jgriffin56

1955 356 Continential Convertible for a classic and for speed and looks and collectability the 959 takes the cake!

Walter's Porsche in Riverside is offering a$89 special for Mobil 1 and filter. Or call Hergesheimer's in Lake Forest off the 241 (949-456-7223)and ask for Eric, I know that they will try to fit you in....good people.

You were right phillipj, I put some hamster food in the engine bay just before the wash, no sound! I guess that they were so busy eating, they just forgot to squeal!

Whenever, I take my car into the local 100% hand wash and hand Dry ( no machines,tracks, blowers etc), when they move the car from the washing area to the detail area, a very loud squeek comes from the engine compartment. I used to think it was just water getting on the belts, because when you rev the engine a few times, it goes away. So this time I put a plastic sheet all over the engine to defer the water off the engine and away from the belts. It still squeeked as loud as ever. This is the only time I get anykind of squeek (when it is being washed.) Any ideas what it could be?? (04 C4S Cab Tip)

Porsche Design sells luggage specifically designed to fit into the from trunk. However, if you know Porsche Design you will have to give them your first born to buy one!

The dealers usually do not put in the glass with their personell. ALmost all the time they contract out to independent glass companies to do the install. I would suggest that you skip the dealer, in that, they only charge more and take a profit for virtually doing nothing. You might check to see who does the dealer's glass work, by either tasking the dealer ( not likely) or calling around to see who does the Porsche dealers work. I have heard of aftermarket glass, but I would really be concerned about fitment of the glass. Call the dealer first and find out what you need for a complete glass replacement. You will need an outer ring, glass and approved sealant. Call the glass company and tell them that you have a Porsche and that you want (demand) that they send their best installers. If they balk, then call another installer to see if they have experienced installers. When I had mine done, it took two guys about 45 minutes to remove the old glass and completely install the new glass. He even showed me down in the bottom corner where the glass edge was showing, pointing out that this was a "normal" flaw in the Porsche front windshield. One other thing, take the time while the glass is out to put down some Protectant 333 *SPF 30)on the plastic dashboard just under the glass. Also make sure that they clean the inside portion of glass before installing it so that you are not trying to clean the inside yourself incase there is any dust of grime on the window from sitting somewhere in a warehoue. As far as other alternatives, some say the OEM glass is too soft. To which I somewhat agree. My other cars don't seem to pit as easily however but my Mercedes does pit easy, must be German glass. Again with other glass you should be concerned about fitment. Nothing worse, than loose glass making noise over every bump in the road. Also this is a great time to replace the air cabin filter, since they have to get into this box to remove the old glass.

Congratulations on your new P car, Looks great! But most importantly, I hope it drives great! As far as the warranty, check other threads about buying warranties. It seems that the best and most comprehensive ( and probably most expensive) are the warranties that the Porsche dealers recommend. Some will limit the claim to a specific amount ( say $3K for an engine failure, which would cost upwards $14K) and some will warranty the entire job. ALways check the fine print, and do not rely on what the salesman tells you. You can expect to pay $2-4K for 24 to 48 months.

IF the specs are okay, like Loren said, I say go for the new muffler. If you go to all the work on the old muffler from the junkyard you will probably will switch it out sooner than later. Install on a new muffler is not a terrible job and can be done in 1-3 hours. Just make sure that you get all the fasteners the hook up the old muffler to the catalytic converter. They do make some quick snap on type fasteners that may make the job easier. Also try to get a buddy to help you hold the muffler while puttting in place, they helps a lot. I am sure there is a DIY on the RennTech forum that will help too.

In addition, there is an additional cost factor of the C4S over the C2 or C4. Since the C4S uses the big red brakes and suspension as the turbo, it is more expensive to replace brake pads, calipers, rotors and shocks and struts and some exterior parts. However, generally the other parts are interchangeable and cost the same since it shares the same engine and transmission as the C2 and C4.

I have a C4S and also live in So Cal. I like the C4S because it seems to have all the bells and whistles. It has the full leather (Front and rear) the big red brakes, the wide body, turbo front bumper, and the big rear tires. It is basically the same car as the Turbo minus some suspension, engine and transmission (tiptronic). The big reason that most people buy the C4S is the AWD and live in the snow, which it is really designed for. The car won't rear slide like a C2, since the 30% of the bHP is going to the fronts, however the car generally weighs more than a C2. IF you like the wide body and the more plush interior, turbo bumper,I would suggest the the C4S, however it is more expensive than the C2. I am very happy with mine. JG

I have the one wiper system on my MBZ (01E55) and don't like it. Has a tendency to slap in heavy rain and does not seem to clear the water as efficiently, and in liight rain on intermitant you get this big long sweep of the window just to remove a small amount of water, which can be distracting. However looks cool in the picture.

My 04 C4S has leather-wrapped three spoke color crested steering wheel.

Are you using the same gas station and possibly the same pump for fill-ups. Sometimes we are creatures of habit. If I have problems with certain pumps , I simply turn the pump nozzle upside down or sideways, whatever works, manually filling tank with finger on trigger,and the gas eventually will fill to the top. Be careful to hold the pump with both hands to prevent it slipping or dropping, resulting in damage to the paint. JG (04 C4S)

Thanks ANdersonC4S: Did you do the conversion on your C4S? Problem mine IS a TiptronicS and so I may be getting into computer problems, Any advice for Tips? I do know there is very little software out there for programming Tips. Am I chewing off too much??

I am considering switching out the AWD in my C4S to only rear wheel drive. My reasons are that I like the wide-body look and since this is my 4th Porsche, I miss the feel of the rear wheel drive only. Another reason is weight, that I am told that the front wheel drive portion is about 280lbs of weight on the car. I was wondering if anyone has had any experience in doing the conversion to rear wheel drive and how much hasssle it would be to rebuild the front end. Will the Tiptronic S transmission convert all the power to the rear tires, if I simply remove the drivetrain to the front? I do not have resale concerns, because I am out to only please my own driving experience. Oh, by the way, I live in So Cal and do not need the AWD for snow (only snows in So Cal every 10 years for about 2 hours). Considered selling car and buying a 997S Cab Tip, but the resale on C4S is not so good right now! Anyway, just love the options on the C4S because it is absolutley loaded with everything!

Go the Surflex site (goggle) and look into their product called "Soffener", I have used it on my seats and leather and there is nothing like it. It does't put on a shiny finish and leaves the original sheen. It is great stuff! I think it is about $30 for a 1 quart can, which would do a 100 cars.

Bruce P: MOST of us out here are helpful and try to give good solid answers to your questions. Sorry for the FEW who seem not to be. I guess it would be inconceivable that someone out there may not have his original manual or may not have it handy. It does happen.

That's a fantastic price on the OEM Porsche rotors. Better to double check that you are getting C4S brake parts and rotors, because they are much more expensive than the straight 996 brake parts.

Does anybody have a good source with reasonable pricing for purchasing Euro or USA ROW spring sets. Do you have to change out the struts as well? What is the difference between the Euro and the USA ROW spring sets? Thanks

Try www.brakeperformance.com for slotted brake rotors. Their prices are for a set of 2, so the prices may seem high. C4S brake parts are really expensive due to the big red brake system. I just replaced by brakes/rotors/sensors/bolts/etc with PORSCHE OEM and it ran $1500 at my indy.

I have/had the same problem in my stock 04 C4S with rough ride. Again consulting the PCA Tech site, I found out two things. One the european tire pressure system is set up in bars of pressure, whereas the USA is set up in lb/sq inch. It seems that "bars" do not allow much variance in pressure since they are set up in .5 bars and then converted to lbs/sq inch. Second, it is generally acknowledged that the car manufacturers use high tire pressures on new cars to get the roll needed to acheive high gas mileage numbers for the EPA. By reducing the tire pressure to 40 rear and 32 front, I have taken some of the harshness out of the ride and I am much more satisfied on the quality of the ride. Again IT IS A Porsche, Not a Cadillac.

By increasing your tires to 225/45 Front and 295/35 Rear is only going to make the tire taller, thus losing the "low profile" look. Thr first number is the tire width the touches the road, and the second number is the tire height. I really don't see much good in going with taller tires for tracking making the car sit higher, and adding the weight as well. And to tell you the truth I think it would make the care look as a little tire heavy. If you go the other way and add tire width, then you risk hitting the tire wells and any internal suspension parts. I think the stock tire on a C4S is big enough ) I too have an 04 C4S, and if anything I would maybe go a little wider on the front to a 235 and maybe a 305 on the rear it it fits, I would also check the Tire Rack and speak to them. ALso the track may not let you run non-N2 tires on a Porsche, I don't know, but better to check first.

The turbo engines are completely different that your 996. Almost every internal part of the engine needs to be changed out to accomadate the boost power (ie the difference in compression is lower in turbos). The cost would be prohibitive, not to mention problems with longetivity. Even the transmisions are different, at least I know that the Tiptronic S are. The only solution would be to get a supercharger which would add the HP that you need or buy a turbo, getting cheaper by the minute.

Oh such easy answers to such a complicated question. " the 02 C2 is the best, but make sure that the RMS and IMS has been changed out"...that makes no sense. A bad IMS will cost you a new engine ($13K)..... Get serious. What I say is that the 996 for you is what you want it to be. Live in snow area, then a C4 or C4S. Live in a nice weather area, then get a Cab. Want speed, then get a C2 coupe ( less weight than a C4 and Cab). Lots of freeway stop and go, then get a tiptronic. ALso only the later 996s came with the triptronic S with paddle shifters, which are much quicker than the old way of manually shifting the tiptronic using the floor shifter. Want the luxury model with everything, then get a 03 or 04 C4S Cab. It all comes down to what you want to drive. I ageee that there seems to no one model that has more problems than another. Some guys track their cars, then complain that the RMS, or the brakes fail, and the tires don't last, and their engines smoke. It all depends, again, on what you want out of the car!

I would suggest you first check the DIY section, listed below the this section on the main menu. Go to the bottom of the first page in "keyword" write in suspension. There are some great DIYs in there. Hope this helps, JIM