Cayenne S Brakes Get Freshened

My Cayenne S, 2004 vintage, has proven to me at least a reliable and rugged vehicle.

I've now amassed about 10,000 miles on it in the past year. And, it was high time I had to do some work on it. And the warning sign 'Brake Pad Workshop' keyed me into the fact that it was due for pads.

A quick inspection showed huge lips on the rotors all around. So, it was time to replace pads, rotors and of course sensors.

I picked up my parts for Pelican and Vertex. I shopped a bit for best price. Decided to go with the Hawk blue pads as well because I do some towing with the truck and like their performance for less than the cost of OEM.

I also did get new hardware for each corner. Well needed as the old pins and clips were a bit roughed up by the removal process.

This job has been covered in several places online. So, I won't give a step by step, but will add a few tips to the DIY knowledge.

1 - When the light comes on, you might have 500 miles left before you hit metal on metal. You can't ignore this job. You can see the fronts how thin they are in the above snap.

2 - It helps to have a friend, or a Dad, who can help at a couple of points. Most notably when pressing in the pins, you can see in the above how he compressed the clip so pin insertion was easier. But, this applies to any disc brake car, not just Porsche.

3 - Make sure to remove the brake line from the clip at the rear rotor before trying to remove the top caliper bolt. Otherwise, you have a chance of screwing up the thread dragging the screw out crooked.

4 - The cheap, cheapest XZN set on amazon was totally fine for this job. (needed to remove rear caliper bolts and e-brake adjuster cover) Don't spend more money on this than needed.

That is all. Will be sure to update on wear and dust in the future. But, now that I take the train, I might put 10 miles a week on the truck.

Cayenne in Action. Desktop Quality Pic.

This is the follow up email to last week pics. A friend of mine who drove his Focus SVT at the open track day grabbed this shot of the Cayenne towing, or is it 944 drafting, on the deserted HIghway 36.

Deserted except for cops who make sure you don't speed on the way to the track.

I do need to tell my friend to clean his lens though. Geez.

New To Me Cayenne. From Texas with Love.

It didn't take me long to locate the Cayenne for me. There are lots out there, so I limited my search to V8s that were within 12 hour drives of me and WERE NOT gray or silver. And that one criteria eliminate quite a few cars.

But I found my ride at Park Place Porsche in Dallas. They have a massive used Porsche operation, and have lots of cars to choose from. They also price their cars quite competitively compared to most. So I was thrilled to find an 04 S in one of my favorite colors, deep sea blue, with only 62k miles and a new cardan shaft and aluminum coolant tubes. It is lightly optioned with only classic grey soft-look leather, sunroof, 18 inch wheels and a basic electric comfort package. All for well under $20k.

I worked with Jeff Clairmont with an assist from Michael Ferris when Jeff was away from the office. Both were laid-back, no pressure at all times. Seriously, I bought the by-far least expensive Porsche on their lot and they treated me fairly and honestly. Michael even picked me up at the airport in a Panamera S. Nice. I bought and sold lots of Porsches. But all from individuals. This was soooo much easier and more comfortable than a private party deal. I believe it has spoiled me for the future when I have to go back to slogging it out in a stranger's driveway.

My impressions of the Pepper? Love it. Power, handling and even a little comfort. Even the MPGs were not that bad, averaging 19MPG on the nose for the 11+ hour drive at speeds from 45 - 88. A lot of that with cruise control on.

I will be installing a tow bar, Park Place installed the towing electronics as part of my deal, so I can tow the race car with it. Looking forward to towing to races at more than 55MPH.

The Plaid Waggy Is Gone.

My beloved Wagoneer has found a new owner in the north. From Colorado it is going to Michigan. It served me well for two years of snow driving and race car towing.

But I was feeling the pinch of too many cars. So I sold my 82 911 Targa to Germany about a month ago. And, just sold the Wagoneer on eBay. I was shocked at how enthusiastic the bidding was. There were 4 bidders over the $9,000 mark. Wow.

But, the transport guy who picked it up said he was moving a lot of Grand Wagoneers recently. I believe they are on the cusp of becoming expensive collectibles.

So, with the 911 and Wagoneer gone, I am on the hunt for a Cayenne. I guess it is the best there is at combining the two together.

I'm looking forward to it. The MK2 and racecar and family just have me too busy to mess around with so many needy beasts.