Road trip to the Arctic Circle 2020/2021?

[anglophone1]

Is the Cayenne really a Porsche? They don't feel like one to me. I think I would rather pick a hire car from the airport.

The 968 is more like it.

+1

[bjmullan]

Well that's the ferry booked. Travelling from Newcastle to Amsterdam from the 29 June to the 16 July. The plan is to quickly drive up to Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland and base our holiday around there and then visit Stockholm, Copenhagen and Amsterdam as a minimum on the way home.

As for the car I am leaning towards a Boxster, they seem really good value and will make a great summer car. Any tips on what to look on for gratefully welcomed.

[hot66]

Sounds like it’s going to be an epic trip Brendan. Really looking forward to following your trip on this thread

[210bhp]

That’s quite apt Brendan as your new purchase might well have been built in Finland.

Took me 19 hours of continuous driving with two drivers from Amsterdam to Stockholm but I was pulling a trailer.

Should be a magical trip.

Regards
Mike

[early_911]

Probably too late to change your booking/itinerary . . . . but this is something I was looking at attending at some point - Copenhagen Historic GP on 1st - 2nd August this year. https://www.chgp.dk/?lang=en

[sisu]

Well that's the ferry booked. Travelling from Newcastle to Amsterdam from the 29 June to the 16 July. The plan is to quickly drive up to Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland and base our holiday around there and then visit Stockholm, Copenhagen and Amsterdam as a minimum on the way home.

As for the car I am leaning towards a Boxster, they seem really good value and will make a great summer car. Any tips on what to look on for gratefully welcomed.

It is a long drive to the artic circle in one day 10 hours at least as it is the same length as going to italy from the uk.

There is a ferry from Turku to Stockholm if you want to come back down thru Finland.
My knowledge of Roveniemi is not so good. Keep a look out for Moose as this will kill you statistically more than a traffic accident.
On the way back if you want to break up the journey I would recommend having lunch in Jyvaskyla and then taking a diversion off onto the traditional gravel roads. These are fine gravel and designed for 3rd gear 40mph in any car, take your pick of the year at https://www.rally-maps.com/Rally-Finland-2019
The most famous rally stage are around a town called Ouninpohja. It is the longest stage in the wrc and the one with the jumps.
Stay the night at a nice Scandic hotel in Aulanko, which is near Hämeenlinna. It has a castle on the hill which you can drive to see the view. It has its own lake and gardens with a zip line course running through the forest which the kids like.
The road from Hämeenlinna is 120kph+ dual carriageway and was designed before they had speed limits. Italla has a glassworks is a nice coffee break, but you can get to Helsinki in a couple of hours.
There is a car museum in Espoo next to the Bodum lake near Helsinki which has some odd cars but the drive around the northern part of the lake is good, there is a cafe in Oittaa that overlooks the lake.
The dual carriageway highway E18 from Helsinki/Espoo to Turku where you can catch the ferry to Stockholm is a nice driving road, it is full of elevation and curves, including 7 tunnels and 23 overpasses built in 2014. It is "intentionally curvy rather than straight in order to keep Truckers awake" but lovely in a sports car

[bjmullan]

Wow! Thanks sisu for the tips, will be taking a look at these as I start more detailed planning. Wasn't planning to do the drive up in a day, probably stop around Copenhagen and then somewhere north of Stockholm.

[sisu]

Pm sent

[hot66]

Brendan .. not sure if youve seen this thread on PH ?

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/top ... 854289&i=0

[map]

As for the car I am leaning towards a Boxster, they seem really good value and will make a great summer car. Any tips on what to look on for gratefully welcomed.

Sounds like a great trip.

Have owned a now much modified 986 (custom coilovers/drivetrain mods/3.7l engine etc) for 12+ years and 100k+ miles. Driven enough long leg road trips to know they're a great place to be with sufficient luggage space, especially with soft bags.

Plenty around below £10k - now is generally seen as a good time to buy as it is still wintery.

You'll find 986 ("early" Boxster) between £3.5 - £5k mark, Facelift 986 (factory glass window in roof) from £5k and 987 (essentially a 986 update) at sub £10k without difficulty.

Personal preference is to go for the S - simply because there's more torque. That said whether 2.5, 2.7 or 3.x litres all go well.

There's the usual web noise about IMS/Borescore and the like but in reality these are now few and far between.

Aside from a record of proper care/maintenance/crash damage I'd look out for:

1) Fresh suspension, a proper geo and decent tyres make a night and day difference to the driving experience.
2) Look for something that's had the rads/condensors done recently and on the older cars a transmission oil change is always good sign.
3) The OEM Nav/Audio is frankly a joke in this day and age - easy enough to swap to a double din CarPlay style unit - makes navigation, music etc way, way simpler and saves cabin space. This is an increasingly regular "upgrade" in 986 and 987.
4) Check that the seat bases are in good condition with no sagging - after that try both standard and sports seats - I prefer standard, others swear by the sports versions. Heated seats are nice.
5) Personal preference for Automatic Climate Control - yes its a convertible but far easier to live with when it's so hot it's roof up.
6) Does the hood open and close properly? Is it clean? If it has a plastic rear window (pre2003 I think) then is that in good nick?
7) Has it been modified in any way? Many mods improve things but there are some shockers out there - be vigilant.
8.) Wheel size and weight make a tangible difference to comfort - 986 chassis from 1999 (I think) on was upgraded for 18" wheels, anything bigger is horrible on a 986. Many 987 drivers run 19". Personally I'd run 17" on a 986 for touring holiday that didn't include a trackday - these are readily available and inexpensive.

If you want more assistance then a visit to boxa.net (UK site) is worthwhile and often cars are advertised there in preference to eBay etc.

[bjmullan]

James thanks for the link, will have a good read and map thanks for the advice

[rhd racer]

Hi Brendan

Agree with all of the above. I run 17s on my early car and would not go larger. I would add;

- Check the carpets for damp. The cabin is small and a wet, hot car is a miserable to be as it constantly steams up. Many suffer blocked drain holes under the rear roof and then the plentiful sound deadening and thick carpet absorbs it all. Easy fix as long as that is the cause
- White smoke on start up (Air oil separator failure). Fixable, but a pain
- Oil leaks. Spark plug tubes, v easy fix. Rear main, gearbox off then you are in dilemmas about replacing clutches, knackered dual mass flywheels and IMS. Suddenly you have justified spending £1500. Dipstick tube leaks are very common and awkward-ish
- Damp carpet in the boot is a cracked coolant reservoir or if you are lucky a failed cap. Both are common, the former required the hands of a small child and the worlds largest collection of pliers and grips to repair!
- Suspension bushes on cars of that age will all be end of life. They are a bit of a nightmare to change due to corrosion between the steel and aluminium subframes. Get one where this has been done if possible or one known to be in good health
- They don’t corrode much, but check rear wheel arches. Check for accident damage on front and rear boot floors, and the usual panel gaps etc

Don’t let that put you off, they are fantastic cars as said already. Brilliant handling, 4 pot brakes, comfy cabins, wear their age well, still look good, plenty quick enough and cheap. Early cars have pretty bullet proof engines (my competition car has 102k miles, is smoke free, virtually leak free, and super reliable, despite 5 years of absolute competition abuse). The 2.5s and 2.7s are still plenty quick enough and both well under 7s 0-60, but I do agree having done a track day in a 3.2 at Donington recently they are a good chunk faster and feel more robust. Parts are plentiful and cheap across the range.

You know where I am if you find yourself down here looking, am more than happy to help

Cheers
Wayne

[bjmullan]

Thanks Wayne.

I see online a car from Ashgood's that I quite like and it seems to tick all of the boxes including having the clutch and oil air separated done recently. One owner and mainly OPC service history.

[bjmullan]

Just put a deposit down on the above car, will view it on the 23rd and hopefully drive it home

[Gary71]

Excellent