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YOUR RESEARCHNOTA968?s ?03 C4S
Leading reported evidence
Install dash set and started working
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
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0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
Installed the dash set and started working on the box.
Leading evidence: 'Install dash set and started working' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, The most frequently discussed action is 'Install dash set and started working' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
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Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
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1
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Replace transmission and front differential fluids
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
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Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
Before taking her down off the QuickJacks I installed a set of Function First Solid Cable Ends and changed the transmission and front differential fluids.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
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Suggestion
Had it from 2006 through 2019 when the water pump blew (and there were many other things that needed repair, paint, seats).
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
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Suggestion · Original poster
So, initially I was just going to replace the four 4� speakers with mid-range Infinity Reference units.
Replace transmission and front differential fluids
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
Before taking her down off the QuickJacks I installed a set of Function First Solid Cable Ends and changed the transmission and front differential fluids.
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion · Original poster
I think (knock on wood) that after one year of ownership and ~$13K I�ve now addressed all the weak points and proactively reset the clock on this great C4S!!
Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.
45 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Rennlist: 1 discussions
0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.
0 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.
Generation: 20261027T053112Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
I have been posting in the �What did you do to you 996 today?� thread but thought I�d like to have all the major stuff consolidated in one place. Please forgive me for (re)posting some pics and descriptions from the past. I�ll fill in the blanks over the next few days.
In the spring of 2025 I was looking for a 968 and stumbled on my C4S. I literally knew nothing about it but�it was beautiful, in great shape, and drove spectacularly. It�s a high-mile car (115K miles) but had been very well cared for. Being an uneducated buyer, I thought $34K was a steal when the seller threw out that number. I did a little quick research (BaT) and bought it.
At the time I thought maybe I paid a bit too much, but was okay with it. Interior and paint looked like a 25K mile car. In retrospect, I think I paid the right price for it. I love how it drives and
can�t help but look back at it as I walk away.
Like with many hobbies, if you have to worry about price/cost of everything, maybe one shouldn't get in to that particular hobby. Could I have saved a bit? I suppose, but I am very happy with my purchase/investment and am now on a proactive maintenance, refresh/upgrade path.
Here are the first two pics the seller shared with me in late-March 2025:
After getting her detailed and ceramic coated in July �05 it was time for some glamour shots in front of a couple local landmarks. And, a couple random cars & coffee pics.
Ok, first real project - Improve the tunes! The stock Becker (no CD changer) unit sounded terrible! Terrible!! So, initially I was just going to replace the four 4� speakers with mid-range Infinity Reference units. I started with the rear set, got them connected and�no sound from the right rear speaker! Damn. OBTW, the original speaker cones were all but shot. Falling apart. 😡
I didn�t want to spend the brain damage trying to debug the audio system (bad head, broken wire, one bad channel, etc.) so I quickly decided (**blasphemy alert**) I was going to build a hi-fidelity, full-range speaker wedge to go on the back shelf. Lots of room back there and, I can surely get better sound reproduction as a result. I�ll use the 4�s on the dash.
Installed the dash set and started working on the box. I know nothing about audio engineering but, know a bit about cabinet design from guitar amplifiers. All I knew was that good cabinets were made from birch. So, with the extensive help of ChatGPT I designed an acoustically perfect enclosure. I just knew it wouldn�t get much love from traditionalists but, waddya gonna do? Ended up with a component set of Infinity Reference 6 1/2� speakers back there. And, as a bonus, it was a great project to do with my 85yo Dad who is a very skilled woodworker.
Speakers solved, what about the rest? I wanted the look of a single DIN unit that had Bluetooth capability. I looked at the Continental units initially but, no preamp out 🙁 I settled on a midrange Kenwood head with a Rockford Fosgate amp (for the rear enclosure) and a little, self contained Alpine subwoofer (amp and sub on the floor behind the seats). All decided on with the help of ChatGPT. Again, I know verrry little about this stuff.
It all fit great and came in well under $1K (I think, I haven�t totaled it up : ) The best part is that ChatGPT walked me through tuning the system to an incredibly impressive level. Tuned in �garage mode� - sitting with the engine off, it was truly impressive!! I couldn�t believe how great the system sounded! Better than headphones. But, this incredible sound fell apart once the car was running and underway. All the bass disappeared, the highs were piercing and listener fatigue set in quickly. But, ol� ChatGPT took it in stride and helped me tweak it until it sounds awesome rolling down the road!!
One project down!
Before taking her down off the QuickJacks I installed a set of Function First Solid Cable Ends and changed the transmission and front differential fluids. Both very easy jobs. It probably took longer to gather the tools and put them away than it took to install the FF Cable Ends. I�m not a great judge of �upgrades� but I don�t notice any real difference in the shifting from before the new fluid and cable ends.
My car spent a couple days with
@RennPart
at his shop near Winston Salem, NC this week. You couldn�t ask for a nicer, more knowledgeable guy to work on your car!
On the docket were the last few items to get this thing to a point where I think everything mechanical has proactively been addressed.
Brake system flush and installation of stainless brake lines.
Cooling system flush and installation of a new water pump and low-temp thermostat.
Installation of
@Porschetech3
UAOS w/track drain and �The Antidote� oil filler tube as well as
@Jmrjimbo
billet alternator bracket.
Thanks again Aaron for taking care of me!!
I think (knock on wood) that after one year of ownership and ~$13K I�ve now addressed all the weak points and proactively reset the clock on this great C4S!!
Aaron (note the
GT3
in the background):
In the second pic you can easily see the UAOS but if you look close you�ll see the 9ii �The Antidote� oil filler tube, the new alternator bracket, and the new water pump is just peeking out at the bottom of the pic. .
Love it! I�m such a sucker for red sports cars haha. I too bought my C4S while looking for something else (996 Turbo).
Im probably going to follow your lead on creating a thread.
I'm loving the red intake hose! I remember you have some red suspension parts, too. Next step is red seatbelts!
Your car is lucky to have you as its owner.
Thanks
@996love
!!
Dunno if I can rock the red seatbelts but…I am considering having the seats and door panels redone with red/black houndstooth inserts 😁 I need to find an extra set of seats and door panels so I can keep the originals as an option.
@NOTA968
, congrats on the beautiful car. Glad to see you are a 996 enthusiast and willing to spend the money to keep it running in top form. Looking forward to more posts!
Good plan. I did the same thing with sourcing extra sets of everything in the interior to keep the good condition original parts boxed up so the car could be easily converted back to stock.
I need to call you some time to talk about covering my console in black leather 😁 Same thing though, I want to get an �extra� console to cover and keep mine original.
Congrats on a C4S. FWIW-- Porsche made 177000 996 cars from 1999-2005. Of that 177000 number only 17265 C4S were built. Of that 17265 number only 50% were coupes, the others were cabriolets. Age, time, wrecks, whatever have obviously reduced that number over the years. Finding
any C4S
is a treasure, treat it that way. It is only 3rd in line for "desirable" (by whoever sets these idiot rules) . GT3, and 40 AE are ahead of a C4s on "their chart"., and a 996.1 comes next.
A C4S was an oddball car, maybe because they made too many Turbo bodies, I don't know. You have entire Turbo suspension, larger brakes, larger radiators, wide-azz back end, wider wheels, more bling, and so on. No other 996, even a Turbo, has that distinctive red band across the back. Simply gorgeous, my opinion.
After 3 years, I found a PTS dark gray metallic 2004 C4S, bought it. While your C4S looks great, I am NOT a fan of Silver, Black or Red. I do not like the Turbo twists, they hide the beautiful big brakes, so I replaced with Carrera III wheels, 5 spoke, great looking, my opinion. Color choice is very limited, but I like what I have, and so do you. We are part of a very small number of C4S owners, amazing.
Pleasant driving ahead.....
YMMV
Got home from a work trip this afternoon to one-half of my next project sitting at my doorstep. These are the rears, 18x11x63, I’ll run them with 20mm spacers. The fronts are on a slow boat from Stuttgart. Fronts are the “right” offset for a C4S, 18x8x50.
Thanks
@Humble911
! I�m going to update that previous post at the beginning of the thread with details on the suspension rebuild. Hopefully this weekend.
Nice job! Revisit the bolts on all the parts you painted (red) after a thousand miles or so, i.e. untighten and retighten to spec.
The paint will compress over time (24 hrs basically) which will lead to a loss in clamping force by the bolts.
Retightening them lets those stiffening struts and plates do their job again.
Go for it! I bought my 38K mile C4S last fall and the leather hardback sport seats looked tired, so I replaced them with these and have been very pleased:
For what is is worth, I came from a 968 before I picked up the C4S. Those are also very good cars, much simpler than the 996. Had it from 2006 through 2019 when the water pump blew (and there were many other things that needed repair, paint, seats). My son totaled it in 2008, so it was no longer a valid investment with a "salvage" title. If you are drawn to having a pair of Porsches, it would make a nice complement to your C4S!
Had a chance to turn a work trip into a recon of a couple of famous western NC roads today and tomorrow.
This mighty ‘25 Mustang GT rental car preformed surprisingly well on the Tail of the Dragon today and I’m anticipating great things on the Cherohala Skyway tomorrow.
Really looking forward to getting the C4S out here!!
Finally put some miles on the new wheels. Fronts are the correct offset for a C4S, I’m running a 20mm spacer on the rears. Performed as expected : )
Dreary day here but I snapped a few pics at my local landmarks after cars & coffee this morning.
Very nice! I don�t think you paid too much, and you�re doing all the right stuff to it (especially water pump and UAOS - remember the stock engines are the weakness of these cars - you don�t mention the year, but anything before �05 may have the small single row IMSB in it�fft). IMO it could be 3/4� lower in the front, and 1/2 to 3/4� in the back� Otherwise pretty perfect! Good Luck with �er!!!
A lot of owners "lower" the 996. I spoze for looks and other reasons. I have thought about it for my C4S, but No. I can "just" get a QuickJack under the car with the short rubber block in the right places for lifting points. I would have to drive up on 2x10s or something to get it under there. Since I have a 7000TL it is a little longer than a 5000. I chose the 7000 bc it can also do 4Runner & Chev 1/2-ton truck, It just fits between the tires and would make getting car up on 2x10s tricky to be on the almost edge end of the 2x10. Comments?
YMMV
Thanks
@dporto
!! If I would have known last year what I know now, I would have probably went with ROW M030 springs when I did my suspension overhaul last winter. Alas, the work is all done and dialed in now and�it drives REALLY good so, I�m happy with it.
Funny thing is, when I read your post I was standing in front of my car at the local suspension guru�s shop (Digital Chassis in Durham, NC) getting an alignment. When the quru was finished, I asked him what he would change if it were his car. Unprompted, he said �what I wouldn�t do is lower it!� I lol�d inside.
I got very lucky with this one. It�s definitely a forever car.
__________________
2003 Carrera 4S, Guards Red
Yeah, I think the wheels look great and change the whole appearance. The twists are nice too but, the
GT3
s are beautiful!!
The 20mm spacers in the rear seem to put the tire at about the same spot as my twists. Again, these fronts are ET50 so, the offset is the same as the stock twists.
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