Attention all DIY's.....

[rbennett]

I posted this on another forum, sorry if you read it there, but it bears repeating here under "Attention DIY" since you all are more attentive to your Boxsters than the other place.
Swear it's a true story!

Thought I would share this near out of body experience with you all.

Read if you want to save some money! Sorry for it being long, but you need the full effect of the horror I suffered.

After finally taking the plunge and buying Litronic headlights for my 2000 MY Boxster, I awoke one Saturday all giddy about performing the new mod on my Porsche.

I grabbed the “Special Porsche Tool” to remove the headlight, believe me, there is nothing special about this “stamped from light gauge metal” tool as I was about to find out.

Will not bore you with the details on removal and installation of the Litronics, suffice to say, turn the tool until you hear the distinctive “POP” telling you that your headlights are now locked into the retaining bracket and your investment is “Home Now”.

After showing my wife the new face of my Porsche (she rolled her eyes and went inside), I fired it up and left for a short cruise over to buddy’s house to try and convince him to come out and marvel at them with me.

On my way there on a four lane thoroughfare, I was in the fast lane (where else) coming up to a yellow light applying breaks when I noticed one of the headlights starting to inch forward OUT OF THE CAR!!!

I panicked and gassed it (running a red light in the process) hoping G forces would prevent further forward motion of the headlight and not create a $600 torpedo across a busy intersection.

The next few minutes was very hectic, it ranged from not applying brakes, watching for a cop (the red light thing), coming up to the next NOW red light and trying to move over in heavy traffic to the slow lane so I could stop, but without applying brakes!. Sir Isaac Newton was driving the car at that point every action had an opposite and equal reaction, if you know what I mean!

Finally got over and finished pulling the headlight out and placed it in the passenger seat. I had to drive home with one headlight out of the car (Oooh the humility)

On the way back, I turned onto a two lane road trying to avoid ANYONE I knew and a Vette passed me in the opposite direction, he gave me a big thumbs up as he passed! Funny, I pass him every day, he never gives me the thumbs up???

Moral of the story, the distinctive “POP” was the stripped “Special Porsche Tool” as it lost traction and ratcheted over the cogs on the retaining bolt.

Use a socket from now on!

Regards