Discussion
I've just bought this Porsche and thought I'd ramble on about it bit. Few pics below too. It's a bit tatty but overall it looks straight. Has some tricky KW suspension, performance friction brake pads, stiffer roll bars and bushes apparently.
So I decided to buy one of these because there is a lot of chat on the here about how good the early cars are. I've had a few Porsches and my most recent 981 is a bit dull or lacking in steering feel. This is definitely not. Its hard to explain just how good the steering is. It is almost too sensitive. You barely need to think about moving the wheel and the car is already turning.
I've had a bit of blast this morning and I'm starting to gain some confidence. It really can throw you out of the seat - in a bend or braking. The brakes are strong and it only needs a small amount of pressure on the pedal to have the car slow down.
So I guess in summary the steering and brakes are very responsive and exciting. The engine doesn't have a massive amount of power but easily enough to have some fun. The car feels like it could easily cope with a lot more power which is good.
So yes I quite like it.
Seller's description:
1998 Porsche 911 996 Carrera 2
For sale is my 1998 Porsche 911 996 Carrera 2. Manual, red leather interior with Arctic silver and 18" 5 spoke alloy wheels.
The car has had a significant amount of work done to it recently including a full engine rebuild and suspension rebuild with a number of quality and tasteful upgrades.
This 911 is a 1998 coupe with no sunroof and received the face lift clear front indicators and rear lights at some point by the previous owner. The car has covered 113k miles (which will increase as I use this car most days) and has an MOT until July 2017
Engine - Full engine rebuild of the original factory engine due to a cracked cylinder head 5k miles ago. The cracked head was scrapped and a replacement sourced. Both heads were refurbished with new valve stem seals, dipped and valves re-seated. The crank cases were dipped and rebuilt with new bearings, stretch bolts, gaskets and new chains. All chain guides were replaced including the variocam pads. Cylinders and pistons were checked for condition and all found to be within tolerance. All spark plugs & coil packs and coil heat shields were replaced with new items. A new 3 piece clutch kit was installed upon rebuild along with a genuine Porsche X51 baffled sump. Engine mounts were replaced during the rebuild due to wear. The engine is leak/smoke free and pulls very well
Exhaust - Original factory system was replaced with a new stainless steel Dansk sports exhaust with Porsche Cup exhaust tips 5k miles ago. The exhaust is not too loud but sounds fantastic!
Suspension - The suspension has been extensively rebuilt. All lower arms have been poly bushed and all 4 corners have received new ARB links with an uprated Eibach rear ARB and bushes. The car is also fitted with a set of KW Clubsport coilovers. These 2 way adjustable coilovers are arguably the best coilovers available for the 996 and were very expensive at £3750. The car is lowered by approx. 25mm which make the car sit at a perfect height and they are fitted with new KW top mounts.
Cooling System - Within the last 5k miles, both front radiators were replaced with new units and a new water pump. Various rubber pipes have been replaced and a low temp thermostat was installed. The expansion tank was replaced about 3 years ago with the updated version.
AC System - Both front condensers were recently replaced along with a new receiver/drier. A hole was found in the underbody AC piping and both pipes were replaced with new genuine Porsche parts. The entire system was vacuumed and refilled with oil & refrigerant. The AC now blows ice cold air.
Wheels/Tyres - All 4 tyres were recently changed. Fronts have about 6.0mm and the rears have about 5.5mm.
Brakes - Discs and pads were changed 6k miles ago and show very little wear. The pads were replaced with specialist track pads and the entire braking system was flushed and filled with Castrol SRF racing fluid.
Interior - The red/terracotta and is in fantastic condition with very little wear to the seats. The rear seats look almost unused. The original factory cassette unit is still installed and working. The CD changer is no longer present but it has been retro fitted with an auxiliary input which can be connected to any phone/MP3 player. I was going to replace it with a newer and more modern looking unit but I decided that the original look was better and works just like any other modern unit that has an aux. input. The original 4 spoke steering wheel has been replaced with a Momo GT2 RS steering wheel. AC system works as above and blows cold air. All other electrical items work. No sunroof. Several of the window seals were replaced with new Porsche items.
Bodywork - Bodywork is good but it does have some age related marks including a scratch to the front driver’s wing. The front bumper has a few minor scuffs but nothing major. I was going to get these res-prayed but I never got round to it. The rubber boot on the retractable spoiler was recently replaced with a new genuine Porsche part. The alloys have a couple of minor marks but again, nothing major.
Other - The car has a FSH and a huge folder full of receipts and work completed. It is HPI clear and drives fantastic with the suspension setup and I recently completed a trip to the Stelvio Pass in Italy with it. Both keys are present (1 key is new). Test drive/inspection is welcome but I do require proof of insurance and license before a test drive. With the suspension/engine rebuild plus other work, this car has had in the region of £10k spent on it within the last 18 months/6k miles.
Pics from seller of engine rebuild
So I decided to buy one of these because there is a lot of chat on the here about how good the early cars are. I've had a few Porsches and my most recent 981 is a bit dull or lacking in steering feel. This is definitely not. Its hard to explain just how good the steering is. It is almost too sensitive. You barely need to think about moving the wheel and the car is already turning.
I've had a bit of blast this morning and I'm starting to gain some confidence. It really can throw you out of the seat - in a bend or braking. The brakes are strong and it only needs a small amount of pressure on the pedal to have the car slow down.
So I guess in summary the steering and brakes are very responsive and exciting. The engine doesn't have a massive amount of power but easily enough to have some fun. The car feels like it could easily cope with a lot more power which is good.
So yes I quite like it.
Seller's description:
1998 Porsche 911 996 Carrera 2
For sale is my 1998 Porsche 911 996 Carrera 2. Manual, red leather interior with Arctic silver and 18" 5 spoke alloy wheels.
The car has had a significant amount of work done to it recently including a full engine rebuild and suspension rebuild with a number of quality and tasteful upgrades.
This 911 is a 1998 coupe with no sunroof and received the face lift clear front indicators and rear lights at some point by the previous owner. The car has covered 113k miles (which will increase as I use this car most days) and has an MOT until July 2017
Engine - Full engine rebuild of the original factory engine due to a cracked cylinder head 5k miles ago. The cracked head was scrapped and a replacement sourced. Both heads were refurbished with new valve stem seals, dipped and valves re-seated. The crank cases were dipped and rebuilt with new bearings, stretch bolts, gaskets and new chains. All chain guides were replaced including the variocam pads. Cylinders and pistons were checked for condition and all found to be within tolerance. All spark plugs & coil packs and coil heat shields were replaced with new items. A new 3 piece clutch kit was installed upon rebuild along with a genuine Porsche X51 baffled sump. Engine mounts were replaced during the rebuild due to wear. The engine is leak/smoke free and pulls very well
Exhaust - Original factory system was replaced with a new stainless steel Dansk sports exhaust with Porsche Cup exhaust tips 5k miles ago. The exhaust is not too loud but sounds fantastic!
Suspension - The suspension has been extensively rebuilt. All lower arms have been poly bushed and all 4 corners have received new ARB links with an uprated Eibach rear ARB and bushes. The car is also fitted with a set of KW Clubsport coilovers. These 2 way adjustable coilovers are arguably the best coilovers available for the 996 and were very expensive at £3750. The car is lowered by approx. 25mm which make the car sit at a perfect height and they are fitted with new KW top mounts.
Cooling System - Within the last 5k miles, both front radiators were replaced with new units and a new water pump. Various rubber pipes have been replaced and a low temp thermostat was installed. The expansion tank was replaced about 3 years ago with the updated version.
AC System - Both front condensers were recently replaced along with a new receiver/drier. A hole was found in the underbody AC piping and both pipes were replaced with new genuine Porsche parts. The entire system was vacuumed and refilled with oil & refrigerant. The AC now blows ice cold air.
Wheels/Tyres - All 4 tyres were recently changed. Fronts have about 6.0mm and the rears have about 5.5mm.
Brakes - Discs and pads were changed 6k miles ago and show very little wear. The pads were replaced with specialist track pads and the entire braking system was flushed and filled with Castrol SRF racing fluid.
Interior - The red/terracotta and is in fantastic condition with very little wear to the seats. The rear seats look almost unused. The original factory cassette unit is still installed and working. The CD changer is no longer present but it has been retro fitted with an auxiliary input which can be connected to any phone/MP3 player. I was going to replace it with a newer and more modern looking unit but I decided that the original look was better and works just like any other modern unit that has an aux. input. The original 4 spoke steering wheel has been replaced with a Momo GT2 RS steering wheel. AC system works as above and blows cold air. All other electrical items work. No sunroof. Several of the window seals were replaced with new Porsche items.
Bodywork - Bodywork is good but it does have some age related marks including a scratch to the front driver’s wing. The front bumper has a few minor scuffs but nothing major. I was going to get these res-prayed but I never got round to it. The rubber boot on the retractable spoiler was recently replaced with a new genuine Porsche part. The alloys have a couple of minor marks but again, nothing major.
Other - The car has a FSH and a huge folder full of receipts and work completed. It is HPI clear and drives fantastic with the suspension setup and I recently completed a trip to the Stelvio Pass in Italy with it. Both keys are present (1 key is new). Test drive/inspection is welcome but I do require proof of insurance and license before a test drive. With the suspension/engine rebuild plus other work, this car has had in the region of £10k spent on it within the last 18 months/6k miles.
Pics from seller of engine rebuild
Edited by ATM to fix pic links
Edited by ATM on Friday 27th April 09:50
dom9 said:
ATM said:
Do not move!
No choice 
We'd love to stay but our landlords are moving back from the ME and want to do some building work and move in...
We've been looking to buy but inventory round here is almost non-existent. Also need to see what's happening at work as I am out of contract this month - Joy!
Still, I'll have time to finish the XSi rebuild between then and moving out so all 4 will be on the road!
What's the plan for this 996? High days and track days? I'm guessing it overlaps with the LS V8 a bit, in terms of having a 'fun' car?
dom9 said:
ATM said:
Yes they do. I still enjoy the feel from the e46 as it is old school steering. I have had some offers on the e46 recently which were around 5000. For that money there is no point selling it.
I can't remember what you paid but that's a fair bit below, huh?With good e46 M3s creeping steadily over £10k, I'd hope your LS V8 was worth a bit more than £5k.
People in the UK just don't seem to like 'modified' cars as much as they do in the US... which is probably why I had to sell my 996 so cheap and it went to HK!
Have you got the 'purple tag' steering rack in the e46? That's supposed to make the steering even more fast and feelsome.
Anyway, anyway - back to the Porsche... How are you liking the KW suspension? Had you driven a standard car for any duration, before, to get a feel for how 'different' this car is to standard, with the dampers, bushes etc?
I keep toying with the idea of getting back into a 996 but can't stomach it after 'losing' £15k+ on the last one (self-inflicted). I am also not sure how it would sit on the fleet. I actually think I may end up getting rid of the BMW 545i first but my box-fresh Clio V6 is where the value is. One sporty saloon/ 4-seater and the XSi would probably cover 95% of my bases as the dog won't stay in the boot of the Touring anyway.
No I have not driven any other 996's. My car buying pattern is pretty simple. I will only drive a car if I want to buy it. So I do my sanity checks first. Then I drive it and if it feels right I have to have it.
If you over think cars then you dont buy anything. Lets face it as a mode of transport buying a car is all about function and price with reliability and then maybe comfort. As a thing to enjoy all this logic evaporates. So I take people's views into consideration. Everyone seems to say the early 996 is the most raw and has the least engine horror stories. I decided to buy one at the cheaper end of the market which had some recent maintenance. I didn't particularly want rock hard suspension but knowing someone spent the money on this car is encouraging and for now its fine as is.
TheRocket said:
ATM said:
Tried to get a shot of the negative camber going on at the front. Does this pic work?
Yep I think that works quite well, I wonder is that circa. -1.5 deg ? Car looks nice, also interested to hear about day to day ride quality on the KW's please ? Edited by ATM on Sunday 7th October 09:28
Thanks lads. I've been Pootling round in it tonight. I'm really liking it. I think I'm going fast at times but I know I am not. I'm no racing driver but I know the car has a lot more ability than me. It is a bit hard and there is some numbness where the steering does not try to centre. But overall the package is good. The steering is just super responsive and so squirty. I could probably go twice as fast round all bends and still have loads more grip. This evening I set the pressures to 28 front and 32 back and it feels a bit smoother. This morning I had them on 34 and 40. I might leave them low like this and see how we get on. Then maybe next is finding how to soften the dampers a bit. The tyres look brand new on the front and there is so much grip I don't see the need to change then even if they are only average Falken.
I've had a thought. This could be dangerous. The 911 has so much grip and I clearly dont have the skills to really exploit it. So maybe the answer is some less grippy tyres. I'm thinking maybe I should try the 17 inch wheel and tyre sizes which the original 996 came with. If these provide a bit less grip it might give me the opportunity to feel the car sliding without driving at illegal speeds.
LordHaveMurci said:
Remember that the 911 is rear engined & as such has a lot of grip back there!
Sliding them around on public roads sounds like a lot of fun but in reality is probably not a great idea. Had mine 7.5yrs & only had the back out once off a wet r/a on very worn Pirellis, this is despite driving it quite hard.
265 35 18 ?Sliding them around on public roads sounds like a lot of fun but in reality is probably not a great idea. Had mine 7.5yrs & only had the back out once off a wet r/a on very worn Pirellis, this is despite driving it quite hard.
LordHaveMurci said:
Remember that the 911 is rear engined & as such has a lot of grip back there!
Sliding them around on public roads sounds like a lot of fun but in reality is probably not a great idea. Had mine 7.5yrs & only had the back out once off a wet r/a on very worn Pirellis, this is despite driving it quite hard.
I've had a little moment in mine already. Only a small wobble rather than a full on drift. Maybe it was a white line or grit or something but the back stepped out a bit and I immediately corrected and lifted. We're talking 2nd gear, cold and wet. It definitely got my attention. I dont have the confidence to lean on the car yet in bends. Maybe I'm assuming it will let go at some point and I'm worrying unnecessarily. I'm used to having electronics which will save me and therefore knowing the 911 has none is making me drive it slower right now. Am I making sense?Sliding them around on public roads sounds like a lot of fun but in reality is probably not a great idea. Had mine 7.5yrs & only had the back out once off a wet r/a on very worn Pirellis, this is despite driving it quite hard.
LordHaveMurci said:
Complete sense, mine has PSM & even after 7.5yrs of never activating it I'm still respectful of the car! That's a big part of what I love about it, it's the only car I've owned that I've really felt was much better than me, it's a constant challenge & I love that :drive:
Doesn't PSM activate automatically whenever you start the car?LordHaveMurci said:
ATM said:
Doesn't PSM activate automatically whenever you start the car?
Yes, it's always on unless you turn it off. What I meant was that I have never triggered it, the limits are higher than you think, even in the wet.The only incident I had was when I turned it off & drove like a dick on very worn tyres in greasy, cold conditions with adverse camber - yes, I was a dick!
My Boxster was the same. It never got out of shape and it had no PSM. The 911 has already got out of shape [slightly] once and the seller warned me to be careful as I was about to leave his house. He did mention tight bends and 2nd gear. Maybe it is just new car paranoia and I should just assume it will be fine and boot it more.
LordHaveMurci said:
ATM said:
Roger that.
My Boxster was the same. It never got out of shape and it had no PSM. The 911 has already got out of shape [slightly] once and the seller warned me to be careful as I was about to leave his house. He did mention tight bends and 2nd gear. Maybe it is just new car paranoia and I should just assume it will be fine and boot it more.
Apologies if you've already mentioned it, but what tyres is it on & how old are they? After advice on here, I run my PS2's at 32/40, manual recommends 36/44 from memory.My Boxster was the same. It never got out of shape and it had no PSM. The 911 has already got out of shape [slightly] once and the seller warned me to be careful as I was about to leave his house. He did mention tight bends and 2nd gear. Maybe it is just new car paranoia and I should just assume it will be fine and boot it more.
I have some dodgy Falken tyres on the front which look new.
I have PS3 on the back which again look new.
All are dated 2016.
TheRocket said:
ATM said:
Tried to get a shot of the negative camber going on at the front. Does this pic work?
Yep I think that works quite well, I wonder is that circa. -1.5 deg ? Car looks nice, also interested to hear about day to day ride quality on the KW's please ? There is a road nearby with a slight bump or hump which I know and drive regularly. In most cars I just hit it and prepare for the car to unsettle for a moment.
In the 911 I took off. I was airborne for maybe a second. Probably less due to the nature of these things feeling longer than they are. It was ace. I actually laughed out loud - no I cheered.
The jury is still out on the whole setup. I didn't buy this car because I wanted the same setup. I bought it because a lot of work had been done and a lot of parts replaced recently.
I do feel some numbness around the centre where the car doesn't quite want to centre itself. I tried different pressures and it's still the same. Perhaps this is the setup and maybe it's the tyres.
Also when turning there is a noise coming from the fascia which sounds like the steering wheel is rubbing slightly on something. Maybe this is preventing it from centering itself.
Edited by ATM on Tuesday 2nd October 21:58
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