A weird thing...

[Norminhouston]

Mark, I sure enjoyed your post. Sure wish I could be of help. These little cars have a mind of their own. Maybe it was just protesting the heat and humidity.

[Sammy]

Must have a HP computer in place of the PCM (or whatever Porsche calls theirs)... crashes for no reason and all it needs is a reboot...

[Perfectlap]

I have never experienced auto shut off.
Neither have I experienced auto turn on.
Sounds like a fuel delivery issue.
Congrats on finding a low mileage cherry.
You should call it CherryBoxster not Econo Boxster.
its just as expensive as maintaining a C4S
...Unless they start charging less than $140 per hour to work the little sucker.

[Houston C4S]

Thank you all for the comments.

A quick update for you about that strange stoppage
is that it has not done it again.

The Econoboxster participated in its first autocross today.
I suppose it would be more accurate to say that I drove it
in an autorcross today.

And it did fine.

No weird shutting off or anything.

Although I nearly did. Autocross in August in Houston?
What was I thinking? Jeez Louise it was hot!

And its a great car to learn in -- not scary fast and not
so expensive that if something awful were to happen it
wouldn't be the end of the world. Well, it might be if one
actually perished in a fiery crash, but let's not go there.

This particular event was held at the Houston Police Academy
and was set up with a fairly fast sweeping turn. And by fast
I mean you would be fairly up there in second gear -- so maybe
a top speed of 55, maybe 60+.

And once out of the gate and into second gear, no more shifting
was needed, allowing left foot braking for the rest of the course.

I don't know how well I did in comparison to others (1:53XX fastest)
some were faster, some slower. The other boxsters were a little faster.
All were somewhat modified except for a new S (special tires and
other tricks of the trade) and were piloted be experienced guys.

So my excuse, other than my ignorance, was it was a plain
ol' Box on stock tires -- stock everything, including tire pressures.

But it seemed like a good way to feel the car near its edge of adhesion
without the intimidation factor at the high speed DE at Texas
World Speedway.

For which I am signed up at the end of September.

If you have never experienced it, Turn 7 at TWS, at least
to me, is pretty much a religious experience.

You enter very fast in fourth gear sort of down a
banked uphill left turn. Let me try that again.

From a flat straight where you are rocking along pretty good in
fourth, the road dips and turns a pretty good bit to the left.

Then up the hill you go, still turning left, over the top of the
hill, the car unloads and you have to get set for the next one.
And if you screw that one up too badly, there is a nasty wall
there to catch you.

And then there is always Turn 1.

But that's another story.

Anyway that's in September.

All is well with the car except it needs a bath -- again.

The next automotive event on my calendar is a really
cool Jeep event in the Palo Duro Canyon the weekend
before the DE.

It provides an adrenaline rush too, just at really slow speeds.
Like 1.

As in 1 mile per hour in some sections. But it's a pretty intense
section. Cool stuff.

Well, you all must be getting tired of reading all this by now,
so I will sink slowly back into lurk mode unless something comes
up that might interest you all.

Thanks for your time and attention.

Be careful, it's a jungle out there...

- Mark

[RandallNeighbour]

Mark, you make me jealous. I sure wish I wasn't in Pittsburgh yesterday and away in September! Sounds like great fun.

I do hope you figure out why the car just stalled like that and get your window issue taken care of! Welcome to Boxster world. Very different from your Carrera, huh?

[Houston C4S]

I guess Randall has coaxed me out of lurk mode. Again.

September is a great month here in Texas. It's still really
hot, most of the time. But the evenings start to cool a
bit. So pretty much until next June or July it'll be top down
most of the time.

Snow? What's that?

Back to September, lots of car stuff going on. The autocross
scene fires back up, Boxstoberfest is coming up. And that is
a fantastic event, by all accounts. I haven't been to that
event, but I have been on the spring tour in the hill country
(essentially the same trip) and if you haven't been, you should.

There is a PCA concours on the tenth, my Jeep trip two weeks
later, DE after that, the PCA social at St. Arnold's brewery on
10/19 (free beer!) and more. I think there is another concours
at a local winery, too. Plus BMW events if anyone has time for
all that.

And dove season opens later in September, quail in November.

And I am going to the SEMA show in early November as well.

Hokey smokes, Bullwinkle, I better make some serious money!

The window thing is pretty mysterious. I haven't driven it
in the rain again to see if that has something to do with it.
So until I can get a consistent action, it'll be pretty much
impossible to fix.

And comparing the Econoboxster to the Carrera? I must
confess I haven't really put the spurs to the Carrera. An
autocross might be the best venue to start as the speeds
are lower.

But, as you know, since you have driven it, the Carrera is
I guess what you might say a more purposeful car. (For
those of you who might not have guessed, it's a 4S. That
is a Turbo car with the non-turbo engine. So it has the
"sport" suspension, turbo brakes, stiffer chassis, etc.)Its
suspension is tighter, the steering is heavier and it just
has a different attitude, for want of a better term.

And it is a LOT faster. It's true there is no replacement
for displacement. That and Variocam Plus gives it a lot
more punch at any speed.

I don't understand why, but the brakes feel better.
They are bigger and are cross drilled, but the pedal
feels harder and seems to take a bit less effort to
stop. My recent theory is that it's because
they are red.

But the best of all is the PSE. That car sounds
like a 911 should. It just freakin' screams.

As you know. You've heard it.

Okay, back to the salt mine...

- Mark