Published in the March 2014 issue of “Die Porsche Kassette”

As you read this article, my 1998 Boxster has been with me now for over 15 years!!!

During that time we’ve managed to cover over 244,000 miles on mountain roads, back roads, city streets, interstate highways, a bunch of parking lots (for AX) and, our favorite, at different tracks throughout the Country such as: Gateway International (St. Louis, MO), Harris Hill Road (San Marcos, TX), Bristol Speedway (Bristol, TN) and at our local Florida tracks of Daytona, Sebring, Palm Beach and Homestead-Miami.

She’s been a great car, although we’ve had our issues over the years, as you will read.

I’ve never been content with the status quo so I’m constantly modifying, removing or adding things to her. It all started the same day I brought her home with the removal of the ugly and obnoxious airbag stickers on the sun visors.

I’ve compiled a chronological list (as best as I can remember and my records show) of the mods and of our history of these past 15 years together.

This list is not to brag, but rather to give you some ideas of what you can also do to make your Porsche your very own.

Some of these mods are very simple, while others are very complex.

I must also say that some of these steps will void warranties and some may be very involved, but it may spark something in you.

The Mods or “Hacks” as we call them that are typed in “strike through” means that we hacked that hack somewhere later on the list to improve it or to replace it with a better way.

Most of the hacks listed below have led to the development of many of my technoProducts.

•Removed Airbag Warning Stickers from sunvisors

•Installed Optional Floor Mats w/Boxster Logo and slide stop (gray)

•Installed removable plastic Cup Holders in matching interior color

•Removed Boxster Logo from rear trunk lid

•Installed “986” Emblem on rear trunk lid (from Porsche 968)

•Installed Red Reflective Caliper Stickers

•Installed Stainless Steel Door Sills w/Boxster Logo

•Installed Hard-wired Valentine One Radar Detector

•Bypassed Clutch Ignition Microswitch so that I could start the car from outside

•Hand Painted Wheel Crests using Testors model paints and clearcoat

•Painted Windscreens to match car color: Glacier White/Clearcoat

•Added red reflective PORSCHE logo to rear spoiler

•Installed 1.5” aspheric mirrors. Self adhesive to mirrors

•Enabled Front Fog Lamps with either Low or High Beams

•Enabled second Rear Fog Lamps - adding second bulb and wiring

•Modified Top to make it operational while vehicle is in motion up to 30 mph

•Installed Euro Style Turn Signals - side markers now blink

•Installed 6 CD Storage Tray - under the radio in the center console

•Reprogrammed Door Locks to automatic with PST-II computer

•Installed technoDash Carbon Fibre Dash Kit

•Installed Optimus (Radio Shack) Rear Speakers to Becker 210 CDR radio

•Installed Footwell Lighting System

•Installed concealed Garage Door Opener operated from dash

•Installed Intermittent Wiper Control from 996 on dash

•Installed Trunk Open Warning Lights in both front & rear trunk lids

•Installed K&N Air Filter

•Installed Silver Instrument Gauge Faces

•Recalibrated Speedometer with GPS and PST-II computer

•Installed B&M Short Throw Shifter

•Installed driver’s side Lumbar Support with a manual air pump and air bag

•Installed Zimmerman Front Cross-Drilled Brake Rotors

•Installed technoVolt Digital Volt-Meter with red numerals

•Modified technoVolt Digital Volt-Meter with amber numerals

•Removed Intake Snorkel for better breathing and great intake sound

•Installed technoFlo Hi Flow Air Intake, 3”φ alum. tube & nitrile elbows

•Manufactured and installed plastic mesh on front bumper air intakes

•Installed Glacier White Bumperplugs on front bumper’s license plate holes

•Installed Glacier White Doorplug on right door

•Made and installed technoBra Magnetic Bra in matching Glacier White

•Installed Knapsack between seats

•Found collapsible Umbrella that fits in umbrella holder

•Notched Gas Cap so it rests on gas flap lid while refueling

•Installed Top-Center Marker in aluminum for steering wheel (AutoX)

•Manufactured brushed aluminum bracket for iPod and LG cell phone

•Installed Monster FM Modulator for iPod

•Converted Short Throw Shifter to technoShift Ultra Short Throw

•Installed new shifter boot (MOMO) to fit ultra short throw

•Installed Wheel Spacers - hub-centric 7 mm fronts and 15 mm rears

•Removed, rebuilt and painted calipers in technolab orange

• Placed Brembo stickers on orange calipers

•Installed new personalized License Plate (98SIX)

•Refinished leather steering wheel in two-tone (black/graphite gray)

•Refinished seats, dash, arm rest, handbrake and shift boot in black/gray

•Installed Porsche Club of America badge on left windscreen

•Installed deviating mats (black) with PORSCHE logo

•Painted front bumper air intake grills to match Glacier White

•Made magnetic PORSCHE Badges for casual placement

•Installed Sylvania Silver Star H7 bulbs - Hi, Lo, Fog

•Installed Schnell Rear Strut Brace  

•Installed Schnell Headers

•Modified Muffler to PSE (Pedro Sport Exhaust) specs

•Modified Boat Drain Plugs for extra PSE silencing

•Installed Eibach Lowering Springs - 4 corners - lowered 1” 

•Hand painted Crest in Steering Wheel

•Installed the technoMount remanufactured front engine mount

•Installed Front Strut Brace - aluminum

•Installed Aluminum Pedals - set of 4

•Installed larger Oil Cooler from the Boxster S

•Installed (removable) 6-point Racing Harness for AXs & DEs

•Made Set of Magnetic Numbers for AXs and DEs

•Modified Aluminum Accelerator Pedal with “toe” extension

•Installed Center Radiator from the 2001 996 GT3

•Made Cut out in Front Bumper for the third radiator

•Installed Trim and Mesh on center intake

•Painted front bumper air intake grills black to match center mesh & trim

•Installed – hard-wired Magellan GPS

•Manufactured and Installed technoBrace 

•Placed PedrosGarage stickers on calipers 

•Upholstered Interior Plastic Trim Pieces in black leather

•Manufactured and Installed technoBra in contrasting ORANGE

•Replaced radio with CR 220 and direct iPod cable through AUX input 

•Installed additional 12 volt outlet for charging smart phone 

•Installed the V1 Mute Hack

•Manufactured and Installed the technoTorque 

CRASH! Damage by a road gator (piece of tire retread) ...

•Installed 996 Front Bumper

•Installed Trim and Mesh on front center intake

•Painted front bumper air intake grills black to match center mesh & trim

•Installed Carbon Fibre Hood

•Installed OEM Porsche Crest on CF Hood

•Installed Carbon Fibre Mirror Covers

•Installed Carbon Fibre Rear Spoiler

•Installed the technoCam video camera mount

•Installed Underdrive Crankcase Pulley

• Installed the technoHitch for track trailer 

•Installed the technoLite HID Xenon Headlights - low beams 

•Installed the technoLite LED DRL with interrupt switch

•Installed the technoLite LED Parking Lights

•Installed Removable Rear Brake Cooling Ducts - for track use

•Installed 996 Front Brake Calipers in PG Orange

•Installed 996 Front Brake Rotors

•Installed 996 Front Brake Pads

•Installed Front 986 Brake Calipers in the rear in PG Orange

•Installed 986 Stock Brake Calipers in the rear in PG Orange

•Installed New Intermediate Shaft Bearing - ceramic

•Installed New Clutch

•Installed New Flywheel

•Installed New RMS

KABOOM! Engine broke a piston rod at Sebring (at 203,000 miles)

•Installed 2.7 Liter Engine Block (MY2002) with the original 2.5 liter heads

•Installed Intermediate Shaft Bearing (salvaged from above)

•Installed Accusump System in rear trunk

•Installed New Plastic Rear Window (hand stitched)

•Reprogrammed ECU as an RoW car

•Removed Secondary Air Injection System

•Installed technoBore larger bore throttle body

•Installed technoFlash ECU remap 

•Installed technoArt - BRBS/Mile Miglia Orange Arrow on hood 

KABOOM! Transmission gave up the ghost (at 221,000 miles)

•Installed used transmission from a MY1999

•Installed technoGauges Engine Oil Pressure, Temp, Accusump Pressure

•Installed Bilstein PSS9 Coil-Over Suspension - 9-way adjustable

•Installed the technoPulley Underdrive Pulley

•Installed the technoFix DOF IMS Bearing Direct Oil Feed System

•Installed the technoBearing Dual Row Steel IMS Bearing 

•Installed the technoGas Higher PSI Fuel Pressure Regulator

•Installed the technoSump Oil Sump Extension 

•Installed original CDR210 and technoTooth (Bluetooth integration)

That’s it!... I think ...

For now ....

To learn more about modifications and “hacks” in general, please visit my website at: wwwPedrosGarage.com.

Happy Porsche’ing,