Mijostyn

JFP, You certainly can not argue over the price of even the pro Durametric cable. But, it's reputation is extremely variable (perhaps because there are fakes on the market) and it does not seem to perform all the functions of the Porsche unit.. What about programming the various control units in the car like the PCM or PASM? How often are you left out in left field?

That sucks. I guess Porsche buffs will have to support those Indys willing to spend the bucks to support our cars.

Hi Linwood, The first thing to do if you want to make this a long term proposition is to find a car that lights your fire. Of the six 911s that I have owned two really sent the sparks flying. One of the two is my current car, an 06 speed yellow C4S with the Aerokit, black wheels and tinted windows. It is the only car I bought used. It had been sitting on my dealer's lot on consignment for 20 minutes before I happened along to get my Audi serviced. Mind, I had already put money down on the upcoming 991 Turbo (celebrating the last child graduating college) but, I HAD to have that car. Next is the car has to get certified which means it has to be less than 8 years old and have less than 100,000 miles on it. I believe the certification itself is $2500. Then there is whatever has to be fixed/replaced. On my car this came out to $5100.00 which was added to the sales price. In the first year my car rang up..you ready, $12,000 in warranty repairs. A bad Homelink module, the right rear wheel bearing, moldy air conditioning, and a defective PCM which electrocuted a $4000 yellow instrument cluster grounding the car for a month. Now the car runs like a top and draws a crowd like no other car I have owned. The real question is, how much is the car worth to you. If you do not love the car at first sight you will never be happy with it and it will never be worth what you paid for it. My point is that the value of the car is a moving target. I probably paid too much for my car and I would not have it any other way. Find that car, get it certified and enjoy. Just keep in mind that you can plan on spending $1000 per year on tires and about twice as much maintaining the car as any other. Oh, and stick to Black, white, red, or YELLOW.

JFP it is like racing. Whomever has the most money wins. In this case, the way around the OEMs is to get a large group together to pool resources and through the media get political correctness on your side. But, you have to have a large group willing to fight to the death or you will just get run over. Thus the class action suite.

I hope that is the same price they charge the Porsche dealers. If it is not and I were an Indy i would get everyone together for a class action suite.

BOSCH...made in China? $1800 buys a lot of shop time. When it comes to the white collar stuff I think I'll let the pros have at it. Not that I'm against DIY. But, there is a point of diminishing returns and risk. (check out the reviews. A real riot in butchered English) On a more serious note. JFP, Loren will Porsche lease a PIWIS tester to an indy shop? If not how do the Indys deal with this restriction in trade?

0356 I understand they can last up to 7 years. But, if you are changing tires somewhere after 6 years you might as well swap them out while you have bare rims. I'm not sure but, I think it is actually illegal to defeat the TPMS function.

Good to know Uwon. I was not aware the wheel retracted so much under compression.Wurth does make great products and a spray on solution is certainly much easier than installing film.I always do the rear of the front fender well of all my cars as this is a classic place for Porsches to rust. I have never had a problem with adhesion and can blast away with a pressure washer without lifting the film. I also have lots of experience putting this stuff on. You are right in that even a moderately rashed surface can cause problems however, I extend the film down over the bottom most section of the well that is coated with stone guard under the paint. Adhesion is fine but what happens over time is road grime migrates under the film through the depressions in the paint which can look a little crappy. Every year or 2 I just change that section. Here is a picture. You can just barely make out the rear edge of the film. Notice at the bottom you can see a black line running right over Porsche's stone guard. That is road grime that migrated under the film there. That is also right where the car takes the most abuse. First I design the sections using mock ups with craft paper. Once I get the fit right I transfer the shapes to 1/4 inch plywood and cut them out. Now I have permanent templates. If I need a new section of film I just lay the template down on bulk film and wiz around it with a very sharp knife. Takes just a minute. Installing the film is another matter. These templates will make film that fits the fender well of any 997. For those interested just PM me. I can send craft paper forms from which you can make plywood templates. Bulk film you can buy from ClearMask or InvisibleMask online. They also have DIY videos for installation. Starting with these small sections is the way to go. Once you get use to it you can tackle the larger stuff.Car nut Uwon? PORSCHE NUT!

Yes Lyn, I do believe you can get aftermarket TPMS computers. But, the computer/receiver unit will have to be mounted and powered like a small Nav unit and you have to get the transmitters mounted in your wheels which means all wheels off, breaking all the beads and rebalancing all wheels. Any tire shop could do it. Having those tire pressures in your face all the time is very comforting. You don't have to bend many rims on under pressured tires to make this worth while. It will be easiest to do this the next time you have to mount new tires then it would be a small add on charge to mount the transmitters like $15. The government mandated TPMS on all cars starting in 2006 I believe. Their motive was to maintain the highest milage possible for the fleet. OE Wheels did confirm that all you have to do is mount the sensors and drive off.

Actually, I think just over $3K for the parts then there is install. Check their web site. In every vehicle I have used them in they have been vastly superior to the stock units and their reputation is stellar.

Ohlins :drive:

Uwon, we have the same wheels, mine were painted black. Your front looks fine but those rears would worry me up here in New Hamspire. We have terrible roads (lots of pot holes). I have to true at least one wheel a year. Bending a fender is no fun. Also, I would worry about road rashing the leading edge of the rear bumper cover. I would cover them with polyurithane film. Also, you always point the apex of your Porsche crest wheel centers directly at the valve stems. Keeps you from getting into wrecks :-]

They go for anywhere between $500 and $650/set depending on whether you get one piece or two piece lugs with or without locks. The locks weight exactly the same as the lugs. The set weights almost 1/2 less than steel lugs and they NEVER rust. If you use a wheel cleaner that is acidic(the purple stuff)they can tarnish. But, they buff right out just like silverware. Sonnax and P21S are fine. I got the single piece lugs as I keep the lugs and wheels pristine. Porsche uses the two piece lugs because they torque more consistently under a variety of conditions mostly when they are all crudded up. Titanium likes to gall so you always use antiseize. Given the price of Porsche lugs and the fact that they look crappy to begin with and eventually rust anyway I think that the Ti lugs are a bargain. They have a beautiful satin rose sheen that will last forever. Uwon, I actually think they will make you lug nuts in custom sizes if you have the bucks! Tikore is also now selling the worlds first totally carbon fiber rims.

Thanx Seahawkeye. I am getting ready to order the Super Sports. Just waiting till the credit card rolls over. I already have new tire pressure sensors and I have to get one rim trued then new sneakers for the stud!!

The key here is the lug nuts. Porsche and the aftermarket all make lug bolts in a 5 mm oversize accomodating the OEM 5mm spacers. So, if you do not want to get into trouble with lug bolts stick with the 5 mm spacers. I have them on my car and they do the trick. If you are tired of crappy galvanized lug bolts check out TiKore industies. Solid titanium lug bolts in stock or 5mm over sizes. Both single and two piece designs. Beautiful forever!! (enlarge the picture to the left)

I got the sensors in the mail yesterday. Great service. There is no indication on the packaging that these sensors were programmed for my car. The instuctions mention programming with a special device. The online instructions mention just the usual learning routine on the car's computer. I suspect this is all that is required but I will call OEWheels tomorrow to varify this. Getting the sensors and tires mounted and on the car to find out they do not work would be an ultimate bummer.

dg, as you might have guessed from everyone's response, all 911s smell like burning something-or-other when ever you come back from a spin. As you walk around the rear of the car you can feel the heat radiating, all that energy. Cosmoline, oil, rubber, dirt kicked up on the mufflers, it is all harmless. You will definately know when your clutch is toast. WEE!! How's life in Akron? I did my residency there in the early 80's. Home of the Firestone Classic and the International Soap Box Derby. There was a bakery down on Market street that made the best cheese cake I ever had.

Hey Seahawkeye, having fun yet? Send the mit back and get a Boar's hair brush. Did I high sign you on the Guzzler? Wax is for show cars. Paint sealer is for drivers. If you do it right the sealer will last over 6 months, wax about 6 weeks. Frankly, I think it is more like 6 days. None of us drive show cars or we would not be on this site!! The earliest sealer I can remember is Liquid Glass. Tough stuff but a real pain on dark colors. Any moisture and it hazes up. Currently, I use Meguiar's Ultimate. You apply it to an absolutely dry, spotless car. Let it cure for 24 hours and apply it again. I park the car in the sun to cure it faster. 3 cycles gives you an amazing slick durable shine that lasts at least 6 months. I always do my car twice a year, before and after winter. All the polymer sealers work the same way, multiple coats build up. There is a new sealer on the market I'm going to try next called Rejex. Looks promising. I always go over the car with Meguiar's #34 before sealer. If you leave ANY water spots on the car you will seal them in. You can wash your microfiber cloths till the cows come home. Just NEVER use fabric softener in the dryer. I always add Micro-Restore microfiber detergent to the wash. Car Care Specialties carries it. Stuff works GREAT!!! I am not a big AutoGeeks fan. They sell a lot of junk on their site. Frankly, I am not impressed with any of their home brew stuff such as Wolfgang or Pinacle. Companies like Meguiar's, 3M and Sonnax have way more developmental horsepower and I think their products show it. SPECIAL SECRET TAKE HOME MESSAGE. THE WORLDS ABSOLUTE BEST GLASS CLEANER. 1 PART DISTILLED WATER TO 3 PARTS 91% ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL. Charge up your favorite sprayer and have at it. Pristine glass in a heartbeat and dirt cheap. (some of you older Porsche fans might recognize the smell of this stuff as the super secret Porsche glass cleaner sold in those stupid miniature black spray bottles for a rediculous price. Wendle strikes again.)

These devices are mandated and are highly regulated by the FCC. I doubt there are any significant performance or longevity differences between manufacturers.

WOW!!!! Those are the real McCoys and dirt CHEAP. $164 for set of four! Including the valve stems! I keep looking for the catch. When I ordered snow tires and wheels from Tire Rack they sold me the TPMS sensors for $350 and I thought that was a great deal. From Porsche over $600 not to mention the install charge. Tire rack installed them for nothing when they mounted the tires. What do you expect from a company that will sell you a $10 oil filter for $30. The TPMS sensors on my car are the originals and now over 6 years old. As I noted on the Tire help thead I'm about to mount new tires and will need to replace the TPMS sensors. I ordered a set from OEWheels and will report back with the results about one month from now.

The side to side rotation applies to asymmetrical tires only which your Super Sports are. You can not do this with directional tires which is why I avoid them. Had a set of directional Yoks on a GM pickup once and they howled like a deranged cayote.

Uwon, my Rossos do not make much noise but they do transmit road vibration small irregularities more than I would like and they are STIFF. Again, if you rotate your tires side to side every 2500-3000 miles or so, all your tires will make less noise as they wear. Not sure how to explain the howl with the 295s. I get a quite, supple but still communicative ride out of those Sottozereos. It seems the Super Sports are quite popular. Anybody have any comments on the Bridgestones, S - 04s or RE 11s??

Thanx Logray. Price is not an issue. I suppose ride and safety followed by handling at the limit are my chief concerns. Not having to mount new tires all the time would be nice. It seems every time I get new tires mounted one of my rims gets dinged. Mounting 30 series tires is a royal pain in the neck. My understanding, or that of the dealer is that N rated tires have been tested and approved to work correctly with all the electronic nannies. If you wreck with an unapproved tire on the car you are on your own. Which, is probably most of us since they charge a premium for N rated tires and there seem to be so few of them. The cost concious folks like the Hancooks but, they are directional which I do not like. I rotate wheels side to side as in my experience the tires wear better and stay quieter. I forgot to mention the Bridgestone S-04s. The RE 11s are new. Has anyone tried these yet? I guess I am leaning towards the Michelins which is unfortunate as I have a vandetta against them. They screwed me over a set of snow tires 10 years ago. Every one developed side wall hernias which they blamed on road damage. ALL 4 TIRES??? Finally I tossed them all and put Dunlops on the car vowing never to buy another Michelin. The next year that model was mysteriously updated. So much for customer service. I now get my tires from Tire Rack who have always treated me wonderfully. I would love to recreate the feel of the Sottozeros in a Summer tire. They are quieter and there is less noise in the steering and the seat of my pants. I think I get a more accurate feel of the road. The Sottozeros are the full 19" size. I did not go with 18" snows as it is much harder to sell the Wheels if you trade in the car. 0356Kid, how do you like the ride of the Super Sports as compared to the P Zeros? If you rotate your wheels side to side every 2500 miles or so the tires will not get noisey. Scalloping of the tread blocks is what causes the noise. The tread block wears faster at the leading edge. You can tell if a tire is scalloped by rubbing your hand back and forth around the road surface of the tire. Your hand will run smoothly in one direction but catch on the edge of the tread blocks in the other. This is also why tires with continuous treads tend to run quieter.

Well, the rears on my 1st set of P Zero Rosso tires is down to 3/32 and it is time to start looking for new ones. I managed 11,000 miles. The car is an 06 C4S and the only N rated tires for it are Michelin SP2s, the P Zeros, and a model of Bridgestones all with bad tread wear ratings. The Rossos handle well but I did't realized how bad they rode until I put Sottozero series 2s on for the Winter. The car feels great on those snow tires! I'm sure they do not handle as well at the limits but, who drives at the limits in a snow storm? My car is a daily driver and I might get to the track once a decade. Ride and noise levels are significant factors. The two tires that I can get with better wear ratings are the Michelin Pilot Super Sports and the Bridgestone RE 11s both not N rated. Does any one have experience with these tires? Am I asking for it putting unrated tires on the car? The dealer will only put N rated tires on the car and they will not even discuss other tires.

Logray is right about torquing. A lot of guys try to do this with just a breaker bar. Bad idea. You have to get a realiable torque wrench. This is also why Porsche uses two piece lug bolts. They torque much more consistently. The wheel is not indexed to the hub by the lug bolts. The wheel indexes the hub by it's center to the hub spindle. It is good practice to lightly clean the wheel center and hub with a Scotch bright pad to remove any debries prior to mounting and balancing. Now comes the real shocker. Most of what you are complaining about here are purely tire balance issues. Any time your steering wheel dances between 75-85 MPH you most certainly have a tire/wheel issue. I would estimate that 90% of the time it is wheel balance, 8% a bent rim and 2% a bad tire. XX, the shake comes and goes because of harmonic dampening by the opposite wheel. As you go around corners the relationship of one wheel to the other changes because they are traveling along different radii. Sometimes they cancel each other and sometimes they amplifiy each other. To you it feels as if the shake is coming and going. Guys, I hate to say this, Most of the time you are getting your wheels balanced you are actually getting them UNBALANCED. Our Porsches require getting their front wheels balanced to less than 0.1 oz per side. First of all you can't possibly do this with a machine set to read in 0.25 oz increments. If you look at your wheels and see weights in full 0.25 oz increments only, your wheels were not balanced well enough. Occasionally, You will land on a full weight but most of the time you will have to cut the last weight to a fragment. This is one of the benefits of tape weights and one of the reasons steel weights stink. (fortunately I have a huge stash of lead weights) When a machine is in round off mode what it means when it says ".00" is not .00. It is less than 0.25! The tech has to take the machine off round off mode so that it reports weight down to 0.01 oz. The weakest link in the chain is the tech followed by the machine. It does not mater how well the tech does his job if the wheel can not index the machine reliably. If that wheel is just a tiny fragment of a mm off you are screwed. Next time you have your wheels balanced watch the tech. When he finishes balancing a wheel, after he takes it off, ask him politely to put it back on and have him spin it up. I have seen wheels up to a full oz off on respin just after the wheel was supposedly balanced! Coats specs its machines at 0.1 oz.! So how can we get our wheels under 0.1? Savy tech using a well tuned machine. Most of the machines in use have had the sh-t kicked out of them. A good tech can tell when his machine is in trouble because it does not give him reliable repeat readings and when he rechecks the mount 4 times he gets readings off by more than 0.1 oz. This is also how you make sure the wheel is mounted correctly. Occasionally, the centering cone does not seat just right and you will get a reading that is way off. Thing is, you have to check. Most do not. The method of placing the weights is to complicated to explain here. You have to see it done. Your tech probably knows what he is doing if he initially places the weights with packing tape and respins the wheel removing weight and changing the weight's position until he gets it just right. Then he removes the backing and sticks the weights in place. It is amazing how well a mildly bent rim and a dancing tire will run if the wheel is balanced correctly. If you can not easily tell that a rim is bent just by looking at it then it will probably run OK and I usually wait until I change tires to have the rim trued. You can easily see the slightest hop when you spin the tire up. In 30 years of balancing tires I have never seen a tire that would not balance out fine. I'm sure they are out there and I have had my fair share of defective tires (most of them Pirellis). Above are three pictures of the same 997S rear wheel on the same Coats 700 computerized balancer. The first shows straight zeros. Think the wheel is balanced? The only thing I did in the next picture was to take the Coats out of round off mode. Now you see 24 and 26, the real weight and not good enough for us. In the last picture I have finished balancing the wheel and we have both sides under 0.1 Good to go. All balancers operate like this, to speed the techs up. It takes a patient 15 minutes to get a wheel under 0.1. NTB would never tolerate that.