deschodt

What tire would you recommend, knowing that I enjoy the occasional track outing (6x year), I have to drive in occasional FL downpours but it's never cold, and I hate, loathe, despise my current Pirellis... The car is a 2003 on 18" (225 and 285) The P-zeros on the car are noisy, bouncy, take flat spots after sitting 1 day, I hate them with every fiber of my being like I've never hated tires before ;-) I know it's the tires because I had a boxster on 18s" before and it was nowhere near that bad ! With that in mind... I've had the Michelin PS2 on my previous car, they were OK in terms of wear but I found they went away quite fast on the track in terms of grip. I'm looking at : -Bridgestone Re050A ($986 + shipping at tire rack), the S03 replacement I guess? -Conti sport contact 2 ($870 + shipping) : my cousin works for continental, he says those are much better now, but I had a set of V1.0 and they sucked so I am not sure I trust V2.0 -Michelin PS rib $1120 + shipping... ****, where are the Kuhmos in my car's size ? nowhere, it seems, unfortunately ! Any other recommendation? I don't mind if they wear fast, I just want dry and wet grip, less noise, less harshness... Opinions ? I know it's subjective but it's not like you can try them for "feel" ;-)

Yes, mine was in the styrofoam thing.. If you truly lost the unlocking thingie, you are somewhat screwed -at least in the short term. You can have the car flatbedded to a dealership where they will use the master set to remove the lock-nut. You can buy a set of easy-out type things to forcefully destroy the nut but you get one shot at this and if you fail then you are doubly screwed. You could put some air or goo in the tire if it's not a huge gash and drive to the dealership like that. Or you could find which bolt you had (if the # is written anywhere) and order the corresponding "remover" from Porsche. It's not pretty if you're in a bind... When you are done, remove all 4 of those damned things and buy a set of 4 normal bolts so that it never happens again. It happened to me too and the dealership lost the unlocking nut from my car - they say they didn't but I know it wasn't me. Incredibly, the unlocking nut from my 1983 911SC matched the missing one from my car (no idea if that was stock or not, but there you go) ;-) very lucky....

>would the dealer be better than an independent? Depends if you are under warranty... And if you plan to keep the car. Assuming you are not under warranty, a dealer will certify the new motor for I think 2 years ? If an independant does it, the parts only are warrantied for 2 years.

In my opinion, talk to your dealer's service guys first. If you engine blows up, you are going to have to deal with them (if the new motor is not dealer installed only the parts are covered by the new warranty) and also deal with the warranty company, and you may have issues in between the 2 as to what's covered, payments etc. I went ot my dealer in Tampa (Reeves), they sell a policy via 1/3 party, zero deductible, and told me that I would not have to worry about a thing, it's now between them and their recommended warranty company. More money than yours, but 100K miles, zero decuctible and peace of mind.

I would get one.. that particular one sounds a tad expensive though, as I paid only $700 more for 4 years instead of 2... But if you have a good relation with the dealership and they stand behind "their" warranty offering, it's worth getting it no matter the price. A new engine install is $12500, I figure $2-3K for 4 years of peace if worthwhile - then you can move on to a used 997 ;-)

Relocating them where ? Around the A/C area or on the tunnel area ? In my experience, I did not have enough wire to reach the tunnel dummy switches... Easy to splice but I was lazy and went the other direction instead. I don't know in your case as I don't have a Targa, or your targa specifically (with what options)... But if the switch looks like it'll fit in one of the dummy switch on around the AC/radio area, most likely yes... If that area is full of active buttons and you have no dummy switches left to remove, or the targo button is huge, then probably not ;-)

First thing I did on my car - actually second, after the clear turn signals.... Left over parts I love it, it gives me just the extra wiggle room that I wanted...

Yeah but keep in mind that you will save a bunch of $$ on tax when trading in.... Say you're buying a used 997 for 60K - got a 30K 996 trade... Tax is (insert your state here) but let's say 7%: $2100 on the difference only! Sell your 996 yourself for 35K, woo hoo, now you're paying tax on the 60K car: $4200. Ouch. But in that case you are still ahead... but you had to deal with tire kickers, joy rides, potential fake cashier's checks, and so on.... You'll generally come out ahead selling the car yourself, but sometimes it's not worth it, do the math !

I have a motive bleeder, believe it or not, but since the dealer has recently serviced the car, well, I assumed.... My bad !!! Actually, your post is timely, I have a Gt3 bumper on order, I might as well do the ducting at the same time !!! thanks !

>I very seriously doubt, VERY SERIOUSLY DOUBT, that what occurred with you on the track was primarily due to "normal" brake fluid contamination. If you say so.. I have no idea nor any data to refute/agree... All I know is that the fluid was not as recent as I thought it was and I will go to something more heat resistant next time... Of course I will also inspect the system, but the fact that braking returned to normal after cooling off tells me that the fluid was indeed too hot... You may be 100% right on other causes, I indeed did not turn PSM off... There are a lot of walls at Sebring and it was my first time with 320 hp at that track, I am used to less horses, so I left it on. Could very well have contributed greatly, I could not tell you, I was watching the track and not so much the PSM indicator on the dash !!! >it really does sound as if your problem has more to do with a lack of adequate cooling rather than fluid contamination. What do you recommend I do in that case, got some brands of pads that disperse heat better ? Thanks !

Don't do what I did, take on good faith that the fluid had been replaced... Besides I should have put Super blue racing fluid in there... I showed up at Sebring this w/e for a Driver Event with the 996 - been there before many times with my older 911 or my Boxster, never had any issues. The 996 however is about 20 mph faster by the time I get to the same corners, it is also heavier, and if you combine both, it taxes the brakes a lot more than my older cars did! At least that's my theory ! Bottom line, while in the heat of catching up people I started feeling that my heel and toe was getting sloppier (did not immediately occur to me that it was because the brake pedal was sinking), but I was a little suspicious so I braked a little earlier at the last turn (the one that was on TV for the 12h race where the ferrari and the porsche banged each other? a 180 essentially) - earlier meaning @125 MPH instead of 130, heading into the 180! That is when the brake pedal went to the floor! NOT a fun feeling ! Whatever was left by furiously pumping got me from 130 down to 80 or so, after that I was on my own ;-( I made the turn, using an extremely wide line I might add, and sheepishly cut back and took to pit entrance... By which time I could not have stopped the car to save my life, even with pumping !! I had to go park elsewhere in the paddock - you don't want to use the handbrake on hot discs.... 40 minutes later, all was normal! Super blue brake fluid it is !!!

No, my car is a stock C2... The reason I asked is I was wondering if it's OK to have those exhasut vents up there without any hardware underneath, or if it's a bad idea for some reason... The GT3RS bumper is hard to find, and I've been told wit's wide body... doesn't look it, but whatever... The GT# Cup is the one, except I need to fill the slit for the tow hook. And it seems to be available for $1550 out there... I'll see if I find it for less..

Ok, some time has passed, and while I dislike my front bumper less than I used to, I still would love to upgrade to a GT3 RS front bumper... You know, same as the GT3 but 3 notches on the top just before the trunk lid... My question is: do you need to buy a bunch of extra hardware (scoops, air passages?) to make the 3 bumper openings functional, or can you just bolt it on and not mind if there is no actual airflow benefits ? Off to carnewal to see how much they cost, that should calm me down !

2 things I did today for my 03 C2... - The extended warranty, following last week's thread... I got one from the dealer (not saying it's a good deal): 4 years, 100K mi extra, $3400. So $850 per year if you prefer... Highest level of coverage, practically nothing excluded unless I forget to put oil in the motor, $0 deductible, and most importantly guaranteed no hassle from the service department since it's all internal to the dealership and they sent me there. Not cheap, but for $850 per year (and pro-rated refund if the car is sold) neither is a new motor... No waiting period either....just a data point ! - Clay: Just in case someone doesn't know (yes, you, under that rock)... My paint felt rough. Like sand paper rough, even freshly washed you could rub your hand on the fenders and roof and feel grit, on all horizontal panels mostly. Wax and cleaner wax made zero difference, much to my surprise. So I bit the bullet and spent 2 hours "claying" the car, in places over and over again until I stopeed picking up crap and the clay glided smoothly- used both bars of clay actually, that''s how bad it was. Captured all sorts of crap and you could tell by the color of the lube and grit on the clay... Waxed on top of that, and OH MY... I have paint again ! Smooth as a baby's butt, soft, rich feel.. Even my wife who could not care less about these things was impressed by the results... FYI...

Same situation here... My warranty expires in 12 days.... In the end I'm going with the Dealer's recommended one, it's just more convenient since that is where the car will be serviced... No hassle... They quoted me 4 and 6 year terms, up to 100K miles additional, various deductible levels...I'm going On friday for an inspection and I'll report what I got ! I don't plan on keeping the car that long (used 977 in a few years) so a 2 or 3 year plan would be best for me.

If you are adamant about getting 10 & 20 mm, you may want to go with lowering springs... M030, even the ROW flavor, seems to give inconsistant results in height. I got mine for the handling, and it delivers on that front. But it still looks too high, 10-20mm or whatever it truly is, it's still on stilts !

Ditto: The dealer bumped my pressures up when they did the ROW 030 install, and when I got the car I thought Uh Oh, that supension sucks !!! In fact is was just the bouncy tires at 44 psi! Now, just to play devil's advocate, I've had to replace 2 rear wheels that were out of round ($$$$) because the lower tire pressure failed to protect them during a pothole encounter... Would the wheels have been safer at 44 PSI ? who knows... But too low can risk your rims as well... I run 34/39 now... I don't like a huge gap F/R !

I second this. Any plug is a questionable one and one wrong bump in the wrong spot could split that tire in 2 at that speed. Also let me know if you find a good deal on tires I do not like the road noise from the P-Zero's on my car. 295-30-19's Well, the thing is I HATE the pirellis like no tire I've ever had before. The thought of having to buy a new one makes me want to throw up... I will get this one patched and use the car as is for 2 months or so until the ALMS, CART and IRL release Sebring to us. Then before the first Porsche club DE I will go buy a set of michelins or bridgestones ! 150 is the upper end, maybe hit for 1 or 2 seconds at the end of the back straight. The rest of the track it's 30->110 average... But yeah, I feel the same !

This morning, no idea why today in particular, I glance around the 996's 4 corners before taking it out. Actually, maybe because the Pirellis are so crappy that they take a flatspot by just sitting overnight, and I want to make sure they are not deflated, but I digress... **** !!! A flat rear tire ! Must have happened last night since I did not feel it.... A quick inspection reveals a nice nail in a repairable area. No problem right ? just unbolt the wheel and quickly bolt on the spare so that the car does not sit askew all day... Uh oh, where's the anti-theft nut ? Fast forward to 30 minutes of frantic searches, no nut. I am screwed ! The car has a flat tire that won't come off the car... catch 22 ! The dealer needs minimum 3 days to order one, if I can tell them which # it is... Don't know that either ! Or I can have it flatbedded to the dealer where they'll use their master set, and charge me $120 an hour to repair my tire. And my other car is at the shop ;-) Good day !!! I steal my pregnant wife's car and leave her the "collector" 912 that runs on 3 cylinders in case she needs to go have the baby, and go to work late... Tonight I go pick up my other commuter from the shop, an 83 SC, since the 996 is out for the rest of the week at best! That's the dumb luck part... My 83 used to have magnesium anti-theft bolts from way back when (possibly 1983). I ditched them long ago when some monkey overtorqued them and they had to be drilled out. But I kept the "key-nut-bolt thingie" in the glove box - forgot to trash it really. No way the nut would match my modern 996's pattern, right ? Bah, worth a try.... Perfect fit !!! Conclusion to the story: If you're gonna use that $#%$% anti-theft lug nut system, know the # of your "key" so you can order one when you lose it or when it breaks - yes, they do break. Other conclusion in my case: Deep 6 the blasted nuts and install a conventional one. If any (paying?) member wants a free set of bolts with the correct "key", pay shipping and they are yours ! PS: I've had performance tires repaired before, I am not worried about the freeway, but would a repaired tire be safe at 150MPH down the straight at Sebring ? I'm leaning towards no, besides that'd give me 2 months to wear out the squirellies and install proper tires !

Check out the link "ABOUT 3.6 mod" or something, that evansaero supplied 2 or 3 posts above... That will take you to another thread... Seems like our stock mufflers have a "casting" for the PSE already that is sealed shut. Makes sense porsche would reuse the molds ! You have a muffler shop open it up and weld a 2" bent pipe from there to the exhaust pipe, a bypass of sorts, or so it seems to me from the pictures on that thread. I think the PSE is the same thing with the option to open/close it... This is VERY tempting to do, as I already have 3.6 mufflers. Then again, maybe I should drive with my windows down first and make sure I want to do this. There would not be a kind soul with the mod in the Tampa Bay area, would there ? Too much to ask, but I'd like to hear it in person rather than on Utube (sounds good though)

>No one other than Porsche knows the stats on 996 engine failure but, if you do a search on this site and Rennlist.com 996 forum you will see quite a few. Do the same search on any 993 forums and it’s a different story. Not trying to be a smart a$$, but on the 993 forum you will hear about carbon build up issues triggering ODBII check lights, valve guides, $6000 top end refreshes, and the fact that a new 993 motor in a crate is closer to $30K than it is to $10K out the door like for a 996 - of course nobody buys those, they rebuild them instead... Still a fair point: a rebuilt 993 motor is likely to cost more than a brand new 996 engine, and is less powerful and just as likely to coke up again... I know because my ex-993 cost its PO $6500 to repair. Each gen of 911 has issues, our RMS is the chain tensioner of the early 80s... That said, it's a little worrisome to hear about about all those replaced motors, not always under warranty - mine (03 996) expires in 3 months and I am not sure if I should get an extension (can't do it via Porsche but the dealer offers aftermarket). At $2500-3500 "for sure" for a warranty and $10K for a "maybe" motor, it's not a clear cut choice! It'd be easier if the warrnaty was all inclusive, but you never know what's really covered !

So what is the deal with the ppor man's PSE ? Is it a secret ? Can you tell us more ? $70 at the muffler shop sounds like something I could try ;-) I had something similar done with a 993 and was pleased... Let me know !

Ok, update: I had my mechanic adjust the pedal like Loren indicated, and while it's not much it's.... much better! The engagement went down an inch or so. That said I still have the occasional problem of the shift feeling not smooth, and it's not consistent... My clutch might be tired... I can't tell because it does not slip... I think, from paying attention to each shift, that it happens when the next gear is "engaged" pretty much at the cutoff where variocam kicks in. That little variocam stutter around 3200 rpm might make the clutch go "doink" a little bit.... But sometimes I get it when I press the clutch pedal (before even changing gears), like the gear disengagement caused the "doink"... I know, highly scientific term, "doink", it's not even a sound, just a feeling of slightly shocking the drivetrain... I've heard others have similar issues on 996s. My 987 did not do that - then again it has a lot less torque and HP ;-)

The cheapest I've seen it is at suncoastporsche (dot com), go to the parts store and purchase online for your specific model year. It's the whole kit, shocks, springs, bars, bushings.... $1200 or so delivered... Then you either install it yourself and align the car, or pay a shop to do so, about another thousand... It's nice... I think I'll like it even more when I ditch my Pirellis for Michelins !

I've read on another site somebody suggested that you get adjustability by introducing a bit of air to the clutch hydraulic system. (press pedal a bit, open bleeder, let pedal go, repeat till the engagement is where you want it). That would lower the engagement point... Is that possible? I can see this working if it weren't shared with the brakes, but if it is, then it's dangerous.... Also read that clutch wear - on a hydraulic system - has nothing to do with engagement point... My clutch doe snot slip at all... I just dislike the fact that it engages so high off the floor. I drove a new 987 that did not do that, but never drove a new 996. Where does it grab on the pedal travel when new ? Thanks !