planning on buying a 996

Hi All I am looking at entering the word of Porsche ownership and am looking to purchase a 996 C2. However I would like to modify the car slightly to enchance its looks and am thinking of the following parts as an option: Precision Porsche 997 Aero Wing for Porsche 996 C2 Precision Porsche 997 GT3 Front Bumper for 996 C2 V-Zweeden Rear bumper 997 GT-3 look Jaquemond 997 Evocation mirrors Porsche 997 19" Turbo wheels (possibly painted dark grey) Here is a photoshop mockup of a 996 with the above modifications fiited. http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=68248&d=1209500095 I'd like your opinion on these modifications and to hear if you think the parts are good, bad etc. Also if anyone on here has any pictures or details of modified 996's with similar bodykits of modifications such as 997 mirrors, wheels etc. I'd be interested in seeing some as its hard to judge exactly how the parts may look as most 996's I have seen are stock. Thanks Trev

dont forget you also need lights under the car - green/red depending on speed is good - and a really big sound system and all the windows mirrored bronze

As a general rule with Porsches, originality is best. If you want to give a 996 the 'GT3' look, then best to buy the correct Aerokit (IMO). What you are proposing could end up very expensive, look like an obvious mis-match, and devalue the car come re-sale. Surely better to spend the money on a nicer, later, 996 or early 997 with the kit already factory fitted.

mate, looks horrible. but then again, tastes are very personal. but I can say that will be a very resale killer - either you find someone who likes your car and value the things you had put on it or it will devaluate the car. the grand majority of porsche owners and porsche buyers want very subtle , if at all, modifications - hybrids, as per putting 997 parts on a 996 and so on, are 9 out 10 not welcome. As Olivier said, if you want a GT3 look, buy an Aerokit and the GT3 wheels. Good luck in your search

and a HUGE exhaust tailpipe or possibly some funny blue lights shining out of the windscreen washer jets? Sorry, doesn't work for me either.

Thanks for the replys everyone. I am not looking to 'chav up' the porsche or anything but I am really do love the 997 gt3 and the way it looks. Unfortunately they are well out of my budget and therefore I was looking into what I could do to the 996 to give it that gt3 look. I did also look at a 997 conversion kit but that really would effect resale value and would put the car almost into the kitcar category which I wouldn't want to do. So I want modifications that would mean if I came to sell the car I could restore it back to factory condition. So surely what I am proposing is just adding a gt3 aero kit on a 996 but not the mk1 or mk2 kit but a newer 997 kit. Is that really so bad?

First of all, I dont even know if the 997 aero kit will bolt on the 996 - again check PH and the likes, for things like that : these cars ( meant to look other models ) rarely carry a premium : quite the contrary. get a C2, slap it a GT3 MK1 Aerokit - one of the prettiest shapes for me. Or simply get a 996 GT3. Save money for the 997GT3. end of story. no one here ( with some exceptions ) will support conversions - adding a few mods here and there ( different wheels, bumber, etc ) is one thing, transforming the car to look other model is just... well.. fake. Whats the fun of fake ? For that, get a Toyota, take the body out and slap a 997 GT3 panels around. Plus, the turbo 997 wheels are just horrible - love the car, hate the wheels. have myself a 996tt and if I would buy a 997tt the first thing I would do is change those wheels.

Come on guys sarcasm is the lowest form of wit...anyway mirrored bronze windows is so yesterday,go for limo black and finish with a set of spinners (My nephew has his Peugeot powered by Argos)

its your money so imo do what you like-if you like it thats fine by me.-just dont expect everyone to agree with your taste when it comes to resale!

Please bare in mind these are only suggestions and surely me asking your opinion first before actually making any modifications on a 996 is a wise move as like I said I have no previous experience with porsches. I also would consider any modifications very carefully and would ensure that anything I add to the car could be fully reversible as I am totally aware that not everyone will appreciate the changes that I make Therefore I was hoping to get some constructive criticism on the modifications I am proposing and modifications in general on 996 porsches from porsche enthusiasts. Instead I find myself a little disappointed by some of the responses here just slagging off my suggestions rather than simply justifying reasons for not modifying a 996. Also I'd like to add that there are countless numbers of posts on this forum that I have seen quoting 997 upgrades in term of gear shift kits and the like so is that kind of modification not also going against what you guys seem to believe and in fact by upgrading the car you are actually devaluing it? So is the rule, if you want to upgrade and improve your porsche experience to use later car model parts and components then Don't! Just save up an extra £20k and buy a 997 because by improving the 996 your clearly ruining it.

apologies, wasn't trying to cause offence. there is a heavily modified 996 turbo for sale at specialist cars of malton (no connection) which looks absolutely stunning - it was there when I visited their open day on Good Friday and their web pictures don't really do it justice. http://www.specialistcarsltd.co.uk/porsche_sales/996ViperGreenTurbo10-3-8.htm

Okay constructive criticism. I really don't like the mods in the attachment they don't do the beautiful lines of 996 justice. As Dylan says you pay your money you take your choice! Your reasons for modifying the car remains your choice. For me owning a Porsche has been a lifetime ambition, as time went on and i could finally afford (and drive) a Porsche for me the C4S was the one,cosmetically for me i think it is beautiful. People spend years renovating old classics be it a Ford Capri or a Ferrari Dino to what the car would have been at there time and are always the cars that people gather by. So for me a 996 will always remain my passion and a cosmetic modified one,someones taste at the time.

Hi Trev. Thought I post a pic of my 10 year old 996 with the Aerokit which was a factory fitted option. I haven't changed anything else on the car as I think it looks great as it is (although it may not be to everyones taste). This is what I think the other guys are saying. You don't need to chav up you car, simply buy the best you can, and then just enjoy it!

Trev, I think it looks great! [ ] I think the 997 turbo wheels look much better on the 996 and I like the bodykit. I do agree with the others in that I wouldn't expect you to get your money back come re-sale, but if it's a keeper, then you'll have the car to look the way you want it to look, so do whatever you want to do. As for whether it's possible.....there's another thread on here and PH, where someone updated their 996 to look like a 997, do a search, IIRC it wasn't an easy job. Good luck

Hi, Each to their own in my opinion. I actually like the 997 wheels. With modification it is all about "subtly done". The addition of a 997 gear shifter is just that. Converting a 996 body to a 997, which is in essence is what your are doing, on a budget, is not to every one's taste and will only make resale difficult. An OEM GT3 body kit is acceptable. With the original rear badge and not GT3 though. However going down your route, if you are going to revert back to the original 996 come resale is the only way to retain a good resale residual. I have seen a 996 C4 have £30,000 turbo body put on it. As you can guess the resale price was no where near the investment. Unfortunately over modding a 911 as you suggest, making the car something it is not has the perception of chav, boy racer etc, just not done. I mean no offence but it will get laughs from enthusiasts and non enthusiasts. Changing the alloys is subtle, you have not changed the shape of the original body. It is your money, we only live once and all that. Regards Alan.

Hi Guys Been thinking about this some more and I am slowly coming round to the idea of not modding a 911. I know your right in terms of resale value etc but I really do like the look of the 997. However a 997 is minimum of £40k which is money I don't have. I also found this 911 on my forum travels. It started out as a 996 and the owner wanted to freshen it up and make it look like a 997. He used all original porsche panels and parts so the panels are steel rather than plastic. There ws also a write up about the conversion in total 911 magazine. The owner estimates the whole job cost less than £10k. Regardless of what anyone says about it not being the real deal this guy deserves credit for the sheer work he's put into this car. Not a bad way to spend £10k if you ask me especially if you used a damaged 996 to start with http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=67279&d=1208813067 http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=67280&d=1208813086 http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=67281&d=1208813468 http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=67282&d=1208813492 http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=67283&d=1208813520

Whatever happened to Ant? http://www.porscheclubgbforum.com/fb.asp?m=185291

Trev, Embarrassed to say I found some of the responses entertaining but wanted to say I'm also in the market for my first sporty porsche and registered for this site specifically as I'm looking for something original. I was going to suggest that Pistonheads might provide a better bet for what you're looking for and actually came across this 996 GT3 kit which seems to fit your budget http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/455557.htm . Good luck, Mike

... I should also add that generally the responses I've had have been very constructive and the advice has been invaluable. Good photoshop work though[ ]

thats exactly like mine (although mines blue so its quicker [ ]) like steve said i think its one of the best shapes and buy the best you can afford. best of luck with your search

although I've heard that Zenith blue isn't quite as quick as lapis blue [ ]

And we all know that Ocean Blue is the fastest colour - especially without the sticky-out bits to slow it down. [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

I saw that car int he flesh and talked to Ant and his father at length about the project - he had balls i can tell you. From 20 feet the car looked great, however.. The finish of the casting of the wheels was very rough in places - somethign that is common to copy wheels There were some sanding marks visibe under the paint The cutting and welding together of the front wings (part 996/part 997) frightened me to death I absolutely applaud them for the project, but at the end of the day it became an individual car and not worth what it had cost in parts let alone labour. I'd suggest you find yourself as late a 996 as you can afford with the GT3 aerokit - whether its the original or the facelift its still a stunning car. But please find yourself a good set of 997TT wheels if thats your thing.

I'll have you know richard that my rear wing doubled as a picnic table on monday at gawsforth hall (so i've finally found a use for it !) [ ][ ]

No no and definately not rob...anyway youre just showing off as you have a SNE ! [ ][ ]

I thought he bought OEM 997 wheels? So how come they looked rough as they are not copies?

I also need to sell my Supra before I even think about doing anything. Here is the link to it if anyones interested http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/492869.htm

I have no reason to doubt what ant said at the time - my inspection of the wheels suggested to me they were copies - there were rough areas barely covered by paint, a general pitted finish and not the smooth finish of the OE wheels. I have some pics of the car i took myself - i will have to check whether i took one of the wheels. Either way, it was a good and brave effort, and would convince the average guy in the street and a few Porsche fans too. He even thought about putting a 997 interior in ! My money would go on a 996, preferably with the areokit, or buy one at a price where i could do some subtle mods like suspension, uprated Porsche wheels etc