Shanty's 997.1 GT3

[shantybeater]

Well, thought it about time to setup a progress thread for the new (to me) car.

Roll back six months ago, I decided to finally grow up, sell the 996T which I had owned for 8+ years and put the money into property. I'm not a rich man, so it's safe to say the car made up a slightly obscene percentage of my assets.

I struggled to let go of the car, it did pretty much everything I wanted it to, and held a huge sentimental value. My old man showed an interest in the car, so I offered it to him for price I paid 8 years ago (£26,500). Not bad for a manual X50 with 60k~ on the clock. The deal was done, money in the bank and on my way to a more sensible life invested in property. That is until a mid November evening when I decided to chuck a bid on a car online, blind.

The bid was £250 over the current highest, and the listing had 5 days to go. Logic was, much like my eBay purchases, it would allow me to track where the price got to. Well I won it! Completely unprepared!

The car - a 2006 60k miles 997.1 GT3 with Ceramics and comfort spec (yellow highlights).

Well that was my life savings all gone in one hit. I always wanted a GT3, but they were out of reach and prices never really dropped.

Fortunately for me it was being sold by a well known dealer near London, and surrounded by some rather nice bits of metal!

Drive home with 'Turd2' my daily/track car.

Car went almost immediately up to 9E for a major service, inspection, compression test etc..Minus a few issues with the exhaust valves the car pretty much flew through (phew).

So far not much else to report, lockdown is limiting travel, she has had a full valet, but plan is to do a proper underside clean-up/wax very soon

 

[jonttt]

Wow, great story......need pics of the caravan you are now living in though :grin:

 

[shantybeater]

Wow, great story......need pics of the caravan you are now living in though :grin:

Well I do have a little flat I can call my own, but my cars probably add up to a third of its value :grin:

 

[T8]

Looks a beaut'. :thumbs:

 

[Daniel]

Lovely looking GT3.

Enjoy it in good heath - :thumb:

I have just gone the other way GT3 to 993 Turbo with 9e looking after me.

 

[apollokre1d]

Congratulations, really pleased it worked out :thumbs:

 

[wellsy]

Congrats! The GT3 is a lovely looking thing and your turbo doesn't look too shabby either. A great pair of porsches to enjoy road trips with your dad. Lovely!

 

[Y2K]

Beautiful. Saw this on CC/PH.

Congratulations!

 

[D4.driven]

Great looking car and a decent price you paid too.
I love the two-tone body coloured wheels.

Would love to hear your Thoughts on the 996 turbo vs the 997 gt3

Like you I now have a 997.1 gt3 but for a long tome considered the 996T

 

[GMG]

...do you know what I like about story?

The simple and honest plot; a normal bloke,not wealthy, who loves Porsche and is prepared to sell his shirt to buy one...

Makes for a refreshing change on this forum where it might appear many members are very well off...

It challenges the Facebook social media culture that insists posters only ever show their best, quite likely false, side...

Nice one bud








:thumb:

 

[shantybeater]

...do you know what I like about story?

The simple and honest plot; a normal bloke,not wealthy, who loves Porsche and is prepared to sell his shirt to buy one...

Makes for a refreshing change on this forum where it might appear many members are very well off...

It challenges the Facebook social media culture that insists posters only ever show their best, quite likely false, side...

Nice one bud


:thumb:

Thanks! Most people think i'm mad spending so much of my earnings on cars, but it brings me a lot of joy, and I don't have any expensive kids to look after (yet)

 

[shantybeater]

Thanks for the comments all :bye:

Great looking car and a decent price you paid too.
I love the two-tone body coloured wheels.

Would love to hear your Thoughts on the 996 turbo vs the 997 gt3

Like you I now have a 997.1 gt3 but for a long tome considered the 996T

Well I had the chance to drive them back to back a few weeks ago (pre-lockdown). First off it's good to remember the cars are very similar so I'm going in to the detail quite a bit.

The turbo (x50, manual, similar mileage) is far more comfortable, the clutch is light, the gearbox far more slick. It travels over uneven roads better, you sit higher in the seat, there is a bit more body roll because of the extra weight (and more supple suspension). It is the much faster car in a straight line, blisteringly quick, effortless. You feel its weight more no doubt, but on a fast piece of road its sensational. The cabin is much quieter, you really could use it daily without tiring.

The GT3 is running static Ohlins, so not a stock for stock comparison. I used to think the turbo on startup was a lumpy old thing, but its a step further, the comfort seats provide more support at the hip, everything is more effort, the gearbox takes time to warm up, the clutch pedal is completely unassisted, this is not a car for sitting in traffic, it would make it a chore. The suspension doesn't cope well with bad roads. There is also ALOT of road/tyre noise, I presume this is due to lack of sound insulation.

When you manage to open her up though it makes sense, the noise is just intoxicating and it's so much more engaging having to work the engine, it is also much more responsive and the lighter weight shows. I'm still learning the GT3 but it terrifies me in anything but dry conditions, the Turbo always made me feel secure, I knew its limits were way beyond what i'm capable of.

Two very different experiences, one is sledgehammer, other is a scalpel. That said I imagine a well modified 996 Turbo could be turned into an absolute track/weekend monster, I'm just not sure you'd easily be able to replicate the poise/delicacy the GT3 provides.

 

[DynoMike]

That GT3 is probably the nicest looking example I have seen, the colour and wheel painting just makes it pop.

Once wrung out to redline through the gears a 997 GT3 will live with a non X50 996 turbo in a straight line - a good friend of mine has one and we have, erm, experimented somewhat from time to time.

You're very right about the weight issue though, my lightly mod'd 996T can never shrug off the extra weight compared to GT3, even though it is the faster car. After 6 laps on track, the turbo starts to cook the tyres and brakes, whereas the GT3 just keeps pounding around as if on a jaunt to the shops.

Horses for courses for sure. Let's hope for some decent weather soon and enough non-lockdown time for you to get better acquainted with the new steed. Either option wins in my book, there is no right or wrong car here, both are superb.

 

[Cunno]

Which Ohlins do you have TTX or road and track?

 

[Gt3Owl]

Lovely 😍