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996.1 cab C2 manual

Have only just seen this, Neil, what a lovely piece of writing. I must admit that this is probably the only time in my life that I have been called 'the voice of sanity', - must be getting old. :D

Collectively, this forum has a great bunch of people on board, pushing boundaries and asking 'why not' rather than 'why'? We will see where the project ends up, but whatever the results are one thing will be certain, nothing would have happened at all without this wonderful platform allowing people like you and Martin to ask 'why not'. Long may it continue.

As for the humble, much maligned 996, it really is becoming a hot rod platform within the 911 world, let's hope Project Ridiculous does it proud.
 
Brake fade.

Car projects are, by their nature, a journey to a journey (or many, if you don't succumb to the temptation to finish the car, drive it twice, then sell it to fund the next project).

Being a journey, a succession of events, often things change - our priorities are re-ordered, the goalposts are moved. There are also many temptations - bigger is better being the one that troubles me repeatedly.

An example of this is to be found in the cars wheels and brakes. My car currently has both wheels and brakes, indeed I actually have two sets of wheels - an early manifestation of this problem, I admit.

What could I want to change? It turns out, quite a lot - and each decision has an ever ramifying set of consequences and dependencies, until the initial thought ('PCCB's look like an interesting option, I bet they'd save a load of weight") has turned into a spreadsheet detailing new uprights, adapter brackets, new calipers, spacers, new wheels, new tyres, rolling the arches, do I need to book it into the paint shop again afterwards, etc etc. To save a few kilo's I now appear to have committed myself to spending over ten thousand pounds, and both scouring the worlds classifieds sites and commissioning much refurbishment of second hand parts to hold it to that ten thousand - blowing past twenty thousand is quite possible if going for new parts and paid-labour, which is, by every definition, insane.

And for what? It strikes me that the best route to what I wish to achieve would be to swap the 18's that the car currently sits on to the 17's that I have in my garage. In other words to go back to what the car came into my possession with, a redo-from-start that would see the car on the lightest wheels that Porsche produced for the 996, with all the dynamic benefits that that brings - less to accelerate, less to turn, less to stop. I could then really push the boat out and get some two-piece floating rotors to drop some more unsprung weight, and hopefully gain a degree of fluidity and adjustability that the move to larger rubber removed.

What I need to do is add simplicity - what I want to do is add complexity.

I think that there's also a degree of small-boy pointing at planes here, which I hope I'm self-aware enough to deal with - I admit I'd enjoy someone saying 'look at this plonker, he's got a boggo 996 but he's painted his calipers yellow, who does he think he is! Oh, wait a moment, actually those are ceramics. Oh."

Which would be a momentary (and likely totally imaginary) feeling of having achieved something nebulous (and possibly shameful) but in any case 100% pointless, for a very great deal of money.

So what does this teach me? That every decision has to be scrutinized, and that I will lie to myself about my own motives with great facility, frequency and enthusiasm. That simplicity is often the best answer, but the hardest for me to accept.

I suspect that some reading this may (by this point, and possibly for some time now) be shaking their heads in disbelief whilst muttering 'what about the engine then?!", and I'd answer that what we're doing there IS the simplest way to hit our goals - that the sauronic howl and comedic power we seek has to be supported by a degree of complexity, but even there we have tried to steer a simple path - we'll strive to use flat tappets rather than domed ones until the point (if it ever comes) that the choice essentially makes itself. Complexity is not in of itself bad, but it must be justified, that unnecessary complexity is the enemy, and must be shown no mercy.

And I now have a use for the wheels in the garage.
 
You know what all this is...........996 love & ownership. Seriously addictive with no boundaries. I like to think I've been thrifty with my ownership and after looking at my sums the other day, I've spent more on it than I paid for it. Both your & Mistercorn's running ownership threads are prime example.

These things are like ALL drugs rolled into one. Beyond addictive, money draining, headaches, but loads of enjoyment and worth every single penny. :thumbs:

Nice post BTW. :thumb:
 
DynoMike said:
Have only just seen this, Neil, what a lovely piece of writing. I must admit that this is probably the only time in my life that I have been called 'the voice of sanity', - must be getting old. :D

Collectively, this forum has a great bunch of people on board, pushing boundaries and asking 'why not' rather than 'why'? We will see where the project ends up, but whatever the results are one thing will be certain, nothing would have happened at all without this wonderful platform allowing people like you and Martin to ask 'why not'. Long may it continue.

As for the humble, much maligned 996, it really is becoming a hot rod platform within the 911 world, let's hope Project Ridiculous does it proud.

Another excellent post Mike! :worship:
 
Cheers Alex.

This forum really is the forum for 911s, not to mention other flavours of pork. Some really good characters on here too, along with a fairly laid back vibe.

:cheers:
 
I'll drink to that :viking:
 
DynoMike said:
Cheers Alex.

This forum really is the forum for 911s, not to mention other flavours of pork. Some really good characters on here too, along with a fairly laid back vibe.

:cheers:

No animosity .. no bitching .. just helpfull advise .. far better than another forum i could mention !

i will also add .. the knowledge and experience of the people here puts me to shame many a time .. and i do this stuff every day !
 
Loved that write up on the previous page Neil. We've never met but have been following your posts and journey, with the car and with yourself, with interest and admiration.

Keep it going. Please. Will Girodiscs fit? No idea. But looking forward to you finding out.

That you've hooked up with Mike is also a joy. His expertise has needed a suitable project to showcase his talents. And now we have two. And I've no doubt he's humbled by the attention. But he deserves it.

As do you the joy of topless drives to the south coast.

Cheers :thumbs:
 
Thanks for the kind words chaps.

Now - anyone interested in these wheels, in perfect condition, with PS4's all round?

36550944013_ee875c6119_h.jpg


I paid £800 for the rims, and a further £1,100 for the refurb and new tyres.

£1,000 takes them away (from SE23).
 
Thanks to your ever changing vision Neil, the rest of this forum benefit from some cracking bargains. :grin: :thumb:
 
Does anyone know if Recaro side-mounts will fit to the Porsche sliders, or do I need to get new ones? Seat going in is a Recaro SPG.
 
Thanks, bought those.

Seat - the current one works, it's got me in the right position, but...

The context to this car is that I'd like it to be as if I'd specified it in '97 for delivery in '98, but with a bit of a twist. Hence the X51-Evolution engine that we're building.

The Profi SPG is the same shell that was used in the 968-CS, the 993 RSR - and as the GT3 was a '99 production run, if the car was specified with a drivers bucket seat it couldn't be the cobra-headed Recaro that went into the GT3. It had to be the older, ribbed-shell Profischale.

And reading Marks thread where he talks about the difference that a proper bucket seat made to the driving experience I knew that I'd go this route sooner or later.

I'm going to get the shell painted to match the passenger seat, heating elements added, that crest sewn on, see what it's like.

Now, if someone could just buy my wheels so I can pay for the seat, that would be cracking.
 

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