My 2001 C2 Ownership Thread

Hello, New to Rennlist & the Porsche world. This is my first Porsche and I wanted a place to log all of this car's story and what I do to this car under my ownership. I had been searching for the right 996.2 C2 for a few months when the opportunity to own this particular 911 fell into my lap. It wasn't at all my ideal spec and not a .2 car, but the cars history, maintenance, mods and PPI were all to good to pass up. Basics: 2 owner car before my purchase. I'm third owner. Clean Carfax, Original Paint 1st owner was in Florida, 2nd Owner only summer driven in On, Canada. Good Mods - I'll touch on that later. Good Maintenance - I'll touch on that later. 2001 911 C2 Black on Black Heated Sport Seats 3.4L with Manual trans 94,314kms Here a a few photos of the car which were sent to me. This was the first time I had ever seen pictures of the car (not in person). March 22nd 2024 I went to test drive and see this 911. I really liked the car and it felt great. So I setup to have a PPI Done and to have the Engine Scoped. Here's a few pictures I took that day. March 24th 2024 The PPI and Bore scope got done and the results came back pretty perfect besides a few small wearable items that were no surprise to me. So I started to process of purchasing this car. I also had the "Gundo" mod done to the factory mufflers before picking up the car as the car was too quiet during my initial test drive. I was hopeful it would hold over until I decided if I wanted to change exhaust components at a later date. I received these photos while the mufflers were out/ being installed. Had to replace two exhaust clamps re-installation of mufflers. April 8th 2024 was the day I picked up the car. Here are a few photos of the car when I picked it up.

How I purchased the car in regards to Mods & Maintenance Post Mods: Ohlins R&T Coilovers Numeric Shifter ICT Model 1 Alcantara Shift **** & Boot Smoked Hella Front bumper marker lamps Maintenance History: 65,909kms in May 2012 - Oil Change & Filter 69,274kms in May 2013 - Serpentine Belt Replaced 71,265kms in July 2013 - Oil Change & Filter 75,631kms in July 2014 - Oil Change & Filter, Brake Fluid Flushed and changed 82,571kms in Aug 2016 - Oil Change & Filter, Drain Plug Gasket Replaced 82,751kms in Nov 2016 - Alignment, Clutch Replaced, Rear crankshaft oil seal replaced, Brake Fluid flushed and changed, Sparkplugs tubs and seals replaced 92,876kms in Dec 2022 - Battery replaced, Oil change & filter, Brake fluid flushed and changed 94,158kms in Dec 2023 - Oil change & Filter I will drive the car for the summer as the oil was changed late 2023/ a few hundred km's before purchasing the car. I'll do an oil change this fall and check the oil filter to make sure that its clean. I have a number of receipts that were given to me when purchasing the car which is great. I've filed them away with my receipts/ spending's so far. I have the stock shifter which was left in the frunk of the car (bonus). I unfortunately didn't get the stock suspension, stock marker lights or stock shift ****.

Nice car. Factory heated sport seats are very uncommon.

Welcome to the club!

Quotes source posts: 19562948, 19563016

Thank you! Yes, I was also told by a few people that heated sport seats are uncommon. They are nice to have on the colder spring/ fall days! Thank you!

After picking up the 911, I got the car home that night and parked it out front. I had a few changes decided already upon seeing it for the first time. But overall I hadn't really spent time around the car to decide what I loved about it, what I disliked about it and how I wanted to change it to "make it mine". I decided to start with the paint. I've always disliked the .1 cars. As I had mentioned previously, I wanted a 996.2 C2 but the overall condition of this car was too good to pass on. The second thing that really made it not my ideal car was exterior color. I hate black on an exterior, The maintenance and upkeep of black paint drives me crazy. Especially on a black car with 90,000kms on it. A good friend of mine/ detail wizard and I made a plan. The Plan initially for the paint consisted of the following: - Repair & Refinish Front Bumper Cover (Stone blasted due to mileage). It looked great 15feet away, But It bugged me up close. - Repair Refinish Rear Bumper Cover (Crease/ Parking lot ding in plastic above the rear license plate light) Tried to tell myself I could leave it and live with it, But I couldn't. - Have my PDR Guy pull 6 small dents that I found on the car. - Remove partial PPF on hood & fenders. - Paint Correct entire rest of car/ get it the best it can be. So I started by removing the PPF. It has Original and horrible to get off. Steamer, Good Gone, Roll off eraser wheel... nothing took it off easily. I got it off, sanded the lower portion of the hood behind the old PPF in 3000grit so it was ready for paint correction.

I'm going to subscribe just to see where you go with a car you dislike in a color you hate. And, that tech is scoping the engine through the spark plug holes. Bore scoring starts at the bottom of the bore, closest to the crank. The right way to scope for it is by dropping the sump. If the scoring is pretty far along it will still show up at the top end, but that's news you don't want.

Quotes source post: 19564350

Haha thanks for subscribing! I love the 996�s but I was maybe too set on a .2 for the 3.6l and the newer front end styling. I�ll have to let it go! thanks for explaining that to me, scoring is definitely not news that I would want.

When I signed papers to purchase the car I ordered wheels/tires. The Michelin tires on the factory wheels had 2014 date codes. And I was excited to put a different set of wheels on it. I bought Apex EC7-RS�s in race silver. 18x9 +46 18x10.5 +44 Continental Extreme Sport Contact 02�s 255/40�s and 295/35�s

Took the bumpers off the car so I could start the prepping and refinishing process. put the new wheels and tires on and drove the car a few kms over to my friends house for the paint correction process to start. I had a week or so without the car to get the paintwork done. pictures of the car when he cleaned it. Then some during After it was ready to be picked up.corrected.

Looks like you got a pretty good car, even if some aspects weren't your first preference. I'll offer some unsolicited advice, having also settled for cars in the past that weren't exactly what I was looking for. Slow down on modifications and try to enjoy the car as it is for a while. I know that's hard with a new toy! Sure, take care of the cracking PPF, correct the paint, and do whatever maintenance it might need to be safe and enjoyable, like replacing those decade-old tires. But don't go too far down the rabbit hole and sink a ton costs into modifications. You won't get many of those costs back when you eventually find the right car, and mods may even turn off some potential buyers. I'd consider this a tasty appetizer and a chance to learn more about these cars while you continue your search.

I think I love the wheels. More pics please.

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I've been eyeing those for the targa when the time comes.

Quotes source posts: 19564939, 19565309

Thank you, I appreciate the advice and thanks for checking out the thread! I don't think I can drive anything stock though. I usually already have modifications and changes planned for a vehicle before taking ownership. So this car not being entirely planned before hand is strange. I'm not planning to do anything to this car that's not easily reversible to me. I keep all of my stock parts to return to stock if needed one day. Most of the modifications I've done so far will bring some/most of that money back. I'm already pretty far down the rabbit hole haha. I'll try my best to get this thread up date on where the car is currently over the next few weeks. I know the feeling, I'll get you some soon!

I always liked the look of 996 aero cars/ GT3's. I favored the .2 aero side skirts and .2 aero deck lid but really liked the styling of the .1 aero front bumper. So I started looking to collect these parts. 996.1 aero or gt3 front bumper cover. 996.2 side skirts 996.2 aero deck lid It didn't take long to find the 996.2 aero deckl lid and I've had this for a few months now! Scored if from a Rennlist member Maryland.

While I was waiting on the bumpers and parts to come back from refinishing I decided to tackle the ride height/ dampening adjustment. I forgot to mention that I added 7mm H&R Spacers to the front of the car, Helps with the sunken front fitment. Slightly rolled the front fenders too. Did a bunch of short drives around the block while making adjustments without bumpers! Car is getting good!

Got the bumpers back on. I ended up smoothing and color matching the rear bumperettes too. I also smooth and painted the front Hella bumper lights black. I may pick up a stock set of ambers as I like the stock ambers a lot, but these are good for now. They are still functional and light up when on as well.

Congrats on the car. Black looks looks great. 996.1 or 996.2, all good. If you haven't already, you may want to consider upgrading the following to bullet proof the engine before you get into too deep with the visual stuff. 1. Replace you water pump with a new oem pump. 2. Replace you AOS with the UAOS track version, even if you don't track your car. 3. Replace your IMSB with the LN Retro or Solution. These three items will help to prolong engine life and help to mitigate catastrophic failure. Easy to do and important to facilitate durability. In addition, you got alot of wheel width and tire meat in the front of your 996. Be careful canyon carving. You will have quite a bit of front end grip which is not what typically comes from the factory. Back end may be a bit squirelly. Not good or bad, just something you need to be aware of when you start putting the car thru its paces. You can adjust with the coilover and sway bar settings to balance it out. To eliminate oversteer you tighten the front and loosen the rear. To eliminate understeer you loosen the front and tighten the rear. Fatter tires up front have the same effect of increasing oversteer but to varying degrees in relation to suspension changes. It's a balancing act. Good luck with it and enjoy. Great car.

Nothing personal or against .2s but as a former 996 underappreciator I have now come to where I recognize the original .1 headlights and configuration for what they are and they are the bomb. Car is looking good, paint really improved. Nice work. What cambers are you running?

Quotes source posts: 19570087, 19570846

Thank you! -Water pump replacement wasn't on my radar, But now it is. - I've been looking into the UAOS. in my opinion it seems the be a no brainer compared to installing a new Genuine AOS. - My car has a LN Engineering IMS bearing done already. Previous owner did it with the RMS and Clutch replacement. I need to edit my previous post with maintenance items listed. I'll snap some pictures of the stickers located on the hood and door with the IMS replacement number. This car is serving as my enjoyable summer car. I'll be careful when pushing the car during spirted drives! Don't need any slip ups! Thanks for the info and checking out my thread. Its always great to learn! Thank you, I must say I'm already enjoying the .1 front end more and more now that I've had it for a few months. Its growing on me. front camber is at -2 degrees, rear camber is -2.4 degrees after getting an alignment.

Ordered a used pair of Genuine 996.2 aero kit side skirts from Ebay. They had damage and scuffs but the price reflected that. Since I had to refinish new or used skirts black if made sense for me to go this route. I had been looking for a Genuine used Aero Kit Bumper or GT3 bumper to purchase for a few months, but I hadn't had any luck. I priced them new from my local dealer, Suncoast, Rose Passion etc. etc. I couldn't stomach the price of New Genuine. After currency exchange rate from USD to Can, Shipping and Duty at the boarder it was insane. I ended up purchasing a new fiberglass replica 996.1 gt3 bumper cover and front lip. I was very hesitant up until the bumper and lip were delivered and un packaged. The company I purchased it from was Club Autosport LTD located in the UK. They were very easy to deal with, Very informative and I wouldn't hesitate to buy products from them again. The bumper and lip were exactly as described and overall I can't believe how good they fit. The only fitment issue that I have with the bumper is around the left and right side marker lights on each side by the fender. The marker lights fit bad (stick out quite a bit) but since the cars black it hides it quite well. I expected worse overall fitment given my history with aftermarket / fiberglass parts. Bumper and lip as it showed up from DHL. Unpackaged. I was really excited at this point! I had been working on getting the side skirts and deck lid ready & painted. I pulled the car off the road to install everything when the bumper showed up. I decided to install the deck lid and side skirts while fitting, prepping, priming and painting the cover. pictures of the side skirts and deck lid in the paint booth. I had some new parts show up too - 996.2 GT3 Deck lid Wing Shims - Aero kit side skirt mounting clips and bolts - Headlight washer delete caps. I decided to remove the headlight washers and cap the system while the bumper was coming off again. Now, when I was fitting the front bumper, the replica bumper wouldn't clear the factory 996.1 front rebar & absorber cushion. So I decided that I could shorten the rebar mounts and tuck the rebar in towards the front tub of the car. Not ideal, but I was committed to the replica bumper at this point. So I fitted it without the rebar on. pictured below. I didn't want to shorten my factory front rebar mounts (cut and weld) because I like to keep stock parts/ original parts. I priced buying replacements to cut up/ weld and they were over $200 each new. After some searching I found out that 996.1 gt3 mounts were similar and cheap. $43.00 each new. So I ordered two of those as well. Fitted the bumper and headlight washer caps! Also got a deal on a set of Tequipment tips. So I installed those too.

Club Autosport LTD has slightly recessed spots for if you want to drill license plate holes for the front plate to mount and another recessed spot if you want to install a front tow hook cap. I filled these recessed parts, I've decided to have no front plate holes or tow hook cap. I think trying to make a factory tow hook cap work properly on a aftermarket fiberglass bumper would be a lot of work. And it will look cleaner overall. Pulled the Bumper off to start blocking, sanding, priming etc. etc.I'll keep the pictures to a minimum but here was my process. Block sand it in 180gritt and then first 3 coats of black primer. Block sand primed bumper in 240gritt and re-prime 3 more coats of black primer. Hand sand bumper in 400gritt then wets and in 600gritt for final. Ready for sealer & paint. Put the front 996.1 GT3 mounts on with the stock 996.1 non gt3 rebar and measured how far I could cut them to tuck the rebar in. decided on 1-1/4 inch. This will give me the clearance I needed.

Fun thread with lots of great pictures - glad you are making lemonade out of your lemon! I see hints of the new wing in the deck lid - did you mount it yet or are you saving those pics for when it is locked down?

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Thanks for checking it out! Yes, the new deck lid assembly is on! It will be covered shortly in my next post.

Love build threads. This is going to look fantastic when done. Very much GT3 look happening. Im still a little torn on the .2 wing with the .1 but its all about what you like.

I got the car up on race ramps to install the rocker skirts. I installed the 996.2 Aero deck lid assembly at this point already too... More on that later. My wife decided to go away for the weekend with my daughter... which was a blessing because that meant I got to be selfish and just work on the car uninterrupted! I had a few friends come over and help me wrench and enjoy some drinks in the garage. My friend showed up in his new-ish to him Aston martin, Coilovers, Tune, Exhaust, HRE Classics etc etc. ..... What a fantastic car IMO. And here is the one horrible photo I took of it. And we got to work.... Got it together that night, backed if out of the garage the next morning. Please excuse how dirty it is. But I'm so happy with the results. Cleaned up photos to follow soon!

Quotes source post: 19586390

I Love build threads too. I'm happy I decided to document this car here! Thanks for checking it out! PS... I'm so jealous of your white paint and 3.8L Agreed, its all about personal preference! I think the finished product of .1/.2 aero together will convince you otherwise.

Now this thread is currently up to date. and this is how the car sits currently as of today 08/09/2024. Summary of the small exterior overhaul. Front Replica 996.1 GT3 bumper cover Front Replica 996.1 GT3 front lip Shortened Genuine 996.1 GT1 rebar mounts and stock 996.1 C2 rebar Genuine headlight washer delete caps. System capped off. Genuine 996.2 Aero Kit Side Skirts Genuine 996.2 Aero Kit Decklid Genuine 996.2 GT3 Wing shims - 8 Degree Genuine 996.1 Tequipment Tips Window Tint Removed Going to enjoy the car for the rest of the summer. I've got a few more mods I'm planning to do over the summer and then the winter months + some small maintenance items.... but I'm happy as is right now! Here's a few pictures cleaned up.

So just wanted to throw an update in this thread, as I purchased the car this spring. Updates: LN engineering IMs solution has been added. FVD Brombacher bypass pipe. Recaro Sportster GT seats the car will continue to live in well. I�ll try and toss some updates in this thread.

What are the offset on the rear wheels ? and tire size. Car looks great

Just checking back in. Few changes made: painted the brake calipers speed yellow as the black was faded and delaminated. Took the Apex wheels off and went with a set of Altermann 306 wheels, 18x8.5 and 18x11.

Nice wheels!

Wow! Those are sweet wheels, I�ll have to look into them