Porsche Owners Thread - If you own one or just like or hate them! :)
- Thread starter Gibbo
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This is, sadly, becoming a far to frequent occurrence with the Gen 1 997! Whilst not an epidemic or really common, it is far to common for a company of Porsches engineering pedigree. I know the Gen 2 seems to have resolved the issue, but I would think long and hard about buying a Gen 1 now, certainly without an OPC warranty attached to it. The engines in these things are serious money when they go and a new GT3 engine would be closer to £20K, though to be fair they don't tend to pop though oddly, for the first time in the 997 do seem to suffer oil leaks like normal 911's!
![[ui]ICEMAN](/styles/overclockers/avatars/5.png){kind=avatar}
Soldato
While the .2's have done away with this issue, they introduced a new one coking issues on the valves. It remains to be seen yet, whether or not this will become a real issue but the premise is certainly there.
[ui]ICEMAN;24761691 said:
Valve coking is becoming an increasing issue as it is inherent 'feature' of direct injection engines. There is no fuel flowing over the back of the valves to wash of any oil that has found its way through the breather system.
Soldato
I'm aware of that but Porsche didn't include any systems at all to even mitigate it. Many manufacturers have come up with methods that at least reduce it.
My 987 Boxster S needs new discs & pads all round, & I'm not sure whether to just leave it with my local dealer & let them sort it out (who want £1600), or whether to consider using a specialist or even uprated parts?
Gibbo, I've seen you mention Performance Friction parts before, have you found these offer a noticeable improvement over OEM?
Gibbo, I've seen you mention Performance Friction parts before, have you found these offer a noticeable improvement over OEM?
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Hi m8
£1600, that is a lot of money!
For disc performance friction / girodisc are both lighter and should be similar cost, they should also last twice as long.
Pad wise, if you go PF / Pagid they are noisy and rather dusty. So can't really comment to much on pad for regular use, but if you push the OPC hard they will give 10-20% discount on any quoted price.
Hi m8
£1600, that is a lot of money!
For disc performance friction / girodisc are both lighter and should be similar cost, they should also last twice as long.
Pad wise, if you go PF / Pagid they are noisy and rather dusty. So can't really comment to much on pad for regular use, but if you push the OPC hard they will give 10-20% discount on any quoted price.
I thought that £1600 felt steep, so I pressed them & apparently in addition to the discs & pads they're including wear sensors, a fixing kit, caliper bolts & shims, which Zentrum tell me aren't required (?), & they want £1170 for genuine parts, or £900 for Pagid.
I don't mind paying a bit extra if there's some aftermarket stuff that is better, but I've zero interest in adding extra noise or dust, so that helps nicely thank you.
OPC Leicester were unusually unwilling to budge on price, which is odd as they've been very helpful previously...
Soldato
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My dads 996 Turbo and my Cooper ^_^
Hopefully i'll be driving his soon enough!!
If this image hasn't shown up here is the link! http://imgur.com/8mHu2YE
Hopefully i'll be driving his soon enough!!
If this image hasn't shown up here is the link! http://imgur.com/8mHu2YE
Associate
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My 996 Turbo is currently on SOR so technically I still own a Porsche.
The most capable car I've ever driven but I found it to be uninvolving at legal speeds (hence the sale).
It's mentioned in this thread.
A few pictures. It's a very good-looking car IMO.
The most capable car I've ever driven but I found it to be uninvolving at legal speeds (hence the sale).
It's mentioned in this thread.
A few pictures. It's a very good-looking car IMO.
My 996 Turbo is currently on SOR so technically I still own a Porsche.
The most capable car I've ever driven but I found it to be uninvolving at legal speeds (hence the sale).
Time for a GT3 then or GT2?
Associate
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Time for a GT3 then or GT2?
I test drove a 996.1 GT3 and a 996 GT2 the same day that I drove (and bought) the 996 Turbo.
I found the GT3 a frustrating car to extract the performance from. Before you hunt me down and kill me let me qualify that by saying that I'm sure it had everything to do with my (lack of) ability as a driver and nothing to do with the car.
The GT2 was an absolute blast. The noise, the acceleration and the drama were unlike anything I've experienced before in a road car. Because the sensation of speed was so much more evident I was convinced I'd gone much faster in the GT2 than in the Turbo but the salesman said the opposite was true by quite some margin.
Unfortunately (for now) the GT2 and GT3 are both out of budget.
A 996 GT3 does cause you to readdress the way you drive and that takes time and commitment. It has some very pronounced characteristics especially if running track geo like mine was and that makes the car a real handful on bumpy off cambered roads. I found mine incredibly intimidating at first and I like to think I am an OK driver with lots of experience of quick cars and track cars but the GT3 was a handful and I really needed to learn it, unlike any other car I have ever owned or driven on road. After time you realise the way to make it fly is to let it move around and have its head but you can never go 100% on the road because it will bight your backside. Being frank it's not a very good road car, but it is an incredibly exciting car all the time, even when it's parked and that is either something you can live with or not, there is no right or wrong with that one, purely personal preference. I had a few times in mine where I came close to sticking it somewhere I didn't want it to go and each time you have to readdress how you drive it.
You can really feel the weight behind you, the steering pulls you all over the road as the tyres follow the cambers of the road, bumps will unsettle the car and without adjustment the front end will struggle to catch an apex if you enter to fast. You need to learn trail braking to get the most from it and really on the road you need to take it down to 9 from 11 when pushing on really unless you are very seasoned. Come off the power in a bend too quickly in an emergency situation and the arse will try to become the front and you have to be very quick to catch it, I speak from heart pumping experience. The brakes are superb but at first drive there is little servo assistance, much better but if you are used to normal cars you hit the brakes and wonder why it's not stopping. Dig deeper and get used to the pedal travel and the brakes are superb, but at first its yet another thing you have to get used to.
Having said all that, I'd have another in a heartbeat. Superb things, very special car and a REAL race car on the road. I'm sure Gibbo will reflect this as he drove it and I know it intimidated him like it did you and me at first. My wife did about 4 miles behind the wheel and that was enough, she parked it and handed it back to me.
Associate
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Excellent post Housey.
My cars so far have been almost exclusively big, powerful M/AMG/RS cars with a wealth of driver aids; thrilling in a straight line but that's about it.
My first "proper" sports car was a 996 C2. I loved so much about it but I couldn't live with the (relative) lack of torque. I thought changing to a 996 Turbo would solve that - and I was right - but at the same time it lost a lot of the feel of the C2.
Whatever car I get will rarely see a track so it has to be exciting and involving at legal road speeds. That's why I'm looking at smaller, lighter cars with less driver assistance.
It makes sense to me anyway.
My cars so far have been almost exclusively big, powerful M/AMG/RS cars with a wealth of driver aids; thrilling in a straight line but that's about it.
My first "proper" sports car was a 996 C2. I loved so much about it but I couldn't live with the (relative) lack of torque. I thought changing to a 996 Turbo would solve that - and I was right - but at the same time it lost a lot of the feel of the C2.
Whatever car I get will rarely see a track so it has to be exciting and involving at legal road speeds. That's why I'm looking at smaller, lighter cars with less driver assistance.
It makes sense to me anyway.
Excellent post Housey.
My cars so far have been almost exclusively big, powerful M/AMG/RS cars with a wealth of driver aids; thrilling in a straight line but that's about it.
My first "proper" sports car was a 996 C2. I loved so much about it but I couldn't live with the (relative) lack of torque. I thought changing to a 996 Turbo would solve that - and I was right - but at the same time it lost a lot of the feel of the C2.
Whatever car I get will rarely see a track so it has to be exciting and involving at legal road speeds. That's why I'm looking at smaller, lighter cars with less driver assistance.
It makes sense to me anyway.
From the entire Porsche range will echoe what you say. I drove a 997 Turbo and found it a monster in a straight line and off the mark. But enjoyment/thrill on the road at legal speeds would simply not happen, you had to go at warp speed to start becoming involved and things not being to easy.
I've found the Boxster 2.9 DFI's a huge amount of fun at legal speeds because you simply thrash the hell out of them and drive them at 10/10th's everywhere and even though they are very capable your not exactly going down every road at 130+ mph, still under 3 digits.
This is said to be true of the basic 997 C2 spec though as well, 18" wheels, regular none PASM suspension or Sports suspension/LSD are said to be great cars that are rewarding without the need for warp speed.
I absolutely love my 997 C2S, though I've set it up for very much fast road / track use but its hugely capable but also very thrilling to drive as well at all speeds, whilst be solidly put together.
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Thanks Gibbo.
Have you driven a 996 C2? The lack of torque really got on my wick. I'm wondering if the 997 C2 is any different.
Also, aren't the non-GT/Turbo 997s prone to the same IMS/bore-scoring issues as the 996s?
Have you driven a 996 C2? The lack of torque really got on my wick. I'm wondering if the 997 C2 is any different.
Also, aren't the non-GT/Turbo 997s prone to the same IMS/bore-scoring issues as the 996s?
Thanks Gibbo.
Have you driven a 996 C2? The lack of torque really got on my wick. I'm wondering if the 997 C2 is any different.
Also, aren't the non-GT/Turbo 997s prone to the same IMS/bore-scoring issues as the 996s?
Yes 997.1 and earlier suffer the same bore scoring, though 2006 onwards are far less likely to suffer an IMS failure whereas on old 997.1 and 996 models this was quite an issue, but at least on the earlier cars it was easy to retrofit a stronger IMS.
Bore scoring is easy to keep in check with regular oil changes, good fuel and driving the car hard.
My C2S has loads of torque, surprisingly lots for an NA motor, its one of the things every driving instructor on tracks days have always commented on is how torquey the motor is. But the S is a 3800cc engine with 306lb/ft standard so not bad and with the right spec they can weigh 1390-1440kg so nowhere near as heavy as the 1600kg turbo cars.
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Interesting. That's quite a bit more more torque than the 996.
Has MilanoChris had a go in your 997? He's told me several times to try one.
Has MilanoChris had a go in your 997? He's told me several times to try one.