Hey folks,

Just bought a new 2008 997.1 C4S last month and I figured I might as well chronicle and lump in one thread all my various research comments, questions, and on-going upgrade debates in one thread rather than spread them all over.

My history - as a teenager I was lucky enough to have a nice used 944 (no one bought it for me, I literally slaved away in odd jobs to earn the money to buy it as a 6 year old used car). Loved that car but eventually after college and getting to a point where I could afford new cars, I went the BMW path and basically upgraded through a series of M3, 540, and M5 cars.

Switched over to p-cars after I made the fortunate "mistake" of taking a ride in a 911. Didn't even drive, just rode as a passenger in a friend's 911 and I was hooked. Few weeks later my M5 was gone and I was in a new 996 C4S. Only upgrade I did to that car was add a PSE - loved it for a few years until personal health issues had me go abroad and live outside the USA for awhile.

Debated between buying a new 2008 997.1 vs. 2009 997.2 but I figured since my last porsche was a 996 C4S at 320hp which I thought was great, then a 997.1 at 355hp with all the other upgrades since the 996 days would be a signifcant upgrade (to me). Someday I'll make the "mistake" of driving a TT and then I'll buy one but until then each new car is a nice upgrade up for me - kinda reminds me of that olympics phrase - stronger, faster, higher? Something like that. In any event, long as my butt-o-meter feels a stronger kick with each new p-car upgrade I figure I'll be happy.

Hopefully as I chronicle my impressions and upgrade projects the folks on this board can help me with questions and read through this stuff with a chuckle.

Should have taken my first pics right after I got it detailed but forgot - this is a few days after a normal hand wash. Options: NAV, SC, Bose, 5mm spacers, Turbo wheels, Sport seats w/ adaptive mem, Heated seats (like I'll ever use in SoCal)

 

I figure the only people on the planet that will understand why this makes total sense to me is the people on this board and similar auto forums. None of my friends, coworkers, etc. understands at all and just shake their hands, and dare I say - sometimes even mention the sanity or illogic of it.

I bought my car late March, and I'm breaking the car in exactly within the rules set by my owner's manual. In the SoCal area I currently live in, basically every local errand I need to run is barely 1-2 miles away, and I live within easy walking distance of work.

I know I should just bust out and drive more aggressively but I'm following The Book on this, so I am going stir crazy to hit the 2k break in point. Hence my crafty plan - the 20 mile Starbucks run, the 15 mile grocery trip to pickup one loaf of bread, the 30 mile trip to get gas because that corner Chevron is 5 cents/gallon cheaper.

My coworkers think I'm nuts driving 30 miles to get gas 5 cents cheaper. But this makes total sense to me - it puts me 30 miles closer to flooring my new beast

Seriously, I'm not nuts. I'm...a new porsche owner?

 

I defy the break in period and have done so with 8 Porsches. In my opinion the 2K mi recommendation is a control tactic exerted by the manufacturer to preserve its potential for warranty expense by requesting its owner to drive like miss Daisy .

My break in period is simple . Learn the car and allow it to learn you . Drive it pampered and cautious but an occasional sprint ought not be a forbidden fruit .

As for long drives . I understand . I drive "nowhere" . https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...e-nowhere.html

 

I figured since I had a 996 with PSE and loved the more aggressive sound than the stock that as a must have I'll eventually put some kind of sportier exhaust on.

But reading some threads here, I'm now thinking the first quick one will be a short shifter.

So first newbie upgrade question - is the OEM SSK which seems to go for sub-$400 at Suncoast a lot different "feel" when shifting or just shortens the throws and hence adds the value of making shifts quicker?

Reason why I ask is I love the slick feel and little "notch" clack / noise / sensation when I shift with my stock shifter. I think I'd probably appreciate the shorter shifts but I really like the feel of the stock one and soome people have posted here the OEM SSK sometimes has some issues sticking going into first? Anything else that comes as a trade off of getting it?

 

OEM SSK fits like a glove . It does compliment the exhaust/intake/software / suspension/wheels ... etc of modding the beast.

The feel is not so different but it is distinct and shorter .

Even the stock gearbox is phenominal but this adds a little icing on the cake --imo.

BTW --congrats .. enjoyed reading your chronicles .

 

I'm with you on driving nowhere. On a quiet weekend afternoon, I'll often go and use a whole tank of fuel just driving aroung my native Cheshire. There's so many wonderful roads - from sweeping 4-lane highways to twisty, challenging, English country 'B' roads. Plenty of places to use the car's performance to the full and to listen to that AWE singing along at WOT. It's just pure joy and what these cars are made for.

My girlfriend thinks I'm insane - but then she drives a Toyota Corolla - 'nuff said?!!

 

Ian,

Saw on your sig you went from a C4 to a C2 - what was your impressions when doing that switch? I myself had a 996 C4S and when making the buy decision on my 997.1, I debated between C4S vs. C2S.

Not like I'm ever going to see snow where I live (SoCal), or even much rain - I think it rains like 20-30 days out of the entire year here - but I kinda liked the AWD feel and eventually decided to just stay safer and go with the C4S.

To be honest, between all the reviews I've read, I think for some reason I have an irrational assumption that you can spin out with the rear sliding out on you with a C2 more than the AWD stick. That just not much an issue with the more modern 911s?

Since you've driven both wondering if enjoyed one more vs. the other or each has plus and minuses?

 

My experience of going from 996 C4 to 996 C2 was probably different to most as my 996C2 had no PSM - in other words no electronic nanny to get you out of trouble!

I quickly learned to respect that car, but to be honest it's limits were so high compared to my ability as a driver that I only ever had one or two slides in wet conditions. The car was also well capable of telling you that you were getting near its limits if you were listening!

Biggest differences between the two? The steering was more communicative on the C2 whilst C4 had noticeably more traction when, for example, pulling out of a junction left/right into traffic on a wet road.

My 996C2 had the suspension modified so actually handled better than my 997S does currently on its stock suspension. If you compare stock setups though, the 997S is very planted compared to a 3.6 996 C2 and there's so much traction that the absence of AWD is irrelevant most of the time. Yes you can still slide the tail if you provoke it deliberately in the wet (or dry if you're trying really hard) but there's no need to do this.

Do I ever miss the AWD? To be honest, never. The C2S is well enough sorted that for most day-to-day situations, the average driver won't gain any major benefit from the AWD. I guess in snow it would be very different but we never get any snow in my part of the UK any more!

 

your point is substantiated by an article in Excellence magazine where the author said that he felt Porsche's should be broken in the way they would be driven.

 

Damn, I'm going to have to find longer stretches of road. Other than nowhere drives, normal any other kind of drives in my Socal areas has enough lights in between that if I were to start break in like the way I would like to drive, by the time it came to shift I'd most likely already be coming up on a light to stop at.

Well I'm sold - I've got 700 painful miles on it, I'm driving from now on as my normal self. Not Miss Daisy but not road rocket either. I think I'm about a 6.5 to 7.0 on the 10 scale of max tac / max aggressiveness in pushing a car.

 

The Miss Daisy comment got to me, I admit it. It ate away at my pansy resolve to go By The Book on break in - so I said screw it and on my 20 mile drive to my 1 mile work commute I stayed in each gear till about a 6k shift point.

OMG! OMG! OMG! was roughly my reaction. I don't know how it is that just 35hp feels that much different than my prior 996 C4S @ 320hp, but it is a completely different car, sensation wise.

Butt-o-meter kick feels a LOT stronger, tighter cabin and overall ride feels better. I'm now leaving work to go "nowhere". The engine whine is pretty sweet too - I just wish I had my exhaust research down so I can put on something over stock.

Thinking right now maybe Fabspeed maxflo muffler and also their cold air intake as well. I'm not sure how a $235 new air hose gives 12hp more, but I watched their video and seems the sound was a little different as they claimed.

Anyone put on the Fabspeed CAI and actually hear and notice an hp boost?

 

To quote a guy who used to build our race engines for us "for break in drive carefully for 1/2 a lap then go for it". His engines never broke...

 

So I'm browing and googling everything, plus reading old posts here and I keep going from one setup to another to aniother. All because it seems as soon as I zero in on what I think I want, I read something that says that setup stinks or is no good for power, etc.

Example - I pretty much got myself all lathered up about getting the EVOMS flash, exhaust, and air intake. That combo seemed to have a decent claimed hp improvement, dyno graphs, etc. I was actually so ready to do it I was hoping to find a place today that was open but it seems both the EVO installers in OC and San Diego are closed on weekends.

Good thing I guess because I then read a few posts here on this board from what seems like credible people who say the EVOMS intake is just for sound and offers no hp improvement - especially of the kind I care about -the butt dyno not the graphs. Same for EVO flash.

So now I've scratched that setup and went on to AWE - figured I might get the AWE exhaust, flash, and headers (put a gun to my head and I'm not sure I know what headers do for a car but it seems that's another package kind that on the spec offers decent hp improvement and assuming I can listen to the exhaust live to confirm it's not too loud, I was set for that. But then I read on some googled posts people claiming AWE doesnt offer anything but a sound improvement.

So now I'm lost - I know for sure I want the sports exhaust, regardless of hp diff as on that I really am just after the sound improvement, and any hp gain, if any, is just gravy. I like the boost of my stock 997.1 just fine - should I just be going for an exhaust and forget about the headers and air intake? It seems no one can agree anywhere whether one name brand package actually gives butt-dyno felt improvement to hp and torque - least, none that I can read here or google and not find plenty of contention between various camps of people who said they did it, and loved it vs. those that claimed to not feel a thing.

 

wow I thought you took stole all my thoughts the past few days and posted them on the internet! I am a former ///M5 guy...and other previous BMW's and just got my 2008 C4S on Friday....would love to hear your feedback on the mods you mentioned, I am thinking the same except will likely go EVO Intake and AWE Exhaust as starter with HR Springs.

I can offer you this: I picked up my car on friday and had the B&M Short Shifter installed at the dealership, I have no reference to the stock shift but the B&M is awesome imho, just a lil notchy, short precise throws with just the right amount of effort required, well worth it! As others have mentioned with B&M it requires a bit more effort on cold starts to engage first gear but of little nuisance.

Can't wait to hear some follow up, I will make sure I chime in on my mod-venture.

 

I must be your long lost non-Canadian twin brother

I used to be a BMW guy myself - couple M3s, a 540, and two M5s before I switched to 911s with a 996 C4S and now my new 997 C4S. Lots of things I still think fondly of about my M5 "beast" but in the end I love 911s a lot more.

Your Canadian dealer must be pretty lenient, I'm not sure there is a SoCal dealer even within a long drive of me that will install non-Porsche OEM parts. Heck, it seems hard enough to find one that will install even OEM parts that you didn't buy at their parts counter.

I should have my Porsche SSK pretty soon - I have the stock and it seems nice but all the raves re SSK being the single best mod you can do convinced me to give it a try.