Do Air-Cooled Seats Cause Back Pain?

Since my husband started driving the 964, he’s been frequently complaining about back pain. I even wrote an article about it recently (For Drivers Who Love Cars but Suffer from Back Pain — Recommended Remedies), and thanks to all the advice we received, he tried various solutions.

Among them, when he tried placing a Porsche novelty race-viewing cushion at his lower back while driving, the back pain finally disappeared.

Just placing this cushion at the lumbar area of the 964’s driver seat dramatically improved his comfort…

The air-cooled seats have soft cushioning but lack sufficient lumbar support, which makes the body bend sharply and causes a hunched posture, leading to back pain. After putting the cushion at my lower back, I didn’t feel any pain at all today. Since it’s a Porsche item, it somehow feels almost like an OEM part, haha,

my husband said. Well, whatever the reason, I’m glad it helped.

Oil Change for the Air-Cooled 911

So, this 964 has driven 5,000 km since delivery last November, and recently it was time for an oil change. My husband was wondering where to get the oil changed, and after some research, he decided to go to b-force (I previously interviewed President Sasabe for this blog), which is close to our home.

He called to schedule an appointment and brought the 964 in. There, he was able to watch the oil change and other work being done up close.

They lifted the 964 on a hoist and explained various details while inspecting the car from underneath: “this part is like this, and that part is like that…” He said it was really interesting to watch. Also, the oil in the 964 was surprisingly dirty…

It looked like bitter chocolate in color and even somewhat appetizing (or maybe that’s just me, haha).

Since the air-cooled engine is cooled by air, but also uses oil to cool the engine, oil maintenance is apparently quite critical. For newer Porsches, oil changes every 10,000 km are fine, but according to Sasabe-san, for air-cooled models, it’s better to change the oil around every 5,000 km.

So, frequent oil changes are definitely necessary.

Along with the oil change, they also fixed a problem where the door had started making rattling noises recently. They disassembled the door like this to inspect it, and the issue was completely resolved.

Amazing. To an amateur eye, “disassembling it this much might seem like it can never be put back together,” but the pros really are incredible. According to Sasabe-san at b-force, “I’ve taken apart all Porsches from this era completely before, so I pretty much know the structure of any part of the 964.”

After finishing the oil change and repairs, my husband came home very satisfied:

b-force is great because it’s easy to visit, and they treat you like your trusted family doctor. Also, the relaxed atmosphere where you can watch the work and chat about other issues is really nice. Even if you think something’s a bit off with your car, you can easily consult them.

I thought it’s reassuring to have a nearby shop like this where you can casually ask about all the little concerns that come with owning an air-cooled Porsche or an older car.