Porsche 911 Carrera (996.2)

The essential jobs are identified for a return to (near) standard

THE QUOTE FROM THE PORSCHE Classic guys at Porsche Centre Hatfield for returning my car to factory spec was eight pages long and, to be blunt, the figure at the bottom of page eight would have virtually bought me a second 996 Carrera to add to the one I’ve already got. Gulp.

Clearly this wasn’t something that I, or most other owners of a ‘value’ 996 for that matter, could entertain, but I knew some things were more important than others, so the inevitable compromise would require some prioritisation.

I junked the cosmetic items first. These aren’t the items that cost the real money, unfortunately, but I figured I could live without a new bulkhead cowling at £46.63. Maybe I’ll get some of that spray stuff on there that lasts a week and then wears off…

There’s work required on the gearshift cables, but I’ve put that on the to-do list, and while the coil packs aren’t to the very latest design released by Porsche, they do all seem to be in fine fettle so I won’t bother changing them until it’s absolutely necessary. I managed to side-step the brakes too, because the EBC discs I fitted previously had rusted so badly on the hubs that I complained, and it turned out they’d sent the wrong ones without a coating on the centres. Another set was duly dispatched. Phew.

What was a priority is the exhaust, so there was no getting away from that. The factory switchable sports exhaust is £3000, but I’ve never heard another system sound as good on a 996, and I just can’t put up with the drone from the aftermarket arrangement on my car any more. Perhaps more significantly, I’ve been so frustrated with the lack of mid-range torque since the aftermarket system was fitted – the car has more power, but feels slower on the road – that it just has to go.

After that, it was simply a matter of trying to get as much suspension work done as possible. I have decided to keep the KW Variant 3s on the car, at least for now, as I reckon with the right set-up they might still work well. But I’ve gone for new standard coffin arms and lower arms, and a return to the factory anti-roll bars.

The one thing I can’t sort for now is the transmission mount, as Hatfield say they can’t get the parts into stock for a few months. I do have a Plan B on that one, but I’ll save that for a future report.

For now, though, there’s more than enough excitement brewing as work commences, with the thought that, at last, I might get to a point where I enjoy driving my beloved 911 once again.

Date acquired May 2016 Total mileage 86,401 Mileage this month 0 Costs this month £0 mpg this month n/a