Prospective 996 junky checking in

Greetings, all. I guess the title is self-explanatory but I'm considering purchasing a 996.2. I've been driving Porsches for about a decade and have loved every single one. Then I drove a 996.2 this week and I think I've found a new favorite drug. It drives like a dream; pulls strong through all gears; is void of any knocks, bangs, or creaks, except brakes that squeal a bit coming to a stop. The interior and body show the patina of a 20-year-old car, but look solid throughout. No evidence of rust or any body panels, deck lid, or hood having been off, based solely on my quick, half-informed inspection of viewable screw and seam points and knocking for the sound of filler, which I know is a pseudo science at best . (I didn't have my paint gauge with me, but will go back with it on Monday.) No mildewy smell, funky carpet, or evidence of water ingress. Having owned a 987 and being familiar with the 997, I'm aware of the big, scary IMS and RMS issues - although the AOS issue is new to me. None of these bother me or are a deterrent to purchasing -- I'm definitely a drive-it-maintain-it-and-enjoy-it guy -- but I do want to be smart about the purchase, especially because I have a dealer willing to crack it open in-house and address the items mentioned above before I purchase it. The gaps in the service "record" do bug me though. I'd also like to know why it only got driven 300 miles in three years. Definitely an eyebrow raiser. But the only point I think I'm hung up on now is logistics. The dealer is willing to let me take it to my indy shop (big hat tip to GT International, here in Austin - they do fantastic work and provide equally great customer service) for a PPI, but that would be after the dealer has done the RMS work. So, assuming -- which I am -- the IMS and AOS have not been addressed, it would make more sense to have them address all of those items while they're doing the RMS. Anyway, I am grateful in advance for any input/advice on any of the above or anything not mentioned. Long live RL and the awesome people who make it the irreplaceable resource that it is. Cheers, GPd

Sounds like you have a good plan and have some great, previous experience with Pcars so have FUN!!! You know the game.... enjoy, Nick

Insist on getting the PPI BEFORE any work is done. One the PPI gets done (including a bore scope), then you'll know your way forward. Since the dealer is willing to do the RMS, getting the IMS done at the same time is just a tiny bit more labor. Water pump, plugs, boots, coil packs, AOS, belt, firers and fluids, etc to baseline and be on the safe side. You should only, hopefully, have to worry about oil changes for years after that.

The 996 displaced the 992 in the garage tonight and I couldn�t be happier. Can�t wait to bore everyone here to death with my uninformed comments and questions about this machine. The dealer-seller ended up putting new discs, pads, clutch, flywheel, and did the IMS and RMS, so hopefully all I need to address now is the suspension and some other small, tasteful mods.

Congrats! If squeaky brakes bother you, look into Akebono ceramic pads. Works fine with standard steel rotors. Wheels stay cleaner for longer too. I've had them on my 996 Targa for years and love them. Enjoy.

Welcome to the 996 club! A true drivers car!

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I appreciate the rec. Will keep in mind for future reference.

Appears not to have been tampered with too much. Based on the properly used car cover that came with it and lack of sun damage, I can only guess was stored indoors. Got caught on a 100-foot overpass in a thunderstorm driving her home for the first time tonight. The new Pilot Sports were beyond reproach. Sunroof and window sills didn’t leak a drop. Drives like an effing champ.

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What are those pads like? not looking to track but will 'lean' on them from time to time so curious if they can cope with one or two big stops and big breaks in between

Anyone know what�s going on with the red paint on the bolt heads fastening the hood latch on the bottom side of the hood? They don�t look red enough for them to have been painted red originally. The wheel lugs though? They were clearly painted red at some point. Original? Also curious about the yellow calipers. Any ideas on whether they could be factory? They look faded and cheap up close but I could dig them if they were OEM - would restore them to proper glory.

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Probably marked at the factory for whatever reason. congrats on acquiring your beautiful red 996! I love that color.

Ah! Yes, that makes good sense. Thank you! First true red car I�ve ever owned. Wouldn�t have sought one out but I�m glad it found me. Really gives it some personality.

Also curious about all these paint chips under the hood near the catch area. They seem too deep and wide spread to be fingernail scratches from latch searching. Road pebbles making their way through the gap, perhaps?

Haha possibly, if the owner forgot to fully close the hood and left it latched. I really can�t think of any other reason.

I don't track mine either, but often drive it 'spiritedly' as it was made to. Probably less initial 'bite' than steel pads, especially when a little cold. That also improves the smoothness of the braking (assuming the rotors aren't warped). Once they're up to temp & leaned on, they grip well enough to activate the ABS. My wheels stay clean for weeks. Bought & shipped mine to Oz from FCP Euro. Amazon have some sizes, but didn't have both front & back sizes of mine at the time. Hope this helps.

Took some video of the underside of the deck lid, engine compartment, and new rotors/pads. Looks like the deck lid was slightly adjusted at some point but it�s been a while. If anyone can see anything else notable going on, please let me know. I want to learn everything I can about this car. You Tube

I would make a list of standard maintenance replacement parts and be prepared for vendor problems in the future due to a potential shutdown in a week when the union representing 45,000 dockworkers, the International Longshoremen�s Association, and the United States Maritime Alliance go on strike. If it happens, the strike won�t result in significant shortages, but it would still cause disruptions as shippers reroute cargo to West Coast ports, and then the real fun begins. Having purchased a 996 a few days before the COVID codswallop, delays and other delays sidelined a lot of planned upgrades until things smoothed out.

Can anyone say whether there's an identifying mark on OEM lugs? I'm trying to determine whether these were OEM lugs painted red from factory, afterward, after-market, etc. I'm not in love with the idea that they were ever red to begin with. But I want this beauty to look as OEM as humanly possible, so would restore them if they're really mean to be that red. $220+ for non-numbers-mathching lugs seems crazy: https://www.suncoastparts.com/product/LUGNUT.html BTW, have I mentioned how gd good the inside of these cars smell? It's old leather mixed with exhaust fumes, worn rotors, pads, and tires, and... freedom.

The bolts were never painted from the factory. You can get oem lug bolts from fcp euro for around $3 each.

Calipers may be and probably r original. Our cars had red, black and yellow available depending on what was ordered and various models. Btw gaurds red is the best best....my car was silver but was painted before i got it and im glad it wad repainted.

The "PORSCHE" text on those calipers doesn't look anything like the OEM font to me, my money is on a refinish. Yellow factory calipers normally only came on PCCB-equipped cars and those are a different shape with a larger rotor.

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Duly noted. That's what I get for looking at Suncoast: https://www.suncoastparts.com/product/LUGNUT.html EDIT: Those three-dollar ones musta gotten away already: https://www.fcpeuro.com/Porsche-part...=10&d=15674&v=

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I had the same thought re the font. Also, the way the paint has worn, it doesn't look like it was ever what would have been the right shade for factory yellow. It also just occurred to me that the lack of a caliper color code on the build tag probably means they were whatever color the base was from the factory, which I'm guessing was black.

Yea, those early factory yellow calipers come with a healthy price tag, the placement cost of 4 rotors is $36k !! and 4 calipers is $8K , so replacement cost is $44k !!!!

Or save some money by refinishing them yourself. Remove the lug bolts and clean the red paint off with lacquer thinner. Since the factory lugs were likely coated with black oxide, that may be all you need to do to restore the original black finish. If you want to go another step further, spray paint them with some quality paint. Rustoleum and other paints will work well. Rustoleum takes longer to dry. Satin or gloss black. Your local auto parts store sells wheel paint in a variety of finishes.

Yes, the real yellow calipers are used with ceramic rotors (PCCB) and cost more than the car. My guess is someone wanted it to look like something it isn't. Steel brakes either had 6-piston calipers up front and 4-piston in the rear painted red, or black calipers, which I think are 4-piston front and rear. The Carrera S, 4S, and GT cars were Red (or optional PCCB). Your yellow calipers look a little small for 6-piston. Most people that have the real ceramic calipers and rotors tend to put them in a box and convert to steel. The 996 PPCBs are a first generation ceramic system. Also, cross-drilled rotors tend to crack, mostly the fronts, and it is better to replace them with slotted and dimpled rotors when the time comes. Just keep an eye on them and when cracks run from one hole to another it is time to ditch them before something bad happens. If they go, the rotor shatters. Not friendly at speed. Cant explain the front chips on the inside of the hood. Very strange. I have considerably more miles on my car and zero blemishes inside. Lug nuts are never painted red. Mine were silver on my Guards Red car. Paint tends to wear down anyway. Yes, the steering and small body of the 996 makes it a special car. The newer Porsches are nice, but the growth in size, weight, and electric steering lose some of the "connectedness". Modern cars are pushing more horsepower than is reasonable for street. Track is a different story. However, newer 911s and in particular, the GT3s, tend to remove the "driver" from the equation, in my opinion. Both the 996 and 997 are pretty much the last of that breed. Enjoy your new ride!!! Post Script, updating the suspension really takes these cars up a notch without losing the qualities that make them special.

Also, you may not know it, but there is a cupholder above the climate control unit. Push the plastic where the white script is and it will pop out.

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I thought about this and think you are on the money. Crazy to spend $200+ on lugs. Was just afraid I won't be able to make the finish look right. I guess if I fail I'm not out anything except a few cans of paint. I had PCCBs on my 981 GT4 so am familiar with them from that platform and knew (or always thought) the yellow to be PCCB specific. But then I saw the red and yellow paint caliper paint codes for 996 and thought, well maybe it was an option after all. The new set of rotors and pads are still fresh and not nearly as noisy as my old PCCBs were - ha! Yes! They are ridiculous and oddly functional (aside from blocking the AC) - love them. I missed the 997/981/991-style holders when I got the 992 and am happy to have some proper, over-German-engineered holders again.

Had to go straight to the tint shop and get some relief from that factory-clear glass. Suntek Evolve Advanced Ceramic, 94% IR rejection; 5% in the rears, 15% on sides. And 5% on the eyebrow, of course� All of a sudden it's like 1992 in my garage. 

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They seem so delicate. Has anyone used them? Will they hold a bottle of water or a full can of soda going down the road without it falling out or spilling?

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I use them everyday for coffee water and they are very firm. They are made of many parts and if they break, you can find a 3D printout diagram and reprint on a 3D printer.

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They�re so strong it�ll make your coffee taste better.

That sounds so tasty but I'm such a slob that I'll stick to water bottles with a screw on cap.

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Questionable durability, in my opinion. My seats have manual forward-aft adjustments and water bottles fit snuggly between those seat handles and the center tunnel. For me I almost never cary beverages while driving, unless it's a long road trip. I never use the factory cup holders.

I use the cup holder all the time for 1 bottle or cup of coffee. Has always worked fine and never broke. But i don't take it out to the 2nd one. That seems pretty flimsy.