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Rich_R's Imported LHD 997.2 4S

Rich_r

Well-known member
Joined
2 May 2016
Messages
129
Just thought I'd start my own thread of my LHD/Gulf Spec 997.2 4S which I've recently imported into the UK from the UAE.

I bought the car with around 24k miles on the clock (in 2016) and its now around 31k.

Spec is reasonable with black sports seats, PDK, extended leather, red stitching, red seat belts, sports chrono, sunroof, Bose etc, only thing really missing is the PSE. Finished in Atlas Grey.

Day I collected it:

38362102956_9c628c0ac2_k.jpg


Interior:
37703426524_4c9dea661f_k.jpg


To liven things up on the noise front, I shipped over a Sharkwerkz cross-over pipe and fitted it myself. Rather easy with the moon-shaped spanner, but also the fact there was hardly any rust on the exhaust bolts:-

24546764088_d8152a7f87_k.jpg

38362113706_0a57f5ffd1_k.jpg


I then installed the sports steering wheel, again simple to do and I was happy to have proper paddles:

38362142476_d91a3f6d5d_k.jpg


Time for a polish, seal and wax and clean the of the arches:

38362140476_96c12e19f9_k.jpg

26641499549_882f575202_k.jpg


Engine mounts seemed a little tired, so I ordered an OEM pair and fitted them. Another easy job:

24546770478_7f4ab2de53_k.jpg


August 2017 I planned to relocate back to the UK. Not wanting to part with my 911, I shipped it back. I did all the work needed for the car to pass the IVA. This included swapping over the PCB in the rear clusters to get the fog light on the right, flip the tab in each headlight for driving on the left in the UK and lastly configuring the speedo to MPH.



November 2017, the 911 was in the UK, IVA'd, taxed and ready to go. I collected it last Friday after not seeing it since August. Coolant was changed for cold spec stuff and a tracker was fitted. Also a OEM UK spec front plate plinth was fitted to remove the ugly Gulf spec one:

First UK drive up north and into the Yorkshire dales:

38279332456_938aba630e_k.jpg


Granted, sitting on the left is strange at first, but after a good few drives its becoming second nature already.

Current plan so far is:

Geo at Center Gravity (booked in for Thursday)
Fit 7MM and 15MM spacers (at the time of the geo). I will upload before and after pics.
Fit winter tyres (I've bought some Nokan N rated ones)
Buy a roof transport system and ski rack. Plan is to go skiing in the alps over winter, no better car for it!
Fit a new Bosch S5 battery. The current one is over 3 years old. As preventive maintenance, I've ordered one which i will fit this week.

More to follow over the next few months
 
Nice work. I wish my rusty bits looked like yours when I swapped over the exhaust on the weekend. Mine looked like rusty mushrooms.
Interior looks great with the deviated stitching. :thumb:
 
Great to see you made it back in one piece. I've got similar skiing plans for my Dubai C4S. I've already got a set of roof rails, but I plan to run a Thule roof box for a couple of reasons: 1. it adds a fair bit of lockable luggage capacity and 2. it keeps your skis from going rusty (salted roads aren't any good for your edges...).
 
MaxA said:
Great to see you made it back in one piece. I've got similar skiing plans for my Dubai C4S. I've already got a set of roof rails, but I plan to run a Thule roof box for a couple of reasons: 1. it adds a fair bit of lockable luggage capacity and 2. it keeps your skis from going rusty (salted roads aren't any good for your edges...).

I see the value in that, but for me the box just doesn't look as cool. ;)

Btw - will be interesting to see how our Gulf spec cars cope in colder weather (especially yours in Finland!). Things like dry seals etc My heater has no idea whats going on! The car does run loads better with the cooler air though.
 
Rich_r said:
I see the value in that, but for me the box just doesn't look as cool. ;)

Btw - will be interesting to see how our Gulf spec cars cope in colder weather (especially yours in Finland!). Things like dry seals etc My heater has no idea whats going on! The car does run loads better with the cooler air though.

The boxes do look quite crap, but the most recent Thule/OEM jobs are quite svelte. There is also an odd fashion out here to run really old, narrow, retro boxes too. Or a set of your grandpa's old Winter War cross country skis. Not for me. In the meantime, I learned the hard way that it's a bit of a ***** to have get your edges cleaned when you get to the slopes... :dont know:

As it turns out, I don't have a Gulf spec car, as it was first sold in Italy, so it has EU-type approval (which helps in the private import and reduces the applicable car tax), but I did just get the coolant replaced. The only thing I have noticed so far is that the PCM touch screen 'froze' this morning, as I didn't have the interior heater running. And a truly cold start is very loud...
 
wasz said:
Stunning!

Was it cost effective to bring it back?! i.e. no tax to pay and cheaper than buying an equivalent UK car?

I can see the value in a rust free car...

No tax/duty as I was a returning resident (having been away 8+ years).

Price wise, including shipping I'm still looking at around 30-35% less than UK RHD equivalent car with the same spec and milage. No brainer for me.
 
My 911 has now been at Center Gravity for the last 2 days. I dropped down today to have a look and speak to the chaps there. I'm rather impressed with Chris and co. He's mega passionate about Porsches and engineering around them. He was kind enough to make me a cuppa tea and said I could hang around whilst he went through the checks on my car. He really explained everything, this itself gives me trust in them. He took me for a test drive in the car yesterday morning, really really thorough the way he tested it and the way moves around on the road and over bumps, cobbles etc.

The geo is out (which i kind of assumed) but also slight play in one of the inner track rods (which they will replace).

I cannot wait to collect it tomorrow and see how much better it will look with the spacers on, but also how it will drive.

Also there was a lovely GT3 in there and I met the owner too, nice chap as well.

24590188258_57702c4984_k.jpg
 
Rich_r said:
No tax/duty as I was a returning resident (having been away 8+ years).

Price wise, including shipping I'm still looking at around 30-35% less than UK RHD equivalent car with the same spec and milage. No brainer for me.

:chin:

Do you know how much the tax/duty would have been if you weren't a returning citizen :?:

...And is the engine/car full of sand :dont know: :grin:

I'm project manager
bowtie.gif
before you lot jump on my cash band wagon
runaway.gif


:thumb:
 
HSC911 said:
Rich_r said:
No tax/duty as I was a returning resident (having been away 8+ years).

Price wise, including shipping I'm still looking at around 30-35% less than UK RHD equivalent car with the same spec and milage. No brainer for me.

:chin:

Do you know how much the tax/duty would have been if you weren't a returning citizen :?:

...And is the engine/car full of sand :dont know: :grin:

I'm project manager
bowtie.gif
before you lot jump on my cash band wagon
runaway.gif


:thumb:

Not sure on the tax/duty part. I'm sure HMRC have a calculator somewhere?

Not much sand really. There was a bit in the bulkhead near the battery which has subsequently turned to muddy silt which I've since removed. My car is tidy for a Dubai car and had a nice life. There are a lot of dogs out there (i'm sure those who know Dubai will concur).
 
I'm not sure it helps, but import duty over here is 10% of the local value (ie in Dubai), and the VAT is 24% on top of that (35%), so those are major savings to be made with cars imported 'removal goods'.

The difference is that we have to pay a CO2 related car tax on top, of roughly 30% of the Finnish value. But I still 'save' money. So to say...

And as Rich says, there really are plenty of dogs in DXB: a pal of mine ended up having pretty much the entire suspension and steering on his 2009 997.2 rebuilt... but at least he spotted it in advance and negotiated a fair price. I have no idea WTF the original owner was doing, offroading maybe?
 
MaxA said:
.

And as Rich says, there really are plenty of dogs in DXB: a pal of mine ended up having pretty much the entire suspension and steering on his 2009 997.2 rebuilt... but at least he spotted it in advance and negotiated a fair price. I have no idea WTF the original owner was doing, offroading maybe?

No doubt advertised as "Amazing or mint condition" on Dubizzle. I looked at so many cars who stated this, yet coming to view them they were rough as and covered in dints etc!
 
Collected the car from Center Gravity this evening. Had full breakdown from Chris on what he'd done etc and off we went for a test drive. I have had the winter tyres fitted, but the car felt brilliant. So much more planted and sharper turn in.

Spacers were also fitted (better before and after pics to follow).

Also, I had a PDK mount insert fitted to reduce some of the slack. (one of these for those interested: https://rennlist.com/forums/997-for...st-transmission-mount-insert-for-997-2-a.html)

and of course quick picture. The spacers make such a visual difference!

38428761486_7e5da5307a_k.jpg
 
Rich_r said:
Collected the car from Center Gravity this evening. Had full breakdown from Chris on what he'd done etc and off we went for a test drive. I have had the winter tyres fitted, but the car felt brilliant. So much more planted and sharper turn in.

Spacers were also fitted (better before and after pics to follow).

Also, I had a PDK mount insert fitted to reduce some of the slack. (one of these for those interested: https://rennlist.com/forums/997-for...st-transmission-mount-insert-for-997-2-a.html)

and of course quick picture. The spacers make such a visual difference!

38428761486_7e5da5307a_k.jpg


Hi Rich, good to meet you today at the emporium. Your car is very nice indeed in the flesh.

Mike
 

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