Shalmaneser
Montreal
- Joined
- 11 Nov 2019
- Messages
- 537
Hi all,
Bored before NYE really kicks off so thought I might do a thread on my recently purchased (Oct '19) 996! I've found this forum to be a great help and hopefully people can learn something from my ownership experience.
Quick car history: I've had a 205 GTI to which I fitted a 2.0 16V engine, 309 running gear, 306 brakes:
Kept for about 7 years but once this got too noisy and uncomfortable I switched to a BMW E36 M3 Evo, which was a great car. Fitted Bilstein suspension, quick steering rack, rebuilt the whole back end, kept for about 5 years before I got the itch to change:
Then bought a e46 M3 which I didn't like as much as the e36. Fitted Bilstein suspension, Porsche brakes, short shift. Definitely better in almost every metric, but just not as raw and fun - and I couldn't get on with the e-throttle!
Cheeky plug - this is currently for sale on Collecting Cars:https://collectingcars.com/for-sale/2002-bmw-e46-m3/
I'd been in the market for a early 3.4 996 manual 2WD coupe for some time (isn't everyone) when this beauty popped up relatively close... While only 59K miles it definitely needs some work to make it 100% - clearly the previous owner was a service it once a year type and so parts that degrade over time haven't been fixed, so the gear shift was sloppy, squeaks from the suspension, mismatched tyres, but the engine sounded and felt strong and the bodywork and underside is in really excellent condition without a spot of rust anywhere! I can happily fix mechanical bits but I hate doing bodywork, no fun in fixing that (for me at least!) - I'm fairly convinced it's been garaged all it's life there's so little rust on it.
How it looked during the viewing:
And returning home after the purchase (yes that is a big grin):
Spec was almost perfect for me: No sunroof, grey leather sports seats, and 10-speaker (ie. not fibre-optic) stereo and not much else. Only really missing a lsd but I have plans for that...
As a compulsive tinkerer I got stuck straight in with a shortshift (crucial cup of tea in shot):
Fixing the leaking water pump (went for Meyle having had very good experiences with the brand in my BMW's). Fitted 964RS engine mounts at the same time, which made a big difference:
Also fitted a new Sony head unit with bluetooth which I've been really impressed with. Connects to my phone without me touching it and means I can run Spotify very easily without having to even glance at my phone. And I love the dashboard without any massive LCD/LED screens on it. Plus a good bit lighter than the heavy old tape lump in their as standard.
As an xmas treat to myself got some 18" wheels - currently running 997 tyre sizes, will change the rears to the correct 265/36 R18's, but probably keep the front 235's as they're N rated michelins in good order. I'm normally a fan of smaller wheels (I loved the 18's on my e46 M3) But I really think the 996 needs the bigger wheels to fill the arches:
There is no rubbing on the 997 spec 285/40 18's but I'm keen to get them changed. Could do with a 5mm or 10mm spacer on the front too.
As another cheeky xmas present got some second hand dansk boxes with a cracked flexi which I got welded up for very cheap. This proved rather louder than anticipated but I've grown to really like them. Quiet on the motorway at 80 and a good few KGs lighter than the standard boxes too!
Also got round to adjusting the throttle cable to take up the huge amounts of slack and allow me to open the throttle above 70%. I diagnosed this through one of those bluetooth OBD-II readers which allows you to view engine sensor readings through your phone, a highly recommended bit of kit and only cost a few quid.
And went for some pointless drives:
Future plans involve improving the abysmal headlights, fitting some new coffin arms and rod ends, and rebuilding and swapping in a gearbox which has a bit of a whine above 50mph or so - something I missed on the test drive! Still a great opportunity to fit an LSD and tackle an increasingly well known 996 weak point.
Also going to remove the rear wiper and CD changer - these will be carefully stored away with the tape deck for the next owner.
I'll also change the springs and dampers eventually but they feel pretty good given they've only got 60K on them. Then just drive it loads and loads!
Bored before NYE really kicks off so thought I might do a thread on my recently purchased (Oct '19) 996! I've found this forum to be a great help and hopefully people can learn something from my ownership experience.
Quick car history: I've had a 205 GTI to which I fitted a 2.0 16V engine, 309 running gear, 306 brakes:
Kept for about 7 years but once this got too noisy and uncomfortable I switched to a BMW E36 M3 Evo, which was a great car. Fitted Bilstein suspension, quick steering rack, rebuilt the whole back end, kept for about 5 years before I got the itch to change:
Then bought a e46 M3 which I didn't like as much as the e36. Fitted Bilstein suspension, Porsche brakes, short shift. Definitely better in almost every metric, but just not as raw and fun - and I couldn't get on with the e-throttle!
Cheeky plug - this is currently for sale on Collecting Cars:https://collectingcars.com/for-sale/2002-bmw-e46-m3/
I'd been in the market for a early 3.4 996 manual 2WD coupe for some time (isn't everyone) when this beauty popped up relatively close... While only 59K miles it definitely needs some work to make it 100% - clearly the previous owner was a service it once a year type and so parts that degrade over time haven't been fixed, so the gear shift was sloppy, squeaks from the suspension, mismatched tyres, but the engine sounded and felt strong and the bodywork and underside is in really excellent condition without a spot of rust anywhere! I can happily fix mechanical bits but I hate doing bodywork, no fun in fixing that (for me at least!) - I'm fairly convinced it's been garaged all it's life there's so little rust on it.
How it looked during the viewing:
And returning home after the purchase (yes that is a big grin):
Spec was almost perfect for me: No sunroof, grey leather sports seats, and 10-speaker (ie. not fibre-optic) stereo and not much else. Only really missing a lsd but I have plans for that...
As a compulsive tinkerer I got stuck straight in with a shortshift (crucial cup of tea in shot):
Fixing the leaking water pump (went for Meyle having had very good experiences with the brand in my BMW's). Fitted 964RS engine mounts at the same time, which made a big difference:
Also fitted a new Sony head unit with bluetooth which I've been really impressed with. Connects to my phone without me touching it and means I can run Spotify very easily without having to even glance at my phone. And I love the dashboard without any massive LCD/LED screens on it. Plus a good bit lighter than the heavy old tape lump in their as standard.
As an xmas treat to myself got some 18" wheels - currently running 997 tyre sizes, will change the rears to the correct 265/36 R18's, but probably keep the front 235's as they're N rated michelins in good order. I'm normally a fan of smaller wheels (I loved the 18's on my e46 M3) But I really think the 996 needs the bigger wheels to fill the arches:
There is no rubbing on the 997 spec 285/40 18's but I'm keen to get them changed. Could do with a 5mm or 10mm spacer on the front too.
As another cheeky xmas present got some second hand dansk boxes with a cracked flexi which I got welded up for very cheap. This proved rather louder than anticipated but I've grown to really like them. Quiet on the motorway at 80 and a good few KGs lighter than the standard boxes too!
Also got round to adjusting the throttle cable to take up the huge amounts of slack and allow me to open the throttle above 70%. I diagnosed this through one of those bluetooth OBD-II readers which allows you to view engine sensor readings through your phone, a highly recommended bit of kit and only cost a few quid.
And went for some pointless drives:
Future plans involve improving the abysmal headlights, fitting some new coffin arms and rod ends, and rebuilding and swapping in a gearbox which has a bit of a whine above 50mph or so - something I missed on the test drive! Still a great opportunity to fit an LSD and tackle an increasingly well known 996 weak point.
Also going to remove the rear wiper and CD changer - these will be carefully stored away with the tape deck for the next owner.
I'll also change the springs and dampers eventually but they feel pretty good given they've only got 60K on them. Then just drive it loads and loads!