Road Trip
 

After purchasing our Boxster in June, we took it on it's first road trip this past weekend. We drove from Southeastern Michigan (Oakland County), to our condo at Boyne Highlands, in the northern lower peninsula. From there we drove north and crossed the straights of Mackinac, on the Mackinac bridge, to the U.P. (upper peninsula). We visited Whitefish Point, Whitefish Bay, and hiked at Upper and Lower Tahquamenon Falls. Also, every year on Labor Day the Mackinac Bridge is closed to cars, from 6:30-noon and you can walk the bridge. There are usually 40,000 or so people who walk it. This was our first time, it was quite an experience. The bridge sways WAY more than you realize. People were walking like they were drunk. :)

The Boxster performed flawlessly and was much more comfortable on the long drive, than the NC Miata that it replaced.

Whitefish Bay
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Mackinac Bridge in the background
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Lower Falls
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On the bridge
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Went to "the ring"
 

Drove from Stockholm, Sweden down to Nordschleife, the car performed really good.

My first ever lap at the ring, the car is a lot better than me.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDAhx5Q8Hj4

The first laps I really focused on not missing any curves, there are a lot of them... When I see the film I realize that I really cannot shift properly, need to improve that.

Very nice!

Thanks!! :cheers:

I finally got some suspension work done. I knew I had a loose front ball joint, sway bar link and tie rod end. Also had a lot of clunk from the rear. You can help find the bad parts by hitting things with a dead blow hammer while the car is off the ground.
So in went new front control arms, Links and tie rod end. I replaced the rear tracking arms. The difference is amazing. Even my passenger (wife) mentioned how good the car felt. I consider this a win!

Drove three and a half days with the wife to St. Louis, MO from Central CA. Went over the Sierra via Highway 88. Beautiful day to put the top down and go. Went as far as near Fallon before getting on I-80. Loved hitting the interstate and almost immediately greeted by an 80 MPH speed limit. Set the cruise control at near 90 and enjoyed the ride.

Spent the night in Wells, NV. Took off the next morning, got fuel. Love the prices and non-ethanol fuel. The stretch across the Great Salt Desert was some 50 miles of boring, but again at 90 mph. Going over the mountain east of SLC, near Park City, a series of 45 mph rated turns up and down the other side, easily done at 65-70.

Stopped for lunch in Evanston, Wy and filled up again, first time putting 93 octane in the Grey Seal. Stopped again for the evening in Cheyenne. Checked fuel mileage. Through Nevada - 26 mpg. Through Utah - 27+. Across Wyoming, 28+. All doing an average of 80+ mph. Fuel mileage dropped the last day, as we went down in elevation to about 500 ft as opposed to being at much higher altitude. So far a nice trip. Next week, coming back through the Southwest.via 44 and I-40 to Barstow and over the Tehachapi grade back into the Central Valley.

I let the granddaughters take the Boxster for a drive today...

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Just returned from our roundtrip to St. Louis, MO from CA. The Grey Seal flew along wonderfully. Only one day en route we encountered rain for the first part of the day, but top down the rest of trip. Almost every day out was in the 70s-80s and clear. Some cross winds, especially out on the prairies, but simply putting the windows up helped.

Got an average of 28 MPG while often going 80+ MPH. Only exception was after fueling at a Shamrock station in Kansas City, KS, we got 22. That turned out to be the only bad load of fuel.

Having done this trip a number of times in other vehicles, this was easily the most enjoyable. Never once did I start to get drowsy, even on long boring stretches in the middle of nowhere.

Most entertaining was in the middle of Kansas, we stopped for lunch in a little town about an hour out of Didge City. After eating, went out to the car. A pair of older Mennonite sisters began asking about the car. They were fascinated with it. Then we got in and lowered the top. One of the sisters was so entertained, she walked over to look in the car. I offered to drive her around the block in it, which made her laugh. She said that would make the car too tempting. We left with a lot of smiles and waving.

Replaced all the struts on hood/trunk lid, got tired of holding them up in cold weather.

Thought my battery was going bad but picked up a 'battery minder,' it has a mode to desulfate tired batteries that seems to work pretty well. The battery tender jr I had before didn't want to even charge it.

Also ordered a fuel filler valve, hopefully when I install it I'll be able to fill the tank all the way again.

adjusted the hardtop so its much tighter to the body now, less noise and wind noise

also fixed the door flaps on the heater box yesterday.
had amazing heat today at my feet :)
it was a lot easier than i thought, went it from behind the radio and used HVA foil tape
couldn't do it in long strips like the youtube videos, so had to use much smaller 2"x3" strips
but got both doors covered and heat works great now
next project is to fix the double beep when i try to lock with remote

Happy thanksgiving

Thanks, same to you and yours :cheers:

A Great 986 Journey Ends
 

Not today, actually a couple weeks ago. I sold my 2001 Boxster S to my Route 66 wingman.

In 11 years of ownership, I logged 77,00 miles, drove through every one of the lower 48 states and followed this forum. It was a great 986 journey, and led me to making my next journey in a 2022 718 Boxster S.

The perma-grins will continue, and now my great friend will be able to start his own 986 journey.

Thanks to all of you for being a great place to discuss this great car. I wish you all have many laps around the Sun!

DBear
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Wow, 11 years already! Congrats on the 2022 :cheers: Every time I think about upgrading my 2001 I take a drive and the thought disappears.

Congrats. Certainly a great sign of a Happy 986'r.

I finally finished the front struts, bilstein B6, upper strut mounts, power stop slotted and drilled rotors, ceramic pads, stainless steel brake lines, and new sway bar links. Driver side strut totally dead. Fairly simple job after you do one side.
Fun starts tomorrow on the rear.
Have a new set of Nitto motivos to bolt on when I'm done.
After 4 wheel alignment I'm going to see if it hits the advertised 150 mph.

Should be done by end of next week.
Merry Xmas everyone.

I've been commuting exclusively by train into work/NYC for the last 3 months. The traffic has gotten to the point of being so bad it's not worth it (driving) at all. This after about 45 years by car or motorcycle. Using my '73 bug to drive the 3 miles to and from the train station from my house. So much more civilized.

The Boxster has been sitting in my inside heated self-parking spot in NYC all this time. The cost is such a ridiculously low monthly cost I just can't bring myself to let the spot go. After work yesterday I figured I'd bring her home for Christmas. I started to wonder how long before the battery might go dead. Roared to life and zero traffic going home last night. She was happy to stretch her legs. I'm setting up a scheduled oil change, coolant and thermostat change and maybe gear/trans oil change with my Indy the week after New Years. All preventative although the oil change is due. And too cold for me to be interested in doing this myself in the driveway.
I will return her to her parking spot next Tuesday till all that happens.

Looking out a window this morning (28 degrees) I'm warmed to see the two German cousins enjoying each others company:
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Swapped out the original engine mount for a PowerFlex unit.

Think it's pretty roached, eh? :D

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Took about 20 minutes to cover/re-cover my Box's ugly Pleather center console top. Used Redlines nice thick variety of leather with white stitching. I let the 3M spray adhesive cure overnight in the house as it was in the 30's outside. Matches the Redline shifter-boot I got for Christmas last year. And the factory leather handbrake. Gave all a dousing of leather conditioner that should keep everything supple for the Winter:
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Wrestled the old coolant tank out this evening. I don't recall having that level of frustration in accessing the clamps engine-side when I did one on a friend's '01 a few years ago. In that instance, I was able to get to the clamps with a remote plier set from underneath while on mine I couldn't snake my arms up that far.

I freed the hoses all topside, and have the new OE tank ready to go in tomorrow.

I paid to have mine replaced in 2022, money well spent IMHO :D

Today
 

I got it smogged and licensed in California. Got'er done at AAA, but they had a very limited and odd selection of license plates. I guess I own a junk 959 now!

That is too funny!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ready to replace the vario-cam guides on the first bank. Seems I'm short a few parts though, hence the work-stoppage.

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Due for an oil change but timed it wrong to do that in January. Lying on my back in my driveway in the 30's wet did not seem very appealing.
So to my "Indy" a few days ago for oil & filter, coolant flush & new thermostat, Trans/gearbox oil change & brake fluid flush & bleed. All Redline products.
No issues with the car at all, just preventive maintenance so I knew when all was done. I did oil and filter when I first bought the car in August of 2022. Just shy of 7000 miles since then.
Didn't use a drop of oil in all that time. The Box has always ran cool but with the new thermostat it seems to run even cooler. So maybe the "lifetime coolant" was coming to the end of it's life?

August 2022
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January 2024
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After pick-up headed to the tip of City Island/Bronx for some clams. Almost warmed up to top-down weather:
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Sunny day drive
 

Took advantage of the spring-like sunny winter day to take a pleasant drive along the river. Great fun on a beautiful day!
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Cheers - dj

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The rain stopped and the sun poked through the clouds for a few hours.
Unplugged the battery maintainer and took it for a short drive.

Your car looks great! What wheels are those and can you give me your tire/wheel specs? Any spacers?

Rick-22, the wheels are Techart Daytona by Speedline.

No spacers.

Front 18 x 8.5 ET 40 Sumi HTRZ III 225/40-18
Rear 18 x 10 ET 47 Sumi HTRZ III 285/30-18

Note that the Sumitomos fit a little smaller than some other brands.

Max

Not today, but last weekend, finished the chain guide replacement and put new chains on since I was in there. Old guides beside new ones:

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1708633304.jpg

I'm looking to get myself another 986