Menoporsche Posted February 14, 2022 Report Share Posted February 14, 2022 Well, as we are now all forced to justify our own choices, from a thread title where a member wants us to psychoanalyse his own mind... I wanted the most fun 2-seat convertible I could afford. Was going to be a Caterham but realised I needed something a bit safer in Portugal. Was going to be a 986, then there were horror stories about IMS and this had been addressed in the 987, so I went for that. Of course I got the 3.4 before the bore-score stories started. The 987.2 was just coming out with its new engine but it would have been almost double the price, and for what I knew would be driven hardly at all it wasn't worth the extra 25k. So I got mine. Wanted silver as it would be least work, then the crazy orange came up and with a couple of brave pills I bought it. Never regretted it. I don't remember being particularly fussed about headlights or dash layout at the time. In fact as I'd never seen inside one I didn't even know about the dash. I don't think the 6/7 is a particularly attractive car with its uncertainty of direction that the 981 eventually sorted. I just wanted a damn fun convertible. I drove a 981 a couple of times since. I notice one sits lower and is a bit more protected, decreasing again (986-987-981) the sensation of speed, so I really don't feel the need to get one. If it was my daily commuter - maybe. So back to the original question. Why does the 987 do nothing for you? I don't know, and don't care. You do you and I genuinely hope you enjoy it, as we all do on here. We all poke each other with manual/tip/PDK, S or not, 6/7/1/8, 6-4cyl, heated seats (not for Real Men), etc and I hope no-one ever takes it seriously. Just don't put red rim tape on it, please.... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daboy3000 Posted February 14, 2022 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2022 2 minutes ago, Menoporsche said: Well, as we are now all forced to justify our own choices, from a thread title where a member wants us to psychoanalyse his own mind... Please let me know when the couch is available. I do hope people realise there is no wrong or right, no need to get upset if people don't like the look of a car. For me it was just a discussion on why I am not a fan of how a 987 looks whereas pretty much any other Porsche will normally do "it" for me. I'm sure many people would choose a Countach over a Gallardo, I know I would and Countachs are meant to be pretty rubbish to drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menoporsche Posted February 14, 2022 Report Share Posted February 14, 2022 35 minutes ago, Daboy3000 said: Please let me know when the couch is available. What, for this place? You're at the back of a looooong queue... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iborguk Posted February 14, 2022 Report Share Posted February 14, 2022 3 minutes ago, Menoporsche said: What, for this place? You're at the back of a looooong queue... So close, yet sofa. 1 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
½cwt Posted February 14, 2022 Report Share Posted February 14, 2022 2 hours ago, Daboy3000 said: The GT1 is the reason why the Boxster has it's lights. I just wish they were deambered from the start. I'm not a massive fan of the orange, have always done my best to remove it from any car, but something is telling me to stay original with this 986, which is hard as my car has already got clear sides and backs!! Easy, buy one with Litronics and then it is de-ambered as factory spec! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daboy3000 Posted February 14, 2022 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2022 27 minutes ago, ½cwt said: Easy, buy one with Litronics and then it is de-ambered as factory spec! I don;t think it's that simple. Don't you need auto levelers etc? Also at £1000+ my money is better spent......... Anywhere! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
map Posted February 14, 2022 Report Share Posted February 14, 2022 (edited) 3 hours ago, Daboy3000 said: The GT1 is the reason why the Boxster has it's lights. I just wish they were deambered from the start. Am happy to be corrected but I didn't think that was the case. The GT1 has its roots in 993 and initially used that model's round headlight - or something close to it. As the GT1 program developed its design was updated to ensure ongoing compliance with the GT1 regs of the time. This was, I think, the EVO version. Commercially it also needed to resemble the 911 of the day using the head and tail light aesthetic of the 996 and therefore the 986 headlights. Am a bit of a Porsche GT1 fan having had a customer that prepped and raced two of them back in the day. Whenever they were going to fire one of them up I'd get a call so I could scurry round to witness a weaponised 911 literally shaking an industrial unit by its foundations. Edited February 14, 2022 by map Typo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daboy3000 Posted February 14, 2022 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2022 23 minutes ago, map said: Am happy to be corrected but I didn't think that was the case. The GT1 has its roots in 993 and initially used that model's round headlight - or something close to it. As the GT1 program developed its design was updated to ensure ongoing compliance with the GT1 regs of the time. This was, I think, the EVO version. Commercially it also needed to resemble the 911 of the day using the head and tail light aesthetic of the 996 and therefore the 986 headlights. Am a bit of a Porsche GT1 fan having had a customer that prepped and raced two of them back in the day. Whenever they were going to fire one of them up I'd get a call so I could scurry round to witness a weaponised 911 literally shaking an industrial unit by its foundations. Ah, well, I wasn't far off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
½cwt Posted February 14, 2022 Report Share Posted February 14, 2022 1 hour ago, Daboy3000 said: I don;t think it's that simple. Don't you need auto levelers etc? Also at £1000+ my money is better spent......... Anywhere! I meant buy a car equipped with Litronics as a factory option. Litronic head lamp units do not have the amber even on older cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daboy3000 Posted February 14, 2022 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2022 4 minutes ago, ½cwt said: I meant buy a car equipped with Litronics as a factory option. Litronic head lamp units do not have the amber even on older cars. LOL, I paid £1500 for my car. Great idea, funds do not allow. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ol' Shatterhand Posted February 14, 2022 Report Share Posted February 14, 2022 (edited) 7 minutes ago, ½cwt said: I meant buy a car equipped with Litronics as a factory option. Litronic head lamp units do not have the amber even on older cars. I think pre-facelift 986.1 cars that had Litronics had the amber on them, and jet washers and everything. You could always buy clears and cover the lower sections in orange film, if going for an amber look. Easier than an 'amberectomy' when going from amber to clear without replacing the headlight units... In any case, a pair of ambers is only £150 on ebay, compared to £600 for clears. Edited February 14, 2022 by Ol' Shatterhand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
½cwt Posted February 14, 2022 Report Share Posted February 14, 2022 1 hour ago, map said: Am happy to be corrected but I didn't think that was the case. The GT1 has its roots in 993 and initially used that model's round headlight - or something close to it. As the GT1 program developed its design was updated to ensure ongoing compliance with the GT1 regs of the time. This was, I think, the EVO version. Commercially it also needed to resemble the 911 of the day using the head and tail light aesthetic of the 996 and therefore the 986 headlights. Am a bit of a Porsche GT1 fan having had a customer that prepped and raced two of them back in the day. Whenever they were going to fire one of them up I'd get a call so I could scurry round to witness a weaponised 911 literally shaking an industrial unit by its foundations. Quite right, the 1996 original was based on 993 looks with round lights, the 1997 EVO was 996 based reflecting the look of the 996 head lights and the GT1/98 had another iteration of light design. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
½cwt Posted February 14, 2022 Report Share Posted February 14, 2022 (edited) 11 minutes ago, Ol' Shatterhand said: I think pre-facelift 986.1 cars that had Litronics had the amber on them, and jet washers and everything. You could always buy clears and cover the lower sections in orange film, if going for an amber look. Easier than an 'amberectomy' when going from amber to clear without replacing the headlight units... In any case, a pair of ambers is only £150 on ebay, compared to £600 for clears. Based on my 2000 car with Litronics, I beg to differ. The part catalogue supports this as there is only one set of part numbers for LHD and on for RHD Litronics whereas standard lights have up to '02 and '03 onwards for LHD and RHD. Edited February 14, 2022 by ½cwt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ol' Shatterhand Posted February 14, 2022 Report Share Posted February 14, 2022 And another thing: some people complain about the push-me pull-me looks of both the 986 and 987, that is to say, facetiously, that the front looks too much like the back. While I also like the more modern, wedgier aesthetic of the Carrera GT, 981 and 982, I don't understand this particular criticism for the older cars, given that nobody complains about it when commenting on the looks of the original 550 and 718 racing cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ol' Shatterhand Posted February 14, 2022 Report Share Posted February 14, 2022 7 minutes ago, ½cwt said: Unless someone spent a lot of money on updating my 2000 car, I beg to differ. The part catalogue supports this as there is only one set of part numbers for LHD and on for RHD Litronics whereas standard lights have up to '02 and '03 onwards for LHD and RHD. I stand corrected. You could get ambers with washer jets, but they were not Litronics. Just ugly. Only the Americans are allowed to run HIDs without the ugly washer jets, and they can even legally modify their old halogen lights to retrofit projector lenses and HID bulbs. Oh well, at least we don't have to run on 93 Octane fuel... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John K Posted February 18, 2022 Report Share Posted February 18, 2022 It's down to what you like. There are lots of different models, so buy what you like Personally I wouldn't drive any Pork with the Fried Egg headlights, but others rave about them. For me the LED rear lights on the 987.2 made me clutch my bits There's nowt so queer as folk... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxsum Posted February 24, 2022 Report Share Posted February 24, 2022 At the end of the day however you look at it the 986/996 were designed and built on a shoe string to meet production needs and save a rapidly failing company. It clearly shows in the build quality and materials used. By the time the 987 was produced there was a lot more money to spend on refining what was already the start of a great car and get back on track to what Porsche owners really want. For many those poor shut lines, build quality matched with cheap materials make the 986 raw and special, alongside its basic/analog technology. That’s why I bought one, plus there cheap🤣 The only thing I actually dislike about the 987 is the door handles. One thing to hold onto as a 986 owner is there unlikely to ever produce another Porsche in the future with the fried egg headlights! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edc Posted February 24, 2022 Report Share Posted February 24, 2022 If you look at Mercs and BMWs of the same period the 986 I think is better than them for build quality and longevity so the often slated cutting costs mantra I'm not sure holds true. Of course cost is important and they were only just improving their efficiency with parts sharing when other manufacturers had been doing this plus platform sharing for some time. In this regards Porsche was behind the curve. People rave about the air cooled and their build quality but if your idea of quality is a forever leaky engine and a top end rebuild as standard and plenty of welding like sills on an MX5 then people have rose tinted glasses. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishcrx Posted March 18, 2022 Report Share Posted March 18, 2022 The 987 is a great car and for sure it's more refined and well tweaked than the original 986 , I considered one when buying and test drove two but ended up choosing a 986 S in launch colours - it just stood for something , it was a turning point , it was a beginning and I dunno I just loved the car. I know people have the headlight concern with the 986 but I'm a man who loves the Alfa 166 original front end for the same reason it's just unique , side profile for me on the 986 wins over the 987 the way the vents sit into the car just give is a more natural and aggressive stance , I'm not mad on what they did on the 987 vents. Driving wise , I love how raw the 986 is when I get into the car it's just me , the car and the road no fancy gadgets here , very little assists , no cruise control , original radio and a great M96 soundtrack with a PSE rear...If I want 'more modern' or refined I can get in my family Cupra ...when I take out the 986 I don't want that I want to drive...and for me the 986 wins on this, if anything happened my one I'd buy another 986. But the 987 and following generations are all fantastic cars in their own right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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