Curious if anyone is running this ****:

http://suncoastparts.com/product/996ALCANTA.html

How is it holding up? I always assumed alcantara does not wear but from my recent research, it looks like it does.

Also if you are running this ****, does the alcantra color match the headliner that a black interior 996tt has? I seen this **** being labeled as charcoal color so I'm not sure if it will be a slightly different shade of black then a black headliner would be.

 

Been running one for close to a year now. Really happy with it. The alcantara does match the OEM on the roof. Alcantara appears slightly lighter when it is exposed to light so since the shifter will normally have more light on it while the roof is almost always in the shade it seems darker but it is the same. Open your sunroof in the daylight and look at the sunroof edge of the alcantara while standing outside the car and it will be more grey than black. I have some pics from before I installed the shifter with it up against the roof, it is the same. I can try to find them if you'd like to see them.

I also bought a spare steering wheel (put my original wheel and turbo shifter away) and had the wheel custom made with the same alcantara, red stitching, and slightly more padding. Love it as well.

I always pay attention to make sure my hands are clean before going for a drive. It's well worth the effort to me though, both pieces feel amazing in the hand and it really does give a nice grip.

 

Hey gophaster, thanks for the response. If you say that this alcantara is the same exact color as the black headliner in the 996tt, then I obviously take your word for it. If you have the pics handy feel free to share them but I'll end up getting this shifter based on what you said.

Where did you do your steering wheel? How much if you don't mind sharing that info. I have red seat belts in my car and plan on doing the steering wheel and center armrest with red stitching like the shifter. I'll skip the extra padding though.

 

I had the steering wheel done at dallas custom, price was somewhere around 500 since I added the padding and the red stripe. Their work compared to the OEM GT3 shifter is as good if not better (crazy, but true) both are excellent quality pieces of course. If you were local I'd let you have a look at both parts so you could see for yourself.

Anyway, I was also concerned that the Alcantara would not match, especially since I was also planning to do the steering wheel. I took a bunch of pictures before installing the shifter because I found that when comparing Alcantara material, unless placed right next to the sample you are comparing to is pretty much pointless. This material seems to change it's appearance depending on the lighting. At the end of the day the shifter/steering wheel will pretty much always look lighter than the roof because the roof is almost always in the shadow or at least always in a different light than the other parts. I found the match to be perfect but I will let you make the decision

Here you go:

Here is the shifter in the light:











And as if magically transformed in the shade!! :











Just for kicks, I also took some pics as compared to my Cayenne Turbo roof and pillars (oem). I originally thought it might also be the same as 996TT but as you can see. It's not.

 

Thanks for posting those pics. Definitely makes my decision much easier. Car looks great!

 

I have the OEM GT3RS shifter. I've had it for a couple of years now. It's still holding up nicely. Alcantara is fairly easy to clean - just mild soap and water. If it dries a little shinny, just a light brush with sandpaper and it's as good as new.

 

Yeah. I was surprised how many people actually dislike and complain about alcantara not wearing well. I had it in my CTS-V and help up fine. Just washed it with some Dawn Soap with water and microfiber cloth. Always came out looking like new after it dried.

Does anyone have recommendations where I should get the steering wheel wrapped? I know DCTM offers it on this forum, any other vendors?