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The C4S....

Simon W

Well-known member
Joined
21 Jun 2003
Messages
1,288
Hello 911uk friends....
I'm a long time member / contributor (mostly on the 993 forum). I've had 3 993's - all the same car - but have been somewhat quiet on the site since selling my last car back in 2013.

One of the primary things I loved about my 993's is that they're exceptionally easy to tinker with. I'm no mechanic, but there were lots of little jobs that an amateur like me could tackle with a basic tool kit, which was a big attraction to me.

I'm wondering what you guys think of a 996 (esp the 4s) in terms of ability to get under it and play without making a complete pigs ear of it. My sense was always that the post air cooled cars were much more complicated and difficult to access. Is there any merit in that assumption?

What do you lovely 996 experts think??? Is it a car that can be played with?

Also - know any good manuals for sale?!?!

Cheers!
Simon
 
Hi Simon,

First of all "welcome" and..... C4S brilliant car (biased opinion)

I have done a few little jobs in the past with no problem eg wheel arch liners, mesh infill for the front vents

Some of the guys on here get up to all sorts with great results !

Try using the search facility and see what pops up - hopefully some of them may also reply to your post

Cheers :thumbs:
 
Any 996 is nice to work on. Yes, you need PST2/PIWIS for some electronic things, but there are those of us with that who will help if needed.

They're a great tinkerers car..
 
I find it easy enough to do most things on my C4s.. As has been said the engine bay is a little cramped.. but brakes, suspension and the like are not that dissimilar to the 993.. infact you will even occasionally find some 993 part numbers on various items (wheel bearings is one IIRC)
You do get the added excitement of cleaning leaves out of the Rad's every so often but even that's not bad.

:thumb:
 
Of all the cars I've owned, the 996 is one of the easiest to work on. The engine compartment is a bit cramped if you're doing some simple stuff like working on anything related to that area, but the rest of the car is a doddle. There's so many mods and fixes even the most basic DIYer can do with a trolley jack, set of ramps and axle stands.
Also, there's so many parts available at reasonable cost that can transform your 996 in to something a bit more special. Jobs undertaken by myself that I believe are quite easy DIY jobs are:
Aircon condenser replacement
Radiator replacement
Engine mounts
Gearbox mount inserts
Short shifter gear leaver
Brake disc and pads
Amberectomy (clear indicator mod)
Starter motor refurb
Gearbox oil change
Coil pack & plugs
Coffin arms
Drop links
Anti-roll bar bushes
Hand-brake cable
iPod integration

Other stuff in my to-do list:
Airbox resonator delete
New soft top replacement
SmartTop ECU (one touch operation at speed)

Jobs my trusty local (non Porsche) mechanic did for me at a low rate:
New back boxes
Diff rebuild
New exhaust manifolds
IMS check and outer seal removal
New clutch
New brake lines

Stuff I paid an indy for:
Cruise control retro-fit

The list is endless and so easy doable at very low cost compared to other German (or any other make) cars.

You only have to go on the car parts section of eBay and search for 996. Here's a thread on some eBay bargains I did: http://911uk.com/viewtopic.php?t=114973

Buy one and enjoy the endless hours of tinkering, before you enjoy (even more) the blasting around in these things :thumb:
 
Hi Simon - it's nice to hear from you again!

As the currently owner of a 996 Turbo (owned 50/50 with my Dad) and a 4'S' which I run as my daily I can recommend them highly - they are great cars and as their current level they are even good value (in my opinion)!

My Basalt Black 4'S' is the first black 911 to wear my registration since it was attached to a rather nice 993 Carrera 'S' we both know! Do you happen to know where the car is now - I'm I right in saying it was last in London?
 
All - thanks for the input. I am trying to see a 4s this weekend and may come back with a few Q's!

Paul,
Good to hear you're still in the 911 way......
As far as I know, our old 993 is still with the person I sold to. Sitting in a carcoon in a comfortable underground garage in west london gaining value!

Let me know if you want to sell me your 4s! Very happy to buy another one of your cast offs....
That 993 now worth significantly more than your 996's combined I'd wager...(in the nicest possible way)
 
Simon W said:
Paul,
Good to hear you're still in the 911 way......
As far as I know, our old 993 is still with the person I sold to. Sitting in a carcoon in a comfortable underground garage in west london gaining value!

Let me know if you want to sell me your 4s! Very happy to buy another one of your cast offs....
That 993 now worth significantly more than your 996's combined I'd wager...(in the nicest possible way)

It's nice to know the 993 is still enjoying a comfortable life in London - certainly a long way from where it came! My Dad's third 993 and second Carrera 'S' (after yours) is sitting in its present owners garage with just 15K miles on it now - all I can say is that they were bought for what they were at the time and enjoyed - when he had them they were too new to be considered 'investments'! Hindsight is a wonderful thing and all that lol!

The good thing about our Turbo is that it was bought in 2011 when the market was an flat as the proverbial pancake which meant it was picked up for humble money - it has a full OPC history and is a concours winner so it's seen a good rise in value over recent years. As for the 4'S' - you will be the first to know if I decide to sell but I can't see that happening for a while yet - I searched for a good few months to find a nice one (also had to be manual) and I found it wasn't an easy task. I bought it privately back in February to replace my previous daily - a 996.2 Carrera - which I actually sold to a guy who approached me about it at the local filling station one night so it all worked out well! Good luck in your search for yours - looking forward to see what you buy! :)
 

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