New to me 996.1

I liked my son James’s 996.1 Aerokit so much that I purchased an early build plane Jane 1999 Carrera last summer Serviced at Porsche of Bethesda the last four years and she was basically unmodified except for a PCCM Super lightweight with the only option being rear wiper I’ve been using her as my daily for about the last six month Just a couple of modifications: She came with a carbon duck that I swapped in Also added a set of 18” Carrera III’s, acquired from a Rennlister Trying to decide if I want to add a Aerokit front bumper and side skirts 🤷‍♂️

Sweeeet. I love the duck tail

A fellow Dorki with a new to you 996.1! (my UID = Spike over there) Congrats! I just picked on up in July, too. Except mine is a tiptronic. I have already been updating the oiling system and also added the PCCM. Enjoy it!

Congratulations. ROAD TRIP ROAD TRIP ROAD TRIP 😀 Rich

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Congratulations 🎈🎊🍾🎉 Let�s see a photo 👍

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Thanks Tracking down the rest of the AeroKit package is next on my list. Sport front bumper and .1 side skirts. I will probably add the M030 suspension too. Just waiting on the SC tariff ruling which is due out today 🤞

[Image-only post; no author-written text. Original image references:] https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlist.com-vbulletin/2000x1333/dx9a1961_copy_3629b3b22a32adf7975f03efab21a7dfd70d339a.jpg

996Hobby should end up looking like mine😀 �get er done� Rich

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Very nice, where did you find this?

Atlanta, it is from FL and CA same owner

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Thank you 👍 The duck is Carbon Fiber, I scored a Carbon Fiber hood today that needs lots of love but I should be able to make it work and drop a few more lbs 😊

Hit the Black Friday sales hard and found a couple of nice used parts as well. In addition to the used carbon fiber hood mentioned above, found a nice set of used TPC anti-sway bars on eBay. Hood is with the painter and sways will go on this weekend. Black Friday sales yielded a OEM Aerokit front bumper cover and a set of Feal Coilovers, both are six weeks out. The only item that I couldn’t score is a 997 GT3 master cylinder, apparently out of stock from the supplier 🥲 Photos as the project slowly moves forward. The bank account is not happy 🥵

Hey Patrick, a few other simple things that you can do to quickly get rid of some weight... Lithiumax battery - when I removed my battery it weighed in at 24.8 kg! The Lithiumax weighed in, with bracket, at 4.5 kg. That's far more weight saving than a carbon hood. Remove Spare Tyre - this will save you about 13 kg, along with a tool kit, but be sure to leave the lock nut and the headlight removal tool in the car. I keep mine in my oil bag which I have velcroed to the back wall of the frunk. Also be sure to keep a can of goo in the car, which won't save you every time but could save you that one time. Sports seats - a pair of fixed back sports seats will not only offer you better support than the standard tombstones, but will save you about 20 kg's. Removing the rear seats and some of the sound deadening can remove considerably more weight, and if you have fixed back seats you might as well remove the rear seats because nobody will be able to get in the back anyway. Straight pipe - depending on your appetite for noise, this mod will save you another 20 kg. An aftermarket exhaust with sport mufflers would be quieter and still save you about 10 kg. I have a Fister modded exhaust system in storage, because this adds weight, it doesn't remove it. You Tube You have to be careful to try and remove weight evenly over the car. It's easier to remove weight from the front of the car, and these cars are already light on the front end. My car came from the factory without cats and rear wiper, so this helps to keep my balance in check. You may not want to remove all of that weight from the front end. The other option, of course, is just to enjoy the car as it came from the factory, but it seems as though you are already going down the weight reduction path. The beauty is that these mods are easily reversible.

Welcome! Love the ducktail look too.

Parts are starting to roll in Numeric shifter and cables 996 Cup LSD TPC anti-sway bars 997 GT3 master cylinder OEM - 996.1 Aerokit front bumper cover Waiting on the Feal Coil-overs Photos in a few days. The goal is a tribute to the UK Carrera CSR

TPC is still selling sway bars for the 996?

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No, found them used on eBay. I have one in my 996 GT3 and love how stiff it is. When I saw these thought they would be perfect for my 996 Carrera along with the Feal coilovers. The Cup LSD is also used and will require a full rebuild 🤷‍♂️

Gotcha, that�s a lucky score.

Fyi, dont think the 6-cup lsd works in the c2 trans without some modification to the axles. Also the ramps r very tight and may not be good for street driving.

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Please tell me more, ty

Cups/gt/turbo r mezger based with a different trans then a standard c2/c4 car Zbomb did this in his ls swap but for some reason that was never explained he was banned so im not sure we can get all the delails. I think he actually used a Gaurds diff which was for the Gt3 box (same as cup) and had to have the inner shafts cut down by the shop that installed it. Also Guards and i think the guy that used to own Guard (on the gt boards sometimes) both make rebuilds for the cup diff with ramps more suttible for the street. Hth.

Yep. Guard still makes the internals for the 996 C2. You want 40/60 so you can drive on the street but also get the traction you need on the track. Matt Monson is the owner and I talked to him about a month or two just to confirm they were still making the internals for the 996. Yes they are. He can also provide a recomended shop that can do the work. No need to go to a cup dif.

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Thanks for the input but the996 Cup LSD is already here I am planning to rebuild it with Guard internals and will have the machine work done at that time. Engine and transmission work are planed for stage three, we are at the beginning of a long transformation. A little eye candy 😊

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Thanks for the info. My other car is a 996 GT3 so worst case is that I keep the Cup LSD for backup when the time comes to replace it. One of the reasons for the work on my 996 Carrera is that I want to retire the 6/3 from track duty 👍 I have a very good factory trained mechanic who is willing to tackle this part of the project but first comes the suspension and then it’s off to the painter for the Carbon bits.

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I dont blame you. i wouldnt track a 6/3 at this stage of the price cycle either. Its a collectable. Good luck with the build. Highly recommend the Guard.

Karl, This is a fun build! Looking forward to seeing it next year. My only question is why Feal Coilovers if you're going to be tracking this one? I also feel you on retiring the GT3 from track duty, but mine isn't a pretty garage queen like yours so it'll continue to get an annual leg stretching at Summit or VIR. -KJ

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Your Aerokit is my inspiration, love that car ❤️ Why Feal, see below, Black Friday is the best 😀 Combined with the TPC anti-sway bars I should have more than enough adjust-ability 😊

^^^ Feal has confirmed my order and indicate delivery in a couple of weeks.

Progress on the CF hood before current state of readiness Factory Aerokit front bumper cover arrived from Germany and my friend dropped it off at the painter’s as well. This is a OEM 986 Boxster Aerokit cover, the only difference is that the 996 has a cut out for the third radiator. The painter is going to modify the cover so it will be identical to the 996 Aerokit part, but 1/2 the cost 👍

Nice car and project. Did you weigh the car when you purchased it?

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Thank you, I did not weigh the car when I started. The only option that I have is the rear wiper. Still undecided about a reskin with a CF roof and sunroof delete 🤷‍♂️ Wet weight was 2901, for the 1999 Carrera so add a few lbs for the s/r. One of the things that attracted me to this particular car along with the service history was the lack of options 😎 I will be happy with anything under 2700 lbs, when finished.

You're a very lucky man! I'm looking exactly for an early stripper like yours. I'm drawn to the low weight as a starting point. Just wanted to confirm that these unicorns exist because it seems most of the pre 99 cars were ROW. I'd love a word from you about the difference between your C2 and your GT3. I currently own a 7.2 GT3.

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I am very fortunate 🍀 It took about six months to find a low option early 996.1 in good mechanical condition. Probably paid to much for it, $29,900 - May of 2025 but she was local and checked most of my boxes 🤷‍♂️ I put around 7500 miles on her before deciding to move forward with the weight loss journey. Enjoy your search 😊 This has been said before, the 996.2 GT3 is like a three ring circus 🎪 Something different going on in each ring siamotainously, very entertaining. I bought it from a friend at the beginning of the pandemic four years ago. I’m the second owner and love the car but I have retired her from HPDE in favor of the Carrera. The interesting thing is that I had a 991 Touring and a 4/RS at the same time and kept the old GT3 over the more modern cars because IMHO it is more interesting 😎 Nothing compares to driving her sideways out of turn two at my favorite track and putting down the hammer because it’s the only way you are going to exit that turn 🥰 Your 997 is faster and very raw but there is just something I like about the old girl 🍀

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. So you're going to track the C2? I haven't driven a 996 I think ever, C2, GT3 or otherwise. I've had plenty of aircooled cars and have a Touring inbound. Love the idea of 993 power and weight numbers in a C2 that the early 996.1s provide with no nannies. No doubt you got lucky. $30k considering what every other 911 costs, is great value for the experience.

I think u will be hard pressed to get much under 2800. I track with a friend that has a fully stripped out c2 3.4l with a track seat and a half cage and he is right on 2800. Its gonna take a lot of cf and plastic windows. He has a couple extra hp with a tune and parts and he is faster then me in my 3140lb gt3 swapped c2. He is a better driver though. Driven both a 3.4l and a mezger on the track in the same chassis i can tell u the 3.4 will never feel the same but it can be near as fast.

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You are welcome 🤗 These days I only do a few HPDE weekends a year, four or five, usually with my youngest 20, year old son. He has a 1999 Aerokit Carrera and thats what got me looking for one My recommendation would be to drive as many as you can and see what you like. I had a 96 C4S and liked it but is was very slow compared with my other cars at the time. You are lucky with a 997.2 GT3 and a Touring inbound. After moving to the beach in 2022 I could not find roads to explore either of my fast cars and kept getting unwanted attention from the powers that be. I also had trouble servicing them. The nearest dealership is three hours away. I can do most of the work on the 996 GT3 and Carrera when my son lets me in the shop Like you I have enjoyed many air - cooled cars over the years as well as a few mid-engine cars and several FEWC Porsche’s along the way. IMHO the 996 is the perfect intersection between old and new, no nannies on either of my 996’s except ABS and I really enjoy that 🤪 I thought long and hard about adding a 996 Turbo but the complexity of that model led me to the 996 Carrera, if I find the right car a 996 Turbo or 997 Turbo is on the bucket list. Adding lightness to get that elusive power to weight ratio is much cheaper than hp 🤷‍♂️ My loose budget for this project is $50k including the donor, spread out over a few years with lots of used parts, when I find them 😂

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Thanks for the insight, 2700 lbs is a stretch goal because I am keeping the full interior including A/C. At the moment she is my DD 😳 Suspension is next on the list, waiting on a few parts, then I will get an alignment and corner balance, we will see what we have. So far I have a set of Carrera III wheels made by BBS for Porsche. Third lightest 18” factory wheel-set. These are actually from the 997 but I like them because you gain one inch in every direction 8/10 as opposed to the 17” 7/9 OEM wheels. I really appreciate the larger contact patch when trying to slow at the end of the straight on my favorite track 😜 I did find a 997 GT3 master cylinder from the OEM supplier, on sale during the Black Friday specials, $87 🤯 This is where you can gain on the weight savings, no need for a big heavy set of brakes with a light car, good fluid and proper cooling 😉 Back in the day I had a modified 914/6 with a 3.2 from an 88 Carrera, 2300 lbs wet. One of the many modifications I did was to get rid of the big red brakes and heavy rotors in favor of aluminum calipers and SC rotors, added some brake cooling ducts along with proper fluid and the smaller brakes did a nice job without fade. Carbon duck is very very light and the c/f hood is around 4 lbs. Undecided about seats, the manual tombstones in my car are the lightest OEM seat after the buckets, and they have the lovely Connolly leather so I’m reluctant to get rid of them 🤷‍♂️ We will see what happens, a set of CF Recaro track seats would be nice 👍 At the moment no plans for a tune or headers. When I get to the engine a UAOS and UIDS along with the track drain are on the list. Also planning for a third radiator. Definitely will do 200 cell cats and a lightweight muffler. That should blow the budget, stay tuned 😀 Near as fast as a 996 GT3 on the track is good enough for me 🤪 This is also why the 6/3 isn’t going anywhere 😎 Keep in mind, no truck, no trailer - drive to the track put your work in and drive her home for the win 👍

Option sticker from the Carrera ❤️

I hope u get there but u should weigh the car as it sits. That 2900 wet is a factory pipe dream. Dont let me be a debbie downer.....use it as motivation to prove me wrong . Also frIends car factory brakes, oz wheels, no door glass, no sun roof and no mufflers. Being lighter deff offsets the power in these a$$ heavy cars.

@Patrick3000 thank you again for your perspective. You've got a great project and we're definitely of like mind. The car on my sig just got 301hp and 247tq on the first run in the dyno after engine build. The goal is at least 2,100lbs and calculating I could see in the 1,950 and 2,050 lb range. My big draw to the 996.1 C2 is the combo of 2,900 lbs with 964-level nannies. The key it seems is having the right build date car, as later .1s are well over 3k lbs. Looking forward to following your project.

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You are not Debbie, I appreciate the insight and your perspective 👍 I will get a weight as soon as we finish with the suspension. Where I start weight wise is just not as important to me as the end goal. If she is not light enough I will just keep removing stuff 😊 When I bought my 6/3 the PO had a muffler delete and the first thing I did, day one of ownership, I put the factory mufflers back on the car 😂

My friend gave me a sticker for the carbon hood The key fob is just for reference in terms of size

@KJinDC you have one of these 996 Aerokit strippers for track duty. Have you had her on the scales? If you are comfortable mind sharing her current weight?

The published 2900 pound weight was for the 1998 Euro cars which did not have airbags, cat converters, OBD2, air conditioning, sunroof, etc.

This might be of interest to you: https://911uk.com/porsche/clr-projec...f-250kg.79527/

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@theprf did any of those light cars make it to the US or other ROW countries?

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Excellent read, ty

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ChatGPT does not agree with you 😊 I will take her in for alignment and a corner balance in about a month after the suspension is finished and we will know where we stand 👍

I'm in love with my ultra early build 1999 996.1 C2 on 17" wheels, I've stopped driving all my other cars are and can't get enough of it. It's a June '98 build with the seal pleather and granite plastic. Recently off BAT changed the engine mounts and all fluids, put a set of Michelin pilot sport a/s 4 and alignment. It's such a perfect winter sports car handles like knife through butter, the 3.4 is so smooth and I don't mind it being quiet. Stock suspension is perfect over rough roads and I don't have to worry about scraping on speed bumps etc. It feels like favorite set of shoes absolutely perfect combination. Such feedback and even the engine power band is perfect so is the gearing. I am thinking of putting a fabspeed light weight clutch and SMLWFW is it worth changing the stock original dual bearing variant IMS while in there or leave well enough alone ?

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Dang Chunk, you put a UM license plate on such a beautiful car?

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Your crank will last longer without the single mass flywheel (as observed by Jake Raby). Can't imagine much weight reduction possible in a stock clutch so any possible driveabilty or reliability issues aren't worth it in my view. Leave IMS bearing, if it shows no play and turns smoothly and only remove the seal that is accessible (recommended by Hartech and Slakker). HTH

Yeah, I would NOT use a LWFW. Stick with a proven factory clutch, Sachs or Spec. These are two areas I wouldnt tinker with. Plenty of other places to spend your money.

Karl, My car, despite being a 99 is no lightweight. I need to check my notes, but I am around 3075 or so right now, but that is with functioning windows, sunroof, and a full cage. Getting below 3000lbs and maintaining a semblance of streetability will be a challenge, but with enough motivation and money it can be done. -KJ

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KJ, Thanks for sharing 👍 It’s been a minute but your interior is stripped with only a drivers racing seat, correct? No-carbon bits, correct? Sunroof and cage being the additional heavy items other than what you already disclosed 😊 est. 3000 lbs sounds about right 🤪

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​​​​Hey @catdog2 , which tire sizes did you get for your 17s?

Just stock size in the 17's, they are so much lighter then 18's and other 20's I had from 991 I was trying to fit for cosmetic purposes They work very well in this cold weather 20 F especially after first 150 miles

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Very good tire choice for the street 👍 BTW: They are about the same weight as many of the lighter 18” factory wheel and tire sets. 18” Hollow twists 18” MY02 18” Carrera III ^^^ These all weigh about the same as a factory 17” twist but provide a much larger contact patch because of the increased wheel width. The 18” front Carrera III’s are wider than the others at 8” giving the largest contact patch of any 18” factory wheel, with the exception of the 996.2 GT3 wheel which is heavier. This gives you better grip in the front allowing for a more aggressive alignment and less under steer. Result: faster corner entry and less throttle induced over steer, they are faster 😊 Many aftermarket wheels available that are lighter and even wider 😊

Thanks @catdog2 , appreciate the feedback. Enjoy your new car - you got a good one!

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18" MY 02 are called Carrera II and are also 8" wide and at ET50 correct for the 996, whereas the Carrera III (introduced with 997) are ET57, thereby narrowing the front track by 14mm. Indeed, 996.2 gt3 is wider again at 8.5" and as you say relatively heavy (but stiff and strong).

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Excellent, thanks for sharing. I learn something new here everyday 😊

Happy New Year and hope 2026 brings to the 996 the deserved adulation... I have been driving my early build 996.1 carrera through snow ice and salt and it's the very embodiment of what a Porsche 911 is meant to be On second thought hope it stays the bargain that it is...

Paul did a fantastic job painting the CF hood and sport bumper cover. This is what we started with Primer The finished product Thanks buddy 🙏

I recognize that hood! See you at Summit in a couple days?

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We have not begun reassembling the car yet, waiting on the freshly painted parts to be delivered at the end of this month. Have fun and keep the rubber side down.

Bring out the GT3 for one last hurrah! We both know that when you get the 996.1 sorted and out to the track it will look too good to be a track car. Kinda like all your other toys. ;-) Has your son done anything else to his 996? -KJ

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Thanks you are very kind. The GT3 is retired from track duty unless… Soft target for my 996.1 is July or August for a Potomac HPDE. My son has done a little bit of work on his Aerokit 996.1. He installed GT3 sport seats replacing the comfort seats that came with his car and he found a set of Sport Design wheels. He also sourced a set of Sumitomo sport tires in the proper factory size for the 18” wheels. His car came with an M030 suspension and has a tendency to oversteer more than he likes so we will probably put the leftover stock rear anti-sway bar from my 996.1 on it to settle down the rear when all is said and done. He is still in green with PCA HPDE and wanted more of a street car vibe. My middle son is also thinking about joining us at the track simply because we have a 1981 924 that has 180 Autocross class victory’s in its provenance. You just might see most of the gang later this summer