Factory Sports Exhaust Upgrade

Just curious about this, but there are 2 ways of installing the Porsche Factory Sport Exhaust for the 2000 C2 996 right? They say you can install it the regular way where the exhausts open at 4K RPM or leave it open all the time. My questions goes towards the install: to leave it open all the time I take it all that needs to be done is to simply replace the factory ones with the sport exhaust...and nothing else right? Whereby if one wants it so that it opens at 4K RPM, all the wiring and other parts that come with the kit need to be installed as well? The reason for my asking is because Porsche dealers charge a bitch to install them. I even got one place quoting me $300+ just to do it the "open all the time" way. So I figure if it was to just replace the mufflers then I can do it myself or have a cheaper generic muffler shop do it... Any recommendations? PS - Is $1600 for the sport exhaust a good price? Thanks in advance.

According to the dealer who sold me my MY2000 996, it had the sport exhaust installed by the previous owner about amonth before he traded it for a 2002. Cost installed was around 3.5K. My car does do the open and close thing, but it doesn't have the in dash switching system for overriding the system which someone else posted a note about a little while ago. It wasn't clear to me that that was a factory option. Anyway, Id say given what this guy apparently paid, that your getting a pretty good deal. Although, I don't care how much money I'd save, I sure wouldn't let Midas ever stoke the underbelly of my 996! As to whether to have it open all the time or do the automatic switching, I'd make a few observations: 1) To me its kind of interesting to have the sound change at rpm, particularly as it opens back up around 4K or so. 2) At typical highway speds the system is closed so long distance travel is not a tiring. 3) Even closed it has a nice sound, in fact it kind of soothing, the tone is a little lower, I find it pleasant. 4) I don't notice any hestitation or surging as I pass through the silenced zone, i.e it doesn't seem to have a perceivable impact on performance when the systems closes or opens. OTOH, its just one more thing to go wrong. I kind of like the system, but I'm not sure were I installing it today, if its worth the extra expensive. I think I'd probably just go Fabspeed.

Originally I did the complete install with the electronics, etc. That was a waste of money! We then went back and rigged them so they wouldn't close for 20 mph (it has nothing to do with the RPM - it's tied to the speedo). They closed at around 20 and opened at 40 if memory serves. The closing was for non-U.S. noise ordinances and is pretty silly sounding in real life when it closes down and then reopens. Save the 4 to 6 extra hours labor and just switch the mufflers without all that electronic junk. BTW, you can buy the system without the electronics and it should be even less. FWIW, I bought the Fabspeeds before the factory sport exhaust and the Fabs are considerably louder than the factory version. Highly recommend you find someone with the Fabs to listen to before committing. Wouldn't hurt you at all to do the same with the factory version if possible.

I did my own install of the factory system. Here are answers to your questions: Correct -- just bolt it on and forget about the other stuff. Correct -- I estimate that would add about 2-3 hours to the job since you must remove the tunnel console for wiring. I got my for $1250 from Carlsen in Palo Alto, CA -- it was a sale price but it seems they do that every few months. I am very pleased with the "open all the time" install -- this is the Porsche's sounded when I was growing up. Loren (99 996)