Collected my 997.1 GT3 today!

[Roro]

Cheers mate

If I was to do it again I would buy private and save about 5k+, but would definitely have a PPI inspection done prior to purchase. Mileage wouldn't really bother me, but when I got this car low miles on a 911 was important to me so I found this one with 12k miles on the clock. 

I'd not bother with the restrictive Porsche Approved warranty and instead go with Warranty Direct who's cover is just as good as the Porsche Approved warranty (and cheaper). As an example of how restrictive the Porsche Approved warranty is, me having my wheels painted black by a third party has probably invalidated it. I've heard examples of Porsche Approved warranty claims being rejected on the grounds of non-Porsche floor mats! (I must clarify that the "Porsche Approved" warranty is different to the "Manufacturers" Porsche warranty on new cars, which is less restrictive due to EU laws, which don't apply to the Approved warranty). 

If you want the Sharkwerks I say go for it. Just bare in mind you will need a third party warranty as above. 

I'm having a bypass fitted this weekend. Will report back next week to let you guys know how it is. I know it'll be too loud for track days but I don't really do track days (yet!). Intention is to do CAT training first (got one booked already, Sunday 12 August). Will switch the muffler back in next year for track days. For now though I just want to unleash the beast a little. :thumb:

 

[C2VNY]

Hey, sorry didn't realised you had replyed :thumb:

I'm still looking as I was leaning towards a rs7.1 after some more thought but the one I liked sold :nooo: might just wait till after the new year as am still 60/40 to go rs or non.

Warranty wise, am still unsure as a few of my friend rate the porsche extended warrenty highly.
How does warranty direct work, do i just call them up and buy it as a extra or through a dealer and are modifications ok then?
Can you still take it into Porsche for the repair work?

There's a White gt3 with the cargraphics exhaust system I quite like but it's been up for sale for awhile so I'd like no find out abit more information/ history on it.

How's the gt3 going, anymore plans for it?

Cheers

 

[Roro]

No worries 8)

GT3 is still going great :thumb:

Just went for a quick blast this evening - I was expecting a flat battery to be honest, but it started first time despite being sat doing nothing for almost 3 weeks.

Felt great to be back in the drivers seat after so long, the car still feels exciting to drive - I'm amazed I'm not bored of it yet after almost 1.5 years!

No immediate plans for the car, I was seriously considering a wrap but got distracted by a Rolex lol

Regards warranty, the Porsche Warranty is very good. However, the GT3 you are interested in has a Car Graphic exhaust, so if you intend to buy that car and get Porsche to warranty it, they will only do so if you remove the CG exhaust and put a standard exhaust on first (as well as putting the car through their 111 point check and you remedying anything else that is 'wrong').

When I spoke to WarrantyDirect they said modifications are generally ok, except for remapping which they say will void their warranty. Other mods are fine, so long as you let them know about the mod in the same way Insurance co's are e.g. fine with aftermarket wheels if you let them know. I'm sure the repairs can be carried out by Porsche (I'm certain I asked the same question but can't remember the answer!). Hope this helps. You might benefit from a quick chat with them to address your points directly
:thumb:

 

[C2VNY]

That's good

Yeh I had a look at the warranty and I think if this warranty direct will cover most big things then I'd be happy enough with them, since it means I can put a few modifications on it.

Lol rolex over a wrap, but I understand :thumb: what colour where you thinking off?

 

[Roro]

http://911uk.com/viewtopic.php?t=74797

8)

:thumbs:

 

[C2VNY]

Yeh that's a nice colour, my mate has a k20 race Honda in that colour and it's really really cool.

Do it

 

[Roro]

So... After almost 2 years of ownership I finally got around to doing my first ever trackday yesterday at Bedford Autodrome.

Things started off quite well at the noise check

The chaps at the noise check gate said "I'm very close" to the limit and to "take it easy around the track". I didn't ask how loud I was though exactly. The test was done at 5000rpm, with the chap looking through the drivers window to make sure I was at the required revs. Holding the revs steady at the same level is harder than it sounds!


So after all the palava around will I be too loud or not, all was fine and I didn't need the bolt on silencer I bought recently, thank god ...

I think I may have just been lucky though, so next time I do Bedford I'll definitely take the silencer anyway in case the car fails the noise test.

Anyways, after an initially clear start, the weather soon took a turn for the worse... 0/10 to the BBC weather forecast which said it would remain dry... it soon started to drizzle... then rain... then sleet... then snow.. it was also bloody freezing

I was initially reluctant to get out on track as a result, especially since I think nearly every other car that had already gone out on track had spun on the first couple of laps. Conditions were really bad and the track was very greasy.

After a while I plucked up the courage to get out on the track, but as I parked up to check my tyre pressures, I completely by fluke noticed a screw in one of the front tyres.

I had booked the track day through Porsche Specialists RPM, and I was glad I did as the lovely Emily was soon on the case for me and organised a tyre repair chap to come out and sort the tyre out. He turned up within 45 mins, and after pulling out the screw he told me that the screw had not gone all the way through the tyre and it was safe to drive as is. I asked if I ought to buy a new tyre, or if there was any repair he could do to the tyre, and he said no don't worry, the tyre is fine. Disaster averted....

While he was there I asked him to check all the tyres to see if I had managed to pick up any other screws or nails from somewhere, which I hadn't thank god. I'm sure he was very pleased to be asked to do all this in the appaling cold weather... Proper gent though, didn't moan at all.

.... So a big big thank you to Emily at RPM :thumbs:

Actually, I must say the guys at RPM are all very nice people - Greig, Marc, Darren and the rest of the gang provided great support on the day. Darren took me out for a couple of laps in the RPM Boxster race car and what an absolute blast that was! He was wrestling the steering wheel the entire way around the track, and it was probably quite akin to driving on ice given the semi-slicks the Boxster was riding on!

Overall, there was a very mixed bag of cars, including M3s, AMGs, Caterhams and a modified Abarth 500 that sounded (and looked) like a very angry washing machine. There was a healthy showing of pork though which was nice to see

Once I finally got out on track though, the GT3 just started to make complete sense. On the road this car is a bit of a compromise (firm suspension, low front splitter... noise... <ahem>...), but on track this car just felt completely 100% at home.

I found the Comfort seats surprisingly good. After all the reviews I'd read I was expecting to be sliding around in my seat but that wasn't the case at all. However that might be because I wasn't going massively fast. The track was very greasy and I spun 3 times in total (!). I'm glad I did the CAT driver training course last year, I definitely felt more confident going around the track than if I hadn't done that course.

The track was so slippy slidey that I spent a fair amount of time either understeering or oversteering, despite the TC being on. I thought about turning off the TC to see what the difference would be but was ultimately too chicken to find out....

Paradoxically the weather may have been the reason I never got black flagged for noise - I probably would have been had it been dry, as I would have been giving it proper welly without the fear of sliding about.

I'll definitely need to have the geo sorted out before Silverstone, not only to correct any alignment issues caused by the spins, but also to completely kill the OEM geo settings that Byfleet reinstated on the service last month. I had previously got Blackboots in Chesham to set the car up on a Fast Road geo which would probably have been a lot better than the OPC set up. Not Byfleet's fault though, I asked them to check and sort the geo having forgotten that I had Blackboots set the geo up previously. Idiot.
:duh:

... One thing I realised is I really hate driving with a helmet on... It dulls the noise somewhat... Hmmm... Louder exhaust maybe... :floor:

All in all though, a fantastic day, despite the weather. Toward the end of the day the weather started to clear up, and I did manage a few dry laps. It was an amazing experience unleashing the car and hearing the sound of that engine in the environment it was designed for. The car's responses truly come alive on track, and I think I've been bitten by the bug... Silverstone is booked for next month, Cunno's Wet Grip course in Rockingham in April, Spa booked for May, and plan is to do Brands Hatch before year end... I'll be speaking to the Insurance co on Monday to figure out how to up the 5 trackdays-per-year limit....

.. What a f***ing amazing car....

 

[Senoj]

Glad (and amazed :lol you got on the track :thumb:


shame about the weather but the bug will bite.....

did Bedford in the summer of 2010, was very, very warm i recall and i couldn't catch this pesky Caterham up...:lol:

 

[nick w]

I concur...a great effort getting out yesterday !!. That was the day at
Bedford when I realised that I needed a proper harness and buckets...
the following day my arms were absolutely killing me !!!. :wink:

 

[Roro]

Cheers guys :thumb:

... What was that Caterham packing under its bonnet or are they all that fast (in the dry!). Slicks too maybe? The Caterhams yesterday were definitely doing well to stay on track at all.

Hmm buckets and harness would mean I could get one of those sexy Cup OMP steering wheels ... :grin:

I like the Bedford circuit a lot, will definitely try and get back there some point (hopefully the weather will be kinder next time too!)

 

[p1rob]

Good work Roro,braving the weather and few little niggles,track look's really safe and plenty of run off.

Senoj good clip :thumb:

 

[Clarkey]

Nice write up Roro.

I'd forgotten you had the red stripe done, looks good.

See you at Silverstone :thumb:

 

[Roro]

Thanks P1 8)

Yep, Bedford is a really nice track, the only problem I had really was that I could never figure out where I was! The whole circuit is very flat and open which is good, but nothing really in the way of landmarks... shouldn't be an issue after another trackday or two there...

Clarkey - I'm really looking forward to Silverstone! Cheers regards the stripes.... They'll be gone quite soon though... They'll clash with the gold OZ wheels I'm getting... :grin:

 

[Slayer]

Well done Roro! :thumb:

Video next time..

 

[Sarfend]

Nice write up but now we know your reg number which is blanked on your signature image.