chance2001

You have to ask yourself how many engines have been built and how many had the same failure? Not many I would guess.

With a new engine you start form zero, not a bad thing. I wouldn't sell.

I've seen Porsche Dealer rebuilds and you wouldn't know it from the factory. New engine, man. Don't even worry about it. I know you're stressed, as would I be, but you're going to have a new engine. As long as they do all the work and you keep all the papers, you're fine.

Enjoy your new car.

I am thinking about selling my 997S. I never drive it and think I would use a Cayenne much more, but don't want to be sick after doing the deal. Any thoughts.

I had a Cayenne as a loaner while the dealer was servicing my 997S. These are such significantly different cars it's not even funny. One's an SUV, and the other a sports car. While the Cayenne tries, and does a pretty good job, it's not even in the same league as the 997S. However, if you pony-up heavy for the Turbo, you're getting close. Porsche has done the best job of making the Cayenne drive tight and peppy, but it's an SUV and a solid effort to capture people like you looking to move out of their sports car and into an SUV.

I drive my 997 about two to three times a week and look forward to my intimate driving time. If you must go the SUV route, the Cayenne is a nice move. I had the six cylinder non-S, non-Turbo. I have to tell you, IT IS SLOOOOOOOOW. Sure it has the shifter and makes some noise when you mash the pedal, but it just doesn't move. The suspension is among the best I've seen on an SUV.

I wish you luck in your decision. My advice: get a loaner from them of the model you're considering. I would really push you to at least the S or Turbo if you can since the ponies are pathetic in the standard model. :drive:

Regards...

Happy 911, yes i have had several Cayenne loaners as well, all V6. They drive nice, but are tortously slow and under powered. This is a tough decision as i really love driving my car but just don't seem to do it offten. i have less than 3000 miles on the odo and it has almost been a year. i think that Turbo Cay. would be fun but a waste of money. i owned a VW Toureg and love it, but the service sucked so i sold it. tough decision but i am trying to be practical so to speak.

I feel your pain. I have two little ones and they rarely drive in my 997S. My daily driver is a 745LI with plenty of leg room for even the kick'iest kid. VW, horrible service! Any chance you can get the CayS? I will tell you, at 6'3'', I get tired of crawling out of my 997, but the ride is worth it. I'm a car whore and am always looking for a reason to jump on the next babe (car, that is). I've had my 997S for six months and plan on keeping it for awhile.

I, too, have a guilt comlex about having such an expensive car sitting idle in the garage looking pretty. My wife has to constantly persuade me it's ok to have such a toy, but I'm from poor roots and it haunts me to no end. You can take the poor guy out of the hood, but you can't take the hood out of the guy.

Enjoy your car. And if you grow tired of it,..move on. Get the Cay and enjoy it. Life's short and all you can take are your experiences. May as well make them good ones :king: .

m

Folks,

I successfully installed the Sirius Satellite Radio into my 997 via the MOST fiber optic system. I have a 2006 997S with PCM 2.1B. I used the Cayenne Sirius Parts kit. Pix are below and the part numbers are below. Note that this is NOT supported by PAG. It is a custom installation using Cayenne parts. Note also that you must proceed at your own risk. You must have PCM 2.1B. When ordering parts kit, differentiate between XM or Sirius and whether or not you have a CD changer (different part numbers for CD changer or not CD changer).

The antenna replaces the NAV antenna under the cowl cover.

It works FANTASTIC.

:eek:

p.s. I also included antenna install pix in the cowl cover (under the wipers) (both before and after).

Wow! You're crazy. Good for you figuring this all out. How long did this project take you to do? I can take anything in the world apart, just getting it back can be a b****.

OK, so I'm worrying about stuff I probably shouldn't, but...

The one thing that freaks me out a bit about my 997 is the lack of a spare tire for two reasons. First of all, does the goo/compressor thing actually work? Can it really give me a tire I can drive on? And for how long? And if I do flat, will I be able to get the tires I want on the car in a reasonable time at a halfway decent price, or am I stuck either without a car waiting for tires, or paying way too much. This car is my daily driver, so that is I'm sure at least part of why my concerns are probably more than most 997 owners. Also, we've had buzzards luck with flats in the past 5 years or so. I'm actually considering ordering a set of PS2's from TireRack, and keeping them on hand for the inevitable, be it a flat or just time to replace them.

Comments? Anyone have experience with the goo?

I live in the country 100 miles from Porsche dealer, tire stores, etc. My '05 997 is garaged in an old stone barn. My driveway is 1/2 mile of crushed rock. the only local tire store services tractors and pickup trucks. The twisty country road I drive are even more remote. I worry about flats! Through Ebay and shopping around on net, I found a 996 'spare tire' & aluminum scissor jack, a lug wrench & 9mm (?) socket for lug nuts, and canvas tire cover. I tested all this out on the car, front and back tires, in the safety and comfort of my garage and it all works - good wheel fit, jack operates as designed (be sure to use front & rear 'jack points'), etc. This 'kit' all fits into my front luggage space, nice and neat in the canvas cover. Because if can roll side to side, I shove a soft bag next to it. A couple of notes: The spare tire must be partially deflated to fit in trunk, so using the compressor supplied by Porsche will be required once spare is put on car. Also, the flat tire and wheel will not fit into truck (the wheel might if tire shredded), so it will have to be put in the back seat; add a heavy-duty large plastic trash bag to your 'kit' to put tire/wheel in after it comes off car.

This took me about a month to pull together and I kept wondering if it was worth it. Any way you slice it, it would be a big mess, a lot of trouble, and probably ruin the day, since a return home on the spare would be required. But, considering the alternatives, I'd much rather have this option than to be stranded on the side of the road for what I am sure would be the better part of the day.

Hope this helps.

Man do I agree with you. I have a 997 and am scared to death of a flat. Getting one would spell disaster I'm sure. Goo! Goo is good for gluing my sneaker sole back on. I'm getting the wheel and jack. Thanks mcuh for testing and providing the results.

I am thinking about selling my 997S. I never drive it and think I would use a Cayenne much more, but don't want to be sick after doing the deal. Any thoughts.

I had a Cayenne as a loaner while the dealer was servicing my 997S. These are such significantly different cars it's not even funny. One's an SUV, and the other a sports car. While the Cayenne tries, and does a pretty good job, it's not even in the same league as the 997S. However, if you pony-up heavy for the Turbo, you're getting close. Porsche has done the best job of making the Cayenne drive tight and peppy, but it's an SUV and a solid effort to capture people like you looking to move out of their sports car and into an SUV.

I drive my 997 about two to three times a week and look forward to my intimate driving time. If you must go the SUV route, the Cayenne is a nice move. I had the six cylinder non-S, non-Turbo. I have to tell you, IT IS SLOOOOOOOOW. Sure it has the shifter and makes some noise when you mash the pedal, but it just doesn't move. The suspension is among the best I've seen on an SUV.

I wish you luck in your decision. My advice: get a loaner from them of the model you're considering. I would really push you to at least the S or Turbo if you can since the ponies are pathetic in the standard model. :drive:

Regards...

Hi, the plastic rear window on my '97 Boxster is starting to pull away from the stiching on both the left and the right sides where the window folds (see attached picture). Right now the affected area is about one inch on each side.

Is there a way to repair this without having to replace the window? A descrete amout of glue? Restitch the affected area?

Thanks for the help,

Tim

'97 Boxster

The fabric needs to be seperated and restitched to remove the existing tears in the plastic. I'm not sure if this can be done to a reasonable standard. Using any type of adhesive will only make a mess of your car and not solve the problem. You need an upholstery pro to look at this. If this is happening in a few areas, I'd consider replacing the top.

Yeah, but the problem with paint is it chip's easy, especially when you start putting a socket to it. A plating process like passivationwill be much better.

I'm with you. Why bother painting them because once you put a socket to them, they're toast. Show me the photos of them on. THat paint will come off like a candy wrapper.

I live in Dallas and can someone tell me a better repair shop I should go for my 1999 911 C2?

I live in Colleyville, used to live in Plano. I take mine to Boardwalk since my 997 is certified and under warranty, but they've really been bad lately since their doing crapy Audis too. Their in process of building just a Porsche dealership. Let me tell you, I sat in their waiting room for an hour while they checked in all these audis first. I won't go back 'til they get their sh** together. Park Place does a good job and are negotiable if you push 'em. If you're out of warranty, you're probably looking for someone other than the dealer. There's a shop off 183 in Bedford-- I beleive, right next to the Park Place Mercedes Dealership that does Porsche. From what I hear, good work at good prices. Some of the repair shops charge as much as the dealer, be wary. I'll see if I can find their name, my buddy uses them for his 993 and swears by them.

Thanks every one, I've ask my repair guy and he will remove rotor and paint with VHT high temp paint. Also he will check each rotor and sand 'em even as well. All for $80.. not bad... :D

That's worth it. I painted mine on my previous Porsche, a 996, and it was time consuming. You're getting a deal.

I recently purchased a 2005 997 C2 and during transport a small 1/2 cm stone crack occurred on the passenger side of the front windshield. Should this be patched with the air removal and UV light sensitive fusion polimer or simply replaced?

Anytime you replace the windshield you disturb the impact aborbing integrity of the car. Believe it or not, the windshield is a very important part of the car's ability to absorb energy during an accident. If the windshield is not installed properly, it can pop out and even decapitate the occupants of the car. This isn't to scare you, just make you realize how important it is to get it done right. They MUST use gloves or the oil on thier hands will interfere with the adhesives properties, creating weak points on the glass and frame of the car. Check with your insurance company on who to use and watch them do it, from start to finish. Your life may depend on the quality of their work. German glass is notoriously soft. I have a BMW and 997 and I swear if it rains I get little chips. I am close to replacing the glass just because I hate all the little dots. I would try the repair first and if it doesn't meet your standards, replace it, but do it right. Good luck.

Just got my car back..All I can say is they did absolutely nothing..

First they said they tighten a few speaker screws on the right side (which was where the rattle was coming from) I still hear rattling from the door area.. It could be the passenger seat bc I do see it shake alot.

The driver side wind noise is still present. They said they adjusted the window by moving it up and out a smudge. I still hear drastic wind noise at 40-55 mph.. Not sure if thats normal or not

The rattling/clanking sound he said was from the flywheel which he said was absolutely normal. Odd thing was another c2 pulled into the garage area and as the guy shut off his engine, I didnt hear the noise I had.. So what should/can I do now, Turn up the radio and the noise will all go away?

What a waste of time taking it to the dealer..I thought they get paid for warranty work?

Man, can I sympathize with you. I had a 996 that had wind noise that sent me over the edge. After three trips to Porsche and multiple adjustments to the window angle etc., I took it upon myself to find the problem. I taped up my window with electical tape on the outside. The noise appeared to be coming from the driver's side window area. So after a roll of tape and many test drives, I was stunned to find it was the MIRROR. You see, noise travels and can easily fool you. The source may not be where is appears, or sounds, to be. After taping the miror up, the sound was gone. So I pealed off all the window tape and left the mirror tape on and no noise. I took the car back to the dealer and explained the situation and the took the mirror apart and rebuilt it. No more noise. Go figure.

Also, The metal sounds. Many factors can influence the sounds metal makes: heat (how hard you drive the car-rpms), speeds you drive it at and age. Here's why; the air cools metals around your engine and under the car pretty effeciently, but at lower speeds you'll find the metal can actually be hotter than higher speeds, depending on RPM's. I took my lazer thermal probe and read temperatures on my pipes and converter under the car after traveling across the DFW metroplex and it was much cooler than when driving hard around my neighborhood. The car reaches its maximum temperature AFTER you stop, not while you are driving. The metals continue to expand until they begin to cool and contract, and both processes create sound. Some cars are lounder than others. My buddies 997 sounds like a mouse compared to mine, but I drive at higher rpms per shift than he does and miine runs hotter. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

Good luck...

I bought a used 98. I noticed that my old rotors were "valleyed" from the edge of the rim. I immediately changed mine out. I got the cross drilled Zimmerman Cadium coated (anti rust). THe brakes are outstanding. As far as cost, I think I paid about $400? (with pads).

Thanks for the tip..I'll remember this one.

I hope you did not get injured. Unbelieveable.

I have watched 4 replacements. I am all for DIYer projects, but this is not one.

Like most/all modern cars the winshield is glued in.

I have watched a body shop guy do it, a porsche mechanic at my local dealer, the van that comes to your house or work, and the van that comes to a dealer. They all do it the same way. No mystery.

I have never heard of someone trying to reuse a windshield on our cars. The glass is not that expensive, and sometimes they are damaged when removed.

Don't mess around with the windshield install. The windshield's primary function is to protect the driver from debris, but also to serve as an important piece of structural rigidity that adds to the car's ability to absorb and transfer impact pressures as a result of an accident. There was a special on DateLine a few months ago discussing faulty windshield installers habits. If the installer touches the windshield's edge, where the adhesive meets the glass and the frame, the results can be catastrophic. In some instances the glass detached and beheaded the occupants of the vehicle. The oil on your hand compromises the integrity of the adhesive material and creates weak points on the windshield causing it to POP out during an accident.

The good installers use gloves and knows the problems their laziness can cause. I recently had the windshield replaced in my wife's suburban and used the recommended installer that USAA suggested. I inspected the glass prior to installation, looking for fingerprints, and watched him install it. If he touched that glass, I'd have sent him packing. Do not fool around with this project, it's serious business. Also, if you buy a windshield off a wrecked car, that glass can already be compromised, but not visible to the naked eye. There are many areas to save money when conducting DIY projects, this is not one. Don't believe me, cruise the internet on the topic, ask the windshield installers. Pay-up and watch them closely. Let them know you are aware of the dangers. Good luck.

I just put mine on and the drilling is a bit**. I ended up using my electric drill rather than my 14v battery drill. Also, the dead rest on my 997 came off and I was able to drill the holes and line it up prior to installing. They look really good. I'll post photos of them. I was a little bummed too. They advertised hex screws and sent me phillips. What a rip!! I'm heading to Lowes later for the match-up so I can ditch the phillips. Good luck.

I really believe there seems to be more art than science to adjusting these cables. My 997S shifts so smoothly I can't even describe it. I will tell you it's hard for me to get reverse often. I don't want them jacking with it and mess up my other gears, though. I tend to agree that you need to take it back until they get it right (what you feel is right).

Having leased 5 cars in the past 12 years from 4Runners, to X5's to Cayenne's to an LR3 and a 997 (both in Jan of 06) and I've learned a bit from each experience. My advice is take a lease if you plan to keep your mileage down (a 10k mile per year lease will up your residual 2-3% points) and if you do not plan to buy the car down the road and NEVER put a big down payment on a car. Depreciation in the first 2 years will kill you if you have to or want to get out of the car.

Also, secure your own financing before you go if you can get a great rate. More on this below.

Happy, Depreciation on a 997 is about 12% a year averaged right now (about 50-70% of the total in the first 2 years) and change as the market changes - sometimes daily. The best residual on a 3 yr/12k lease for a new 997 C2 is about 58% (through Porsche FS, Chase may have a slightly higher one).

There are only 4 numbers in a lease payment calculation: Cap Cost (price you pay), Residual, Money Factor (interest rate), Trade In value (cap cost reduction) and Cap Cost Reduction (money you put down). All dealer costs will be factored into the Cap Cost so that number should be negotiated first, don't let them stray off this topic, get a number in stone they're willing to sell for.

The financing is where they can screw you. This is the only area of a lease where they don't have to divulge the best residual/MF combo to you. They have incentives to put you into Porsche Financing which may not be the best rate so be careful here. They can also try to pad the rate (Rusnak in CA does this shamelessly) This is why it is important to get your own financing before going in. Try to obtain as much current residual info as you can before going in too. It's not too hard to find on the net (cars.com, leasecompare have decent info although it's not always accurate.)

Negotiate your deal with $0 down first and then discuss cap reduction after your deal is in place. After you say you now want to put money down, don't let them change ANYTHING in the deal in terms of the financing, they will try and screw you.

After you've collected as much info as possible, go to carbuyingtips.com and download the Xcel spreadsheet from their Lease section. This form is based on the Federal Lease Act and calculates everything for you and gives you a good idea about what you should pay (if you have a lease now, take your yellow lease paperwork and plug it into this spreadsheet, you may be surprised - or shocked!). I walked in with one of these when going to get my 997 and said "This is the deal I want" and handed them the sheet. Deal I got was darn close and that way they know you are informed about the car/lease and won't waste time trying to screw you.

Other things to try and do before leasing:

-Make sure your credit is top tier. Anything below 720-740 and you're going to pay more.

-Take a 36 month lease or more but never a lease term longer than the warranty (48 months). This is just not smart if there are mechanical problems in your 5th year. Also, Porsche (only company I know of with 24 month terms on a 997) will penalize you with a high cost of borrowing (10% +) if you take this short term simply due to the depreciation they have to absorb. They will give you good residuals to try and cover this up but you're getting screwed.

-Get a car that's already on a lot, don't order one (unless you absolutely have to). You will get a better deal on a car that is spec'd for your state that the dealer has to pay to keep on his lot everyday than you will a one off car spec'd to your racecar tastes that the dealer is going to have a tough time selling if you decide to back out. Also, financing terms can flucuate quite a bit from time of order to delivery and you cannot do your financing until the car arrives at the dealer.

-Sell your current car if you have one. DO NOT trade it in. They will try and give you auction rates. Even if you have a current lease you can sell that car at any time and simply pay the bank off like any other vehicle.

-Mark up on a 997 is about 12-14% over sticker. That's what they're making on the deal. This margin is what you want to negotiate. Expect to pay 7% of this at least (most dealers are getting sticker for their cars).

-If you want a great deal, get a stick. There are far more of those than Tiptronics.

-If you have a few extra $$$ buy Expert Lease Pro from Chart Software to help with your research. Great Tool. $70, will save you thousands. Calculates margins and cost for every option (kbb does not do this for Porsche).

-Don't fall for the line "Every $1000 is about $30 a month on your payment so if you want this deal I'm offering at $1400 a month for $1250 a month, you're asking for another $5000 off the car". This is BS and is an attempt to manipulate you. This "calculation" doesn't take into account the residual or MF and is not spread out over time (the way a lease is structured).

At the end of the day a car is a bad investment and depreciation is severe and quick. If you buy the car outright and drive it for 10 years (with no major service - important) then you can get value. It is rare that you will not need major service on a Porsche at some point. If you lease or buy with the plan to maybe sell in a few years, don't put a lot of money down. Put that money you were going to put down in the markets and try for 5% or if you're lucky the market average of 10%. You have a chance of getting enough return to offset your financing costs and if you get some great returns, you can offset some depreciation.

Sorry for long post but I've learned a lot from intially paying $5k over sticker for a 4Runner in 1997 (!!) to getting $5k off sticker on a 997 (and even better an LR3 for my wife at $700 above dealer cost) and since it's easy to get ripped off when doing any car deal, I feel any information you can get empowers you and helps you get a good deal.

good luck.

Great comments. I strongly suggest negotiating on the car as if you plan to buy it; getting the best possible price on the car. Then, at the last moment, say you want to lease, knowing all your facts.

The phrase "you pay for the car you use" isn't necesarily true. Best guess estimates go into the calculations as to what the car will be worth at the termination of the lease, which goes into the calculation of your lease payment. If you drive your car (mileage on Porsche leases is generally less since it's considered a sports car and less miles are supposedly driven on it-or higher payment to account for the higher depreciation associated with a "high-milage" porsche) higher than the miles, you'll pay. I'm not a fan of leasing because even with perfect information, there is still room for manipulation. Ask yourself why dealers are so motivated to lease a car over selling them. It has nothing to do with moving units, the margin is higher (source:Finance mgr at a prestigious Dallas dealer) because they can be more creative with YOUR money. Someone is paying that margin, do you think it's the dealer?? I'll attach a coulple links that you should read carefully before considering and while considering to lease a high-end car like this. As for investing, I work for a large investment firm that manages $60bil and there's never any argument about putting your money in the market over buying anything you own beside your house. If you think you're circumventing the depreciation on a car by leasing it, you're sadly mistaken. You shouldn't buy anything and just invest the money period. Cars are fools like us who know we will lose some money on them while you own it. I've leased a dozen cars: SL500 (2), E55 (2), SL55 (1), 360 Modena (1), S55 (1) and others, before realizing that leasing is not the "best" route to go.

Putting a lot of money down on a car is always painful, I don't care how much money you have. Putting a little down allows the bank to (as mentioned earlier in the lease comments above) take the depreciation while you pay them 6-8% interest for doing so (leasing programs are HIGHER-it's a "service" they're providing you). But it is transparent here with no hidden formulas (I will link you to a site later that discusses the requirements, little to none, to divulging leasing factors). I fully respect the earlier comments, but why pay factors when you can buy the car for little down and actually have an asset to sell at the end of the term, during the term, or whenever. A lease is a contract and they will hold you to it.

FYI: I buy all my cars using my local bank to handle the purchase as a means of protection in case something goes awry (out of state purchases, potentially crooked sellers, etc..) then I take the note down from the bank a month later. If you have a relationship with a bank, go talk with them and tell them your story. Check back later today or tomorrow and I'll have some links for you. Gather everything you can before you make your decision.

I'm getting a new C4S in the next few days (see my last post in "any advice on wrecked C4S") and I've always bought my cars but I'm considering a lease this time around.

This makes my 3rd new 911 in 6 months and I expect this to be my primary car for at least a few years to come. I don't drive too much, maybe 12K to 15K per year and I'm mostly concerned about having some jerk wreck my next 911 after it's a year old and can't be totaled like my last one.

Does anyone have any advice or experience with leasing Vs buying that they can share?...

What's going on Sunracer?! Looks like you're on your way,..good for you. I happened to know a little about leases. Here's the scoop: you need to answer a few key questions first. Like mileage, which we know (little hi for a porsche, believe it or not), length you plan to keep the car, your reason for leasing (low down payment, depreciation, ??) and probably the biggest; can you deduct it?? First, I mean no disrespect with any of the comments. Leases are becoming very popular these days because the price of cars have increased dramatically over the years and to acommodate more buyers leasing companies have stepped into the fray heavily. For the first time in history, more cars are leased than ever.

If you can deduct the car as a business expense; it being your "company" car (check with your accountant), then it makes sense. If you can't, you have a tough road to hoe here. There are cost factors (mystery multiples), residual value, depreciation recapture and residual paydowns that come into play. In many instances one or two of the factors are not known because the companies are not required to divulge them to you. ALL dealers would rather lease you a car than sell you one because the margins are significantly higher on leases than a purchase. Just so you know, the 05 and 06's are holding their values pretty well, unless you speak with a leasing company or dealer that has to resell them. For cars with high depreciation like Infinity Q45's, or BMW 7 Series, leasing probably makes sense. Generally, you are better off buying and taking your punches in depreciation. The average depreciation on a 997 is 5g a year, depending on condition, mileage and options (which help, but not nearly to the extent of their cost).

Go on-line and compare, compare if you decide to lease. It's tricky and there are many holes to fall in; more down payment, close-end payment, lower miles, weak factors, etc.. Do your homework. When you buy, you know what you'll pay and you pretty much know what you'll get when you want to sell, baring some dumb-as** in pick-up truck smashing into your rear.

GT3. An incredible car you just can't go wrong with. As for the ceramic brakes, they don't really reduce your stopping distance, but can provide reduction in fading for the days they are heavily used (track days). Save your money and get something else. As for the seats, I have the upgraded Sports Seats with lumbar this and that, they're nice. But I'm 6'2'' 220 and no fat with broad shoulders and they make me feel a little cramped. Try them out and don't be sold on what the dealer tells you, trust your instincts and the people on forums like this that own the cars and drive them day in and day out. I have a 997S Cab that I wouldn't trade for anything. Go for the car that stirs your soul!!!

I would strongly suggest you speak with someone who specializes in treating leather, not caring for it,..it's too late for that. Vegetable dyes bleed, too. In fact, they bleed so well you can't remove the stains they leave behind. Vegetable dyes have been around for thousands of years, the Incas used them to dye their clothing and costumes. Today's dies are made up of more than 20 different formulas depending on the amount of money the manufacturer cares to invest. Red, to this day, is a rare color and more expensive than any other color. You may need to repaint the area that has absorbed the dye, which isn't a really big deal. You will never know it's been done. All the high-end dealers have these guys visit their dealerships and touch-up their cars. Call Porsche or Mercedes for a referral. In addition, the area they treat and paint is less likely to absorb colors than the leather itself. Good luck with whatever you decide to do...

Most leather is dyed and will "bleed" onto another surface if it has constant contact or rubs. You will not be able to prevent the bleeding unless the belts are coated with a leather sealer, and even then the sealer may rub off at some point. The conditioner will help protect and reduce the bleeding, but not eliminate it. Get belts that match your interior is the only solution to be 100% sure of no {visible} bleeding. Leather is very porous and will absorb other mediums and can be very difficult to revive. See an upholstery expert who knows leather since they can match your interior with a leather paint and protect it as well. Trust me, see a pro on this and you'll be glad you did. It won't cost you more than $50. Let us know...

I have the sport design and think they look better, but they're a real pain to clean. I ought to know as I've had both. Just be prepared for more work since there are more sharp angles to catch brake dust. I have a 997S, Cab, Silver/Black. Good luck.

When you have the opportunity, point your front wheel closest to the curb toward the curb. If you live where it's hilly, it provides an additional safety catch. I've noticed when I leave my car on a hill and come back to it (in gear), ocassionally it will have moved slightly because my wheel is tight against the curb (the rubber, not rim), whereas I had an inch or two when I parked it. FYI...

I read your first email and was pi***d they'd even consider using aftermarket parts. Do you know what that means?? Any manufacturer other than Porsche. Yeah, good luck selling that car. You're on the right path. Don't drop your guard with State Farm, either. Keep your goal in mind constantly and settle for nothing less. Continue to keep all documents and search the internet for similar cars to arm yourself with accurate values. If necessary, provide the information to the adjuster. You'll get what you want, just keep at it. I haven't kept up with the forum since I've been traveling on business. As things develop, please provide and update.

I think dealer did a disservice. They probably tried to buff out the scratch and burned the paint in doing so. Then they send your car to be repainted. I'd not go there again as they are doing more damage than good. Ask the body shop what happened. If this is true, dealer damaged your car and you are entitled to compensation (repaint, depreciation, loss of use). I'd prefer to get an estimate on the loss and ask for a check. The PSE and maintenace would probly be close to the depreciation but I'd not trust these people. Give the owner of the dealership a call and make a deal on compensation.

I like the idea of getting the diminitiion of value due to the paint work. Don't let ANYONE tell you the car is the same after it's painted, it's simply not true. I've traded many high-end cars in and they always spot the paint work no matter how well its done and you get dinged. So, negotiate now for the price you'll pay later. The PSE's for the trouble and poor service, not the reduced value.