Crash's Cars

[Harry6784]

Doing anything this summer?

Looks amazing, Highway 101's been on my list for a while, views are spectacular and loads of twisties. I was actually planning a trip like this for this summer as sort of a graduation present to myself. Good to see that roads are just as amazing as I hoped

Do you know if Laguna Seca do track days?

 

[Crash]

Doing anything this summer?

Looks amazing, Highway 101's been on my list for a while, views are spectacular and loads of twisties. I was actually planning a trip like this for this summer as sort of a graduation present to myself. Good to see that roads are just as amazing as I hoped

Do you know if Laguna Seca do track days?

You should absolutely do it. The drive is incredible and worth every mile. At the very least, if not down the coast, give yourself a graduation present and travel/explore somewhere!

Laguna Seca does do track days on the days that is not closed for races/private events, though it's more outside track day organizations that rent the track and run it instead of Laguna Seca themselves. Those track day groups have quite a bit of requirements though, like you have to have previous track experience and have tech inspection done, much of the usual, so if you plan on doing it, make sure to read the rules in detail. You don't want to get there and not be able to run.

Let me know if you have any questions about planning/logistics of a road trip down the coast.

 

[Harry6784]

You should absolutely do it. The drive is incredible and worth every mile. At the very least, if not down the coast, give yourself a graduation present and travel/explore somewhere!

Laguna Seca does do track days on the days that is not closed for races/private events, though it's more outside track day organizations that rent the track and run it instead of Laguna Seca themselves. Those track day groups have quite a bit of requirements though, like you have to have previous track experience and have tech inspection done, much of the usual, so if you plan on doing it, make sure to read the rules in detail. You don't want to get there and not be able to run.

Let me know if you have any questions about planning/logistics of a road trip down the coast.

Ah, better get some track experience before then... though there's not really any "real" tracks around here. Wonder if autocross counts?

Also when did you make the trip? Looks like traffic wasn't an issue, just wondering if the time of year could play a part in the amount of cars on the road. Nothing spoils a good road like a line RV's stuck in front of you

 

[Crash]

Ah, better get some track experience before then... though there's not really any "real" tracks around here. Wonder if autocross counts?

Also when did you make the trip? Looks like traffic wasn't an issue, just wondering if the time of year could play a part in the amount of cars on the road. Nothing spoils a good road like a line RV's stuck in front of you

Autocross doesn't count. You'll have to really stretch their definitions to make autocross count. HPDE counts. Do it with BMW CCA/PCA/AROC/Audi Club or a school like ProFormance or at The Ridge or down at PIR.

I made the trip in late-August/early-September timeframe. Traffic generally wasn't an issue, there were certainly times when we got held up by a slow car, but after a little bit of following them, most people got the message and moved over or a passing zone emerged . There was only one time where one car sat there and held up something like 10-15 cars for an half hour before pulling off (and yes, I counted). We didn't really run into many RVs. I imagine there will be more in the height of the summer season in July through mid August.

The time that we went I think worked out really well; it was starting to cool, and temperature along the coast was very reasonable. The only time it got hot was in Paso Robles when it hit 100+ degrees. The campsites we stayed at were still fairly busy, but there were generally a few open spots left. Also, when we went, kids were starting to go back to school, so a lot of those folks who would have been vacationing down the coast has already gone home. As you roll into fall, the amount of people vacationing and on the road should start decreasing.

 

[Hayden]

Thanks for the great write up and pictures @Crash, sounds like it was a fantastic trip! I really enjoyed reading that! 👍

 

[Crash]

There's been some changes to my garage and my cars, and those changes are ongoing. The first change so far is that I bought this a couple of weeks ago:

​

1999 Toyota 4Runner Limited V6 4WD, with ~190000 miles.

All options checked: leather, moonroof, tow package, rear diff locker. Some of the common issues have been addressed recently, and there's no rust in the undercarriage. Some rock chips and cosmetic scuffs consistent with a 15 year old, 190k mile car, but all visible panels are VIN matching, it drove straight, felt tight, 4WD system works, engine sounded and felt healthy, and there's a trailer brake system already installed. Unfortunately, it didn't come with a ton of records, but there are some and the original window sticker did come with the car and that's a first for me!

Having driven it for a few hundred miles, I'm starting to get used to a truck. The 4Runner pitches and rolls through the corners, and gets up to speed slowly. Despite this being a truck, I'll admit that I'm still using the gas pedal generously, and thus I'm getting some pretty bad gas mileage. The ride is well, like a truck; it crashes and bucks over grooves in the pavement and potholes, and tire noise and wind noise are loud, but it does have the aerodynamics of a brick. The seats are merely ok. The buttons on the center HVAC panel is maddeningly just out of reach while some of the buttons don't light up with the headlights, so I had to explore for them in the morning darkness. The steering is slow and vague, but boy is it fun to sit way up high and drive through all the bumps and holes in the road as if they don't exist. And in the more reasonable practicality department, I've already used it to move some large item stuff that I wouldn't be able to move with my other cars, using the truck for what it's really for.

--

I've been looking for one of these for the past few months as the replacement for the E30 (which is for sale right now). With the M5 being as much car and as competent in so many things as it is, it just doesn't make a ton of sense to have another very similar car, which led to me either getting a SUV/truck or to get a full blown sports car/collectible. I had toyed with the idea of purchasing something impractical and expensive, but frankly, it really isn't a particularly good idea even if feasible. A SUV is the significantly cheaper, more logical and practical choice, given that I now have the option to haul things and to go exploring off the beaten path. So here we are.

 

[Crash]

One Last Ride.​

​

Farewell.​

​

 

[Kitten]

One Last Ride.​

​

Farewell.​

​

Goodbye E30.

 

[Clark]

Also I see you went for the same under dash decoration as my E30

Also dat sky

 

[Doog]

Is it going to a good home at least?

 

[Crash]

Is it going to a good home at least?

It's gone to a much better place, to the wide open roads in the sky.

 

[Crash]

The Mazda had developed an issue where the driver's door would wouldn't unlock and open, whether from the outside or from the inside, requiring the driver to get in and out of the car by climbing around the cabin to one of the other doors. I looked they symptoms up and it looked to be an issue that's appeared and been discussed at length: the spring inside the latch mechanism will fail after repeated use, preventing the latch from unlocking, and thus presenting the door from opening. I guess Mazda engineers failed to correctly calculate the fatigue life of the spring.

There were two ways to get to the mechanism: one is to go through the inside door panel, and the other is to get a hook to the door opening rods and push/pull/jiggle it up and down until the latch hopefully opens. I tried the first method first, and spent an afternoon tearing into the driver's door. Some people were able to get the panel off with the door closed still, but I wasn't, so I resorted to trying method 2 once I've spent the past couple of hours trying to get through without breaking the panel, and success! I finally got the door to open.

Once opened, it was a piece of cake to actually remove the inside door panel, then unbolt and unplug everything and pull the window out, to actually get to the door lock mechanism.



As I didn't have a replacement part on hand, and I couldn't fix the spring itself, I tied the door close and left it until the replacement part arrived.

Replacing the part and putting it all back together was simple affair, just the same steps as tearing the door apart, only reversed. I plugged everything in to test the door and window before fully buttoning it up, and thankfully, no surprises. Everything is back to working like how it should.

 

[Crash]

This seems to be developing into "Issues that Crash is Having With His Cars" thread, but just here to put in that I changed out the copper contacts and magnetic plunger in the 4Runner's starter because it has gone kaput.

I was out running errands a couple of weeks ago, and it wouldn't start after coming back out to the car. No crank, no turnover, nada. I first thought it was the battery, so I called my roommates to come give me a jump, while poking around in the engine bay in the meantime. About 30 minutes later, I tried to crank the engine one more time, and it fired right up. Hmmm, no crank when engine is warm, so I didn't drive it for a few days while I do some research to figure out what's wrong.

In those few days, I did move the 4Runner to the driveway so that it's not sitting in one spot on the street. However, after that one movement, it's deteriorated to no crank at all, hot or cold. Replaced the battery as it was coming up on 7 years old anyways, and tested relays, fuses and starter voltages. Those all seem good, narrowing the issue to something with the starter itself. With a bit of research, it looks like that the starter contacts and plunger wearing are a pretty common item, with enough tutorials online on how to actually fix it.

The parts to be replaced, 2 contacts with attachment hardware, and a magnetic plunger.



The 4Runner on floor jack and jack stands:



After spending way too long (and way longer than I care to admit), I got the parts in the starter replaced, and the starter itself all bolted back into the tight little spot that Toyota crammed it into in the bottom of the engine bay. The transmission dipstick tube, brake line and a rubber splash flap that I had to move to get to the starter also got put back together. Moment of truth: will it start? It cranks and turns on! Finally, success! The 4Runner is back on the road!

 

[Crash]

It's been a while.

The lineup of cars is still the same as when I last posted. I'm still have the M5, 4Runner and 6 (hey, all my cars have at least a number in their name!).

For the M5, it just hit 120k miles in the past week. I haven't been driving it much at all in the past couple of years. The first year that I owned it, I put ~15k miles on it. In contrast, I've driven the M5 about ~5k miles for each of the past two years. A huge part of this dramatic drop was that the M5 was getting to the age where a few costly issues were cropping up, none unexpected, but nevertheless, still an investment in the vehicle. I also spent a lot of that time figuring out what sort of work can and should be bundled together; if the car is already going to be apart to fix something, I might as well replace other items in that area that are very close to their respective end of life as well. There's no reason for me to pay labor twice to fix it once and have to tear into the same area again soon after.

This past year, the M5 got a partial suspension and front end refresh, which included replacing the following items:

- Front and rear shocks
- Front and rear anti-roll bar end links
- Front steering tie-rods, center link and idler arm
- Front wheel bearings
- Front brakes, rotors and wear sensors

I went OE on all the items. Between online discount parts stores from dealers and third party websites, it was a minimal cost difference for me to go true OE vs merely OEM. Certain items made sense for me to go OE. Shocks for example. The shocks on the M5 are Sachs units specialized for this vehicle. Sachs does not produce these shocks without the BMW OE branding/logos. There are a couple of different aftermarket options made by either Bilstein or Konis. Great, two reputable brands, but after some research, the problem becomes that the Bilsteins either are not valved for the M5 suspension setup, or the version that is, has the rear spring perch in the wrong place, causing the rear ride height to be too high, and more worryingly, adding preload to the spring. To make the Bilsteins work, I have to get lowering springs as well. The Koni works well, but they come from the factory with adjustment issues, and multiple people have reported needing to do multiple adjustments to get the shocks setup correctly, and of course, the only way to adjust them is to pull the unit out from the car. I wanted a shock that worked out of box, so OE Sachs it is.

While the car was down (or up) for the suspension refresh, I added a few more modern creature comforts. I have been collecting parts to upgrade and retrofit the radio with a system from a later car, which in this case, it came off of a late model X5. This enabled MP3 discs (yay mid-2000s!) and allowed me to also retrofit aux-in and if I want to, Sirius. Frankly, I only cared about aux-in.

For that installation, I had to run an aux cable from the back of the car, where the radio module is located, to the front where the passengers are. Convenient that the rear seat is out for the rear shock replacement. What's decidedly less convenient was trying to route the cable underneath the carpet to the center console. With a bit of help, and after a bit of struggling and swearing, I got the cable threaded through the carpet insulation to the front.

So a center console torn apart.

There was just one more thing that I really wanted to retrofit into the M5, which I know there are OE retrofit options available: Bluetooth phone calls.

The system integrates with the existing audio system, so that you're able to use the head unit to pick up/hang up and dial phone calls, with access to your phone book. This was something I wanted because I regularly listen in to conference calls while on my drive to work, and I figured this system, where the audio is pipped through the speaker system would work best. The microphone is up on top in the headliner, while the antenna is in the rear parcel shelf and the wiring for the pairing button is in the center console. Once installed, pairing was a pain in the rear as I used an aftermarket button that I think did not have all the right connections, but I got it to pair, and it works pretty well, even if it's only Bluetooth voice calls.

--

There's more work to do on the M5. The next big thing is that I'm looking for another set of rear wheels so that I can go to a square setup. This is the right time for that as I am in desperate need for new tires anyways. I would love to upgrade to the new Michelin Pilot Sport 4S, but the size I need for those tires won't be in production for a while, so old stock of MPSS will have to do. At the same time, I want to get the all the wheels refinished as the current ones are peeling really badly and looks like crap.

Otherwise, I'm ready to put in the E60 545i short shifter with the F10 M5 shift knob. I've been running the shift knob with the stock shifter, and just that little bit shorter knob and with weight to increase the leverage makes the shifter so much nicer already. It really should have came like this from BMW.

 

[Crash]

In my previous update, I mentioned that that M5 has seen relatively little miles for the past couple of years. In its stead, I've been dailying the 4Runner, which is now at ~215k miles. In this time, one rear axle seal had started leaking and was replaced, the front lower ball joints were (somewhat preventively) replaced, rear hatch central locking was fixed simply by mending one broken wire in the hatch joint (took me two years to finally track this down and fix), front steering and sway bar bushings were replaced (front end tightened up nicely after) and the transfer case was also replaced.

The 4WD system had an annoying issue where it would work just fine 90% of the time, but the other 10% of time, the system will go haywire and will not be able to figure out which drive mode it's in (2WD/4WD/AWD), manifesting in blinking lights on the dash as well as the inability to have the system change into one of the other drive modes, though it otherwise normally. After some troubleshooting, we narrowed it down to a failing transfer case actuator, which the shop confirmed. At this point, there's not a lot of information on replacing the transfer case actuator, and whatever little info out there seem to suggest that there are springs and gears that requires careful reinstalling and retiming to get right. I knew of a good transfer case from a local 4Runner that was being parted, rather cheaply, and I decided to simply have the shop swap the entire transfer case as that solution would cost way less than getting and replacing a new actuator.

--

I just ordered some more 4Runner parts earlier today, though were mostly trim pieces here and there. I'm getting very close to the point where I'm happy enough with it, which it will be nice to get to a point where I just drive it and never have to think about how this or that little thing isn't quite right.

Oh, and new tires that a couple of sizes larger.

 

[motortrend]

In my previous update, I mentioned that that M5 has seen relatively little miles for the past couple of years. In its stead, I've been dailying the 4Runner, which is now at ~215k miles. In this time, one rear axle seal had started leaking and was replaced, the front lower ball joints were (somewhat preventively) replaced, rear hatch central locking was fixed simply by mending one broken wire in the hatch joint (took me two years to finally track this down and fix), front steering and sway bar bushings were replaced (front end tightened up nicely after) and the transfer case was also replaced.

The 4WD system had an annoying issue where it would work just fine 90% of the time, but the other 10% of time, the system will go haywire and will not be able to figure out which drive mode it's in (2WD/4WD/AWD), manifesting in blinking lights on the dash as well as the inability to have the system change into one of the other drive modes, though it otherwise normally. After some troubleshooting, we narrowed it down to a failing transfer case actuator, which the shop confirmed. At this point, there's not a lot of information on replacing the transfer case actuator, and whatever little info out there seem to suggest that there are springs and gears that requires careful reinstalling and retiming to get right. I knew of a good transfer case from a local 4Runner that was being parted, rather cheaply, and I decided to simply have the shop swap the entire transfer case as that solution would cost way less than getting and replacing a new actuator.

--

I just ordered some more 4Runner parts earlier today, though were mostly trim pieces here and there. I'm getting very close to the point where I'm happy enough with it, which it will be nice to get to a point where I just drive it and never have to think about how this or that little thing isn't quite right.

Oh, and new tires that a couple of sizes larger.

Nice! I want to get some nice 285/75/r16 when my current tires wear out and maybe crank up the torsion bars a bit. What tires are those? I'm looking for something that isn't too noisy on-road because that's where most of my miles are

 

[Crash]

Nice! I want to get some nice 285/75/r16 when my current tires wear out and maybe crank up the torsion bars a bit. What tires are those? I'm looking for something that isn't too noisy on-road because that's where most of my miles are

Those are BFGoodrich All Terrain KO2. I'm running 265/75 R16, so one sidewall ratio size up from stock. This was the biggest I can go without rubbing, and it's really nice. It's not noisy at all, and I do most of my miles on road, though I've only had them for a few thousand miles and they might get noisier as they wear. Either way, been really liking them and would recommend.

Filling the wheel arch nicely.

 

[Crash]

End of A Chapter​

After almost 5 years of ownership, I have just sold the Mazda 6. It is going to a gentleman who bought this car for his daughter to learn to drive on/drive to school with.

A few parting pictures.

In the five years, 29858 miles were driven, spark plugs, tires, coil packs, oil pan and driver's door lock were replaced, and a bunch of normal door dings and scratches appeared. As I drove it again recently, after not having driven it in a long time, I remembered how good of a sedan it really is. The 6 was light and nimble on its feet. The V6, though not the fastest thing in the world, had plenty of pick up and go. The car was quiet and comfortable. And in all and all, it was just a nice, easy car to drive. At the end, I have nothing but positive impressions of that Mazda 6.

It was good while it lasted.

 

[SVX]

My dad picked up the wagon version of the 6 not that long ago. They feel far more modern than they actually are, and really are a nice design.

 

[Crash]

My dad picked up the wagon version of the 6 not that long ago. They feel far more modern than they actually are, and really are a nice design.

They really are. After 15 years, it still drove tight and responsive. Nothing was rattling or squeaking. The interior look was getting a little old, but it didn't age poorly.

Hope your dad enjoys and gets good use out of the wagon!

 

[SVX]

They really are. After 15 years, it still drove tight and responsive. Nothing was rattling or squeaking. The interior look was getting a little old, but it didn't age poorly.

Hope your dad enjoys and gets good use out of the wagon!

He has a 626/Capella, 1999- it's amazing how different the interior is. I mean, my dad's is a 2007 but the interior isn't all that different from when the 6 came out.

 

[Crash]

Progression​

I had announced this in the Infield a couple of days ago, but I bought a 1991 Porsche 911 Carrera 2. Yes, the 964.

I have been debating whether to get into a P-car for a while, and specifically a 911 of some sort. I swung between "Yes! It'll be tons of fun! YOLO!" to "You're nuts, you should invest every single penny of it into an index fund and call it a day". I was leaning towards the former when this car popped up on the local Craigslist. It was located a few hours away, but across a border. Nonetheless, I emailed the seller with a few questions.

Unfortunately for me, someone else had emailed him before me and had already set up a viewing the following day. At that point, I figured the car will be sold to the first guy, with as hot as the market is on these. I was resigned to that fate and chalked it up to another one that got away. But lo and behold, next day rolls around, and the first guy never showed up! I still have a chance to buy this car!

I canceled my plans on the following day and drove up to Canada to check out the car. It looked good, with a good stack of paperwork, so the seller and I agreed to a deal pending a pre-purchase inspection. It took another week for the car to get into inspection, which it passed, and then another week of getting the money to the seller, and finally, I took the bus up to Canada and picked it up last weekend.

Waiting to cross the US border.​

It was actually really simple to import the 964 back into the US. It helps that this was originally a US car before being exported to Canada roughly a decade ago (making the re-import duty-free). Crossing the border went more or less like:
"Hi"
"Hi, I'm importing this vehicle back into the US"
"Ok, do you have a Bill of Sale?"
"Yes, let me get it" as I start rummaging through my stack of paperwork
"I just need the VIN number"
"Oh, here"
"Ok, here's your form back, take this inspection notice to that area off to the right and the officers there will tell you where to park. Good luck."
"Ok, thanks"

Park the car, grab all my paperwork, proceed into the inspection office. Wait in line. Once called up to the counter, I explained that I was importing a car, provided my passport, driver's license, the Bill of Sale, and (helpfully) explained that it was originally a Florida car so that I don't get charged duty. The officer filled out the Customs import form, stamped it, and stamped the two additional EPA and NHTSA forms, and I was on my way with the 964 officially re-imported. Easy peasy. Took maybe 30 minutes.

--

Wow, what a machine. What a drive. There's a lot of charisma to the car, starting with you sitting all the way up near the windshield, and looking down that sloped hood with the two headlight tunnels rising above. That solid thunk with a bit of the high-tone clink when you close the door. That air-cooled flat-6 sounds so mechanical and distinctive. The steering is deliciously communicative in the hands, even if its a bit heavy. The gearbox throws are light and a bit long, but still very positive. That feel of the car's balance with the rear engine hanging out back. Everything feels old school mechanical in an engaging sort of way.

A couple of things though. The suspension is really stiff, which isn't great on our terrible roads. The seating position and the visibility is awesome, but the interior is frankly, bad. Lots of unmarked buttons and switchgear littered wherever there's space. The steering wheel hides half the gauges. The center third brake light is a sizable thingy mounted up high on the back window, which solidly blocks a good chunk of the view behind in the mirror. Porsche, what were you thinking?

I guess that counts as a few minor quibbles that most importantly, doesn't detract. We'll call them the eccentricity of the 964.

--

I got off the freeway for part of the drive home and took the 964 on a side road, windows down, sunroof open, twisting through trees and clearings on a mountainside along the coast. The sun setting on the right, with glimpses of the water reflecting a bright orange every little bit. The wind around me, the beauty to my side, and the glorious sound of the flat-6 singing behind me.

Yes. This is right. This is paradise.

I get the old-school 911 magic.

 

[motortrend]

Progression​

I had announced this in the Infield a couple of days ago, but I bought a 1991 Porsche 911 Carrera 2. Yes, the 964.

View attachment 737714​

I have been debating whether to get into a P-car for a while, and specifically a 911 of some sort. I swung between "Yes! It'll be tons of fun! YOLO!" to "You're nuts, you should invest every single penny of it into an index fund and call it a day". I was leaning towards the former when this car popped up on the local Craigslist. It was located a few hours away, but across a border. Nonetheless, I emailed the seller with a few questions.

Unfortunately for me, someone else had emailed him before me and had already set up a viewing the following day. At that point, I figured the car will be sold to the first guy, with as hot as the market is on these. I was resigned to that fate and chalked it up to another one that got away. But lo and behold, next day rolls around, and the first guy never showed up! I still have a chance to buy this car!

I canceled my plans on the following day and drove up to Canada to check out the car. It looked good, with a good stack of paperwork, so the seller and I agreed to a deal pending a pre-purchase inspection. It took another week for the car to get into inspection, which it passed, and then another week of getting the money to the seller, and finally, I took the bus up to Canada and picked it up last weekend.

View attachment 737717
Waiting to cross the US border.​

It was actually really simple to import the 964 back into the US. It helps that this was originally a US car before being exported to Canada roughly a decade ago (making the re-import duty-free). Crossing the border went more or less like:
"Hi"
"Hi, I'm importing this vehicle back into the US"
"Ok, do you have a Bill of Sale?"
"Yes, let me get it" as I start rummaging through my stack of paperwork
"I just need the VIN number"
"Oh, here"
"Ok, here's your form back, take this inspection notice to that area off to the right and the officers there will tell you where to park. Good luck."
"Ok, thanks"

Park the car, grab all my paperwork, proceed into the inspection office. Wait in line. Once called up to the counter, I explained that I was importing a car, provided my passport, driver's license, the Bill of Sale, and (helpfully) explained that it was originally a Florida car so that I don't get charged duty. The officer filled out the Customs import form, stamped it, and stamped the two additional EPA and NHTSA forms, and I was on my way with the 964 officially re-imported. Easy peasy. Took maybe 30 minutes.

--

View attachment 737719​

Wow, what a machine. What a drive. There's a lot of charisma to the car, starting with you sitting all the way up near the windshield, and looking down that sloped hood with the two headlight tunnels rising above. That solid thunk with a bit of the high-tone clink when you close the door. That air-cooled flat-6 sounds so mechanical and distinctive. The steering is deliciously communicative in the hands, even if its a bit heavy. The gearbox throws are light and a bit long, but still very positive. That feel of the car's balance with the rear engine hanging out back. Everything feels old school mechanical in an engaging sort of way.

A couple of things though. The suspension is really stiff, which isn't great on our terrible roads. The seating position and the visibility is awesome, but the interior is frankly, bad. Lots of unmarked buttons and switchgear littered wherever there's space. The steering wheel hides half the gauges. The center third brake light is a sizable thingy mounted up high on the back window, which solidly blocks a good chunk of the view behind in the mirror. Porsche, what were you thinking?

I guess that counts as a few minor quibbles that most importantly, doesn't detract. We'll call them the eccentricity of the 964.

--

View attachment 737718

View attachment 737720​

I got off the freeway for part of the drive home and took the 964 on a side road, windows down, sunroof open, twisting through trees and clearings on a mountainside along the coast. The sun setting on the right, with glimpses of the water reflecting a bright orange every little bit. The wind around me, the beauty to my side, and the glorious sound of the flat-6 singing behind me.

Yes. This is right. This is paradise.

I get the old-school 911 magic.

Congrats!! Looking forward to seeing more posts about it.

My next car will almost definitely be a P-Car, but I doubt I'll have desirable 911 money in the next few years so it'll probably be a first gen cayman S.

 

[phillgt2002]

This is one of those cars which I want to buy when I get the 'big one' with my degree.

Congratulations on the purchase. I look forward to hearing more about it.

 

[Crash]

Porsche 911: One Year Update​

It's been a while.


I've owned the Porsche 964 for a year now, and in that time, I've put about 4000 miles on the car, a good chunk of which came from road trips. Prior to purchasing the 911, I had wanted something that is completely different from what I currently have. I have a front engine RWD sedan, a 4x4, and previously an AWD coupe. The air-cooled flat 6 rear engine experience is something that I thought would be completely differently, and in that, the 911 doesn't disappoint.

Although 4000 miles in a year isn't a ton, it's enough for me to tease out and better understand the unique driving experience. 911s, you really have to drive them differently from other cars. No, the 964 is no widowmaker, you really have to try to get the rear end to step out. Short of the limit, you can lift off mid corner and generally be ok, unlike the earliest SWB 911s where even a wrong look mid corner will have the car spin and go backwards. With that said, you are reminded the engine is in the back between the weight and the audio track; it is ever looming behind you.

Perhaps due to it's age, to start, to get the most out of the car, you have to be deliberate about driving. All the inputs and shifts and steering really reward measured smoothness, and when you do do that just right, it is incredibly satisfying. Yes, I know the adage "smooth is fast", but the competency and the limits of today's cars allows people to drive a bit more ham fisted while escaping punishment. I haven't had the chance to drive the newest 991 or 992, so I can't say how much of that rear engine behavior is dialed out in the latest stuff (I would love to try the new 911s).

In today's horsepower wars, ~250 hp on paper isn't much to write home about, but it can deliver that power in a way that still makes the car legitimately quick. My 911 has the primary muffler replaced with a straight pipe (the Cup Pipe mod), and that supposedly does make the engine peakier at the expense of slightly reduced low end grunt. Revving the engine, you feel the engine pull strongly, and then at around 4000 rpm or so, there's a sudden kick as if VTEC had kicked in and you get a sudden surge (for the record, it doesn't have variable valve timing), all the way up past 6000 rpm until it's time for the next upshift. The Cup Pipe mod along with all the whirling, crackling and tapping makes the car sound soooo good to my ears; if anything, the only change would be I want slightly more noise, and I'm not one to usually want a car to be particularly loud.


A few more notes:

- First thing I had noticed before even driving the car for the first time was how I sit slightly angled to the right towards the center of the car. The pedals are just slightly offset to the right of the steering wheel, but not enough that you never get used to it. In fact, in less than 15 minutes of driving, that wasn't particularly noticeable anymore.
- Ergonomics is not the 964's strong suit. Lots of unmarked buttons and not obvious door handles. I've needed to point out the door opening handle to almost everyone who's ever ridden in the 964.
- Wiper locations suck. I do drive the car in the rain and the wipe edge of one of the wipers is directly in front of your eyes, meaning that as it comes back to home, you have a streak of water right ahead of where you're staring.
-The previous owner had put on stiffer spring and shocks and lowered the car to close to RS ride height, and the ride sucks because of it. We have horrible roads (the stretch of Interstate freeway going through downtown and thus carries the most traffic has not been repaved since it was originally built in the 1960s). It harshly bangs and crashes over bumps and ridges, and it doesn't really settle down in the really bumpy roads. This will eventually need to be fixed.
- Basic maintenance is pretty much done. All fluids were replaced, new drive belts were installed, torn CV boot replaced, and a few rubber seals were replaced here and there. I still need new tires, and I've settled on Continentals because Michelin does not make the Pilot Sport 4S in 17" sizes that I need. Shame.
- Established that the engine and transmission numbers match the car as they came out of the factory. Yay.
- It seems like people behind you give you more distance at stop lights rather than coming all the way up to your behind.


Sitting so close to the vertical windshield and seeing the headlight tunnels coming out is a view that I'll never get tired of. It's a special car that always feels like an occasion.

Hunting Fall Colors




Chasing Godzilla

Meets
​

 

[motortrend]

Porsche 911: One Year Update​

It's been a while.


I've owned the Porsche 964 for a year now, and in that time, I've put about 4000 miles on the car, a good chunk of which came from road trips. Prior to purchasing the 911, I had wanted something that is completely different from what I currently have. I have a front engine RWD sedan, a 4x4, and previously an AWD coupe. The air-cooled flat 6 rear engine experience is something that I thought would be completely differently, and in that, the 911 doesn't disappoint.

Although 4000 miles in a year isn't a ton, it's enough for me to tease out and better understand the unique driving experience. 911s, you really have to drive them differently from other cars. No, the 964 is no widowmaker, you really have to try to get the rear end to step out. Short of the limit, you can lift off mid corner and generally be ok, unlike the earliest SWB 911s where even a wrong look mid corner will have the car spin and go backwards. With that said, you are reminded the engine is in the back between the weight and the audio track; it is ever looming behind you.

Perhaps due to it's age, to start, to get the most out of the car, you have to be deliberate about driving. All the inputs and shifts and steering really reward measured smoothness, and when you do do that just right, it is incredibly satisfying. Yes, I know the adage "smooth is fast", but the competency and the limits of today's cars allows people to drive a bit more ham fisted while escaping punishment. I haven't had the chance to drive the newest 991 or 992, so I can't say how much of that rear engine behavior is dialed out in the latest stuff (I would love to try the new 911s).

In today's horsepower wars, ~250 hp on paper isn't much to write home about, but it can deliver that power in a way that still makes the car legitimately quick. My 911 has the primary muffler replaced with a straight pipe (the Cup Pipe mod), and that supposedly does make the engine peakier at the expense of slightly reduced low end grunt. Revving the engine, you feel the engine pull strongly, and then at around 4000 rpm or so, there's a sudden kick as if VTEC had kicked in and you get a sudden surge (for the record, it doesn't have variable valve timing), all the way up past 6000 rpm until it's time for the next upshift. The Cup Pipe mod along with all the whirling, crackling and tapping makes the car sound soooo good to my ears; if anything, the only change would be I want slightly more noise, and I'm not one to usually want a car to be particularly loud.


A few more notes:

- First thing I had noticed before even driving the car for the first time was how I sit slightly angled to the right towards the center of the car. The pedals are just slightly offset to the right of the steering wheel, but not enough that you never get used to it. In fact, in less than 15 minutes of driving, that wasn't particularly noticeable anymore.
- Ergonomics is not the 964's strong suit. Lots of unmarked buttons and not obvious door handles. I've needed to point out the door opening handle to almost everyone who's ever ridden in the 964.
- Wiper locations suck. I do drive the car in the rain and the wipe edge of one of the wipers is directly in front of your eyes, meaning that as it comes back to home, you have a streak of water right ahead of where you're staring.
-The previous owner had put on stiffer spring and shocks and lowered the car to close to RS ride height, and the ride sucks because of it. We have horrible roads (the stretch of Interstate freeway going through downtown and thus carries the most traffic has not been repaved since it was originally built in the 1960s). It harshly bangs and crashes over bumps and ridges, and it doesn't really settle down in the really bumpy roads. This will eventually need to be fixed.
- Basic maintenance is pretty much done. All fluids were replaced, new drive belts were installed, torn CV boot replaced, and a few rubber seals were replaced here and there. I still need new tires, and I've settled on Continentals because Michelin does not make the Pilot Sport 4S in 17" sizes that I need. Shame.
- Established that the engine and transmission numbers match the car as they came out of the factory. Yay.
- It seems like people behind you give you more distance at stop lights rather than coming all the way up to your behind.


Sitting so close to the vertical windshield and seeing the headlight tunnels coming out is a view that I'll never get tired of. It's a special car that always feels like an occasion.

Hunting Fall Colors




Chasing Godzilla
View attachment 829132

Meets
​

If you had to sell one, would you sell the M5 or the Porsche? I love the driving experience of my R32, and a lot of things are smiliar to what you mentioned (stiffness, connection to the road, noise...) but I love the M5 so much that it's still the last car I'd get rid of.

 

[Crash]

If you had to sell one, would you sell the M5 or the Porsche? I love the driving experience of my R32, and a lot of things are smiliar to what you mentioned (stiffness, connection to the road, noise...) but I love the M5 so much that it's still the last car I'd get rid of.

I know some people will think that I'm crazy, but honestly, I would probably sell the Porsche before selling the M5. I've always wanted one and I love that car. Every time I get in and drive it, I am reminded of, other than a few things, how pretty much perfect this car is for me day to day.

 

[Crash]

The M5 has gotten a few upgrades so far this year. After way too long of a time of running rear wheels with failing paint and balding tires, I finally got two more rear wheels and went to a square setup, matching the front and rears in tire width and ending up at 275s all around. Learned something new in the process though, I guess. I haven't done this before, but I ended up shipping the wheels across the country because there aren't very many places that replicate the factory chrome shadow finish perfectly, but that finish was exactly the finish I wanted. So off they went. Took around 3 weeks between shipping back and forth and the actual refinishing time itself. Super happy with they way they look coming back.

Glamour shot after it returned

And on goes a new set of Michelin PS4S, plus 4mm wheel spacers, and the car is back in business.

On the interior side, the bright wood trim got changed out to a dark birch trim (Anthracite Birch for those of you familiar with E39 trim options). A good set popped up for a good deal, so I snapped them up.

Old

New

One annoying about these trim pieces is that they are generally held in by plastic clips, and with 18 years on them including many years going through the California summer, the clips ended up not being reusable once the old wood trim set was pulled off. What was intended to be a quick trim swap turned into several days of the M5 not having any trim pieces mounted while I buy the clip hardware and wait for it to arrive.

The anthracite birch trim set that I bought included a piece that did not have the tire pressure monitoring system button cutout. A lot of people get around this by just simply leaving the button covered behind the trim piece since it's not frequently used. However, there's a blank on the right of the gauges, but the button and that blank are not the same size. Remounting and relocating the button up to that blank spot is the next project.

--​

Time flies. It was 2018 that the E60 short shifter and a F10 M5 weighted (and lighted!) shift knob were installed. That was a really nice little upgrade to add a bit of weight to the throw, and at the same time, make the gear change much more positive and precise feeling.

Familiar Glow

 

[eiriksmil]

It's insane how much input/back-lit switches high end cars of the past has, whereas the G30 just has a large screen and HVAC. Looks like a jet. Even more so with the US cluster.

964 and E39 M5, that's a timeless lineup right there.

 

[Crash]

It's insane how much input/back-lit switches high end cars of the past has, whereas the G30 just has a large screen and HVAC. Looks like a jet. Even more so with the US cluster.

After all these years, the orange BMW color scheme is still my favorite for night driving. Soft and easy on the eyes, and also bathes the interior in a warm glow.

I get into the newer cars with very little personal familiarity with iDrive and the like, and I always struggle to quickly change settings because I'm so used to physical button set ups. Kind of funny, I'm sure someone coming the other way would have the completely opposite experience. Struggling to figure out what every little button with the little image/drawing does.

964 and E39 M5, that's a timeless lineup right there.

Thanks, they fulfill really different needs, wants and likes, and are so very different from each other. I've owned the M5 for 5+ years now and the 964 for over a year, and hopefully both for a long time to come.