Show Us Your Motors!
- Thread starter Lopéz
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Soldato
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Oh yes, appears he's had an epiphany.
The garage is finally complete, excuse the mess of the current double I've been pulling the Lotus apart and it is now waiting on the battery try to be modified before I can put it back together so just left it as a mess. Garage is done, LED lights are in and there is more room inside than I expected, can easily open both doors and walk all round the Porsche, as this will become home for the Corvette which is longer but narrower it should fit perfect as the new garage is a meter longer than the current double at just over 3m wide and 6m long.
The Porsche is been a typical German car and has some weird electrics issue going on, it will just keep cutting out (power), all the electrics turn on and off rapidly as if a loose connection, but everything is tight. If the lights are on at the time it blows the bulbs, already replaced both front dipped beam bulbs and front indicators, now if it does it I turn the lights off to prevent blowing them.
Left it on trickle charge for a week, took it out last night, zero improvement, so as the Lotus battery was out, I quickly swapped them, the car was then absolutely fine, now I am hoping the issue was merely a dodgy battery as the battery is new and maybe a dodgy one. Or there is something more sinister going on and its an alternator or grounding issue somewhere.
I've been trying to find my multimeter but cannot find it, so I purchased one from Halfords which turns out not to work, so next step is to just check voltages and see if the alternator is charging the battery, if it is something more sinister then I will pull the alternator out and change the voltage regulator over as its a £50 part and far cheaper than buying a new complete alternator, so will have to see. It could have also just been cold/damp getting into the car maybe but I seriously doubt the latter as the battery compartment and engine are pretty well sealed areas.
The Porsche is been a typical German car and has some weird electrics issue going on, it will just keep cutting out (power), all the electrics turn on and off rapidly as if a loose connection, but everything is tight. If the lights are on at the time it blows the bulbs, already replaced both front dipped beam bulbs and front indicators, now if it does it I turn the lights off to prevent blowing them.
Left it on trickle charge for a week, took it out last night, zero improvement, so as the Lotus battery was out, I quickly swapped them, the car was then absolutely fine, now I am hoping the issue was merely a dodgy battery as the battery is new and maybe a dodgy one. Or there is something more sinister going on and its an alternator or grounding issue somewhere.
I've been trying to find my multimeter but cannot find it, so I purchased one from Halfords which turns out not to work, so next step is to just check voltages and see if the alternator is charging the battery, if it is something more sinister then I will pull the alternator out and change the voltage regulator over as its a £50 part and far cheaper than buying a new complete alternator, so will have to see. It could have also just been cold/damp getting into the car maybe but I seriously doubt the latter as the battery compartment and engine are pretty well sealed areas.
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If it's blowing the bulbs I'd be more likely to blame the voltage regulator. Get that multimeter on it with it running and see if it's varying wildly; anything above 14.5V and yeah it's probably shot and needs replacing. Garage definitely looking smart now it's all finished dude!
Thanks, yep that is my thinking, will pop to Halfords at weekend to swap the multimeter out and then see what is happening. It may just be coincidence but all the issues started a couple of months into ownership on the new battery but it was a very rare occurrence, whereas now its happening all the time, until I swapped the battery out last night and it had no issues, but of course if its something more sinsister I guess it will take time to show, but a multimeter should show any potential voltage regulation or alternator issue up.
Soldato
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- 24 Sep 2005
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First proper drive out with this thing today.
As a daily car, the Boxster wins this quite easily. The Boxster / Spyder has pretty amazing mechanical traction in all conditions, helped greatly by been shod in PS4S tyres. Then factor in it has pretty amazing luggage ability with two decent sized boots, very cheap running cost, two yearly servicing which is typically sub £500, so £250 a year in servicing, insurance is also pretty cheap at around £500 with track cover and the 987.2/997.2 generation cars are considered as the most reliable that Porsche ever built. The other fantastic thing about the Spyder and Cayman R is though they are very much like a GT car in ways of weight reduction and tweaks, they are serviced as regular Boxster and Cayman keeping the prices down, because engines wise they are the same, just like a 10HP boost and some nice weight savings.
I will say anyone wanting a road car that is fun at legal speeds and doubles as a superb track car, there really is no better car than a Cayman R or Boxster Spyder, there is a reason they still cost now used what they did new and in some cases more, they are worth every penny. Some argue but are they worth double that of a regular Cayman/Boxster, well only you as a buyer can decide that but I think for the Spyder absolutely as it looks so much better than a Boxster and looks superb roof up as well.
So a road car with some track use the Boxster is hard to beat for its all round ease of use.
However as a truly special track and weekend only car, Exige all day long, I've now done dry track days in both and the Exige is just totally exhilarating machine to drive, it turns into the race car it is with a set of number plates. It may not be quite on GT3 RS pace, but I do think its more fun and a more involving drive, namely because of that third pedal and stick, but it is also a car that takes time to build upto but rewards all the more so for doing so. Not to say the Porsche Spyder is bad on track, it was truly sensational as well, especially having the ceramic brake option which transforms the brakes on a Boxster as they literally double in size, as the regular steel brakes on a Boxster/Cayman are not upto track work out the box, but the ceramics do so easily especially in a car only weighing 1275kg. Brakes are so important and by some miracle the Exige has even superior braking in the dry, no doubt helped by only been around 1100kg, wearing cup 2 tyres and been a combination of AP calipers and Alcon disc I believe, though could be AP all round, either way the stopping power is amazing.
They are both superb, I'd say the Boxster is a lot more friendly for mucking around in, you can pull absolutely huge slip angles and recover it, the chassis is probably one of the best out there, but the Exige is more reqarding when you absolutely nail that apex, put in a great lap and has a bigger learning curve. Both look incredible but the Exige looks proper race car and the noise that supercharged V6 emits at full howl is just legendary. Now I've driven the Exige in the dry I feel it may be the one I keep and I end up selling the Emira as the latter will have to be so damn good on track to make me want to move the Exige on. If the Exige was my only car I would absolutely buy another set of wheels shod in a more appropriate road tyre and its luggage capacity is rather poor and its not the kind of car your mother can get in or get out of.
Unfortunately I never recorded my Donnington laps in the Spyder or my last sessions in the Exige when I went solo, which was a mistake on the latter as I started to drum up enough confidence to go chasing and pretty much keeping up with the GT3 RS boys, if I do end up keeping the Exige it will certainly be getting the EX475 power package.
As I expected really, the Boxster is such a fantastic car and really doesn't deserve to be call each time as "not a 911" by so many. They are fantastic cars....though they are not a 911Stuff
Outside of the driving position which is purely subjective and the crap storage (it's just crap) on the Exige, I thought it was an incredible car and I can imagine on track mesmeric. I also thought it was nicely built, felt a quality product even in its minimal form.
Perfect combination really.
As I expected really, the Boxster is such a fantastic car and really doesn't deserve to be call each time as "not a 911" by so many. They are fantastic cars....though they are not a 911
Outside of the driving position which is purely subjective and the crap storage (it's just crap) on the Exige, I thought it was an incredible car and I can imagine on track mesmeric. I also thought it was nicely built, felt a quality product even in its minimal form.
Perfect combination really.
From driving the Exige hard it gave me the impression it could do track day after track day, it feels a very solid and reliable package with cheap running cost for such a capable track capable machine. Just need to get the alignment dialled in which is booked in to be done and next track day 7th March.
There's a reason most of what you see on track is Lotus/Porsche/McLaren, more or less the only brands that can reliably track all day then drive home. Real question is will the Emira displace it when it arrives, I think you might be bitten by the Exige bug . You cannot beat true lightweight cars, the GT4 whilst great still does not have the agility and response the 4C had, flip side is I can drive it home without tinnitus and a chiropractor.
. You cannot beat true lightweight cars, the GT4 whilst great still does not have the agility and response the 4C had, flip side is I can drive it home without tinnitus and a chiropractor.There's a reason most of what you see on track is Lotus/Porsche/McLaren, more or less the only brands that can reliably track all day then drive home. Real question is will the Emira displace it when it arrives, I think you might be bitten by the Exige bug
Haha, the Exige is quite OK on the road, if I leave the strap on attached and close the valves the engine/exhaust is more or less silent, just tyre noise but it has got upgraded Focal speakers and a stereo so just turn that up or remove the strap on, open the valves and listen to the glorious V6 howling.
Problem with Porsche and Mclaren though is ceramics, though hopefully as they are now later generation ceramics hopefully they are no longer as prone to the issues they once had because nobody wants a 10-20k bill for replacement disc and pads all round. Easy fix on Porsches as generally there is a steel option that will easily fit with the ceramic calipers.
My 458 ideally needs new disc and pads if I plan another track day, about a 13k bill from Ferrari which is heavily discounted, but I think I shall be opting for a set of surface transforms, but shall wait until next year as their is currently a major shortage on ceramic disc at present which is going to send prices rocketing, Porsche can't even build some GT cars at present due to lack of supply and are requesting customers downgrade to steels.....
Well on a very wet Saturday Wendy & Tim drove 7 hours to deliver my MGB that I won.
Sadly it rained and snowed all weekend so havent had chance to take her out yet.
Very nice win that!
Very nice win that!
It is. Cant wait for Spring/better weather. She is insured (£131 fully comp at agreed valuation) and taxed (£0) ready to go!
I feel good about my Corvette with £0 tax and £150 insurance, but I had to buy that, funnily enough that purchase came about because I entered a competition to win a C3 Corvette and when I did not win it I kind of really wanted one so went and bought one, no regrets though for its age it is quite a lovely thing to drive.
Well on a very wet Saturday Wendy & Tim drove 7 hours to deliver my MGB that I won.
Sadly it rained and snowed all weekend so havent had chance to take her out yet.
Sorry, what's the backstory on this? You already owned an MG didn't you (or do I have you confused with someone else?)
And you've won a second?
Cool car none the less
Sorry, what's the backstory on this? You already owned an MG didn't you (or do I have you confused with someone else?)
And you've won a second?
Cool car none the less
I own an MG midget and bought a £7 raffle ticket months ago to win a Mark 1 1967 MGB which has just been restored and found out I won it last Monday so they delivered in on Saturday.
Problem is my other half says I cant keep both so come spring will have to decide whether the midget or MGB goes
