Hey all,

Just got my first 911 - a 6M '04 C4S in White

I came from the dark side (Corvette C5) because I wanted, well a 911. I live in Manhattan and bought it because I wanted a good Grand Touring car (I leave the city frequently on the weekends, 200-600 mile trips are the norm).

Any advice anyone has on turning this into a car made for the long haul (the Mrs. often joins, and she finds the ride and road noise a bit harsher than she would like) would be MUCH appreciated.

Honestly at 70MPH it's interior noise is louder than the Vette which is surprising, but after taking 1 corner I would never go back.

I have P-Zero's on the car, new brakes, 60k miles, and the suspension, clutch, and trans all checked out by a Porsche specialist.

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

Cheers,
Logan

 

Welcome congrats on the 4s. I wish I found a white 4s when I was shopping.

Pics please.

Loud. as in tire noise? If I remember, there were complaints about p zero's being loud tires.

I have a 4s, and consider my cabin quiet and I run 19's and lowered. I'm guessing its tire choice.

 

Several things, first, I don't believe IMO you can turn this car into a "Grande Touring" vehicle. But there are several things you could do to make it less harsh as you put it. Get softer suspension, this will of course reduce handling, change out the P Zeros, get new seats, have it aligned to a "neutral" toe in the rear.
Remember this car's blood is racing not touring, Porsche tried that with the 928, and now the Panamera.
I also have a C4S and don't really find it all that loud when driving on the highway, but I drive a F150 as a DD.

 

Thanks Trisgale,

Digging your 03, it's very clean, and attached is a pic of my 04.

I am hoping it's the tires, there is a distinct whirring sound coming from the rear at speed but that may just be tire wear? I will search around for the best quiet alternative.

Also when I say Grand Tourer I just mean, I will be driving this car a lot. I know I bought a "race" car and don't intend to ruin that, just looking to make it a tick more on the long distance side of the road than the high-performance side.

Looking to build a Caterham soon for that kind of thing.

Thanks all,

 

Congrats on the purchase! You'll love the C4S. My wife and I take our C4S on long trips too, and I find it quite comfortable on the highway. That being said, I agree with the others' comments on the Pirellis. They are loud. I prefer Michelins. I find that they improve noise and ride quality. A 996 will never be quiet at highway speed, but the noise level can be lowered.

 

For long trips IMHO, lumbar support is a must if you don't already have that option on your car. 997 ssk can do wonders too to make rowing more enjoyable.

 

You could Dynamat the doors, floors and rear hatch area as well. Not sure if I've seen it done but possibly the inside of the wheel well liners. If your door seals are dry you could replace them. You could fit a smaller diameter wheel with higher profile tires too. Be sure to maintain the same overall diameter.

Cars looks great though!

 

Cheers thanks guys - Going to get some new rubber fitted and look into the short shift kit (honestly I was surprised how sloppy the 996 shifted vs the C5 but mine could just be getting old as well.)

Unfortunately I don't have the full electronic seats, they could use a refresh though I may go on the hunt...

 

Save yourself some $ for other mods and get an aftermarket inflatable lumbar system or just roll up a small towel to your liking and stuff it behind the back cushion. It liternally pulls out. 2 min process.

Link to lumbar system and process:
https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...at-advice.html

 

Nice call on the lumbar suggestion. IF you do go with sound deadener (Dynamat), the seats and carpet will need to come out to do it right. While it is apart, think about running wiring or doing anything else you might have in mind. Since my 996 is a car I plan on keeping forever, I do plan on sound deadening it in a couple years.

 

I have an 04 C4S. I also had a whirring sound coming from the back and it was $100 belt tensioner bearing on the tension wheel. easy replace and fix at the shop. you can tell if this is the problem as the whir increases in pitch under acceleration

 

Thanks Dad2n2,

Great suggestion but the sound is linked more to speed than engine revs (aka 70mph throw it into neutral and coast, and it's still there).

Thanks for the suggestion though

 

the most likely the radial in the tire is my guess... other then that it would be a wheel bearing but i'd be surprised... how many miles?

 

66k with Pirelli P-zero's that have a lot of tread left in them

 

dynamat will do wonders, but when you think about it its expensive for what it realy is (tar and foil) LOL my buddy has 70+ sw feet of that stuff in his Z06 and as loud as the camed, supercharged 900whp beast is, its pretty quiet inside. he did remove all his carpet and door pannes and seats and put down 3 layers of the stuff and then put the carpet back in.