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After a 356A, a 911S, and lastly a Honda S800, I've moved over to 987S.
With a good friend packing up his NSX project car for shipping, we decided to take a quick tour to Sodegaura Forest Raceway for the last 2018 round of the Tokyo Bayside Classic Cup:
Starting early, we spent most of the day swapping cars and enjoying some of the great roads around Boso Hanto.
It was my first real long drive in the 987S, and happy to say it has certainly lived up to expectations - not only the vast reserves of power, but also that great 911-like squirming about feel through the steering...
Now on the way back to Kanto, we again took back roads, this time to our next destination in Yamanashi-ken.
As this was our last day, we took more stops than usual to explore.
Seldom used these days Clean Hi-Octane pump.
While lost machines are a common sight across Japan, unlike in some places in the West, it is rare to see them displayed with a sense of humor.
Here, a Datsun Sunny carries what I think might be a Mazda B360?
The weather was great and the roads were clear.
We liked this set of matching kura, and the elaborate namako on their lower walls.
We joined the Chuo Expressway to take us South, and a roadworks shot as once promised...
Be-winged Silvia.
Sun comes up over Kofu.
Open expressway into Tokyo.
The Chuo Expressway morphs into the Shuto-ko, and with a bit more traffic we came into Shinjuku.
Passing straight through Tokyo, we were home just after lunch, for the last shot on the roll of film...
Thanks!
Sodegaura is a 40 minute or so blast up Chiba, and the early morning drive is great.
We try and make the TBCC meetings regularly, as it is a medium sized, interesting, and challenging circuit!
One of the reasons, I joined Rennlist was to give back to the knowledge and advice I've farmed a few times.
Including recently on paddle shift steering wheel upgrades.
Right tool for the job and all that... 987.2 Cayman S procedure.
A 5mm hex T-handle was better than trying to hit the spring with a minus screwdriver, and the XZN M12 more appropriate than a Torx 55 as it drives on all faces - for a lesser torqued nut, the Torx might be OK, but at 50Nm needed for the one-time use nut, you've really got to swing on it.
Both wheels did not have their little hole punctured, which was an obvious indication neither had been played with previously.
For some reason, I had one long, and one short one-time use steering wheel nut.
The original wheel used a long one, and the mount was the same thickness, so I used a replacement long version accordingly.
The only issue I had was the bag needed a gentle pry with a trim removal tool, as it did not just pop out on the horn button springs as others have experienced.
New wheel went on just as easy, and after two or three attempts to get the airbag trigger wires to lay properly in their little slot, the horn operates nice and smoothly too.
The whole car freaked with the battery being disconnected, with error warnings for nearly every on board system (including airbag), but after a two minute drive, they all reset.
The new un-used replacement wheel (Yafuoku for 30% of new list price) has Sport Plus and Launch Control lights, and these of course do not work unless enabled, and may even require a new clock-spring. Not sure, but not an issue as THOSE PADDLES!
Wow, what a difference, as after using conventional paddles in R8 and stuff like that, those dinky little buttons just felt weird.
Even if I tried the left-only-down / right-only-up discipline, I still got messed up...
The paddle wheel is also 10mm or so smaller in diameter, has a thicker grip, and nicer leather.
Very happy.
Indentation before puncture:
Indentation after stuffing a 5mm hex T-handle through:
It was my first real long drive in the 987S, and happy to say it has certainly lived up to expectations - not only the vast reserves of power, but also that great 911-like squirming about feel through the steering...
Many thanks for the great photos and congrats on the Cayman S. I had a chance to drive an '07 Cayman S with 90K+ miles a couple of weeks ago over some great roads in ideal conditions and was so impressed by it. Pucker factor and the trouble you can get into with a 987 seems just about right to me. Given what you can do on average roads, any more power or grip yields questionable returns on the dollar. 987's are underappreciated and underpriced. Such special cars and so much bang for the buck. Enjoy it!
^^^^100 above.. My radiologist daughter toured Japan for 12 days last Feb. with a tour group based in New Zealand. While normally rather reserved and contemplative personality wise and while not a world traveler by any imagination stretch, she adored Japan, it’s people, history and culture and have never seen her so adamant in having her parents put this on the top of their “bucket list”—plus We have been devotees of sashimi for 40+ years when Hashikin on N. Clark St. In Chicago was the ONLY place in Chicago.
Some might say, showboating on cold tires, others perhaps driver error or similar.
I could not possibly comment.
Ouch. A sad end for a classic car.
I miss all the trips I took with my parents to Japan when I was a kid. I need to get back out there someday. Awesome pictures.
12-27-2018, 08:34 AM
Japan Touring in a Cayman S.
I had a chance to drive an '07 Cayman S with 90K+ miles a couple of weeks ago over some great roads in ideal conditions and was so impressed by it. Pucker factor and the trouble you can get into with a 987 seems just about right to me. Given what you can do on average roads, any more power or grip yields questionable returns on the dollar. 987's are underappreciated and underpriced. Such special cars and so much bang for the buck. Enjoy it!
