Purchasing a 996 C2, want to start modifying immediately..

I�ve narrowed down a few 996.2 C2s (used to have a .1) that I�m planning to go look at soon (I�ve been forced to shop online) and I know I�m going to mod the car quite a bit. I�ll start with doing all the maintenance items and make sure it�s all current. I�ll have a local Indy do IMS/ RMS. The first thing I�m going to do is suspension mods. I was looking at these coilovers: https://flatoutsuspension.net/products/996-st (edit: linked the wrong version) Would it be recommended to do sway bars too? Adjustable sway bar links? I also want to do muffler deletes and as it�s just a weekend toy, I�m not overly concerned with noise levels (I�ve listened to a ton of videos on YouTube and love the sound!). I�m thinking about just doing turbo twist wheels, just need to find tires; if y�all have any recommendations that�s be much appreciated. Last, I�m going to put a stereo in...nothing boomy, but I like and appreciate a good sound system. Probably Pioneer with CarPlay and some Hertz, Audison, or Focal speakers. I�ll do more as I progress with ownership. I plan to keep this car for a while and just enjoy it. I�m not a track guy, but I�ll probably do an autocross or track day just to stretch it�s legs. Once I pick the car up, I�ll post some pics! Glad to be here!

Never heard of Flat Out Suspension before, but a quick web search would probably answer your question. Looks like they are under new ownership as of 2020, so maybe changes are afoot from what the interwebs reveals. If you are on a budget I’d look at Feal for coilovers.

Ohlins R&T are a popular and high quality mod. Stay away from the cheap crap. OEM Porsche Euro-model M030 or X74 suspension is the holy grail, if you can find/afford it. On a budget +1 for Feal as mentioned above. Get a set of OEM 6-GT3 adjustable sway bars and use Tarett adjustable drop links. The sway bars come up in the classifieds or Ebay every so often. Oz wheels are popular on these cars and reasonably priced. Allegerita is the popular model. You can drive the front offset out quite a bit w/o rubbing especially if you add a little camber. 35 or 40 works. Stock is 53. Rear offset is fine as stock 63. Porsche Classic is coming out with a double DIN touch screen for the 996. Won't be cheap but will be top notch especially fit and finish. Look at DCT steering wheels. They modify the stock hub so you can retain the stock airbag. Full dislcosure I owned and highly modified a 2003 996 Carrera before selling it. Now own a 996 GT3 with many mods, all high budget (ugh).

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I actually did some reading after a buddy of mine got them for his Miata. He�s really impressed with them so far and had nothing but great things to say about their product and service. I�ve looked at Feal before and honestly it just looks like any other brand that just takes a generic shock body and puts parts on it depending on the application. I know it�s judging a book by its cover, but I don�t know, they look like everything else, just in their branded colors. On their site, they don�t even show their 996 coilovers, just some random picture. That�s a major turn-off for me. The one thing I liked about the Flatout coils was it has a KW look about it. The shock body is absolutely built for a Porsche. No bottom mount to adapt to the application. On my buddies Miata, you can tell they�re made specifically for a Miata. Looking at the pictures on their site (actual pics) and compared to others I�ve seen, the sway bar mount on the rear shock looks OEM vs a universal bracket. I don�t mind supporting smaller brands, you usually get better service than the bigger guys. Just my experience anyways.

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Yeah, I�m not one to buy cheap to have something now. I�ve looked at Ohlins, but I seem to recall having to swap top mounts, I�d rather have an all-inclusive. Feal is out, as said it�s no different than the cheap stuff but marked up. Thanks for the advice on the other stuff, I�ll definitely look into it!

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The Allegeritas look good on the 996 and are extremely light. The Apex SM-10s also are very interesting. Haven�t paid too much attention as I already have two sets of wheels, but good aggressive offsets available and look very good on the 996 IMHO.

I�ve always been a huge fan of BBS LM style wheels too.

Have Allegeritas and stereo with CarPlay. Both work great. .

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Feal are not exactly "cheap". My 441 were about $1,500. Very well built piece of kit. I am extremely happy with them. I don't think the things you stated as turn-offs are reflected in the reality of the actual product. Handling and ride quality are excellent. Not sure what more I need for the street. Possibly, if I were a hard core track guy, I might want something else or even one of their higher end models. Good luck with your build!

OP if you really want the Turbo Twists, there's a set in 996 NB widths & offsets in the Facebook Porsche 986&996 buy/sell/trade group for a pretty smokin price. Wheels appears to be in WI. No affiliation with seller, but a better price than any of the sets of 996 wheels I've bought and sold, so I wanted to pass it along.

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I�m in the group, I�ll take a look, thank you!

On second look they appear to be reps, not factory Turbo Twists. No width/offset on either side of the valve stem. Sorry for the false alarm!!

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I have a 996.1 C2 (2001) and have installed an H&R Street Performance coilover set with H&R sway bars and Tarett adjustable end links. Not the cheapest way to go but I am very happy with the set up. My local Indy did the install and did a full alignment and corner balancing, He also replaced any bushings that were worn out with OEM... I considered Powerflex but was put off by total cost and since I am not planning to track they car I think this was the sweet spot. I have KW v1's on my Audi and actually prefer the handling of the H&R's With a 996.2 you will probably have to deal with the MOST system and possibly a Bose amp/speakers... I did a full replacement with a Kenwood Carplay head unit, Focal 5 channel amp, with Focal component speakers in the dash and 6.5" woofers in the doors. I also bought a used Bose subwoofer box (fits perfectly in the footwell of my Cab) and modded it with a JL Audio 6.5" sub which I gotta say hits plenty hard and sounds amazing. It was a lot of work but I am very happy with the result. Definitely check out Car Audio Innovations ( www.cai-store.com ) if you are looking for ideas on configuring your system... Good luck with your mods - enjoy!

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How was the difference after your worn bushings were replaced with OEM? What specifically changed in the ride and handling? I have coilovers which make the car feel great, but I need to do some bushings, too. Thanks!

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Swapping the tops is easy. You can stock rubber mounts or get a set from Elephant Racing or Tarett. Pics in this thread (not mine): https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...l#post12220085

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It�s not the top swap I�m worried about, I just like the idea of having camber plates and spherical bearings.

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I have the camber plates and spherical bearings on my coilovers. All good, but those camber plates like on mine and the ones you are buying aren't the easiest to adjust on the 996. The strut tower has limited access to the bolts.

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I�ve had a bunch on euros, pretty typical. I just drop the shock from the top and adjust. You really only do it once, so not a huge hassle.

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Camber plates are great but your best way to get front camber is to shim out GT3 lower control arms which will widen the front track. Caster pucks in the LCAs are recommended to get the caster back to 8. You of course can use both together but my point is that if you are getting all your negative camber from top plates you are missing out on widening the front track which does a lot for front end stability.

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Yes you end up slotting the holes bigger and if the rebound adjustment is on the strut top you often have to cut out the center hole so you can retain access to it after adding negative camber.

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I had both done at the same time so it's hard for me to say which had the biggest impact. The most noticeable thing for me was the steering - the new coilovers plus the replaced bushings reduced the amount of vibration and play in the steering - it is so much better. I don't recall exactly which bushings were replaced, but there were some both front and rear. The other thing was noise - no more clunking or banging when going over bumps. Turns out one of my front shocks was leaking so replacing that made a big difference. What are you experiencing after doing just the coilovers?

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I'm experiencing a great handling 996, for the most part. I just wonder if I can't make it feel a little bit fresher/tighter. I don't really know if/what I'm missing, as I never drove a 996 in like new condition. Some slight mid-corner shimmy from the rear during highway ramp cornering... not too bad, though. A little bit of rear roughness over bumps and expansion joints, but still 10x better than the stock suspension. Steering feel is nice, but like I said, I don't know what I'm missing, if anything at all.

Recommendation: get bypass valves. Remove the stock exhaust and slide these in place with clamps. Best sound out of the flat 6 of this era I've heard at a fraction of the cost from a performance exhaust. Youtube clips don't do it justice but it sounds like a semi mild version of the 996 cup cars.

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I occasionally get the momentary rear shimmy too on hwy ramps. My guess is it is the orientation/distribution of the car's weight. OP: I think if you get coilovers, as long as it's a decent brand it will be night and day over 20 year old shocks. I've heard mixed reviews about the eibach sways... enough to go H&R which are pretty pricey ($1k for front and rear). Depending how low you go, you may want to look at adjustable arms for the front/rear to correct your alignment. I think it's been mentioned already, but most 996 folks adjust front camber by using shims on GT3 arms which widen the track VS a top plate adjustment. I find 996 aftermarket suspension parts are also expensive relative to other brands because there isn't much selection. Getting adjustable rear arms (upper and lower) as an example will be more than your coilovers...

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I would only lower 1-1.5� tops. I�m not into the whole stance thing, but favor a good capable setup. I think a lot of pricing comes from a blend of �Porsche tax� and actual quality. The option I linked is just under $1900 which I think is fair given quality, and spec. I�m always open to trying a lesser known a shot as you get more �attention� from the smaller brands. Also, maybe this is weird, but they don�t have a list of 2000 different applications, it seems they tend to specialize in select models. To me, it�s like a diner that offers a 26 page menu from salmon to tacos to spaghetti...and a steak house. You�re gonna get a better steak at a steakhouse. I�m excited to get moving on this. I�ll fit coilovers first and see if I need to compliment with other mods.

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I think you are doing the best first mod for a 996 and you will love it. The stock suspension is just not that great. I really began to enjoy the 996 once I put on the coilovers and dialed them in. It's a great platform that deserves an upgraded suspension.

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I�ve always had two things I won�t compromise on - great suspension and great stereo.

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I have upgraded speakers, an amp, and a 8 inch subwoofer in my 996. Sounds real good parked. At anything over 30 mph, it sounds like garbage.

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I find the 996 to be terrible with wind noise when the windows are down. I have the stock bose most system (with an iphone adapter) and have to crank it to hear anything. Windows up... I'm not a huge audiophile, but it sounds decent to me.