Hi everyone, I'm new to the forums with some questions about my coming 997 purchase! Got 12 fantastic years in my old car but now I'm finally in the position (financially) to actually go ahead and buy a (used) 997, a dream I've had ever since the 997 was launched. When the gen2 cars came around I got to drive one and decided to wait a little bit longer to get one of these second hand. Can't tell enough how thrilled I am

I've been looking for a C2S coupe with sports suspension+LSD and if possible, bucket seats. Other then that I'd actually prefer a basic spec car, ie no sunroof, BOSE or other weight adders.

This weekend I went to have a look at a 2009 C2S wich came quite close spec wise, except for the bucket seats. Mileage was quite high, but what really disappointed me was that the car just didn't seemed well taken care of, so I walked away from this one without even driving it.
However, before leaving the dealer, I asked some questions about retrofitting bucket seats and the sales guy showed me them fitted in a regular 2009 C2 they had. This is a low mileage car with a short, but quite odd option list. Apart from the seats, it came from the factory with PCCB brakes, LSD, 19" wheels with spacers and a few other minor options such as iPhone connection etc. So, it has the standard chassi, no PASM. Currently though, for some reason, the car sat on the regular 18" Carrera IV wheels.

I took if for a drive and was really taken by how light and nimble it felt vs my memory of the C2S’s I’ve driven before! I was all set on the more powerful S, but I really must say this car didn't feel short on power. Obviously this was a short test drive, and I wasn’t able to find my favourite kind of roads. Biggest concern is that it had more understeer then what I’d like and am used to. Suspension was to my surprise not bad, following bumps really well. But I’m afraid it will feel soft when pushed harder.

I enjoyed this car a lot, it kind of talked to me in an unexpected way. I really would like to buy it and the dealer will hold it for me until next weekend. I have some concerns about the suspension though and would really appreciate some advice on what to do.

This car will not be a DD but used for recreational driving by myself and also for weekend trips with the wife. My favourite driving is twisty back country roads. I also attend local club/track events 2-3 times a year, always hoping to get out there more often I’m the kind of guy that’s not so concerned about looks. I simply like to drive my 911.

I don’t have endless amounts of money to spend (or knowledge) so advanced suspension setups with lots of adjustments aren’t for me. I’ve learned from the forum that to reduce understeer I’d need GT3 suspension arms. Would these work with base car suspension and, say stiffer sway bars? Or would a Bilstein B14 or PSS10 setup be a better way to go? The Bilstein option wouldn’t reduce understeer that much though, right?

As said, any input on this is greatly appreciated!

 

Jaun, my 09 Carrera S is a low option model with PASM Sport Suspension/LSD, I did not option mycar with Bose, Nav, Power Seats ect. All the cars imported into the USA come with a sunroof however.

When you say bucket seats are you talking about the Sport Bucket that will accept a 6 point harness?

 

mdrums,

I didn't know about all cars having sunroff when I seriously started my search for a car a few months ago. Was a bit puzzled though about the fact that I never came across a car without, and quite recently anoter dealer enlightened me.

Bucket seats are the ones you mention, with folding back rests.

 

Anyone have any suggestions as how to reduce understeer on a 2009, non-PASM, C2? Mostly street driving with a few track days a year.

Have been reading the forum constantly the last week and GT3 LCA's, sway bars and CO's are flying around in my head Understood that stock parts will not give any neg camber to speak of. A lowered chassi might give up to aprox -1 deg. Right?
~.75" lower is about as much I'd like to go due to driving conditions etc.

Please point me in the right direction!

Thanks.

 

Spot on, only you may want to also add springs.

 

The best part about a "nice set of sway bars" is that you can easily tun understeer/oversteer.
Rule of thumb is to start with the easy stuff (to adjust) and then move to the harder stuff. ie - first try adjusting tire air pressure. If you have adjustable shocks, you might tweak those a bit. I don't believe the stock car offers any adjustments, so coilovers could be an option, but they are more expensive than sways.
As mentioned, stock car with nice sways would be nice. IIRC, you'll want to tighten up the back and loosen up the front to bias away from understeer and toward oversteer.
Consult your mechanic or get some advice here, but you might want to start with front in the middle setting and back on full tight and see how that feels. Just is out on whether or not to buy droplinks for the sways. I decided to do it and my mechanic agreed it was helpful in eliminating preload.

If you decide to go with coilovers, and then want to lower it, you might find that you need a toe link kit and dogbones. Check the RSS website for info, but I bought all of that to go with my damptronics, and again - the mechanic agreed that it was a great way to go - even for a street-only car.

My car rides very soft right now, with sways and shocks in the middle setting. I'm not pushing it so not sure yet about understeer/oversteer. I think I might adjust the shocks shocks to make them a bit stiffer to see how that feels.

My recommendation, though, is in sync with above - just do the sways (and maybe droplinks) to tune the suspension, if you're happy with the ride height. No reason for the other stuff unless you want it lowered (which is an expensive proposition, if you want it done right, IMHO)

 

I recommend that you get a nice sport alignment for the most dramatic upgrade with the stock suspension.

If you're planning to have adjustable ride height, you can always go with a set of quality coilovers like the KWs or Bilsteins - both are great choices for street driving.

If you have any questions, feel free to shoot over a PM or call me!