bottom of the body panel.

I can see why having the right thing would make the install far easier and the bolt wouldn't fall into the body cavity.

I've decided to carefully velcro the back light assembly and cover until the nuts I ordered come in and then I'll do it right. While I don't like rigging the car like this one bit, at least I can have the protection of the third brake light in traffic when I get new rubber installed tomorrow.

I played with that option until I came up with another option.

Once again found at the surplus store, I was frustrated with the same problem in the front, it holds the front plastic cowling pieces over the battery.

I found some rubber mounted nuts and knurled knobs to replace the torx screws.

Do you happen to have the part number or name for those nut inserts? I have the same issue.

It will likely be the cheapest Porsche part you will ever buy.
Part # 999-500-128-00
I got them at the dealer. It was a bit more from dealer than Pelican but I didn't have to wait as much.

Got them even cheaper. They are well nuts and were available in a hardware store that has an awesome selection of nuts and bolts.

I thought the Velcro solution sounded great, myself. Leave it and you'll never have this problem again.

Should lighten it somewhat, too. Do body mods put you into a different AX class?