Air cooled to 996. 1 year anniversary this month (long)

I had seller's remorse when I sold my ’70 911T a few years ago so I started looking for a replacement. I settled on a 996 because they seemed like the most bang for the buck. The problem around here is that 90% of the ones for sale are cabriolets and out of the remaining 10% that are coupes, 90% of those are Tiptronic. So last March a 35,000 mile 1999 Arctic Silver car popped up on Craigslist. It wasn’t really the year or color I wanted but The IMS had been done so I decided to check it out. It turned out that it was the original PCA member owner who ordered it new in 1999 from Hoehn Porsche in Carlsbad (North San Diego County). This guy had a binder with EVERY receipt going back to 1999 in it. Reading through the last year’s worth of receipts was like doing a PPI. It checked out so we made a deal and I had a spirited and stressful drive home. After a year in, I have to say I LOVE the car. It's a completely different animal than my '70 911T so I'm not going to try to make any comparisons. I went water cooled because I'm not getting any younger and I wanted something that would have more creature comforts on a road trip while still being a blast to drive. So far, the 996 has fit the bill. Sorry for how long this post is. I realize now that I should have started a thread when I first bought the car and just added to it as I went along. How it looked the day i picked it up. On its first night in the garage, I put some fresh cardboard under the engine and transaxle and the next morning it looked like this. I don’t think I’ve ever owned a car that didn’t leak something . Some of the work done by the P/O in the last 8000 miles included: New oil pump O rings, resealed left valve cover. $450.00 New Interstate battery. $172.95 IMS bearing replaced with LN Engineering ceramic bearing, replaced AOS, replaced water pump, replaced thermostat, replaced coolant tank cap, replaced horn retaining ring, replaced deck lid shock, replaced radio *****, replaced wheel center caps, installed LN Engineering magnetic oil plug and spin on oil filter adapter, replaced RMS, replaced timing chain tensioners, replaced clutch throw-out bearing/ball pin/release lever, oil and filter change. $5,563.12 Check charging system, check brakes, replaced sparkplugs and sparkplug tubes/seals, oil and filter change, fix oil leak. $1093.31 Looking at all the receipts, it looks like he never went more than 4000 miles between oil changes. It also had brand new tires, as in less than 50 miles on them. Handbooks, leather oil pouch, leather sunglass case or maybe it’s for the stereo faceplate. Training VHS tape(?) and accessories catalogs along with a Welcome Aboard letter from the president. Apparently the only times it wasn’t garaged was during Monterey Week where it had this cover on it (top quality too). Some very expensive microfibers and some product. I don’t think the sunshade has ever been used. Halon extinguisher Three month old battery Binder with every receipt going back to 1999 Original window sticker The original old school credit card receipt from his deposit The binder also had covers from magazines that featured the 996 I’m hoping to do the majority of the work on it myself but it’s a little intimidating… Compared to my 1970 version Sliding the stereo out so I could install the Miniplug cable where the CD changer would normally plug in. I also put the warning triangle, oil bag, tire mobility kit and first aid kit in the frunk. I have no idea where they’re supposed to go, but they fit nicely like this. The wheels on the car were in amazing condition but the Twists just don't do it for me so I decided to go with the Sport Classic II. Starting on wheel disassembly. My wheel polishing guy in Logan Heights es no mas so I had to do it myself. This is an area where I FULLY support using local businesses but sheesh, I was getting some insane quotes. Just because someone is the country legally, doesn't mean they should price gouge. Busy weekend ahead. Exhaust upgrade(?) Exhaust finished pending some minor adjustment on the tips. Put the 'new' wheels on. Starting on some of the interior stuff. Installed the 997 shifter and a non-gray **** and gaiter. I also installed a USB charging port in the new black center console's storage compartment. I decided that I'm not going to do ANYTHING to this car that isn't 100% reversible so I used the cell phone option plug that is both switched and unswitched. With this pigtail from Becker Autosound, so no wiring hacks for the USB port. Installed the Sport Wheel and got rid of another gray item, which was nice. I bought the M030 ROW Sport Suspension and it was surprisingly cheap. A guy at work totalled his 997 3.6 that had a K&N Hot Air Intake� on it so he gave me his stock air box. Not only does it look a lot nicer, looking at the innards, it 'seems' much less restrictive air flow-wise. I also removed the Helmholtz box. So a few months ago, out of the blue, one of these Tequipment wings came up locally so I said, "what the hell?". I'm not sure how I feel about it. I kind of like the Q-Ship aspect of the retractable version. I don't care for any of the aftermarket wings and this IS the only factory one I like. Starting on the brakes and Sport Suspension. The links seemed fine so I just cleaned them up. The Sport suspension isn't a yuge drop but I'm hoping it will still 'settle' a bit.. The original brake hoses were hard as a rock. I also installed this factory engine skid plate thingy since the car is lower and here, the roads completely suck. Replaced the motor mounts With 993 RS mounts. Cleaned up the fan since it was out. I thought I had inspected the radiators pre purchase but after reading more stuff on the interwebs, I saw that there's no way to know what's in there without taking the bumper off. So I did. Pulled the ducting off. It wasn't horrible but I'm glad I went in. Separating the condenser from the rad. You've probably read/heard about the world's vanishing bumble bee problem. I found them... Driver's side. I also popped the black grill out of the bumper to see if it would clean up or if it needed a spray of SEM trim paint. It cleaned up fine. Coming off my experience with my e39 bumper, I made sure I had 500 Porsche plastic rivets on hand for the reinstall. I rerouted the Ipod cable through a hole I drilled in the console cubby. I also removed the CD storage thingy and installed the factory second cubby. I think I would use the CD storage more than the second cubby though. After finishing the day by cleaning the wheels, I realized I made a horrible mistake with my choice of brake pads. I bought the ones that stop the car instead of the low dust versions. I are an idiot. Somewhere in all that, I forgot to mention that I found a set of the wheels that I had REALLY wanted the whole time. BBS RS-GT. This is how it sits today.

Speechless. You have done one incredible job.

Inspiring. Thanks for sharing. That's the factory wing I want too but have yet to find one priced well.

Pretty incredible indeed. Awesome to see the transformation from bone stock to your own personal customization. Great looking wheels and I love that shifter.

wow…. so impressive! the committment paid off. car looks fantastic…

Thanks for sharing & congrats on a personalized, great-looking 996. Enjoy! p.s. some wheel spacers & drop links may add some looks & handling you'd appreciate

Great job! That's a boatload of work for 1 year of ownership - you're clearly obsessed!!!~

Great stuff! Do you have the part number for the pigtail you used to connect to the cell phone connector? Thanks

What a complete history you have provided and what a remarkable to do list you have accomplished in your first year of ownership. Welcome to the water cooled club.

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Thank you for all the kind words. Just to clarify, the items I mentioned in the beginning of the post that are followed by a price were done by the previous owner before my purchase. It is part # 5001.524. I bought it through their Ebay store here: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Porsche-AUX...-/252389052709

Looks great! I�m also thinking of going from the standard suspension to ROW M030. Those wheels look amazing.

Good job! Makes me wonder what's in my radiators now

very nicely done you touched all the items that a 996 needs, aside from the spoiler I took nearly the same path are your Classic wheels 8" & 10" ?, I've grown to like those, but they always seem to be 7.5" front I know they made 8" front, but never see them for sale

Your 99 looks amazing! Nice work. I have an 00 C2. I swapped suspension to the ROW M030. I did not notice that much of a drop (lowering) in the stance. Did you notice a difference? Also, what year is the airbox from? 997.1 ? Derek

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As I mentioned, I'm not 100% on the spoiler but I kept the original intact so if I go back, it's just four bolts and a plug. And yes, the front wheels are 7.5 I didn't notice much of a drop but I've only put about 30 miles on since the install. I'm hoping for a little more after I get some more miles on it. From everything I've read, there is only about 10mm drop with these though. The airbox is from a 997 3.6. I left the small hose on because I was worried about failing smog. I plugged it from below so it would look stock.

I'll repeat what other's have said...wow. Great thread documented by pics-awesome what you've done in a year!

Thanks for sharing! I moved from a 964 to a 966 last Fall and my 964 was sorted just right.... so I am slowly working on my to-do list. I think the new black interior components really look sharp and a major improvement too all gray. I also love your wheels! Great job on so many tasteful upgrades! Cheers, Trey

Nice car and a great find. Love that you are modifying it. So many stay stock from what I've noticed. I have to take my bumper off and clean my radiators. I can only imagine what's going on in there.

You have done very well indeed! I'm two years now into my 2002 Cab w/6 Speed manual and I feel like the luckiest guy on earth. These cars are SO MUCH FUN the mere words can't describe! Enjoy your beautiful machine! Bill

Beautiful. Effort and good humor. Beautiful result. Congrats.

Well done. How do you like the RS engine mounts? Did they add a noticeable amount of NVH?

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I haven't driven it that much since the install and so far, there doesn't seem to be any difference in NVH. I'm doing the last item on my upgrade list this weekend which was to replace the stock speakers. Theoretically after tomorrow, other than maintenance items, I'll just be driving and enjoying it. Out with the old... And in with the new...

You've taken a great car find to a whole new level! Between the original documentation and the improvements you've made this is one fantastic 996! Congratulations!

Great find and very nice to see a car like this go to a very OCD Porsche nut. The original owner should be very happy to know how well you are treating his baby......

As the title stated that was long! However was well worth the read, well done and congrats on an awesome car. ​​​​​I've got M030 and it doesn't drop much more than 10mm so next step is either lowering springs or coil overs.

Awesome find, awesome car, and awesome upgrades! You did an excellent job! Love the 1970 as well... That rear wing looks excellent, I think that was a good choice. Do you have the part number for that shifter assembly? I love the style of the **** so much more...need one! Chris

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Thanks again for all the positive comments everyone. My girlfriend would probably question the OCD analogy though. She thinks I'm a slob when it comes to housekeeping (i am). The shifter part number is: 997.424.010.00. Back in April of 2017, it was $226.35 from Sunset Porsche Parts in Oregon. The shift **** and gaiter were from a Ebay guy in Germany. It looks like the price has increased by $30.00 but they're still available. . https://www.ebay.com/itm/Porsche-Sch...c8TDe0nedkJvVQ

Thanks SoCal! The **** is what I was primarily looking for at the moment...I had looked and looked for something like this and never came across anything I liked until your post! Looks like a decent made product, guessing from what you have put on your car, it must be good. I think I will get one. Looks backlit, that may be interesting at night... Chriis

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Hey SoCal, I have those Sport Classic II's as well. Your pics got me wondering, Should I be routinely torquing the allen head bolts to make sure the rims are snug? What's the ft lbs? And is it ok to pull them apart just to clean them periodically?

[QUOTE=SoCal911t;14894320]Thanks again for all the positive comments everyone. My girlfriend would probably question the OCD analogy though. She thinks I'm a slob when it comes to housekeeping (i am). At least you,have your priorities straight, Porsche projects > housekeeping.

SoCal, It took me a few days to finish reading this!! Let me tell you, though, it was well worth it. This is good, quality RennList. I hope you keep up the posting and include us on the rest of your modding adventures.

Wow...Someone shares my OCDs. Bravo!

Great job! The car went from one enthusiast to another. Nice to see.

Congrats on the car and great job of documenting what you did. Thanks for sharing! BTW, I did the M030 ROW a few years ago. Mine never dropped at all after it settled in. Maybe about 10 mm total was it.

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10mm is what its rated for, it makes a bit of difference visually but not by much IMO. Next step would be springs or coil overs - which is what im planning for.

Or factory x74. It is quite a bit lower. I have it on my 2002 with GT3 control arms and it is low.

There's a great article in Panorama this month about a guy who went from an air-cooled 911 to a 996... good read, check it out https://www.pca.org/panorama/edition...ama-march-2018

Well I lied when I said I was done with all the maintenance stuff. I had forgotten about the transmission mount. I didn't do it last time the car was up in the air because the tool to R&R the mount was already rented out to another Rennlister. Member "dkraige" rents to the tool for a very reasonable fee and is great to work with. His tool rental thread is here. The kit with the new mount: Removing the original 1998 mount: Old mount next to the new one. The original mount was in great shape other than the rubber being really hard. New mount in: Cleaned up the belly pans before reinstallation even though no one can see them. Cleaned and painted the brackets even though no one can see them. All in all it wasn't a bad job at all. It would have gone a lot quicker and easier with a lift though.

Can you tell us about the mount? Is it a new stock mount with window weld? Or some other material added?

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It's Becker part 5001.524-276 I found it on EBay https://www.ebay.com/itm/Porsche-AUX...-/252389052709 Check with these guys http://www.beckerautosound.com/

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I actually covered that back on page one. lol, I was hoping nobody would bring it up. I did a lot of research about using one of the various pre-made inserts, versus filling, versus doing nothing at all. I decided a moderate two part mild durometer that I bought from from McMaster-Carr. I did a test mix following the instructions exactly and it went great. I then mixed a second batch to pour into the cavities of the new mount and after days, it still wouldn't cure/harden. I cleaned it all out and tried again with the same outcome. I was pissed by this time so I ended up just going with a high grade, high temp silicone (the red stuff) and called it good.

Thanks for sharing. I've contemplated similar, seems like the 3M window weld is favored by some, but the shore hardness is unclear to me. I've seen some two part urethane products designed for mounts that seem promising (and have a known shore hardness) that are not a ton more expensive that I've considered. I went with a Rennline street performance mount on my 2000, but am tempted to try something like this on my '02. Transmission mounts are cheap enough to experiment with ($63 for the last one I bought), and I have the same AGA tool that that guy rents out, so it is an easy project without removing the transmission from the car.

This weekend I did the garage door opener hack using the Targa switch. I used a 12v garage remote so I could hardwire it and not worry about changing batteries. One of the horseshoe trim side pieces had a broken tab so I got a couple of replacements from Ebay. The originals were gray on the bottom half and the replacements are black. The sea of gray interior reduced yet a little bit more . I also replaced the cigarette lighter with a USB charging port. The USB port is a little bright and busy so I may swap it for something more subtle. All my BMWs have aspherical mirrors and I've gotten to like them so I put one on the Porsche too. Went for a drive and broke 40k.

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Cool 996. Do you plan to do any work on it? (cue sarcasm emoji) I'd be interested in hearing about how you compare the driving experience of the 996 to the 911t. My favorite 911's to drive are the pre-'73 cars (especially the "e") and I feel like the 996 best captures the spirit of those early 70's and 60's 911s. Obviously the 996 is much more modern, but between the power steering and double the horsepower of the early 70's cars, it feels light on it's feet to me like the early cars. Curious to hear your thoughts on comparison of driving your 996 to your 1970 911t. PS: If you "quote" your first post just to grab the first sentence, it takes at least one minute of scrolling to delete the rest of the post (in case anybody was wondering )

Definitely, maybe a new post so I don�t hijack this thread. One correction to my post - my 911T was a 1972. I typed it wrong above. The 996 is so much better in lots of ways, but the 72 had a high fun factor - so much more like a go cart. I would love to have it back.

When I was looking for a 911, I originally wanted `78-`89. But it had been so long since I drove one that a friend encouraged me to go drive a few before really aggressively searching for a car. A local specialty dealer had several in stock. I drove two, an `84 that was supposedly "well sorted" and an excellent example, and I drove an `81 that needed some TLC. Both were over priced at $50 and $55k or so. The well sorted car drove like crap in my opinion. I don't know if it was not driving as intended, but it was not to my liking! I grinded 2nd twice and 1st once, and I was very well aware of how NOT to shift quickly with those trannys. The dealer was with me and I showed him exactly when I was clutching, shifting, etc. I'm sure he thought it was me. But aside from that, I hated the steering wheel position, the pedals were so awkward that I couldn't seem to fit my size 9.5 foot onto the clutch without hitting the surrounding areas, and overall, just wasn't pleased. Then I got into the second car, the one with much more cosmetic needs. It drove MUCH better! (No tranny problems, so :~P on the theory that I can't drive). The steering wheel position ratio to seat was better, and overall, I did enjoy it more. That is, until one of the wheels experienced a noise that turned out to be loose lug nuts!!! We limped it back to the dealership. Was this experience something I wanted to spend $50k on to repeat regularly? Then when back at the showroom, there was a 996 40th edition sitting there. Wow, was that nice! The color, the interior seemed SO much more modern, and I even loved those headlights. Mind you, my stable includes a `64 GTO, so I'm not afraid of old school driving experiences. The next day I took a different 996 for a drive and fell in love. About a month later I located my `99 and have enjoyed driving it ever since. It's only been a few months and a few hundred miles so far, but so far, I'm happy.

Just read through your thread and I really like the level of attention your giving your car. My work benches are often in shambles and I do my best to help my wife with housework (though never to her satisfaction) but I try to spend a little extra time on my cars to keep them sorted. A "simple" tranny mount swap would take days for the brackets to be cleaned and painted properly... Looking forward to your next adventures with the car!

Where did yoy get the M030 from ? I am looking to replace mine this year

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try Gert @ Carnewal in Belgium very reputable http://www.carnewal.com/products/996...for-US-996-C4S

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I got my kit from Sunset Porsche in Oregon but given your location, Fracture's suggestion is probably the way to go.

Wow, great thread, great car and inspiring work....thanks for sharing!

You inspire me and I too love my 996! So glad I strayed away from aircooled...

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Did you notice a big difference with the Focals? I have the base stereo and it sucks! I never turn on the radio.

Great thread, car looks really clean.

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They were a big improvement but if I had to do it over I would look for something cheaper than the Focals.

Since this thread was about an anniversary, I thought I'd mention another one. Tomorrow it will be 20 years to the day that the previous/original owner took delivery of my car. It looks like he put down a $40,000 down payment and financed $40,277 resulting in a monthly payment of $964.61. I don't remember what I was making in 1999 but I'm pretty sure a $900 car payment was out of the question. I was living in a tiny one bedroom dump with my girlfriend but the dump was two blocks from the beach and came with a garage AND a parking spot which was almost unheard of. I was driving a '75 914 and a '84 BMW 533i. Good times, good times... (the 914 is jacked up on the passenger side which is why the stance looks weird)

That is some good stuff. Thank you for sharing.

Cool thread. You hit the jackpot finding such a pampered example. Love the Sport Classic II wheels. The 996 is such an underrated car. I like and own air-cooled 911's but these cars really keep that spirit alive with just the right touch of modern refinement. Keep the photos (old and new) coming

Really enjoyed reading this thread! Which exact model of focals did you use? Did they need to be modded in any way? Just drop in?

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The rears are are model #100AC and IIRC, were plug and play. The fronts are ES 100K and I had to Dremel the mounting ears off. Also with the fronts, I bought some custom adapter rings from CAI-Store.com . I also bought adapter pigtails for both front and rear from Crutchfield. They are Metra #71-017C ' Speaker Wiring Harnesses '. It allows you to use the stock speaker plugs saving you from having to hack the stock wiring. In this pic on the lower left, you can see I'm getting ready to remove the ears from the front speakers. The tape is because the speaker frame is aluminum and I wanted to keep the shavings out. The adapter rings are shown lower right-ish with one sitting on the speaker grill and the other next to the tweeter. And here test fitting one on the grill.

It was 3 years ago today that I bought the 996 and brought it home. I'm still digging it more each time I drive it. Can't believe it's already been 3 years though. You Tube March 27, 2017.

Looks like you are an old school Pb guy?

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MB guy in college and then PB after graduation. Of course I was exiled to OB when I hit my 30th birthday as required by law.

LoL, I graduated to Crown Point. That whole area has sure changed so much over the last 20 years. Very much for the worse. I could only imagine how cool that place was in the 80’s and 90’s

Last weekend was the four year anniversary of my 996 purchase so I thought I'd update this thread for posterity with the last 12 months of stuff done to the car. I think I posted most of this in the 'What did you do to your 996 today?' thread so if you frequent that one, you've probably seen this already. Upgraded the engine mount washers from 34mm to 45.5mm per Porsche TSB 1/99-1035. Strut brace that makes no noticeable difference but looks cool. Swapped the very dusty Textar brake pads with less dusty Akebono pads. Swapped the security screws on the MAF with regular phillips head. While on a spirited drive, I threw some codes for a misfire. I couldn't find anything in my paperwork indicating that coil packs and plugs had ever been done so I replaced coil packs, spark plugs and plug tubes. I found that an arbor for a 1" drum sander worked best for removing the tubes. Replaced driver's side seatbelt receptacle to get rid of an airbag warning. Console delete. Oil change. Failed my biannual smog test so I put in new o2 sensors and a MAF to try and fix a lean running condition. It worked. Swapped the fixed wing engine lid with the original retractable wing version just for a change of pace. Bought a technically illegal plate that I'll put on as soon as my 2022 registration sticker gets here. Over the next 12 months I plan to install the UAOS, injectors and IMS Solution. Also, with Covid winding down, I want to get a few long distance roadtrips in.

Console delete is the best mod for the 996!

I'm late to the party but this is a fantastic write up! Well done, has been a great read this morning (work, who needs to do that?).

OP, amazing job and great maintenance, updating and personalization work. I like the overall OEM++ theme you went with. I'm glad this popped up as it's a perfect roadmap to follow, as I'm expecting a 996.1 myself soon.

Great writeup and keep the updates coming. (I do note you have similar taste in beverages to myself. If you haven't already tried Krombacher Dark it is great served cold. My local Total Wine has it. If you do buy, note the use-by date as it does not contain preservatives)

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What's the info on the safety strut you're using between the Essco stands? Looks like safety redundancy which is always welcome IMO. Great job over the years!

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I'm always into trying a new brew. The nearest Total Wine is in the next county and would be a 120 mile round trip so I'll check some other closer places. It's actually a lift bar I fabricated to work specifically with the Essco stands.

What a great idea! And excellent execution, very well made. Things like this make me sorry I never learned how to weld.

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It's not too late. I only took it up a few years ago after buying myself a welder as a Christmas present. I went to a local metal supply and just bought some random scraps from the bargain bin and started practicing. The first 7 practice welds.

Where did the classics end up? If you want to sell, let me know. Nice job.

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Is that a stick or a mig weld? I picked up a used stick and mig without the argon, and should learn sometime too. Also have a cutting torch tips and bottles too. Something I haven�t done since high school. Ie 86 or so.

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It's a Hobart MVP-210 MIG on a Harbor Fright cart. I didn't want to spend a ton of money since I don't weld that much but I didn't want something that was total crap either. The Hobart seemed like a good compromise. I was looking at the $100+ carts on Amazon but the only difference I could see from the $50 Harbor Fright version was a handle that I would have left off anyway. The only thing I didn't like was the hokie chain system that is supposed to hold the bottle to the cart. So the first thing I did was upgrade it. Now if the bottle goes over, everything goes with it. I sold the '70 911T about six years ago. It went through a full restoration after I sold it and is still in San Diego. I still have the two '80s BMWs.

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How do the new engine mount washers feel?

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I can't tell any difference whatsoever.

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I think that can be leaning towards the more positive outcomes I'm going to be replacing my engine mounts here soon, what made you swap the washers?