986 Base Boxster Build (with a little trailer thrown in)

Hasbro said:

Next project; switching lights out for all clear replacements and adding a Xenon kit. Opinions on Pedro's kit welcome.

I don't know the details of Pedro's light kit, but I have read that Xenon kits without a proper projector are too diffuse and blind oncoming traffic (illegal in some states). Check the details and shop around before you buy. The advantage with the mods that he re-markets is that you know it will fit and has customer support. A random eBay/Amazon kit could be 1/4 the price but take a lot more work to get installed and working. This mega-thread on the 986 Forum has lots of info, but it's over 50 pages long and packed with useless comments: Fred's Bi-Xenon Headlights

I should have bought five sets of those instead of one, but 'who knew' at the time....

A full kit like this might be better, but not sure how painful it will be to make fit:

I love the direction this is going. 

Recon1342 said:

Following cause I can't afford one, so I live through you guys...

I can't afford one either.

Jon, it looks so much better now. Too late re. the shins.

Wow, I'll really have to research the Xenons better, give Pedro a call. I just want more light without burning the lenses. For now, they'll go in as is, save $200.00. Or I could go with the new Litronics for $4750.00.

Edit; spoke to Pedro and he assuaged any concerns. Nice guy.

Mad Ratel, thanks for the encouragement, when I get to the body, things are going to change Big Time.

Anyone know which shifter this is? It's definitely wobbly or at least the oem parts are and/or the cables. 

Jon, you interested?... Do you have clears?

Hasbro said:

Jon, you interested?... Do you have clears?

I *had* a good set of clears until one of my cars was backed into. I used to left one to replace the one that got cracked, so I just have a right side available. I can send both if you want, but the left one has some cracks and the lens needs to be glued on. It could work fine until you get a good deal on a replacement.

Broken one:

The short shifter looks like one of these:  https://www.paragon-products.com/Short-Shift-Kit-p/schnell-sss1.htm

I think I see the brand "Schnell".

Cool project. I'm in to follow. 

Jeez, Jon, good eye, thanks. I need to pull it apart and yank the carpet. But first, pull the headlights off and send them to you.

Love your 325, Andy. 

AAAAAAUUUUUUGGGGGHHHHH !!!!!!! I'M BLIND!

That's all I got.

Really enjoying Jon's exhaust pipes. They actually sort of make me slow down a little on the road. I checked with my mechanic friend re. the loudness. He said it was fine for this county. Not very confident about driving anywhere else, though.

One of the big differences with the Boxster vs. other lighter cars is it yawns at 100 mph so it's hard to keep speeds down, at least for me. Smaller diameter tires will also slow me down a little as a side benefit. 

Tires. I'll probably start out with Toyo R1R 245/35/17 squared. 1.2" smaller diameter than stock plus at least a few pounds lighter. Not my first choice but a good start until the suspension can provide -3 camber or more. Unless I get coilovers first, then it will be RA1s or A052s.

Talked to Pedro today and he said the muffler support on the transaxle does not provide suspension support as someone had stated on a Boxster forum. Off it comes and will support pipes via the bottom of the trunk, I think. If research continues to support Pedro's under brace for the rear suspension I will order soon. Opinions on under brace? You can see all of the black spray paint someone used underneath everywhere. %$!*&!

Ignore, just rambling here;

So far have removed about 60 lbs. from behind rear axle and there's still some more to pull. I haven't had a full day off in about five weeks but will see some daylight in a week or so and will start pulling more weight off. Currently at -325 lbs., which puts it at 2497 lbs. and should remove another 50+ lbs. this coming month. Will pull remaining carpet, door guts, stereo, dash stuff, rear spoiler. Need to find an old cheap racing seat.  That would delete another 20 lbs. The heavier wheels up front will negate the lighter tires but the rears should save about 6lbs. And the suspension should save around 15 lbs. but just guessing. The windshield, maybe 40 lbs.? That'll be 150+- lbs.. That's 2350 lbs. total. Power steering to manual lbs.?  Maybe -50 lbs. in body etc. parts but add 100 lbs. in body parts and restructuring. I'm still shooting for 2350 in the end. That's about a total of -475 lbs.. That's 16% weight removal. With an extra optimistic +10 whp, that puts lb./whp at 13/1. stock is 16.5/1.  About a 20% improvement not counting freed up hp in rotational stuff. And a lot of aero resistance removed. Stock weight equivalent to 205+ whp. Apples and oranges but there it is.

Also ordering a Xenon headlight kit from Pedro next week which will be brighter and cooler. I DO NOT wish to melt my nice clear headlights Jon just sent  me! 

Had a great day. First day off (almost) in five weeks. Sunny, sixties, four hours pulling 32 lbs. off.  Total weight 2,465 lbs.. Slow going but actually pulled more weight than estimated so well worth the time. The best part in the process of pulling weight is knowing you don't have to put the parts back!

Tail is off, 7 1/2 lbs. Will replace with lighter plastic (Jon, you have anything available?) , but I wanted to be able to see where aero will be exiting from trunk.

Jon, have you ever considered fabbing ten or twenty of your exhaust pipes, in stainless? A buyer could stick a couple of those inserts in the tails if they wanted it a little quieter. They are so smooth, no hiccups even during hard downshifts or letting off the pedal hard at high rpms.

For aero and a better cosmetic look on the back how about fabbing with some aluminum similar to the roof I put on my Challenge Boxster? I had a hood from an Audi A8, but if you have a local scrap yard, you might get some good light weight sheet cheap.

I want another one of those exhausts for MYSELF. When I made that one I was fortunate to have the right piece of scrap laying around. I plan to get a tube bender this year and fabbing some more of those would be a good way to learn how to work with it.

It's going to get a little bit uglier before the aesthetics improve. Eventually it will need aluminum? sheeting from front to rear inside the fenders. A drafting table I ordered arrived and I want to learn to draw cars. Then I can put my thoughts on paper. I also need to order a good aero book.

How much weight can come off the doors including the bar and glass?

I put the headlights in but need to get the driver's side working. I didn't try to see what was up. The headlights I sent you have about half the bulbs working but the the two low beams work.

Hasbro said:

Off it comes and will support pipes via the bottom of the trunk, I think.

Lot of broken spec Boxster exhausts suggest this is a bad idea, and you'd be better served with some sort of rigid mounting to the back of the transaxle like factory; so that the exhaust can move with the rest of the drivetrain.

How about cutting down that rear transmission bracket to the minimum needed to bolt on and brace the exhaust?

Check the headlight mount in the car to make sure the plug socket is not loose. As I remember, there's a sliding piece of plastic that holds the socket in place.

Ok, will do. I wanted to rig a rubber grommet and spring straight above to clean up the air flow but it won't really hurt what I'm thinking of doing.

The good part

First sunny two days in a row since I can't remember.  Pulled 54 lbs. from the doors, remaining carpet, and dash. I'll record as 50 lbs..  407 removed = 2415 lbs. total.  Will be nice to get below 2400! Steering wheel, seat, door skinning, more dash removal should add up to at least 60 lbs., probably more.

Been saving my budgeted money for suspension stuff but might buy a running street sports car - something to drive so I can really tear into the Boxster. Think I've found a nice one south of here (if he accepts my circumstances)...

Anyone have an old race seat for cheap? I'll probably cut it up to fit closer to center.

The bad part

Wouldn't start after finishing doors. Was fine with dash stuff removal. Is there an anti-theft shutdown when messing with the door wiring? Everything else works. I pushed it into storage and called it a day.

Hasbro said:...

The bad part

Wouldn't start after finishing doors. Was fine with dash stuff removal. Is there an anti-theft shutdown when messing with the door wiring? Everything else works. I pushed it into storage and called it a day.

 

 

The doors should not effect starting. Could you have caused a short and blown a fuse? Power to the central locking module/immobilizer box could be effected if a short in the door harness blows a fuse.

Thanks, I'll go through the fuses when I have time, hopefully Tuesday.  I'll pull all of them just check for any other blown fuses.  Pulling the rug out from the fuse box and under dash could also have caused a short or pulled wire. 

To remove air bag module on the center console, it says to use tool # 9259 or equivalent tool.  What do you use or should I bite the bullet and order 9259?

Still to remove, about 200 (not including other sawzall weight, etc.);

steering wheel - 3 lbs.

seat - 20-25

dash - 10?

doors(skinning,wiring,mirrors)- 20?

windshield frame/glass - 30

Battery - 20

wheels - 20

tires - 4

sound deadening - 20

suspension - 15

brakes - 4

flywheel - 10

wiring - 20+?

?

Considering where you were, check the gray switch on the clutch pedal.

Thank you Jon, will do.

To remove air bag module on the center console, it says to use tool # 9259 or equivalent tool.  What do you use or should I bite the bullet and order 9259?

Missed that question when I read it the first time. Vise Grips.

Been a while. The biggest change is a fellow GRMer is selling me a fun street car. I've been reluctant to take the body transformation too far as it would make it undriveable for a good while. Enter the new car, which is still 6 or 8 weeks off. Seller was kind enough to give me the time to assemble the required funds. Disclosure of said car to be revealed upon consummation of transaction. Woohoo, road trip! Hopefully a couple of tax refunds will speed up the process.

Been monstrously busy with the biz and horticultural pursuits. Biz is thankfully excellent and have re-started efforts towards creating a private garden/arboretum on my 4 acres but that's another build thread. During this time the direction for the Boxster project has coalesced into a more solid direction but is still in line with initial intentions but a little more extreme. Still street legal, though.

In a nutshell;

- 2,200 lbs. That's a long shot but another 200 lbs. seems doable. That would be -621 lbs.

- A stock 986 base is 16.5/1.  Shooting for 12 to 12.5 lbs./1 whp if I can reach weight and 185whp..  13/1 at the most if not. 

   Apples to oranges (especially torque); a stock 2000 3.2 S is 13.7 lbs/1whp, a 2.7 is 15/1.

- I'm very comfortable with 0-60 of under 6 seconds. Shouldn't be a problem even at 13/1 .

- Initially, no windshield (been told I can do it in my county), then a simple very little flat windshield. No passenger       glass. Progressing on to a custom windshield and driver's cockpit roof. Possibly a small removable passenger shield.

- shorten front and rear body by a minimum of 22". Can you say sawzall?

- rear end to be pretty much flat with mesh, front to have a relatively flat profile and wing. But very aerodynamic.

- accentuate side view shape at front and rear, door skin to curve down about 4". Retro but efficient for flow.

- cut chassis between fenders from front to rear down 2-4". Strengthen  chassis (bought a 220 Lincoln welder)

- lots of aero work but keep it aesthetically clean as possible.

- If it's a total clusterf%$k, it was fun. At least it will handle fantastic.

- bought a drafting table two or three months ago - haven't touched it. Some day.

   Forgot suspension;

- Square setup, 24 or 24.5" diameter tires, which are 1/2 to 1" smaller than stock to cut weight and lower gearing.  9" tread. Initially will use stock rear 8 1/2" rims for front and rear, thank you Jon. Will use a spacer fit kit to determine track width, will cut and flare fenders to fit. Drop to appropriate height with coilovers, keeping in mind tires will lower 1/2 to 1" by themselves. About -3 camber in rear, etc. $$. The added weight of front wheels (initially) and wider front tires should be the only aero and weight negative on car.

Are you looking to make the track width extra wide for handling/looks, or just wide enough to make the wheels and tires fit? If the latter, you shouldn't really need to do any fender trimming or flaring unless you're looking for an insanely low ride height. You will want to space the rear wheels out some to match the track width of the front so it doesn't look silly, but the wheels and tires you're talking about should fit on the front as is, maybe a few mm of spacer to retain full steering travel. I ran stock 17x9 twists with 245 tires all around with a set of 3mm spacers. The rears needed it to give a comfortable amount of clearance to the struts, the fronts needed them to retain full steering travel (and maybe some strut clearance? I don't remember)

For handling foremost. From what I've read I will do a relatively modest drop dependent on the tire diameter. Spec Boxster, for example, has a minimum drop requirement of 90mm but the general consensus on 986Forum is the better handling/travel is considerably higher and this is a "street" car. With all of the weight removal, body altering, aero effects, tire differences, etc., I'll be doing a ton of testing so a fit kit will be essential to get it right. 9" tread is relatively modest for a high level handling Boxster so there are all kinds of parameters involved. Top end is not as important as lower cornering speeds. Lots of testing, which is what I really want to do anyway. Once the handling is pretty close the body/fenders will be dealt with and aesthetics, of course, will be important. Smaller diameter tires challenge fender gap looks but unfolding the lip has worked pretty well for that. If the 9" tread doesn't suffice, I'll have to change a lot of the project.

Here's an old very rough pic of the general side shape minus windshield, which is phase 1. The front and rear will be quite different (shorter, different shape) and there are a couple of other phases involving a larger windshield and single roof. Sorry, I'm not very adept at design with a computer! I've always done most of my design work in my head. Had a successful landscape design career but still can't draw a straight line.

This is sort of the direction this is headed except a lot rougher!