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@KevM79 - if this substitution doesn't create any unexpected/undesirable outcomes then you may have personally saved a bunch of people some horrendous spend in the future.

Please keep us posted on any wrinkles that emerge.

Good. Work. Sir.

@Chase27

Having lived in London until December last year I might be able to shed some light on this having wrestled with it for four cars:

My 2001 registered 986S manual is not liable for the ULEZ tax.

The car is not Euro4 compliant.

It is in fact a 2002 chassis.

The reason mine is ULEZ free is because the NOx emission (or whichever gas is the baddie today) is recorded as lower than the relevant ULEZ threshold.

So if a 04 plate car is compliant and another isn't it could well be that they are different chassis/engine/transmission versions or configurations or that the specific vehicle and it's factory options push the NOx (or whatever) levels over the threshold.

The emissions levels for your specific car are covered in the V# Emissions section of the V5.  This is a good time to make sure your V5 is accurate.....

If your petrol engined car is not Euro4 then check the ULEZ relevant V# figure on your V5 and if it is below the threshold then go back to ULEZ Enforcement and request that they reassess based on this number. 

12 hours ago, daz05 said:

All I can tell you is that they provide a softer ride and they feel more squidgy (is that a term) when I drive than the p zeros. I think that is because the sidewall is softer.

To be clear to everyone I am not questioning that there is a difference in ride quality between the tyres and am certainly not doubting anyone's ability to detect and drive to this delta.

The element I'm raising is this:  

What feels like a softer ride may not be because the tyre's side wall is less stiff but might in fact be because it is 'more stiff' which allows the suspension to work properly.  

With my own tweaked 986 (custom KW motorsport coilovers), the road ride is noticeably more compliant on Toyo R888R compared to PS2 using same damping rates - the R888R has obviously stiffer side walls.  On either tyre the car has a comfortable* but controlled ride.

So in this use case stiffer side walls provide a softer - although far from squidgy - ride.

Why don't I use R888R instead of the PS2?  

Simple: The R888R has a wet handling rating of "E" and when the PS2 is a "B" there's no question of using the Toyo on a near daily driver.

*comfortable which surprises most people given the car's setup ...

44 minutes ago, GTSMarky said:

The difference in grip and feel (so sidewall compliance I'd include in that) just between the P Zero N0 & N1 was significant.  I'm sure another manufacturer's tyre is even more noticeable.

Of course, we agree - I wasn't suggesting otherwise merely raising the point covered immediately above which is that a softer ride may not be due to softer side walls.

23 hours ago, daz05 said:

I find the PS4S ride a bit better than the P zeros they are definitely softer.

Does this mean you are saying that the PS4S gives you a better ride than the PZero because the PS4S is “softer” than the Pirelli?

If so I’m not sure this is necessarily the case.  Stiffer tyre sidewalls allow the suspension to work properly.  It maybe that the PS4S is not the “softer” tyre in this sense. 

1 hour ago, Bluepork03 said:

Had mine in to CPS today for a full service, MOT and 4 wheel alignment following the B6 struts being replaced a couple of weeks ago. Excellent service once again from @CotswoldPS and the car is feeling as good as I was hoping it would.

👏

38 minutes ago, Bluepork03 said:

Swapped the rear struts out for B6s. Took longer than the fronts as expected,  but less grief from the top nuts.

Now needs a proper alignment. 

👏

9 hours ago, Bluepork03 said:

Changed the front struts (assumed original) for Bilstein B6s. Will have a go at the rears tomorrow.

Good work Sir!

18 hours ago, Minirock said:

Easy to install.

only issue is the driver side Window is  small gap and giving alot of road noise? Any way to adjust?

Not sure if you’re asking about adjusting the window - if you are I wouldn’t because you’ll get the reverse of the problem when you use the soft top again. 

What I’d look at is moving the hardtop window seal away from the hardtop a little further towards the window edge and seeing if that closes closes the gap. 

8 minutes ago, Minirock said:

Tried on my new roof

Haven’t seen one of those in a good while. Think they were produced by a company in the West Country. 

How was it to install?

What’s it like when you’re driving?

Imagine the windows behind your shoulder give some useful visibility. 

BTW - I think the 986 looks better with the wheels’ outer edges closer the the arch.

@Christopher2110 - 👍

Whilst I cannot comprehend the mathematics but “get” the effect I understand that spacers do affect the Scrub Radius for a given suspension design - excess spacing will seriously c*ck it up. 

As I understand it spacers under acceleration/braking loads will essentially alter toe in/toe out - depending on suspension design. 

**If I’ve got this explanation materially wrong please do correct it**

Given toe settings will change the way a car handles the perceived benefit of spacers is possibly equally deliverable with a geo configured accordingly. 

As toe settings are measured in very, very, very little bits of something or other I can imagine a 10mm spacer (for example) could have a dramatic effect on perceived handling. 

For the record I run 5mm spacers all round for track wheel clearance reasons and my geometry has been dialled in accordingly. 

Lockdown has slowed the move from Winter to Rest of Year Config.

After removing the RTS and skis then the hardtop at the start of Lockdown the only thing left to swap was my knob:

Winter:

Rest of Year:

This doesn’t turn into a “Trial by Ordeal” when the sun’s been on it for a while. 

That and the nod to the 917 makes it a worthwhile tweak. 

26 minutes ago, the baron said:

Thats probably because yours.if you added up how much you have spent on your 986  would be in excess of £29k 😂

Man maths aside.

Er if we take £29,000 and divide that across the number of years I’ve been the custodian of my 986 I think we’ll find I’m there or thereabouts at the £2k per annum suggested by this very forum as a reasonable budget to run a 986. 

So my ownership approach must represent a near optimal model....

🤔

20 minutes ago, Mr96er said:

.......I’d not be tempted myself as for half the money you could build twice the car. But that’s if your not after something “original”, rather something “purposeful” 😈

This 👆 100%

👏

Yes they’re plenty of money compared to an average 986 - I for one am glad they did them - not because I’m a buyer but because it raises the profile of the 986. 

I like the fact they didn’t slavishly go for an as factory resto, the paint is - to my eye - a great colour on that shape. 

A 986 donor with a short block rebuild and all the other stuff they’ve done would see you above £20k pretty quickly. 

Would I swap mine for one of these? No but I can see why someone would purchase something like this. 

Who knows - owning one might get you on the list for something very interesting in the coming years......

Might be missing something in terms of adjustable arms and a 986 but here goes......

Standard car - Yes

OE/OEM components - Yes

Aligns to factory tolerances - No 

The answer to this conundrum may not be adjustable parts but could be revealed in the answer to another question. 

That question might be: “Why won’t this bolt up and align to standard?”

Please just ask and critically answer that question before adding adjustable bits and pieces.

Blew out some cobwebs and used the Boxster to go and look at one of the things I’ll be driving in due course - part of work project I’m developing  

Case Tractor QuadTrac - it’s quite big. 

The 986 pottered along quite nicely - the engine’s freeing up, is now very responsive with some useful punch.

Also updated my mental list of Tweaks To Do:

10 hours ago, V6reu said:

Do you need Porsche diag to program them not to lock ? 

Porsche Workshop diag tool or Durametic - there’s a map for forum members with a Durametric who are able to help folk needing to recode/enable/diagnose.

Have a search for that thread and see if there’s anyone near you - think it may even be a “sticky”.

Took the hardtop off. 

A little bit like having a “new” car. 

11 minutes ago, the baron said:

Probably best not to wash the old girl as you will discover all sorts of nasties that you've not seen before, first time wash in 3yrs, your car is all about the hidden gems, in the engine and gearbox etc.😂🤣😂🤣

🤣🤣🤣

Too late it’s been “sorta washed” and you’re right there’s all sorts lurking beneath several protective strata of road grime. 

Seriously reckon the only panels that are OK (at best) are the boot lid and clamshell.  Every other bit of bodywork carries the wear marks of something that gets used - a lot. 

But having used it to go and do isolation care with my vulnerable Father-in-Law earlier today I was reminded - forcibly - about the “hidden gems”.

Such wonderful cars. 

12 minutes ago, Boxob said:

Akin to Samson having a haircut! 

🤣🤣🤣

Indeed - would have been a really bad haircut too with bits missed and all sorts of shoddiness....

I sort of washed it. 

30 minutes ago, edc said:

It will be interesting to see if it makes a real difference to power. 

Indeed - not really sure how to quantitively measure any impact.  

Pretty certain that on a dyno it will impede things as instinctively the OE opening is better for the relatively still air in a cell.  Once the car's moving I would hope it's more effective pulling in air than the "lip" on the leading edge of the OE opening.

If anyone's got access to a wind tunnel with a dyno sat in the middle of it or the ability to run some Fluid Dynamics wizardry over the setup I'd be happy to see what difference it makes - if any.

Decided to trial fit “Joe Toth” air scoop to engine intake side duct. 

It’s been in my stash for over a year so thought I’d see how it fits and looks.

Confirmed that it’ll be sprayed body colour on the outside and possibly on the inner face too. 

The door mirror sticks out more than this and once it’s body colour it’ll be less obvious. 

May well install using Dzus fasteners so that I can choose when I run the car with it attached. 

Ultimately this will feed a tweaked intake system so the idea is that it pulls more air into that from the flow along the side of the car. 

May be nonsense in performance terms and almost certainly polarising in regards to opinions. 

Car hasn’t been washed in a while - probably get done late Autumn. 

7 hours ago, ½cwt said:

 Unfortunately I don't have a spare console so it is a one time decision.

Have an interior trim bundle available which would allow you to colour code your console, vents and some elements of the door trim: