A 'driver's car' is a type of car that is really fun to drive. It usually has great handling and makes you feel more connected to the road, rather than just being comfortable or fancy.
Car
Porsche
Porsche is a famous car brand from Germany that makes high-performance sports cars. They are known for being fun to drive and have a strong racing heritage.
Handling is how a car feels when you turn the steering wheel. If a car handles well, it means it goes where you want it to go without feeling wobbly or unstable.
Deferred maintenance means putting off repairs or upkeep on a car because you think it's running fine. But ignoring these can cause bigger problems later on.
Touch points are the parts of the car that you touch often, like the steering wheel and gear shifter. Changing these can make the car feel nicer to use.
The Porsche 911 is a famous sports car that many people admire for its unique shape and fast speed. It's been around for a long time and is loved by car fans for how well it drives and looks.
The Porsche 981 is a version of the Porsche Boxster and Cayman sports cars made between 2012 and 2016. It has a newer design and better performance than the older models.
The steering wheel is what you hold to steer the car. Different types can look and feel different, and some are made from special materials to make them more comfortable or stylish.
Offsets are measurements that help determine how far the wheel sits inside or outside of the car. Getting this right is important so the wheels fit well and don't hit other parts of the car.
A short shift system is a modification that makes it easier and faster to change gears in a car. It helps you shift gears with less effort and in less time.
Solid shifter cables help make changing gears in a car feel smoother and more precise. They are better than the original cables that come with the car.
The Porsche 917 is a famous race car that was really fast and won many races in the past. It's well-known among car lovers for its impressive design and performance on the track.
The Porsche Cayenne is a high-end SUV made by Porsche. The 2013 version is known for its comfort and advanced features, but some owners find the technology outdated.
An electric AC system is a type of air conditioning that runs on electricity instead of using the engine's power. It can help cool the car but can cost a lot to install.
A motor rebuild means taking apart an engine to fix or replace parts that are worn out. It's done to make the engine work better again, but it can cost a lot of money.
Drone is a loud, annoying noise that can happen inside your car when you're driving, especially if you've changed the exhaust system. It's not a pleasant sound.
Porsche Sport exhaust is a special exhaust system that makes Porsche cars sound better and perform a bit better. It's often added to cars to give them a sportier sound.
The Porsche Boxster is a two-seater convertible sports car that lets you enjoy the open air while driving. It's known for being fun to drive and is a more affordable way to experience the Porsche brand.
The BMW 3 Series is a small luxury car that many people enjoy for its smooth ride and stylish look. It's a good option if you're looking for a car that's both fun to drive and comfortable.
LIVE
Welcome to Renthousiast Radio, the podcast where Will and Derek navigate the winding
roads of Porsche Obsession, exploring the good and the bad of Porsche ownership.
Grab your favorite beverage, pull up a chair, and join us, Renthousiast Radio, because life's
too short not to talk about Porsches.
Welcome to Renthousiast Radio.
I'm Will and I'm Derek.
In this episode, maybe one that for folks who know me, who've watched some of my content,
you will think that I don't know anything about this, but I will respectfully disagree.
In this episode, we're going to be talking about how to... Derek, how did you title this?
You had a clever title for it.
Well, I called this one, How to Be Happy with the Porsche you own.
I will say, I hesitate to count them. I want to say it's 20 or 21 Porsches I've been through
since 2018, so a last... You like the 20-barrier, huh?
Yeah, yeah. Sometimes it's like really mixed emotions. Sometimes I'm like, yes, I had such
a fun time with these cars and how lucky am I that I got to experience all of them.
And then other times I'm like, ooh, just to think about how upside down I got on some of them,
because I went deep with the modifications and the moves I made to kind of renew my engagement
with them. So yeah, I want to say, I think I do know a thing or two about making yourself happy
with your car again, if it is getting old to you. Yeah, you know, I think part of this came,
at least in my mind, from the fact that over the last six months, we've talked a lot about
the cost of Porsche getting more expensive from the standpoint of new cars, getting stratospheric,
and then dragging up the price of used and pre-owned cars where everything has just jumped,
40%, 50%, I feel like in the last year or two. And so a lot of people... Listen,
I'm on my couch every night on Facebook Marketplace, just looking to see what goes up and what if,
and how can I trade something out? And I've always had that bug my whole life.
But when the cost of things start to get to a place where you can't move in and out of cars
very much, I mean, I'm looking at my garage being like, how can I keep this fresh? How can I keep
this fun? How can I have the same car that I've had now for, you know, like my box drive had for a
year and a half or two years, and I love it. But how can I keep it fresh? And so I wanted to talk
to you about some of the things in my mind, maybe that we could look into sharing that we've done
in the past with cars or in chatting with a couple of my friends that have been long-term owners,
five, 10, 15 years, some of the things that they've done to stay excited in the car they have.
And so, Will, when you get a new car, you have this obsession to make it a great driver's car.
You bring it to a place where you feel like this is giving me everything it should be
from kind of the ethos of the car. And, you know, I think that that's a big part of it, you know,
and maybe the way I kind of look at a mod on a car to stay fresh is if I look at a car in the
first three seconds, I don't feel different. Or if I'm in the driver's seat and in the first three
minutes, I don't feel the difference. Then I don't think that that's a mod that you should do and
you should skip it. But listen, I think the first thing you should do with Porsche is get them to
baseline. And I want you to talk about this a little bit. But these cars came off of the
manufacturer's line handling fantastically, handling like a Porsche should. And over time,
there's so many things that degrade that when you are driving your car, you're not probably driving
it as it was intended from the company. And so, let's talk about that a little bit.
Yeah, I'm glad you started there, because actually I'm taking notes as you're talking and
that was the first thing I wrote. So, I've gone from a place of trying to contain costs
after acquiring a car, just so I can feel like, should I elect to sell it, I don't lose big on
the car. And I've had some swings and misses. I have gone too deep in cars and it did kind of
chat me a little bit. But I am in a place now after owning a bunch of these and being very
fortunate to find special cars that the baseline process doesn't bother me, even if it's pretty
expensive. I feel like the cars deserve it. And to your point, man, when you pick up something,
even if it's been well cared for, if it has been owned by multiple owners prior to your
acquiring it, if the previous owner has loved it, but really has hesitated because he or she
has known they're going to sell it, hesitated to put money into it to get things up to baseline,
you got to just get in there and do it. And I think that, as you mentioned, because things wear
out gradually over time, one thing follows another, the suspension bushings are not what they used to
be, the shifter bushings are not what they used to be, maybe the plugs and coils haven't been done
in a long, long time. You're leaving a lot on the table for what the car has to offer. I think
you're losing a lot of the joy. So, I mean, in this case, let's say you've owned the car for a
year and it's been fine, but maybe you haven't really taken a look at some of these deferred
maintenance items because the car runs fine. I think when you go ahead and you say, hey,
Mr. Mechanic, I really want to drop the motor in the case where it's not out of control,
like a 992. I want to drop the motor and I want to start to look at the plugs and coils. I want to
refresh things that need refreshing. It really transforms the car. In my experience, it causes
you to fall in love with it again. Isn't it so funny that we start off the discussion about
how to change your car to fall back in love with it with a discussion of how to go back to stock?
Yes, but it's true. It really is. I'm going to throw in there and we can talk more about this.
Even something as simple as putting on new tires, the little things that
are contact the road or contact your hands are so important and those are the first things I
feel that kind of wear out. I completely agree. It's one of those things where
maintenance is one thing. Plugs, absolutely. Oil, maybe clutch for sure. But there are so
many little things that you can do to the touch points in the car. We talk about getting to a
baseline first. I think that there's three things that you look at a car that you can change to
make it feel new to you. Number one are the touch points. Like I just said, steering wheel,
the shifter, etc. The second is the sound and then the third is the chassis feel.
A lot of that outside of maybe the sound is really just kind of going back to
maybe what Porsche had out of the factory. We can talk a little bit about that.
But let's talk about the steering wheel. Have you ever swapped out a steering wheel in a car?
Yes, you have. What was your experience with that?
Well, in the case of it's been good or bad, I'll think back to my first 993. I went from the
four-spoke wheel that came on the car to a three-spoke 996 or Boxter wheel. I
preferred the ergonomics of the three-spoke actually. So that was a really good booth.
There was a point in time where I got a little itchy again. I wanted to refresh the car and make
it a little bit different than it had been just because that's what I wanted to do. And I went
with a 993 RS wheel. Ended up not liking that. I didn't like the seating position plus the
seating position plus the wheel, like the angle on the wheel. And so that wasn't a good move.
I would say that anybody who's thinking about doing that, if you can try to find an example
that has that going on, has the wheelie that you're seeking. If that's realistic and just get a
feel for it because I've had a really good experience with that. I've had a not-so-good
experience with that. So yeah, just be careful. Yeah, sometimes you can change the diameter of
the wheel and then you could just update it for looks. And so with my old 911, I have a MoMo
wheel that's a little bit smaller than it was stock. And I love that because it makes me feel
much more connected to the car. I feel like the car changes directions a lot more quickly and easily
because of the diameter. And then in the Boxter, and I know I've promised the audience that I was
going to do a video on this, I'm still collecting data. My long saga of changing out the Boxter
steering wheel, my 981 for an aftermarket wheel. So what I did is I took the base plastic wheel.
Well, as an experiment, man, I mean, to get into wheels like three or four grand with an airbag
and you can pick up on eBay or through some aftermarket sellers out of California, you can pick
up an updated wheel. So instead of the black plastic wheel that I have in my car, you can get
one from a 991.2, which is updated. It can have the buttons, it can be heated in my case neither,
and I don't need paddles. Just for the look, how is that? Does it have the same weight?
Does it have the same feel? Does the airbag, if it were to ever go off, does it just shoot confetti
at you or is it really an airbag? I don't know the answers to this, but I did do this. I did this
towards the end of last year before it snowed and got a couple of drives in it. And I've actually
been very happy with the change in terms of how it looks. I think it updates the cabin of the 981
nicely and I'll put a picture in here kind of showing it, but then you start messing with safety
too. So there's a thing there to consider. Yeah, man. So my 997, my 2009, 9-11,
a lot of guys will take the 991 wheel and put it in the 997. And I've gotten, this is an interesting
thing we're talking about, believe it or not. I mean, you've got to be an Uber geek to really get
into this. I don't like a more modern wheel even in one generation prior. To me, it just is...
I can't find the right word. To me, it feels like a reach. It's like...
I can see that. No, I can see that. But you know what I think it is, is that I, and this is again,
super geeky. But the interior of the 997 is old school Porsche, right? Like, if you were to look
at that and look at your 993 interior, they're not that far off in terms of similarities. When they
went to 991 and raised the console and everything was very different, I feel like the 991 is a very
different interior where the 991, 992, you can kind of swap. So I get what you're saying,
but I think it depends on the interior. You usually beat me with your knowledge of subtleties
and details and technical specifications, but I'm going to respectfully push back on you. Now,
the 997.1 interior is... I don't know that it's reminiscent of the 993, but it is not
very attractive. It looks cheap. You get into the 997.2, I would argue that it is a little bit...
One could say it has a modern look. So it is not as much of a mixture of generations as it might be.
I'll make it up. Let's say you're trying to put a 991 wheel in a 993. Like, that's a travesty
and nobody could even do it. Don't get me wrong, but that's just an extreme example of what I'm
talking about. I'm agreeing on that. But I mean, I do see the 991 wheel meshing with the 997.2
interior in a way that doesn't feel like you're mixing to oil and water, for example. But again,
I just think from a philosophical standpoint, and this is just me, right? So I mean, and the beauty
of some of these moves we're talking about is it's beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And
maybe I'm wrong in many cases, but in my subjective opinion, I just don't like it.
Yeah, it's a personal thing.
Yeah. When you get into wheels, man, I've had as a content creator companies that make
aftermarket wheels, I've had them approach me. Oh, hey, I'd like to do a sponsorship deal and
we'll send you a free wheel and then they want to do a deal on their steering wheels.
First of all, first of all, some of them like look like a space shuttle steering wheel, right?
Like it's got a flat bottom on it. It's got some hideous carbon and they're just, I don't know where
I think they Valley Baba. Yeah, dude, they make for it's like the same wheels that look in the
field from many different brands, car brands. But either way, like those are to your point.
Number one, I don't really like how they look. It's they're just trying. They'll throw some
alcantara on top of some carbon and flatten the bottom of the wheel. And then so I don't like
that. But also, I mean, you get into safety with that, these moves, right? So think about
the Prototipo on the earlier cars. I mean, it's the right look. It's the right look.
Yeah, it looks awesome. But it's a cheese grater. So if you get into some sort of a head-on scenario
or an abrupt stop scenario and your face goes into the wheel, I mean, you are actually enhancing
your ability to get hurt. Yeah, live dangerously. Well, that's part of the hobby, I guess. I don't
know. Yeah, I'm a Prototipo guy for sure. So I hear you. Speaking of wheels, what about wheels on
cars? Would you do you think that that's a solid update changing newer generation wheels on an
older car? Hmm. I have run 996 wheels on 993s. They're called MY02s. They're like five spoke
wheels. They look really good. And I think that works very nicely. I don't know, man. I mean,
for me, I've kind of, and this is just a word of caution, anybody listening, if you want to get
into wheels, be really careful to do your homework on any wheels you're looking at to make sure that
the offsets are right, the diameters right, that it'll all fit on your car because there's nothing
worse than dropping X thousands of dollars on wheels. Only to find out they were misrepresented
or someone made a mistake and then now they won't fit on your car. So I know that's not
exactly the answer to your question, but it is a word of caution. It asked me how I know.
It's true though, because yeah, well, we've both been there. Yeah, might clear your brakes, but
it sticks out past your fender and it looks weird. Physical fitments are definitely one thing. I
think aesthetic is another. So I think in just getting back to the interior, we have the steering
wheel we're talking about. Another thing that makes a huge difference is simply changing out your
shifter knob or changing over to a short shift system. I mean, that fundamentally changes how
your car drives. So I mean, for what's a couple hundred dollars, you could potentially get a
new car by just feeling how it shifts very differently. Couldn't agree more. Again, going
back to the 997.2, the factory shift knob, and I did a lot of work to my shifter action. So in
that car, we re-did the, we put in solid shifter cables and we put in the numeric racing short
shift kit and all of that did like for sure, clean everything up because from the factory,
that's not a great shifter, the 997. It just feels plastic and cheap. It's still with the factory
knob, which I like the look. Again, I'm kind of like Wolf and Sheep's clothing guy. I've gotten
to a place where I want it to look, period, correct? But I want it to feel badass. 993 is a great
example that we can get into when you talk sound, by the way. But I went ahead and this was crazy.
My mechanic tripped over this gentleman down in Mexico that makes like 917 inspired knobs.
And when I swapped that out, I think it was like 180 bucks, maybe 220 something. But when I swapped
that out, the weight of that knob, incredible transformation. It's amazing. The weight of a
knob does make a huge difference in terms of having a weighted shifter action. And the texture of the
thing, it's that wonderful like polished, sounds so freaking, sounds sort of like this sounds
perverted in a way, but the wonderful smooth texture of the knob. Oh, tell me more. Well,
tell me more. But truly, man, you know, and then there's like something really silly, but it goes
to like, what is the material of the knob? Be careful, you start getting into metals.
And like in the summer, I'm talking about dead of summer, that shit gets hot and it will burn your
hand, you know? And so that's what I like about the wood. But just to put a bow on the whole
thing, man, like that can be transformational. And it's so silly because you, it's like, oh,
that's not a big deal. It really is because where's your hand 90% of the time you're driving the car?
Yeah. And I would actually, you know, we started with changing the steering wheels. But if I was
going to try to fall back in love with my car, changing how it shifts is going to be the first
thing I'll do. Because I think that fundamentally it changes everything. You know, just talking
about the interior comfort, though, I'm going to throw in two bonus things. One of which I have
experience in the other, I'm going to have experience. But the first is on my wife's
Cayenne 2013 Cayenne s that screen and the whole PCM is just old and outdated. The Bluetooth sucks
the the the map stink. And so you can get kits online. Mr. 12 volt does a great job where you
can update your whole PCM. It is amazing to add carplay and it fun to actually I feel like the
screen is sharper, but it fundamentally changes the usability of the entire interior when we can
get in your phone automatically connects. You have a beautiful way screen right there. And it just
updates your car makes it more usable. And I found that to be absolutely huge. Have you ever done
that one of your cars? I have not. I've seen it discussed in my various information sources on
these generations. You know, when I when I buy a specific generation, I'll dive into, you know,
the specific Facebook groups, for example. First of all, Mr. 12 volt. That's an interesting name.
So my thought up for their company. But man, I mean, whoever's behind that has done a hell of a
job because people talk about it very reverently. I I want to look into it because I think I think
they do have a kit for my 997.2 my 2009 and it it needs it. But right now, I'm just running that
little aux cord, which is sort of painful to plug into my phone, but it kind of does the job.
Haven't done it would like to do it. Don't really want to take the dash apart and plug things into
the back of the head unit, but definitely a good mod. In fact, it's sort of essential. I just haven't
gotten around to it because I have that auxiliary cord. I think it gets such a good reputation
because he does a really nice job. It's pretty seamless. And when it's all put back together
correctly, it works as described. So I think that's an awesome update. Getting it getting the PCM out
is not about just this is like a spoiler for the audience here. Getting the PCM out is not a terrible
thing. There's clear instructions online with videos, step by step, you just need a couple of the
right tools. The problem becomes if you're going to do the job yourself, like you're going to get
the kit and you have to do surgery on the electronics yourself, or if you're going to ship it and have
them do it. And that's a you question. I did it myself here at the desk. I have a history of
like building computers. And I mean, surprise surprise, right? With my nerd glasses on. But
I thought, Hey, what's the big deal? No problem. It was actually a little bit more involved than I
thought attacking it. And the big thing I found is when it was back together, you know, I'm sorry
to say it didn't work. And I was like, I'm talking about this. Yeah, I was like, and I had to take
it back apart. And one of the cables, when I closed it, didn't see it correctly. And it was just a
it was an instance of millimeters. So you wouldn't have even noticed. So when it was back together,
it worked great. So anyways, I don't want to dwell too much on it. But I think that's an awesome
upgrade. Here's the other thing that you can fall back in love with your car. If you are able to use
it more, and especially with older cars, I'm just going to throw back out there the idea of changing
your HVAC system, maybe putting that AC system back in your G body car, or in my case, looking at an
electric AC system, because I don't live down south. I mean, you guys with your humidity and stuff,
it's it's crazy. But there are days, you know, we're for New Hampshire, it's 8792 degrees.
And my windows are down and I'm trying to drive at speed. And I'm like, I there are days I don't
take my car because it's too hot. And it's just uncomfortable, there's friction there. And so,
you know, potentially, would I use it more if I had the ability to have the windows up with AC?
I don't know. What do you think? I think that I've never, how do I say this? I don't want to sound
too judgmental. I've never, I've never thought about touching AC. I mean, I'm aware it's something
that people do. I, in fact, have taken the belt off of my, my condens, what is it, the compressor,
sorry. You know, I've taken the belt off of that and my 993s, just because like the part just started
to fall apart, it was making noise. What the hell am I, why am I not? It's early here, folks.
It's no, you're right. Yeah, no, you're right. You take the belt off the compressor, so that
doesn't have a parasitic drain. Yeah, the compressor. But really, it's just an, it's yeah,
it's a drag on the motor and the belt starts going or something. I'm like, eh, I'm not going to
even replace this because I don't use the AC in my older cars especially. I don't know, man. I just
am not that interested. It's not that great anyway. So at least for the air cool cars, I mean,
I'm content just to sweat because rock on, man, that's just the nature of those cars.
Sure. I, you know, some guys are going to do the electric AC system, you know, that solution. And I
mean, it's many thousands of dollars. It's not cheap. And I don't know that you would get that
money back out. So if you're going to drop five or six or whatever it is now into your car, I mean,
I'm not going to say don't do that, but I think there's better ways to get more joy out of it,
especially for a guy like you. Ooh, two to three days a year, but it's not a good way to put the
money in, you know? Money in, money out, especially when I need a motor rebuilt. That's, I'm going to
put the money towards that. But, whoa, whoa, whoa, is that happening? No. Well, according to my
mechanic, it should, but it's one of those things where it's not leaking that much oil. So just drive
it. And that's what I've been doing. And yeah, God, when I look at the amount of money to rebuild
the motor that it's not critical, it's not falling apart. The car drives great. I don't notice any
lack and horsepower. So I'm just going to drive it until it's a point where I'm like, I really have
to do it. There's no smoking or anything like that. It's just a little bit of oil. And who knows,
right? You get it back together and six months later, it could be leaking again. So I don't know,
man. Let me mention this, and this is just for the old cars, but you know one of the best HVAC
air conditioning systems I ever had in an old car was my 356 with the little triangle window
that was in front of the main window. Yes. You would open it up and it would direct air right
into your chest. And it was the best. And I wonder maybe you down in the comments, people that are
more F-body knowledgeable, maybe you can swap those out on my car to those. But oh my God,
that was so good. And I'm sure that was a lot less expensive. You can. Yeah, you can do it.
All right. I got to look into that because that that was fantastic.
We're dude, we're God, I think they're not that easy to find. But if you can find them,
they're doable. It's doable. Really? I've seen it done literally with my own two eyes. Yeah.
Really? Okay. All right. I'm going to look into that because that would be a nice halfway measure.
You can just open that up and you're good. We are deep down the rabbit hole of the interior and we
still have a lot to talk about. Well, and this is such dorky stuff. I hate it because I've been
given like anecdotal feedback just from people that listen to us who might be casual enthusiasts.
They're like, I just, I, you know, I wish I could listen more, but you guys go way too deep. So I
guess, you know, this is for the nerds out there because a lot of the casual people, like they
don't, they don't know what we're talking about these internal designations and the freaking,
you know, the smoker windows and all, all this kind of struggle with it though. Well,
because like you can only do so many episodes where you just talk about, you know, are you this
kind of Porsche fan or you that kind of Porsche fan? And you know, you and I both know that when
you get, when you're with your buddies and you stop for a coffee and you're looking at each
other's cars and you're pointing at things and someone's talking about the things they did.
I don't know. You get, you get a little geeky. And so maybe, maybe we can appeal to both audiences
and I don't want to lose anyone by talking about the stupid triangle windows in my, you know,
50 year old, nine 11th. That is super, super deep. But at the same time, I don't know,
maybe there's a little value there. But maybe let's take a step back and let's talk about sound.
What do you suggest when you want to fall back in love with your car? What do you suggest you do?
I mean, exhaust mods are a natural, you know, change. It's, it definitely makes the,
makes the drive more fun. I mean, I have a couple of different thoughts of the
Darren Fister. You know, I can't talk about exhaust note without mentioning him. He makes some great
products for many, several of the generations of these cars. Most notable is from 993, his
stage two or stage three exhaust. It's a muffler modification is where it is
outstanding, outstanding. I also think about, for my experience with like three twos and
I, I didn't, I was, I've not been able to find a really, really, really great exhaust option. I
know they're out there, but that one was not an easy one to, to figure out. I've tried a couple
of different ones and I got a lot of drone and there's nothing worse than drone. Yeah. Yeah. I
mean, great at the higher revs. It sounds awesome, but you know, in your normal day-to-day driving,
you can't sit in the cab and just leave it at 2,800 RPM because it's going to just drive you nuts.
So that's one more thing. And then I'd love to hear your opinion on this because I bet you
know more about this than I do, but these guys who will take Porsche Sport exhaust that, you know,
they buy the aftermarket kit or not the aftermarket kit, they'll buy the parts you need from
Porsche for some untold thousands of dollars and have them installed. What do you know about that?
Here's my advice. If you are buying a used car and sound is important to you, just search a little
deeper and be flexible on the color of the car or be flexible on the kind of seat on the car,
but make sure it has Porsche Sport exhaust installed. Like I have gotten to a point now,
especially with the newer cars, I think it is an absolute must when it comes to buying a car.
So in a perfect world, do that and forget about the headaches. To add Porsche Sport exhaust after
the fact, I mean, I've heard estimates anywhere between $5,000 and $8,000 to add a car. That's
through the dealer, but you have to do programming to get the car. Like once you wire the button in,
you have to program the car to recognize it and all this stuff. And so I don't know
from an aftermarket standpoint how easy that is to install a factory exhaust.
And I'll say just to give you a big picture, and I don't know what generation they started with,
but Porsche has manufactured a Porsche Sport exhaust option that they'll add to cars that
respect with it. And there's a button in the cabin you press and it's a valved exhaust system.
So it will close or open or whatever it does with the valves when you want it off. So it
becomes like pretty tame. Hey, I live in a neighborhood full of stodgy people and I want to
cruise home back to my house, past my neighbor's house as you can tone it down. But then you press
that button, man, and it opens up the valves, I guess. The flaps or whatever the hell it does.
Either way, it sounds really good. And it does sound good across different generations
in different ways. But to your point, Derek, I would absolutely want a car that came with it.
I mean, I've thought a lot about this.
You better, I think the guys that are willing to throw five to eight K at this particular
mod, they're these forever car guys, you know, they're, they're, they're gonna keep that car
forever. And so it's completely worth it to them. And that's actually like the posts that I've seen
from people that are doing that. That's kind of the mentality because it's, it's like the
electric AC. I mean, that's, those are big dollars, you know? Yeah, it's true. Listen,
I think Darren Fister, I, I show from the rooftops how good his exhausts are. I've had
one many of my cars. That is a very cheap entry level way in the grand scheme of things for a
thousand bucks-ish to get great sound on your car. You just can't turn it on and off. It is what it is.
And so I love the idea of valved exhaust. If you're not going to spend the money to put a
Porsche valved exhaust, I would consider it, you know, finding an aftermarket as long as the sound
is good, because I really like sometimes you're just not in the mood to be driving, you know, easily
and just, you just have this loud, aggressive sound all the time. But then there's other times where
that adds to the experience incredibly. So I love the idea of having two different cars in one car
when it comes to sound. The other thing I'll mention is the air box. You can, from an intake
standpoint, you can do a lot of changes to a car by getting a more aggressive air box. And the sound,
the intake sound really adds to the whole flavor of the car. That might just be something as simple
as taking a drill and putting a couple holes in the air box on some of the older cars to increase
the sound, which I know my friends that have done with success. So, all right, we have mentioned
several ways to throw more money at your car. But I mean, I think back to when I, my first
meaningful Porsche, my Polar Silver 993, when I bought that, I just, I was at a place in my career
where I didn't have a lot of like just disposable income to buy multiple cars or to really throw a
lot of money at the 993. I mean, I treasured it and I kept that car for a while. And this is
going to sound really goofy, but there, I found that, yeah, I mean, just because of my mentality,
I get a little bit, I don't know if bored's the right word, but I just get itchy, you know? I like
change. I like new, I like variety. It's just how I roll in my life. Yeah, you missed the hunt too.
Yeah, yeah, dude. So, with that car, I would like do a long road trip up into the mountains by
myself. Yes, yeah. And it was really, really bizarre. I mean, I used to call it a walkabout.
So, I think Australians are going into the bush by themselves and they just,
I guess, go clear their head or whatever they, whatever the purpose is. But,
you know, I would go up into the mountains by myself for several days, find some really cool
VRBO or a need like, you know, lodge type of hotel. And it was just me, my bags, my camera,
and my 993. And there was just some sort of odd bonding that occurred when I did that.
It was this, it's almost like in the old West, like my horse took me way out into the desert
and brought me back, you know? Yeah, it's your steed. Yeah, that's it, man. And so, I would say
that if you're looking to fall back in love with your Porsche and you just don't feel like doing
the hunt and you don't want to, or you don't have money to do a lot of the stuff we've talked about
so far, very, very simple. It's going to cost you some gas and maybe a couple quarts of oil.
But yeah, man. I think to build, build a car story instead of a car spec is really important.
And I jotted that down on my note, you know, you, I've heard from a lot of people that when they
take a car and a trip, they're like, oh, I just fell back in love with it. And I can't remember,
it was a while ago, probably six or eight months ago, I did a video on 11 after nine where I took
my Boxster to the Adirondacks and I went camping with it. Yeah, man. Yeah. And I came back,
I'll never forget the memories of coming back. I came back late at night. I had the top down
and I was just busting through the Vermont mountains in the Boxster. And it was, I came back
and I was like, what other car can I get for like 35 grand or 38 grand that does this? That's
so much more in love with that car. Now I can't, I don't want to move on because in my garage, I
always had, I always had one car that I would kind of flip. That was my fun car, right? You enjoy it
and then you, and then you fix it up and you sell it for what you have into it, you hope,
and then you move on to the new experience. Then I got Birdie, my 72911. And I just love that car
so much I can never sell it. And so I saved up enough scratch to get my, you know, the Boxster.
And that was supposed to be my flipping car. And I use the word flipping and in terms of like,
have it for a year or two and then get into experience, not make money on it. But now I'm
in love with that car. And so I'm like, what am I going to do because they're both excellent
examples. And this is a point I want to make. And I did not want to mention this at the beginning
of the episode because people would shut it off and be like, Derek, this is a podcast about how
to love your car, not how to get rid of your car. But I'll say this, for people that are saying,
I keep getting bored with my cars and I keep wanting a new experience. Something that I have
found is that maybe you take your one expensive car and you get two less expensive, very different
experience cars. And what I mean by that is an old school feel of a car. This doesn't necessarily
have to be a Porsche. But for the sake of this podcast, I have found that having my old school
air-cooled car and having my new schooled, water-cooled Boxster, I never get bored because I
say, what kind of experience do I want to have today? That the two experiences don't overlap.
And so I'm either out with the sound in the feel of an old school Porsche engine or I'm in my Boxster
and I can have the top up or down because it's a convertible and it's a very different experience.
So potentially, I mean, yes, you're getting a new car or two new cars, but from a price standpoint,
you can swap into them. Something to consider in if you have the room in your garage.
But I don't find myself getting bored with cars anymore because I have those two experiences
that I can bounce back and forth between. Yeah, dude, for sure. If I were going to try to
summarize my goal with the hobby is to step out into my garage and have a variety of experiences
with no overlap across them, no redundancy. And you just hit the nail on the head. I mean,
they are different enough where they feel like different cars, but they still have that character,
that ethos of Porsche. So for those of you out there who can do that, like congratulations,
it's a very fortunate position to find yourself in, but it is absolutely worth it.
I was just going to say, I mean, how full of shit are we where we're like,
well, first wheel problems, don't have one Porsche, go buy two and then you don't have any problems
anymore. Well, again, thankfully, our audience is so niche to that they probably don't think we
sound like assholes because they can identify. Let's just hope that's the case. And if you think
we're assholes, you're probably right. Yeah, there's a good fact there. But listen, I just think that
that's, I have always had that itch. I have always wanted will, what's the next experience. And I've
done this between my cars and my motorcycles, go buy a new car, experience that. I want to go to
motorcycles again, then I'll buy a couple of those and I'll go back to my cars. And I found
with the Porsche that if I have an old school feel and I have a new school feel,
it's been fantastic. And I haven't wanted necessarily for a new experience. So I don't know,
take that for what it is. But I think we covered a couple of things here.
Yeah. And one thing I meant to mention on the front end of this episode is,
too, it's, I mean, I've been in and out of enough of these cars and other kind of collectibles that
I'm into vintage Toyota trucks, by the way, too. This point, 48 years old, I've been in and out
of a ton of these, like part of what, part of the reason I want to refresh or renew the experience
I'm having with an existing cars, because it's, it's got to be a real pain in the ass to buy
these days. So I'm not even talking about all the conversations we've had about the money and the
cost of Porsche and how much it has now climbed. I mean, we've beaten that topic to death, but
it's just also like a process of finding and vetting and negotiating and looking for the
where's Waldo of how I'm going to get screwed on this one, because like, you know, it's just human
nature, people don't deal with problems. And there are some nefarious folks that are into
flipping cars, or they just sell you things that aren't as described. So anyway, the point is that,
that's, for me, that's another reason I do these, make these moves is just because like,
I just can't face buying something right now. It's almost like I've got to save up my psychological
strength or something to actually engage in the buying process.
Yeah, well, it's just, it's just friction, right? Yeah, it's just unknowns. I want to,
I want to enjoy what I have because it's sorted out and it's dialed and it's versus,
you know, starting over with something else. So you know what you could always do, Will, is you
could always take your 993 if you get bored and go wrap it with ChromaFlair wrap and, you know,
that'll, that'll keep things new and sexy. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, it's the only problem with
that one is it's fully PPFed. So that would be, that would be a real waste of money. I am ready
to do a little bit more work to the suspension just to get it finalized. But let me, let me
throw another, another one by you here that's going to sound a little bit goofy, a little bit
like a reach, but I would disagree. And actually, it's fairly high impact if, if you get into it,
but like a really, really, really strong detail, spending hours of your own time
in the garage, cleaning the interior, dealing with all the cracks, getting the Q-tips out,
all that kind of thing. I have found that's a way to fall back in love with the car because
there's something satisfying. If you have a really nice example, getting it back to a new-esque
vibe inside and getting it really shiny and yeah, you're going to get it dirty again, but it's just,
I've found that's a way to get a lot of satisfaction and love the car again.
Interesting. I'll tell you, Will, I, I want to, at my heart, I'd love to be a detail guy. I would
love to like wash the car and do that and just take all the time and pull the wheels and clean
the wheel wells and get behind the wheel. I just don't have the patience. I don't. And, and I,
I am impressed by the people that do. I want to be that guy. I can see what you're saying.
I'll tell you some of the most enjoyable stuff I've had. Like, I remember I bought a 2000,
it was an E46, so maybe it was like a 2005, three series convertible, E46,
you know, and I'm like, oh, well, drive around with the family, we'll get ice cream and all this
crap. And I remember in my driveway, it was a beige, blue with beige interior. And I remember
just like scrubbing that pleather to try to get like that, that grit out of the, the, the BMW leather.
And I had a lot of success and I had a lot of self appreciation when the car looked a lot better.
I took it from a dumpster car to a slightly less dumpster car. And so, yeah, I can see how I was
like proud of that. And I bonded with the car because I still remember it all these years later.
But I want to be that guy, dude. I'm just not, I don't have a toothbrush that I want to use
in the, in the, you know, controls of the interior. See, I love, this is one of the biggest pains of
these 911s is I love some clear, some nice clean rear glass, you know, and that's never fun to climb
back there, especially on a hot day and get there last, right? But I do like some nice vacuum lines
on the visible on the parcel shelf or whatever on the, on a 911, you know, and you fold the
seats forward and you set them down like that. And you know, the nice vintage carpet on the older
cars is there and you can really like vacuum it, get it cleaned up. I love that. Don't get me wrong.
Yeah, I'm not, yeah, I'm not going to be somebody who's going to take the wheels off and do that.
I have a buddy who loves that kind of work. I mean, he'll do it for hours and you know, it's his
kind of, I guess, therapy. But I do, I mean, I like shiny paint and, you know, I feel like once
I punch through, because I'm, I'm like you, I'm very impatient, but under the right circumstances
when I really dig into it, it's like, if I've already invested some time in it, I'm not somebody
who like quits early. So it's like, okay, I'm going all the way. And they looks, I mean, you step
back on a clean car, you're like, Oh my God, it's, I mean, it's just, there is a sense of pride.
You know, I saw the other day, I saw an ad, someone was doing what you described with the
vacuum and they had, they printed out a stencil out of cardboard and they put, like it was like
a Porsche logo or something and they put it on the carpet and they vacuumed over it. So when
they lifted the stencil up, it was a Porsche. I think it might have been a Detailer. I didn't
know how to feel about it because it's super, that's super lame, but it's also super cool.
And I found myself caught in the middle. Yeah, I don't know if I would go that deep with it, but
we had some people do. Maybe you can get a little Porsche thing on the side of your hair cut right
there and you just wear it like old school, you know? Yeah. Well, I think we solved all the
problems about falling back in love with your car, Will. Yeah, I mean, I'm not, I'm looking at my
notes here. I think, I mean, I covered off all my ideas. I don't have, I don't have experience with
this, but I would imagine like doing some track days with your car too, would reconnect you to
it and would actually have some solid benefit too. I've never been a track guide. It's just a
commitment of time. It's, you know, you're over there all weekend. It tends to get expensive and
then you're hanging out in the paddock waiting for your run group and it just, I have experience doing
it with BMW, but with my GT3, my 996 GT3, I'm going to take it on track. I think that car,
you got to learn that car. Yep. So I'll be curious to see if that doesn't renew my
interest in the car. That said, it's so special and it's new to me and I got new car fever.
So I'm not looking to fall back in love with it, but I think a track experience would be a good
bonding opportunity. I think, listen, I think it falls into that whole experience of your car. Go
outside your comfort zone. If you always do use it to go get coffee, go do something different with
it. Use it in a new frame of reference and maybe that'll spark some love for it. So
couldn't agree more. I mean, I took my 993 out on track. I took my 356 out on track and definitely
those are experiences and memories I'll never forget. So all right, my friend. Well, listen,
let's pick this up next week. Yes, sir. Always a pleasure, man. Always fun. And for those of you
out there that have listened to this point 45 minutes in, you're on the YouTube channel
listening to us while you do work over at your desk. Why don't you let us know in the comments
if we've missed anything. So Derek. Yes. Or in the US, if you're no longer mowing your lawn,
but you're plowing your driveway because most of the US is under snow and ice at this point.
I'm glad you're listening. Yes, man. Well, I'll see you next week. Later, buddy.
And that's a wrap for this episode of Renthousias Radio. We hope you enjoyed diving deep into the
world of Porsches with us today. And if you enjoyed today's show, be sure to check out previous
episodes and subscribe to Renthousias Radio wherever you get your podcasts. And don't forget to leave
us a review. Your feedback helps us improve and ensures we're delivering the Porsche content you
look forward to. Catch you on the next episode of Renthousias Radio.
About this episode
Exploring the nuances of Porsche ownership, Will and Derek share insights on how to maintain happiness with your car over time. They discuss the importance of returning to a car's baseline performance through maintenance and thoughtful modifications. With rising prices making it harder to swap cars, they emphasize strategies to keep your Porsche feeling fresh, including upgrading touchpoints, enhancing sound, and improving chassis feel. Personal anecdotes and experiences with various modifications add depth to the conversation, making it relatable for long-term owners and newcomers alike.
In this episode of Renthusiast Radio, you and I get real about something a lot of Porsche owners are feeling right now. Prices are up, the hunt is harder, and it’s easy to sit on the couch every night scrolling listings and thinking “what if.”
So we talk about how to stay happy with the Porsche you already own, and how to make it feel fresh again without doing something dumb, expensive, or irreversible.
We start where most people do not. Baseline. Because a lot of “my car feels old” is really “my car feels tired.” Worn tires, sloppy bushings, tired alignment, old plugs and coils, mushy shifter parts. Fixing that stuff can make the car feel like it did when it left the factory, and that alone can make you fall in love again.
Then we get into the fun part. The upgrades that actually change the character of the car, fast. Derek’s rule is simple. If you don’t feel it in the first three minutes from the driver’s seat, skip it.
What we cover in this episode:
Touch points that change your relationship with the car
Steering wheels, what works, what feels wrong, and the safety tradeoffs
Shifter feel, short shift kits, weighted knobs, cables, and why this is the first mod Derek would do
CarPlay and PCM upgrades, why this can modernize the whole cabin
Sound upgrades, how to avoid drone, and why Porsche Sport Exhaust is worth hunting for when you buy
Why some mods are only worth it if the car is a forever car
How a road trip can reconnect you to the car more than any part you can buy
Why having two very different cars can cure boredom, even if both are Porsches
Detailing as therapy, and why a truly clean car changes how you feel about it
Track days as a reset button, even if you are not a track person
If you’re tired of shopping your own garage and you want to actually enjoy what you already have, this one is for you.
Tell us in the comments:
What is the one change you made that made your Porsche feel new again?
What mod did you regret?
Listen to the podcast:
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