Hawkeyethenoo

Not sure where are still on the M6 stopped fir a coffee at some really shit services. Couple of hours to go.

Tebay achieved, mega heavy rain at times which is fun, glad I'm not on the bike.

Leaving.

1.

That's a good buy IMHO. Always had a fondness for a Fiesta, they're pretty good little cars. Much rather have one of them than a shitbox Polo, no offense to Polo lickers, natch.

Exeter ahoy! Which I understand is, South of London. I get a nose bleed just thiking about that.... Just running through a pre-flight checklist. Insurance? Check. AA cover? Check. Tools? Not found. Walkie Talkies (for legal intercar chatter and banter)!? Check. Spare under-crackers and deodorant? Optional. Keys to Skoda Superb estateliner? Check. Fuel and food money? Have applied for an overdraft in anticipation of those bastids. Wish me luck. I think we're ready to depart at exactly 08:07 tomorrow morning. We should return, late(er), Sunday with a tale to tell and an empty wallet to show for it. Can't wait. Are we there, yet?

Synchronise watches. At the tone the time is: 19:04, presicely.

That's bangin' well bought(ed).

Hello Hawkeyethenoo. We have looked into your mission critical issue and we can confirm you're an baws oot idiot. You bought two left hand side drop links. Houston, over and out.

Houston, we have a mission critical issue. Please advise WTF is going on here, over....

All the parts arrived pretty quickly, so today, this happened. Phil that works with us gave a hand, we didn't bother/need the spring compressors to refit the springs, just put it together and used pure muscle and man power to get the securing nut on and then nipped them both up. I took the chance to lash on two coats o' Lanoguard on everything, except the calipers, natch! Should all going well, be back on its wheels and out for a road-test tomorrow night. Hope so.

Hit another snag. The lower stop plate/washer is fixed to the old strut, non removeable. I've had to order two that will fit the new struts in at 25 quid each. Genuine Porsche parts/washers are £50 each! #Porschetax. Should be ready to get it rebuilt at the weekend.

Not so much a problems as, age related maintenance. Upside is very little corrosion present, which as we know is far worse and far more terminal on cars of a similar age, c.2000. Saying that, will be getting Lanoguarded underneath shortly!

Awaiting parts for now, new drop links, obviously and also strut dust covers. Shoudl be here mid-week.

Jings Ferdinand, Can we rebuild it....

Cars I've had previously, you'd be looking at struts up front and simple swap out shocks on the rear. Not on a Boxster, struts alround. So having shopped around for four new struts, the choice was made and the work got under way. WCPGW? The plan was, to remove the strut by removing the lower suspension arms, track rod end etc and then free the 150k strut from the wheel hub and mount, as Tommy Cooper said, just like that! The truth was, the first part went well until I tried to remove the strut pinch bolt which is also the top front drop link mounting bolt. It was seized solid. Only way to move forward was to remove the strut and hub from the motor and attack it on the bench with great vengance and furious anger. That involved removing said drop link with a hammer! Getting a blow torch on the alloy mounting and gently heating it up to, quite hot and then rattling the 17mm bolt end for all my little impact driver was worth. After a while, it started turning, then spinning and was finally easily chapped out of its langhame. Winning! Nothing to see here, gov. Other than that strut which had to be hammered out of its mount and it didn't give up without a fight!

That done, but what next? The car drives well, but it's obvious the supension is also past it's best at 150k and 22 years. A pal used to say that most cars shockers are done by 50k and that most driver just don't notice and those that do, allow for it. He wasn't wrong and the way the Boxster pitches and rollls about on the road, something had to give.

Slight update; Lockdown. FF to May 2022, Boxta needs MOT still. Book into local National for a quick wipe down and check over discount MOT, it's bound to pass right? Failed on emmissions pish, lamda reading was +1. Needs a new O2 sensor M9, you have 7 days for retest. No it doesn't. The exhaust is leaking at the joins as all the clamps are now 22 years old and somewhat past their best. I do the right thing, buy a new set of, them all, £85 and ask my local indy to change them, please, five minute job, shirley. Takes him 15mins per ruined expanded bolt to remove and is generally retold as a ballache of a job, but it's done, you have yer MOT, now come and get your car, here's the bill. Happy days as it's running better, pulling stronger, using a little less fuel and doesn't issue a death rattle on start up like it used to, that was the cold exhaust rattling it seems, I thought they all did that, sir.

Had one the same, enjoy and change the supercharger oil. I think I still have some in the shed?