'Barks to Life'

Gently remove cover, remove 23 lb from tires, disconnect from life support, remove key from pocket. 4 month of waiting almost over. Open door, slide into drivers seat, look over that beautiful dash, glance over those purposeful front fenders. Savour the moment. Slide key into ignition with left hand, depress clutch, foot on brake, turn key to first stop and the instruments light up with everything looking normal. This is it.

Twist the key with my left hand and the whole orchestra barks to life. The Symphony in Flat Six. What a beautiful sound! Sit and enjoy the moment, back out of the garage, lower the top and let the sun pour into the car and let the idle drop to its normal pace. Fasten my seatbelt. Ready to roll out onto the road and time to start conducting the orchestra again.

Got out for a short run today. Wow! I never get tired of the sound, the handling, the snick, snick of that short shift that really connects you to the car and how the whole package handles. Thank you Porsche, for building such a fabulous roadster.

Another driving season begins.

Life in good

It felt like unwrapping the best present I ever got.

And that's just the beginning of 3 season's worth of wonderful sounds...

... having to part with your Boxsters for months at a time.
But, down South, late fall, winter and early spring is when we get to enjoy top-down weather.
During the summer months of 90 degree temps and 90% humidity top stays up and A/C at full blast.
At least we still get to drive them year round.
It's great that your driving season has started again!
Happy Boxstering,
Pedro

Pedro Bonilla
1998 Boxster 986 - 311,000+ miles: [www.PedrosGarage.com]
PCA National Club Racing Scrutineer - PCA National HPDE Instructor - PCA Technical Committee (Boxster/Cayman)

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Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar

"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting" ... Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney in "LeMans"

"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older"... Mario Andretti

"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose" ... Ayrton Senna

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Guenter in Ontario
Gently remove cover, remove 23 lb from tires, disconnect from life support, remove key from pocket. 4 month of waiting almost over. Open door, slide into drivers seat, look over that beautiful dash, glance over those purposeful front fenders. Savour the moment. Slide key into ignition with left hand, depress clutch, foot on brake, turn key to first stop and the instruments light up with everything looking normal. This is it.

Twist the key with my left hand and the whole orchestra barks to life. The Symphony in Flat Six. What a beautiful sound! Sit and enjoy the moment, back out of the garage, lower the top and let the sun pour into the car and let the idle drop to its normal pace. Fasten my seatbelt. Ready to roll out onto the road and time to start conducting the orchestra again.

Got out for a short run today. Wow! I never get tired of the sound, the handling, the snick, snick of that short shift that really connects you to the car and how the whole package handles. Thank you Porsche, for building such a fabulous roadster.

Another driving season begins.

Life in good

You describe the feeling really well.

I was lucky as I used mine in FL for a few months, but it is still down there and I am up here in Canada. Fortunately I am flying down on the 20th and will drive it back through the Blue Ridge mountains.

I can't wait!

Yes, Guenter, you are absolutely right it's like Christmas in the Spring. This will be the15th Spring MY 986 will come out of it's Winters rest. It has never ever failed to start and run smoothly after clearing it's throat. A very special time of year. I think I had better call the insurance company!

Is it so bad in winter that you can't even fire it up once a week or so and take it for a spin around the block? Or are you not there and snowbirding it somewhere?

Basically, in our area, there is salt on the roads from early in December until rains wash it away, usually in early April. Day time highs seldomly every get above 32 F, with some weeks below 10F and of course it gets colder at night. Sometimes we don't see the sun for weeks, so the salt and slush will be on the roads. That stuff gets into every nook and cranny and eats away at the paint and any exposed metal. Even though my garage is insulated (but not heated), it can go a good part of the winter below 32 F. No way you want to use a spray wash during that time.

Add to that, if you get out of the car during your drive, that slush will stick to your boots, when you get into the car, it melts and leaves a coating of salt around the pedal area.

The result is a clean car will stay that way until you pull it out onto the road. Take it for a short drive and the car is covered in the stuff. Worst part is all the underneath stuff - brakes, suspension etc that has to be sprayed and even then it's hard to get everything off. It's the salt that eats up the metal parts.

So, no, a short drive doesn't make much sense.

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Guenter in Ontario
So, no, a short drive doesn't make much sense.

Understood. I have no concept being a Floridian.

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decay

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Guenter in Ontario
So, no, a short drive doesn't make much sense.

Understood. I have no concept being a Floridian.

You're right. It's all about experience. I know that whenever I'm in Florida (normally that would be either in December or March) with sunny skies and temps in the 75 - 80 range, I can't believe the number I convertibles I see with the tops up. In conditions like that I'd NEVER have the top up. But then, we don't get that kind of weather here most of the year, so we drive with the top down at every opportunity that we get.

Before I got mine I didn't understand it either. But one good midday sunburn is all it takes to understand. I'm with Pedro, the winter months (sorry northerners) are the best top down weather for us in sunny Florida. In the summer months you have to get out early morning to enjoy the car but by midday, well you read that part already.

There are normally several days that you could take the car out during Winter. I don't bother as I carefully put the car into storage mode, all fluids topped up, tires overinflated, fuel stabilizer added, cleaned, covered and hooked up to a battery maintainer. The other thing of course is I downgrade the insurance coverage during Winter. Certainly makes Springtime special.

I agree with Guenter. It's just not worth it to take the car out in the winter on a nice day due to the reasons listed.I have already put 300km on mine the past two weekends! it's great to be back!

Chris - '01 Boxster - Seal Grey / Black / Black ; '87 944 Turbo (track beast) ; '86 944 - needs a new home!

approx. three more weeks for us on the Canadian Atlantic coast. Can't wait. Still too much snow (disappearing fast) around and a lot of potholes and gravel.

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richard986pei
approx. three more weeks for us on the Canadian Atlantic coast. Can't wait. Still too much snow (disappearing fast) around and a lot of potholes and gravel.

Richard didn't mention his other reason for wanting the snow to leave soon - he won some sort of Titleist kick-a*s driver last week.

Some guys have all the luck...

Hey, Roger, He can use it in the snow. Just has to use orange golf balls. Pedro should have a supply of those. Biggest challenge is when you're trying to address the ball properly when you're wearing snowshoes. The club can also get tangled if you're wearing one of those long toques.

May is always tough on me. drive a lot - or golf a lot - unfortunately not enough time in the day to do both.

Guenter, so happy to hear you have awakened the silver beauty. Your words gave me a chill! It's only about 7 weeks to BRBS too!

Gary

2003 Boxster Base - Midnight Blue Metallic, Savanna Beige, Metropol Blue