James Mcgrath Minneapolis, USA
@auto.amateur Auto Amateur Curb and Canyon Model 996.2 CARRERA Year 2002 Acquired 2020
Winter is here and my 996 has been put away for the season. No more 911 driving for me until the snow and ice leaves the Midwest in late April. I did put snow tyres on my 991 and drove that car year round, but this year I’m taking it easy on this particular 911.
It’s mainly due to the fact that it just got a new paint job, inside and out, so the thought of all the snow melt and salt on the roads eating through the clear coat ties my stomach in knots a little. It’s also because I enjoy having the car up on the lift in my garage for a few months of uninterrupted mods and maintenance. Right now the wheels are about to come off and get a thorough clean. I’m going to give them the royal treatment: washing, decontamination, detailing and maybe a ceramic coating just for kicks. Everything needs a ceramic coat these days, right?
While the wheels are off I’m also planning to do a thorough inspection of the brake calipers, pads, rotors and brake lines. I’ll do any maintenance necessary as well as give each wheel arch a good scrub. I also need to replace a couple of fender/wheel arch liners where the plastic is showing its age.
It’s amazing how much dirt and salt gets blown backwards and forwards into the underside of the engine bay and the frunk from just daily driving. Even with perfectly functional liners the small rocks and dead leaves find their way inside and sit between the body panels and the chassis. Currently I’m missing one of my rear end liners and the muffler on that side of the car looks about 20 years older than the other, thanks to all the debris that gets blasted against it at the moment.
Another project for the winter season is going to be like an Indiana Jones adventure inside the cabin. I have an annoying squeak that’s developed somewhere inside and around the dashboard, which comes and goes. I also have a small rattle somewhere behind the passenger side rear seat that drives me crazy. Short of completely dismantling all of the interior trim and panels, I’m expecting to spend quite a few hours inside the cabin with a flashlight and trim tool, lying in very awkward positions, trying to solve the mysteries of the annoying trim squeaks.
Lastly, I’m going to be completing my exhaust modifications. Last year the factory mufflers were replaced with the factory-modified Fister mufflers from FD Motorsports in California. The syrupy smooth sound of those modified mufflers is one of my favourite mods for any 911, ever.
This year I replaced the factory cats with a set of sports cats from Soul Performance Products, which saves me some weight and gives me an increase in power. Now it’s time for the headers, for which I’m going with Soul Performance’s competition variants. These will finish off the car’s exhaust system nicely. I’m sure there’ll be other things I’ll try to tackle during the next few months, but these are the big ones. Wish me luck!