When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
So ... I accidently bought another 2014 Cayenne! A Diesel model came to market and the price was too good to pass up. So while I wasn't specifically looking for another, I leave tomorrow to go pick up another!
So the plan now is to move the roof rack over to the Diesel and complete the build there. The parts being fabricated will all fit the incoming car, so no worries there. And they are both Classic Silver in color, so even the color scheme design remains the same. The big change will be instead of using the air suspension, I will give the coil spring Diesel a 2" lift. The S, loaded with all it's options, will now become my wife's daily driver. The Thule roof rails will stay on (I ordered a replacement set for the Diesel, but the Caprock platform will be relocated to the new car. While I don't have a specific need for rails on the S, you never know and I think they look good. What's cool is I should be able to just unbolt the platform with the recovery tools attached and just drop it on the new bars of the Diesel. 15 minute exercise.
Here are some pics of the incoming Diesel. Next time you see it (next week) expect to see roof rails, Caprock platform, and new wheels and tires. And MAYBE, I can get the lift done as well!
New roof rails were installed in the 2014 Diesel and the Caprock roof platform was moved over from the original S that I had purchased. Currently have the high lift jack, spare tire, and traction boards mounted there.
265/60R18 Falken Wildpeak AT4W tires installed on OZ Racing Rally Raid wheels. Hub centric rings were installed, otherwise they will install lug centric which I am not a fan of.
After spending the weekend in Gainesville watching my Gators get crushed, I took the opportunity to detour on the way home and drive through the Ocala National Forest. Within, there are many different fire roads of various lengths and difficulty as well as overgrown, narrow side routes if you are feeling a little more frisky. With the latter you run the risk of heavy pinstriping, so I basically stayed on Fire Road 09, which is 34 miles made up of sections of gravel, deep soft sand, muddy red clay, and small water hazards. This route is generally easy, and many of the obstacles are avoidable if you choose to. Not me, I aimed for the hazards!
In sum, the Cayenne was amazing. The Falken AT4W tires never lost traction, and you could both hear and feel the off-road system of the Cayenne doing the work. The power actively shifted to the corner where it was needed and simply pushed and pulled itself through everything. Two sections stood out as most difficult. One was a very long section of soft sand. I briefly paused and thought about airing down, but it had handled the previous sections so well I went for it with stock air pressures and it drove through without a scare.
A scare did happen when I tackled the other difficult section, a muddy, clay filled water hole that turned out to be much deeper than anticipated. The Cayenne pitched in nose down, and then tilted off Camber as the bank was much steeper on the driver side then in the center. For a moment I imagined the car being stuck in the middle of this mini-lake (just big enough to fit a Cayenne) with no real way out. But I quickly added throttle after the initial pitch down and the truck simply drove up and out of the pit. Clearly I was more concerned about the situation than the Porsche was.
Only downside of the trip will be clean up. I'm gonna need a bigger bucket!
You have a very good eye! The interior looks virtually brand new except for the dash on the passenger side from the air bag to the top right corner, which has pulled away. The rest of the dash is good for now, and will treat it often to see if we can prevent further shrinkage.
The problem will need to be addressed, though I don't want to pull the dash quite yet. I'm expecting the cost for full repair or replacement, especially with the upgraded leather package, would be a large percentage of the value of the vehicle. I may explore options to try and glue it back down with the dash in place, and be willing to except a quarter inch gap on the far edge. If that holds, great. If not, yeah, I'll probably have to bite the bullet and get more invasive ($). For now I've begun treating the leather and getting it to relax and stretch out, which is already helping. In a few weeks I'll come back to it and see what improvement can be made from there.
Fellow 2014 Cayenne owner with the extended leather package. First time hearing of this issue. What causes it? Sun exposure to the dash?
Loving the look of the Diesel. I have a mint condition CTTS which is an absolute beast on the pavement, but I often consider selling it to do a Diesel overland build like this. Can't wait to see the finished product!
Fellow 2014 Cayenne owner with the extended leather package. First time hearing of this issue. What causes it? Sun exposure to the dash?
Loving the look of the Diesel. I have a mint condition CTTS which is an absolute beast on the pavement, but I often consider selling it to do a Diesel overland build like this. Can't wait to see the finished product!
Yes, very common. Sun exposure and heat causes the leather to shrink. But very avoidable. Tint the windows, store in a garage, and treat the leather periodically to keep it supple. I've never had a car under my ownership have a leather issue, but the previous owners of this example were not so nice. This car is now my wife's daily driver, so I am going to take it in for a proper repair and see what can be done without a full dash replacement.
The custom fabricated pieced arrived today from Eurowise and I quickly bolted up the front and rear bull bars. Not great pics, but will capture better ones as the work continues. Lights will be installed on top mounting bar via the provided tabs. Very straight forward install, except the rear is so tight that the bumper is pressed in a bit around the mounting holes. I will go back later and trim the holes a bit to remove the interference and clean that up so it installs without the little dimples.
BTW, all the parking sensors still work exactly as the factory intended!
Have also serviced the front and rear diff, transfer case, and added DEF fluid while I waited for the parts. Just making sure she will run as good as she looks.
The Diesel is up on the lift getting some oil leaks addressed (oil pan, crank seal) and new engine mounts, so I thought I'd take an opportunity to show off the skid plates that have been installed so far. Eurowise steel components covering the rear diff, gas tanks, and rear control arms. Font skid and transfer case will go on after the mechanical repairs.
08-07-2024 | 02:13 PM
Major Plot Twist!
