C4 colour change - build thread

[MaxA]

This is such a nice project, and I am blown away by the new interior, which really makes the exterior pop!

I really like the pepita inserts in the sports seats, I had something similar in mind (albeit in white, blue & black) for my car on a 'one-day-maybe' basis.

In the meantime, I'm over here sticker tuning and wondering if I should invest in some touch-up paint to hide all the stone chips.

 

[plavix]

This is such a nice project, and I am blown away by the new interior, which really makes the exterior pop!

I really like the pepita inserts in the sports seats, I had something similar in mind (albeit in white, blue & black) for my car on a 'one-day-maybe' basis.

In the meantime, I'm over here sticker tuning and wondering if I should invest in some touch-up paint to hide all the stone chips.

Thank you Max. If you do decide to scratch that itch, I would recommend getting in touch with Oxilla in Italy. They manufactured my leather and braided fabric weave for the seat centres and door cards.

 

[plavix]

Some gratuitous pictures.

Why does my snow foam never look like that:

That annoying dip in the bonnet finally adjusted. Well, I had the whole front-end trim out for the Front End Controller so I had no excuses:

Washed and dried:

Ready to go:

Arrived in Mojacar via Bordeaux; N-230 to Vielha; C-28 & C-13 to Sort, N-260 & N-145 to Andorra; OPC Andorra la Vella for coolant where the parts manager was a very nice man; CG-2 & N-22 & N-154 & N-152 to Queixans; N-260 to Ripoll; C-17 to Barcelona; A-7 to Valencia; detour to Acoleja and Benasau via Partida la Retura:

The local roads are a pleasure to drive; the coastal mountain road from Mojacar to Carboneras is especially pleasurably challenging with a couple of hairpins, dozens of short sharp bends and a number of long corners.

The drive from Andorra was my top ten hits all in one go; mountain descents with hairpins; long fast corners; more than an hour of fast narrow roads with really quite challenging driving along the N-260, including the odd blind crest into a hairpin. It was all followed up by dozens of tunnels. Heaven.

The roads through the Pyrenees were amazing, however, my highlight has to be the N-260 from Queixans to Ripoll. Coming into Ripoll, I had convinced myself the road was designed, and built, by an insane genius who was committed to an asylum immediately upon completion. It felt it never let up for more than a second until you were committed into another corner, tight bend or hairpin. Very little of the road was linear with ascents and descents added where least expected, plus those blind crests into hairpins with really rather narrow road for added measure. That, coupled to the fact there were very few visual cues as to the nature of the road ahead; I did find myself glancing at the navigation map for at least a bit of a clue. My new game became being able to corner at 50% above the suggested 'speed' when there were signs.

Also, I have quite a few pictures of my car, as you can tell, however, there are many more people who have far more pictures of my car on its journey as it has attracted quite a lot of very positive attention.

 

[plavix]

A screw in the rear tyre. Again. Frightened the life out of me on the bend out of Mojacar; probably scared the people coming in the opposite direction far more to be fair . Juan Sanchez sorted it right out, although he was busy with something a bit bigger than a 911 when I arrived. Top bloke, and a deserved five star review left on Google.

 

[Neven]

@plavix your build and this thread is so inspiring. Very very nice job.

That annoying dip in the bonnet finally adjusted. Well, I had the whole front-end trim out for the Front End Controller so I had no excuses:

How did you get the dip in the bonnet sorted? My car has the same and it's playing with my OCD.

 

[jonno_]

Can't you just turn the rubber bonnet stops a turn or 2 so the bonnet panel sits higher?

 

[Harryblue]

I agree the rear centre console in body colour with the painted seats backs, beige leather with weaved centres and doors cards give the interior a real lift. Singer like. When I did similar with exterior it literally feels like you're driving around in a new car. Miss minty seeing this thread. Devastated they're so anti RHD in UAE.

You can bring a RHD to the UAE, you can't register it with the RTA permanently but you can being it temporarily on a Carnet de Passage for six months and then you do visa runs over to Oman to renew it every six months, it stays on a UK plate, I might bring my 930 over this winter and do exactly that.
So far it seems to work ok and I know people who have had them here 18 months.

 

[plavix]

@plavix your build and this thread is so inspiring. Very very nice job.

That's very kind. Thank you.

How did you get the dip in the bonnet sorted? My car has the same and it's playing with my OCD.

Honestly. it's actually pretty easy. If you pull the liner back, inside the boot at the front where you expect the latch to be. The latch is attached via two bolts. Loosen them and wiggle to a more appropriate place; mine needed to go up and to the left as I was facing the car. I might shift it back to the right a bit, but the elevation is almost spot on.

Can't you just turn the rubber bonnet stops a turn or 2 so the bonnet panel sits higher?

That will just make the dip in the centre more pronounced.

 

[IMI A]

You can bring a RHD to the UAE, you can't register it with the RTA permanently but you can being it temporarily on a Carnet de Passage for six months and then you do visa runs over to Oman to renew it every six months, it stays on a UK plate, I might bring my 930 over this winter and do exactly that.
So far it seems to work ok and I know people who have had them here 18 months.

Interesting. RTA told me Insurance difficult and I can only use a RHD classic car meets etc? TBH the driving so diabolical out here I am glad I didn’t bother. There’s not been a single journey where I’ve not muttered see you next tuesday quietly to myself. If I had a gun out here I think I’d possibly use it the driving is so very tragic. No chance I’d have a nice car out here I’d be too scared to press on and use it as Porsche intended. Don’t fancy a Tesla up my chuff 10cms away from my rear bumper which I saw happening to another driver today on the E44 at 120 clicks. Also I’m on a long term visa out here so how would I do 6 month visa runs?

 

[Harryblue]

Interesting. RTA told me Insurance difficult and I can only use a RHD classic car meets etc? TBH the driving so diabolical out here I am glad I didn’t bother. There’s not been a single journey where I’ve not muttered see you next tuesday quietly to myself. If I had a gun out here I think I’d possibly use it the driving is so very tragic. No chance I’d have a nice car out here I’d be too scared to press on and use it as Porsche intended. Don’t fancy a Tesla up my chuff 10cms away from my rear bumper which I saw happening to another driver today on the E44 at 120 clicks. Also I’m on a long term visa out here so how would I do 6 month visa runs?

I’ve had a couple of 911s out here over the years, plus many motorcycles and you just keep your wits about you.
I’ve been here for just over 10yrs. The driving is shocking at times and getting worse but I guess you just get used to it.

When I say ‘visa run’ it’s the car that needs the stamp, you just enter/exit like you’re going on holiday. I know a guy that has created a package that gets your car door to door, with the Carnet de Passage, Insurance and everything. The RTA aren’t involved at all and the desk staff are unlikely to know anything about the process because it’s not common.
Its like those guys that take their cars over to London every year, you see them driving around on Saudi or UAE plates, it’s the same but just in reverse to bring your UK car here.

RHD is only allowed on cars over 30yrs old that you register as a classic snd you’re restricted to 10,000kms a year.
Unless you do the Carnet de Passage I’ve described above.

Drop me a message and I’ll share my number if you want any information.

 

[plavix]

Interesting. RTA told me Insurance difficult and I can only use a RHD classic car meets etc? TBH the driving so diabolical out here I am glad I didn’t bother. There’s not been a single journey where I’ve not muttered see you next tuesday quietly to myself. If I had a gun out here I think I’d possibly use it the driving is so very tragic. No chance I’d have a nice car out here I’d be too scared to press on and use it as Porsche intended. Don’t fancy a Tesla up my chuff 10cms away from my rear bumper which I saw happening to another driver today on the E44 at 120 clicks. Also I’m on a long term visa out here so how would I do 6 month visa runs?

Go to Salalah, It's really pretty. I spent my teens there. UAE is on my same list as USA, Saudi Arabia, North Korea etc.

 

[MaxA]

I’ve had a couple of 911s out here over the years, plus many motorcycles and you just keep your wits about you.
I’ve been here for just over 10yrs. The driving is shocking at times and getting worse but I guess you just get used to it.

We only lived in Dubai for a couple of years, but it's easy enough to get used to the driving if you bear in mind that each driver brings his or her own driving style with them - you can spot the local, the rich local, the rich local's wife, the rich Indian, the Pakistani, the Careem/uber driver, the poor trembling ex-pat etc. a mile off and it's the interplay between the styles that makes it awkward.

We found it best to run the cars with PSE or whatever set to 'loud' (like a motorcycle); eyes might be closed, but ears still tend to work. We never had an incident, even if we might have collected a couple of tickets...

 

[Neven]

Honestly. it's actually pretty easy. If you pull the liner back, inside the boot at the front where you expect the latch to be. The latch is attached via two bolts. Loosen them and wiggle to a more appropriate place; mine needed to go up and to the left as I was facing the car. I might shift it back to the right a bit, but the elevation is almost spot on.

That will just make the dip in the centre more pronounced.

@jonno_ I tried adjusting the rubber stops and it does improve things to a small extent, but I found you can only do that so much before the latch won't latch anymore.

@plavix I'm going to have a play with the latch using the method you outlined above and will report back if that works.

 

[IMI A]

Thanks for the kind offer Harry. Driving out here really not for me I’ll struggle to ever get used to the horrific road manners. I’m envious of Plavix’s European road trip. The positivity towards his 997 design is something I’ve experienced with Minty in UK. Lovely and looking forward to seeing more updates and pics his 997 looks a million dollars

 

[plavix]

You asked!

On top of the Sierra Cabrera. The descent was mostly terrifying as the edge is delineated by small black and white metal signs, not a barrier.

In all seriousness Imran, if you have a long weekend coming up I would highly recommend a trip to Oman. It's much nicer than UAE, Omanis are delightful. They may sadly also have a tendency to tailgate at 120kph, but only sometimes in Muscat.

If you can get to drive something capable of taking mountain hairpins, you especially have to visit Nizwa and Jabal Al Akhdar. Visit the hotel from the 2017 Top Gear episode, the Anantara Jabal Al Akhdar; I was there in 2021 as a short detour on the way to Salalah. Lunch for six was suitably eye wateringly expensive.

Having said that, it may make you feel even more sad if it's not Minty