[M3-FAST]

Had the Porsche for 6 months now and had a couple of PM's asking how things were going with it so thought I would write a little write-up on life with a budget Porka!

As some of you may remember, I was playing on the ebay iphone app in the pub and won myself a 996 Porsche! After a trek down to Bristol I was the proud owner of a 1998 C2 in Metallic Black with black leather interior. The car had plenty of factory fit options to help make it a little more desirable.....

Black Leather Interior
Sports Suspension pack
Sport seats with hard back shells
Silver Dials
Aluminium kick strips with logo
Locking Differential 40%
Limited Slip Differential
Centre Console in gloss Arctic Silver
Traction Control

On top of this a previous owner had also added the GT2/3 kit comprising of front rear bumpers/skirts/rear engine cover & spoiler.

There were initially a few jobs that needed doing to tidy the car up both cosmetically and mechanically:

Cosmetics -
The car had barely been used for 12 months and was stored outside so the paintwork was looking pretty dull and loved. After a good days hard work it has shined up pretty well and that alone changed the look of the car.

The next step was to sort the tatty wheels and budget tyres. It was running what I thought were GT2 reps, but they actually turned out to be the proper jobs (albeit needing spacers to fit a CS2 correctly) when I finally took them off and cleaned off some of the peeling paint and muck.
By then though, I had already purchased a set of later spec wheels in 19" fitment and invested in a decent set of rubber so decided to stick with the new ones. The inch wider wheels really help fill the back arches and create that lovely fat rear end that we all love OEM Porsche coloured crested centres complete the wheels.

I also purchased a touch up kit to sort a lot of the bigger stone chips on the edge of the side skirts where the stones kick off the tyres and also got some black leather treatment cream which has filled in the white cracks in the leather and made the seats look a lot newer and less worn.

A set of chequered flag graphics (Gt style) down the side in silver set it off, these may not be to some tastes but I like the black/silver theme and they also conveniently cover a few chips/marks on the paint

One thing I disliked was the shiny steering wheel that also had quite a thin rim so I sent the wheel away and had it retrimmed in black alcantara with silver stitching. The gearshift gaitor has just gone today to be trimmed to match The steering wheel now feels far more grippy and they also make it thicker at the same time which helps, especially after coming from a monster M3 steering wheel

Mechanics:
The car initially ran OK but power delivery felt a little flat and it also developed a misfire, chucking up the engine management light whenever it did so. This reported a misfire on cylinders 4 and 5 which did worry me somewhat as I was them worried about a potentially damaged engine. I did some reading up on forums and it appears that those 2 cylinders suffer most from heat soak and this can cause failures with coil packs so I booked her in for a full service with a local performance specialist. They did a major service for £300 which included engine oil & filter, air filter, micro filter and replacing the spark plugs. I sourced a full set of 6 coil packs off eBay for £120 and they refitted these when putting the new plugs in. They also gave the car a good going over and noted a couple of worn bushes at the rear and rusty brake discs but other than that she was in good shape. Once serviced the engine runs like a dream. It's a LOT more responsive and is far easier to drive at low speeds. Power delivery is smoother and there is more of it

The only other problem I have had has been the air con - once the warmer weather arrived it was evident it wasn't as cold as it should be so after a quick check it appeared the radiators were corroded and leaking. There is one each side and they are in front of each wheel arch. The problem is they collect leaves and muck through the bumper vents which blocks them up and corrodes them - Both were replaced with pattern parts and a new condensor/re gas got the system working perfectly again - quite essential with a black on black colour combo

All of this has made the car better and I am now getting a little hooked on mods to make it even better still.....

Brakes - I have purchased a full set of OEM drilled discs/pads and will replace these and the brake fluid to help the braking issues. They are not too bad but defo dont have the bite and feel they should have and corrosion on the inside of the discs is not good.

Suspension - This is where I want the car to feel a lot better so I have sourced a Bilstein PSS9 adjustable coilover kit for the car. The PSS9 kit comes as a complete kit and is a direct replacement for the OEM system. It allows 1.00-2.25" of lowering capabilities and offers a firmer more planted road feel. In addition, the shocks have 9-way adjustable firmness settings so that you can fine tune the firmness.
I have also sourced a set of new 'coffin' arms - the Porsche has 4 identical arms, one on each corner and once the bushes start wearing, allows the camber of the wheel to change during hard cornering.
I also need a new set of anti roll bar bushes and that should be just about OK to spruce up the handling and make it feel a little more alive!

Once this has been done and I am 100% happy that I am going to keep it then I may invest in a full respray to make the car a minter as I have a contact with a body shop and a self prep job can be done for a reasonable sum.

All in all, owning the Porsche is fun - it is giving me the interest I had when modding the M3 whilst still keeping things on a budget.

All the bits so far have come in pretty reasonably:
Wheels/Tyres - £1000
Service - £300
Aircon condensor/radiators - £400
Steering wheel retrim - £110
Gearshift gaitor - £28
Coil Packs - £120
Brake discs/pads - £350
Coffin Arms - £300
PSS9 kit (used) - £550

Factor in the cost of the car and I have got a fully serviced 911 with good brakes and handling for less than £13k - it shouldn't need any money mechanically spending on it for a good while to come...

There are a quite a few sub £10k examples around but most have either dodgy colour combos ,have very high mileages or low mileage and 'misplaced' service history

For anyone considering fulfulling their schoolboy dream to run a budget 911 as a second car I would say 'go for it' - parts are plentiful and pretty cheap really, especially when compared to modern BMW prices and there are plenty of specialists out there who provide a good service without breaking the bank.

The main downside is if you haver children - my 3yr old has now become near obsessed with the thing and has to check the garage EVERY night to ensure it is still there! (it was every morning and every night but we have managed to stop the morning visit lol) - He adores the car and the smile on his face alone every time he sees it is almost enough to warrant owning it

A few pics below of the car and how it looks currently....

[dobsy]

Must resist.......I know nothing about Porsches but that looks a couple of years old not 14!!

[Reggie-g75]

A great write-up, nice looking motor!

Thinking about a trade up to 997.

How's your 3 y/o get on in the back seat?

[rich1068]

Scrolling down to that last pic really made me smile.

And I like the decals. Looks like you had better luck with them than I did with the E90Post stickers

[chrisbin]

Looks, and sounds, great!

Have to say that you seem to have been one brave and lucky buyer!!

Your story of your son checking the garage rings bells! Its always handy to have someone else in the family to support your interest!!

[- Paul -]

It looked great when I saw it and I still want one to replace my 6.

[mowflow]

Great write up, thanks for taking the time to do it.

I never saw any original pictures of the car but it looks fantastic now. As dobsy said, it doesn't look it's age. i think this is part of the attraction with 911s, they change so little that a well loved 14 year old car can have people thinking you've won the lottery. I also think that if you were to sell it you would almost certainly get what you have put in back, you can't say that about many cars.

Love the last picture, your boy looks so chuffed with "his" car. My 2 year old son is car mad. Keeps dragging me to the door and pointing out the window shouting car. Often shouts it in his sleep as well.

[M3-FAST]

Originally Posted by dobsy

Must resist.......I know nothing about Porsches but that looks a couple of years old not 14!!

Most people can't believe it when they ask how old it is

Originally Posted by Reggie-g75

A great write-up, nice looking motor!

Thinking about a trade up to 997.

How's your 3 y/o get on in the back seat?

Cheers Reggie. Not thinking of trading up yet! Similarly to the sub £10k 996s, the 997's seem to fall into the sub £20k category - lesser prices ones are undesirable colours, etc... and the nicer ones are all £20k plus. I can't really justify spending any more on a second car to be honest, and I think this one is getting towards depreciation proof - it can't really drop much unless the engine blows or similar. It is worth nearly it's value in parts alone!

Originally Posted by rich1068

Scrolling down to that last pic really made me smile.

And I like the decals. Looks like you had better luck with them than I did with the E90Post stickers

What's happened with the decals mate.....you had trouble? They should go on dead easy....if you need a replacement, let me know

Originally Posted by chrisbin

Looks, and sounds, great!

Have to say that you seem to have been one brave and lucky buyer!!

Your story of your son checking the garage rings bells! Its always handy to have someone else in the family to support your interest!!

Cheers matey - I am not sure if he is supporting my interest or boring me silly with it

Originally Posted by - Paul -

It looked great when I saw it and I still want one to replace my 6.

Thanks Paul, you will get one next car I am sure

Originally Posted by mowflow

Great write up, thanks for taking the time to do it.

I never saw any original pictures of the car but it looks fantastic now. As dobsy said, it doesn't look it's age. i think this is part of the attraction with 911s, they change so little that a well loved 14 year old car can have people thinking you've won the lottery. I also think that if you were to sell it you would almost certainly get what you have put in back, you can't say that about many cars.

Love the last picture, your boy looks so chuffed with "his" car. My 2 year old son is car mad. Keeps dragging me to the door and pointing out the window shouting car. Often shouts it in his sleep as well.

No worries Paul. The top pic is the day I picked it up, with it's scabby wheels, dull paint and pitted exhausts lol! It's amazing what a bit of TLC can do!

I think most decent older Porka's have fallen into the very low, or almost non existant depreciation. It is now less about age and more about the history/right colour/spec/etc... to justify the price tag. It will never do many miles so will prob be sold on sub 100k which will help it.

As for Tyler thinking it's 'his' car your dead right - I am sure he actually thinks I have bought it for him! He sits there for ages just sitting in it, pretending to drive it.

He spots every car as we drive around and by the age of three has learnt a lot of the brands and can spot Porsche, BMW, Audi, Mercedes, VW, etc..he even sits on my knee and steers the cars when I swap them around on the drive, insisting that he takes stops the engine and takes the key out

Hope it inspires you into getting one

[mowflow]

I'd love to do it but don't know that I've got the bottle. I'll probably end up with something "safe" that loses a fortune.

Edit: oh dear god it's started, if this had a black interior
http://www2.autotrader.co.uk/classif.../100?logcode=p

[zltm089]

Great write up!!!...thanks for sharing!

[dxb335d]

She looks great mate I have to say! Well done!

The facelift lights look SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much better!! Easy swap?

[Dannyrado]

Why do all the 911s i ever see for sale have dysentery beige interiors?

[Danny.B.]

Great write up!

Although i must say i think i prefered it before the new wheels and decal!

Missus wont let me have one else i would in a flash!

[Oli]

Lovely car, but please loose the GT3 badge, and I'm not sure about the decals.

Enjoy, they are a great drive, and a real head turner

[rogerxp]

Ha ha, Tyler wasn't for learning the word 'Datsun' was he, too content shouting 'Porsche' and pointing at it

Good read Paul, thanks for the update, hopefully the luck of low-cost Porsche ownership continues. Been a bargain so far.

[M3-FAST]

Originally Posted by rogerxp

Ha ha, Tyler wasn't for learning the word 'Datsun' was he, too content shouting 'Porsche' and pointing at it

Good read Paul, thanks for the update, hopefully the luck of low-cost Porsche ownership continues. Been a bargain so far.

Here's hoping Rog!

(PS: I won't be encouraging my son to swear)

Originally Posted by Oli

Lovely car, but please loose the GT3 badge, and I'm not sure about the decals.

Enjoy, they are a great drive, and a real head turner

Thanks Oli - I was of mixed opinion about the decals when I first fitted them but now love em. I would love to lose the badge but whoever fitted seems to have literally super glued it onto the car! It will make a right mess of the engine cover if I get it off. I may yet swap back to the original engine lid with the electric spoiler as I have it supplied all wrapped in bubble wrap complete with original Carrera badge on it.

Originally Posted by Danny.B.

Great write up!

Although i must say i think i prefered it before the new wheels and decal!

Missus wont let me have one else i would in a flash!

You need to have a word with the missus....

Originally Posted by Dannyrado

Why do all the 911s i ever see for sale have dysentery beige interiors?

'cos your looking at the cheap ones?

Originally Posted by dxb335d

She looks great mate I have to say! Well done!

The facelift lights look SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much better!! Easy swap?

cheers Carl , Lights were already fitted when I got it and agreed, take years off it.

Originally Posted by zltm089

Great write up!!!...thanks for sharing!

no worries Kevster!

Originally Posted by mowflow

I'd love to do it but don't know that I've got the bottle. I'll probably end up with something "safe" that loses a fortune.

Edit: oh dear god it's started, if this had a black interior
http://www2.autotrader.co.uk/classif.../100?logcode=p

If it had a black interior it would be a grand or so more expensive....

[Gibbo]

Looks great and shows how you can buy the full 911 experience for £13k with little to no depreciation and just routine maintenance. My 3 year old is car mad also and it's really great to share with your little un'.

Does he sit in the front or back? Enjoy the car now you have some good weather.

[rich1068]

Originally Posted by M3-FAST

What's happened with the decals mate.....you had trouble? They should go on dead easy....if you need a replacement, let me know

Oh I don't want to hijack your thread but I'm proper shit with stickers. You should see me with screen protectors. I have rage issues. They're in the bin

:edit:

And I just looked at that pic again. It properly makes me laugh!

[sheps]

Can't believe it's been 6 months since the moment of 'pub bravery'.

Car looks great and I'm chuffed you've had no maladies and improved the car to your full enjoyment.

Did you shift the scoob? Have you taken the Porker on-track, or is it road only?

[M3-FAST]

Originally Posted by sheps

Can't believe it's been 6 months since the moment of 'pub bravery'.

Car looks great and I'm chuffed you've had no maladies and improved the car to your full enjoyment.

Did you shift the scoob? Have you taken the Porker on-track, or is it road only?

Hi Simon, not quite 6 months yet but not far off, middle of jan I collected it.

Got rid of the Scooby yes, ended up taking an MX5 in part exchange which I ebayed and got purchased by a holiday rep in Spain so that is living in the Costa Whatever now lol.

Not taken the Porsche on track (yet) as it doesn't handle or stop as well as it should but am hoping to give it a blast once the fettling has finished

Originally Posted by rich1068

Oh I don't want to hijack your thread but I'm proper shit with stickers. You should see me with screen protectors. I have rage issues. They're in the bin

:edit:

And I just looked at that pic again. It properly makes me laugh!

You have PM

Originally Posted by Gibbo

Looks great and shows how you can buy the full 911 experience for £13k with little to no depreciation and just routine maintenance. My 3 year old is car mad also and it's really great to share with your little un'.

Does he sit in the front or back? Enjoy the car now you have some good weather.

cheers Peter, not sure if living with a 3 yr old car nut is good for the sanity or not, I know it as driven the missus mad and we have another boy on the way, due in August - she will be ready to leave home if the next one turns out the same ha ha

Tyler sits in the back - I picked up a proper Porsche car seat off ebay that had only been used twice (like new) for the back that fits the car perfectly and he loves it back there!

[Hoops]

Car looks great Paul and clever bits of modernisation really bring it up to date - considering what you paid for it you've got a nice little motor there for the odd Sunday morning blah!!
Ps; ive not read your whole post so this has probably been covered - but you really need to remove those GT3 badges - there is nothing worse than a car pretending to be something its not - maybe a sore point but just my feeling - its a great car as is but its not a GT3.
Also - please heavily reprimand your son for daring to touch daddys paintwork with his grubby little mitts - how very dare he!!??

[M3-FAST]

Originally Posted by HoopsRS4

Car looks great Paul and clever bits of modernisation really bring it up to date - considering what you paid for it you've got a nice little motor there for the odd Sunday morning blah!!
Ps; ive not read your whole post so this has probably been covered - but you really need to remove those GT3 badges - there is nothing worse than a car pretending to be something its not - maybe a sore point but just my feeling - its a great car as is but its not a GT3.
Also - please heavily reprimand your son for daring to touch daddys paintwork with his grubby little mitts - how very dare he!!??

If the badge was stuck on with double sided tape (as per the norm) I would have removed it on the motorway services on the way home from collecting it

However it seems to have been literally superglued on, and because the kit is non genuine, it is a GRP engine cover and the thing wont budge without damaging the paint and/or the GRP

I am now training my lad to pick up the nearest microfibre and give it a polish every time he touches it ha ha