Winter Projects Completed followed by Road Trip

First, a big thank you to thedeckman (phenix engineering) and my friend Rick for assisting in all the work. HUGE help. In brief, after replacing my AOS with a factory replacement, I had noticed an uptick in oil consumption. I was constantly needing to add oil, especially after a spirited drive. For whatever reason, it had not occurred to me that the AOS might have something to do with it. After swapping exhausts, and deleting the cats, I went for a spirited drive with some friends. Thedeckman stated that he smelled oil coming from my car, especially on hard deceleration. That resulted in a project that went from one thing to another. We first started by getting the car on the lift to examine what was going on. The AOS had clearly failed and oil was seeping out from it. A bore scope was completed and the bores looked good, and it appeared as if the engine had been sleeved at some point. Thedeckman observed that the engine had clearly been apart at some point. This was all good news, and clearly pointed back to the AOS. But, as with everything, why just change that? We also observed that my alignment was all sorts of messed up, as the left rear adjustment was frozen in place, with the right rear wheel pointed to the center of the car. This was probably why I always had inside wear on the right rear tire. Additionally, the front LCA bolt was corroded and frozen in place. As I already had Phenix Engineering solid Bushings in the rear, we decided to just replace the front LCAs and replace the bushings with Phenix engineering bushings. So, as with any project, one thing lead to another. Things that were added over the winder: 1. Skip's UAOS (highly recommended) https://ultimateaos.com/ 2. RSS Engine Mounts https://roadsportsupply.com/ 3. RSS Roll Bar 4. 997 Shifter with Phenix Engineering bushings https://phenixengineering.com/shop/p...t-bushing-kit/ 5. Phenix Engineering adjustable tow links https://phenixengineering.com/shop/g...rear-tie-rods/ 6. Phenix Engineering front LCA bushings https://phenixengineering.com/shop/g...shing-kit-f-r/ 7. Front center radiator https://www.ecstuning.com/b-assembled-by-ecs-parts/center-radiator-kit-for-cars-with-manual-transmission/99610603751kt2/ 8. LN Low temp Thermostat https://lnengineering.com/products/1...e-install.html 9. LN .5 Quart Deep Sump kit https://lnengineering.com/bilt-racin...nsion-kit.html 10. New OEM water pump 11. Rennline Strut Tower Brace https://www.rennline.com/Rennline-St...ductinfo/SB62/ 12. Rennline Screens 13. Lighter/smaller battery 14. Spark Plugs/O2 sensors/chains/guides/tensioners - during the inspection of the oil pan, observed bits of time chain guide plastic. No metal observed. I had also been hearing chain slap on start up, so figured it was a good time to just go through it. 15. 14mm front spacers to make the wheels more flush. I think that's about it. Here are some pictures of the work: I ended up picking up a 2001 Audi D2 S8 during the project. 85k original miles, full alcantara, GPS, solar sunroof. Cool car. I've always wanted one after seeing the movie Ronin. The front right control arm was so bad that we ended up milling it out of the subframe. Many beers were consumed over the ongoing project . . . .

The AOS Incredible product. High level of fit/finish. Highly recommended. Replacing with an OEM AOS simply should never be an option. 997 shifter with bushings vs 996 OEM. For the money, hard to beat. I found the 997 Shifter on ebay for around 125 bucks, and the bushings were around 70 bucks. MASSIVE improvement over stock. Chain guides: Center Radiator:

After completing all the suspension jobs, the car clearly had to be aligned. I did forget to mention, but since I first purchased the car, I've always noticed tire dust on the rear bumper. This was all due to the frozen suspension bits we finally replaced over the winter. Now it has a proper alignment for once. It was aligned to 2004 GT3 sport spec. A couple shots from the day it was aligned. Taken before a lot of the other work, like the center radiator.

After completing nearly all the jobs, with the exception of the grill screens, we did approximately 350 miles on the car to test everything out. I was very pleased to see that the exhaust tips were no longer sooty. I no longer saw any tire dust on the rear bumper. The car was also running slightly cooler than before. Actually, the car was amazing. All the little jobs really added up overall. Way more responsive and nimble than ever before. It really feels light on its feet. So after the 350ish miles of testing, I decided to take it on a week long road trip. On Monday April 12, my fianc� came home from work around 2 pm, and we just packed a few bags and went for a drive The goal was to never use a highway. The drive ended up being five days long and covered 860 miles. We left the house and went north to Keene, NH. We ate at a little tavern in the center of Town, and then continued north. Our next stop was in Portland, ME, where we stayed the night. After Portland, we woke up and headed to Bar Harbor. We ended up finding a cool little Inn in the center of Town. It was actually great travelling to ME in the off season, as the Inns all had vacancy and were pretty cheap. The only bad thing on the entire trip was that a lot of things were not open, including Acadia National Park. After Bar Harbor, we stayed the next day in Bath, ME. My buddy, who built my CJ7, lived nearby and we got to check out his new house. I highly recommend checking out Camden, Rockland, and Rockport. Great driving roads and a lot of places to check out. The following day, we went to Kennebunkport and stayed the night. Also a great place to check out. At it was more touristy, there were some places actually open that we could check out, like the Kennebunkport Brewing Company. In short, it was an amazing time and highly recommended. The car performed great. The coolant level never dropped and I didn't burn any oil at all. It actually made for a great little road trip car. We took plenty of paper maps and charted out our drive as we went, highlighting the roads we needed to hit again in the future. The only thing bad was that the weather on Friday was not great. My tires were a little worn before all the work was completed, and after 1200 ish miles, the rears were smoked. So, a wintery mix drive home on Friday was not enjoyable. But, overall, a great time. I just wanted to share the progress on the car and the little week long trip. Here area some pictures from the drive:

Some more pictures: From Kennebunkport Brewing Company: From a place we had lunch in Camden, ME. The picture with the boats is at the Hinckley Factory. Pretty cool place to check out: https://www.hinckleyyachts.com/ I definitely needed to get some new tires after the trip. The rears were smoked. I knew they were worn when the car was on the lift getting work done, but 1200 ish miles really hammered the rears. So new Ultrac Vorti Rs. I know they aren't Michelins, but I've actually been really happy with them. I'm not a trackday racer, and for the spirited local driving I do, they have been just fine. https://www.vredestein.com/car-suv-v...ultrac-vorti-r After just about 860 miles, the car was running nice and cool.

Fantastic story, car and photos! Makes me happy to see people actually use their cars. It's quite surprising how well these 996s are on longer trips. The ride is just right and you always have the option and joy of taking some more fun less travelled roads. I have a wedding to go to in Hudson / Catskill, NY area and am planning to drive up from DC skipping as much of highways as possible. Also, the car looks perfect to me. OEM+ and how it should have come from factory with those wheels. Well done. I recently installed the UAOS - fantastic product. What was your oil consumption like before and after? I'm seeing about a quart per 1000 miles, give or take a bit depending on my driving. Hoping this will cure it for me too! :|

Great pictures Pat Its always nice when a plan comes together and you get to enjoy the car for what it was designed to do! Take down miles!

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I was definitely over a quart. I would add oil after nearly every spirited drive. I wished I was more accurate, but it was a fair amount. I was always adding a gulp or two of oil. And thedeckman would make fun of me because I was always re-polishing the sooty exhaust tips. I haven't burned a drop of oil in probably 1400 miles now. I just checked the dipstick and it was right where it was when I left for Maine. My exhaust tips also are still perfectly fine. And since the new engine mounts, they actually line up where they should.

Great writeup and pictures! The wheels work really well on a silver 996. Good stuff all around.

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Thanks - appreciate the feedback! And I just did my engine mounts the other day too (RS engine mounts) so definitely know what you mean.

Planning another road trip the end of this month. We might hit Montreal this time around. Just did some more work to the car. Trans bushing, oil, retrofit labs headlights, some interior changes, and a good overall. My friend had the GT3 center delete and gave it to me for nothing. So I added some black contrast bits. It made a bigger change than I expected. I also added a rennline phone mount. Despite loosing the storage bins, I like the system much more. I had only used the bins for my phone, so this seems to work much better overall. Plus, the delete seemingly adds way more space. My friend Rick did the work. I bought this tool. It worked great. https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/por...-tool-cta-2303 I bought the parking light LED and the Philips Extreme. A very nice difference. https://retrofitlab.com/collections/...xenon-retrofit You Tube Before: After: I did have a black center console, but it ended up being broken and in poor shape, so I didn�t end up using it. The phone mount: https://www.pelicanparts.com/More_In...xoCfjsQAvD_BwE Should be a fun trip.

@diddy2003 what a lovely car! Mines a 2001 .1 with about 97600 miles, I'll definitely roll over the 100k soon. Thanks for sharing your photos and the road trip info. I'm headed north on i40 from Wilmington NC to Nova Scotia on Monday. I had planned on 4 days. Overnight in philly, a day at the simeoni museum (might do this on the way back in May. Or both times). Night 2 in Bangor or bar harbor, then to my destination on day 3/4. But your mention of the roads around Acadia and other non interstate drives has me thinking. In prep for the trip I've mounted new ExtremeContact DWS06 (it might get cold again, on fact it looks like it, so summers are out). New rads, I did not add center, it's a road car. New front strut top mounts, OEM reservoir and brackets, OEM water pump and low temp thermostat. While in the there my Indy found a soon to fail major hose, so I may have dodged a bullet. Fresh alignment of course, a few weeks ago had an oil change fresh motul 5w40. Dropped the sump and scoped. Thankfully, only a very small patch where the coating is lightly worn, dead at the bottom of cyl6. Replaced the sump baffle with the latest 997 part as well. I'm good to go, suspension is all fresh OEM and at stock ride height on gasp! 17s. I'm a contrarian I guess, I like the mild dentist car look, as I've mentioned before. I had plastidipped my twists black, but on the rears it did not survive the new tires mounting. So I peeled the fronts as well, back to silver, mine are pretty rough. When I get back I'm going to get them refurbished and also order new wheels with summers. My list of things to do to Savannah is dwindling in proportion to the contents of my wallet. Ah well, she brings me joy, you have to do things for yourself right? Soon I'll be doing the UAOS, oil cooler, refurbishing the starter, fresh injectors and a few other things as well, later this year. For now though, drive it and smile😎. I can't guarantee great photos like yours, but I'll give it a shot. Oh one of the first things I did was fit RFL headlight kit and led'd all the other things. Night driving is so much less daunting with good beams! Safe travels to you!

Looks great! What buckets are those?

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Sorry for the delay. Work has been very busy. Your trip is probably over, and I hope it went well for you. I leave tomorrow. One of the more important things I have learned to bring on a road trip are actual paper maps. A good portion of my last trip had zero cell service. For that reason, I spent some time looking for good maps to keep in the car. My fianc� takes notes as we drive and which roads we like. She either highlights the road or marks which ones we like. Also, we generally come up with a section of road to explore at each food break. Sometimes, if we end up at a cool spot, we stay and check it out. Kennebunkport was like that. We were driving through and realized all the cool stuff to check out. So, we ended up hitting the brewery and getting a room at the hotel on the water. Regarding tires, I have different tires on the car now. Nitto NT 555 G2. 235/35 19 and 305/30 19. They have been awesome so far. Very compliant, quiet, and comfortable. I have zero track time with them, but they have been great on the street with plenty of grip. I will post pictures as we go. Starting tomorrow. Might head to Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, or even Canada. Maybe all of them. I will say that the headlights make a HUGE difference. I am happy I added them before the trip. A very dramatic and noticeable difference from the old OEM lights. The high beams are insane. The projector is both high and low with the kit, plus the OEM high beam, so very bright.

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They are early OEM GT3 996 buckets with embroidered logos. Here is an older picture after first putting them in. Picture from last Friday. A post maintenance shake down drive to Automobile Associates in Canton CT. Was prob 97 degrees out.

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Google Maps lets you downoad static maps onto your device. They can cover a considerable amount of territory; for example all of New England is doable. When cell service is lost there is still GPS. This way you will still have a map and Google Maps can guide you. You do lose realtime data, but if you're that far out it probably isn't important. I set up and download maps of my target area just before leaving on a trip so they're as current as possible.

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Yes, but I do find the paper maps rewarding. Plus, she enjoys finding roads as the co-pilot. On a side note, my job requires me to be on call nearly 24/7, so I am greatly looking forward to turning the stupid thing off for a week. Just washed the car and zeroed out the trip odo. Leaving on a perfect weather day, so hopefully that continues. I had to deal with multiple downpours and even a snow storm last time, which was one of the sketchiest drives I've ever had.

Do you still hear chain slap on cold starts? I�m doing nearly the same job as you, hoping that resolved it.

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Nope. All gone. Only time I hear anything is after winter storage, because it�s been sitting for months. Same thing happens with the S8. Just left. Already made it to Keene, NH.

We got back yesterday, Friday, 4/29, at approximately 9 pm. 1178 total miles. Zero plan. A completely 'fly by the seat of your pants' trip. We would typically google places to eat at noon and a place to spend the night around 6pm. It works in the off season, but doubt that possible in the summer. The dark line was the route we took. The rennline phone mount was actually great. We used a combination of Waze and the paper map to follow along. Waze was also great because I could generally see the road layout ahead and if there were any reported issues. This was especially important on the first day commute to Freeport. More on that later, but it helped to notify us of approximately 10 police officers ahead. We ended up taking a nice leisurely drive at that point. We left and made it to Freeport in the evening. The next day we explored the little town. A lot of little shops. Then we headed east to Wolf's Neck State Park. After that, we went north to Brunswick. Found a great little brewery at the airport. Then we checked out this very cool little old fort. Fort Popham. Well worth the trip. The road to it was like a roller coaster. A great little drive. Then we found this cool sculpture where destroyers are still being manufactured.

From there, East Boothbay From there we ended up at a very famous house used by Andrew Wyeth in many famous paintings. Olson House (Cushing, Maine) - Wikipedia Christina's World - Wikipedia After that, Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. I highly recommend Primrose Inn. Bar Harbor is not bad in the off season to find a place but apparently millions of people visit in the summer. The inn keeper, and part owner I think, Brandon, is a big car guy. He owns a Maserati and a, new to him, Gallardo SE. A very cool car that sounds incredible. The inn was amazing. Highly recommended. The national park roads were new pavement and there was no one around. It was amazing. This is from Mt. Battie, which overlooks Camden.

From Schoodic Peninsula We then found this old cool garage in Deer Isle. I couldn't pass up a picture opportunity with the Pegasus. From there, we were looking for a tavern for lunch. I randomly searched for places and found a great inn/tavern in Searspoint. Owned by a big time 911 guy. He used to own a 2005 GT3 race car. If in the area, check out Homeport Inn/Tavern. I walked into the tavern and sat down. Within less than one minute, he walked over and asked "is that your 996?" I knew immediately he was a 911 guy. Not only did he see the car, he knew the generation. We ended up hanging out for hours. Talking all things 911. Early on in the conversation, he told me about the GT3. The original owner purchased it only for racing. The car had never been registered and it was an arctic silver 996GT3, which I knew they didn't make many of. The owner, Arnaud, then began to tell me of all the things the original owner did to make it track dedicated. My head exploded. The car was seriously built for the job, as the original owner spent an additional nearly $100k on racing modifications after buying the car. Arnaud then showed me some pictures of it: Arnaud used to live in Massachusetts and tracked the car at Lime Rock and Palmer. I just laughed, as we were meeting each other in the middle of nowhere Maine, but he used to track the car at Palmer, which is 30 minutes from my house, and I am at Lime Rock maybe 5+ times a year. Too funny. My jaw dropped. Such a cool car. He chose the martini livery, which was based off the 2013 race team livery. I can't remember the full details, as I was killing some of his fancy amazing cocktails at that point, but he mentioned that he still had the wheels for the GT3 and would sell them. I had seen the pictures only briefly, and heard a bit about the car, but I immediately asked if they were E88s? He couldn't remember, but the wheels were in the basement of the Inn, which was right near where I was sitting. I couldn't believe it. As he was pretty busy with customers, we waited for a bit until he was ready to bring me to the basement to check out the wheels. After a little time, when things slowed down, we entered the basement of this old ship captain's residence. The basement was cool all by itself, with all sorts of interesting artifacts everywhere. He took me to the far back corner, moved some boxes, and uncovered a set of BBS E88s. Again, my jaw dropped. I also, as fast as I could say it, told him "I will take the wheels." Talk about a MASSIVE score. Although the vacation just became way more expensive, I couldn't be happier. The wheels still had some unused Hoosier slicks, but too old for use. He had to sell the GT3 to help pay for the Inn, and I knew he missed it greatly. Apparently it was sold to a fairly local man that still tracks the car at Lime Rock and Palmer. I will definitely be looking for it. The next morning we swapped cars and I drove his 997 and he drove my 996. On PSS10s, GT3 sway bars and with a numeric shifter. The shifter was amazing. I could immediately feel the effects of sway bars and Tarett drop links. The car was incredibly planted. He loved my car, with a grin from ear to ear. Although my car could never compare to his GT3 race car, he said that it reminded him of it. That was a big enough compliment to me. I've never tried to make my car a GT3, or even a clone. I've only tried to make it a Porsche plus 1 or plus 2. To turn up the volume button a bit from how it came from the factory. The experience was amazing. Again, I highly recommend it. Bring your 911s and prepare yourselves for car stories with great drinks and incredible food.

Damariscotta Rockport Wiscasset Boothbay A great trip and a great drive. We took hundreds of pictures. I could tell stories about every day. It was definitely worth it and it was a fun adventure. The seats were WAY better than I would have expected for such a mission. All day comfortable. The center delete also adds just a little more space, but its very noticeable. I had more room to move my legs. I used to get numbness in my right leg during long drives and I didn't have a single issue on the road trip. The headlights are very worth it. They weren't cheap, but the drive up to Maine in the dark showed just how much they improved things. The high beams are amazing. I saw a few deer off the side of the road. I didn't think the OEM headlights were bad, but they are amazing now. Bright modern headlights definitely make a difference.

That must have been a fantastic trip !! Thanks for sharing the details......

Great pics, thanks for sharing!

What a trip you had! Thanks for sharing those great photos as well👍

Thank you. A great trip. It was definitely fun to pack the trunk and leave the house with not a single plan, just a destination. I added some car guy details and some pictures. On the way back I looked down and saw that I was at 995 miles, so I had to take a picture of this: In NH, we checked out this pretty cool distillery. I just entered "distillery" in google maps and picked this place. It ended up being way more impressive than I could have expected. Flag Hill Distillery. It is a winery and a distillery. They hold events there, like weddings, and there are trails all throughout the grounds. It was a pretty cool spot. I could go on and on about all the random breweries, restaurants, and places we explored, but that would take forever. We made it back in one piece and the car performed great.

Great pictures and story! Might have to join next years trip, could use a good vacation!

+1 - awesome pictures, story, and winter projects! Looking forward to taking my own 996.1 aero up to Boothbay sometime this summer (based in Boston). Taking down notes on your retrofitlab headlight experience as well. I'll be sanding/polishing/sealing my stock ones soon, which should help a little but I'd appreciate a lot more light than they give me.

Awesome adventure. Good pics. Car looks great!

Epic roadtrip! Enjoy for many miles

Just got them today in the mail. After a 2 min wash and wipe down, they look pretty good. With some more work, they should look really nice. I’m pumped.

Test fit complete with success. They should work well. I will be going with 245/40 18 and 295/30 18. The wheels are very light.

I put them on yesterday. I went with Michelin Pilot Sport 4s in 245/40 18 and 295/30 18. I have center caps on order. The wheels are very light. I can definitely feel the difference in how nimble the car feels. Plus, with 18s, not as stiff.

How much did you get the e88s for amazing wheels im having my set painted as we speak

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$2,000 What color? Mine are in pretty good condition overall. Some marks and things on the face, but not too bad. If I ever need to re-seal them, I will probably paint them when they are apart.

BBS gold polished lips 2700 plus 1500 into rebuilding them to almost new we are lucky bbs told me production is halted on bbs Motorsport wheels till November and a new set is $7500

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Seems like you also stole them. How were they before refinishing? Were they also gold? Post up pics if you have them. Gold will look very nice. I ordered center caps through Eric at Supreme Power. At this point, I can't recommend them enough. Very easy to work with. I handled the transaction all via PM here. They are being shipped direct from BBS HQ in Georgia. They should be in Friday. They will look like this:

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I bet you can really feel the difference, quicker and Tighter. Mailing wheels is a mystery, how did you do it? 245 sounds good. what is your impression so far?

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The wheels are dramatically lighter than the 19 inch lobsters. The rear 305s were HEAVY. I really wish I weighed the wheels back-to-back. Even though the lobsters are light by OEM standards, the E88s and 18 inch tires feel much lighter. Nitto to Michelin might also have a lot to do with that. The car feels nimbler and quicker than before. Plus, the visual difference is dramatic. In person, the car looks much more aggressive. The ride with 19s did not bother me at all. The Nittos had a relatively soft sidewall, so bumps weren't bad. However, the 18s are way softer. Plus 245/40 is some meat up front vs stock. It definitely looks the part. I really haven't driven the car much, but I could instantly tell the difference after the first few bumps in the road. Shipping seemed easy. Because they had tires mounted, the prior owner put cardboard on both sides and wrapped them in plastic. They came as four separate packages. It was 300 bucks for all four packages from the Eastern part of the state on the NH/MA line.

Those are going to be good. I had no idea how much difference Wheels could make until I did some swapping on my 964 a few years ago. Yes, it would be interesting to weigh the wheel and tire combination of your old versus new. The offsets look good. Did you use spacers?

Wheels weights for my e88s are 20.6/21.2 lbs (9" front/11" rear). Weight of the previous Sport Classic IIs are 22.6/29.6 lbs. Seems that most of the weight savings is in the barrels.

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Thank you for that. This is what I found for the 997 S Lobster weights: 8x19" 22 lbs. 4 oz. 11x19" 27 lbs. 12 oz. With 305 Nittos mounted on the rear wheels, they just seemed HEAVY by comparison. I should have weighed them, but we were in a rush. I believe that my rear wheels are 11.5 inches wide, but I really have no idea. 295s definitely seem to fit well on them. These are the numbers for the front wheel, but my bud forgot to take pics of the rear wheels.

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No spacers. They seem perfect. It was nice to take off the 14mm spacer in the front, which means I am using stock length bolts now. I will post up better pictures when I get a chance.

I got the center caps from Eric yesterday. They look pretty sweet. I�ve been very impressed with Supreme Power. Very good to deal with. I ended up ordering coil overs too from them.

Damn I wish I could stumble on some cheap e88s and a free console delete. Love the gt3 seats. Beautiful car.

Thanks. Here are some pictures from this weekend at Lime Rock for the Trans Am Memorial Day Classic with TheDeckMan's new 2004 GT3. The car the center delete came out of. A very cool car. I also sourced some new BBS stickers since mine were faded and falling apart.

New H&R RSS coilovers and updated coil packs installed.

Coils set that up perfectly with the E88's!

Finally was able to get a proper alignment to fix camber after the wheel/tire/suspension change. I ended up going with RSS rear dog bones for the rear camber. John at the alignment shop did a great job. Spent a long time getting it correct. 307 Rear Adjustable Upper Link Kit "Dog Bones" (996-997 all) - RSS / Road Sport Supply The car drives great. I'm very happy with the results. A dramatic difference going from 19 inch OEM 997 wheels with H&R/B6s to 18 inch E88s and coilovers.

Road Trip Spring 2024 With very little planning, we decided to head to Maine again. This decision was made maybe a week ago. As the car had been gone through fairly recently, including an oil change, I kept things basic before this trip. My buddy did a good overall check on things and added Skip's UAOS new harness/sensor on Friday the 12th. He was the one that installed the coilovers, so it was good to check on things. We also raised the front end a tad to account for the added weight of our bags in the front. She got some last-minute time off and we departed on Monday, April 15, after I got home from work. Although we would have preferred to hit back roads the entire time, as usual, due to the late departure, around 6 pm, we decided to cover as much ground as possible. Initially, she had to work Thursday, the 18th, so we didn't have much exploring time. So, we packed the car and took off. During the drive, I think on Tuesday, she was able to take Thursday off, so we were able to extend a day. The first stop was in Concord NH. We stopped at a place called The Common Man. A great find. Good food and was in a very cool old building. But it was already approximately 8:30 pm, so we ate fast and kept moving north. While having dinner, we decided between Portland and Kennebunkport. As either was about 2 hours from Concord NH, and I was tired from working all day, we headed straight to Kennebunkport via the highway, which was slightly closer. We grabbed a room at the Kennebunkport Inn and checked in around 10:30 pm. The next day, Tuesday, we hit Freeport briefly and then went to a new place we had never been, Bailey Island. An amazing place. I believe we were three islands off the coast just to get there. Even the bridge to get onto the Island was cool, as it was constructed in 1928. The bridge was built on granite slabs. Bailey Island Bridge - Wikipedia Bailey Island was very cool. The views were pretty incredible. After Bailey's island, we went to Bath. Bath Iron Works constructs destroyers. There are six destroyers currently there. The coast of Maine was recently hit with some bad weather, which became more and more apparent as we drove. There were trees down everywhere. It looked like trees were simply cut right at the street edge and left in place, as people worked to hastily reopen the road. This was evident where we had lunch, which was right on the edge of the water. I noticed that the floors were all particle board and there was driftwood all around the building. Apparently, the restaurant had been flooded very recently and had only just reopened. A great place and they made an excellent Manhattan.

From Bath, we hit Five Islands. A very nice drive down some great curvy roads. Once there, it made for some great pictures. Unfortunately, it was also hit pretty badly by weather. In this picture, over my wing, you can see that one house was nearly completely destroyed by the water. Most of it was washed away. Some more: From there, we hit Reid State Park. This really highlighted why its nice to go to Maine in the off season. The parking lot could fit probably a few hundred cars. I think there were five cars in the parking lot. Its a massive beach. While there, we decided to try and find a place to stay. Now this is the drawback to the off season. Nothing was open within about a one-hour drive, with the exception of the little sketchy motels. One place appeared to be open, and it was right near Five Islands, where we had just been. Coveside Bed and Breakfast. We drove directly there, and the owner just happened to be in the driveway. He had a room available, and it turned out to be one of the nicest places we've ever stayed at in Maine. That night we met up with my buddy that built my CJ7. It was great to catch up. He mentioned that in the time he's been in Maine, the past storm was the worst. The coast was pretty destroyed by high winds and the "king tide" washed away multiple houses.

The next day, we met up with some friends in Ellsworth before spending the night at The Homeport Inn in Searsport. It was nice to meet up with Arnaud and show him the wheels I had purchased from him that had been stored in the basement of the Inn. We also checked out the Frenchman Bay Conservancy, which made for some nice pictures. Frenchman Bay Conservancy: Protecting the land you love in Downeast Maine, Hancock County

Thursday Morning, we woke up and started motoring south, as we both had to work Friday. On the way, we hit York, ME. Now, since we had the entire day to make it back, we hit all the scenic back roads. York was very cool as a great curvy road follows the coast. It makes for some great views. It took approximately 4.5 hours to get to York from Searsport, and we found a very nice place to eat right on the water, called the Stage Neck Inn. From there, it was pretty much Route 202 south back to Massachusetts. We stopped again at Flag Hill and I picked up a few more bottles for some friends. It was nice to see that the trees were starting to bloom in Massachusetts. We left on Monday and returned Thursday night. We covered 867 miles. The car was great. The suspension/wheels/alignment/rear dog bones/tires were far better this time around. It has made for a great road trip car.

Wonderful write up and photos! The 996 is such a complete car - with the proper prep it will do well on the track, a road trip and take you to dinner after. I'll be road tripping from Oklahoma once my engine rebuild is done and look forward to documenting it as well. How do you plan your routes? More in advance or as you go? With places to stay, how has your experience been with not having something booked in advance? I've been to Maine and it's beautiful and I'm sure season has a lot to do with availability.

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We typically don't plan much of anything. I generally didn't know where we were going at 5:30 pm on Monday, only that she wanted to go to Maine. We also don't plan food or lodging at all. For example, the Coveside room was booked at 4 pm the night we stayed there. This tactic probably wouldn't work during the busy season, but it seems to be fine in April. The drawback is that a lot of things still aren't open. April is when things start to open back up. If we went in June, we would definitely need to book rooms in advance, but I don't think it would be as fun for us based on what we like to do. The roads would be jammed with people. The roads in Maine are why we keep going back. So many amazing roads. Everything from tight roller coaster drives along the water to state roads that slice through the mountains and hills. And all of them typically have plenty of views. But that is the coast of Maine. We don't go inland much because of that. It's also why I want to share pictures here. There is plenty to do and see in Maine. And the roads are perfect for the small 996.

A few weeks ago, I had it re-aligned back to GT3 specs after doing: UAOS track drain, oil change, service, and new heim joints/boots for the rear adjustable upper arms and adjustable toe links. After about 15-20k miles, the inner heim joints on the toe links were shot. My buddy replaced the worn joints with new heim joints and repacked the joints on the rest of the adjustable arms. We also added new dust boots to all of them. The RSS arms don't come with boots, and for a road car, they are a good idea. 30178 Dust Boot for Rod End Bearings - RSS / Road Sport Supply And took a picture of the interior. I don't think I had decent one after adding all the black contrast bits. It used to be all gray. The car drives great. I will probably be taking it to the Saratoga Auto Museum this weekend. Saratoga Automobile MuseumSaratoga Automobile Museum (saratogaautomuseum.org)

Picture from today. Pretty happy with how the stance/wheels/suspension turned out.

Another road trip in the books. Last weekend we drove out to Minerva OH to see my friend and all the Cannonball guys/cars. Approximately 1300 miles and averaged just over 23 mpg. First time on a long drive with the UOAS with the track drain. I think I am around 11 quarts now. It didn't burn a drop. Although the drive was mostly highway, it was nice to have the cruise control. Here are some pictures. We stayed at a hotel with all the cannonball guys and then drove to the show together in the morning. It was cool to follow the current record holding car (S6) to the event with the prior record holder directly behind me (E63). Current record holder: Some crazy 996.1 wide body. It was very well done actually. NY-LA-NY record holder: Prior record holding E63 Ed Bolian in his prior record holding MB

A couple of other non-cannonball cars but still were really cool. I loved the blue on the targa. Called Gemini Blue Metallic After the show, we all went to my bud's place for an auction. All cannonball stuff and everything was super cool. I ended up winning the original Cannonball Run Movie poster sent to Brock Yates by the film director/20th century Fox, which was still in the box. It had been signed by all the Cannonball record holders. I also won a porcelain sign that used to hang in the Cannonball Pub, which Brock Yates owned. It was a great time. A lot of great people. For anyone interested in the history of the Cannonball, listen to Switch Cast. Doug is great. It's always entertaining. He did a three-part series documenting the history. It is definitely worth a listen. SwitchCast | Car Podcast with Doug Tabbutt The Complete History of the Ca - SwitchCast - Apple Podcasts The Complete History of the Ca - SwitchCast - Apple Podcasts The Complete History of the Ca - SwitchCast - Apple Podcasts On the way home, we stopped by Watkins Glen. I had never been before. It just happened to be Nascar. Some of the loudest racing I have ever been too. Cool track. Bad it back with no issues. Some of the highways were a little rough, but no real complaints. I just set the cruise control and stretched out.

My buddy Noah and I did a transmission fluid change and installed a LN magnetic drain plug today. I couldn't remember ever doing it, and figured it was a good idea after the road trip. The car seems really clean and great overall.

A link to a bunch of pictures from the event: Cars are stars 24' - Google Photos Doug signing the original movie poster that was sent to Brock Yates. Great time.

@diddy2003 great photos. Good on you for changing the transmission fluid. I think that gets neglected by some. Here's hoping you never find anything on your magnetic drain plug! I just changed my oil and there was a very fine bit of sludge, I am told it's normal, so don't freak out if you see a fine paste on the magnet. I'm trying to get some more fun drives in here before the snow flies. I took my mom to Kejimkujic on Sunday, but I drove her Corolla. Ugh. She's 86 and doesn't like my car is too hard to get in and out of, plus she needs a walker. The Corolla is a great appliance but for driving enjoyment it's a flop. This week I'm planning on a solo rip and to take some leaf changing pics, it's well into that season here in NS.

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Awesome, I'm always partial to Corrados. I drove my G60 on my own personal cannonball run years ago: I drove San Diego to Boston non-stop in 44 hours including 2 hours sleeping at a rest stop in Oklahoma somewhere. I was much younger 32 years ago.

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That's pretty amazing. Long drive. Here is Noah's (TheDeckMan) VW. I believe it is still the Bonneville Salt Flats record holder for the Corrado and supercharged VW. Very cool cars. Too bad it is so hard to find parts for them.

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I had to look up Kejimkujic. That place looks amazing! Not far from our typical April drive to Bar Harbor. I might need to check it out. A sort of big issue with the 996, its LOW. Kind of hard to get on a ferry . . . . Check out Homeport Inn in Searsport ME, but bring the 911. Arnaud would love it. Noah strained the gear oil and we didn't find any metal, which is good. I changed to a magnetitic LN drain plug on a recommendation from another mechanic buddy of mine. I have the same for the engine oil. I watched this video, and it made me kind of cringe, so I figured it might be a good idea to do it: Porsche Wanted �10,000 To Fix THIS Problem (youtube.com)

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I know Noah very well, we have traded parts many times. And it must be a sickness, I've got about 5 Corrados.

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It's funny how most Corrado guys know each other. We are headed to Palmer this weekend if you are around: Porsche Cars & Coffee - Palmer Motorsports Club (palmermsp.com)

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Well there are not that many of us in this small Corrado community

I'd like to go with you guys. What's your plan? Noah's got my email/phone# so let me know if you want to meet up & parade over.

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We will prob meet at the Dunkin at the corner of Rte 9 and 202 in belchertown at 9 am. Which would get us to Palmer at approximately 9:30. I think he is going to reach out to you.

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Sent you a text Aaron

Was a good time today and randomly saw the car my wheels came off of. Sweet car.

Some cool pictures from a few nights ago. The base opened a new entrance and parked a F15 out front. Couldn't miss a photo opportunity.

I had a chance to take this out yesterday. My friend's 2004 with 38k miles. It has the full Manthey K410 and on KWs. Really good power. Took it out to get it aligned.

Another road trip is in the books. The only thing I did to the car before our departure was a good once over by my friend and mechanic. Did an oil change with some crazy neon green stuff, and re-charged the AC. I have a leak somewhere, but its just easier to re-charge it at the start of the driving season. He was amazed at the amount of oil the car takes. With the LN sump and the UAOS w/ track drain, the car takes quite a bit. We departed on Saturday 4/20 and came back right around midnight last night. We actually hit 1000 miles on the dot right at midnight, which was kind of cool. Because we have done most of this before, it isn't a pure unplanned adventure like it once was. That is ok though. The weather was great, and we still saw some great stuff. Before leaving, I reached out to Arnaud about staying with him again at his Inn. As it was Easter weekend, we had concerns about food and places to stay. For that reason, we booked a room for two nights ahead of time and left my house at 10 am Saturday. For the most part, we avoided highways. Going backroads and exploring really is the reason I bought the car in the first place. Before even leaving Massachusetts, we discovered a road I had never been on. Route 78 in Warwick MA was great. Nicely paved with some good tight corners. It was a long drive to Searsport. It was about 7 hours (with a few stops) and 325 miles. Upon our arrival, it was great to catch up with Arnaud and unpack in his Inn. If anyone is interested in a great place to spend a night, enjoy some great cocktails, and talk all things Porsche, please check him out. I've been trying (kind of . . .) to avoid beer. But that didn't keep me from enjoying multiple Manhattans. On Sunday, we drove to Camden after church. As always, it was a great place to walk around. But, per the usual. a lot of things were not open yet. Most places don't open until May 1st. That was fine. We checked out the waterfall and got lunch at The Waterfront Restaurant. We were able to watch the F1 race while I enjoyed another Manhattan. After lunch, she convinced me to park and take a nice easy hike on a carriage road. She lied. The quick easy hike ended up being nearly a 2.5 hour death march up a mountain. Not like I am against that, but both of us were unprepared for any sort of hiking. Red Wing Iron Rangers aren't the greatest choice for hiking shoes either. We did see some excellent views. Camden Hills State Park. I forget the name of the trail. It was Look Out trail, or something like that. We met an older gentleman along the trail, near where we entered from the road. He told us that there were amazing views from the top. He wasn't lying. He told us that it might appear like we were at the end of the trail but keep going. The view was amazing. He told us that it was going to be about an hour to the top. He was right. I needed to take off some layers during the climb. It was like walking up a very steep stone staircase at times. It was definitely worth it though. Again, as it was Easter, we wanted to make sure we had a place to eat and spend the night. Arnaud took care of our concerns, and we enjoyed a great dinner at his tavern while listening to live music.

On Monday we set out for Bar Harbor. I reached out to Brandon at the Primrose Inn before we set out. He did us a solid and set aside his suite for us. Again, if anyone is visiting Bar Harbor, check out one of his Inns. Maybe you will see his orange Lambo ripping around. On the way up to Bar Harbor, she mentioned that we should check out Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park. This was something we hadn't been able to do, as the access road was either closed or under construction. I was very pleased to see that it was now open and with new pavement. The road was amazing. At no point on this drive was I ever pushing the car or driving crazy, but on this road, you didn't need to. It was super enjoyable even at 30 mph. Tight corners, elevation, and new pavement. It was great. And, as it is the off season, there really weren't a lot of people at the top. After exploring Acadia, and driving the loop road again, we went to the Primrose Inn and checked in. Such a great place. We walked in a we were greeted by a lovely Inn keeper. She showed us the kitchen an brought out some cookies and chocolate covered rich crispy treats, which were all fresh out the oven. And then she poured me a glass of red wine. Can't beat it. We then took a walk down to Bar Harbor. The weather was perfect.

The next day we explored a bit and ended up checking out an Automobile Museum in Seal Cove, ME. I really didn't know what to expect, as I saw some old cars in pictures before we arrived. What we saw was pretty incredible. We called in advance and the museum was gracious enough to let us in the museum even though it wasn't officially open yet for the season. Upon our arrival, we observed many people working in the museum to set up a new exhibit. Despite this, they gave us a tour of all the incredible cars present. I believe he stated that it was the most extensive collection of brass era automobiles in the world. It was very very cool to see all the different types of vehicles. Even though they were brass era, there was electric, two stroke, four stroke, steam, and gas vehicles. The craftmanship of the brass lights was incredible. Kerosene vs acetylene lights (some cars with both types). All the amazing technology that existed. The first form of GPS. (Which functioned with a paper disk that went off the odometer of the car to give turn instructions) It was amazing. I highly recommend it. Photo dump: Seal Cove Auto Museum | Celebrating the history and industry of America’s first automobiles.

WOW !! Incredible Road Trip !! The views are fantastic !! I am a bit jealous of the hiking up the mountainside to get the best view , my health would deter me from such an expedition but I'm glad to see it from your eyes !!!

After the museum, we checked out Southwest Harbor and got lunch at Peter Trout's Tavern. Solid spot. Not a huge menu but it was right on the water and the food was amazing. As it was kind of a dreary day, and cold, we drove around and kept the heat on. It was a raw 40 ish degrees out. Maine is great in April. On our way to Searsport it was 78 degrees, and my AC was on. A few days later, cold and the heat was blasting. Either way, the dreary day made for a solid photo opportunity. That pretty much wrapped up our time in Bar Harbor. My mother was kind enough to locate a place for us to stay during our annual road trip months ago. As a Christmas present, she got us a night at an Inn just south of Rockland. She had never even heard of the Inn, but she did well. It was called The Craignair Inn located in Spruce Head. On our way south, as we had over a few hour drive, we checked out some points we had never been too. For lunch, we stopped at Rockland and hit up the Rock Harbor Brewery. A solid spot for a nice pilsner and good food. While we were enjoying lunch, she called the Inn and made reservations with the gift voucher from my mother. On the way south, we really needed to do laundry. We stopped at a local laundromat. While waiting for cycle, I had the opportunity to wash the car. Although the weather was pretty decent overall, we were hit with rain on the way to Maine on the first day, and a few times during our adventure. My car was disgusting. The E88s were black and had little rocks all over the front lips, which was completely unacceptable. After the wash, while in the laundromat parking lot, I couldn't help but take a picture as the lighting was perfect. The Inn was amazing. The views were incredible. The Inn's owner, Greg, is quite the connoisseur of whiskey. His collection was pretty amazing. I was in the middle of nowhere Maine, at a completely randomly picked Inn by my mother, with an Inn owner from the Boston area, that also had an incredible whiskey collection and was having the Buffalo Trace Master Blender for a bourbon event in May.

On Thursday, we woke up and decided to make our way south to Portland. I've been enjoying local minor league baseball teams (Hartford Yard Goats and the Woosox) and I knew that Portland had the Sea Dogs. The Yard Goats are AA and play the Sea Dogs. The Sea Dogs and Woosox are both affiliates of the Red Sox. The Woosox are AAA and the Sea Dogs are AA. For the money, minor league baseball is hard to beat. Plus, the hats are usually pretty cool. I located an Inn close to the park, a block away to be exact, and we made a reservation. It was called the Inn at St. John. I will be honest, it wasn't the greatest. But it was clean and close to the ball park, which was the goal. On the way south to Portland, she wanted to check out a lighthouse we hadn't seen yet called Marshall Point Lighthouse. A quick little detour, but a nice place to see if in the area. We then went to Boothbay Harbor and grabbed lunch. She tried to do a little shopping, but not much was open. Even the lunch spot was barely open. We ate at the Waterfront Restaurant and Tavern. A great spot and they were great to even seat us because it was their first day open of the season and they didn't open until 4 pm. It was 1 pm. Despite this, they said they would feed us. It is definitely a place to check out in the summer. After Boothbay, we continued to Portland. There really isn't a back road drive to get into the city, so we just hit the highway and got there. We checked in at the Inn, and parked. It was great having a two-minute walk to the ballpark. It was also nice only paying 22 dollars for a seat in the third row. It was a good game too. The Sea Dogs came back in the bottom of the 8th inning from being down since the first inning. They won the game, and we even got to see a few helicopters land at the hospital. I bought a couple hats, ate, and had a really good pilsner. All for WAY less than if I went to Fenway.

On Friday, we decided to get back home as we both had things to do Saturday and Sunday. We stopped in a Freeport on the way and actually finally found some stores that were open. Stio is a great outdoor brand from Jackson Hole, Wyoming. There is an actual Stio store in Freeport and a lot of stuff was 50 percent off, or more. I got some nice stuff and she did too. She really wanted to go because she needs gifts for people. The JJ Bean outlet was her spot, and she picked up a bunch of gifts. Then we motored home. All nice back rounds. Mostly on Route 202. Again, I never was really bombing on this drive. The car is full of luggage and other things. I just want a mildly spirited drive. But, when johnny speed limit, or in this case, Mr. 5 plus under the speed limit, while on curvy roads, is in front of me, it is painful. This actually didn't happen a lot on our journey, but at this point I was stuck behind three cars for MILES, doing this exact thing. Whatever, I really am in no rush as I have a 4 plus hour drive, but when it becomes two lanes, from one, I take the opportunity. I pass the three cars. The car that had been immediately in front of me was a Tesla Model S. I really don't think anything of it as I safely pass the car. But, my car is rather loud when I punch it. I could see the tesla immediately follow behind me and get on my *** as it merges right back down to one lane. And then it's a one lane road for miles. I again get behind another 45 in a 50 mph driver. The same scenario unfolds. Iwait for the two-lane opportunity, and I pass them. Only now, once I pass, the tesla is right on my ***, and it passes me. We are going up hill, and I hold my gear and wind it out a little. The Model S is now racing me up the hill! He clearly wins, and I tuck behind him when it drops to one lane. Then I just follow behind until we hit traffic. While at the dead stop, he sticks his hand out the window (I was waiting for the one finger salute) and he gives me a big thumbs up. I then pulled next to him and tell him he cheated in his tesla. He laughed and said that he knew he would beat me up the hill, but I would have gotten him in the corners. Kind of a funny story on the way home. We went direct to my bud's house (TheDeckMan) in Ashfield. He had burgers and was grilling. I couldn't say no. It also gave me the chance to vacuum out all the sand and crap (foam from the vents) that had built up. Was also fun to use the driving sim and check out some of the current car projects. We made it home after midnight, again hitting 1000 miles on the odometer at midnight on the dot which was pretty cool. The final tally was 1006 miles and 22.6 mpg. The car was great. It is certainly stiff, but it was just fine on the long drive. Overall, no issues. I just needed to top the air in one of my tires once. Three-piece wheels and it could just a re-seal. The buckets were fine for the long drives. I just found that probably could have stopped a couple more times during the long stints as my foot was falling asleep. Overall, it was a great time.

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Skip, it was great. I laughed when my friend was amazed at how much oil the car takes now with your parts. I definitely recommend Cadillac Mountain and Acadia National Park. You can drive right to the top of the mountain. Well worth it. Everyone we met was great. I think I might head back up in October.

Great pictures and road trip story!

What a fantastic trip! I love to do these kinds of trips. It seems you have a general plan and the details fill themselves in. I'd get stuck at that whiskey bar, wow! Quite a collection. The best line is " we woke up, then decided... ". It's taken me 35 years to get my wife to travel like this... Thanks for posting!

I went to a Euro themed car show on May 4th at the Franklin County Fairgrounds. It was a rainy/overcast day. As it was more geared towards Audi/VW, I parked kinda away from most of the cars. While I was there, someone at the show took some amazing pictures of the car. IG: boosted_buddah Impressive pictures. Here are some of those pictures.

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Yes great pics. Is your car polar Silver? It looks stunning.

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Good eye. It is.

Stunning looking car, and great pictures thanks, cheers...

Another huge thank you for TheDeckMan and my friend Rick for another 996 project in the books. 996.2 GT3 Spindles 996.2 PCCB 6 Piston Calipers 996.2 Turbo Rear Calipers 350MM 996 GT3 front rotors 350MM 997 GT3 rear rotors 997 GT3 master cylinder Pagid RS4-4 Orange Front/Rear I included a picture of some of the other parts required for the job. Some other things were also needed, like longer caliper bolts/spacers for the rear calipers.

Markus from Werk996 painted the rear calipers for me to match the fronts. He did an incredible job.

New clutch on the GT3 also. Still missing a few parts, but mostly all done. I will take better pictures when able outside. The rear rotors are the biggest visual difference as they are massive compared to the OEM size (318MM Front/299MM Rear). The 6 pistons also look incredible.

The brakes feel amazing. Pretty big difference, as expected. Some more crappy cell phone pictures. The brakes look incredible, but they are hard to capture on a phone. I will use the good camera when I get a chance.

I got the car aligned yesterday following all the work. Rear tire wear is very good, so didn't adjust much in the rear. Just dialed the front in to where it had been. The car drives incredibly well. The brakes are also amazing. They are so much more powerful than before. A massive difference. I couldn't pass up this picture opportunity on this road after the alignment.

My buddy Noah and I went to Grid Life at Lime Rock this past weekend. Great time. I took a LOT of pictures, but here are a few of them. He drove the 2007 manual turbo Friday and the 996 GT2 Manthey build Saturday. We scored great parking both days. A great event.

Decent pics of the brakes:

Supra had a bad day.

Cool camera car: The party at night was cool. A special release trailer of the movie Drifter with Sung Kang, followed by an interview with other people in the movie.

The campground was also pretty cool to walk through.

The guys at FCP invited us to park in their paddock area on Saturday.

A couple more drift shots. A great time. Great racing. Someone in a Nissan 350 put down a 50.33 lap time in the Unlimited Class. Cool event with a lot to do. All shot on my Canon EOS T3i with the 75-300mm or the 18-55mm.

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that black bimmer is local hpde champion haha

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Damn, that's cool. That class was seriously fast.