Mark Hubley

Just writing to give my opinion on the three purchases I have made for my 944 that have returned the greatest driving pleasure/dollar ratio:

1. Convex mirror glass for passenger side view mirror. I purchased it a couple of years ago from Automotion for about $50. Without that convex glass you can't see squat out of that passenger side mirror.

2. Cup holder. A couple of months ago I started putting my 944 to work again as my daily driver. It sure is nice to have a cup of coffee on the way to work, and a decent cup holder sure does come in handy. I didn't want the K-Mart special that clips onto the door, and I didn't want to spend over $100 for one of the contraptions I've seen in various Porsche parts catalogs. I found the perfect solution on-line at the following URL:
http://www.javagrip.com/

Some may argue that a cupholder has no place in a performance car, but I strongly disagree. Sure, if I'm driving on the track or otherwise driving the car hard, then I shouldn't have a drink in the car. However, Porsches are meant to be enjoyed for all kinds of driving, and it's nice to have something to drink on occasion without spilling it on my lap and leather seats!

3. Blaupunkt Honolulu CD player. Purchased from Crutchfield for about $180. I enjoy listening to music when I drive.

I have not made any performance modifications to my car, and I have yet to get deep into performance driving (having a three-year-old child has made time tight over the past three years). So, right now the car has all the performance I need. When the time comes for more horsepower, handling, etc. then I think the solution is simple: sell the 944 and buy a turbo, S2, or 968.

I must admit the supercharger sounds tempting, but would it be worth putting one on a car with 150K miles?

Longtime76

Mark,
The cupholder you have looks like one of the best designs I have seen yet. I never liked the cheap ones or the expensive one the glues?? into the center console that performance products/tweeks/automotion sells. I think it makes the center console look stupid. It it removable too, which is nice; I think I will have to order myself one of those sometime. Thanks for letting us know about it.

Thaddeus

Mark, could you post a pic of the cupholder in place and say which model you ordered? Thanks... I just got a new job (Thank you Lord!) and my commute will be a little longer (... a blessing in 951-enabled summer, a curse in Windstar winter...)... so a little refreshment is in order during the drive...

Thaddeus

IceShark

Putting in overwatted E-Code headlights and upgrading the wiring was the best non-go-fast improvement I made. Makes night driving a real pleasure though you still have to be on guard for deer if there is cover up close to the roadway.

Anyone ever smacked a deer in a 944 and did it come through the windshield or fly clean over the top?

TomH

Get the cheap holder from Pep Boys that hangs on your window. Fold the flap, and stick it up between the center console and the carpet on the passenge side. Mine has never fallen out, and I have never spilled a drop from my travel coffe cup.

(it's not really too far to reach for, and you can remove it at any time)

Steve Lavigne

I'll own up to my deer incident. It was about six months ago, the day I purchased my 951. It was a small deer, and actually it bounced forward off the header panel and landed about 20 feet away. This is probably because the car was going down hill, the deer was small, and the car was braking, causing the front edge of the header panel to be at a fairly good angle. Damaged the header panel, right light bucket, and right fender very slightly. Also scuffed the bumper cover slightly. I'll have pics of my car up soon with the replaced header panel and light bucket. Seems to be looking and fitting great.

I was going about 70 mph when I saw the deer, and about 20 mph by the time I swerved to where the deer was running .

Seeing that I have an affinity for driving mountain roads, and a new found fear of deer, I was thinking of getting one of those deer whistles. I could weld a bracket onto a screw that would fit into the front towing eye, that way it would be easy to remove/install with no permanent modifications. I'm probably being paranoid.

'86 951 aka Bambi killer
-Steve

Mark Hubley

Thaddeus,

To see a pic, click on the URL given in my initial post. Then click on the "Models Available" link, then click on one of the links under "Porsche." The links for the specific models show the cupholders in place (although I don't think the 968 link is actually showing a 968). It is very functional, yet very unobtrusive.

The cupholder is definitely not $45 worth of materials, but any time you get something made specially for our cars you have to accept the fact that you are paying for a specialty item. It is a good quality item, and I like the way it fits very nicely in the console storage compartment. Best of all, it requires no gluing, screwing, etc. so it can be removed without a trace. It is definitely the best cupholder option I've seen.

Manning

People, people. Drinking and driving don't go together. It's almost as bad as talking on your cell while your driving. I had a woman behind me a few days ago who was reading. Yikes!!!

Regarding the mirror, I had to replace the mirror glass on the passenger side and went to a glass shop to see if they could get it for me. Convex was an option, and I went with it: $20.00. Some of the catalog places really burn me up when it comes to how they price accessories, etc. They will have things priced way more than you can get them for at Autozone or Pep Boys and then you have to pay for shipping to boot. Jason (Paragon) usually kills them (the other catalog places) on hard parts and he is super nice on top of that.

Luke

I have a Blau "florida"! the sound quality is excellent but Very quiet.

Mark Hubley

In my opinion, taking a sip of Coke or coffee while at a stop light or cruising on the highway presents no danger whatsoever. (Especially if the drink is otherwise in a secure cupholder!) It certainly is nowhere near as dangerous as talking on a cell phone. What is dangerous is trying to drive a manual shifter with a drink in your hand.

Mark Hubley

When I was in college I had a girlfriend who would study (read notes, books, etc.) while driving. Extremely scary! Of course, she was a rather scary driver even when not reading. The only thing that should be read in a car is a map--and that should be done with the car at a stop!

IceShark

In every objective test I have seen, those deer whistles don't work so don't bother. Actually the tests seemed to conclude they cause the deer some additional confusion so they stop dead in their tracks trying to decide what to do as you bear down on them. And of course you are both likely to chose the same spot to go to at the last split second, as you found out.

I hit the rear leg of a deer as I made a last violent swerve. Didn't seem to do anything to the car but I'm pretty sure it broke her leg. That will get your heart pumping and wide-eyed awake.

Lemon Yellow 87 n/a

I almost ran over a cat last night, and a few years back, I ran over a little weasel like creature (with a jeep) but the thing just sat there and ran away once I was over it. Nothing beats the time a weird friend of mine ran over a racoon (with the tires :eek This was when he first got his liscence and claimed that the racoon was harrasing his cat (who wouldnt, damn thing was so ugly), he just saw it in his alley and floored the accelerator. ouch.

Untier

i put the convex mirrors on both sides, most excellent!. these were from performance, the close i/2 is straight and the outside 1/2 is curved, this way you get the best of both worlds. l and r sides. i removed the old mirror from the mount plate so the new ones fit into the housings much deeper/better. and w/a dab of silicone to insure not coming loose and falling to the ground, ouch!

stupenal

I ran over a raccoon/cat/some sort of animal of that size before. When my tires went over it.....one of the grossest feelings and sounds i've ever felt and heard. the crunch of bones and flesh....bleh. At least it wasn't a skunk. For some reason, skunks have paradise in my neck of the woods, at least two are killed a week, reeking up the entire road.