ADias

i may consider...27k on car, is it going to be a even swap?

Isn't yours a 911 and the original poster a Boxster?

What is your point? I have the Porsche DVD - is there a new one?

Chronos:

You are so right  :( I live right in Georgetown, and to make the potholes worse, there is the whole Georgetown reconstuction project.  I guess getting rid of exploding manholes that fling manhole covers like frisbees is a good thing, but it is a major pain in the meantime.  If I didn't like my Targa so much, I would consider a Pepper.

TD in DC :cheers:

No kidding. The joke is that SUVs became so popular in the US due to the poor quality of our road surfaces. We should instead vote out of office the guys who are responsible for road maintenance.

I just checked my rears on the 17in rims and they were at 41psi.  I reduced it to 38-39psi.

If you run 17"rims the factory quotes 36 front 36 rear cold. You are above factory numbers !? I would try 33/33.

By running 17"rims you already have a softer ride than w/ 18".

Your 996 should be fine. As others said, 17" rims make more sense in most US roads and more so in MI roads. A 911 gives you a total feel of the road as a true sports car should.

The other thing to look at is the condition of your tires. If you do not drive much and the car sits, you may have flat spots, and you may need to replace tires. These cars should be driven, they should not sit.

Type of tire makes a difference. Contis are very hard and noisy, Pirelli Rosso (and only Rosso) and Michelin are quieter.

Tire pressure is also an issue. The factory recommendations are way too high. On 18" rims they recommend 36 front, 44 rear - I settled on 33 front, 39 rear.

The question is: why were they stolen? Vandalism? if vandalism it seemed that they could have done worse.

Never noticed it, but if it does what you say it actually makes sense. I know on another car, when I push the fluid lever, because the wiper is moving, I have to time the fluid release just right , as it can be thrown in one direction by the wiper.

On the subject of your tires. Porsche's handbook for my C2 1999 tells me the COLD measurements should be 36 in front and 44 in the back for 18 inch rims. You may want to try that...I have to assume they ( Porsche)  do have some tire jockeys that do know what they are talking about and from my experience, tires that run bold(ish) in the middle have been driven with the wrong pressures.

PAG tire recommendation has little to do w/ tread wear and much more to do w/ underpressure liability issues. 36/44 on 18" is way too high for regular driving. The original poster center wear on the rears clearly proves that, exactly against your argument. Tires wear more on the center if over inflated.

On a C4 w/ 18" I settled on 33/39 for regular spirited driving. Yes, pressures are set cold.

I would not do it. It's not very useful on a coupe anyway.

Don't know for sure but it only costs around $250 to get the windshield completely replaced, so it should be less than that.

Karl

Is this a dealer cost for OEM glass?

Question for Loren/Tool Pants:

A friend of mine drives an 02 C2 and often hits the rev limiter in second gear. Can that be an issue in the long run? Is that an issue if it just happens sporadically?

... You MUST ensure you operate the top open or close on a flat and even surface. These cars are stiff as hell but even so, the tolerances in the top mechanism only require a slight twist in the chasis and the top mechanism can go all to hell.

How do you reconcile that with the fact that Porsche states that you can open/close up to speeds of 50MPH?

Was the car left top down outside or inside a garage? If outside, maybe moisture got into some electric contact.

What do you recommend for touch up/buff light scratches or stone chips on standard turbo alloy wheels? Mainly, scratches around mounting bolts.

Just FYI - I was told by a body shop that if you paint the bumper, you'll have to wait a bit (2 months) before a clear bra is applied - it has to do w/ paint curing/hardening.

I guess by the response, :huh:  either it was not a good idea or there is not a "simple idea" available.

Thanks anyway

I think your conclusion is correct. It is not needed.

This sounds like a bad clutch - that is the clutch does not disengage completely. When this happens it is noted in the low gears and less so in the high gears.

How about something in the middle?

I have a thin, almost-europlate looking plate on the front of my Boxster and my 911 that came from my Porsche dealer.  It's a thin dealer logo plate, but it's thin like these:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...item=2468761590

I don't see the point. I will only use a front plate because the law demands it. If not, no plate. I see cars w/ marque plates BMW, MB, etc... why? we already know the marque, why do we need to be reminded again? A fake euro plate? We are not in Europe. Just my 2 cents.

.... Are you saying you DO NOT have the hardware for the plate or you do but just don't know if you should put it on?

Either way I am curious about the plate  :jump:

I do have the plate mounting bracket. I'm polling the group to get a consensus on plate yes, or plate no.

Update: I made up my mind - bumper plugs ordered from Eric...

Many in CA do not mount a front license plate (even though it is illegal to drive w/o one). Some cars (such as the Jag XKR) do not have a "place" for it and others look odd when the plate obscures grills, etc. However, I'm warming to the idea that P-cars do have a place for it, they almost seem naked w/o a front plate. In Europe all carry one, so the car was designed for it. In my case, I also have a cool P-related plate that everyone likes, so I'm inclined to mount it on the front. What is the general consensus in this forum?

Wait wait, so what exactly does PSM  do on a C2 in terms of power distribution?

What does a C4 do in terms of power distribution? Front and Rear Wheels in let say no traction conditions.

Q: Wait wait, so what exactly does PSM do on a C2 in terms of power distribution?

A: PSM does not affect power distribution. On a C2 power is strictly applied to the rear wheels.

Q: What does a C4 do in terms of power distribution? Front and Rear Wheels in let say no traction conditions.

A: A C4/C4s is a an AWD car. Power is applied both to the rear and front wheels all the time. In steady state conditions only 5% of the available power is applied to the front but, dynamically, that can change up to 40%. In no traction conditions no power (or control) is applied anywhere.

See earlyapex's reply for a comprehensive description of PSM. The C4/C4S has both AWD and PSM.

... I was speaking with a guy and he told me with PSM the C2 is basically the C4, because the PSM will move the front tires the same way a C4 does.  I think thats what you were saying but I was just wanting to clarify it.  Does that mean if lets say were in 5 inches of snow with PSM on both cars will move the same way?  ...

The C2 w/ PSM is not the equivalent of a C4. The C4 is a 4WD car, the C2 is not. The C4 normally sends 5% of its power to the front and a maximum of 40% (in low rear traction conditions). A C2 w/ PSM does not do that.

I have a 2000 C4 and love it. I think its design makes absolute sense - it adds AWD w/ minimal weight added - the C4 is lighter than a C2 cabrio. I do not favor the C4s - I think it is an overweight C4 without added benefits. Paul Frere says the C4s is "a lot of show and no go" - I agree.