Where are all the 997.1 GT3s

[ellesmereFNC]

Digga said:

Gearboxes are notchy and baulky, until the engine oil is showing about 90 degrees. If it stays like that though, walk away. It's an expensive rebuild and some parts are difficult to get hold of, full stop right now.

Brakes should be absolutely pin sharp, but they have enough travel to modulate. I can;t see they should be much different to a GT4 if working correctly.

Clutches seem to have some variance. Some say they find theirs heavy, I do not and am not blessed with the legs of a track cyclist.

Thanks for the feedback,

So i'm guessing it would need the brakes looking at, the clutch wasn't heavy compared to the GT4, just the point of engagement seemed high up on the pedal travel.

[IbanezDan]

ellesmereFNC said:

Here's a dumb question, i've only driven one 997.1gt3 the lakeside car, for me the steering and feel is incredible along with the engine. What i did notice was the brake pedal travel, there was a lot of movement before any meaningful retardation... i would have expected a firm pedal from near the top of travel or do they all do this sir?

Also the clutch seemed to bite high in the pedal travel and the gearbox action was quite stiff and wasn't a patch on the GT4, do all 997.1's have a similar feel?

You do have to work the brakes more, much more progressive than a sudden feel at the top of the pedal.

Clutch biting point will vary depending on life left, mines 2/3rds of its travel before fully engaged. The pedal deflection is quite high for clutch I find on all of the examples I’ve driven.

Gearboxes are stiff and very direct, let them warm up and the shift improves. My gen2 is much nicer than the gen1’s I drove, I just put that down to less abuse though nothing else.

[LemonTart]

If you can stretch the budget this looks by far the Best Buy I’ve personally seen in a while, from a reputable dealer too.

https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/13766541

I do understand not everyone has a limitless budget or most of us 997 GT3 drivers might be in 3.8 RS or 4.0 RS versions.

Anyway another, perhaps great value, option to chuck in the mix for you.

Good luck in your search.

[Digga]

LemonTart said:

If you can stretch the budget this looks by far the Best Buy I’ve personally seen in a while, from a reputable dealer too.

https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/13766541

I do understand not everyone has a limitless budget or most of us 997 GT3 drivers might be in 3.8 RS or 4.0 RS versions.

Anyway another, perhaps great value, option to chuck in the mix for you.

Good luck in your search.

911v do have a great rep. I’d say Ashgoods, JZM and RPM are up there as best.

Most other places I’d want a PPI for reassurance.

[ellesmereFNC]

Thanks for all the advice, i guess ideally I need to drive another to compare but with so few around, especially where i live that might be a push.

[IbanezDan]

ellesmereFNC said:

Thanks for all the advice, i guess ideally I need to drive another to compare but with so few around, especially where i live that might be a push.

Where are you located? I’m 45/to an hour away from both the Shrewsbury and sytner car.

[IREvans]

ellesmereFNC said:

Here's a dumb question, i've only driven one 997.1gt3 the lakeside car, for me the steering and feel is incredible along with the engine. What i did notice was the brake pedal travel, there was a lot of movement before any meaningful retardation... i would have expected a firm pedal from near the top of travel or do they all do this sir?

Also the clutch seemed to bite high in the pedal travel and the gearbox action was quite stiff and wasn't a patch on the GT4, do all 997.1's have a similar feel?

Both clutch and brake pedal feel are extremely subjective, so it depends what your comparing it to. But my thoughts would be as follows.

Brake pedal feel is the easiest to sort out. A long pedal is most likely air in the braking system. So assuming all the pads and discs are all OE spec and worn evenly, then a full fluid flush and bleed should restore a correct pedal feel. There’s 8 bleed nipples in total (2 per caliper) and there’s a reasonable chance that more than 1 will be seized. It’s a fairly straightforward job for a specialist to drill out and replace them.

Clutch is a a little trickier to sort out as there are a number of issues to get right. The clutch pedal feel on a 997.1 or .2 will feel noticeably heavier than a 981 or 718 GT4. The gearbox engagement will feel notchy when it’s cold. 1st gear engagement from a standstill, and 1st to 2nd at low speed from cold will feel quite reluctant to engage. This should improve once the gearbox oil has warmed fully. A gearbox oil change with the correct oil is something to look for.

Clutch, pressure plate and flywheel wear is almost impossible to measure without removing the gearbox to inspect. However someone who has driven a lot of these cars will give a fair judgement if they drive it.

The gear lever should have little or no free play when in neutral or in gear. It’s rare for either the shift mechanism or shift cables to wear sufficiently to need replacing, but it’s worth lifting the gear never gaitor in the cabin, and inspecting the bushes on the shift mechanism. Applying some lithium grease wouldn’t hurt.

It’s unlikely, but you never know if the shift mechanism has been messed with by a former owner. You can strip down the centre console and fit an installation jig (a plastic clip) onto the gear lever to ensure it’s locked in the correct position before re connecting the shift cables. Again, not a complicated job.

Hope that helps

[Digga]

Unless you buy from a very well trusted dealer (this casts non aspersions about the selling dealer) then an expert PPI is highly advisable.

[Da Original Whyayedee]

I will be having one done regardless of where it comes from to be honest, I want to know exactly what it is I’ve got and what might need sorting.

[Digga]

Da Original Whyayedee said:

I will be having one done regardless of where it comes from to be honest, I want to know exactly what it is I’ve got and what might need sorting.

Probably the best way is to decide who you trust to do the long term servicing on the car. Then work out some way of getting the vehicle to them.

If all’s good and you buy the car, it’s not a total waste. If you walk away then consider the money spent an insurance premium. Given the potential, worst case bills, a few hundred spent is trifling.

[Da Original Whyayedee]

That had also crossed my mind, was going to be looking for recommendations for specialists who also have experience of these cars that I can build a good relationship with as this car will be a keeper. I’m in the process of moving to Bristol, in the past I would have taken it to Northway, but they might be a tad far now.

[thelostboy]

I remember when I got my 997.2 I started a thread on here as I was worried how stiff the 'box was. Over time I got used to it (and allowed it time to warm up) and loved it. I do remember the gate on my 997.1 being a lot easier to navigate though (which is why I started the thread).

Its difficult to judge cars on a single drive. I did a journey of about 50 mlies in a GT4 and felt the gearbox and clutch a little girly compared to what I was expecting; my 182 Trophy had a stiffer clutch.

If it's a keeper I would say the buckets are overrated, but they do add to the drama and certainly have a huge impact on resale (and I believe this will only grow greater as people seek what they believe to be the purist driving experience possible).

[GT3Manthey]

thelostboy said:

I remember when I got my 997.2 I started a thread on here as I was worried how stiff the 'box was. Over time I got used to it (and allowed it time to warm up) and loved it. I do remember the gate on my 997.1 being a lot easier to navigate though (which is why I started the thread).

Its difficult to judge cars on a single drive. I did a journey of about 50 mlies in a GT4 and felt the gearbox and clutch a little girly compared to what I was expecting; my 182 Trophy had a stiffer clutch.

If it's a keeper I would say the buckets are overrated, but they do add to the drama and certainly have a huge impact on resale (and I believe this will only grow greater as people seek what they believe to be the purist driving experience possible).

182 Trophy - now that’s an interesting car and one I’ve been watching .

Obviously it’s no 911 but having owned an R26R I’m tempted by the Trophy .

How did you find it ?

Harry Medcalfs review on one was that he absolutely loved it

Edited to add - I meant the Trophy R

Edited by GT3Manthey on Sunday 21st August 09:07

[GT3Manthey]

thelostboy said:

I remember when I got my 997.2 I started a thread on here as I was worried how stiff the 'box was. Over time I got used to it (and allowed it time to warm up) and loved it. I do remember the gate on my 997.1 being a lot easier to navigate though (which is why I started the thread).

Its difficult to judge cars on a single drive. I did a journey of about 50 mlies in a GT4 and felt the gearbox and clutch a little girly compared to what I was expecting; my 182 Trophy had a stiffer clutch.

If it's a keeper I would say the buckets are overrated, but they do add to the drama and certainly have a huge impact on resale (and I believe this will only grow greater as people seek what they believe to be the purist driving experience possible).

182 Trophy - now that’s an interesting car and one I’ve been watching .

Obviously it’s no 911 but having owned an R26R I’m tempted by the Trophy .

How did you find it ?

Harry Medcalfs review on one was that he absolutely loved it

Edited by GT3Manthey on Sunday 21st August 10:59

Edited by GT3Manthey on Sunday 21st August 14:49

[Digga]

Da Original Whyayedee said:

That had also crossed my mind, was going to be looking for recommendations for specialists who also have experience of these cars that I can build a good relationship with as this car will be a keeper. I’m in the process of moving to Bristol, in the past I would have taken it to Northway, but they might be a tad far now.

Don’t know that area too well. Possibly Fearnsport is closest expert on 996/7 Mezger cars?

Anyone else have suggestions?

[Pip1968]

AndrewD said:

Recently bought my wife a 997.1RS, a car she has wanted for 15 years since they came out. She loves it - these really are special cars. Car was for sale at Paragon, a lovely example, well prepared and a pleasure to deal with.

Is that the one I saw for sale earlier this year (Feb/Mar maybe). I was told it was sold as assumed it had gone then. I just hope she bl##dy drives it and it doesn't go to waste.

Congratulations. I would definitely buy this or a Kermit green one if I had the spare for a second one and was getting a 997.1 GT3 RS otherwise my preference would be a 997.2 GT3 RS.

Pip

[shantybeater]

ellesmereFNC said:

Here's a dumb question, i've only driven one 997.1gt3 the lakeside car, for me the steering and feel is incredible along with the engine. What i did notice was the brake pedal travel, there was a lot of movement before any meaningful retardation... i would have expected a firm pedal from near the top of travel or do they all do this sir?

Also the clutch seemed to bite high in the pedal travel and the gearbox action was quite stiff and wasn't a patch on the GT4, do all 997.1's have a similar feel?

The brakes I’m a little surprised about, but mine does have ceramics, it’s probably one of my favourite things about the car, fantastic feel.

[rrroro]

shantybeater said:

ellesmereFNC said:

Here's a dumb question, i've only driven one 997.1gt3 the lakeside car, for me the steering and feel is incredible along with the engine. What i did notice was the brake pedal travel, there was a lot of movement before any meaningful retardation... i would have expected a firm pedal from near the top of travel or do they all do this sir?

Also the clutch seemed to bite high in the pedal travel and the gearbox action was quite stiff and wasn't a patch on the GT4, do all 997.1's have a similar feel?

The brakes I’m a little surprised about, but mine does have ceramics, it’s probably one of my favourite things about the car, fantastic feel.

Not normal, even steels should bite crisply from the top and have excellent feel all the way through travel. You should be able to judge the pressure well enough to come off the brakes smoothly from heavy braking to not unbalance the car on turn in

Re the clutch, hard to say. That could be quite relative (might feel high to you but normal for someone else). Gearbox can be stiff, but once oil is warm should be quite free moving and rifle bolt in action. Could be something as simple as the transmission oil being old, so worth confirming when it was last changed

[Shanksy87]

Anyone considering the Sytner car really needs to DM me before proceeding on it, or even looking at it

[Da Original Whyayedee]

Can we just not get it all out in the open?