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MaxA's ''Mr White'' long termer

MaxA

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11 Oct 2015
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2,697
I've learned from previous experience on other forums (fora?) that it is a good idea to keep a project thread, for sharing and in order to document the ideas, pitfalls and progress. So here goes.

We moved to Dubai last summer. It was too good an opportunity to pass up, so I set a budget, did my research, and bought a 2010 997.2 Carrera 4S in white. If you've been here in the summer, you'll understand why it had to be white or silver. It had just 25,000km on the clock and the right spec (PSE, sports seats, sports chrono pack, PASM...). It came from the local OPC with a full warranty, which made it easier to finance and insure. (I doubt that I'll stay with the OPC, as there is a very good independent called ARM about 3 minutes from my office, and because they can offer extended warranties on a modified car.)

I was looking for an S, in the right colour and the right spec, with a manual gearbox, but manuals are hard to come by – it seems the only manuals in the market have "GT" in the name. Right...

And now that I've lived here a bit, and I've been using the car in Dubai traffic, I think I would have gone mad in a manual. This is, by the way, the first automatic that I've ever owned and I'm nearly 50. I've always swapped my own cogs...

The specification – for those who are interested - included ocean blue leather interior, PDK, PSE, sports seats, the sport chrono pack, and Carrera Sports wheels in titanium with 8.5" wide fronts and 11.5" wide rears (apparently this was an option?) and Pirelli P Zero N2 tyres.

Having read that the 997 was pretty quiet, I was looking into the centre exhaust mod from Sharkwerks. Sharky was responsive and friendly, but before I pulled the trigger, I needed to take delivery (you need local ID and a driving license to register the car...). In the meantime I've found the PSE is pretty good with flaps set for takeoff, and my 3.8 definitely sounds louder than my friend's stock 997.1 3.6 Turbo under load. We think that a stealth mod may have been done somewhere.

I don't have big plans to modify the car, as it is my daily driver, but I can't resist a bit of tweaking. First of all, I wanted to fill out the arches, so I bought a set of 7mm front spacers and 12mm rears (as I have the slightly wider rear rims). To cut a long story short, the 7mm spacers don't fit on the hubs with these wheels. There isn't sufficient flange to hang the wheel and there was awful wheel wobble around 95-100kmh. I refitted them twice and even took them up to a local motorsport firm (they run three different sets of race cars at the Autodrome) and they concurred: the car wasn't safe to drive. Instead, they test fitted the 12mm spacers intended for the rears, and they've stayed on: they look great and the car's front end feels more planted to me. I ordered another set of 12mms for the rear end. They do help fill out the wide body arches...

The other issue was the original steering wheel. It was a bit shiny (maybe the wrong cleaning product?), and it had the push/pull buttons. I couldn't get on with them (they're not intuitive at all) and I now have the later Porsche Tequipment Sports steering wheel with the hollow metal spokes, nice long metal paddles, in the matching ocean blue leather. And I love it, it really allows me to get the best out of the PDK and it's 35 millisecond gear changes – the lack of torque interruption is really impressive. I still need to unlearn the old behaviour that I can't change gear in the corner.

So there we are. This is Mr White*

*Sorry, it's a nod to the café scene in Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs.
:grin:
 
And my name isn't Max, the username comes from a retired Finnish bloke called Marcus Gronholm, who used to mark the full power/special stage button in his rally cars MaxA for "Maximum Attack".

(Although I'm British, I'm married to a Finn, and I have lived in Finland for 15 years or so, and I'm a fan of Nokian Hakkapeliitta winter tyres).
 
Welcome. Just to warn you, someone will be along soon to say;

:useless:
 
Welcome, but..... :useless:
 
QiO3l6.jpg
 
Max that looks lovely mate. :thumb: :grin:
 
Congrats. You have exactly the same spec car as me. PSE, Chrono Plus, Sports Seats, PDK 4S.
You are obviously a discerning man of class and style :grin:

Let's see some pictures please :thumbs:
 
Looks great Max. Look forward to hearing about your ownership. I have the Hayward and Scott center bypass which is a copy of the sharkwerks design. The car now sounds like it should and works very well with the pse so can easily turn it off for work and on for fun!
 
I like the Carrera Sport wheels. The 305 rears just look a bit more purposeful.
 
Thanks chaps. I've got loads of pictures but resizing them all to <500 from 2MB is pain in the neck - what can't this forum do it automatically?:dont know:

As to future plans, I need new vinyl shark fins for the rear arches as it looks like a big old dog has had a waz on each side of the car... any ideas where to get them? :?:

And I'm still minded to remove the door cars and get the carpet bit re-trimmed in sea blue leather (as per my earlier discussion with Phil).

In the meantime, I'm trying to register at the next Driving Experience with the Porsche Club UAE. We'll be at the full 5.44km GP track at Yas Marina. :thumbs:
 
Regarding the stoneguards, I would probably just go to an OPC and buy genuine items. I don't think the price difference is that great and you will know they work.
The other option I'm considering is leaving mine until I have a clear bra fitted to the front apron and bonnet, and having the whole rear arch done also...
 
Thanks, I'm thinking the same as they do look a bit crap frankly. And they may interfere with some future plans.
 
my 9972 at home
 

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9972 C4S with 12mm TPI hubcentric spacers all round; by my calculations I now have 8.5x19 ET43 F and 11.5x19 ET38 R
 

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