996 Noob with questions about modifications to suspension, exhaust, shifter and seats

Hi Everyone, I recently purchased a stock '99 C2. This is my fourth Porsche. I anticipate doing some modifications and would like feedback from those who have done these. First on the list is suspension. I am considering the ROW M030 factory retrofit as well as H&R street coilovers. I am looking for a stiffer ride, more stability and better handling. I would also like to lower the car 20mm or so. Will the M030 set up achieve this? If I go the H&R route what other parts should I get? The H&R swaybars or the OEM equivalant? New motor mounts? I've traded PM's with a couple members and appreciate their feedback. For exhaust I am looking for a deeper sound similar to the PSE mufflers. I am considering the Fister D modified mufflers but have never heard them in person. How do folks like these? What other afordable options are available? I don't want to hack the stock mufflers in case I want to replace them at some point. My shifter seems less precise that I would like. What OEM options do folks prefer? I have the power comfort seats and cannot seem to get the drivers seat as low as I would like. I would like to drop it a couple of inches. Does anyone know how this can be done without replacing the seat? Finally, what are considered the optimal OEM wheels in terms of weight for these cars? Currently I have the solid turbo twists. I'd like to reduce weight but keep the OEM look. To date I have installed an Odyssey 925 battery and the GT2 console delete. Thanks for your input. Jim

My preference on wheels is the later carrera 2 lightweight wheels- they're the thin 5-spokes that came on 02+ carreras. They're reasonably light, and 8f 10r but if you autox or want a wider tire up front you can get the same style 9" from later year boxsters (rear) and run those up front for 9f 10r. I can't offer any firsthand advise on the other mods, however at least one ROW M030 swap I've seen didn't lower the car at all over original carrera springs.

The 987S/997 shifter is the simplest shifter upgrade for these cars ... shorter throws and more positive feel. You can often find them on eBay -- part # is 997.424.010.00 Past that there are several increasingly expensive options -- the GT3 shifter ($400-ish) is one and the Numeric Racing shifter ($700-ish) is another. My advice would be to try the 997 shifter first; if you don't like it, it'll be easy to sell it in the Rennlist classifieds and get something else. FWIW, mushy shifting performance on a 996 is often improved by replacing worn engine mounts. The stock OEM mounts aren't bad, but some people prefer a semi-solid mount like the Wevo, especially for autocross or occasional track use. I had the Torque Solutions semi-solid mounts, but found them too harsh for my cab. They would probably be fine in a coupe. The Fister mod is a popular way to get a better exhaust note. I have Fabspeed Maxflo mufflers, which I think sound great -- a little louder and throatier than stock. Some people complain that the Fabspeeds have a drone around 3,000 RPM, but I haven't noticed that.

My shifter seems less precise that I would like. What OEM options do folks prefer? https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-...-SUaAhjk8P8HAQ

Suspension - if you can - find a used X74. Exhaust - the Fister / Gundo hack is a great option Shifter - the OEM SSK is alright, the B&M SSK I found sloppy. The CAE was very cool - the Numeric Racing one is what I have and love... the others are a bit more money (CAE and NR)

I have a similar issue with the seat height on the sports seats. haven't yet found a solution other than a race seat or similar. for the engine mounts and suspension. I replaced mine with stock as it was a cab, really happy with the ride quality improvement. I was warned away from making the cab too firm for at the time UK roads. The shifter I went for the function first - shift right. its like a rifle bolt in precise action. Its on a 997 shift case which reduced shifting travel about 15-20%. For the muffler I went with a European brand and switchable, scart (French I think). I think it sounds amazing.

I have a 03 c4s. I narrowed my exhaust option to Milltek or Fabspeed. More than likely going with Fabspeed. AS for the shifter I went with a 997 upgrade from Suncoast Porsche which shortens the throw by 30 percent and is more precise and has more feel.

How many miles have you put on the car? If the answer is "not that many," don't do ANYTHING yet. I'm not trying to be a smartass here - but I will readily admit that I have removed nearly every performance-related mod I tried...and I tried a lot of them. Between my 986 and 996, I have run underdrive pulleys (on both cars), all manner of aftermarket intakes, cat deletes, various exhaust systems, motor mounts, oil system upgrades, etc. If you track the car, an underdrive pulley is the ONLY performance mod I recommend right now.* As far as non-performance mods, semi-solid motor mounts is the only item I'd consider essential. Others will disagree. If you have money burning a hole, addressing any outstanding 996 deferred maintenance items (coolant tank, coolant cap, AOS, IMSB, RMS (although I don't personally care about this if it's only occasionally dripping oil), coil packs (if they're cracked), clearing the drains, verifying that the tires are appropriately new (based on production date, not appearance), cleaning collected oil from the intake, checking the valve cover (a notorious spot for leaks), etc. etc. etc. Congrats on the purchase. Where are the pics? *I don't consider oiling upgrades to be performance mods. If you're gonna track the car, and you have oiling mods in mind, do those first.

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I have this available, as well as the OEM 997 SSK short shift kit, both are in the classified ads. https://rennlist.com/forums/parts-ma...2-carrera.html Let me know if interested via PM. Thank you, Onefastviking

We offer a switched valved muffler set with key fob remote and a non-valved sport muffler for the 996. Both offer a deeper, louder sound over OEM. They make for a great sounding car. Combine them with our X-Pipe to really transform the sound. More can be seen on our web site and learned from our customer testimonials. Rennlist member discounts, too...

Thanks for all the replies! I am familiar with semi sold engine mounts. I have Wevo's on my 993 and 964. I'm leaning toward the GT3 shifter as my son just put this on his '99 that was purchased in February. I purchased my car two weeks after he bought his. It was the first one that I looked at and I could not pass it up. These cars are a tremendous bargin right now. This one is clean and has no delayed maintenance issues. Here are a few photos taken when I first saw the car, at home in the rain next to my son and daughter-in-law's 996 and tucked away underneath it's older brother. 5CHN3LL, thanks for your sound advice. I've put about 1500 miles on the car but have not had an opportunity to really open it up. Thanks everyone! Jim

Congrats! I'd love a lift like that in my garage! Wish I had the upwards room! Lucky you! Looks like a matched pair package of air cooled and water cooled driving bliss!

Car looks very clean! How many miles on it?

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Hi Jim. I have the M030 suspension with the US ride height. It is very stiff around town, but keeps the car very stable at high speeds and on the track. The ROW version will give you the lowered ride height. As for the shifter, I agree the stock one lacks some precision. I went with the Function First 997 shifter - a very nice upgrade with better feel and slightly shorter throw. Exhaust is a very personal choice. I love the raw wail from my catless PSE, but I'm sure it's not to everyone's taste. IMO the OEM stock exhaust is just too quiet. Pick one and go for it. I did mine with a custom ECU tune. Porsche offered lowered sport seats as an option. They have manual fore-aft adjustment with powered back. Might be worth looking for a pair of these used, though they are probably rare. I have them in my car, but I may go to race seats eventually. Wheels - yea, I also have the solid turbo twist II. Maybe my next upgrade. Anyhow, enjoy your 996. I love every minute in mine!

Hey there Jim, Little bit of input: - 996 Carrera 5 spokes would be my wheel advice (with new tyres if yours are over 6 years old - very important) - 997 standard shifter is the best value but the numeric has the best reviews if you want to spend the money - Underdrive pulley is a good upgrade so is an IPD plennum - Plenty of muffler options Keep us updated on what you install!

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Hey Jim, congrats on picking up the C2! There are definitely some upgrades you can do to meet your goals, and I'd like offer up some thoughts. Suspension: The X74 package is pretty excellent for OEM, but the HR coilovers will give you more adjustability to fine tune the overall look you are going for with the drop. Sway bars/drop links are also underrated for tightening up and adjusting the stability and rotation of the car. I'm a bit partial to Tarett myself when it comes to those. Exhaust: Obviously Fabspeed But in all serious, I feel our Maxflos would meet your goals for a deeper/throatier/sportier exhaust note. All my clients with street driven vehicles love them, and they leave some room for additional aggressiveness on throttle if you choose to free up the catalytic converters, yet remain comfortable at cruising speeds. Shifter: I've drive plenty, and only one stands out above the rest... Numeric Racing . Its like shifting the smoothest bolt-action rifle you've ever cycled. So good that it made my Cayman R feel like I was shifting a dump truck on the way home so I ordered one personally and I CANNOT wait for it to show up! Seats/Wheels: Not a factory option I enjoy for either so I can't lend much insight there, I think the Recaro Sportster CS are nice aftermarket options for the seats. For the wheels, I'm a huge fan of the Signature fully forged wheels as you can't get better integrity and finish for the pricepoint. Being fully forged they are lighter than any factory wheel and they start at $3500 for a set of 18s, which is half the cost of most everyone else out there and its not from lesser quality I can tell you that. I like their SV104s, really slick looking wheels. Shooting you over a PM too, perhaps we can chat more in depth about your upgrades as it would be great to work with you

Thanks everyone! Jaetee, the lift was actually my first upgrade after I bought the car. I 'justified' the purchase by thinking of it as an extra parking place. It's been a wonderful addition for working our our four cars. I have the 993 and silver 996. My son has the 964 and daughter in law has the blue 996. We had all of them on the lift and done work on them. The only downside is that I have only driven the 993 once since I put the lift in March. I went with the standard BendPak HD-9 with the runners set to the narrow setting. How much height do you have available? You can make this lift work with two 911's if you have 10 feet high ceilings and the garage door is not in the way. Nckwrer, the car has 65K on the clock. It was essentially flawless with one stone chip on the hood. I drove the seller home from the title company where we finalized the paperwork and a piece of plastic debris flew off a truck and bounced across the hood. Due to the mishap it now has it's first few scratches and dings under my watch. The car is bone dry underneath, all maintenance was up to date with records and it passed a dealer multipoint inspection (PPI) with flying colors. Tires were new. the only recommendation was new shocks for the front hood. Honestly this car was like new. Triple Black, thanks for your advice. Either the suspension or the exhaust will be my first project. I'm leaning toward the suspension as it's something that hopefully my son and I can do with both 996's and will likely give us the best value. I hope to lower it 20mm all around. Dan and John, Thank you. I'll respond in a subsequent reply. I actually wrote this reply yesterday morning and ran out of time before posting. I'll have more time over the weekend. Jim