Hey all, I'm not looking for a DIY as I have already found a few, but more specifically I'm looking for input from people who have installed coilovers themselves. I have minimal experience when it comes to fixing cars, yet have done many DIY things before such as: installed exahust, cats, rip out my interior, replace steering wheel, pull off bumpers, brake handle replacements, shift ****, and fix/replace other small items. As long as I have a DIY write up and the proper tools, I feel comfortable doing things to my car. This however is a bigger job, and a bit more intimidating obviously..... Do you guys think I'll be okay? My car is a 99 C2 and I will be installing a set of OEM GT3 coilovers. While I'm in there, I will also be installing H&R sways, and new adjustable drop links. Is this a lot of work?

The reason I'm considering DIY is because I called a local shop to get an estimate, and they quoted me 10 hours of labor!!!!! So $1000 for the install, and another $400 for an alignment and corner balance. I've seen numbers as low as 3-4 hours for the install, so I'm wondering why I was quoted 10 hours? This is a Porsche shop that is also involved in racing and whatnot, so they definitely know what they are doing...... Do the sway bars add that much time? the same shop also quoted me $300 to install my new IPD Plenum!!!! I'll definitely be doing that myself. Anyways, perhaps I should look around for a cheaper price? What do you guys think?

 

crazy pricing!!!!

 

Okay, thanks for re-affirming my original thoughts........ I feel like I got quoted more than a dealership would charge (if they did aftermarket installs). Keep in mind that I live in a part of Miami where there are Porsches EVERYWHERE, and there are plenty of other Porsche/German car indy's in the area. If I was in the boonies then maybe the price would be justified out of necessity, but I'm not! Perhaps I need to shop around........

 

plenum-1hour
coilovers+swas 6hours top.
DIY and get aligment after and you wil be fine

 

DIY - I have done plenty of suspension installs and they are no big deal. Take your time, but its only nuts and bolts. Once you do it, you'll feel great about spending $400 for the alignment and balance. Plus, a good shop can double check your work.

 

I did the install of my PSS10's on my C4 myself. Then had an alignment for a cost of $200. This did not include a corner balance. You need to drive the car a bit for the system to settle in. Not really worth doing a corner balance until you have some miles on the system as the balance will change. In the case of my car the alignment was not too bad when I was done with the install so I drove it a few miles before the alignment. But it has definitely settled quite a bit since then. Probably should do another alignment. As I don't track the car not sure a corner balance is really necessary.

 

Thanks for the replies everyone. If it's just nuts and bolts then I'm good to go. I supposed the only extra costs I'll incur are for the jack stands and better tools, which are totally optional btw, but since I'll be working on my car more often from here on out it makes sense to invest in these items..... And thanks for the corner balancing/alignment tips (Dharn55). You're right about giving the suspension time to settle. Also I will be putting the car on a weight loss diet after I get all of my goodies installed, so it makes sense to do all of that before I get an alignment and corner balance. Luckily I work from home, and have everything I need within 2 miles of my house, so I don't have to rush anything...... It's probably be a good month or two down the road before I complete everything.

I'll keep everyone posted with pics once I start throwing the parts on. Thanks again for the advice. Now I can use the money I save for more mods hehe

 

I did.

Cheers
Aaron

 

You can deff do it yourself if you are at all mechanically inclined.

The front sway bar is kinda of a pain because there is a cross brace that you have to take completely off to get it in place. But it is not too bad.

Having an air wrench and compressor sure makes life easier.