New here and new to Porsche?s got questions!!

Hello peeps, Just picked up my new to me 99 911 Cabriolet. she needs a few things�.looking for advise from the collective. 1) is wheels and tires. The ones on it have a ton of curb rash�.plus I wanna go to 19� rims to fill the wheels wells up a little better. 2) Has a pioneer deck already installed but would like to get a better system all around�.lets see what you guys recommend. 3) needs a new top�.what brand is the one to go with? Internet is full of choices 4) seat leather is checked ( drivers side is worse) which seatcovers have you guys used? The interior is light grey. thanks in advance Bundy

Welcome!! I would suggest getting those wheels refinished! Add 15mm spacers on all 4 corners and with some new tires it will look awesome. Not sure about the top, someone will probably chime in on that. What kind of maintenance records do you have from the previous owner? Might want to look into that before anything.

Quotes source post: 19352293

I do not have service records.....just a car fax. It's had 5 owners and no accident's. Its got 52K for miles on the clock and its just been serviced by the previous owner....has a sticker on the windshield. On the tires....I have noticed my speedo is about 5mph fast to GPS speed.....would a little bigger tire package correct that? Bundy

Your speedo is normal. What kind of maintenance do you see on the Carfax? What service did th previous owner do? Easy to do, start with air and cabin cleaner.

The wheels you have are desirable have them refinished . By German law speedo can't read low so Porsche and others have them read 3 - 5 mph high . It's all about lawsuits . It might be the angle of your pic but it looks like you need new engine mounts . The gap from the exhaust tips to the body seems excessive . I would concentrate on getting a good baseline on all maintenance . After that you can think about mods . Drive it and learn it . Have fun

First I�d replace� AOS, Plugs , Coilpacks, Fuel Injectors , Water pump and IMS. Then I�d flush all the fluids and replace the engine mounts.

Quotes source post: 19352406

Yeah I like them ( the wheels on it)....maybe I can surface prep all the scratches and gouges ( file them) and get'em powder coated. I have seen discussions of adding spacers...is this to get the wheels flush with the fenders? I am gonna get an appointment with the local German car service shop and have the car gone over for sure. Bundy

Wheels - You might want to reconsider 19's. Porsche does a very good job of engineering road feel, steering input, etc. Bigger wheels might adversely affect that. Just heard a podcast where the person was commenting on how much better a car felt with the stock 15" wheels vs the 19's. Stereo - I have a Pioneer with CarPlay. I love having the CarPlay but hate not having a volume ****. I've also had issues where the phone doesn't connect on the first try sometimes. So I can't recommend mine. The new PCCM+ is probably the most expensive and most stock looking one out there with CarPlay and Android (and it has a ****. I miss *****.). Check out the "Car Stereo Upgrades in here" thread: https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...n-here-36.html . Oh, if yours has the Bose MOST fiber optic system it will be extra fun to replace. There are Bose systems without the MOST so just because it's Bose doesn't mean you have MOST IIRC. Speedo - Yup, that's normal.

996C438 is right about speedometer tolerance but its the same thing here. Speedometers are required to have a tolerance of -0 +5%. Most cars don't read so high, but in this case it is normal. I also agree with 99c438 about the engine mounts.

Quotes source post: 19352489

285/30/18 and 225/40/18....reading +5MPH canged over to 275/35/18 reads now just +3MPH I agree that those rims are desireable, wish I had them on mine. You might want to change your tire size to fill out the wheel wells, this will also give you a better ride over harsh services, The tinner the wheel well the more gap you will experience. Looks ugly in my OP and glad I changed over to 35 on the rear for mine

Congrats on the new car. Looks great. First thing I would do before you start spending money on the car is to test the oil to see what you have going on inside the engine. Then I would drop the sump and see whats in it as well as cut open the oil filter and see whats in it as well. From the sump, have your bores scoped to see their condition. If all looks good, then I would put 3 things at the top of the list to do first which will favorably address three potential catastrophic failure points. 1. Replace your water pump. ​​2. Replace you IMSB with either the LN Solution or Retro 3. Replace your AOS with the UAOS Track. I would also 1. Replace plugs and coils 2. Fuel injectors 3. MaF I think you have a 3.4 so the 996.1 guys are going to have to provide insight on the 5 chain system. Plenty of other things you can replace as well "while you are in there". Save the pretty stuff for after you spend the money on refreshing and bullet proofing the engine. They are very durable engines if you service them properly.

To answer the OP about wheel spacers . Yes the spacers kick out the wheel/tire closer to the fender lip . That visually helps fill the gap . When using spacers you have to get longer wheel bolts or add studs . You have to have the same thread engagement with spacers as it does without them . It's a safety issue .

Regarding the stereo, the MOST system was not installed on 996 until 2003 model so you will not have it in your 99. Check the stereo upgrade thread on this forum for options concerning stereos.

As far as the top is concerned, look for a locally regarded top shop. Go for the german weave.

Quotes source post: 19352309

Yes, but... I'd stick with the correct size and offset 18" wheels. Any larger and the size of the rim will be far larger than the brake disks, which (in my opinion) doesn't look well. Have an auto upholstery shop look at the leather, They might be able to salvage it or at least make it look presentable without spending a fortune. Others will tell in greater detail, but in order to not turn your new prize into a rabbit hole of despair, get the motor checked out. These engines have three issues that can be very, very costly. First is the IMS bearing. Factory units have been known to fail causing the motor to essentially grenade. Second is the AOS. Third is bore scoring. The first and second are relatively easy fixes and will give you peace of mind. The curb surfing and ratty leather kind of tells me that the owner may not have taken the best care of their car, so now you have to make amends. I have three times that mileage and my car looks far, far better than that. Other than that I would immediately replace every fluid in the car with correct fluids. The cosmetics can wait. I know they tweak your nose, but it's nothing like having a dark night of the soul when something goes very wrong and very expensive. Get the mechanics in A1 shape and you will have a much more enjoyable experience. Good luck and welcome to the 996 forum!

Quotes source post: 19352440

I would see about getting them refinished. I think Wheel Enhancement is still in business and they are one of the best. Low profile tires tend to leave you with bent and cracked rims when you hit a pothole. Porsche specs very good wheels and to get better is not cheap.

Quotes source post: 19352440

May make sense to find a local Porsche Indy that understands the M96. It will end up saving you time, money and headaches. Don't know where you are located, but there are plenty of guys on this forum that can probably give you a suggestion or two. It is a great car. Key thing if you are not a DIY guy is to make sure its sorted properly from the beginning and you will have decades of unbelievable durability and fun with it.