Porsche 911 996.2 3.6 C2
Discussion
Following on the the sale of my previous project car, my 1973 BMW 2002Tii, https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&... i had a small large hole to fill!
The sale had been agreed a few weeks ago and we were just going through the motions, mainly logistics, being some 275 miles from one another.
As soon as i knew this money was coming i was instantly looking for what to get next, money burns a hole in my pocket. This varied from only spending 10k or so and banking the rest (i've never been so sensible in my life), to selling my GR Yaris daily, adding that to the 2002 money and getting something i definitely couldn't afford to maintain properly in reality but that i was sure to have a great time in!
Thankfully i stayed relatively sensible and the Yaris stayed, i managed to treat my other half to a new mountain bike (it only seemed fair after the years of chew she had to endure with me on the 2002 project), put some in savings for our 3 year old and then set aside a healthy budget for a new toy!
It sounds silly but i've always been a Porsche man, i've never had one but i've always seen myself as one. I've been around the older stuff for quite a few years, from friends owning them and more recently the more modern stuff, again with friends owning them! I love both in more or less equal measures but my budget wouldnt get me what i really wanted for either end of the spectrum. I briefly looked into SC's, thinking id get a good one with a bit left over for tinkering, no chance!
The next best thing was the 996, i've always liked this generation, i love an underdog and besides the point of them being the most disliked generation of 911, generally speaking, they drive absolutely awesome! I started to look into these and thought i could get the absolute best example available for around 20k, i was wrong again, even the unloved generation of 911 had shot up since i last looked!
Initially i wanted the fabled 'early 3.4 with cable throttle', obviously with the aerokit to boot! There were a few nice examples, one example really had me racing but it was up for £40k! It had factory fit rear cage and GT3 seats, as well as the 'X51 package'. I'd never heard of this but it was a rather expensive and comprehensive performance package that consisted of Porsche Motorsport heads, cams, exhaust manifolds, inlet manifold, gt3 triple radiator set up, secondary oil scavenge pump, baffled sump and some other bits i've probably forgotten.
As soon as i'd read about this pack, that was me irrationally obsessed with it and i couldnt have a 996 without it but i wasnt paying 40k!
Luck would have it that i found one other 996 for sale out of the many, that had this pack. This example was a gen 2 though but still had the aero kit, X51 package etc. but hardbacked sports seats inside, as well as the rear seats. This was the combo i needed really, as id like to use the 'toy' for days out with my family this time round, rather than just for hoons out with mates.
The specification was high, it seems like most things had been ticked and the final price at time of purchase was basically that of the GT3! I called the owner and we had a chat, the car ended up having a bit of a story, it had been pampered beyond belief up to 2014, including an engine rebuild at Autofarm, then things got a little blurry until he picked it up in an auction in 2019, despite the mileage seemingly rising across a couple of those missing years.
He'd viewed it and it was making an all mighty racket when it was started up, it seemed like the car had slipped through the cracks and sat around awhile before it ended up at an auction. Previous owner had seen the potential and bought it, followed by a 10-12k spend over the next few years bringing it back up to scratch. When i viewed it had new discs and pads all round, as new Michelins all round, immaculate bodywork throughout (turns out 5k had been spent on the sides being painted, with before, during and after pictures) and it ran perfectly without any bad noises. The interior was great and every interior carbon pack had been optioned, it was full of it! The hardbacked sports seats were also leather covered, something i hadnt even realised was an option! He'd spend a fortune getting it back up to standard but not really used it (3k miles over the 4-5 years), it seemed right for me to take over now and do some tinkering and give it the use it deserves!
On our previous phone call, we'd managed to agree on a provisional price, he'd already taken off 2.5k from his initial sales add and we managed to agree another 2.5k off, it was a price we were both happy with and thought was fair, so no more haggling on the day (He did throw in a Noco charger!)
So that was that, i was driving home in my new 911, it was a bit of an odd feeling and the roads home were boring (2.5 hours motorway), i didnt get chance to open it up at all until i was a few miles from home and got chance to blast it down a bypass, i was a little underwhelmed at first, that is until it hit around 5.5k rpm and the noise changed and it was off like a shot! What a relief that was! It was getting dark now and i was just happy to get it home after a bit of a long day.
On the way back:
20240213_151235 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
20240213_150938 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
I got home just at the right time for when my other half and little lad had just got in and his little face was beaming, hes got a few 911 toy cars so recognised it instantly! I had noticed the clutch release bearing was a little noisy when i got home but it seems to be because its been sat over winter and from use ever since it has quietened down thankfully.
Back in the garage, weird seeing it in here and not the 2002:
20240213_215138 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
20240213_215241 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
20240213_211807 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
Checking that it is family/ child friendly!
20240213_175107 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
I managed to get out for a drive last weekend and headed to my favorite bit of road that i always use as a benchmark. I already had some ideas in my head of what i wanted to do but this road always confirms a list, adds to it, or rearranges priority!
20240218_143225 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
20240218_124003 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
20240218_124223 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
20240218_124237 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
20240218_155209 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
20240218_155342 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
I loved every minute of it and by the time i got home i was very happy with my purchase. My friends that i met out also loved it and i'd bumped into a couple of other people whilst out that complimented it similarly, it all helps put your mind at rest about a big purchase.
My list before going out was, in no particular order:
Wheels/tyres - something that sat a bit more aggressive
Coilovers - again, to help get it sat a bit more aggressive and make the most of the chassis
Front adjustable coffin arms/ tension struts - to allow adjustment to get the geo where it would want to be
Rear adjustable toe arms - as above
Steering wheel - a little too large and seemed to be close to my legs
Get rid of the pesky rear wiper - not needed and ruins the lines of the car at the side/ rear
Some form of dateless 6 digit plate - i hated the way the front plate overhung
Sports cat X pipe - its got the factory switchable Porsche sports exhaust and i'd just like that little bit more noise
Exhaust tips! - i dont like the Porsche Techquipment ones that are on it
That was about it but after the drive the below were added and at the top of the list!
Brakes! It needed more/ better cooling and some better pads/ fluid - I'd been warned about them fading on spirited drives but didnt think i'd experience it on the first drive out, it was just on the decent down the pass and was fine otherwise, however. Carbotech XP8 pads, good fluid and GT3 brake ducts are the initial plan.
Gear shifter - the shift was nice but there was side to side slop and a bit fore and aft too. Factory 997 GT3RS shifter is the plan for this.
Phone holder/ headunit upgrade - the car has a great sound system and i'd like to use it on longer journeys. some form of headunit upgrade may be required that had android auto etc. I also had nowhere to put my phone to use the sat nav on it. I'll start off with a Rennline phone holder and bin the CD storage off for a cubby hole and see how i get on.
The wheels, tyres, suspension and X pipe have essentially dropped on the list until i sort the rest! Plenty to keep my busy.
Thanks for reading, if you have read this far!
Scott
The sale had been agreed a few weeks ago and we were just going through the motions, mainly logistics, being some 275 miles from one another.
As soon as i knew this money was coming i was instantly looking for what to get next, money burns a hole in my pocket. This varied from only spending 10k or so and banking the rest (i've never been so sensible in my life), to selling my GR Yaris daily, adding that to the 2002 money and getting something i definitely couldn't afford to maintain properly in reality but that i was sure to have a great time in!
Thankfully i stayed relatively sensible and the Yaris stayed, i managed to treat my other half to a new mountain bike (it only seemed fair after the years of chew she had to endure with me on the 2002 project), put some in savings for our 3 year old and then set aside a healthy budget for a new toy!
It sounds silly but i've always been a Porsche man, i've never had one but i've always seen myself as one. I've been around the older stuff for quite a few years, from friends owning them and more recently the more modern stuff, again with friends owning them! I love both in more or less equal measures but my budget wouldnt get me what i really wanted for either end of the spectrum. I briefly looked into SC's, thinking id get a good one with a bit left over for tinkering, no chance!
The next best thing was the 996, i've always liked this generation, i love an underdog and besides the point of them being the most disliked generation of 911, generally speaking, they drive absolutely awesome! I started to look into these and thought i could get the absolute best example available for around 20k, i was wrong again, even the unloved generation of 911 had shot up since i last looked!
Initially i wanted the fabled 'early 3.4 with cable throttle', obviously with the aerokit to boot! There were a few nice examples, one example really had me racing but it was up for £40k! It had factory fit rear cage and GT3 seats, as well as the 'X51 package'. I'd never heard of this but it was a rather expensive and comprehensive performance package that consisted of Porsche Motorsport heads, cams, exhaust manifolds, inlet manifold, gt3 triple radiator set up, secondary oil scavenge pump, baffled sump and some other bits i've probably forgotten.
As soon as i'd read about this pack, that was me irrationally obsessed with it and i couldnt have a 996 without it but i wasnt paying 40k!
Luck would have it that i found one other 996 for sale out of the many, that had this pack. This example was a gen 2 though but still had the aero kit, X51 package etc. but hardbacked sports seats inside, as well as the rear seats. This was the combo i needed really, as id like to use the 'toy' for days out with my family this time round, rather than just for hoons out with mates.
The specification was high, it seems like most things had been ticked and the final price at time of purchase was basically that of the GT3! I called the owner and we had a chat, the car ended up having a bit of a story, it had been pampered beyond belief up to 2014, including an engine rebuild at Autofarm, then things got a little blurry until he picked it up in an auction in 2019, despite the mileage seemingly rising across a couple of those missing years.
He'd viewed it and it was making an all mighty racket when it was started up, it seemed like the car had slipped through the cracks and sat around awhile before it ended up at an auction. Previous owner had seen the potential and bought it, followed by a 10-12k spend over the next few years bringing it back up to scratch. When i viewed it had new discs and pads all round, as new Michelins all round, immaculate bodywork throughout (turns out 5k had been spent on the sides being painted, with before, during and after pictures) and it ran perfectly without any bad noises. The interior was great and every interior carbon pack had been optioned, it was full of it! The hardbacked sports seats were also leather covered, something i hadnt even realised was an option! He'd spend a fortune getting it back up to standard but not really used it (3k miles over the 4-5 years), it seemed right for me to take over now and do some tinkering and give it the use it deserves!
On our previous phone call, we'd managed to agree on a provisional price, he'd already taken off 2.5k from his initial sales add and we managed to agree another 2.5k off, it was a price we were both happy with and thought was fair, so no more haggling on the day (He did throw in a Noco charger!)
So that was that, i was driving home in my new 911, it was a bit of an odd feeling and the roads home were boring (2.5 hours motorway), i didnt get chance to open it up at all until i was a few miles from home and got chance to blast it down a bypass, i was a little underwhelmed at first, that is until it hit around 5.5k rpm and the noise changed and it was off like a shot! What a relief that was! It was getting dark now and i was just happy to get it home after a bit of a long day.
On the way back:
20240213_151235 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr20240213_150938 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrI got home just at the right time for when my other half and little lad had just got in and his little face was beaming, hes got a few 911 toy cars so recognised it instantly! I had noticed the clutch release bearing was a little noisy when i got home but it seems to be because its been sat over winter and from use ever since it has quietened down thankfully.
Back in the garage, weird seeing it in here and not the 2002:
20240213_215138 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr20240213_215241 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr20240213_211807 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrChecking that it is family/ child friendly!
20240213_175107 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrI managed to get out for a drive last weekend and headed to my favorite bit of road that i always use as a benchmark. I already had some ideas in my head of what i wanted to do but this road always confirms a list, adds to it, or rearranges priority!
20240218_143225 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr20240218_124003 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr20240218_124223 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr20240218_124237 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr20240218_155209 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr20240218_155342 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrI loved every minute of it and by the time i got home i was very happy with my purchase. My friends that i met out also loved it and i'd bumped into a couple of other people whilst out that complimented it similarly, it all helps put your mind at rest about a big purchase.
My list before going out was, in no particular order:
Wheels/tyres - something that sat a bit more aggressive
Coilovers - again, to help get it sat a bit more aggressive and make the most of the chassis
Front adjustable coffin arms/ tension struts - to allow adjustment to get the geo where it would want to be
Rear adjustable toe arms - as above
Steering wheel - a little too large and seemed to be close to my legs
Get rid of the pesky rear wiper - not needed and ruins the lines of the car at the side/ rear
Some form of dateless 6 digit plate - i hated the way the front plate overhung
Sports cat X pipe - its got the factory switchable Porsche sports exhaust and i'd just like that little bit more noise
Exhaust tips! - i dont like the Porsche Techquipment ones that are on it
That was about it but after the drive the below were added and at the top of the list!
Brakes! It needed more/ better cooling and some better pads/ fluid - I'd been warned about them fading on spirited drives but didnt think i'd experience it on the first drive out, it was just on the decent down the pass and was fine otherwise, however. Carbotech XP8 pads, good fluid and GT3 brake ducts are the initial plan.
Gear shifter - the shift was nice but there was side to side slop and a bit fore and aft too. Factory 997 GT3RS shifter is the plan for this.
Phone holder/ headunit upgrade - the car has a great sound system and i'd like to use it on longer journeys. some form of headunit upgrade may be required that had android auto etc. I also had nowhere to put my phone to use the sat nav on it. I'll start off with a Rennline phone holder and bin the CD storage off for a cubby hole and see how i get on.
The wheels, tyres, suspension and X pipe have essentially dropped on the list until i sort the rest! Plenty to keep my busy.
Thanks for reading, if you have read this far!
Scott
B'stard Child said:
Did not expect that as a next project 
- looking forward to the journey with this one 
Me neither - looking forward to the journey with this one 
Thanks!MrC986 said:
Nice looking car OP. I've a '99 C4 manual with aerokit that has gone along the lines of 200 cell x-pipe exhaust and sports back boxes, remap, Bilstein B8s with H&R springs (ala an MO30 spec+), uprated brake fluid, CAE short-shifter, alcantara trimmed steering wheel, Cobra Nogaro seats (trimmed to match the original leather), a double din radio unit & lastly a rear seat delete as no one will get in the back now I have fixed back seats 
Whilst there is one last modification that sits in the garage waiting to go on (decat pipes) but I'm not sure how well that will go down domestically with the extra noise given where we live
Cheers and that sounds awesome and along the lines of what id like from this eventually! Which sports cat X pipe did you go with out of interest? Whilst there is one last modification that sits in the garage waiting to go on (decat pipes) but I'm not sure how well that will go down domestically with the extra noise given where we livejaacck said:
Looks great, congratulations on your purchase.
I would go for some 997 gt3 wheels if you can!
Thanks! I'd like to stick to 18's maximum but the .2 996 gt3 wheels are very similar. They command quite a price these days though, i think it'll be a case of seeing what pops up!I would go for some 997 gt3 wheels if you can!
Mallone said:
A genuine surprise after the 2002, but really looking forward to seeing what you do with this.
That initial job list will have it sitting, looking and driving very nicely. Been on a similar journey with my 996. They get under your skin!
I've ordered quite a lot of it already, which means it mustve got under my skin, as you suggest! Have you got a thread for yours? Ill have a look through!That initial job list will have it sitting, looking and driving very nicely. Been on a similar journey with my 996. They get under your skin!
bomb said:
Glad you've started a new thread, and that upgrade / shopping list looks to be interesting. I know you'll be in the garage tonight, getting stuck in !
looking forward to actually seeing it 'in the metal'.
You're not wrong Andy, its refreshed my tinkering bug! The jobs have all been pretty enjoyable so far, it's a nice thing to work on. I've not really got to anything mechanical yet though so i might go back on saying that!looking forward to actually seeing it 'in the metal'.
hermes said:
Car looks good.
Worth a trip to Centre Gravity for a once over before you make any suspension decisions.
911uk and rennlist forums are good technical sources for diy.
If you register with Porsche as a classic owner, you’ll get a parts discount and pay less for quite a few parts than at 3rd party vendors.
Cheers, i've signed up to 911uk and im enjoying it so far. I've got a local Porsche specialist (he came down with me to view this car) so it'll be off in there soon and once the bits are on then they will be setting the car up, looking forward to it.Worth a trip to Centre Gravity for a once over before you make any suspension decisions.
911uk and rennlist forums are good technical sources for diy.
If you register with Porsche as a classic owner, you’ll get a parts discount and pay less for quite a few parts than at 3rd party vendors.
Good info on the Porsche classic advice, i've bought a few bits off them so far with a small discount but if i can register with them easy enough and get any more discounts then that would be great!
ZX10R NIN said:
Nice car OP 
Thanks!danmarr14 said:
Beaut of a car! Love it
Cheers!SS427 Camaro said:
Looks lovely ! Ex owner of an Inca Orange 2002Tii, still kicking myself for selling it for £900 quid back in 2012. It did need full restoration though.
Had no idea that an X51 pack was available on these, if so I would have bought one years ago. Any idea what hp these have and did any of the mags ( EVO etc ) do a test feature ?
Times have definitely changed on 2002Tii values, thats for sure! I missed out on those days hahaHad no idea that an X51 pack was available on these, if so I would have bought one years ago. Any idea what hp these have and did any of the mags ( EVO etc ) do a test feature ?
It's got a quoted 345hp but by all accounts all of the changes add up to more than just the little bit of extra power and apparently the figures are underegged to keep it away from the GT3. I'll get it on the rollers one day!
RESSE said:
Thank you for starting this thread
(I am new to 996 ownership - purchased a 2004 C2 in November 2023).
Cracking, how're you getting on with it so far? I'm glad i went for one!(I am new to 996 ownership - purchased a 2004 C2 in November 2023).
Court_S said:
Car looks grand with some good plans for it.
Can’t believe you’ve sold the BMW…I’ve not managed to finish reading the whole thread yet!
Me neither to be honest, it wasnt planned! Sad its gone but im also alright about it now.Can’t believe you’ve sold the BMW…I’ve not managed to finish reading the whole thread yet!
TheDoggingFather said:
I've spent the last 20 years hating the 996, particularly the non - turbo/C4S cars. But slowly, the ice is melting and they're becoming more and more attractive.
Lovely car, enjoy,
I've never really looked twice at them either to be honest, they've only started getting my attention over the last 5 years or so! Theres a collector up here that i've been on drives out with, hes got all sorts and always takes his 996 c2 and i realised a new respect for them after these drives out. They are brilliant on the North Pennines/ Borders roads we drive out on. And thank you, i hope it is an enjoyable ownership experience!Lovely car, enjoy,
ECG1000 said:
I'm sure you already know this, but if not, have a chat with RPM Technik about their CSR suspension/chassis goodies. It sounds like that's the kind of direction you'll be taking the car in.
Good choice mate. Looking forward to seeing where you go with this!
Thanks! Im looking forward to the journey with it too and to see where it goes.Good choice mate. Looking forward to seeing where you go with this!
Edited by ECG1000 on Friday 23 February 15:09
I've looked at those CSR cars a few times and love what they've done. Rightly or wrongly i like to try things out and will be going down my own path with it, albeit similar principles as you say! I did this with the old 2002 and some things i changed or did multiple times and it came good in the end. Just going to try and apply lessons learned directly to this car and see where it ends up haha
Mallone said:
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Thread hasn’t been updated in ages (been having too much fun in my budget/shed Boxster 2.5!) but the car hasn’t changed much since the last update.
Do have a set of refurbished 996.1 GT3 coilovers to fit, but currently sourcing all the various uber expensive random bits and pieces to complete the set.
Really looking forward to seeing what bits and pieces you start bolting to this
GT3 suspension is a great idea, it seems it used to come up for sale quite a bit but not so much any more, its a cool path to go down and of course keeping it all OEM!Thread hasn’t been updated in ages (been having too much fun in my budget/shed Boxster 2.5!) but the car hasn’t changed much since the last update.
Do have a set of refurbished 996.1 GT3 coilovers to fit, but currently sourcing all the various uber expensive random bits and pieces to complete the set.
Really looking forward to seeing what bits and pieces you start bolting to this
MrC986 said:
My x-pipe is a Topgear one with standard manifolds (bought via one of the periodic 911uk group discounts)...if I’d known I was going to need an engine rebuild, I’d have waited & also done the manifolds once they’d heli-coiled all the broken manifold studs. The x-pipe & boxes do bed themselves in after a while & it has a GT3 type howl IMO when you “give it the beans”.
Thanks, X pipe is definitely on the list and i'd been looking at the topgear one, i really would like that howl that you mention!Church of Noise said:
As most, didn't see the sale of the 2002 coming - but looking forward to following your shenanigans with this one with the same level of anticipation
Enjoy!
Thanks!Enjoy!
RESSE said:
‘Cracking, how're you getting on with it so far?’
So far = excellent
A couple of small jobs:
Replaced front side lights and indicator bulbs as one had blown, so worthwhile to change both sides. Removing the light housing was a bit tricky.
After a number of head/frunk collisions, I replaced the bonnet struts. 5 minute job and very satisfying thing to do.
Apart from the above, I am driving it as often as I can. Lucky to have decent roads near to me.
Hope you are enjoying yours?
That reminds me, i really need to do the frunk struts! The bonnet hit the previous owner in the head on the day of sale! They arent too far gone and hold if you push it all the way up but they definitely want replacing soon!So far = excellent
A couple of small jobs:
Replaced front side lights and indicator bulbs as one had blown, so worthwhile to change both sides. Removing the light housing was a bit tricky.
After a number of head/frunk collisions, I replaced the bonnet struts. 5 minute job and very satisfying thing to do.
Apart from the above, I am driving it as often as I can. Lucky to have decent roads near to me.
Hope you are enjoying yours?
I'm loving it so far thanks, just trying to cover plenty of varied miles so i can get a rounded opinion of it. Definitely glad i went for it!
ATM said:
Stories like this disappoint me. Why anyone would chop 2.5k off their price during a phone call is stupid. And this just makes more and more potential buyers assume they will get a similar hair cut on any cars they enquire about. This is why now everyone is always asking whats your best price. Its a vicious circle especially if sellers are advertising their cars high assuming they will have to drop their pants to achieve a sale. I think the market would make more sense if this didn't happen or happened a lot less or to a lesser degree but that's probably unlikely to happen anytime soon.
MrC986 said:
Agreed as IMO it almost implies the car you selling isn't as described....I can see why dealers don't like replying to emails asking the question. Any decent car should be viewed and the service history inspected as a serious buyer will appreciate a decent car. I can see why the likes of Collecting Cars grew so quickly as it offered an alternative way to sell compared to the classified ads plus people could distance themselves further from idiots claiming possible legal opportunity for normal age related wear & tear/their lack of thoroughness in inspecting/checking a car before buying it or buyer's remorse.
Back on track.....good to see the OP also driving his 996 in the winter months
Back on track.....good to see the OP also driving his 996 in the winter months
JJJ. said:
??? Obviously, you've a vested interest in 996's.
Come on, you don't know the original advertised price, you don't know the sellers situation and just possibly the seller was only too delighted to reduce the price as he was dealing with a genuine buyer. Maybe, there's other factors at play but it's a bit ridiculous calling the seller ''stupid'' without first hand knowledge of the complete sale/transaction.
Come on, you don't know the original advertised price, you don't know the sellers situation and just possibly the seller was only too delighted to reduce the price as he was dealing with a genuine buyer. Maybe, there's other factors at play but it's a bit ridiculous calling the seller ''stupid'' without first hand knowledge of the complete sale/transaction.
ATM said:
Am I allowed an opinion?
Am I allowed to express my opinion?
Did I say I knew all the facts?
All the factors?
Whatever else you think I should know before i am allowed to express my view.
This could be a different car.
I didn't say this was specific to a 996. You have jumped to a conclusion there. This is my view in relation to any and all cars sold for around 25k - an assumption of the price I have made without any specific facts just in case you were wandering - where there was a discount of 2.5k so that's around 10%.
What about the other potential buyers who saw the car advertised and thought the price was perhaps too high but didn't believe there was a prospect of a 10% hair cut so therefore didn't enquire because the advertised price was too high for them and their budget at the time. Are they all stupid or their beliefs ridiculous?
If you think sellers should be offering up 10% discounts during a phone call before a car has been viewed then that's absolutely fine. But if I think it's stupid can you not even begin to understand why that is so? Should all buyers assume sellers will offer 10% discounts before even viewing a car? Do you think that sellers will enjoy buyers asking for a 10% discount before they even view a car for sale? Or that they should just enquire politely about the best price and if it is not 10% move on to the next? Do you think sellers should be that overwhelmed with delight that the buyer on the phone is so obviously genuine that a 10% discount is only the right thing to do? I will of course welcome your opinion in this when you next sell a car. When buyers call and tell you they are obviously genuine, obviously.
So yes I believe the seller was stupid to do this based on knowing very very little. And I did try to explain why. But just in case you don't get it let me hammer it home. In every transaction there are 2 parties. The buyer and seller. I see lots of comments elsewhere from sellers saying that selling a car nowadays is difficult because all enquiries are just this - what's your best price? Are these people genuine? Should sellers be delighted to receive these enquiries?
It was one of the nicest car buying experiences i'd had to be honest. He had that many people offering hims 30-40% less that he was happy enough to give me a ball park figure he would be happy with over the phone, he even said as much as he was sick of dealing with idiots, so what you say does ring true to some extent. We spoke for an hour before this came about and i'd said i was also happy with that ball park, there was essentially no haggling and we were both happy, a win/win, albeit the car was a nice chunk less than originally advertised. The car was above my budget at the advertised price and i'd suggest that any potential buyers that wouldnt get in touch because of this were stupid and very much in the minority, after all hardly anything is advertised at the bottom line price. The seller definitely wasnt stupid either, i've no doubt he made his money on the sale but didnt need to sell initially, so why not 'inflate' by 5k and see if he got a bite.Am I allowed to express my opinion?
Did I say I knew all the facts?
All the factors?
Whatever else you think I should know before i am allowed to express my view.
This could be a different car.
I didn't say this was specific to a 996. You have jumped to a conclusion there. This is my view in relation to any and all cars sold for around 25k - an assumption of the price I have made without any specific facts just in case you were wandering - where there was a discount of 2.5k so that's around 10%.
What about the other potential buyers who saw the car advertised and thought the price was perhaps too high but didn't believe there was a prospect of a 10% hair cut so therefore didn't enquire because the advertised price was too high for them and their budget at the time. Are they all stupid or their beliefs ridiculous?
If you think sellers should be offering up 10% discounts during a phone call before a car has been viewed then that's absolutely fine. But if I think it's stupid can you not even begin to understand why that is so? Should all buyers assume sellers will offer 10% discounts before even viewing a car? Do you think that sellers will enjoy buyers asking for a 10% discount before they even view a car for sale? Or that they should just enquire politely about the best price and if it is not 10% move on to the next? Do you think sellers should be that overwhelmed with delight that the buyer on the phone is so obviously genuine that a 10% discount is only the right thing to do? I will of course welcome your opinion in this when you next sell a car. When buyers call and tell you they are obviously genuine, obviously.
So yes I believe the seller was stupid to do this based on knowing very very little. And I did try to explain why. But just in case you don't get it let me hammer it home. In every transaction there are 2 parties. The buyer and seller. I see lots of comments elsewhere from sellers saying that selling a car nowadays is difficult because all enquiries are just this - what's your best price? Are these people genuine? Should sellers be delighted to receive these enquiries?
Besides, specifically on 996's, they are hard cars to value, some are 12k, some are up at £40k+, a lot of them it doesnt even seem to make sense why they are so high. It's a minefield for buyer and seller but as i said, we were both happy in this transaction
politeperson said:
That looks like a fantastic purchase.
By coincidence I ended up with a Gen 2 C2 manual recently and have been driving around. Makes an interesting comparison to my daily 992.
Non sunroof car with grey leather, 6 sp manual and satnav. Original 18 inch wheels with Pirellis.
I can now see why the 996 owners are so enthusiastic about them as the are lithe and very quick and also sound great too.
This particular silver car came with £18,500 of recent receipts including 20 services. IMS, seals, gearbox rebuild., exhaust brakes and clutch.
I now do understand the appeal. Not sure I need 2 911s though.
Thanks, i think its been a good purchase too but time will tell! I know quite a lot of people with all manner of Porsches and they always compliment how well a 996 drives, they are obviously just lacking on the visuals (depending on who you ask) compared to some other generations but i always love an underdog!By coincidence I ended up with a Gen 2 C2 manual recently and have been driving around. Makes an interesting comparison to my daily 992.
Non sunroof car with grey leather, 6 sp manual and satnav. Original 18 inch wheels with Pirellis.
I can now see why the 996 owners are so enthusiastic about them as the are lithe and very quick and also sound great too.
This particular silver car came with £18,500 of recent receipts including 20 services. IMS, seals, gearbox rebuild., exhaust brakes and clutch.
I now do understand the appeal. Not sure I need 2 911s though.
Yours looks a cracking example!
MTW said:
Nice! I look forward to seeing what you do with this after following the 2002 thread!
I must admit I have been eyeing these up recently. Thinking along the same lines as yourself, to replace my Caterham with something a little more road friendly and usable. I watch with interest!
Also nice to see it’s an X51 car, when you look at the list of work in the kit it’s really special!
Thank You, funnily enough i'd even been searching Caterhams, i think i will have to tick that box one day but for now this was the more sensible choice!I must admit I have been eyeing these up recently. Thinking along the same lines as yourself, to replace my Caterham with something a little more road friendly and usable. I watch with interest!
Also nice to see it’s an X51 car, when you look at the list of work in the kit it’s really special!
I hadnt been aware of the X51 pack to be honest but as you say it really is a comprehensive upgrade and sets it apart from the rest. It has the LSD options and M030 sports chassis pack to go with it too, i really found it difficult to look at anything else once i'd spotted it and got my head into the specs of them!
Coldplaya said:
This thread is really making me want to jump back into a 996! They’re ageing so so well aren’t they? Such a good balance of performance and modernity too.
Great to see the comparison to 992 !
I think so, perfect blend of old and new, 997 is nicer inside but then doesnt feel like an 'old' car. I wanted it to feel like i was getting into something old. Im really fond of the thing already!Great to see the comparison to 992 !
MrBen.911 said:
Looks lovely Scott, I also have a 2003 Seal Gray C2, but with a more basic original spec - absolutely love it!
On your note about the steering wheel being too close to your legs, this is a common issue with the 996 seats, and I'd recommend changing to 997 seats which go much lower. I have the standard wheel (albeit recovered), 997 seats and a 'GT3' centre console delete and there's loads of room in there (I'm 6'3").
Also on front number plate, I didn't like the massive plinth either, removed that and went with a vinyl plate, looks much smoother!
This is mine:
That looks amazing in there, ill have a look at the 997 seats at some point, i do like these 996 sports seats but they could be a tad lower from the steering wheel. The cup wheel has sorted this out to a large extent as im not particularly tall but having more adjustability would be great. On your note about the steering wheel being too close to your legs, this is a common issue with the 996 seats, and I'd recommend changing to 997 seats which go much lower. I have the standard wheel (albeit recovered), 997 seats and a 'GT3' centre console delete and there's loads of room in there (I'm 6'3").
Also on front number plate, I didn't like the massive plinth either, removed that and went with a vinyl plate, looks much smoother!
This is mine:
I did notice my knee resting on the centre console at first and hoping for a bit more room but i've got used to it now, interesting to see you've deleted completely! I've also ended up getting a 6 digit plate for the car, which suits the front plate holder. I may remove and have the holes filled and go with a vinyl plate in the longer term though!
shalmaneser said:
997/987 sports seats are a big improvement over the earlier versions, and pretty affordable if you wait for a decent deal to come along.
I'll definitely be getting them on the watch list!Bright Halo said:
Great looking car, following with interest.
I didn’t even know there was an X51 kit for these as I thought it was only found on 996 turbo’s.
Yeh, the x50 pack is the turbo one and there's not all that much to it. The x51 on the N/A cars is really comprehensive and rather impressive albeit it was an expensive option and not many people went for it seemingly!I didn’t even know there was an X51 kit for these as I thought it was only found on 996 turbo’s.
politeperson said:
Well,
I wasn't going to modify anything on the 996 as it is just fine the way it is.
It has had all the essential work done to it already, so why mess with it?
I took it as part payment for something last week, so am now wondering what to do with it.
At the moment I have an excess of sports cars.
The 996 has all the usual traits of a 911, powerful engine, accurate quick steering, comfortable ride, high quality build. It feels like 300,000 miles would be no problem at all, like all the other 911s I have owned.
With over 300 horsepower and a manual gearbox it is also a very quick car even by modern standards.
In comparison with the 992, it is a slightly smaller car. The 996 is still a wide car however, with a wide track and only 150kg lighter than the 992, which I weighed at exactly 1505kg v 1350kg for the 996.
Of course the 992 has all the tech, however, in any car, all I need is Googlemaps for traffic jams, air con for the summer and music streaming.
In terms of outright acceleration, the 992 gets to 60 in around 3.6 seconds according to dragy, in lowest spec C2 form. I would put the 996 C2 at around 4.5 seconds which is still more than enough to annoy passengers. I dont have any ambition to go any faster. Infact, I recently had a 23' Ferrari Portofino with over 600 hp and it was all a complete waste of power as it had great difficulty putting the torque through the rear wheels without squirming all over the place. Very unlike both 911s. Cant say it felt much quicker either.
I find both 911s very nice to look at indeed The 992 has real presence and the 996 is more subtle.
The main difference is that the 992 was knocking of the door of £100k, whereas the 996 is probably worth only £12,500.
That seems like an awful lot of car to me.
If you asked me which one I prefer, the option is really
A) a 992
or
B) a 996 AND also about £85,000 in the glovebox in cash to make up the price difference.
Look at it like that it becomes a bit more difficult to chose. The 992 is lovely, but then again, so is £85,000.
I've been lucky to drive all manner of Porsche cars and the 996 is definitely a sweet spot, as are the earlier Caymans. Unless youre a millionaire then the price difference is hard to look by!I wasn't going to modify anything on the 996 as it is just fine the way it is.
It has had all the essential work done to it already, so why mess with it?
I took it as part payment for something last week, so am now wondering what to do with it.
At the moment I have an excess of sports cars.
The 996 has all the usual traits of a 911, powerful engine, accurate quick steering, comfortable ride, high quality build. It feels like 300,000 miles would be no problem at all, like all the other 911s I have owned.
With over 300 horsepower and a manual gearbox it is also a very quick car even by modern standards.
In comparison with the 992, it is a slightly smaller car. The 996 is still a wide car however, with a wide track and only 150kg lighter than the 992, which I weighed at exactly 1505kg v 1350kg for the 996.
Of course the 992 has all the tech, however, in any car, all I need is Googlemaps for traffic jams, air con for the summer and music streaming.
In terms of outright acceleration, the 992 gets to 60 in around 3.6 seconds according to dragy, in lowest spec C2 form. I would put the 996 C2 at around 4.5 seconds which is still more than enough to annoy passengers. I dont have any ambition to go any faster. Infact, I recently had a 23' Ferrari Portofino with over 600 hp and it was all a complete waste of power as it had great difficulty putting the torque through the rear wheels without squirming all over the place. Very unlike both 911s. Cant say it felt much quicker either.
I find both 911s very nice to look at indeed The 992 has real presence and the 996 is more subtle.
The main difference is that the 992 was knocking of the door of £100k, whereas the 996 is probably worth only £12,500.
That seems like an awful lot of car to me.
If you asked me which one I prefer, the option is really
A) a 992
or
B) a 996 AND also about £85,000 in the glovebox in cash to make up the price difference.
Look at it like that it becomes a bit more difficult to chose. The 992 is lovely, but then again, so is £85,000.
Edited by politeperson on Monday 26th February 12:13
You do make a good point about google maps, i would like to stick an android auto unit in the car so i have that ability. With that id get google maps and spotify, perfect!
I've been on making a few changes based on my first hoon out and against my original list.
I'd been told by a friend that the Porsche Carrera Cup steering wheels were available from Porsche albeit in leather instead of alcantara, fine by me! I ended up ordering the full black one and also the one with red stitching and 10 o'clock marker as i got discount at my local dealer through a guy i know.
It's not quite a straight forward fit. You have to installed a 964 horn ring contact and install an extra pin in the connector to link back to the horn wiring that the standard clockspring connects to. There's also the airbag connection to install a resistor in. I ended up buying a clockspring off ebay second hand and cutting the connectors off it to make it 'plug and play'. The connector pin for the horn is available from Porsche but didnt arrive in time so i essentially made one out of a bullet connector, works great!
Things apart:
20240215_133456 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
964 horn ring contact and connector:
20240215_123324 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
Top left is the hole that needed to be populated to plug into the 964 part:
20240215_133314 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
Plug and play harness made up:
20240215_134550 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
Installed, everything plugged in and sorted, just the cowlings to install:
20240215_135012 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
all back together and you can see the 964 contact on the front, which just snaps into place:
20240215_140148 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
wheel from Porsche:
20240215_140126 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
All fitted, love it!
20240215_141606 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
I also had a chattering from the sun roof when it was closed, this turned out to be the wind deflector hitting the frame over bumps. I stuck down some sticky back velcro pads and this sorted the noise, result! Also an excuse for another angle of the wheel!
20240218_102907 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
20240218_102853 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
So thats the steering wheel ticked off my list, next was the pesky rear wiper! Nice easy job, pull this panel off the back, 3 bolts and its out:
20240219_154926 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
I bought a few bungs off ebay, this slimline plastic one was the most suitable. It's tricky to secure from the back side as its through a double skin but i got there in the end!
20240220_204051 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
A dateless 6 digit plate so it fits the plinth better was the next item, i know private plates can be a bone of contention on here but there we are!
20240220_211143 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
I mightve got a shortened plate for the rear as well but it seems like it's had many plates over the years and a pair of securing holes would be outside of the shortened plate:
20240220_211421 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
That was it from my original list, i've ordered some toe arms for the rear, coilovers and also some exhaust tips but they are a few weeks away from being with me, let alone fitted! I think the wheels/ tyres and the fancy coffin arms/ tension struts will go on hold for now, unless something comes up, as well as the X pipe for the exhaust.
Onto my additional list from the drive out. I sorted a phone holder in the form of a Rennline magnetic one, nice product, if a little pricey for what it is! Im sure a lot of the cost must go on the fancy packaging!
20240220_202226 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
20240220_202250 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
This attaches by pulling off the side panel of the centre console and bolting it on. Whilst here i also binned off the CD storage compartment and fitted it with a cubby hole:
20240220_202739 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
20240220_202735 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
All back together:
20240220_203246 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
A headunit upgrade is on the cards too but i need to look into it more and contact some people!
Brake pads, i've ordered these and have the fluid lined up. MOT is due in 40 odd days so ill have them fitted before then and get the fluid done by others whilst thats getting done. I may even get some brake lines before this time and i've seen people mention the GT3 master cylinder also. I'll see if i can hold out and do this in stages, i.e. pad swap first and then the lines, then master cylinder later down the line, to see if i can gauge the difference each time.
For the gear shifter, i looked at all manner of options, from modifying an ebay short shifter, to a full replacement numeric one and went somewhere inbetween by ordering in a 997 gt3rs shifter to my local dealer.
Collected:
20240222_154452 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
Out of the box:
20240222_174857 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
The plastic bushings that wear and create play are made out of metal in this one and provide a much more positive feel. One portion of the mechanism is still plastic but hopefully there will be another 20 years of wear and tear! It's also slightly shorter throw than the standard one.
I was surprised when i went to fit it that my car already had some form of short shifter installed (along with the UK's supply of white grease!):
20240220_203447 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
This turned out to be Porsches own shortshifter option and from the date stamp it appears to have been fitted from new, or perhaps retro fitted at some point. Upon dismantling the center console and exposing it properly, the fore and aft play appears only to have been from a missing tension grub screw and lock nut! A little frustrating. The side to side play was coming from the plastic bit i mention on the above 997 GT3 shifter and in the pic below. You can get aftermarket billet versions of this that run on proper bearing races. I may rebuild this short shift with one of those at some point and swap back but we shall see.
20240222_210459 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
It was a little crusty under there:
20240222_204752 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
All removed and the hoover busted out:
20240222_210413 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
Comparison between old and new
20240222_210638 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
20240222_210643 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
New one in:
20240222_204746 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
20240222_212735 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
I cleaned up the center console, please forgive me, this level of cleaning is beyond me haha
20240222_211652 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
Getting there!
20240222_214434 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
Looks odd without the sea of white grease!
20240222_215527 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
All together:
20240222_220651 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
In terms of feel, i think if i went from a worn standard one to this, it would be amazing and the next best thing but because ive been unknowingly spoiled by the short shifter, it feels a little odd having a longer throw, as nice as it is without any play!
I've been out in it since and it is really nice, just took a little bit of getting used to again.
The last little thing i did was to get a panel filter and a helmholtz resonator 'delete' kit. Apparently this frees up a couple of HP but more importantly a little bit more noise!
You can see on the intake pipe here, theres a large pipe that comes off at 90 degrees and down to another section of the airbox:
20240213_212118 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
20240213_212114 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
You get a new silicone pipe that is smooth internally that deletes that section and you blank off the corresponding hole on the airbox.
Airbox out and stripped, surprised to see Porsche drill the base from factory. I'd looked into this and apparently on 964/993 this was done as part of a performance pack that made them sound better! Not sure if thats the case on the 996 but there it is. I would be lying if i said i didnt contemplate making more
Filter in, new and old parts:
20240216_145518 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
Re-fitted:
20240216_151119 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
20240216_151123 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
I didnt really notice much difference in sound initially but i do always have the exhaust in its loud position (i am still 17 at heart). My 3 year old wanted it to be quieter the other day when i took him out so i was only too happy to oblige! This is when i noticed the epic induction noise up over 4-5k, still too loud according to my 3 year old though, so i didnt experience it again for the rest of the journey!
I still havent had the car up in the air on the quick jack with the wheels off, i've just been driving it too much! I hope to do that soon so i can have a poke around underneath and look for more things to replace haha
I've done about 400ish miles in it now and im really happy i went for it!
Thanks,
Scott
I'd been told by a friend that the Porsche Carrera Cup steering wheels were available from Porsche albeit in leather instead of alcantara, fine by me! I ended up ordering the full black one and also the one with red stitching and 10 o'clock marker as i got discount at my local dealer through a guy i know.
It's not quite a straight forward fit. You have to installed a 964 horn ring contact and install an extra pin in the connector to link back to the horn wiring that the standard clockspring connects to. There's also the airbag connection to install a resistor in. I ended up buying a clockspring off ebay second hand and cutting the connectors off it to make it 'plug and play'. The connector pin for the horn is available from Porsche but didnt arrive in time so i essentially made one out of a bullet connector, works great!
Things apart:
20240215_133456 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr964 horn ring contact and connector:
20240215_123324 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrTop left is the hole that needed to be populated to plug into the 964 part:
20240215_133314 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrPlug and play harness made up:
20240215_134550 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrInstalled, everything plugged in and sorted, just the cowlings to install:
20240215_135012 by Scott Osborne, on Flickrall back together and you can see the 964 contact on the front, which just snaps into place:
20240215_140148 by Scott Osborne, on Flickrwheel from Porsche:
20240215_140126 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrAll fitted, love it!
20240215_141606 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrI also had a chattering from the sun roof when it was closed, this turned out to be the wind deflector hitting the frame over bumps. I stuck down some sticky back velcro pads and this sorted the noise, result! Also an excuse for another angle of the wheel!
20240218_102907 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr20240218_102853 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrSo thats the steering wheel ticked off my list, next was the pesky rear wiper! Nice easy job, pull this panel off the back, 3 bolts and its out:
20240219_154926 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrI bought a few bungs off ebay, this slimline plastic one was the most suitable. It's tricky to secure from the back side as its through a double skin but i got there in the end!
20240220_204051 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrA dateless 6 digit plate so it fits the plinth better was the next item, i know private plates can be a bone of contention on here but there we are!
20240220_211143 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrI mightve got a shortened plate for the rear as well but it seems like it's had many plates over the years and a pair of securing holes would be outside of the shortened plate:
20240220_211421 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrThat was it from my original list, i've ordered some toe arms for the rear, coilovers and also some exhaust tips but they are a few weeks away from being with me, let alone fitted! I think the wheels/ tyres and the fancy coffin arms/ tension struts will go on hold for now, unless something comes up, as well as the X pipe for the exhaust.
Onto my additional list from the drive out. I sorted a phone holder in the form of a Rennline magnetic one, nice product, if a little pricey for what it is! Im sure a lot of the cost must go on the fancy packaging!
20240220_202226 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr20240220_202250 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrThis attaches by pulling off the side panel of the centre console and bolting it on. Whilst here i also binned off the CD storage compartment and fitted it with a cubby hole:
20240220_202739 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr20240220_202735 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrAll back together:
20240220_203246 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrA headunit upgrade is on the cards too but i need to look into it more and contact some people!
Brake pads, i've ordered these and have the fluid lined up. MOT is due in 40 odd days so ill have them fitted before then and get the fluid done by others whilst thats getting done. I may even get some brake lines before this time and i've seen people mention the GT3 master cylinder also. I'll see if i can hold out and do this in stages, i.e. pad swap first and then the lines, then master cylinder later down the line, to see if i can gauge the difference each time.
For the gear shifter, i looked at all manner of options, from modifying an ebay short shifter, to a full replacement numeric one and went somewhere inbetween by ordering in a 997 gt3rs shifter to my local dealer.
Collected:
20240222_154452 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrOut of the box:
20240222_174857 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrThe plastic bushings that wear and create play are made out of metal in this one and provide a much more positive feel. One portion of the mechanism is still plastic but hopefully there will be another 20 years of wear and tear! It's also slightly shorter throw than the standard one.
I was surprised when i went to fit it that my car already had some form of short shifter installed (along with the UK's supply of white grease!):
20240220_203447 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrThis turned out to be Porsches own shortshifter option and from the date stamp it appears to have been fitted from new, or perhaps retro fitted at some point. Upon dismantling the center console and exposing it properly, the fore and aft play appears only to have been from a missing tension grub screw and lock nut! A little frustrating. The side to side play was coming from the plastic bit i mention on the above 997 GT3 shifter and in the pic below. You can get aftermarket billet versions of this that run on proper bearing races. I may rebuild this short shift with one of those at some point and swap back but we shall see.
20240222_210459 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrIt was a little crusty under there:
20240222_204752 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrAll removed and the hoover busted out:
20240222_210413 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrComparison between old and new
20240222_210638 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr20240222_210643 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrNew one in:
20240222_204746 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr20240222_212735 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrI cleaned up the center console, please forgive me, this level of cleaning is beyond me haha
20240222_211652 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrGetting there!
20240222_214434 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrLooks odd without the sea of white grease!
20240222_215527 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrAll together:
20240222_220651 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrIn terms of feel, i think if i went from a worn standard one to this, it would be amazing and the next best thing but because ive been unknowingly spoiled by the short shifter, it feels a little odd having a longer throw, as nice as it is without any play!
I've been out in it since and it is really nice, just took a little bit of getting used to again.
The last little thing i did was to get a panel filter and a helmholtz resonator 'delete' kit. Apparently this frees up a couple of HP but more importantly a little bit more noise!
You can see on the intake pipe here, theres a large pipe that comes off at 90 degrees and down to another section of the airbox:
20240213_212118 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr20240213_212114 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrYou get a new silicone pipe that is smooth internally that deletes that section and you blank off the corresponding hole on the airbox.
Airbox out and stripped, surprised to see Porsche drill the base from factory. I'd looked into this and apparently on 964/993 this was done as part of a performance pack that made them sound better! Not sure if thats the case on the 996 but there it is. I would be lying if i said i didnt contemplate making more
Filter in, new and old parts:
20240216_145518 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrRe-fitted:
20240216_151119 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr20240216_151123 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrI didnt really notice much difference in sound initially but i do always have the exhaust in its loud position (i am still 17 at heart). My 3 year old wanted it to be quieter the other day when i took him out so i was only too happy to oblige! This is when i noticed the epic induction noise up over 4-5k, still too loud according to my 3 year old though, so i didnt experience it again for the rest of the journey!
I still havent had the car up in the air on the quick jack with the wheels off, i've just been driving it too much! I hope to do that soon so i can have a poke around underneath and look for more things to replace haha
I've done about 400ish miles in it now and im really happy i went for it!
Thanks,
Scott
TheJimi said:
Cracking project.
Are you doing anything about the seats? I always feel that those seats are woefully under-bolstered.
Thanks and not for now, although people have mentioned the 997 ones. Ideally it would be getting pole positions but im trying to keep this sensible so it can be a fun family car too hahaAre you doing anything about the seats? I always feel that those seats are woefully under-bolstered.
Photek said:
Another essential mod is to replace the engine mounts, it makes a HUGE difference - especially if your car still has the original mounts fitted.
There are plenty out there, I went for the 964/993 RS ones from type911shop.co.uk that are not crazy stiff and a good price.
They are super quick and easy to fit.
(Plus the usual, sparks and coils - unless they've been already done recently?)
Spark plugs and coils have all been done recently!There are plenty out there, I went for the 964/993 RS ones from type911shop.co.uk that are not crazy stiff and a good price.
They are super quick and easy to fit.
(Plus the usual, sparks and coils - unless they've been already done recently?)
Thanks for the note on the engine mounts, how long have you ran them for? I've been looking into them and had come across those ones, they seem the most cost effective!
Photek said:
Another essential mod is to replace the engine mounts, it makes a HUGE difference - especially if your car still has the original mounts fitted.
There are plenty out there, I went for the 964/993 RS ones from type911shop.co.uk that are not crazy stiff and a good price.
They are super quick and easy to fit.
(Plus the usual, sparks and coils - unless they've been already done recently?)
Decided to go for those engine mounts in the end, people seem to have mixed reviews on them but even if they last a couple of years then they will give me a taste of what they are like!There are plenty out there, I went for the 964/993 RS ones from type911shop.co.uk that are not crazy stiff and a good price.
They are super quick and easy to fit.
(Plus the usual, sparks and coils - unless they've been already done recently?)
Fitting was nice and easy as you say. I had to find a parts diagram to ensure i had things in the right order but i think it took me about an hour all in. One of the original ones kindly leaked stinky oil all over, so definitely wanted replacing! Looks like they were the originals as well with the date stamps.
Old:
20240303_191938 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrNew:
20240303_191926 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrOther side in:
20240303_204601 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrOld ones ready for the bin:
20240303_191403 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
20240303_210539 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrAnother cheap and easy mod, GT3 brake ducts:
20240303_120524 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
20240303_114718 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
20240303_115153 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrEvery little helps and all of that. I've got some Carbotech XP8 pads enroute and will get a full fluid change at the same time and see how it gets on.
I borrowed a wheel off a friend, its in the right diameter and width but the offset is too low by about 10mm. It was nice to try it on for size and also confirm this is the wheel ill likely go for on this car. They used to be 'cheap' but have gone up some 50% at least in the last year or 2, they are really light and relatively strong. For now i'll space out the Carrera wheels that are on the car and put the Oz Alleggeritas on the wish list!
20240303_185402 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
20240303_185328 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrLastly for this installment, i fitted a new fuel cap. Every now and again i'd get a bit of a whiff of fuel and the previous cap looked a little worse for wear. I checked under the battery tray, where the fuel connections are from the tank and it was as dry as a bone. Not smelled anything since!
I've got some nice bits on order for the suspension upgrade so as soon as all of that is in then ill send it off to my friend for fitting/ setting up. He does 911's day in, day out so i'd rather it was done properly, things arent as simple as my old bmw! Hopefully i'll be able to assist, including setting up the ride heights and geometry, i love that side of things with fresh components!
DanG355 said:
Great cars. After a 986 and a 987 I stepped up to a 996.2 in August last year. C2 - manual, non-sunroof, no PSM so raw and light as they come.
Carried out a few small mods including a full set of new Michelins all round, rear wiper delete, wheel spacers and a newer style coolant cap.
Attended a few events last year including Porsche East and the Brands Hatch Festival of Porsche.
Looks a nice example! Glad you're enjoying it!Carried out a few small mods including a full set of new Michelins all round, rear wiper delete, wheel spacers and a newer style coolant cap.
Attended a few events last year including Porsche East and the Brands Hatch Festival of Porsche.
Ferosferio said:
Bloody hell, Scott (found the thread after our 'chat' on Instagram this afternoon ) You're not hanging about with this, great work so far mate!
Cheers matey, i feel it'll be a lot of fast progress then tail off when its done so i can just enjoy it (hopefully). It looks like a Scotland roadtrip might be on the cards soon and it'll be running with some heavy hitters, so have its work cut out! ) You're not hanging about with this, great work so far mate!JJJ. said:
Great to see the progress.
GT3 brake ducts? Well, that sounds like the start of a real slippery slope! This is going to turn into a big thread
Keep up the good work.
I've got the parts diagrams for the c2 and gt3 and there does seem to be a lot of parts that are interchangeable, thankfully those small ducts are at the affordable end! Thanks for the kind words! GT3 brake ducts? Well, that sounds like the start of a real slippery slope! This is going to turn into a big thread
Keep up the good work.
Edited by JJJ. on Tuesday 5th March 21:39
poppopbangbang said:
Lovely car and well purchased!
With regards adjustable suspension bits and coilovers - steer clear of adjustable coffin arms etc. including the Eibach ones unless it's absolutely critical that you have the options on caster etc. in which case the OE adjustable ones are the best bet. Camber can be achieved on the top mount using something aftermarket like Elephant Racings options.
On coil overs COG do a great and well priced Bilstein setup, Ohlins RAT on softer spring rates work very well. Adjustable toe links on the rear are likely neccesary if you drop a signifcant amount of ride height out of it and beware the camber gain. A quick 996 on UK roads tends to have ride heigh, sacrificing a lower C of G for damper travel.
If you go to a really aggresive pad compound and a fluid to suit be mindful of the front wheel bearing tempeatures (be mindful of them anyway as lots of rumbly braking type problems stem from wheel bearing or track rod play when hot). GT3 brake ducts don't really help that much with cooling as they aren't hugely bigger than standard. There is a motorsport brake duct option but on a road car they tend to interact badly with speed cushions and pot holes as they reduce the floor clearance quite a bit.
There are crazy big brake options available if required:
But with them comes a load of additional rotating mass, you can solve a lot of that with a seperate bell/rotor setup but floating discs are maintenance heavy and lead times long vs 997 Turbo bits. If easy spares isn't a consideration the GiroDisc bolt on kit with spaced standard calipers a decent pad material works very well.
Have a good look around the rads in the nose as debris and general road rash can impact the cooling really significantly, the front of the car also turns into an absolute parachute aero wise if the free flow through the rad packs is impared significantly. M96s don't enjoy high loads at high coolant temps. Make sure the splitter is in good condition if it was designed to have one along with the aero kicks in front of the rad exit ducts, they all have an impact on how well the rads work.
Your car has a proper CANBus setup unlike the earlier C2s / cable throttle cars so a whole manner of data logging/displays and general "modern" car tomfoolery is available if you're into that sort of thing.
Enjoy it, they're an amazing platform to tinker with and hold their own incredibly well for a 25 year old design. I've had mine a long time and I still can't imagine not having it in the garage.
Thank You! I've been an avid reader of your thread and they've always stuck in my head more securely since!With regards adjustable suspension bits and coilovers - steer clear of adjustable coffin arms etc. including the Eibach ones unless it's absolutely critical that you have the options on caster etc. in which case the OE adjustable ones are the best bet. Camber can be achieved on the top mount using something aftermarket like Elephant Racings options.
On coil overs COG do a great and well priced Bilstein setup, Ohlins RAT on softer spring rates work very well. Adjustable toe links on the rear are likely neccesary if you drop a signifcant amount of ride height out of it and beware the camber gain. A quick 996 on UK roads tends to have ride heigh, sacrificing a lower C of G for damper travel.
If you go to a really aggresive pad compound and a fluid to suit be mindful of the front wheel bearing tempeatures (be mindful of them anyway as lots of rumbly braking type problems stem from wheel bearing or track rod play when hot). GT3 brake ducts don't really help that much with cooling as they aren't hugely bigger than standard. There is a motorsport brake duct option but on a road car they tend to interact badly with speed cushions and pot holes as they reduce the floor clearance quite a bit.
There are crazy big brake options available if required:
But with them comes a load of additional rotating mass, you can solve a lot of that with a seperate bell/rotor setup but floating discs are maintenance heavy and lead times long vs 997 Turbo bits. If easy spares isn't a consideration the GiroDisc bolt on kit with spaced standard calipers a decent pad material works very well.
Have a good look around the rads in the nose as debris and general road rash can impact the cooling really significantly, the front of the car also turns into an absolute parachute aero wise if the free flow through the rad packs is impared significantly. M96s don't enjoy high loads at high coolant temps. Make sure the splitter is in good condition if it was designed to have one along with the aero kicks in front of the rad exit ducts, they all have an impact on how well the rads work.
Your car has a proper CANBus setup unlike the earlier C2s / cable throttle cars so a whole manner of data logging/displays and general "modern" car tomfoolery is available if you're into that sort of thing.
Enjoy it, they're an amazing platform to tinker with and hold their own incredibly well for a 25 year old design. I've had mine a long time and I still can't imagine not having it in the garage.
Thanks for the advice on the suspension, i've ended up going with Nitrons kit. They do a roadsport kit that uses OE top mounts but also the R1 kit that comes with their own topmounts and slightly stiffer springs. I've gone with the R1 kit (for the adjustable front topmounts, as you suggest) but the roadsport spring rates. With this the standard coffin arms will stay and we can see where we end up, they have boat loads of caster as standard i believe?
I've also got some tie arms for the rear and will only be lowering some 20mm or so, the North Pennines can be a cruel mistress! It sounds like im on the right track at least, which is a relief!
I've gone with Carbotech XP8 pads, so more towards a fast road/ sprint pad, hopefully not too aggressive but aggressive enough that i wont run out of brakes again down my favorite pass
fingers crossed, love the look of the larger brakes on yours though!The front rad packs have all been cleaned out, the previous owner was more of a cleaner than a driver and luckily for me this resulted in buying a car thats had the time spent on it on that front.
I've really taken to it already and only done 4-500 miles, i hope i'll get to have it for a long time to come as well. The Alleggeritas on yours confirm its the wheel of choice also, it looks awesome. Thanks again for the pointers, it puts the mind at rest, its a funny thing getting a 'new' car and not knowing the in's and out's!
poppopbangbang said:
I've never run Nitrons on any of my stuff but many, many people only have good things to say about them and I'd be really keen to hear how you get on with them. I did a lot of playing about with spring rates over the years and whilst there is definitely a too soft limit it's very easy to end up over sprung.
The Alleggeritas on mine are GT3 sizes which on a PS4S are as much traction as you'll ever need on the road. They are a lovely wheel and I have a lot of time for how Oz design, manufacture and ensure quality and durability.
It sounds like you've got a cracking car and I'm looking forward to reading your updates and progress with it
I approached a number of manufacturers to do a kit on my old BMW 2002 and Nitron were great to deal with. Their recommended spring rates raised an eyebrow at first and all the old boys that were into those cars were recommending around half! It all came good in the end and i can only conclude witchcraft was involved! Maybe i shouldve shown the same trust this time as well but i believe going for their slightly softer option is the right thing to do for the cars use! Arguably they are still quite high but im now expecting some of the same witchcraft The Alleggeritas on mine are GT3 sizes which on a PS4S are as much traction as you'll ever need on the road. They are a lovely wheel and I have a lot of time for how Oz design, manufacture and ensure quality and durability.
It sounds like you've got a cracking car and I'm looking forward to reading your updates and progress with it
Thats great, they are exactly the spec's ill be after as well although they are definitely towards the bottom of my list currently, the Carrera wheels have grown on me and the Alleggeritas are now a 'nice to have', rather than a must. If i spot a set second hand then i do think they will sharply jump to the top, however!
911Spanker said:
Yes, very sorry to thread hijack!
Thanks very much for this detailed explanation, makes sense!
I am after a "Lotus" 996 - great ride and handling with fantastic steering feel which my car doesn't quite have at the moment.
Anything else worth looking into do you think? COG this the arms will do the trick but I want it to steer like a GT3 RS...
No need for apologies, it's great to have the info and peoples views all in one place!Thanks very much for this detailed explanation, makes sense!
I am after a "Lotus" 996 - great ride and handling with fantastic steering feel which my car doesn't quite have at the moment.
Anything else worth looking into do you think? COG this the arms will do the trick but I want it to steer like a GT3 RS...
Edited by 911Spanker on Friday 8th March 07:31
It sounds like we are after a similar thing, i was even looking at Lotus' (Loti?!) prior to this purchase but promised myself something with more than 4 cylinders this time round!
Slippydiff said:
Well done, nice car Scott !! X51 a very rare (and expensive) option, ditto full GT3 aero kit !!
Enjoy it, they’re wonderful little cars. Especially once they’ve been tweaked.
Here’s my spec so far (we appear to be on parallel trajectories… )
Momo Cup steering wheel
Centre console delete
Stereo delete
Ashtray delete
Custom trimmed Cobra Nogaros with ultra low side mounts
Ohlins R&T’s with my own custom spring rates.
New caster arms, top mounts, ARB droplinks, rack inner and outer tie rods. All stock to keep NVH to OE levels.
Eibach adjustable front coffin arms chosen because they retain rubber bushings !! …
My own custom front and rear floating discs 340mm fronts, 320mm rears.
Rear seat delete
Rear seat belt delete
Rear wiper delete
New engine mounts (I fitted new OE items, they were a game changer)
Short shift (and new shift cables ready to be fitted)
Michelin PS 4S
GT3 front bumper.
And do think hard before you fit the OZ’s, those Carrera wheels are exceptionally light, and apart from the hollow spoke Turbo wheels, are the lightest 18” OE wheel Porsche fitted to a 996.
They’re easy to clean too
Edit to add. Unless you’re planning on tracking a 996 frequently and using sticky tyres, avoid using Rose joints anywhere in the car’s suspension, they have no place on a road car, and certainly not one used on our horrendously surfaced roads.
Thanks SD, good to see you posting in here, your 996 looks great! It seems we have similar tastes/ views on mods, as you suggest! I'd love to go whole hog like yourself but i'd promised myself i'd keep this usable for more than 2 people, my 3 year olds face when i brought this car home confirmed i had to do that, he loves it!Enjoy it, they’re wonderful little cars. Especially once they’ve been tweaked.
Here’s my spec so far (we appear to be on parallel trajectories… )
Momo Cup steering wheel
Centre console delete
Stereo delete
Ashtray delete
Custom trimmed Cobra Nogaros with ultra low side mounts
Ohlins R&T’s with my own custom spring rates.
New caster arms, top mounts, ARB droplinks, rack inner and outer tie rods. All stock to keep NVH to OE levels.
Eibach adjustable front coffin arms chosen because they retain rubber bushings !! …
My own custom front and rear floating discs 340mm fronts, 320mm rears.
Rear seat delete
Rear seat belt delete
Rear wiper delete
New engine mounts (I fitted new OE items, they were a game changer)
Short shift (and new shift cables ready to be fitted)
Michelin PS 4S
GT3 front bumper.
And do think hard before you fit the OZ’s, those Carrera wheels are exceptionally light, and apart from the hollow spoke Turbo wheels, are the lightest 18” OE wheel Porsche fitted to a 996.
They’re easy to clean too
Edit to add. Unless you’re planning on tracking a 996 frequently and using sticky tyres, avoid using Rose joints anywhere in the car’s suspension, they have no place on a road car, and certainly not one used on our horrendously surfaced roads.
Edited by Slippydiff on Friday 8th March 19:35
You're right with the wheels, i've touched on this in my reply above, i think they will be staying for a long while! Im also keeping most of the arms OE, other than rear tie arms, i was advised geo would be a middle man between toe/ camber without. Otherwise they are all standard, front camber etc. can be adjusted on the Nitron top mounts so i can get the geo right but keep the standard arms, the car will see little to no trackdays. Everything still seems well and solid on the standard stuff but will replace as and when, if money is available at the time then i may treat myself to fancy front coffin arms!
Once i'd seen 'my' car for sale i became hyper focused on the X51 pack, rightly or wrongly! I love the aero kit but wouldn't necessarily pick an aero car over a none aero one, especially not being a fan of faux models of the top dogs ala 'AMG-line' 'S Line' etc. Once id seen this car i couldnt look at any others in all honesty, i may look at duck tails in the distant future but the rest will all stay for sure.
Slippydiff said:
The Ohlins are excellent. Though the springs rates Ohlins spec (both the original and reduced rate items) are waaaay too stiff for our UK roads.
With sensible spring rates, the car is transformed and becomes an absolute weapon to drive on our increasingly poorly surfaced roads. Even with 320hp it would leave a stock 996.1 or 2 GT3 struggling to keep up such is it’s compliance and composure.
The only thing I’d say is, go to town on all the suspension components and renew them, coffin arms, caster arms, ARB droplinks, top mounts, top mount bearings, steering rack inners and outers, the lot.
No need to upgrade anything else apart from front coffin arms, and if you want to adjust caster and retain the rubber bushes in the coffin arms, buy adjustable caster arms too.
And be guided by Chris at CoG on ride heights, as running them too low doesn’t do them any favours.
And to that end I’ve just raised the front end on mine 10mm.
This it prior to the 10mm increase:
And Dakar ride height prior to fitting the Ohlins (it’s probably 15-18mm lower than this now)
Thanks for the extra info/ views! I'm glad you can confidently say the well set up C2 could hassle a gt3 down the road, i daresay i'll end up on drives with some big hitters and it'll be fun keeping up. I could just about with the old 2002 and without going silly, so the 996 should manage well!With sensible spring rates, the car is transformed and becomes an absolute weapon to drive on our increasingly poorly surfaced roads. Even with 320hp it would leave a stock 996.1 or 2 GT3 struggling to keep up such is it’s compliance and composure.
The only thing I’d say is, go to town on all the suspension components and renew them, coffin arms, caster arms, ARB droplinks, top mounts, top mount bearings, steering rack inners and outers, the lot.
No need to upgrade anything else apart from front coffin arms, and if you want to adjust caster and retain the rubber bushes in the coffin arms, buy adjustable caster arms too.
And be guided by Chris at CoG on ride heights, as running them too low doesn’t do them any favours.
And to that end I’ve just raised the front end on mine 10mm.
This it prior to the 10mm increase:
And Dakar ride height prior to fitting the Ohlins (it’s probably 15-18mm lower than this now)
911Spanker said:
Great information again, much appreciated. My car is very compliant and too would easily lose a GT3 on road
But it does suffer from some vagueness at higher speeds which could probably be improved by being a bit lower.
As ever with these things it becomes a bit of an expensive leap into the unknown, hence using COG for my work thus far.
However given my needs are to keep its current ride comfort with GT3esque feel is proving a bit tricky to deliver...
I can concur with the expensive leap into the unknown, i couldnt find anyone that's used this suspension kit yet but im happy to be the guinea pig! I'm hoping it will be ready soon! But it does suffer from some vagueness at higher speeds which could probably be improved by being a bit lower.
As ever with these things it becomes a bit of an expensive leap into the unknown, hence using COG for my work thus far.
However given my needs are to keep its current ride comfort with GT3esque feel is proving a bit tricky to deliver...
Koolkat969 said:
Great purchase Scottos! Followed the 2002 thread and will be following this with interest also.
Thought I'll share this recent blog about suspensions from COG as i think some of the posters here might find it useful.......
https://centergravity.co.uk/time-for-some-suspensi...
Thank You, appreciate it and thanks for the link, i'll take a look!Thought I'll share this recent blog about suspensions from COG as i think some of the posters here might find it useful.......
https://centergravity.co.uk/time-for-some-suspensi...
Slippydiff said:
Hi Scot, I’m looking forward to hear your thoughts on the Nitrons with the more road biased spring rates.
I fitted a set of Nitrons to my 1M Coupe at least 10-12 years ago. I’d told them what the car was used for (100% UK roads) but when we came to fit them, the spring rates were ridiculously high, and we couldn’t even get the car down to its standard ride height.
We removed the dampers/springs and sent them back and asked them to revalve and re-spring them, instead they sent us a bill for the carriage of returning the coilovers back to them !!
They didn’t seem bothered about rebuilding the dampers to the specs we suggested, so nothing became of it, and I sold the car 10 months later anyway.
They’ve since got their act together, and seem to have got their foot in the door of the Porsche market, and from what I’ve heard, their product is excellent.
Do please keep us posted with your experiences, both of the install and how well suited they are to our increasingly poorly surfaced roads with the softer spring rates and valving.
.
Hi SD, thats a shame to hear your experience with Nitron, as you suggest they must've got their act together since! On my 2002, they had to design the front adjustable top mounts and they test fitted them on a 2002 that they knew of near them before production and changed the droop of my rear dampers FOC when i queried and suggested they had a little too much. They genuinely couldn't have done enough.I fitted a set of Nitrons to my 1M Coupe at least 10-12 years ago. I’d told them what the car was used for (100% UK roads) but when we came to fit them, the spring rates were ridiculously high, and we couldn’t even get the car down to its standard ride height.
We removed the dampers/springs and sent them back and asked them to revalve and re-spring them, instead they sent us a bill for the carriage of returning the coilovers back to them !!
They didn’t seem bothered about rebuilding the dampers to the specs we suggested, so nothing became of it, and I sold the car 10 months later anyway.
They’ve since got their act together, and seem to have got their foot in the door of the Porsche market, and from what I’ve heard, their product is excellent.
Do please keep us posted with your experiences, both of the install and how well suited they are to our increasingly poorly surfaced roads with the softer spring rates and valving.
.
I cant remember the road spring rates for these 996 R1 coilovers off the top of my head but on paper i still think they will be too high for most. They certainly arent as high as the Ohlins R&T ones, however. I was set on those at first but a friend has them on his .1 gt3 and advised against, unless i wanted to mess around with different sets of springs. I was willing to do this but I decided to be the guinea pig for the Nitrons instead as he has become a dealer of their products, timing seems to be everything with this car!
I'll keep the thread up to date, hopefully all the parts will be here soon enough!
jammytask said:
Lovely car, thanks for the updates.
Cheers, thanks for the kind words!Slippydiff said:
235 & 295. Though I’m assured the release of the 285 section PS4S is imminent.
The car is overtyred with the 235/295 combination, but I prefer the slightly chunkier look of the taller sidewalls, especially when crammed onto a rear wheel that’s technically a bit too narrow.
I've been looking at tyre choice and it does seem quite limited. I think i was going to end up with 235-40 fronts and 275-35 rears last time i looked. The 225/285 pilot super sports that are on are fine for now, however!The car is overtyred with the 235/295 combination, but I prefer the slightly chunkier look of the taller sidewalls, especially when crammed onto a rear wheel that’s technically a bit too narrow.
I've been looking at wheel options again and 2Forge have just brought out their ZF8 wheel, their wheels are very light and relatively cheap, so may give this new wheel a go. I'll just be sticking with the OE wheel widths but with lower offsets. I've been playing with spacers on these OE wheels to see what will work well and i do like the wheels but cant help but feel it might need something a bit more aggressive with the aero kit. Without the kit i dont even think i'd be looking!
Slippydiff said:
The Ohlins rates on the 996 R&T C2 kit are comically high, but on the 996 GT3 R&T kit, they’re ludicrously high.
I’ve experimented with 3 differing sets of front and rear springs on the R&T’s now, and have finally arrived at rates which I think suit our roads well.
My guess is they’d be sub-optimal on track, but that’s not an issue, because the car’s not going to be driven round and round in circles.
Have Nitron given you an any indication as the spring rates they’ll be using on your R1 road kit ?
Yes, i cant remember what they are off the top of my head though, they were less than Ohlins, especially on the rear, that much i remember. My friend i ordered through still thought they were too high (He's running the Ohlins on his 996.1 gt3 and is having the chew with the springs) but i said id risk it and trust Nitron as i did with my 2002. I'm finding the m030 stuff quite jarring and crashy low speed albeit they are great when pressing on, im hoping to get rid of the former and more of the latter with Nitrons damping. Fingers crossed, see how we get on!I’ve experimented with 3 differing sets of front and rear springs on the R&T’s now, and have finally arrived at rates which I think suit our roads well.
My guess is they’d be sub-optimal on track, but that’s not an issue, because the car’s not going to be driven round and round in circles.
Have Nitron given you an any indication as the spring rates they’ll be using on your R1 road kit ?
poppopbangbang said:
If it helps mine is on 44N/MM front and 92N/MM rear both at 200mm free length in 63.5mm diameter. My Ohlins setup is a little different as it uses a proper upper spring perch setup rather than the original Porsche bits/Ohlins parts combo and the spherical in the top mount as the rotating link:
For reference that's a slightly stiffer front spring than usually recommended for use with Ohlins R&T but I have a bit more mass in the nose when both fuel tanks are full!
I've got some spare 40N fronts and 92N rears in stock if needed / you want a play with spring rates
I've purposely not looked again to see what i agreed to, fingers crossed its all good For reference that's a slightly stiffer front spring than usually recommended for use with Ohlins R&T but I have a bit more mass in the nose when both fuel tanks are full!
I've got some spare 40N fronts and 92N rears in stock if needed / you want a play with spring rates
apparently they should be ready at the end of this week, i've a small road trip up in Scotland with a few mates, setting off 5th April with very little time in between now and then. For the best chance of getting the car sorted before then, it's booked in at my friends garage for the below:- Nitron suspension with 'proper' top mounts
- Adjustable rear toe arms
- Hollow Eibach ARB's
- New OE droplinks (looked into it and it seemed standard ones would work with the suspension/ arbs)
- New braided brake flexi's and hardlines into the calipers
- Some form of better brake fluid, probably TYP200
- Carbotech XP8 pads all round
- General appraisal of the car/ target areas moving forwards
- MOT (It runs out the day before i set off, typically!)
I'll keep those springs in mind, Thank You!
Slippydiff said:
Ohlins R&T spring rates for 996 GT3/GT2 .... :
Front 70 N/mm
Rear 140 N/mm
And for the masochists who have fitted them, having your chiropractor on speed-dial is a pre-requisite...
Tyre choices are indeed rather limited unfortunately, hence why I went for the 295/235 PS4S combo. I'd planned to fit some OZ's, or Apex wheels. Fronts 8.5" and rears 11", but spending big chunks of money on lighter wheels just to lose 1-2kg per corner didn't make sense ultimately, and I decided I'd rather spend the money on other stuff.
I think when i've been looking at wheels and tyres, i think i will end up sticking with a 10" rear, a 285 (or maybe a 275 depending on choice available) seems ample for the 345hp. Obviously a tiny bit lighter too sticking with 10". I'm happy with the Carrera wheels for now but do think once its lowered a tad that it might want some different wheels to finish it off with having the aero kit.Front 70 N/mm
Rear 140 N/mm
And for the masochists who have fitted them, having your chiropractor on speed-dial is a pre-requisite...
Tyre choices are indeed rather limited unfortunately, hence why I went for the 295/235 PS4S combo. I'd planned to fit some OZ's, or Apex wheels. Fronts 8.5" and rears 11", but spending big chunks of money on lighter wheels just to lose 1-2kg per corner didn't make sense ultimately, and I decided I'd rather spend the money on other stuff.
-Ad- said:
Loving the thread, especially all the suspension chat.
If you want a nice classy mod that you'll be constantly looking at (literally), then pickup a set of the Dido tuning gauge covers from Poland. The brushed Alu finish is cracking and really helps lift the dull black cluster area.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/222333416026?mkcid=16&a...
Cheers, thanks! Thats a cool link too, i'll take a look at those, they do look quite nice!If you want a nice classy mod that you'll be constantly looking at (literally), then pickup a set of the Dido tuning gauge covers from Poland. The brushed Alu finish is cracking and really helps lift the dull black cluster area.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/222333416026?mkcid=16&a...
Speaking of suspension chat, its arrived!
20240325_204100 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrThe eagle eyed will notice the front set-up is as the GT3, with separate droplink mount. This wasnt intentional but easily removed. In its place will go a locking ring, which Nitron have sent out to me (only sorted this yesterday)
The kit really is a work of art, i love their products. I would quite happily have them on display in the house if i had the money to spend on such ornaments!
Drop link mount removed:
20240325_214117 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrRear top mount:
20240325_214024 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrFront top mount:
20240325_214040 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrTogether:
20240325_204720 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrAnd with some of the other parts that are in the pile to be fitted:
20240326_104631 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrYou may notice the steering wheel. This was the previous Porsche wheel i had with the red 12 o'clock and red stitching. I had it up for sale but had no takers and double booked a wheel trimming slot on another steering wheel and didnt want to let either party down so off it went!
It went from leather with red 12 o'clock and red stitching to alcantara, grey 12 o'clock and grey stitching. It's awesome and im very happy with the job!
Before:
20240210_200817 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrAfter:
20240326_104132 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrIn the car:
20240326_111459 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrThis does mean the black on black leather one i was using will be up for grabs if anyone is interested! I've used it for about 300 miles. Equally i may keep it looking at the picture, they really are awesome wheels.
20240222_220651 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrI've dropped the car off at my friends for fitting of everything. I'm due to set off on a little road trip a week tomorrow so fingers crossed its all done and sorted, that was definitely the best option for trying to achieve that!
Prior to this i've just been out enjoying the car really. I did fit some spacers to the standard wheels, 15mm rear and 7mm front but the fronts would get a slight wobble on at (Ahem) 70mph (officer). I ordered another pair of fronts that i found had the 3 hubcentric prongs on and took the opportunity to go to 10mm.
20240322_174135 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
20240322_173820 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
20240322_173735 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
20240322_181346 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrThese seem better! Typically i've not really had chance to get up to 70mph since swapping out, however. I've had two drives since fitting, one when my other half and I found ourselves with an increasingly rare afternoon off together, where neither of us had anything planned. We went out for lunch in the 996 and the other was driving it to my friends garage.
Whilst out for lunch:
20240316_124531 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrI realise now that in the above picture i was parked over the remnants of a dead sheep!
20240317_161653 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrFor the way home i lightly pressured my other half into having a drive. Shes been insured on all of my cars but doesnt enjoy going fast, especially round bends, and doesnt enjoy cars shes not familiar with so she hardly ever drives them. She hated my GR Yaris at first but she uses it quite a lot now and loves it, however! I was hoping for the same with the 911!
Probably the highest and furthest forward the seat has ever been
20240316_142324 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrWhat started off being a quick 5 minute drive turned into a 35 minute drive! By the end of it i had her taking it up to the rev limiter, which i found hilarious considering she hates going quick in cars!
I'm a big advocate for sharing, i got much joy out of the above!
Hopefully the next update will be a good one with all the parts fitted and hopefully me up in Scotland with it!
Cheers,
Scott
ManicMunky said:
Fantastic work there, that wheel looks properly at home!
Thanks, i agree about the wheel!Slippydiff said:
Cup wheel is one of THE best mods. The standard wheel isn’t bad, but Cup wheel unlocks a new level of steering feel, and quickens the response too. Win, win.
Those Nitrons look good. As I said I’m looking forward to hearing how compliant they are for road use.
I deliberately went with the R&T’s because they utilise the standard top mounts, and having had a decade and a half driving Porsche GT cars with top mounts that utilise spherical bearings, and knowing the NVH they can transmit into the cabin, I wanted to keep things as civilised as possible (AKA, I’m getting old !!)
That has to be one of the most uncomfortable looking driving positions I’ve ever seen But … if it works for your lady and means she’s happy to drive the 996, that’s about as big a win as you can have I’d say
Keep us posted on the fitment of all the suspension kit, and I’ll look forward to your review after your trip.
I agree, i always love swapping steering wheels around, they seem to add so much for so little! I could just hang them on my wall and i'd certainly have loads of them doing just that if i had the money spare Those Nitrons look good. As I said I’m looking forward to hearing how compliant they are for road use.
I deliberately went with the R&T’s because they utilise the standard top mounts, and having had a decade and a half driving Porsche GT cars with top mounts that utilise spherical bearings, and knowing the NVH they can transmit into the cabin, I wanted to keep things as civilised as possible (AKA, I’m getting old !!)
That has to be one of the most uncomfortable looking driving positions I’ve ever seen
But … if it works for your lady and means she’s happy to drive the 996, that’s about as big a win as you can have I’d say Keep us posted on the fitment of all the suspension kit, and I’ll look forward to your review after your trip.
I think i have a high tolerance of a 'stiff' and unforgiving car. I always remember people said the Lexus ISF was unbearable, i had one and found it lovely. I really thought the 2002 was great but funnily enough lots of people that rode passenger in that car said the same, maybe it was the sense of occasion or something for them.
Nitron do the kit so that you can use standard OE top mounts, im just a sadist and wanted the solid ones
by the time i bought new OE stuff it probably wouldnt have been far off the cost of these (there's that man maths again!) plus i can get the extra camber now, without the bottom arms changing out.My friend has been onto me today "How aggressive are we going on the geometry?!", turns out hes been working quick sharp and has all the pads in, brake lines done, including the little hard lines from the flexi's into the calipers. He's bled with ATE TYP200 and confirmed all works well and pedal is great. He's got the Eibach hollow ARB's on and the new drop links on the front as well as all of the suspension fitted!
Another overhang from being sent the GT3 kit (the problem with the front arb brackets being supplied instead of the locking collars to sit against the hub), is that the OE rear drop links dont fit the ARB brackets on the rear shock. If i bought GT3 ones then they would've! The OE ones have the ball joints facing the opposite way, the GT3 ones have them facing the same way, whilst also being longer.
Nitron supply their own fancy adjustable ones with a Carrera kit but with mine being sent out as a GT3 kit, they werent included. So Nitron have posted these out today! It's a little bittersweet really, had the links come in my kit then i'd have had the car back for the long weekend but i was never supposed to have it back until next week, so it really doesnt matter. First world problems and all of that!
I'm really looking forward to seeing it next week, with less arch gap and the proper geo set-up, ill pop out one evening to bed the pads in and have a bit of a sense check on the quick jack before the trip next Friday. Apparently the weather doesnt look too clever so im wanting to cover everything in ACF50 too
pitchinginaporsche said:
Having just bought a very similar 996 to yours, I have enjoyed reading this thread so far. Definitely some food for thought with the work you have carried out thus far. Hope the trip to Scotland goes well- I am also planning a route around the NC500 in mine for September
Thanks, have you got a thread up for yours? I enjoy seeing what people are doing with these cars! Scotland trip was great cheers, Friday didnt end up being too great but the rest of the weekend was brilliant! Im going back up in the van at the end of the month to do the NC500, looking forward to it!I got the car back last Thursday, due to set off first thing Friday morning (ended up being mid-late morning!). Being how i am, i wanted to look at the parts that had been installed so got the car up in the air when i got it back home:
20240404_211818 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
Wheels off, i had a poke around:
20240404_202930 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
20240404_202917 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
20240404_195553 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
20240404_195222 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
20240404_195201 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
20240404_195629 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
The brand new shiny kit makes the rest of it all look a little sorry for itself... must not get carried away! I bedded the new Carbotech XP8 pads in on the way home too and couldnt believe the difference in pedal feel, initial bite and overall braking power! The fluid that was in mustve been very old and flexi's, well, very flexy! The small hardline link pipes between the flexi's and the calipers didnt look great so i'd ordered up new ones too, it all seems to have helped!
They set the dampers a tiny bit softer than Nitrons recommendation, rear bar in the middle and front on soft. Geo, went -2 camber up front, parallel toe, caster as factory, -2.5 rear with some toe in (the value escapes me right now). It's a tiny bit lower than GT3 heights, with the rake towards the front.
I'd had a new gearknob made in wood to match the Martini steering wheel that i'll eventually end up getting re-trimmed and probably using. I wasnt expecting it for a little while yet but it turned up on the Thursday so i fitted that quickly whilst i was on. I couldnt help myself!
With the Martini wheel:
20240404_120056 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
Fitted in the car:
20240404_170125 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
20240404_170115 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
I had a good perve over all of the suspension parts and sprayed some protective coating on all of the new bits and some of the existing. The forecast for the Friday and onto the weekend didnt look too good, especially the Friday! I was eager to see what the car was like now, excited either way!
The first meet spot was only 20 minutes away (first and only clean picture i took!):
20240405_112042 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
First stop was up in the Scottish borders, we frequent this road fairly often as its only 90 minutes away or so:
IMG-20240411-WA0007 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
Lots of the big car magazines use this spot quite a lot, my phone camera not doing it justice of course! One of the lads is a professional photographer and got some pictures during the trip, hopefully i can post an update at some point with some 'proper' pictures.
The car felt great so far, i was very happy with it. It's stiffer than it was on the M030 sports stuff but it's nowhere near as crashy, it remains really composed. I found the M030 stuff pretty decent when pushing on but at lower speeds it didnt really seem to know exactly what it wanted to be, if that makes sense? The kit i've got on now knows exactly what it is and is unapologetic for it! Some would definitely find it too stiff, i will admit but i think my threshold is higher than some!
On up through Kielder forest, into the borders and onto another good stretch of road that runs from Selkirk to Moffat, we pulled off around 2/3rd's of the way over to get some cool pics at a reservoir. By this time the weather had come in and the imposing hills all around could hardly be seen, sadly and we didnt really bother taking any (other than on my phone) By this time our friend in the GT12 had peeled off, he was feeling quite ill and wanted to try and sleep it off and would shoot back up for the next evening at our second nights stop.
20240405_154837 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
20240405_155116 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
Instead of doubling back onto the main road down to Moffat, we decided to crack on along this single track to cut a big corner off and just get to our first nights stay for food and beers. It really was hammering it down by now and we'd already had 3ish hours on decent roads.
I think we ended up spending about the same amount of time doing the 'short cut' but at much lower speeds and wading through water once we'd got over the tops and were coming back down, the road had turned into a river in some parts and we were glad to make it back onto the main road and up to our first nights stay in Stirling. I was lucky to get a decent parking spot but did have to climb over the passenger side to get out!
20240406_102214 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
We went out for beers, an indian and some more beers, excellent stuff! I was excited for the next day as this took in the old military roads in the Cairngorns, i'd done them once before in my Yaris. We did a recce route for this trip which involved 16 hours of driving in one day and i was eager to get back to them in the 996, with friends.
I'd been watching the snow gate and Glenshee ski centre cameras in the week leading up to the trip, there had been a few snow showers and lots of water but this all seemed to have cleared up for us! The forecast seemed to suggest it would be cloudy with sunny spells and the odd rain shower, we were happy to take it!
We got to the ski centre before we knew it!
20240406_132625 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
20240406_132605 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
We popped back down to a view point to get some proper pictures and do a little bit of filming. I hope the flyby footage comes out properly and i'm looking forward to seeing the proper pictures (i'll post in here when available)
20240406_133551 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
20240406_134919 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
We cracked on and before we knew it we were at the top of the old military road, at the AA sentry box:
20240406_154451 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
20240406_155216 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
The sun was out in full swing by this point and along with the adrenaline from such a good few hours of driving, we were at a definite high! Along with this, Tom had also been in touch to say he was well on his way up and would meet us in Aviemore, where we were staying for the night, brilliant!
We made our way back down and across to Aviemore and had a similar night of beers, food and beers but as a full crew!
The next day we were due to head down to Laggan and across to Glencoe, taking in the Kinlochleven 'loop' round the estuary:
20240407_133117 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
20240407_133126 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
You'll notice the GT12 was swapped out for an M5cs, Chris Harris' old one, no less!
From here we picked up the Skyfall picture location at Glen Etive, typical tourists!
20240407_153856 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
We carried on South and down by Loch Lommond and stayed at the head of Loch Long. I stayed here with the missus last year and really liked it, great location sourdough woodfired pizzas and a decent local shop. We stocked up on beers and food and had a great time for the last night in the air b'n'b.
For the next day we got up and headed back North to loop round and pick up Dukes pass before making a B line for home. It took longer than i thought to loop around and over to Dukes pass and as good as it looks on google street view (and on Mike F's Drivetribe video), we weren't too impressed, it was slow going and people seemed to want to make it difficult to pass safely. I think to enjoy that road you'd want to be in something small without much power or have the road closed off and hit it as a one way road
20240408_213746 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr
Just shy of 800 miles covered and 23.9MPG by the time i got home. I didnt think that was too bad in all honesty! The car was fantastic, i was impressed by it all weekend and really gelled with it. The only downside to the parts i've fitted is the brake dust from the Carbotech pads, absolutely awful, you'll maybe have noticed from the pictures! I've also rubbed all the skin off my right elbow, which i guess is a by product of trying to hold myself in with the additional cornering forces i didnt really notice during the trip but i mustve been subconsciously holding myself in!
I've not had two minutes since i got back but im eager to get it up in the air again and check over everything. I assume it'll all need a wipe over and a bit of a clean at the very least. The rear drop links are fitting to the 'wrong' side of the bar/ bracket on the rear shock so i'll probably refit those too. The wheels are certainly going to be 'fun' to clean
Other than that, there's a bit of paint to touch in on the front edge of the plastic side skirts and i've ordered some PPF for the arch edges. I'll make a little piece for the front of the skirt section too, once touched up!
Just waiting on wheels at this point and then i hope i can just carry on enjoying the car!
Thanks for reading,
Scott
20240404_211818 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrWheels off, i had a poke around:
20240404_202930 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr20240404_202917 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr20240404_195553 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr20240404_195222 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr20240404_195201 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr20240404_195629 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrThe brand new shiny kit makes the rest of it all look a little sorry for itself... must not get carried away! I bedded the new Carbotech XP8 pads in on the way home too and couldnt believe the difference in pedal feel, initial bite and overall braking power! The fluid that was in mustve been very old and flexi's, well, very flexy! The small hardline link pipes between the flexi's and the calipers didnt look great so i'd ordered up new ones too, it all seems to have helped!
They set the dampers a tiny bit softer than Nitrons recommendation, rear bar in the middle and front on soft. Geo, went -2 camber up front, parallel toe, caster as factory, -2.5 rear with some toe in (the value escapes me right now). It's a tiny bit lower than GT3 heights, with the rake towards the front.
I'd had a new gearknob made in wood to match the Martini steering wheel that i'll eventually end up getting re-trimmed and probably using. I wasnt expecting it for a little while yet but it turned up on the Thursday so i fitted that quickly whilst i was on. I couldnt help myself!
With the Martini wheel:
20240404_120056 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrFitted in the car:
20240404_170125 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr20240404_170115 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrI had a good perve over all of the suspension parts and sprayed some protective coating on all of the new bits and some of the existing. The forecast for the Friday and onto the weekend didnt look too good, especially the Friday! I was eager to see what the car was like now, excited either way!
The first meet spot was only 20 minutes away (first and only clean picture i took!):
20240405_112042 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrFirst stop was up in the Scottish borders, we frequent this road fairly often as its only 90 minutes away or so:
IMG-20240411-WA0007 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrLots of the big car magazines use this spot quite a lot, my phone camera not doing it justice of course! One of the lads is a professional photographer and got some pictures during the trip, hopefully i can post an update at some point with some 'proper' pictures.
The car felt great so far, i was very happy with it. It's stiffer than it was on the M030 sports stuff but it's nowhere near as crashy, it remains really composed. I found the M030 stuff pretty decent when pushing on but at lower speeds it didnt really seem to know exactly what it wanted to be, if that makes sense? The kit i've got on now knows exactly what it is and is unapologetic for it! Some would definitely find it too stiff, i will admit but i think my threshold is higher than some!
On up through Kielder forest, into the borders and onto another good stretch of road that runs from Selkirk to Moffat, we pulled off around 2/3rd's of the way over to get some cool pics at a reservoir. By this time the weather had come in and the imposing hills all around could hardly be seen, sadly and we didnt really bother taking any (other than on my phone) By this time our friend in the GT12 had peeled off, he was feeling quite ill and wanted to try and sleep it off and would shoot back up for the next evening at our second nights stop.
20240405_154837 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr20240405_155116 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrInstead of doubling back onto the main road down to Moffat, we decided to crack on along this single track to cut a big corner off and just get to our first nights stay for food and beers. It really was hammering it down by now and we'd already had 3ish hours on decent roads.
I think we ended up spending about the same amount of time doing the 'short cut' but at much lower speeds and wading through water
once we'd got over the tops and were coming back down, the road had turned into a river in some parts and we were glad to make it back onto the main road and up to our first nights stay in Stirling. I was lucky to get a decent parking spot but did have to climb over the passenger side to get out!20240406_102214 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrWe went out for beers, an indian and some more beers, excellent stuff! I was excited for the next day as this took in the old military roads in the Cairngorns, i'd done them once before in my Yaris. We did a recce route for this trip which involved 16 hours of driving in one day and i was eager to get back to them in the 996, with friends.
I'd been watching the snow gate and Glenshee ski centre cameras in the week leading up to the trip, there had been a few snow showers and lots of water but this all seemed to have cleared up for us! The forecast seemed to suggest it would be cloudy with sunny spells and the odd rain shower, we were happy to take it!
We got to the ski centre before we knew it!
20240406_132625 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr20240406_132605 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrWe popped back down to a view point to get some proper pictures and do a little bit of filming. I hope the flyby footage comes out properly and i'm looking forward to seeing the proper pictures (i'll post in here when available)
20240406_133551 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr20240406_134919 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrWe cracked on and before we knew it we were at the top of the old military road, at the AA sentry box:
20240406_154451 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr20240406_155216 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrThe sun was out in full swing by this point and along with the adrenaline from such a good few hours of driving, we were at a definite high! Along with this, Tom had also been in touch to say he was well on his way up and would meet us in Aviemore, where we were staying for the night, brilliant!
We made our way back down and across to Aviemore and had a similar night of beers, food and beers but as a full crew!
The next day we were due to head down to Laggan and across to Glencoe, taking in the Kinlochleven 'loop' round the estuary:
20240407_133117 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr20240407_133126 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrYou'll notice the GT12 was swapped out for an M5cs, Chris Harris' old one, no less!
From here we picked up the Skyfall picture location at Glen Etive, typical tourists!
20240407_153856 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrWe carried on South and down by Loch Lommond and stayed at the head of Loch Long. I stayed here with the missus last year and really liked it, great location sourdough woodfired pizzas and a decent local shop. We stocked up on beers and food and had a great time for the last night in the air b'n'b.
For the next day we got up and headed back North to loop round and pick up Dukes pass before making a B line for home. It took longer than i thought to loop around and over to Dukes pass and as good as it looks on google street view (and on Mike F's Drivetribe video), we weren't too impressed, it was slow going and people seemed to want to make it difficult to pass safely. I think to enjoy that road you'd want to be in something small without much power or have the road closed off and hit it as a one way road
20240408_213746 by Scott Osborne, on FlickrJust shy of 800 miles covered and 23.9MPG by the time i got home. I didnt think that was too bad in all honesty! The car was fantastic, i was impressed by it all weekend and really gelled with it. The only downside to the parts i've fitted is the brake dust from the Carbotech pads, absolutely awful, you'll maybe have noticed from the pictures! I've also rubbed all the skin off my right elbow, which i guess is a by product of trying to hold myself in with the additional cornering forces
i didnt really notice during the trip but i mustve been subconsciously holding myself in!I've not had two minutes since i got back but im eager to get it up in the air again and check over everything. I assume it'll all need a wipe over and a bit of a clean at the very least. The rear drop links are fitting to the 'wrong' side of the bar/ bracket on the rear shock so i'll probably refit those too. The wheels are certainly going to be 'fun' to clean
Other than that, there's a bit of paint to touch in on the front edge of the plastic side skirts and i've ordered some PPF for the arch edges. I'll make a little piece for the front of the skirt section too, once touched up!Just waiting on wheels at this point and then i hope i can just carry on enjoying the car!
Thanks for reading,
Scott
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