porschester

Ok everyone........The car is done.....I saw and heard the results today, but I have not driven the car yet since tomorrow they will load the GIAC software. The Porsche factory X51 intake carbon fiber package looks amazing. I am so happy that I did not go with the EVO intake. Visually the X51 looks amazing. Rich the Master mechanic did an amazing job. He admitted that it took longer to install and adjust than lets say an EVO air box but that the final result is definitely much better. The cost is also higher $1150 plus labor, vs. $595 for the EVO. Now for the muffler music.....I have heard and reheard several exhausts, but the TUBI has clearly impressed me the most...but again it is a matter of preference....so I would not say that in terms of sound one is better than the other. Now as far as the quality, TUBI is impeccable, again possibly amongst the most expensive out there but then again you get what you pay for. When Rich turned the engine on and hit the pedal, it was simply said a great roar that for me combined the combination of powerful presence and yet classy deep notes....I can not wait to open it up tomorrow on the highway. I shifted a little bit with the short shift and it definitely feels more interesting and precise that the previous version...again I will report some more, after driving. The 15mm rear spacers, and 5mm front, made the car look more aggressive and even wider, the lowering suspension spring kits adds to looks and should improve stability.....All in all and so far I like what I saw, I should further confirm if indeed my chosen equation may be the best balanced yet...... I have also ordered a new Carrera 4S rear logo that will be painted in black to add an accent...the job should cost with parts and labor no more than $150......believe or not but the logo is actually 3 parts......The Carrera, The 4, abd The S.......what in the world!! Cheers Porschester

Frankly, unless you are so sure and experienced with what you are doing, I would not adventure into cutting in your porsche rear deck lid, to fit the X51 intake. Make sure someones who has impeccably done that before, performs the work on your car otherwise just stick with the must simplier but uglier Evo intake. Just my opinion.... I am having my X51 installed as we speak by one of the very best cerified Porsche mechanic... a little more costly...but Id rather be safe than sorry.... Cheers

The car is still at the dealer, and I shoud get it back by tomorrow if all goes according to schedule. Rich the head mechanic has put the X51 carbon fiber airbox, but I havnt seen the results yet. Stay tuned, I should have some more feedback on all the mods by this week end. What did you think of the front bumper facelift?

Well today I left my Porsche for the engine and other modifications mentioned above. As I got several nice compliments on the front bumper, I decided to add couple cosmetic touches to balance and make the back of the car with the front.....the addition did add $1250+ to the tab, but I think that the car will look visualy even more apealing. What: Techart Rear Spoiler I Why: Techart is indeed a little more expensive but their product line is tested and re-tested for Porsche compatibilty and fit. What: Black Ceramic Tail Tips Why: To Give a nice visual and complement the black hard top.(Also apparently the black ceramic tips get less dirty than the stock ones) What: Front Hood Silver Porsche Emblem Why: Will look less "Gold" and more "Class".....color wise it will fit with the rest of the car....see pictures above..... Any suggestions, comments or feedbacks, please let me know......I will add to my topic as I get more updates..... Thanks Porschester.

Thanks...Yeah with the lip you have to be just a little more careful....it is recommended to come in and out of driveways, not facing straight but more like on the side. The cosmetics were just the start, and I actualy droped the car today for the engine modifications. I should have the car ready by this Thursday or Friday as I have added couple other cosmetic touches. Will continue to keep everyone informed as things move along. Cheers

Just to confirm that since the mechanic at my dealer applied the goowee paste to my brakes several months ago and making myself few hard stops during the following couple of days, the terrible brake squeeking completely disappeared. I can recall only one time afer the car sat in my garage for several days while out of town, hearing a much subtle squeeking that was gone just a few minutes after riding the car again. I will try to get the specifics on the paste and post it if I get the info. Cheers

Hello Again.......As promised, here is a before and some after pix of my 997 C4S with its new GT3 front bumper and lip. You will notice the grill, and also the disapearance of the headlamp washers, I was told that it looks much cleaner without them, not to mention that in Miami Beach, there is not much need for them. Let me know what you think..... Drive fast, drive smart, and never forget to be cordial and keep your cool on the road.........it will go a long way. Cheers!

Ok....My C4S just got done with its first face lift......The GT3 front bumper and the lip have been installed, I have also added the GT3 front grill that sits right on top of the bumper....I personaly call it the "smiley" The result is a convertible 997 with a more aggressive jaw and a raceworthy design. I will upload before and after picture very soon. As for the driving experience, call me crazy, but I have sincerely felt less down force and turbulence while pushing the 911 above 80mph...or perhaps a little faster.... ;) Apparently this bumper has been tested in wind tunnel and optimized one step further than the stock bumper to minimize uplift at higher speed. This is achieved when the air is better channeled over the hood and the side of the car. So all in all I am happy with step 1 of my project, and I will post some pix soon so that I can get some honest opinion. Cheers!

Its so funny that you are asking that, since the head mechanic and I were talking about it today...But no for now we have decided to not do the TUBI headers and just stay with the TUBI exhaust, and let me tell you, I saw them today and they look amazing, they feel like twice lighter than the stock ones, and the craftmanship welding is impressive. The goal is to see initially how the car will feel and perform without the headers, then if need be I will decide to add the headers as well. As for the cats, I dont think I will do them, it would just make the car too loud for my taste. Perhaps one more addition down the road might be a titanium Flywheel for the transmision. The mechanic also thinks that the 17mm spacers in back and 7 in front should be superb. Everyone at the service department is excited with this project, and can not wait to see the end results. I am going to NYC tomorrow for business, but upon my return I will see if I can put before and after sound clips. I also will try to take and upload before and then after pix of the car so i cn get some opinions from the Porschsters at renntech....Thanks for your interest....

Congrats on your 997S............and yes I think the S......makes the difference. I have owned two BMW's a 1993 M3 for my 17th Bday and a 2001 328i...both were nice driving machines, but not The Ultimate Driving Machine BMW advertises..........the M3 was so much fun but Porsche is Porsche is Porsche!...and to me Porsche is and will always be THE ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE.......Drive it, drive hard, and dont be afraid to drive it harder....its a Porsche! Cheers -Z

Dear Porsche Colleagues...... :D After much thinking about leaving my 997 4S Cab. as is...a.k.a a great car out of the box, or embarking in a new adventure and dream to make it even greater.....I decided to go for it and change the body and heart of my car. Still quite young, I always felt very priviledged and thankful to have owned several 911 Porsche's, and so being told over and over that the 911 is indeed the ultimate driving machine "sorry bmw!, I always resisted to make any changes. I know that there are many options, and degrees of modifications one can go after, from the very basic to the very supercharged and elaborate. That is, we all have different driving needs and preferences, and so I tried to design a plan that would do it but without over doing it. Many out there have been in search of a good formula that wont bring too much head ache. So I am sharing here my plan and will update on the results. The Collection in Miami will perform the work, and I have been introduced to their very best mechanic Rich, who has spent time and shown patience in understanding my goal and making it a reality. I shall admit that The Collection has not always gotten the best reputation when it came to the service department, but I must acknowledge that so far in this case, they have treated me above and beyond. They sincerely put all the resources and answered any questions I had before I gave it the go ahead. And so here is what we have decided for the plan and I shall answer your questions if indeed it could give you some feedback......My 997 will be going to the Collection sometimes next week. -TUBI Exhaust....WHY? I have seen them and heard them, the craftmanship is superb, the sound amazing, and the fit should be like a glove. -X51 Carbon Fiber Intake...WHY? It is Porsche factory and better looking than the EVO's box -H&R Sport Springs....WHY? They are proven, and will lower the center of gravity without making the car too stiff -H&R Spacers..WHY?5mm in front,and 15 or 7mm in back we will test both in the back and see if 15 is not too over the top..essentialy for a more agressive look -GIAC ECU Chip.....WHY? I was convinced that GIAC was amongst the best for Porsche and that without the Chip the work would not reach ultimate performance goal feel and improvment. -Porsche Short Shift....WHY? Again, this is a Porsche factory upgrade, and so when it comes to shorten my shifting time experience, I rather stick with Porsche -GT3 Front Bumper...WHY? Will make the car look sportier -GT3 Front Lip....WHY? To protect the Bumper....I will not paint the lip, otherwise paint chips will be become visible after several asphalt scratches. Well here you got my plan and formula......Again, my goal is to do it without over doing it......keep it drivable and classy...as well as covered by the warranty. I will look forward to share with all of you Porsche pals the final results, and if indeed my curent 997 body and heart has improved. In the mean time feel free to share any comments or suggestions :drive: Be Good, Drive Fast, Drive Safely.............. Sincerely Porschester

A few days later....seems that the thick anti squeak paste is working...I havnt heard any more noises....Did your squeaking resolve?

Hi Gleek48 I didnt think of the VarioCam kicking @ 3200rpm, but now that you are mentioning it, I definitely think it may be part of the equation. Do you happen to know what is the role of the Vario kicking at 3200rpm?? Cheers... And dont forget to wave at your fellow Porscheman or Porschewomen.....haha Porschester

Hi Rivan, Thank for the feedback....Like I said to "500" the thick anti-squeak paste the dealer applied to my breaks seems (or at least for now to have taken care of this problem. I am keeping my fingers crossed. Dont forget to waive at your Porsche fellow....haha Cheers :thumbup: Porschster

Hi , You are absolutely right, they applied a thick anti squeak paste. The noise seem to have been gone, and I keep my fingers crossed. if it comes back within the next coming days, I will then take this matter into getting a much more applicable and permanent solution, but so far the noise is gone. So you ask Braman for the thick paste, I am sure they can accomodate you. Keep me updated. Apparently some of us Porsche owner have a snobish attitude and dont waive back at other Porsche drivers...so I will prove otherwise and start giving the little hi...just to for the point of making a nice gesture. Dont forget to do the same or reciprocate....haha Cheers Porschester

Hi 500, OK, I got THE best mechanic at the collection look at the breaks, he said that with Porsche a little squeeking here and there is not unusual. He added some type of goowee formula to the pad so that they dont retain dusts. We went for a ride, yesterday, the squeeking stoped then return for a bit, but then again today I drove the car and no squeeking was heard. Richie the mechanic told me that if the problem persisited to bring back the car and that they would take it to the next step. If this happens, I will let you know....Did your dealer has done anything different?? Let me know Porschester. PS: I am putting a short shift by the end of the week...loved the feeling or shorter distance between gears.

I spoke with a porsche expert and he said that at low speed and once you floor the accelerator the throttle respond is linear but with an initial kick if you dont rev it from start. He said that I should be a little bit more decisive with my shifting and not be too concern about reving high or a little higher since the car is meant to respond to immediate acceleration request. His advice proved to be correct...at least for me as I have changed a bit the way I shift and made great improvment in controlling the fraction of a sec lag. The car now takes off with assertivness with no noticeable lag. He also mentioned that the sports button improves the throttle response. All in all, this is a heck of a machine....with a little getting use to it. Perhaps jumping from a 996 to a 997 is not such an effortless bridge after all...at least for me...haha. Thank You for your reply Porschester

Hello and hope you had a nice easter holiday break. Thank you so much for your feedback. I will take the car to the Collection tomorrow and see what they can do. I am a pretty good customer and my service guy should hopefully take care of this ambarassing issue. I am also located in South Florida, in Miami Beach to be precise, and the weather today was fantastic....how about you? Please keep me updated if you get any more news when you take your Porsche for the same problem. Cheers

Hi This is word for word what the 997 turbo book says: "The side of each spoke are painted in a titanium tone, while the entire front surface including the flange, has a polish finish" Hope this helps Porschester

The breaks on my new 997 C4S have been squeeking when I slow down from normal low speed to low speed, lets say when approaching a red light, or slowing behind a car when in rush hour slow traffic. Should I bring this to my dealer's attention for a quick fix, or will the problem go away after few more miles. The car is incredibly beautiful, but I must admit that pulling in front of a lower key car and having the squeek heard is a little ambarrassing. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Sincerely. Porschester

Hello Everyone, I have just taken keys to a 997 C4S, and I have been experiencing a similar situation as the member "bjcarrera", where when you go on low gear from low speed to pushing on the accelerator at around 3000 rpm or so you feel a lag, and then a kick. My 996 C4 has never done that. Is it because it is an S version with more power or is it suppose to just take off without any "turbo lag" feel, and therefore I need to take the car to my dealer??. Thank You so much for any professional knowledge feedback on this matter. Sincerely, Porschster

Hello Everyone...This is my first post...and I am happy to be a new member.... Several weeks ago, the gas gauge on my 996 carrera kept showing full, since this is my secondary car, I ended up running out of gas twice with a needle showing full. The Collection Dearlership said initially that they could not figure out the problem (!!!!) Now the Service/Sales guy is telling me that he needs to run diagnostics for 4 hours at the cost of $120 an hour just to found out what is causing the gauge needle to stay up....and then charging more for the actual fixing. My car has only 15K miles. I am not having good vibes about what is happening, and I am quite perplex about the service guy making this issue look as if it is complex and expensive....could anyone share some feedback or any recommendations?? Should't this be fairly easy for "The collection" dealer in Miami to service without implicating long hours of diagnostics and labor?? Thank You in advance for your shared thaughts and comments. Sincerely Porschester