Picking Up A GT3 Today
Discussion
So after waking up at 3:40am this morning and spending the next hour staring at the ceiling I decided to give up and get up.
In about 2 hours time I'll be clambering aboard the Pendolino service from Macclesfield to Euston, heading across town to Chiswick where a friend is meeting me to take me last past of the journey over to Uxbridge to collect the 996 mkII GT3 from 991Virgin.
Excited doesn't begin to cover it.
I'll update this through the day.
I have to say that dealing with Dan and Tom at 911Virgin has been a genuine pleasure. Looking forward to meeting them and seeing the car for the first time. And yes, I am that guy that bought a GT3 sight unseen... What could possibly....
Jack
In about 2 hours time I'll be clambering aboard the Pendolino service from Macclesfield to Euston, heading across town to Chiswick where a friend is meeting me to take me last past of the journey over to Uxbridge to collect the 996 mkII GT3 from 991Virgin.
Excited doesn't begin to cover it.
I'll update this through the day.
I have to say that dealing with Dan and Tom at 911Virgin has been a genuine pleasure. Looking forward to meeting them and seeing the car for the first time. And yes, I am that guy that bought a GT3 sight unseen... What could possibly....
Jack
I am absolutely gobsmacked at the quality of this car. It is truly immaculate.
It drives wonderfully. Feels tight as drum. Engine feels very very strong.
I'm on my phone now, so more later.
But very very happy. And the guys, Dan and Tom down here at 911virgin are absolute gentlemen. I could not be happier with the car and the whole experience of buying a car from them.
Back soon!
So I'm back home and thought I'd finish off the story:
Phase Five: arrived at 911Virgin to find the car parked up outside in the sun.
I had originally been looking long and hard for a 997 GT3 and there had been a lot of reasons I had not previously considered a 996. But seeing the car sat there in all it's glory with is poised and aggressive stance all my doubts were blown out of the water.
Dan and Tom must have thought I was retarded or something as I stood there for literally fifteen minutes just staring at the car from the side. I was hoping to like the car once I saw it in the flesh but I was not expecting the immediate bond I felt with it. And that was before I had even touched it, sat in it or turned a wheel in it. It was just a special feeling to see it sat there knowing that in a couple of hours I'd be heading back up the M6 in it.
The car looked simply stunning. It's condition was far superior to anything that had expected. The bodywork was immaculate and Dan took a long time walking round the car with me, pulling back carpet, lifting panels and showing me how they inspect the car to check for body damage, panel tampering, respraying. Everything on the car looked to have the perfect patina that you would expect, apart from the external paintwork which looked fantastic and far better than you would expect on an 8.5 year old car.
After going through pretty much the entire car Dan took me for a quick drive. The car felt as tight as the proverbial drum. Everything mechanical felt perfectly weighted and slick. There was just the right amount of noise coming from all the places that it should and none from the places it shouldn't. It really is an absolutely beautiful example. Probably too good for me. I hope I can do it justice.
Even the engine bay was clean enough to eat your dinner from
The wheels looked brand new
After a couple of cups of coffee, some great chat with Dan and Tom and a big thanks to my friend Matt Lange who had run me out to 911Virgin from Chiswick it was time to head home.
Phase Six: heading home with a huge grin. Needed to stop for fuel. It looked great from every angle.
Unfortunately in true North West style it started raining as soon as I turned off the M6 for the last part of the journey and on the roads I know and love. With this being the first car in many years that I've owned that has no form of Traction Control I took it steady. I didn't want to ruin what had been a great day with a brown trouser moment so close to home.
But after a 3 hour cruise up the motorway and a short blat across country to home I was not expecting this! Look at that average MPG?
Phase Seven: go and pick up the Disco from the station. The family Merc makes a great chase car.
Back at home and the drive has a full complement of cars again and it's time to relax and spend some time with the family. After some pics, of course...
The seats are great. No issues on the 3 hour journey home. Not sure about the blue belts though.
Embossing is nice.
That the internal panels come out so easily is really nice and wasn't expected.
Spoiler looks great, I think.
Obligatory monicker shot
The way it sits looks just spot on.
Rubber and pipe
Tidy interior
So why this car? Well I had a Cayman S for five and a half years and 75,000 miles and in that time I had to replace quite a few parts, so I know what things need doing on these cars in general remedial maintenance. So when I saw the list of work that this car had undertaken in the last 2 years I knew that a lot of the things I would expect to need replacing on a car of this age had already been done. It had just had a major service, it had new tyres, new disks, new condensation rads and re-gas, plugs, fluids, suspension freshen and bushes and pretty much everything else bar a clutch that I could think sold need doing any time soon. It was a no-brainer of a choice. That the car was so immaculately presented and in such fine fettle with such an iron-clad provenance was just a bonus. And with reasonable mileage and only 2 owners made it look cheap to me.
What I wasn't expecting was to do a deal for it with the help of two of the nicest people I've ever met involved with car selling and buying. Thanks Dan and Tom for making it such a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
And that is about it for today. Tomorrow I've got a little trip to the midlands but nothing too exciting, so just a bit more getting-to-know-you time.
I'll be posting more about the car on www.drivecult.com as I get to know it on the road and track. Yes, it's my track b
h ;-)
Phase Five: arrived at 911Virgin to find the car parked up outside in the sun.
I had originally been looking long and hard for a 997 GT3 and there had been a lot of reasons I had not previously considered a 996. But seeing the car sat there in all it's glory with is poised and aggressive stance all my doubts were blown out of the water.
Dan and Tom must have thought I was retarded or something as I stood there for literally fifteen minutes just staring at the car from the side. I was hoping to like the car once I saw it in the flesh but I was not expecting the immediate bond I felt with it. And that was before I had even touched it, sat in it or turned a wheel in it. It was just a special feeling to see it sat there knowing that in a couple of hours I'd be heading back up the M6 in it.
The car looked simply stunning. It's condition was far superior to anything that had expected. The bodywork was immaculate and Dan took a long time walking round the car with me, pulling back carpet, lifting panels and showing me how they inspect the car to check for body damage, panel tampering, respraying. Everything on the car looked to have the perfect patina that you would expect, apart from the external paintwork which looked fantastic and far better than you would expect on an 8.5 year old car.
After going through pretty much the entire car Dan took me for a quick drive. The car felt as tight as the proverbial drum. Everything mechanical felt perfectly weighted and slick. There was just the right amount of noise coming from all the places that it should and none from the places it shouldn't. It really is an absolutely beautiful example. Probably too good for me. I hope I can do it justice.
Even the engine bay was clean enough to eat your dinner from
The wheels looked brand new
After a couple of cups of coffee, some great chat with Dan and Tom and a big thanks to my friend Matt Lange who had run me out to 911Virgin from Chiswick it was time to head home.
Phase Six: heading home with a huge grin. Needed to stop for fuel. It looked great from every angle.
Unfortunately in true North West style it started raining as soon as I turned off the M6 for the last part of the journey and on the roads I know and love. With this being the first car in many years that I've owned that has no form of Traction Control I took it steady. I didn't want to ruin what had been a great day with a brown trouser moment so close to home.
But after a 3 hour cruise up the motorway and a short blat across country to home I was not expecting this! Look at that average MPG?
Phase Seven: go and pick up the Disco from the station. The family Merc makes a great chase car.
Back at home and the drive has a full complement of cars again and it's time to relax and spend some time with the family. After some pics, of course...
The seats are great. No issues on the 3 hour journey home. Not sure about the blue belts though.
Embossing is nice.
That the internal panels come out so easily is really nice and wasn't expected.
Spoiler looks great, I think.
Obligatory monicker shot
The way it sits looks just spot on.
Rubber and pipe
Tidy interior
So why this car? Well I had a Cayman S for five and a half years and 75,000 miles and in that time I had to replace quite a few parts, so I know what things need doing on these cars in general remedial maintenance. So when I saw the list of work that this car had undertaken in the last 2 years I knew that a lot of the things I would expect to need replacing on a car of this age had already been done. It had just had a major service, it had new tyres, new disks, new condensation rads and re-gas, plugs, fluids, suspension freshen and bushes and pretty much everything else bar a clutch that I could think sold need doing any time soon. It was a no-brainer of a choice. That the car was so immaculately presented and in such fine fettle with such an iron-clad provenance was just a bonus. And with reasonable mileage and only 2 owners made it look cheap to me.
What I wasn't expecting was to do a deal for it with the help of two of the nicest people I've ever met involved with car selling and buying. Thanks Dan and Tom for making it such a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
And that is about it for today. Tomorrow I've got a little trip to the midlands but nothing too exciting, so just a bit more getting-to-know-you time.
I'll be posting more about the car on www.drivecult.com as I get to know it on the road and track. Yes, it's my track b
h ;-)Edited by jackwood on Saturday 14th April 21:56
Trip back down the M6 this morning for work. Although I've read and heard people talk about the engine, until you've really experienced it at full chat you can't comprehend how special it is.
Having driven a 997GT3 for a few days last year this example feels every bit as strong. I suppose at 30k its not even run in.
Getting lots of looks coming down the M6. Are they laughing at the plate? :-)
Having driven a 997GT3 for a few days last year this example feels every bit as strong. I suppose at 30k its not even run in.
Getting lots of looks coming down the M6. Are they laughing at the plate? :-)
Since the posts about the badge I have had both the previous owner AND Tom from 911Virgin contact me about it.
Both parties confirmed that there wa NO previous history involved with the tailgate. When 911V had the car in the top of the 3 was snapped off, so while the car was being machine polished they removed the insignia and placed a new badge on. Nobody noticed it was in the wrong place. Tom is sending me another one so that I can have it re-re-badged in the correct place.
I have been assured by all parties that the car is 100% original (bar splitter). I have no reason to disbelieve that.
But thanks for the concern...
Both parties confirmed that there wa NO previous history involved with the tailgate. When 911V had the car in the top of the 3 was snapped off, so while the car was being machine polished they removed the insignia and placed a new badge on. Nobody noticed it was in the wrong place. Tom is sending me another one so that I can have it re-re-badged in the correct place.
I have been assured by all parties that the car is 100% original (bar splitter). I have no reason to disbelieve that.
But thanks for the concern...
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