Can I convert a 99 Carrera 4 to 03 ??

Hi ! I wanted to know if I can convert the front of a 1999 Carrera 4, to the front of the 2003 911 Carrera, so, to the facelift (new lights, etc.) Also, which other changes exist on the facelifted model ? Thanks

Yes you can, there has been a few guys around that have it done ..You will need new fenders, new lights , new light trays, new front bumper....

Yes you can... run a search and you will find a decent amount of information... Also, speak with Eli from Pelican Parts if you are interested in the conversion. He's a great source for help and has everything you need. I will be doing the conversion this summer as well..

Do you guys think this would decrease or increase the resale value of the car, assuming it was a quality job? While I understand and accept that depreciation is the general rule for these cars, why accelerate it?

I am pretty sure that it will increase the value of the car. There is still quite a difference in price between the 99-01 to the 02-04 models. Please keep us posted about your progress.

a multitude of things changed in 02 for the 996 the biggest difference is probably the 320 horsepower 3.6 liter engine versus the old 3.4 also there are many small differences, subtle bumper reshaping front and rear, different lights, fenders to accomodate said lights as well as a very different front bumper. glovebox on the inside, different switches, horizontal cupholder beneath center air vent. what else hm, the list goes on and on, and many improvements under the skin as well. it may be more economical to just buy an 02

Why?

What he said ^

Oh no, did you just compare the S4 to the M3? Bad choice my friend. For starters the M3 is 1/2 second faster in 0-60 times and does it with a inline6 vs. a monsterV8. Not to mention the s4 starts off 400# more. Not even a good comparison. As for the car purchase. You would be better off (and close in total price) buying an 02+ instead of a 99 then trying to convert it. That is just plain dumb. Now if you already had the 99 for quite some time and loved the car, had little problems with it and just plain hard to part with, then the conversion is fine and justified. But to purchase the cheapest, most affordable 996 you can to try an convert it to a 02+ makes no sense unless $$$ is to tight and the 02+ is way out of your price range then you shouldn't even be looking to begin with. Not trying to rain on your parade, but just know that owning a P-Car doesn't stop at the intial purchase. There are a lot of maintenance costs and...........MODS! Like Surgeon said, why?

I know you asked Moogle, but I'll jump in on the M3 question....I have a lot of ownership/racing experience with them. If you're considering a 99 but possibly an 02, I'm sure you know there's a huge difference between them. The 99 would have a 240 HP motor with a 5 speed, and the 02 would have 333 HP with a 6 speed. The 99 is lighter, the 02 is just a bigger car. The general consensus seems to be that the E46 (02) is built more robustly than the E36 (99). I'd buy either before the S4. Fast car, but questionable long-term quality.

The cost to do the face lift is not worth it. You probably spend more money on the car plus the conversion than you would spend on a '02 model and be 20HP short. Having said that an '02 car would alway be worth more resale value than a '99 conversion. Do yourself a favor and save just a little more money or finance the difference if you really want that '02 look.

Hi there..... Just waiting to chime in and now here I go�� The conversion can be done, there is no question�. The question is how bad do you want it????? The body shop you use is really not a big deal in regards to �body-work� because there isn�t really anything you can screw up other than misaligning headlights, fenders or missing screws�. The wiring is very easy too�. What�s really holding up all the 996 & 986 drivers from doing this is the time and or the money�.. Most of use would like to get it done right and therefore hold off from doing this �if you�re one of the early owners��. I upgraded and the Aero Kit came out just nice�.. but I did the complete car over PAINT!!! I didn�t like the idea of mix and match with the old paint�. My paint alone was enough to buy a daily driver with but hey you only do this once�.. At least in my case�. Feel free to contact me directly for all the things you�ll need for your conversion and I�ll more than happy to assist you all the way through if you decide to go with the 996� BTW: The M3 also make a great �daily driver� and handles like no other car in it�s class IMO�. [email removed] -Eli

IMHO I prefer the original 996 lights; regardless of cost between the two models. As for "facelifting" these are right in that the cost to make an '01 indistinguishible from an '02 would run more than the difference in price between the two. Grant it a ragged out early-build '99 could most likely be found for 1/2 the price of a pristine, low mileage '02, but you'll be up against it trying to turn a ragged out '99 into a pristine vehicle anyway; lights will be the least of your cost-prohibitive issues. The 996s are already well out of production and will all look "old" before very long at all, regardless of which headlights they sport. The early 996 headlights always struck me as a bit "retro" for Porsche anyway, so I'm not complaining. I'm certainly not spending $15K on a headlight-conversion into a vehicle not even in production anymore! Just by the newest P-car you can afford and enjoy it!

$15,000 is not typical for the conversion.... If you do most of the work on your own you can really save some $$$$, but most will do a front end change at the same time (Aero, GT3, Turbo and etc.). Most also want to upgrade to Xenon.... If you do the work (outside of paint) on your own you can really save big!!!! I've actually lowered the cost of some of the conversion parts to help a bit.... -Eli

I got my whole car painted and clear coated the rear carbon wing by the Master of the Wide Body conversions.... This guy charges top dollar for his work..... One of his others customers "Vince" was just featured in European Car..... We were done just weeks apart.... http://europeancarweb.com/features/0503ec_996/ Like I said before: you don't have to go this far but I did..... Most good shops should only charge you between 1000-2000 for the front end work (The High end shops may charge 5-10K... It will differ from shop to shop (see some work before hand).... -Eli

Eli, just PM'ed you.

Got it .... sent it back... -Eli

There is only 1 way to answer your S4 to 911 question........ Drive it and you WILL buy it.

BoxterSer: You may want to reconsider the objective (i.e. application) of your purchase. It will help you in making your decision that much easier. If you need room and performance definitely go for an S4 or M3, if room is not an issue and high performance dynamics are the desire definitely go for a 911. Just keep in mind that what ever money you dump in upgrading the look of a car, you are not likely to see ever again. A buddy at my work just bought an '05 S4 (which it's probably the same as an '03 S4). I got to tell you it is a nice car, comfy, plenty of room (compared to a 911), two additional doors and at least 1000 lbs heavier. He went with a 42 month lease at about $550 US a month which includes all maintenance for the lease period (including brakes & oil changes). But IMHO it is no 911. And far from it... Several of us have driven it and we all feel it doesn't have enough punch at low rpm's, it feels front heavy, and it is not any way as nimble as my 911. The exhaust note is the biggest disappointment, you can hardly tell there is a nice V8 in the front. If money is tight but want to have some fun, try a boxster, or leasing a certified pre-owned 911. You will at least have warranty for the big ticket repairs, you'll keep money in your pocket, and have a blast like all the other lucky P-car owner's in this forum. My 2 centavos.

no way it will increase the value of the car first of all next buyer will be very suspicious why has been done.....

I don't know..... I'd be happy to purchase a 2002-2004 looking Porsche for the 1999 price..... IMO.... To each his own..... Is there any 2002-2004 driver who wouldn't purchase a 99-01 with the facelift if you're only option was to purchase a pre-01??? -Eli