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DaveFL1976

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  • From
    Space Coast, Florida
  • Porsche Club
    PCA (Porsche Club of America)
  • Present cars
    '99 Cabriolet

DaveFL1976's Achievements

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  1. DaveFL1976
    It's true. I just got my car back from the dealer with a brand new engine with warranty. My '99 went kaput on I-95 two weeks ago. IMS bearing failed. I looked at all my options (aftermarket reman, junk yard, trashing the car, or going w/ the dealer) and went with the new motor at the dealer route. The reman or used engines just wouldn't give me the warm and fuzzy feeling I was looking for, and I love the car and wasn't planning on getting rid of it anytime soon. The dealer told me they've only replaced 3 Porsche engines in the last 2 years, so failures are a rarity evidently. Here's the breakdown: 3.4L 01 Carrera $34,283.28 Core Return -$17,745.33 Parts Discounts -$3429.00 Labor $1,754.95 Subtotal $14,863.90 TAX $891.83 TOTAL $15,755.73 The block is reman, but everything else is BRAND NEW and shiny. I considered going w/ a used one, but then knew with my luck I'd soon be replacing coil packs, water pumps, alternators, head gaskets, AOS, RMS, injectors, etc. So that's why I went with the new engine. It's ready to go, filled with oil and all new right down to the new headers. They tell me there's no break in period, but I'm going to take it easy for a week or two before I introduce her to the redline. It really feels like a new car now. I could have saved $5 or $8k by going with a used motor, but I'm going to sleep better this way. I just got it back yesterday and it sounds SOOO SMOOOTH and tight.
  2. DaveFL1976
    Just fixed this problem on my car today. I had the same issue where the key didn't offer any resistance when I turned it. The fix took about 2 or 3 hours. You'll need to buy a used lock mechanism on Ebay. I found one where the seller was asking $50 but took a best offer of $40. Disassemble that lock first to get familiar with how it comes apart and goes back together. Then remove your door panel, lock and then disassemble your lock mechanism. The last circular ring that you remove in the lock will most likely have broken tabs on it. It's this part that you need to swap into your lock. Then put everything back together and you're back in business!
  3. DaveFL1976
    You'll like this... With only so much garage/driveway space, the acquisition of my 996 last year necessitated the sale of our old 2003 Dodge Neon beater car (tough trade, eh?). With the same coverage, the insurance for the 996 was almost exactly the same as the Dodge Neon. It turns out that the terrible safety rating of the Neon was an equal risk to the insurance company as the high performance and high replacement cost of the 996. I have to admit I miss the Neon a bit. Not because it was a good car, but because it's sort of liberating to have one vehicle that you just don't care about. Moron drives into the side of your car in the airport parking lot? No problem!
  4. DaveFL1976
    I see it the same way. If you can live with the IMS issue then I can't think of a better-bang-for-your-buck $20k car than an early 996.
  5. DaveFL1976
    The NA 996, even without Traction Control, is a very stable car, and isn't tricky to drive like the older 911s you hear about with loose rear ends. Breaking traction is pretty tough to do on these, but it is possible, especially if the roads are wet. Typically there's so much traction that you'd have to be doing something pretty stupid in everyday traffic to get into trouble. The biggest problems in traffic is trying to restrain yourself from having too much fun! The brakes can be a problem in traffic, too, but only because you'll almost always be able to stop much quicker than the car behind you. I recommend playing around on a wide open, desolate parking lot in the middle of nowhere to get to know your car. And join your local Porsche Club of America chapter and sign up for some autocrosses. They're a blast and are a great learning experience to find out how your car reacts in a safe environment.
  6. DaveFL1976
    I used the same 3M kit for my '99 996 and the results were impressive. They're about 90% of where I'd like them to be. I might buy another kit to see how good I can get 'em, but I really recommend this product. Especially for the price. You're going to pay a shop $100+ to do a half-assed job when you can do it yourself for $20-$40. I do recommend earplugs, though, as an hour+ of drill motor whine isn't good for the ears. Anyways, the last part of your post mentioned that you were going to do a UV protection to the lenses. Did you find a suitable product? if so, what was it and how'd it work?
  7. DaveFL1976
    Hey folks, I'm getting an intermittant Brake Wear warning light on my '99, and looking at the front pads, they do look a bit thin. I've watched Youtube videos on how to change 996 brake pads and it doesn't seem too scary, so that'll be my next project. In your experience, is there any aftermarket brake pad brand for street use that stops better/lasts longer than OEM, or works just as well as OEM for far fewer bucks? And for a followup question, my rotors have about a 1/8'' lip on them from wearing down after 60k of driving. There doesn't seem to be any warping at all or anything, but is there a certain amount of rotor wear that's acceptable and not acceptable on 996's? many thanks as always! Dave Melbourne Beach, FL
  8. DaveFL1976
    I in no way consider myself a car collector or expert, but I am a TV junkie. And judging from the many hours of Barrett-Jackson auto auctions that I've watched on SpeedTV, it really doesn't seem like low VINs add much collectability to the car unless it's #1 or the final car.
  9. DaveFL1976
    The seats on my '99 996 were in really rough shape. I purchased a set of really nice seats out of a 2002 car. The passenger seat went in without a hitch. The wiring harness snapped right in and everything bolted back on. The driver's seat was a bit of a curve ball. I had read previous threads about people putting in new seats and having to move a power line over in the harness, so I was a little prepared for that. The big, flat connector's large guage wires didn't match up between the car's harness and the seat's harness, so I didn't connect it. The two smaller harnesses that snap into the seat's memory module snapped in w/o a problem. And the seat works! Every seat adjustment works, and the car starts, so I must not have pissed off the immobolizer! The only problem is that the Memory 1 button does not work anymore. Memory 2 and 3 work fine. So why the heck does 90% of the functionality work, and the car starts with one harness completely disconnected? Are there any dangers in using it as-is, or should I fix something that really doesn't seem to be broken by moving wires in the last harness? thanks!
  10. DaveFL1976
    I guess I didn't bother reading the interwebs after I got my '99 996 earlier this past January. I used a bottle of Techron and a bottle of Lucas injector cleaner (not on the same tank of gas) with no ill effects. She's got all the get-up-and go as you'd expect and gets 26mpg+ on the highway.
  11. DaveFL1976
    If you get it figured out, please post your outcome. I went to the dealer asking for a valet key and only left with confusion.
  12. DaveFL1976
    I've seen the cylinder itself when I was in there topping off the fluid, but wasn't sure if it's as simple as unbolting off the old one, transferring over the hoses and re-bolting on the new one. Any tips would be appreciated. I hear that removing the back interior 'door' panel can help. I had mine rebuilt with new seals by guy in Florida, like new for a lot less than new Might be worth checking this out: http://cgi.ebay.com/...sQ5fAccessories Just installed my Ebay'd passenger side $150 hydraulic ram. Once I figured out how to remove the rear interior panel (brute force helps) it really wasn't that bad of a job. The trickiest and most frustrating part was trying to reconnect the hydraulic hose lines. There's really not much space in there at all. I eventually got the bolt threads to bite, but I was just short of unbolting the whole hydraulic pump and reconnecting the hoses with the thing off the car. With fat fingers, it's difficult, but not impossible, to reconnect the hoses, but what's the 'right' way to do it? Remove the pump, switch over the hoses and then put the pump back on? Doesn't look like there's much room to get at that bottom bolt, either. In any event, the $150 cylinder seems to work great. No leaks at all. Yet, anyway.
  13. DaveFL1976
    Looks like a Florida roll call here! I'm in Melbourne Beach and am starting to get the Brake Wear Indicator when I go through car washes. I suppose that it's either a short or I'm getting close to needing to do the pads myself. And maybe the rotors too, they have a bit of a lip on them now. If you figure out any tricks or tips on changing out the pads and/or rotors, post 'em on here!
  14. DaveFL1976
    I've seen the cylinder itself when I was in there topping off the fluid, but wasn't sure if it's as simple as unbolting off the old one, transferring over the hoses and re-bolting on the new one. Any tips would be appreciated. I hear that removing the back interior 'door' panel can help. I had mine rebuilt with new seals by guy in Florida, like new for a lot less than new Might be worth checking this out: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Porsche-996-997-911-Convertible-Hydraulic-Rams-Cylinder-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQitemZ200493404359QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories
  15. DaveFL1976
    Thanks for the info. Yeah, on my first top-off of fluid I found that the previous owner had done the same and managed to both not replace the copper washer and strip the hex bolt insert, so there was no getting it off. I ended up melting a new filler hole through the top of the plastic reservoir, filling it up, and sealing the hole with a hot glue gun. I figured my options were to either get resourceful or spend $600 on a new hydraulic pump.
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