!! Two Year Ownership Update !!
Cant believe ive owned the C4S for two years already. There has been no 'itch' to switch* and i think this is a keeper! (having learned the lesson from selling the 996tt).
[*this may in part be due to the purchase of a 340i touring with the M power and suspension pack. A super car and brilliant partner to the 997!]
The observations i made at the start of this thread and throughout remain, so I wont repeat those. I can give a quick ranking of the mods ive made in order of difference they have made to my enjoyment of the car. This may be of interest to new owners working out what do do first:
1. BMC filter and resonator kit - number 1 mod for me, as it adds a lot of excitement and specialness
2. GT3 SSK - as in all Porsches ive owned, an essential addition to the experience adding a constant interface with quality
3. Tech-art springs - bought for looks but now enjoyed for the off-pasm cornering/handling as much as looks
4. Sprint Booster - easy sport-mode addition for my non-eom equipped car. Works well and transforms the driving mode
5. Dectane LEDs - the rears in particular look awesome day or night IMO
6. !!NEW!! Zunsport Grilles (pics below) - these enhance the front end nicely and have ticked enough of the box to halt my aero/lip spoiler yurnings
7. 7&15mm Spacers - these made a difference that was far higher than the cost of the mod would suggest. Ultimately, the car needed springs to make it look good IMO, but these were a great 1st step on that journey and essential now its lowered
Finally : (
GT3 RS rep wheels - i bought a set of perfect looking but mechanically junked wheels that have been a painful lesson learned (be warned!) . Ill be selling them individually for use as coffee tables, garden hose reels, etc with 50% proceeds going to charity (£100 each for anyone interested, pics of wheels on car below).
Running costs:
GT One look after the car for me, and, like the 987s and 996tt before it there have been numerous mid-life refreshment boxes ticked on what is now a 14 year old car:
- Full cooling system (pipes, pump replacement)
- Full suspension replacement (shocks, arms, joints, geo)
- Both window regulators replaced
- CV joint
- All coil packs & plugs replaced
- Clutch replaced
- All discs, pads, tyres replaced
Those costs have been less than the 996tt, more than thee 987s, and a little over what I expected. GT One also covered several of these in the pre-purchase prep (As before, I cant recommend those guys highly enough) I view this car as an emerging classic that I plan to keep, and as such am satisfied with slowly refreshing it to maintain its awesome performance and usability. That said, these costs are substantial - easily 4x those of the M3s ive owned. I'm fine with the ownership model of buying an older +£70k car with minimal depreciation but with the annual upkeep expense. Anyone looking to buy their first 997 reading this should understand the maintenance commitment that they will potentially experience and be happy with those costs.
Atlas Grey!
One of the real joys of this car has been the Atlas Grey paint, and the way it responds to polish and detailing. I looked at a Vesuvius 993 4S a long time ago (for £27k sob sob!!) and the colour in the sun reminds me of that. Its amazing how it subtly changes tone and ive tried to capture it in two lights below, with my black BMW behind for reference. A great colour, and it looks good dirty too! not what I can say of the Bmer.
Whats next?
The wheels continue to urk me a bit. I got burned buying used and the cost of new wheels is beyond what im prepared to pay. The Sport Designs have grown on me and so i think i will ask Chris at Excel wheels to refresh them with a silver ring and platinum main colour. I should have done that in the first place!
Final words two years in
A truly special car that looks timeless and continues deliver all the driver enjoyment i could possibly need. We used it all the time for family fun, i chuck my surfboard in it a blast to the coast, and it makes me smile every time I look at it. I continue to regard myself very lucky to own such a thing!