Apparently sooner rather than later as I just purchased the carbon fiber center console from Sun Coast. I was considering wrapping my console in 3M Di-NOC carbon fiber, but saw a facebook post from Suncoast listing a close out sale of (1) new carbon fiber console for $495 down from $1598, and MSRP of $1718. Had to ****** that up.

http://www.suncoastparts.com/product...y_Code=997S_CF

 

I know I should have returned Sun's call earlier today!

 

Once I bought it, they changed the price from 495 up to 595 - so they may have a second one on sale. It's worth a call.

 

How long did it take to install?

 

If you mean the center console; I just purchased it today, so we'll see when I get it. Maybe 4 hours for a first timer.

 

Thanks - I appreciate your insight.

 

Was a busy couple days off this week.

Bought (4) raffle tickets for the 2012 PCA Raffle to win a 2012 Carrera Cabrio

Installed the aforementioned wheels/tires

GetYourWheels.com sent them mounted, balanced, filled with nitrogen, and included colored porsche center caps and black tuner lug nuts. Center caps look amazing, I was surprised!

FedEx left them sitting at my door, and never rang the bell. Idiots.



First glance at one of the fronts. Caps look great.


Mounted



Installed the Porsche OEM Carbon Fiber Center Console I bought from Suncoastparts on clearance. Used MACarbon.com's instructions to install it. Went rather easy. I went ahead and painted the rear section of the console, and the shifter trim to match the car exterior. I just painted it with some rustoleum satin black after some sanding. Came out great.

Also installed the GT3 alcantara shifter and eBrake I bought in the marketplace from a board member.

Console + Shifter + eBrake + Shifter Trim Painted


Rear Bin Painted


You'll notice the carbon fiber has a yellow tinge to it. A lot of carbon fiber looks like this after a couple years. I think this console was sitting in inventory for a while (hence the closeout sale). I'm not too concerned.

 

Next: I installed the Fabspeed cat bypass "X" pipe.

You will need:

17mm box wrench
17mm Socket
13mm Deep socket
02 Socket Tool
Rubber mallet(not critical)

Okay, so the Fabspeed cat bypass. Before I installed this, I thought, no one needs a how to on a single exhaust piece; this will be too easy! Well I couldn't be more wrong. This by a ****ty job. I was able to perform everything in this installation while under the car, without removing the airbox, however-

Apparently the issue is, that stock Porsche exhaust systems can be very different (according to Fabspeed) and therefore some parts will need to be adjusted. I'm still not sure how accurate that is, but oh well, I have no reason to think I know better with my 6 months of Porsche. Lol.

I removed the stock two cat pipes that run from the headers to the mufflers (13mm), as well as un bolted the total of four 02 sensors plugged into the car pipes(O2 Sensor tool.) Note: Only loosen the O2 with your tool about a half turn, that way you can use your hand to loosen the rest; otherwise your O2's wires will get wrapped around your O2 tool.

Each pipe has an O2 Sensor screwed in before the catalytic convertor, and one in the middle of it. They basically detect the richness or leaness of the air mixture, and send a voltage to the car computer - to let it know how it should adjust the fuel being injected into the engine. The Porsche sensors are 5 wire, meaning they are wideband, or high resolution O2 sensors. The car's computer depends greatly on these O2's than most cars, since they are more accurate. A jacked up wideband O2 can cause your car to lurch or misfire (first hand experience.) The reason I go into all this is to make sure you get the order of the O2's right when re installing. The pre cat O2, or the one that is more up stream in the exhaust should have a blue wire loom protecting it, and is the main O2 the car gets it's readings to adjust fuel mixture from. The second o2 that is in the middle of the cat pipe is just to make sure the catalytic converter is working, and doesn't affect fuel ratios. The more down stream O2 is wrapped in a grey wire loom wrap. (At least on my car. :P ) Re install them on the fabspeed X-pipe in this order. If you run into a problem where the O2 sensor's wires are not long enough to screw into the new pipes, you can move the wire's routing to the other side of the engine cradle by just "needling" the whole sensor over the top of the cradle and back down. I had to do this for the post cat O2 sensors, and it added about 2" of length to the wire.

Now, talking about varying parts on each Porsche, I ran into a problem. The gap where the stock cat pipes were, is exactly 22" wide. This means I have 22" of space to fit my Fabspeed pipe into. Odd thing was, the Fabspeed pipe was 25in 13/16 wide, and therefore would not fit in the space it is supposed to. I called Fabspeed, and they explained this can happen, and were somewhat suspicious of me when I said I do not have a PSE or aftermarket exhaust system, but assured me that this is still something that can happen. They suggested I cut the Fabspeed pipe to the width I needed.

Below you see how much longer my pipe was than it needed to be. This is repeated on the opposite pipe as well. Basically I have to cut off almost 2" per side.




Now, after cutting either side of the Fabspeed piece to make it fit, I only had 1/2" on either side of it that the OEM sleeve clamp would fit on. You see, the Fabspeed part has a reduced diameter right where the clamp is suppose to sit on it, but since I had to cut so much, the sleeve hits the pipe section that "flares out" and has to be hammered on while the clamp is loosened all the way. This is going to cause a minor exhaust leak until I can figure something else out.

Below you will see the piece fully installed with the provided adjustable header pipes(17mm), and you can see the OEM sleeve that clamps the mufflers to the X Pipe that had to be hammered(mallet) on in my case. Also, please ignore my disgusting rusted OEM headers and muffler pipes.



Installed, Closeup


Now once you have everything bolted up, make sure you take note of where your exhaust tips sit, as the point where the x-pipe bolts to the muffler, can move your tip position in relation to your bumper. Just put your tips on (13mm), and loosen up the catpipe sleeve clamps, allowing you to pull or push your muffler cans to adjust the gaps on either side of the tips. After that, you should be good to go. You do not need to reset the car's computer, and if you used something to trick the "post cat" o2 sensors, you should not get a check engine light for not having a cat. I used the previously shown 90 degree O2 spacers to place the sensors out of the direct stream of the exhaust, giving it a leaner signal, making it think the cat is still there.

 

now, we need a sound clip! amazing article. your car looks like a twin of mine. love it!

joel

 

Anyone seen a guide to removing the rear spoiler? (not the decklid, just the hydraulic spoiler unit). I got a spoiler today that replaces just the spoiler, and I plan on havin' a beer and throwing it on before I give the car to the body shop tomorrow. I like to have a reference before I try something like this if I can, and I'm sure there is something out there, but I can't seem to find it.

I found a how-to on removing the entire unit, and it references removing the spoiler part "as per manual." I doubt it, but I'll check my car manual if that's what is being mentioned.

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...se-up-how.html


Another full decklid removal http://www.gettydesign.com/frp/997/Tailbases.pdf

I may end up finding it is pretty simple and straight forward, but tbh I haven't had time to look yet. Luckily for me, today is my Friday.

Anyone else seen something out there?

 

Well, I have the OEM wing and hydraulics removed, and took a lot of pictures. I basically just took it apart in any order I could see working, and took a lot of pictures. It will take some time to sort the pictures into the actual order that would work best for removal. It's not too hard, however.

I test fitted the new duck tail style wing, and it seems to work okay, although my local body shop refuses to install the thing, only paint it - I suppose for lack of trust in aftermarket body parts. Shouldn't be an issue, but just annoying. I'm delivering the car tomorrow for paint (painting front bumper, and passenger quarter due to scratch and ding respectively.) where they will paint the spoiler as well. I don't live near a Porsche dealer, so it's a local shop that I trust, and have used several times before, and even worked as a gopher there during the summer back in '02. Not too happy about driving to work in a rent a car though, most likely going to be a piece of **** Ford focus base model or similar. Zzzz. Should have sent the car to one of Houston's Porsche dealers and got a loaner there. Oh well, I'll live.

P.S. I also removed the rear stick-on emblems "Carrera S" with a squirt bottle of Goo Gone, paper towels, and elbow grease. I planned to replace it with the 993 style "911S" in black with a red S but I think it looks good without anything, in all black. I'll see after I get the car back from the shop, and the wing goes on. Normally I would worry about the clear being different behind the emblem after 6 years of sun from the previous owner living in Florida, but I'm having the whole car "polished"(see buffing) while at the shop.

pics related, sort of.

 

Found this gallery of Misha's on removing the stock wing, and putting on a fixed aftermarket wing. Answered all the questions I had.

https://picasaweb.google.com/misha99...gl=true&pli=1#

 

great job man, inspiring stuff

 

Tada!

Car left at the body shop without a wing for paint & polish.

Pictures after with car bra and new spoiler installed.

I'm going to run the bra for 2 months while the paint cures, then switch to a 3m clear bra.

 

Looks great, tastefully done!