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My buddy traded his 07 S in on a Thursday and he didn't tell us until Saturday at breakfast. After breakfast we went to the Porsche dealer. While his salesman was getting me a list of the work they just did on the car a guy who never owned a Porsche opened the frunk and hatch hoping to see the motor. While he took it on a test drive I crunched the numbers. When he got back from the test drive with the saleswoman he told her he needed to show it to his wife. Too late I bought it.
Planet 9 had a log thread about a guy who got a shimmy at speed. Many parts later it turned out to be the license plate frame in the tow hook.
Nice way to score the car!
So what’s this shimmy issue that you reference? I have the US Millworks plate frame too and while I rarely use it I don’t recall a shimmy at speed?
So what’s this shimmy issue that you reference? I have the US Millworks plate frame too and while I rarely use it I don’t recall a shimmy at speed?
Someone on Planet-9 posted that he had a vibration at speed. Replaced a ton of parts and still had the vibration. I think he said he moved to germany and didn't need the front plate so he removed the bracket from the tow eye and the vibration was gone. Put the plate back on and he had the vibration. Then I think he said he went back in time to when it started, and it was when he put the tow eye plate bracket on, but he didn't realize it because he put it on at the beginning of winter. I tried to search planet 9 and got no results for "vibration".
My buddy traded his 07 S in on a Thursday and he didn't tell us until Saturday at breakfast. After breakfast we went to the Porsche dealer. While his salesman was getting me a list of the work they just did on the car a guy who never owned a Porsche opened the frunk and hatch hoping to see the motor. While he took it on a test drive I crunched the numbers. When he got back from the test drive with the saleswoman he told her he needed to show it to his wife. Too late I bought it.
Planet 9 had a log thread about a guy who got a shimmy at speed. Many parts later it turned out to be the license plate frame in the tow hook.
Haha, nice. With how customized Porsches are, you don't have the luxury to assess your options and engage in philosophical discussions around the dinner table.
I'm guessing he didn't fully tighten the bracket down or it was a really flimsy design. I'm only going to use it in certain areas known to be strict, but don't need it for the most part.
Well this took longer than expected, but what a satisfying mod. The peace of mind is a huge reason why I wanted to replace the cables sooner than later too. Thought about the short shifter from Numeric Racing as well, but figured I should prioritize other areas first.
The cables had a lot of hype and they did not disappoint. Looked really solid and stop me if you've heard this before, but "they should've been like this from the factory." Also bought the wrench which was incredibly handy. If there's any room for improvement, it's to include the wrench with the cables to begin with, then offer a zero-cost "wrench delete" option for those who don't want it.
Removing the console wasn't too bad, just tedious being careful not to break any tabs. Spoiler alert: I broke 2 tabs. The radio surrounds need to be pulled directly out without any twisting at all. But with the other 2 tabs still in tact and being held by screws at the bottom, they're fine.
Getting the stock cables out near this end was quite easy.
I decided on getting the tool for locking the shifter in neutral. Fortunately Pelican had it in stock and I picked it up via will-call. Well worth the $5.75.
Just so happened they were having an open house too.
Getting the cables off the transmission bracket on the driver's side was a lot harder, until I tried using a wrench which did the trick.
My neighbor was doing some work in his garage and as a cyclist, figured he probably had a thinner wrench which would make popping off the cables even easier. He let me borrow the tool below and yup, I had it off in 2 seconds.
Cables out.
Stock shifter out as well.
Took the old silicone hose and cut it in a not-very-neat spiral and wrapped the new cables with them.
Tightening the new cable to the brackets. Not much room in there.
New cables installed.
Reused the original grommet but had to slice it open first.
To get the reverse cable on the plastic boss, I lined it up and got it halfway on, then used a little persuasion to get it fully seated. I was having a little trouble with adjusting the shift selector cable (kept coming up short) until I realized the selector on the transmission end was in 3rd. Once I popped it back into neutral, all was swell.
All buttoned up and ready for a test drive, which ended up being 29 glorious miles long.
Honestly, at this point I have no desire to upgrade any further. Yes the throws can be shorter and tighter, but I feel the current level suits the car's character perfectly for a daily driver with the occasional canyon run. I'd rather use that money on springs or I don't know,...maybe a front-load washer.
I also used the bike pedal wrench to pop out the cables at the transmission end, handy tool.
It was no fun being stuck in first gear on the highway after the cable broke at 40K km. The only time I wished for the first gear in Boxster to be longer :/
There is some slack in the shifter itself that could be taken out by DIY shims. There are helpful videos on YT.
Took care of some simple, yet gratifying mods over the weekend.
First up was replacing the aging gas struts for the frunk. Ordered the OEM Stabilus ones from FCP Euro and glad to see they come pre-lubricated.
Propped the bonnet open using the Porsche special tool (part no. 987-HD-YS-JK-TTYL) which held it at the perfect angle for replacing them.
Popped off the retaining clips and they easily came off. I'll do the trunk ones eventually.
The switch for opening the frunk was intermittently not working due to the plastic being worn out. New one acquired.
Removed the 2 caps on the door sill next to the Nike swoosh logo.
That "reveals" 2 socket head screws that require a 5 mm allen wrench. I used quotes because they're buried behind the carpet. The one closer to the rear of the seat is harder to access unless you have a short allen wrench, but it's doable.
Once they're loose, the sill comes off by prying the clips loose and pulling straight up. Put the new one in and we're good there.
Lastly I replaced Key #1 as it was missing the lock/unlock button. Upon disassembly, many dingleberries were discovered.
Just for kicks, I called the dealer and got the following quote:
New key = $482.22...
Programming labor = $117...
Yeah, no. So I got a new OEM key fob from Suncoast for $190 and transferred the key, transmitter, and the immobilizer pill.
I read several stories of people having to destroy their old key fob to get the pill out (it's glued in), but that wasn't an issue with the right tool.
Just gotta place the pick in that opening and it just pops out.
Kiz you are a madman and your attention to detail is incredible. Which is why I bought your previous CS! Can't wait for all this snow and ice to melt so I can liberate her from storage.
Thanks for the tip! This is what you used, right? If you painted while on the car, I'm guessing you didn't even need to do any prep? No sanding or anything? I'll probably do it when I remove the wheels to thoroughly clean them since I wanna put a coat of wax to cut down on cleaning time.
What I do is purchase an array of Testor enamel. They have silver metallic, dark silver, gray, a blue, etc. Then I mix to get a precise color match. Works very well. Had to improvise like that when I wanted to touch up my M235i's wheels because they were painted in a unique shade of cool gray for which there is no existing paint available from the dealer. Typical BMW. Not available from their recommended Body shop either. Ah well, that's when being a professional artist comes in handy.
So weird seeing it with Minnesota plates! Actually it's weird seeing any of my old cars but very glad it went to a great home and owner!
I'm guessing not, but did you ever see the Easter egg I left you? I programmed your address in the navigation so it should show up as "last entered destination."
I did notice! Plus the whole car seemed like an Easter Egg, it was so well-taken care of. Planning on getting it back out in a week or two, still lots of snow here >
kiznarsh, I have a question for you. Which threaded bolt in your picture below is for 981? I ordered a tow hook license plate mount for 981 from Rennline and got a threaded bolt like the one on the bottom of your pic. It wouldn't just go in to the tow hook receiver and I think I got a wrong bolt. TIA.
Great labor of love, kiznarsh. Wish I had your skills and patience! Aside from steering feel (score one for 987.2), how does this hold up against 981 in terms of fun factor? The sound can be improved with intake and exhaust, as you know. I really would love to have that steering feel! If you didn't have the financial needs at that time, would you have let your 981 go? Man, that 981 in Sapphire Blue looks super cool! Must have been hard to let go!
kiznarsh, I have a question for you. Which threaded bolt in your picture below is for 981? I ordered a tow hook license plate mount for 981 from Rennline and got a threaded bolt like the one on the bottom of your pic. It wouldn't just go in to the tow hook receiver and I think I got a wrong bolt. TIA.
The shorter one on the bottom is for the 987; the one still attached to the frame is for the 981. Depending on how much you tried fitting the wrong bolt, it's a good idea to run the factory tow hook to clean the threads and blow it out with some compressed air prior to installing the new bolt.
Originally Posted by the_rider
Great labor of love, kiznarsh. Wish I had your skills and patience! Aside from steering feel (score one for 987.2), how does this hold up against 981 in terms of fun factor? The sound can be improved with intake and exhaust, as you know. I really would love to have that steering feel! If you didn't have the financial needs at that time, would you have let your 981 go? Man, that 981 in Sapphire Blue looks super cool! Must have been hard to let go!
Thanks! Compared with how much labor I've put into the M5, this has been significantly easier but obviously I have more updates coming.
To answer your question about letting the 981 go: no, absolutely not. It wasn't so much the Sapphire Blue that I loved, but how it literally had every single option that I picked when configuring my ideal Cayman years ago. PSE, X73, sport chrono, sport seats (not the heavier 14 or 18-way seats), sport steering wheel...the ultimate enthusiast spec. OK maybe I wouldn't have opted for the $500 white gauge face for the interior clock, but I also liked it so it's all good.
Regarding fun factor: can I take a rain check? Because to really answer that, I need to drive it though empty twisty roads in the middle of nowhere, where its true purpose can be explored. "Natural habitat" and all that jazz. I'm planning a road trip sometime next month and will retrace the same roads as I did with the 981. I'll document that too and provide feedback then.
Having said all that, I feel incredibly fortunate to have experienced it in the first place. I grew up with my mom driving a beat-up Datsun 210 that broke down all the time, with black t-shirts used to cover the ripped seats and a faded hood that resembled a sunburst Strat. My car experiences have come a long way...
I always knew it was the right decision but like most difficult ones, it was just hard to make.
Great updates and I’m looking forward to reading the review.
My OCD is getting the better of me , I would have a very hard time not cleaning up the engine bay and undercarriage. For me it’s not just for appearances but also knowing if there’s anything leaking and or potentially near its end of life.
Do you have plans to switch to X73 suspension or are you sticking with the Base suspension for now?
The shorter one on the bottom is for the 987; the one still attached to the frame is for the 981. Depending on how much you tried fitting the wrong bolt, it's a good idea to run the factory tow hook to clean the threads and blow it out with some compressed air prior to installing the new bolt.
Thanks! I didn't try too hard because it wasn't catching at all. Still, it is a good idea to clean the threads with the factory tow hook.
03-02-2019, 05:49 PM
, I would have a very hard time not cleaning up the engine bay and undercarriage. For me it’s not just for appearances but also knowing if there’s anything leaking and or potentially near its end of life.