Improve Your Retardation

Well, that is what servicing your brakes is all about. 

It was a busy weekend, with the radiator cleaning and a full brake run through.

Surprisingly, the brake parts are very affordable, $280 for pads and rotors all around. I got them at vertex auto.

The rotors came with the caps painted which is a nice extra that saved a few hours time taping and painting to avoid the rust. A cosmetic issue, but no one likes to see rust poking out from behind the Porsche design 17s. 

The brake change process is sooooo easy. The hardest part is removing the pad sensors without damaging them. Something best done with a steady hand and a very small set of needle nose pliers. Get a good grip, and pull straight out. I took my time and the whole process took me three hours. You could do it one hour if a gun was to your head. Or not, as a gun to the head might make some mechanics a bit nervous. 

That is an impact screw driver in the pic, about the only special tool you might need to remove the screws that hold the disc on while you are doing the job. I borrowed it from my neighbor who races a vintage dragster powered by a flathead with a 2-speed powerglide. Cool.

You certainly do not need instructions for this job but this gentleman has a super thorough write - up. 

Note, even I think the matching jack and jack stands is tacky. But they were on a good sale a few years ago.

Craigslist Gem

Preformance you say. And I can save how much weight? 198lbs. Wow, that is more than the original weighed. And certainly this is a rare piece as it came from a 1986 911SC. And of course, like all exhausts, it adds 25HP. I hope it is still available when I call.

Snossberries, taste like snossberries...

I really need to order up some miracle fruit. It has in it miraculin which binds with taste buds for up to two hours and makes any thing you eat taste sweet. Yep, bite into a lemon and it tastes like lemonade. Miraculous indeed. Now only if it worked on my office coffee.

So ugly it's cool

Available at cannillo motorsports. 

A 1978 Lotus Eclat. The famous 907 engine powering it. A mint interior. Check out the aluminum wheels. And room for four. Massive street cred if you can pull this car off. And the price? Only $8k. If only I had a spare 8k. The wife does not want to give up her Audi so we can get this.

What car are you driving? Oh I see.

Gratuitous badging is something I am not a fan of. My Boxster has actually had the badges deleted, and really, the design of the car lets everyone know what type of car it is. 

At least there are not any Porsche shield decals on the doors like I have seen. If that is what you are after, I suggest a Ferrari. 

I imagine there is also a vanity plate. Shouldn't the name "vanity plate" scare any potential buyer of one of these away? What other item would you buy with the word vanity in it that was appropriate besides a mirror? Vanity pants. Vanity hats. Vanity burrito. 

911SC photos

Some nice weather inspired me to go out and practice shooting some motion blur shots so the next time I do an article I can set them up quickly. Makes the car look like we were going around 80MPH when it was actually going about 2MPH. Ahh, the effects of long exposure. And if you want all the info you can handle on photos check out kenrockwell.com He is a wealth of tips for the beginner or pro alike.

Craigslist Gem

WTF? It is so hard to get published but these gems found their way into print. How did they do it? And how many people make their own wreaths? Don't you just go to Pier 1 or something and pick up one of the dusty things?

And the idea of a whole book dedicated to drying flowers in the microwave is just wrong. "Hun, you can't warm up your Hungry Man right now, I'm drying some roses to make a wreath to lay on Aunt(pronounced ant) Joleen's casket tomorrow."

And love the particle board backdrop. Very rustic and kountry kitsch in it's own right.

Craigslist Gem

Who does not love an ad that begins with a description of the lifestyle one can lead if they just owned this particular automobile?

This 911 is a pure hodge podge. I pity the next owner.

Consider the Boxster

The Boxster.

You've heard the good and bad. The condescending dismissal by many loyal to the Porsche Brand. The praise by the motoring press, albeit always with a request for more power.

I have finally taken possession of a Boxster. And I find it to be one of the most delightful cars I have ever owned or ridden in. And I chose the word 'delightful' carefully.

Let me first say, I do not think it needs more power. It does not need more power at all. With all our traffic and congestion more power is frustrating. It is like bringing a Marlin kit to go catch Snapper Blues from a bridge. Useless. I think the 201HP give the car something most don't understand, balance. The melding of chassis and brakes and gears and engine. The car I sold, the 951, to get this Boxster was not balanced. It drove like a Yugo around town and only on an open stretch of freeway could it deliver it's Thor hammer of torque. And although it had Brembo brakes that were quite the thing in 1986 it's brakes are, inadequate.

But, back to the Boxster. Mine is a 1999 in Polar Silver with Metropol blue top and leather. A bit different than the usual color combinations which is a nice bonus. It has 70k miles on the clock but a tick under 20k on a replacement engine installed in 2004. Yes, this car did have several engine issues(slipped liners, RMS, intermediate shaft, etc.) which caused a far bit of them to blow up. But the replacement engines had all updates and have proven to be rock solid. So the engine in mine is quite elastic and solid, pulls strongly all the way to the red hash marks on the tach making a unique sound all the way.

The gearbox is sweet and easy. The brakes, more than up to the task. The interior is simple and informative. There are no cupholders, which there should not be. It is a sports car. The top is a snip to put up or down. The luggage capacity is David Blaine magical. It is a complete package.

And the final point. The value. For $13k - $15k dollars you too can own one. A good one. With records, and if lucky a new engine. And I do not think that you will ever see a good Boxster fall much farther in value, they are just too good. And although they did make a lot of them, there are a lot of people who want them.

Call me a hairdresser. A poseur. A yuppie. A whathaveyouthatdoesnotunderstand. Then get behind the wheel and be honest with your self. That being the hard part. Day in and out. The Boxster is something special.

Craigslist Gem

Leave it up to CL to have some of the most "entertaining" posters trying to sell cars. Whenever I'm bored I spend a few minutes viewing CL and I am totally rejuvenated. Some of the best automotive fiction written, besides my own. 

Thank goodness there were no pictures. I don't think I could have taken the awesomeness of a red to gold paint job on a 911. Contact info removed to protect the poster. 

1976 Porsche 911 Widebody - $12,000

This car runs great. I had a custom pearl paint job put on that goes from red to god. Also i have had all the engine work done. There is a new clutch with less than 1000 miles, a new starter, and alternater. There are 79,000 on car. If you are interested in this call and ask for billy.

House for charity

Bird houses that is. This is my project for the Denver Botanic Gardens birdhouses for charity. If it makes more than the $16 it cost me to make, that is great, it goes to a good cause. Plants.

Third 951 is gone

Ok. After only a year of ownership I decided to sell my third 951. It was by far the nicest one I ever owned. Very tight. Only 18k on a rebuilt motor. Plus, it was the classic 80's icon in Red sitting on Fuchs. Went to an enthusiast in Indiana. Hopefully he had the chance to exploit it's 150+MPH potential on the drive east from Denver.