996/997 Coupe + Wheelchair? - Page 2 - 911/Carrera GT - PistonHeads UK

Hi all. I'm forward planning a bit for a big birthday in a few years and an associated car purchase/present and extended Euro roadtrip with my wife. I've been watching 996/997 prices for a while and the more I research the cars themselves, the higher up the list they go (specifically a 996 C4S). The problem is though, my wife uses a wheelchair. For an extended roadtrip it should be ok as we'd fit a roofbox so between that and the back seats we should have enough room for wheelchair + luggage but in terms of use as a weekend car before/afterwards, does anyone know if its possible to get a wheelchair in a 996/997? I only realised the other day that the back rests of the rear seats drop flat so I'm assuming/hoping I'd be able to get a wheelchair into the back??

Depends how much the wheelchair folds up. It might be that you try it in one (and promise to pay for any damage if you scrape the seats or doorframe!).

I don’t think so, no. Best to try it before buying, perhaps a Targa, but I'm not sure you'd be able to fit a roof box on it. An SL, XKR, Aston Martin would be a better choice.

I know from when my father was still driving whilst wheelchair bound there were some chairs that folded down to very compact form, and as you say, the seat backs fold flat. Biggest issue is the diameter of the wheels, will put a tape measure to the back of mine a bit later if you need. FYI, the frunk can hold a lot more stuff than you might expect, especially if you use soft duffle bags. We toured ours across Switzerland and northern Italy for 10 days with 2 adults, a 2 1/2 year old, with all our baggage and the baby buggy up front.

Surely targa with the pop up hatch offers the best chance?

I tried to get a small folding wheelchair in the frunk and it wouldn’t go. I suspect it would in the back. If you can provide measurements (L, W & D) I can give a better guess.

Would a 991 rear hatch be any wider, appreciate it would be a bit more budget.

While avoiding doing meaningful work I took a tape measure outside. The 'back deck' is comfortably 100cm x 100cm and slopes forward. I think the challenge may be getting a chair past the front seats. With the seats moved forward the gap between the driver's headrest and the b pillar is approx 60cm, with only 5-10 cm of room between the headrest and the roof lining. As others have suggested you should test one out before you buy (bubble wrap the chair) or a Targa may be a good shout.

Though you would also need to test the space in a Targa. As the Targa uses the cabriolet bodyshell (with a Targa hardtop) and there is less space in the back of a cabriolet to allow for a folding roof.

WombleCate said: While avoiding doing meaningful work I took a tape measure outside. The 'back deck' is comfortably 100cm x 100cm and slopes forward. I think the challenge may be getting a chair past the front seats. With the seats moved forward the gap between the driver's headrest and the b pillar is approx 60cm, with only 5-10 cm of room between the headrest and the roof lining. As others have suggested you should test one out before you buy (bubble wrap the chair) or a Targa may be a good shout. also if the frunk can accomdate all luggage needs, then a cab could be an easy option for lobbing chair in the back?

I know this is a bit left field but if I were doing a big European roadtrip with an older partner who had mobility challenges I would ditch the 20yr old Porsche and go Bentley Continental/Arnage. They are £30-50k and - I understand - were bloody well made and really comfortable to sit in. I can imagine cruising down the windy road to Montel Carlo or round the lakes near Villa D'Este in one (dark blue cream leather) to be a massive treat. Good luck with the hunt!

I can't help with your specific question, I think a challenge would be to get it past the seats into the back - even if there is enough space in the back, then the opening seat to B-pillar might be the issue. I have an F-model Targa and I can fit my road bicycle (so 700C wheel) in the back (front wheel off, but rear wheel on). This works when the passenger seat is all the way to the front, but only because I can lift the bike over the seat (as there is no roof). I would not be able to get it into the rear with the roof on the car. Edit: If it helps, I can take the bike apart and put it in the rear to take a picture as the car is currently with me - so no major hassle Edited by MDL111 on Thursday 24th April 09:56

Snowy999 said: I know this is a bit left field but if I were doing a big European roadtrip with an older partner who had mobility challenges I would ditch the 20yr old Porsche and go Bentley Continental/Arnage. They are £30-50k and - I understand - were bloody well made and really comfortable to sit in. I can imagine cruising down the windy road to Montel Carlo or round the lakes near Villa D'Este in one (dark blue cream leather) to be a massive treat. Good luck with the hunt! stop it thats a lunchbreak lost in the classifieds looking at Bentleys coming up ........

Cheers all. I think it'll be worth a test. The current chair is a bit of an NHS spec type thing so not particularly small but it does fold down to about 15/20cm high and with the wheels off, about 60cm square so it might work. Thought about a Bentley etc but have a real thing about a 911. The big birthday is 50, not the 70 needed to feel at home in a Continental

Bit of a leftfield approach (not as leftfield as the Bentley instead of a 911) - could you get hold of a wheelchair that can fold down smaller than standard? I don't know how good they are if they exist or your specific requirements, of course.

700c (29”) bike wheels fit comfortably in the frunk:

IroningMan said: 700c (29”) bike wheels fit comfortably in the frunk: Jeez, thats fairly impressive! Didn't realise the frunk was as deep as that!

When my first child was born, I took the 996 to various places to check which prams would fit in the boot, having moved from 2 seaters to 4 seaters already in expectation. Mothercare of all places were very much “oh you’ll have to sell the car” so this set me on a bit of a mission to prove them wrong. I found a local place that allowed us to take the demo models out to see if they fit and we found one. I wanted a ruggedised type pram we could use off road and while it fit in the boot, we were then short of luggage space. When I moved to a 993 therefore, I got a roof box and with a second nipper, we toured with a lot of kit in that. The 993 was much smaller in the boot area so it necessitated a loft conversion! If I were in your position after a decade or so of trying to get the luggage to fit the car, I’d go for the standard Porsche roof bars and a basket. You can then use whichever chair you can lift up there and lash it onto the grid. Makes no meaningful impact to how you would use or enjoy your car. I would often take my own disabled mum out in the car and lift a mobility scooter up onto the grid or box in parts. This isn’t my image but is similar to the arrangement I had:

Just to add, if you had a lightweight wheel chair with the rear deck folded down and seats both folded forward, there would be space to flat load the chair into the back of the car if it was light enough / small enough based on the ones I’ve been researching for my mum. I’m currently looking at 997’s regards this. However if mobility is an issue, it means your passenger having to stand while you load in / load out and you’d need to lash the chair down if it’s in the cabin for safety. I’d still go with fixed bars and a cage and keep the interior for squashable bags. If you have a bike lock, you can buy a low cost second chair and let it live up on the roof. I eventually did that with a cheap scooter & pram and they’d only leave the box when we were out in that car…

Just to add again, if you find a decent folding lightweight chair, find a bag for it and it would fit easier into the rear seat space with the seats not folded down to create flat loading. I used to do this with a foldable 4 wheel walking aid if similar size and we could just strap it into the rear passenger seat. The targa someone mentioned above is also a good shout for top access to that space but they are much rarer and you should research the implications of owning a targa over the standard car. Also if it’s your thing, a convertible would allow you to put a huge amount in the rear space with the roof off for loading…. https://www.portiacraft.com/car-detail.php?id=3638

DaveyBoyWonder said: Jeez, thats fairly impressive! Didn't realise the frunk was as deep as that! It’s a very useful size - mostly because there’s no gubbins underneath it. On a C4 the front differential takes up a bit of the space, but I think you’d still be able to get a pair of wheelchair wheels in there. I’ve seen some pretty smart folding chair designs - catering for people who want to roll up to the car, lift themselves out of the chair and into the driver’s seat, then lean out to fold the chair and lift it in after them and drive off, all without functioning legs. Bloody impressive.

Where in UK are you based DaveyBoy? I'm in Warrington - if you're local, you're welcome to try my 997.1 to see how/if the chair fits (and what remnant space you may have left for your other accoutrements). If not, I'm sure some other 997/6 owning PH`er would be happy to assist. Edited by brownspeed on Friday 25th April 17:47

brownspeed said: Where in UK are you based DaveyBoy? I'm in Warrington - if you're local, you're welcome to try my 997.1 to see how/if the chair fits (and what remnant space you may have left for your other accoutrements). If not, I'm sure some other 997/6 owning PH`er would be happy to assist. Edited by brownspeed on Friday 25th April 17:47 Thanks for the offer (others have messaged me offering a hand but unfortunately I'm miles away from everyone!) - York but theres a few garages local with 996/997s in which I may got for a look at first without the wife to get a feel for the space in person. And thanks for the help @996Type - loads of useful info there. The official Porsche bars and a box/cage is what I think I'd need for a longer Euro trip, its more whether the car would work for us domestically for weekends etc. Other option is a Mini GP1/GP2 (we're both big Mini fans having had a fair few) but I can't imagine it'd be as comfortable spending thousands of miles in a whats basically a stripped out hatchback, albeit one with a big boot due to no rear seats!

Your welcome, you can lift the bars and box as a unit if you have a garage and suspend from the roof, I did like the look of the 993 with them on! I’m not a long distance from you but don’t have a 911 at the moment otherwise you’d have been welcome to see it in action….

DaveyBoyWonder said: brownspeed said: Where in UK are you based DaveyBoy? I'm in Warrington - if you're local, you're welcome to try my 997.1 to see how/if the chair fits (and what remnant space you may have left for your other accoutrements). If not, I'm sure some other 997/6 owning PH`er would be happy to assist. Edited by brownspeed on Friday 25th April 17:47 Thanks for the offer (others have messaged me offering a hand but unfortunately I'm miles away from everyone!) - York but theres a few garages local with 996/997s in which I may got for a look at first without the wife to get a feel for the space in person. And thanks for the help @996Type - loads of useful info there. The official Porsche bars and a box/cage is what I think I'd need for a longer Euro trip, its more whether the car would work for us domestically for weekends etc. Other option is a Mini GP1/GP2 (we're both big Mini fans having had a fair few) but I can't imagine it'd be as comfortable spending thousands of miles in a whats basically a stripped out hatchback, albeit one with a big boot due to no rear seats! The 911, 997, will not be comfortable for such long journeys. Putting the wheel chair to one side, they’re difficult to get in and out of. I’m not saying you and your partner are old, but my elderly mother finds it very hard to get out of the thing - they’re low slung and the seat base is below the sill, so you have to kind of fall into the seat. Good fun when you’re in though, but it’s worth considering for when the novelty wears off.

My wife has a 997.2 Turbo and is in a chair. If your wife's chair use is permanent, then just get a proper chair fitted and ordered and the world is your oyster. Happy to discuss anything and everything with you.

drakart said: My wife has a 997.2 Turbo and is in a chair. If your wife's chair use is permanent, then just get a proper chair fitted and ordered and the world is your oyster. Happy to discuss anything and everything with you. I love how positive this post is. These forums can be so fantastic when solutions can be shared through others experiences.

John Boggiano's wife (John was a former part owner of Total 911 magazine) required the use of a wheelchair, John fitted her wheelchair into the froot of his 997 GT3, his 964 and his Boxster Spyder without any issues whatsoever. Edit to add links : https://www.autochair.co.uk/news/porsche-causes-a-... https://www.autochair.co.uk/products/person-transf... Edited by Slippydiff on Wednesday 14th May 12:42 Edited by Slippydiff on Wednesday 14th May 12:43

DaveyBoyWonder said: Thanks for the offer (others have messaged me offering a hand but unfortunately I'm miles away from everyone!) - York but theres a few garages local with 996/997s in which I may got for a look at first without the wife to get a feel for the space in person. And thanks for the help @996Type - loads of useful info there. The official Porsche bars and a box/cage is what I think I'd need for a longer Euro trip, its more whether the car would work for us domestically for weekends etc. Other option is a Mini GP1/GP2 (we're both big Mini fans having had a fair few) but I can't imagine it'd be as comfortable spending thousands of miles in a whats basically a stripped out hatchback, albeit one with a big boot due to no rear seats! DaveyBoy, im just up the road, 10 miles South of Durham, you are more than welcome to try it out with my 996, whether in the frunk or on the back seats with them folded flat. It's got 997 comfort seats, which are a lot more comfortable, whilst also being lower than the 996 seats but otherwise it should help. I know a fella in a wheelchair that has a 991 gt3, he gets himself in/ out and stores the wheel chair behind the seats, it appears quite a fancy wheel chair, though.

just to add a C2 has more frunk space than a C4 it may make the difference.

Got a Brompton in the frunk of my 997 C4S - just!

Sorry, forgot about this thread I started a bit due to going off and looking at other options but I keep coming back to a 996/997. Thanks again for all the replies - some useful links too. Wife is getting a new chair at some point for around the house (so mega lightweight/small vs her NHS spec one she has now!) so might hold off until she has that but try and get something that folds down as small as possible. Next headfk is whether buying a 911 of this era will bankrupt me with engine rebuilds etc

DaveyBoyWonder said: Next headfk is whether buying a 911 of this era will bankrupt me with engine rebuilds etc A 996 Turbo won't likely require an engine rebuild (I have heard about one requiring one on YT). You may need to refurb the turbos at some point (£3-6k depending on the work), and it's a 20+ year old car so random suspension bits will need doing over time (factor in £2k a year for that but chances are it won't be that much).

Hoofy said: A 996 Turbo won't likely require an engine rebuild (I have heard about one requiring one on YT). You may need to refurb the turbos at some point (£3-6k depending on the work), and it's a 20+ year old car so random suspension bits will need doing over time (factor in £2k a year for that but chances are it won't be that much). Not thinking a turbo (would be nice though!). Currently open to anything of that era really - are there hidden gems in the lineup that are worth going for? Love the 996 C4S if only for the looks but not sure if something else would be just as good...

I believe any 20+ year old car is going to come with running costs, and, a 20 year old Porsche has a lot of suspension bits that may need replacing. If you're not handy with the spanners I would factor £1-2k in a year for replacing consumables (AC/ Rads/ Brakes/ Suspension etc). As people rarely do all the jobs before selling one, I'd set aside £2-4k in the first year. You are right that after 20 years any engine may need a rebuild and 996 & 997 engines have well publicised weak spots (IMS and Bore Score). A commonly held belief I've heard if the engine has done 50k miles then IMS is unlikely to go (and most have now had the dual row bearing fitted). Bore Score may be more common. With another commonly held belief being the later/ larger the engine the more likely that is. Personally, my car is a keeper and is used a lot, it is approaching 80k miles and if I accrue 10k miles a year, it probably will need a rebuild in the coming decade (I suspect after 30 years and 180k miles all engines have some level of bore score...).

DaveyBoyWonder said: Hoofy said: A 996 Turbo won't likely require an engine rebuild (I have heard about one requiring one on YT). You may need to refurb the turbos at some point (£3-6k depending on the work), and it's a 20+ year old car so random suspension bits will need doing over time (factor in £2k a year for that but chances are it won't be that much). Not thinking a turbo (would be nice though!). Currently open to anything of that era really - are there hidden gems in the lineup that are worth going for? Love the 996 C4S if only for the looks but not sure if something else would be just as good... Well, if you're considering buying a 997, then the prices for a lower mileage 997 and a higher mileage 996 Turbo are about the same.