My 996 MK1 Update

Hello all, I've had my car for a few months now and Porsche ownership has been fun. So far I've done a few things after my engine rebuild fiasco. I'd like to share my update. Enjoy... How I bought the car. Intermixed after the second day of ownership. Off to engine rebuild! Got rid of the nasty old tint and Re-tinted with ceramic all around Changed out the RH 18x10 to 996 WB GT3 18x11 Made a custom subwoofer enclosure that fit behind the seat (More than enough bass) Bolt to stud conversion Nice and flush Bumper removed to shave license plate holes Aftermarket Aero painted I was able to install the Aero last weekend but since It rained I wasn't able to take any pictures. I'll take pics and post updates of the after Aero once I have time. Thanks for looking

You know, jdm, a big part of the Porsche owner experience is actually taking the time to know and understand your car - and not just be a detached driver of the vehicle. You really should try harder to get involved with your Porsche. If you can't pay a little more attention to it and try harder to be an active Porsche owner, maybe you should consider selling the car.

For once, I agree. You can't just turn the key every now and then and expect to get the most out of the 996 experience.

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I bought the Porsche to enjoy it. That is exactly what I am doing. What do you suggest I do to be more involved with my Porsche?

I'm pretty sure he is being sarcastic JDM...

Yeah, there was a VERY heavy dose of sarcasm there from KC and me. You're kicking ***. Keep it up.

Yes. Sarcasm. We do that around here. Beautiful car. Looks like you are having a blast with ownership. Welcome & enjoy!

a new 'high water' mark in 996 ownership! congrats on the car and the tasteful mods

jdm- any recs how I can build a sub for < $100? I already have the amp.

what suspension set up are you running. the shot of the car on the flat bed looks nice and low. good stance esp with the gt3 wheels.

Car looks great!

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Thanks everyone for the kind words and........ the sarcasm. I have a couple suggestions. There is a Kicker 40CWRT102 and the Pioneer TS-SW2501S2 or S4. Both are Shallow mount subs and great for tight enclosures. When I was making my 996 box I already had a sub and amp so I just built the new box around my old sub. I added polyfill and it helped with the sound. I am running H&R lowering springs on factory shocks. Driving through the Canyons are always fun. The suspension feels great not bouncy or too stiff. Thanks!

Nice job. Now you'll need to add a couple more ponies to make up for the heavier GT3 wheels.

and seriously? Engine rebuild the first week you owned it? That is ROUGH... btw - the car is nice, but that house is simply outstanding!! I like the RH wheels better actually - did you sell those?

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I still have them. I was actually thinking of selling them.

I like what you have done. What an interesting project, keep the pictures coming.

Very nice so far can't wait to see what future mods you have planned. Since we are local a photoshoot should be arrange

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Photoshoot sounds good. Lets plan this.

Hey thanks jdm for the sub recs, will be a fun project for me.

I finally had time to take some pics of the car with the aero on. The sideskirts were a pain in the *** to install but it's worth it.

Looks so clean and timeless What you end up doing with the other wheels Btw I should have my car done this week

Looks awesome! Nice work.

Stunning and I love the GT3 Wheels, reps or OEM? If OEM how heavy are they compared to the typical wheels with all the bolts (found on a lot of aero cars).

Can I ask why you would decide to change from OEM bolts to studs and nuts?

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Ironically, the OEM GT3 rims pictured above are the second heaviest stock wheels from the 996 lineup(F~27lbs R~30lbs). The Turbo II look solid spoke wheels are the heaviest by a slight margin.

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I still have the other wheels. I was thinking of rebarelling them to add another 2" all around on the outer lips. making it 3.5" in front and 4" in rear. Let me know when your car is done. It would be great to meet you and go for a canyon run and take some photos. It's just a lot easier for wheel installations with studs. They are WB OEM GT3 wheels off the 996 turbo. My car came with RH wheels so I am not sure about OEM 996 C2 wheels but the GT3 wheels are lighter than The RH wheels the car came with.

AND I TOOK OUT A CUSTOM MADE BOX FROM MY 996 TRYING TO SELL ON CRAIGS LIST, MADE WITH BLACK CARPET

The transformation to aero really updates the look of a narrow body. Beautiful.

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I don't follow 'easier' (the guide bolt is in the tool pouch) but anyway - there are good technical reasons why wheel bolts are safer then nuts on a 911.

Looks great! I just love the Mk1 aero.

Very tasteful upgrades. Those Gt3 wheels are worth a small fortune but really stretch out the stance of the 996 nb!

Car look GREAT!!!!!

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After looking at those side by side, I think I might have to start pricing out parts for my own update...

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you've got to get your clutch situated and the car on the road first! But those gt3 wheels are epic! Does anyone know of an aftermarket supplier?

What aftermarket parts were on the car when you bought it? Do you have the LSD option?

OP will hate me, but I preffer the "before" look Those deep dishes looked sick!

Nice to see you are still enjoying your Porsche after a terrible beginning. The aero parts really transformed your Porsche along with the GT3 wheels.

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Instead of taking the bolt out of the pouch, threading it onto the hub (after ensuring that the hole is TDC), keeping the hub from turning (if a front wheel), hanging the wheel on the stud, still having to rejigger the wheel to get it to settle correctly, and then removing and repeating three more times - you just pop the wheel up on the studs and zip-zip-zip-zip-zip goes the impact wrench. A full set of studs and lug nuts was significantly cheaper than a new set of lug bolts, and if you use a slightly longer set of studs, you can play around with different spacers without having to change lug bolt lengths. To be honest, the price difference was the primary reason I did the swap (plus I had some damage to a couple of the holes on one hub - switching to studs means I am no longer having to deal with or further exacerbating that problem. I was pleasantly surprised by the difference the studs made, and I admit that it was fun to pick up a cheap set of 7mm spacers and throw them on just because I could... One more check in the pro column: many of the studs have an additional 10mm or so of unthreaded rod at the end; even when the nut is completely loose, it stays centered on the stud until you remove it. With lug bolts and an impact wrench, the socket bounces around in the hole once the bolt is completely loosened; even with a soft-touch socket wrapped in electrical tape, I chipped up several holes.

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Wow, really? I thought the plainness of the vanilla 996 didn't go well at all with the busy look of the wheels; when you throw in the aero kit, the car really moves up to the next level of awesome. Of course, the great part about 911 ownership is you can stay stock or go crazy with an aero kit and either way you have an awesome, iconic ride.