Working on cars can be fun. In a world of complex problems with multiple solutions that are rarely zero-sum, there’s a certain healing in doing a simple task absolutely right. Torque specs followed, good parts installed, satisfaction in a job well done. It can also be a huge time-suck. Between work, family, a social life, and extracurriculars, taking on a big job can seem daunting, until you start eating the elephant bit-by-bit.
If it’s not your daily driver, there’s no use stumbling into a morning meeting bleary-eyed from a late-night fight with a spring compressor if you don’t have to. Likewise, getting bogged down and overwhelmed only pushes that completion target further and further down the road. Instead, I like to take a relatively unambitious approach: Half-an-hour at a time. So, when my reasonably priced Porsche Boxster desired some labor-intensive work, I just broke the off-season down into chunks. Here’s how I’ve got on so far.
The big project was a sort of major suspension refresh. A few properly crumbly bump stops were a good enough excuse to swap in some Koni Special Active dampers, and I figured I might as well replace any arms with noticeably cracked bushings since the easiest way of changing rear dampers on a 986 Boxster without removing the hub nut involves unbolting the CV axles and removing a few control arms. While I was in there, I noticed that the rear brake pads looked to be, well, disintegrating. Some were cracking around the holes for the wear sensors, some were crumbling at the edges. I wouldn’t be surprised if the pads were original, so a fresh set of Pagid discs and pads were in order. Call it cheap peace of mind.
Next came addressing what 26 summers can do to dash-mounted speakers. Unsurprisingly, once I pulled the speakers from the dashboard, I noticed that some of the surround foam on the four-inch drivers was simply missing. That would explain the earbud hiss I was hearing when trying to crank the stereo up. After considering the modest power of the factory Haes 4x40w amplifier, I settled on a pair of Hertz Cento CX100 speakers mounted in, um, massaged adapter rings. Plug-and-play jumper harnesses made the speaker swap a cinch, and now I have vastly improved sound for far less than what a new OEM pair from Porsche would cost.
Finally, I’ve already thrown a few other sundries at the Boxster. A new cabin air filter because the cowl plastics needed to come off anyway to access the strut towers; a new interior door light bulb to replace one that had burned out; giving the carpets a proper clean; and ensuring that the convertible top drain holes remained clear of debris.
So what’s still on the to-do list? Let’s start with the big one, because it is a little intimidating. I noticed that one of the foam drip trays under the tonneau cover was beginning to dry rot, and that’s something I’ll want to tackle sooner rather than later because holes in that could let water into the cabin, potentially frying the immobilizer module. Although a new tray feels rather exorbitant at around $232, that’s a drop in the bucket compared to a new immobilizer module. Mind you, I will need a helper for this because it requires removing the convertible roof mechanism. Old car things, am I right?
Secondly, there are a few minor maintenance items I’d like to attend to. A new engine air filter is a given, although it’s also a game of patience. Soft plastic windows and sub-zero temperatures don’t usually make kind bedfellows, so I’m just waiting for the mercury to rise on that one. What I can do is flush the brake fluid. It’s been two years since that was last done, and a power bleeder ought to make the process far easier.
While I’m in there, I might as well add a new toy, right? The beauty of having a head unit that supports a CD changer is that clever people have made things that plug in where a CD changer would normally go. I scored the Bluetooth module above for less than $30 Canadian, and while the audio quality of Bluetooth pales in comparison to a hardwired connection, a convertible sports car is about as ideal a reference environment as the cargo hold on a C-130. My only real expectation is that it solves the issue of the existing wired connection dropping out from time to time, and if it does that, it’ll be mission accomplished.
Once all that’s done, I’ll be taking it to a shop for an alignment before swinging by a few trusted body shops for quotes on some cosmetic rectification. You know how it is on a 26-year-old car: A few chips, a few dings, just little upkeep here and there. Oh, and that’s before I get into the big goal project.
See, last weekend, I filled up the 335i and phoned up a recently unemployed friend for a buddy day trip to Montreal. The goal? Some excellent creole food on L’Île Perot, along with picking up a reasonably priced OEM-plus upgrade: A set of M413-spec Turbo-look 18-inch wheels measuring 18×7.5 inches up front and 18×9 inches out back. Those with a keen eye will spot that two wheels are silver while two are PVD chrome, but at the price I paid, that doesn’t matter. Besides, I have plans for these wheels that are likely to be a bit controversial. Porsche nerds will know that code XD9 signifies color-matched alloy wheels, and while my car was never equipped with that option, who says you can’t have a little bit of fun with aftermarket solutions?
Okay, it’s been a big list so far, but apart from the drip tray, which will require a second person, just about everything else on this list can be broken down into 30-minute sessions. Get the back end up in the air? Good enough for tonight. Change a disc and one caliper’s pads? Good enough for tonight. Remove one strut, ensuring everything’s supported? Good enough for tonight. Getting the speakers to fit in the brackets? Good enough for tonight. Already, it’s been enough to crunch nearly 20 hours of billable labor into easy bite-sized sections.
Considering the going independent labor rate around me is somewhere around $175 Canadian or around $128 U.S. per hour, going half an hour at a time has effectively saved me more than $3,300 Canadian or $2,400 U.S. over getting someone else to do everything, and that’s a number I can get behind. Plus, it hasn’t consumed my entire life for weekends at a time. So, if you’re tackling a big thing on your project car and can afford the time to have it laid up, just go section by section. It’ll still fit into your busy life, and things will come together faster than you’d expect.
Top graphic images: Thomas Hundal; DepositPhotos.com
Speaking from experience, it’s also good to set aside a chunk or two a month to go back through and clean up.
Typically my short project windows end with needing to lay the tools down on the bench instead of putting everything away properly. If I don’t need that specific tool the next time I go out and I’m not using the space it’s sitting in, it could be out there for months if I didn’t set aside 30 minutes or so just to put everything back.
This is so very true. I love my <60min wrenching sessions making progress on a larger task. Pop out to the garage for a bit between work and late dinner. BIG thing to recommend, though – document where you are in the process. Some photos, a note, something.
The only bummer case for me is that I dislike leaving my car on jackstands, etc for days and days, since it is an active 2bay garage.
Thomas you are working on a similar skill to myself. Since having a kid, I am having to learn that doing even 5-10 minutes of a project (as long as it isn’t too technical) can get it done. I am sure once they are more independent, I can devote more time, but at this point in life, that’s often all I have.
Once I got old enough to have my own garage and a separate daily driver I realized how nice it is to be able to walk away from the project when you’re tired, frustrated, or just have somewhere else you want to or need to be. Its amazing how easy a problem becomes to solve when you walk away, sleep on it, and hit it with fresh eyes a few days later.
Love these wrenching articles. I am no mechanic, but also take my projects bit by bit. Thinking about the whole elephant is often too daunting. But nibbles here and there make for easier work.
Excellent work and bravo, my friend!
Great piece.
It’s good to have multiple beaters so there’s typically one in operable condition. I’ve found that local auto parts chain stores have gone crazy on pricing so the budget plan is RockAuto or Amazon which takes a few days to arrive.
I did something similar to clean out the furnace room in my basement: set a 15 minute timer and work only that time. If you are midway through something small when the timer goes off, finish it, but aside from that, you’re done. It worked great. It forces discipline, and it’s hard to get overwhelmed with all that needs to be done if you attack in it small increments.
This spring, I hope to do that with my garage. I might expand it to 30 mins each day on a weekend. But one can do a lot in 15 minutes.
This is great advice, and worked for me. I started a project to restore my Suzuki Cappuccino, and I realised I’d not touched it in two years, so I resolved to spend 20-30 minutes on it each week.
Now, I’ve managed to strip it back to bare shell, and make a rotisserie so I can weld the floor, and started sand blasting and powder coating all suspension parts.
Its a great feeling seeing how that odd 20-30 mins adds up over a year.
Great way to break out a plan into digestible chunks. I use a rolling checklist for things like this, and trying to keep them broken down into ‘same day’ chunks maintains visible progress without frustration and burn out when you can see it moving smartly along.
Please tell me that you’re not going to paint them yellow.
This is great advice. I’m in the midst of refurbing a ’73 Volvo 1800ES. Just got the head back on, still need to finish hooking up the new harness in the dash, do something about the bumpers, finish up getting engine operational again. 30 min-1hr increments are more doable in my house than 8-10 hour marathons.
It would help if my garage was somewhat organized.
This is why, when I finally break through on the house expenses (holy shit is it expensive to rewire an entire house laden with knob and tube and illegal splices seemingly everywhere) I want to have a third car to work on that I don’t depend on. Working on my daily back in the day was a nightmare, what with the obvious deadlines. Being able to calmly and methodically work on a car would be a big improvement over me cursing at rusty fasteners at 11pm on a weeknight.
We just recently sold our 3rd (fun) car and it was super nice to have it if one was in the shop or, like mentioned, you start a project, something goes funky and you have the ability to go “yeah, I’m going to stop here, grab a beer and do this tomorrow/the weekend.
We went in reverse – sold due to needing a new roof……oh well, life comes at you fast.
I need to learn from your experience. Going to bed on an unfinished wrenching project makes me squirm. If I plan for it to be unfinished, I can just relax.
Maybe I’ll try this for my Bug. I’m just trying to make it run. Then maybe drive properly.
As Derek Bieri says, “ya gotta keep the feet movin'”.
Side note: the AC-130 is the gunship version of the cargo-focused C-130.
This sounds very Zen. My kingdom for indoor wrenching space, that I could live by this example.