Bradders59

Tried driving my 2.7 for economy the last couple of days. Approx. 100 miles almost always on single carriageway roads.

Managed to achieve 33.1mpg, which I think is more than respectable for a car like that.

It did get a bit boring after a while though. 🙄

Plugged in my newly acquired icarsoft v.2 and turned off the airbag light.

It has stayed off, so presumably a hangover from a previous fault. 

Had a light pop up on the dash last night. Apparently its brake pad wear warning light.

Had a feel of the pads and reckon they will probably be ok for another year, so plan on ignoring the light.

Yeah, "but thats not the point, thats different." 😄

The long icy silence. 😂

4 hours ago, iborguk said:

No personal experience, others have been happy with the service from AutoStrasse, at Coggeshall

https://autostrasse.co

Same here. Ive heard good reports about Autostrasse Coggeshall (who are 10 minutes away from me) including my brother in law who took his ex Topbox 987.2 there about a week ago. Very pleased with their work and said prices were also very reasonable. 

I have no knowledge of the one the OP has linked to unfortunately. 

Which specialist in Essex did you contact ?

Took the wife for a drive to the garden centre in it today.

This may sound insignificant, but it isnt. Its the first time she has voluntarily travelled in it since I got it 18 months ago.

The only other time was when she was taken into hospital last year with suspected Buttercup, and was released that evening.

I was at work with the Boxster and had to pop out to pick her up and take her home , so she didnt have much choice.

When we travel in the other car in hot weather she always wants the windows open rather than  A/C on, so today I suggested it would be nice to take the Boxster with the roof down,she agreed straight away, much to my surprise.

Previous response was always "its your mid life crisis, dont involve me in it". 😂

Now weve done it once...........😜

Fitted a new battery. Hopefully that will be it for a while as my other two cars need some time and money spent on them.

More likely to be the linkage it attaches to being seized in my opinion. Disconnect the cable at both ends and see if the inner cable moves freely.

If it doesnt might as well fit a new one, they arent expensive.

If it does the linkage at the wheel end probably needs dismantling, cleaning and a bit of copper grease. 

Washed and dried it. Gave the roof the Milton fluid treatment. Then gave the roof a coat of Fabsil.

Look much better now. In fact Ive felt unfeasibly happy all day and keep looking out the window at the lovely looking roof. 

I know, Im a very sad man. 😂

If it stood for a couple of years the fuel will be very stale. If your lucky, draining it and putting fresh fuel in might work. May need the whole fuel system cleaning through from pump to injectors.

Could it be there to simply let water drain away ?

Ive seen it on lots of different cars. 

If your patient, take your time and dont jump in feet first with  the first one you view you can get a lovely example for that budget.

As an example, my brother in law wanted a Boxster but only in a certain colour scheme, both exterior and interior.

I thought he would wait until the twelfth of never to find it, but a couple of months later this beauty popped up on this forum and he bought it.

The colour scheme is exactly what he wanted, and apart from that its a superb example.

Just to finish this off. When the new shoes and cable arrived, it was obvious they had sent me the wrong shoes, so I sent them back for a refund.

Happy enough, as I didnt really need them anyway.

Fitted a thick washer over the end of the cable spigot to take up the slack from the material I had filed off the end of the guide tube.

Put it all back together and adjusted it at the wheel and then at the lever.

Popped down this morning and got a years ticket, so alls well that ends well.

Now fully legal and looking forward to a summer of fun. 

Having been driven as a passenger in Topbox,s 2.9 just before my brother in law bought it, my opinion is that the 2.9 is plenty quick enough for public roads.

I think Ive found the problem, prompted by what @Guy Wilkinson posted.

Last time I had things apart in that areas, I noticed the alloy guide tube for the cable, which goes into the rear of the backplate, was corroded and uneven at the end, so if filed it down so it was nice and level again.

I imagine this has shortened the tube slightly, which is effectively the same as lengthening the cable. 

If the new cable and shoes dont make up the difference I will fit one or two thick washers over the ferrule on the end of the cable to pull the cable back out slightly to where it should be. 

If I had realised this before ordering the new cable and shoes I wouldnt have bothered ordering the new ones, but they aren a great amount of money, so  no real harm done.

Its a bit patchy here on the Essex Suffolk border too. When Im driving to work (near Maldon, its great as soon as I approach the A12 southbound at Kelvedon. 

5 hours ago, Guy Wilkinson said:

Someone had a problem with aluminium corrosion on the aluminium “tower” on the hub causing the steel shim to catch before the shoes.

Is the guide tube in the back of the hub ok, mine was on its last legs when I replaced the NS hub.

deffo replace shoes anyway while you're in there

This was the kind of info I was seeking. Not obvious but something to check on ,just in case. Thanks.

Decided yesterday to replace the shoes, even though it may not be necessary. They arent expensive, but are one possible reason for a weak handbrake.

Better to change them while Im doing the cable, than have the possibility of another MOT failure and then pay another fifty quid for a retest.

5 hours ago, ½cwt said:

If you go into the bottom of the cubby you can lift the cover at the bottom (Torx 20 or 25 screw IIRC) and you will then see the handbrake cables.  If you work the handbrake lever you will see whether both cables are being pulled evenly by the mechanism or if there is some asymmetry.

Ok, I see what you mean now .I was in there yesterday to adjust the cable a little bit, after doing adjustment at the wheel. Didnt notice anything amiss, but will have a closer look today.

Thanks.

I think so, although Im not sure I would notice if it wasnt. Any idea what I would look for ?

Sorry if thats a dumb question.

Last year was my first year with the Boxster and although it passed the MOT It had quite a few advisories.

I addressed these as Ive had time apart from the rear discs  being past their best, which I plan to do in the near future.

Took it for the MOT yesterday reasonably confident it would pass with only an advisory on rear discs.

It only went and failed on handbrake very weak on the offside.

No advisories apart from the expected one on rear discs worn / pitted.

The handbrake felt ok to me, and holds the car fine on my sloping driveway, but the machine it said no.

Ive dismantled the o/s rear brakes this morning to try and find out why with limited success. Linkage seemed a bit stiff so cleaned it up and applied a little copper grease to pivots.

adjusted the shoe adjuster, cleaned up the shoes, adjusted the cable a bit more inside the car, but still not a lot of handbrake effect on that side.

I can only imagine the cable is stretched so Ive ordered a new cable along with a new set of shoes, as I might as well changed them while Im in there.

Hopefully they will arrive, get fitted and solve the problem in time for me to get it rested without having to pay out another £50 test fee just for the sake of a weak handbrake. 

Can anyone think of anything I might have missed when trying to solve this ?

Tia.

Bradders.

Thats Witchcraft that is ! 😂

Had a PAS pressure pipe made up at a local hydraulic specialist for £40. It was a bit awkward to fit, but got it on there and seems to be oil tight, which is more than can be said for the one it replaced.

Gave it a wash and taxed it. Planning on driving it to work tonight, probably with a bit of Bad Company on the stereo.

Has been off the road since late last year so............Happy days are here again. 😎😀

On 5/24/2022 at 8:47 AM, TROOPER88 said:

I only read briefly but is this a drop link?

If so you can run an angle grinder with a metal cutting disc down the back of the shock and cut the drop link bolt in half. They will then tap out.

I have done this a few times and is very effective.

Its free ! Thanks mainly to TROOPER88 suggestion. Sliced through  the bolt as suggested, then a bit of heat around the area with a blowtorch to be sure. A few whacks with a lump hammer and it popped out. 

Very relieved after previously faffing around for hours and getting a nice collection of cuts and bruises for my trouble.

Many thanks.