996 GT3 MK1

[ditchvisitor]

After many years of dreaming, tomorrow I finally get to collect the car I have wanted for many years, a MK1 996 GT3. To say I am excited is somewhat of an understatement! 911Virgin have been exceptional throughout the whole buying experience and have wholly lived up to their excellent reputation.
More pics and write up to follow....

Edited by ditchvisitor on Sunday 5th November 12:33

[ditchvisitor]

Thanks for the comments guys, the details are as follows:
It's a 1999 996 GT3 Mk1, Black with Black leather bucket seats, very much a cherished and unmolested example with a detailed Porsche Main Agent service history complete with a large file of supporting invoices and historic MOT certificates. The last two owners were best mates who combined owned it for 14 years, it's done 43,000 miles and is immaculate.

[ditchvisitor]

[ditchvisitor]

So I picked up the GT3 today on a stunning, sunny, autumn afternoon, what can I say about this car.... it's an assault on the senses, from the rattly Mezger at tick over, to the epic noise as you go past 7k, it's like nothing else. The feedback through the steering wheel is sensational and you can just feel that given some time to get used to it and the right road it will be amazing. Everything about the car is so analogue, the steering is light but direct, the clutch is quite heavy and the gear change is firm but positive, the diff grumbles in load speed turns and it does feel like an 18 year old car in some respects, but this one drives like a new car!

I'm sure the newer GT3's would run rings round it but that's not the point, I finally get why people hold the 996 GT3's in such high regard, it's the end of an era in terms of driver interaction and and I genuinely feel privileged to be able to own one.

[ditchvisitor]

So this weekend I'm giving the car a good clean before it probably doesn't get used for a while with all the salt arriving on the roads. I've taken the Recaro bucket seat pads out and given them a good clean with Gliptone cleaner and then conditioner, it's made a massive difference already and I'm planning on giving them a couple more goes with the conditioner. I've also done the same to the seats in the car and the few other leather bits.



After a recommendation I have ordered some gyeon q2 rim sealant and will be taking the wheels off for a thorough clean and seal.

My GT3 came from the factory with the CD holder at the front of the transmission tunnel under the dash. It was possible to order it without this, as it cleans the interior up a bit and importantly gives a bit more leg room, I've ordered the relevant parts and will collect them and fit them tomorrow. Watch this space!

[ditchvisitor]

A few jobs and some interior detailing done today, have polished and waxed one seat back and cleaned and conditioned all the leather.
Also done the same on the doors, the pic shows it a bit shiny as it the meg interior detail and glipton conditioner had only just been applied, it has dried to a much nicer finish.

[ditchvisitor]

So today I've taken the drivers seat out to give it the same treatment, I've given the carpets a good hoover and the seat bases have all been cleaned up. I've also replaced the drivers seat with the passenger seat as it will a: mean I can put it back in the garage, and b: will stop the drivers seat getting all the wear.
So you asked for some more pictures:








Overall I am very very happy with the condition of what is a 18 year old, 40k mile car.

[ditchvisitor]

I've just finished the 3rd application of conditioner to the drivers seat, again I'm very happy with how it's turned out, will get it back in the car when I can and then get on with sealing the wheels and giving the car a polish and wax. It looks shiny as I've only just applied it, however when it dries its matt.

[ditchvisitor]

I headed over to Porsche Reading this afternoon to collect the GT3 centre console delete that I had ordered, essentially it removes the CD holders and gives you more leg room, for some strange reason loads of GT3's came with them fitted!! I've carefully stored the original parts away.
From this:


To this:




I personally think that it looks much better and much cleaner, I also worked out why my IPod connector for my Becker Grand Prix isn't working..... it's not connected to the back of the head unit! Once I get some tools to remove it I will get that fixed!
I also replaced the clutch foot rest that was broken and the offside bumper repeater, I mentioned both issues to 911Virgin and they had ordered them and sent them to me the next day, amazing customer service once again.

Edited by ditchvisitor on Wednesday 22 November 20:09

[ditchvisitor]

All has been quiet on the GT3 front as it has been away at Porsche Torque having a new rear main seal, clutch, clutch release fork bearing, bush kit and starter motor fitted.
After a few drives I noticed an oil leak on the garage floor and mentioned it to 911Virgin who immediately said they would take a look at it, it was decided to replace the RMS, during that work it necessitated needing a new starter motor and I also decided to replace the clutch whilst the gearbox was out to save on the labour later on down the line. (It was on its original clutch that was about 70% worn)
Again awesome customer service from 911V who with no hesitation arranged to have the work carried out.

[ditchvisitor]

So I've made a few purchases for the car, essential small upgrades that are all OEM and easily reversable and make a big difference to the driving experience.
First the shifter unit from a 997 GT3 RS: it replaces the plastic bushes that can get worn and thus sloppy with metal parts and also has a slightly shorter throw.
Secondly 996 GT3 Cup shifter cables: these are slightly thicker and again replace all the plastic parts with metal and combined with the GT3 RS shifter make a massive difference to the gear change.
Thirdly a 996 GT3 Cup steering wheel: does away with the airbag and is a dished, alcantara race wheel which vastly improves the steering feel.
Finally a set of Michelin Pilot Cup 2's: the car is currently running almost new Pirelli P Zero's, however I fancied fitting these instead and will sell the others on.

[ditchvisitor]

Cup 2's fitted this morning.


And I've just fitted the 997 GT3 RS shifter, it's night and day compared to the old one. Gone is the sloppy, lazy gear change, replaced by a shortened rifle bolt action. Well worth the money.

[ditchvisitor]

So just a quick peek at what I'm currently doing.... I've got slightly carried away, ie bumper, heat shields exhaust, arch liners, rear lights etc etc have all come off, I've snow foamed and de greased under the arches and cleaned out the wheel arch lip etc. I've ordered all new nuts/bolts/screws etc etc, one heat shield as the original is knackered and a few other sundries. There are a few very very small patches of surface corrosion I am going to sort, however for what is a 20 year old car with very minimal underseal etc it's rather good!







I've also got on order stainless steel bolts for all the exhaust brackets/mountings, mines very recently had the silencers and mounting bracket replaced so they are as new, however the bolts and nuts are not stainless!

I will take more pics of both sides as I am working my way through and as I clean all the parts and refit them all. The wife is less than happy with the rear bumper residing in the living room!!!

[ditchvisitor]

I managed to spend some time doing some bits on the car this afternoon, first up was the joy of removing the rusted, knackered bolts that hold the cat to the manifold to replace them with stainless bolts/nuts.



Next up was to check that all the bits I ordered to replace the tired/rusty fixings were correct




I was very fortunate that my car recently had new silencers and mounting brackets which corrode very badly over time, for some reason none of the bolts/nuts are stainless steel so again I have replaced all of them.
Before everything goes back on the car it will be properly cleaned up.





I've made the decision to replace two more of the heat shields which had some pretty bad corrosion so have placed them on order as well as the two mounting brackets.

Gratuitous Mezger shot...

[ditchvisitor]

steve-5snwi said:

That's coming along nicely, any plans to to tidy up the back panel, have you decided where its going to end or are you starting with the underside next ?

The back panels just needs a good clean to be honest, it's not corrosion. The car is going to RPM late spring to have all the under trays taken off, some of the mountings replaced, the sill mouldings taken off, inspected and then all new fixings. It will also be thoroughly steam cleaned, protected and then new undertrays/fixings etc etc. Then I'm going to do the front arches and bumper at some point.
It's all preventative maintenance and I want to keep it tip top, I've got a list of future plans too for next year.

[ditchvisitor]

shalmaneser said:

Amazing car but have you actually put any miles on it yet?!

Yeah have put some miles on it, weather has been totally ste though and it doesn't go out when it's salty!! A few bits have taken slightly longer to order too, unfortunately I'm out the country from mid March until mid May, and then August-mid October so it will have a relatively quiet year.

[ditchvisitor]

I decided to take off the metal strip that holds the clips for the bumper and am getting it resprayed as there is some minor corrosion that I wasn't happy with, I also gave it a good clean/polish underneath. All being well will crack on with lots more tomorrow.

[ditchvisitor]

So I got a fair bit done today, sorted the few small patches of light corrosion on the right hand side and then stripped/jet washed/snow foamed/dried the left hand side and did the same.

Not bad for a 20 year old car.


A few small patches but overall very good.


Cleaned up.



Treated and painted.


Also gave the aluminium bumper and lower heat shield a quick clean, might give them another going over.


Overall I'm almost there, all being well I will pick up the new heat shields from my OPC this week and I will get it all back together next week.

[ditchvisitor]

So this mornings job was to get the car back together again...

Using this collection of parts, with 3 new heat shields and all new nuts/bolts/fixings




The first job was to replace the bumper support with the new heat shield, supports and bolts.



And this is why...



All finished



Heatshields back on.




Exhausts back on.




Outer heatshields back on.



Bumper support and lower heatshield fitted.



I had these two bits resprayed as I was unhappy with some light corrosion.



Fitted with new fixings.

[ditchvisitor]

4 new Porsche OEM wheel centres and 20 Titanium wheel bolts ready to go on once the wheels are cleaned/waxed/sealed as part of next weeks detail. One of the current ones is a mismatch and the rest are all a bit tatty, the bolts have also got the standard corrosion on them.