Mijostyn

That certainly solves that problem.

If the AT engine was fitted after early 2005, it carries the non serviceable bearing. Unfortunately, unless you can narrow that date down, there is no way to know without looking at the IMS center bolt. JFP, what set up does the 991 engine use, particularly the Turbo if you happen to know?? Sure; Porsche stopped production of the legendary, but dated, Metzger lump which has been the mainstay for Turbo, GT, and race car engines for a lot of years. The 991 Turbo uses a variant of the 9A1 direct injection engine that is common in all of the later model cars. Does it have an intermediate shaft and if so type of bearing??

If the AT engine was fitted after early 2005, it carries the non serviceable bearing. Unfortunately, unless you can narrow that date down, there is no way to know without looking at the IMS center bolt. JFP, what set up does the 991 engine use, particularly the Turbo if you happen to know??

I thought that car was galvanized? I have seen a few up here with some surface rust at the rear of the front wheel arches.

Hi All, I assume everyone has seen the reviews and maybe even seen the car as most Porsche dealers have received at least one. Mine will be delivered in May. I got the chance to sit in a Silver/red+black S and play around with the controls, deploy the spoilers and listen to the Burmester system with a DVD surround copy of Dark Side of the Moon. As it was already spoken for, I did not get a chance to drive it. The car is visually quite large for a 911. That big rear dominates the picture. I do not think Silver is the best color for it. It just does not pop. The front chin spoiler is very cool. The front has a nice aggressive stance with the spoiler deployed. Fit and finish are excellent. The paint has some orange peal, status quo for modern paint. Not a show car finish. The wheels are beautiful, maybe the nicest Porsche has ever made. The brakes complete the visual picture. The two tone red/black interior is very nice. It would go best with a white exterior. That would POP! The Burmester system is handily the best stock car audio system I have heard to date, a hair better than the B+O system Audi uses. IMHO I think White with this interior, red/black and black/black are the best colors for this car. Overall I prefer the look of the GT3. The Turbo is a little too sedate. Maybe they will offer some aero options in the future. Certainly the Turbo is much more practical in daily driving. Having the AeroKit on my C4S, I can testify that the nose on the GT3 is a pain in the neck. There is no way you can avoid scraping the chin spoiler. I keep a spare on hand. When the spoiler gets ratty enough I put a new one on. The Turbo S is faster and has a suspension more suited to public roads. I will defer comments on the steering until after I have driven the car. The steering on two 991 C2Ses that I drove was accurate, nicely weighted and lifeless. I like a steering wheel that talks to me like my old 993 TT and the 997 C4S that I drive currently. Comments in the press have been positive so far. You have more flexibilty when ordering the Turbo as options are limited with the GT3. The cars are aimed at different customers and appropriately so. I hardly ever go to the track and when I do go, like next Summer down in Alabama, Porsche supplies the cars. I went to the Winter Driving Event at Sugarbush, Vermont and Porsche supplied us with 4 new C4Ses which we got to spin around in the snow for about 20 minutes. Not worth traveling too far for unless you also ski. So, everyone belly up and tell us what you think. The public opinion is very important with these cars as in the end this is what determines their value.

Moto, If you can find one in good shape the 944 Turbo is a great ride. I think JFP will agree that the motor in that car is as bullet proof as they get as long as they have not been modified and have been maintained properly.

If you are concerned about cost of maintenance this car is not for you, particularly if you are just starting out after graduating from University?? A 996/7 will require rear tires at least every 10,000 miles, oil changes approach almost 9 litres of synthetic oil and you might run into a rear main seal issue in a 996, less likely in a 997. Most people use 93 Octane fuel. All expensive stuff. Even if the car is driven modestly, time itself will necessitate maintenance, it's just the way it is like every car - only a little more expensive. My wife used a 2004 C4S Cabriolet as a daily driver. Beautiful car. It suffered fatal engine failure after 80,000 km after the cylinder block got scored and the piston damaged the block. It was $30,000 for a new engine - and I took good care of it. Regardless, after a period of time, certain things needed to be changed. It is just the way it is. Don't get me wrong, they are wonderful cars in many ways and can be driven in the winter, are generally good daily drivers, and even the non-PDK automatics were fun to drive. In my view, the newer the model the better in your case so go with a 997 if you can, and an S will have better re-sale value. But seriously this class of car is expensive to maintain relatively speaking, new or older. And don't forget about depreciation. You could wave goodbye to $30,000 pretty fast. It doesn't mean it is not a worthwhile purchase. It is if you can afford it. If you go to your local Porsche dealer, my observation is that most customers take care of their cars and are not financially concerned about the cost of maintenance. That's why I think used Porsches can be decent buys. But if this is interfering with your rent, you are on the wrong track. Good luck. Great advise Peter. I have seen a lot of people get in above their heads over the years which sadly sours their view of the mark. A company like Toyota will make two million copies of a vehicle in short order. Any significant problem becomes apparent quickly and easily remedied. Parts are cheap because their cost of manufacture can be amortized over a much larger quantity. Porsche however makes a very low volume of cars. Engineering mistakes may not be apparent for years and parts are very expensive. Porsche is usually very good at taking care of its customers. Mishaps like your engine are frequently covered under warranty even if it is up. Not sure what happened with your case but you still seem to be hooked. As we say in the business, "There is No Substitute."

Hey Loren, when do we get a 991 Turbo section?? Any one out there got one yet??

Which brings to mind a tragic story. My C4S has the AeroKit with a ridiculously low nose. About 6 months after I purchased the car it electrocuted itself destroying its PCM, instrument cluster, PASM computer and gateway module. The dealer had the car for just over a month mostly waiting on the Germans to supply a new yellow instrument cluster. Two days after I got the car back it would not start. Totally dead. I tried to jump it with my wife's car but it would not turn over. I called Porsche Roadside Assistance and they promised to get a flatbed out to my house immediately. I informed them that I had the AeroKit which might cause trouble loading the car. About an hour later a young lad arrived in the flatbed armed with two long 2 X 12s promising that he would be super careful with the car. I had already pushed the car out and aimed it at the street. He backed expertly up to the car, positioned the 2 X 12s and attached the winch to the eyelet in the front bumper. Carefully and slowly he winched the car up onto the wood and up onto the tail of the flatbed. As the front tires came off the wood it became obvious that the nose was still not going to make it. So, in order to decrease the approach angle he just slightly elevated the tail of the flatbed. Then as he engaged the winch again it let go and the car slid off the back of the flatbed slamming its nose down on the flatbeds rear edge. The kid looked at the dangling chin spoiler of my car in horror and broke out in tears. Me? After about 15 seconds of consideration I sat down on the side of the flatbed and almost died laughing. I had to get on the phone with the kid's boss and convince him that it was not the kid's fault. Just a faulty winch. Fortunately it only damaged the black chin spoiler which they replaced for me. It turned out that one of the battery's cells had shorted out which Porsche replaced free of charge mostly because I think they felt sorry for me. The secret to a successful life is learning to have fun in spite of it.

Single mass flywheels are dangerous to use in these cars. They do not adequately cushion the drive train and stuff like crank shafts break. You obviously have a broken drive train somewhere and it should be easy to spot on a lift. The crank is ok as the engine runs. If the drive shaft does not spin then it is a clutch/transmission problem. If the drive shafts spin but the wheels do not then it is a rear end problem. Get a stock dual mass flywheel for the car.

We use BendPak lifts, both because of their quality reputation, service support, and the vast number of optional accessories they make for all their lifts. For the four post lifts, they offer everything from adjustable drip pans to keep leaky cars in the overhead position from dripping on the car below, to sliding jack pads that allow you to pick up the car on the rack for service purposes, and they even make a "double wide" four post that allows you to store or work on four cars in a two car area: We have a couple of customer's with four post that do a lot of their own maintenance and detailing work with the car jacked up on the upper rack, and they seem completely happy with the way the system works. The only down side I can see to the 4 posters is getting cars like my C4S on the lift without damaging their noses. 10 foot 2x 12S might work. JFP probably just uses a 2 poster for thes cars but he may have a recommendation on how to do this safely??

JFP is spot on. The 4 post lift is the best way to go for residencial use particularly when used for storage. Up here in the northeast they salt the roads. Salt gets into everything including your garage. The other major problem is when the temperature climbs rapidly moisture condenses on cold metal parts. I have had numerous instances when everything in my garage was soaking wet! If this happens to extended shocks they will rust. Heating the garage is a bad option because heat speeds up chemical reactions so everything just rusts faster. When the temp rises above freezing I power wash the cars and the garage floor. Up here most people with expensive or rare cars use an entirely separate and heated garage which stays closed for the winter. I have exactly the same problem as BK. Too many cars and not enough space. My garage floor is also lift ready but after long consideration I am going to get a 4 poster. I have not looked at the BendPak lift yet but given JFP's recommendation I will certainly check it out.

Realistically, there is no way to do what you want, and even if you could get running water onto the car, you risk freezing the doors and windows in place. If you cannot find a detail shop that will wash and dry the car indoors in a warm environment, you are better off leaving it dirty. JFP is right. Water expands as it freezes. I have seen it crack tail light lenses! Remember, as temperature drops chemical reactions...like rusting, slow down dramatically. Below freezing rusting essentially stops. So, the best strategy is to wash the car only when the ambient temp is above freezing and will stay that way until the car is dry. Using a leaf blower to blast the water out of all the nooks and crannys is good insurance against freezing water damage.

During spelling class I was busy flying model rockets through the neighbor's window.

Hi, that should be a fine car to putter around the marina. I'm no wizard on pricing but I would think 80-85. The sport buckets are wonderful, very cozy. I would never get the adaptive seats. They are no more comfortable for the average build and just have more stuff to break. The plain sport seats do not hold you down near as well. If anything, the sport buckets add to the value. The car is optioned out very well. I would have added some more leather, such as the seat backs and contrasting stitching.

Yes, it is just a matter of the car learning the key. If you have one cut make sure you try it before you pull out of the parking lot!!. This is just another example of the bean counters at Porsche ripping us off. These keys can be made for $10 if that and we all loose keys once in a blue moon.

White is right. I vote for bad gas. I have seen this numerous times over the years even from such vaunted suppliers as Mobile and Sunnoco. Usually it is one of the privates and I religiously stay away from them. I had one instance that was so bad I had to change my fuel filter. When I took it off it was full of dirt and water!! Techron comes up quite a bit. I have never used it but some swear by it. JFP, is this stuff safe to use in our cars? Does it work? The Porsche guys say not to use any additives but they also tell you that you have to stick to N rated tires.

Well, they have forged rods and look very nice from the bottom if that means anything. It will be a while before we really know. My car will not get more than 2000 miles a year until it is paid off...just in case I have to sell it. Then ROCK AND ROLL. The 997.2 Turbo was a 9A1 variant yes? How are they doing? Is anyone racing this engine yet?

You referring to the brakes sticking after getting wet, or the cold brakes in the morning problem? You need to switch to a more aggressive "biting" pad compound like some of the ceramics, but you also need to expect shorter rotor life as the result of the higher biting pads. Brake pads are always some sort of compromise, you are always trading off one thing for another (noise, dust, bite, etc.). You might also want to drop a note to the tech section at some of the pad manufacturer's, they may have some specific history concerning cold bite levels on their product lines that would be of help to your specific situation. We have switched some customers over to more aggressive Carbotech, Akebono, Hawk or Pagid pads to help in the cold, and while the brakes responded, noise and wear levels increased. Most prefer to just live with the OEM pads and warm them up a bit. And just be glad you don't have the $7K ceramic brakes option, they tend to really suck in very cold start ups. Great. I wound up with a Turbo S which of course comes with ceramic brakes. I won't be driving it in the winter for at least 3 years. JFP, any other problems with these brakes?? Are they better at anything?I think I am going to try the Akebono pads in the C4S. Rotors are simple enough to replace. Me, not so much. The OEM PCCB brakes have tremendous ability to deal with severe heat fade in track like condition's and still get the job done, much more so than the best steel rotors, and do so repeatedly without burning themselves up. They are also a lighter assembly of un-sprung weight. This is why they are technology of choice in applications like F1, and are mandated in other racing sanctions like NHRA top fuel and funny cars. But like everything else, one advantage typically comes at the sacrifice of another, they are hyper expensive and suck in very cold conditions until they warm up. But like sticky summer high performance tires, they do not really belong on 5F roads. So like summer and winter tires, you have to think about "rotating" the brakes as well. We have customers that have the PCCB brakes on Porsche Turbo's, GT's, and other makes like Ferrari; but these are not daily drivers, they sit under dust covers in heated garage's when it's 12F out and snowing like Hell as it currently is here. One customer has them on both his 458 Ferrari's, but he drives a Hyundai in the winter months. I think I like the part about the low unsprung weight the best. Do they make less dust or is that just sales person hype? The Turbo S will probably never see winter roads. I'll probably always have a C4S for that. The Hyundai is just not my speed but the Wife does have a shiny new Audi SQ5 which might just take over the role in long winter trips.....maybe.

You referring to the brakes sticking after getting wet, or the cold brakes in the morning problem? You need to switch to a more aggressive "biting" pad compound like some of the ceramics, but you also need to expect shorter rotor life as the result of the higher biting pads. Brake pads are always some sort of compromise, you are always trading off one thing for another (noise, dust, bite, etc.). You might also want to drop a note to the tech section at some of the pad manufacturer's, they may have some specific history concerning cold bite levels on their product lines that would be of help to your specific situation. We have switched some customers over to more aggressive Carbotech, Akebono, Hawk or Pagid pads to help in the cold, and while the brakes responded, noise and wear levels increased. Most prefer to just live with the OEM pads and warm them up a bit. And just be glad you don't have the $7K ceramic brakes option, they tend to really suck in very cold start ups. Great. I wound up with a Turbo S which of course comes with ceramic brakes. I won't be driving it in the winter for at least 3 years. JFP, any other problems with these brakes?? Are they better at anything? I think I am going to try the Akebono pads in the C4S. Rotors are simple enough to replace. Me, not so much.

I am running the stock Porsche pads that come with the car which I believe are metallic/organic pads as apposed the ceramic pads like the Hawks. I have not tried anything else yet but am seriously thinking about it. I did not notice this near as much last year I think because it was a warm winter but this year it has been very cold and thus much more of a problem, dangerously so. And the other thing that gets my gourd is when I try to drag the brakes to heat them up the ****ing computer cuts the gas! (beat you on that one Loren!) It is almost like Porsche wants you to crash!!

No, not the sticking. When these brakes are very cold, probably below 20 F, they have no friction. You step on the brake and almost nothing happens. Then as the friction heats up the disc they start to grab. The first time it happened I almost freaked out. There is a "T" intersection at the bottom of my hill with a major road and I almost slid right into it. It took a few minutes for my heart to slow down. You referring to the brakes sticking after getting wet, or the cold brakes in the morning problem?

Yup, perfectly normal. Up here it even happens driving in the snow. We have so much salt on the roads. Get up the next morning, start him up, varoom, put him in reverse and BANG, we are off to the races. Just more Porsche music. More disconcerting is the very poor braking performance when these discs are ice cold. I live up on a hill and I have to drag the brakes 1/4 mile down to heat them up just so I can stop at the bottom. JFP is it possible that using a different kind of brake pad would fix this?? The secret to a successful life is learning to have fun in spite of it. MJS

Now that is a pretty picture..... "Suicidal Porsche driver runs over a rabbit at 120 miles per hour, knocks off his oil filter and blows up his engine. Every other vehicle coming round the bend slides on the massive oil slick and crashes into grandma Smith's barn. It is most definitely , "Time for tea."

Great move. Now you have a warranty and you will know exactly how the car was treated. I lusted for a 911 since my first ride at age 13. My first Porsche was a brand new 86 944 Turbo and it was a fabulous car which I will always remember fondly. I might even still have it if I didn't total the thing :-( So, DRIVE CAREFULLY!! The Boxter will make you feel like a hero, a potentially dangerous impression ;-)