"Project Clubsport" a 97 2.5 5-speed build

[Brad Brownell]

I've had the car for almost a year, and I've had threads elsewhere, but neglected to start one here. I figured it was about time to show this thing to the birds.

I recently moved across the country to Reno, NV from Cleveland, OH, and I didn't want to ship my project 944 all the way out here, so I sold it to a friend. I'd been Porsche-less for about 8 months, and it was driving me crazy.

The fiance and I agreed that 986s were at that awesome apex of fun-to-drive and bottom-of-their-depreciation-curve that we so enjoy, and now was the time to buy.

I was passively looking for one since January or so, and there were some decent ones, but not the "right" one. A guy on the local SCCA board had been trying to sell his since last August, and the price was gradually coming down.

When it got low enough for my liking, we struck a deal, and now I have a Boxster.

It's a Guards Red 1997 2.5 liter base model. I contend that the 2.5 liter 5-speed cars have always been a bit underrated. They require a bit more "momentum" driving than the Boxster S' 3.2 liter does, and that's something I admire in a sports car. Granted, we're at 4000 feet above sea level up here, so it'd probably perform a little better down at sea level.

The good:

Recent IMS Bearing upgrade
New Flywheel
New Clutch
New water pump
New convertible top
New shift boot
Good tires
Interior is in excellent condition
Recent power steering pump replacement

The not-so-good:

Loads of rock chips in the front bumper
Headlights are foggy and yellowed
The center console and my right leg want to occupy the same space at the same time (don't worry, GT3 center console delete is coming...)
The paint is ROUGH. Water stains, fading, a bunch of scratches, etc.
There is a broken piece of cast aluminum linkage in the driver's side of the convertible top

The idea for the car is to create a "Clubsport" version of the car as Porsche should have from the factory. A little more 'hardcore' than the 987 Spyder, and hopefully I'll be able to chase down some Carreras without too much trouble.

Will update with more as things progress. I won't leave this thing well enough alone.

For now, some pictures...