BlackTurboCab

Maybe this will make you fell better... I have owned a 95C4, 97C2, 01Cab and now an 04TurboCab, all bought new from the dealer. I totalled my C4 (on the street). It was a track car so I sweated it out before the insurance company totalled the car and I got my new 97C2 (also a track car). I replaced the C2 with an 01Cab (not a track car). There was not so much as a scratch (only the few obligatory stone chips) on the 97 and 01 when I sold/traded in the cars. Now I too have my dream car, an 04 Turbo Cab. The car was delivered in late October. I had the car 3 days when I clipped the side of a stone bridge with the rear wheel...I guess the rear is wider than the 01Cab. The wheel was scratched badly and slightly dented at the edge so wheel needed re-finishing. Within 2 weeks, didn't even have permanent plates, I was cut off when changing lanes from a standstill and hit a car. Paint damage to the bumper cover, slight buckling of the integrated air dam and a slight dent in the front fender. The owner of my body shop shook his head when he looked at the damage. I knew him from my track days and saw some of the great restoration work he had accomplished. I aked him nervously, "Can you repair the car?" "Of course!", he replied. "Then why are you shaking your head?" "Because the car is so new and SOO NICE!" $2000 later the car is as good as new. The bumper cover was reshaped/repainted and the fender repaired/repainted. The paint matches perfectly. The lines are perfect. The same night that I picked up the car at the body shop, I barely couldn't stop short enough to avoid the deer that ran out in front of me. I guess I should have gone for the ceramic bakes. I mean the difference between hitting and not hitting the deer was less than 2 feet. The next morning I noticed a very very slight imperfection and paint crack on the front bumper. I guess with these cars, no imperfection seems slight. I took the car back to the shop and now they tell me I need the bumper repainted again to make the car perfect. I'm NOT doing that till the spring or maybe NOT at all unless there is further damage to the bumper. I mean no one outside of a concours inspector and me would notice the imperfection. The bottom line is yes, I was upset, and yes it hurts to write this e-mail. But the bottom line yes, It still IS my dream car and I love it no less. It's performance is out of this world. It still looks fantastic and factory new. So you are not alone. I hope you are comforted. My advice is don't persue getting a 2nd new car from the dealer. First of all, in no shape or form will they give you a new car. You will just aggravate yourself even more. On the miracle that you get a 2nd new car, you will really feel jinxed and be 10 times more upset should something happen to that car. I hope you get over this and fall in love with your great beautiful car. I consider mine "initiated". Whatever...you can't spend your time worrying about these things...it's just less time spent enjoying your a beautiful jewel. I feel better now. I hope you do too. Best regards, BlackTurboCab@aol.com

I recently picked up my 4th 911 since 95. This is my first Turbo, an '04 Cabriolet. I have driven the car for 2 months unmodified. I tracked my first 2 993s with PCA driver's ed. I made many aftermarket performance modifications to those cars. One modification I never made was adding a short shifter. When my local Porsche dealer offered me a Porsche short shifter kit for my new Turbo, I jumped on it. I drove it for the first time yesterday and was very surprised by the increased notchiness and effort now required to change gears. The notch causes a pause and a greatly increased effort is required overcome the notch and put the car into gear. At times, I feel like I will bruise my palm shifting gears. I thought the short shifter would increase performance by reducing the throw on the shifter for quicker gear changes. The pause caused by the notchiness and the effort required to overcome the notch makes me feels like there was zero benefit from the change, only negative consequences. At times, the notchiness wouldn't allow me to shift gears without backing off the shifter and reloading. The shift that is particularly disconcerting is 2nd to 3rd. This notchiness and effort is minimal when the car is not moving and at idle. If you have had experience with a short shifter in your turbo, please help me with the following: 1) Is what I'm describing "normal" for a short shifter? 2) Will it loosen up over time or can some adjustment be made? 3) Could installation be at fault? 4) Or is it just a matter of learning the proper timing for shift changes to reduce time, notchiness and effort? I have no intention of tracking this car. Thanks for your comments... BlackTurboCab blackturbocab@aol.com