Check the engine mounts. It will make the car seem like something is wrong with suspension when in fact it’s just engine mounts and they are super easy to change
Immobilizer control units, air oil separator, water pumps, expansion tanks blowing up, slave cylinders often become stiff and have terrible feel. -Former Porsche tech
@@spideybuildscars It was great, Im in porsche parts now, but i would recommend it. The dealership makes the experience, if they are decent then you will like it. Warranty work and pay isnt very good but customer pay work is a money maker. Also having porsche experience basically makes having a job really easy.
@@georgeferguson4521just started tech school and they sold me on becoming a Porsche tech come to find out they only take two students a year and you have to be flawless…still not going to let they shatter my dreams
@@PennyGing honestly, work experience and getting your name in the door has lots of value, thats how i was able to do it. Ptap is great and will get you a job contract but meeting the local service or general managers will go a long way with this brand. One of the main parts of Porsche is personal relationship building.
A 996 4S with a lightweight flywheel, the deeper sump oil pan, and the LSx oil filter adapter really is all you need. You can upgrade the shifter cables & add the Ultimate Air/Oil Separator but that's about all they need. The GT3 mods for them don't do much to the engine.
Your video is outstanding! The way you break down complex financial concepts into actionable insights is impressive. I appreciate your unique presentation style, which combines humor, empathy, and expertise to create an engaging and enlightening experience.
Same here., I strongly agree that the Bitcoin ETFs approval will be greatly life opportunity for us, with my current portfolio of $102,500 from my investments with my personal financial advisor Georgette Wong I totally agree with you😊
YES!!! That's exactly her name (Georgette Wong) so many people have recommended highly about her and am just starting with her from Brisbane Australia...🇦🇺
She's my family's personal Broker and also a personal Broker to many family's in the United states, she is licensed and a FINRA AGENT in the United States.
I bought a 2014 981 Cayman with the 2.7 flat six last year. I’ve already put 30k miles on it almost since buying it, it’s a dream to maintain and I use it for everything. You will probably fall in love with that 996 like I fell in love with my 981. They’re special cars, I can’t help but always want to be driving, cleaning or wrenching on mine. And mines been stupid reliable, it’s never going anywhere. I still want to add a 996 to my garage someday, congrats on this
As someone who is living in 944 world, you've gotten the era of 911 that was king of the mountain when I fell in love with the brand. I'm a wee bit jelly Charles. I'd be super jelly if it was a Carrera 2 in speed yellow tho lol. Great purchase and I'm looking forward to the future with it.
I have a ‘99 Carrera 6-speed in speed yellow. If you can find one, jump on it, but they pop up from time to time. Love the 944 world, too, though! I had a 924S that I miss dearly.
Having recently ‘graduated’ from a mk7 gti to a 997 4S, I can confirm it’s a fantastic move. Though, my wife took a liking to Porsche life and now we have a 986 to go with it!
I have an 03 Targa 2 wheel drive, did the IMS with a solution right after I bought it just dropped the transmission went in that way which was pretty easy. Only other issue I has was a valve spring broke on #3 which was not good. Dropped the motor, no real damage to the head so got a valve and all new Porsche valve springs cleaned things up replaced the scavenger pump on that head and off I went. Did chain guides while I was in there but to be honest probably could have left the old ones in. These are great cars for the money and will put a smile on your face everytime you turn the key. Enjoy it.
I had a 986 Boxster and let me tell you, everything about it felt special. Even where the cut corners, they were still better than most of the market across the board. One of my favorite cars I've ever owned and driven and only makes me want a 996 911 even more. If money was no option, my daily driver would be a GT3 Touring. And I now have to add, yeeeeeahhhh, if you could come in this Saturday that'd be great.
I’m happy to see you get a Porsche. I love my VWs but I got myself as 2005 Cayenne Turbo for less than $10k. Did a bunch of work to it and owned it under 4 years only to have a drunk driver take it out. I do want to get another one as soon as I can. It saved my life. Perfect towing, off road, and high speed grocery-getter. I loved it,
Natural progression . I started in the aircooled VW world back in the 80`s . I later got into the watercooled VW world in the late 90`s . I played around with the 924 and 944 family after that . I currently have a 2005 Cayenne S as my daily driver , my 86` 944 getting ready to go through it`s second engine conversion , the 73` 914 with a 2004 1.8T and 5 speed swap in progress , and then a 2005 B5.5 Passat 4Motion I got at work with a broken timing belt for free . So much to do ,,, just need more time and money to do it all .
When you pull the motor, you may want to change the plugs, wires, and the p/s belt as PM. Also there is 1 or 2 air check valves that always goes bad, you may want to replace those as well. For parts you can look at stoddard or sierra madre for the harder to find parts. I have also installed a few aero kits as well, you if you like that look it is worth installing, install is quick, the hard part always seems to be paint match.
I like them! I prefer Italian cars like the Ferrari 360 though, the 996 and 986 Boxster's interior are definitely more "of the era" than the Ferraris IMO. Circles and ovals galore. 😃
I got the same background, and did the same thing but I went air-cooled. Do not screw this car up.. the 4 wheel drive is a great choice for you and you are qualified to work on it (easy). The first thing I do is bring them back to stock everything and they are amazing. Do you want more? get another one to hotrod. The 4WD is a street machine and heavy, the regular RWD can be lightened more and turned into your super model mistress.
Bore scoring is the predominant and most costly issue with M96/7 engines. It’s not a question if it will happen, just when. Hartech in England has the best solution with liner replacements for better material ones that are bigger and can increase displacement to 4.1L. They have a partnership with Slakker Racing Development in the US that uses their technology. Nothing else compares to them, especially not in the US. Also, never use sleeves!!
Thats the 997 and 987 gen 1s are the ones that suffer with borescore. 996 and older and 997/987 gen 2 and newer they went back to using nykasil liners.
Have to agree here with the Slakker recommendation. Got my 997.1s back from Slakker a couple months ago as a 4.1 and it's sublime. Brandon Clark and team will take care of you.
The HVAC case in the 996 is the same one that’s in the Mark 4 R32. I wouldn’t do much besides refresh the suspension and drive it. Maybe GT3 front control arm
On my 3rd 996, an 01 c4. Love the 4 wheel drive. Other things to watch include, AOS, chain guides, check the cam timing differential, low oil pressure on high milage cars, seals on front differential half shafts, fuel injectors getting dirty which might lead to bore-scoring. Put in a low temp t’stat. I had a front wheel bearing go bad. Great track day car. Enjoy.
I’ve been an VW/audi guy since owning my b5.5 Passat which I bought new. Finally graduated to a 958 Cayenne diesel. The one thing that I found annoying moving to the Porsche world is the completely different diagnostics tools. Had to buy a new foxwell scan tool and can’t use my obd eleven on the Porsche.
Just found your channel. We have had 3 beetles for my daughter. She learned to drive stick on her 2012 2.0 turbo. Sadly am f250 ran a stop sign and took it out. I wish I was handy. She now has a 2013 2.5. I really want a fun manual car but can’t do my own maintenance.
I love the comp with the mk4. My first car was a 24v VR6 GTI. Earlier this year I bought a 996 C2 and it does remind me of the gti in a funny way. The 911 is the best car I've ever driven, I can't get enough of it
Welcome to the graduating class of 2024! I joined the Porsche bandwagon in 2022 after 24 years progressing through VW‘s and then Audis and then finally all my kids graduated and went to college so I had time and no need for a passenger car and I got a 911. Enjoy yours! I’m looking forward to watching what you do with it. 🤓
@HumbleMechanic You can repair the foam issue without removing the dash. You have two options: - 1. Take out radio, slice duct, you now have access to the door of death and foam bits - 2. Remove the frunk plastics near battery, remove battery, remove chassis strut-things, remove heater core (super easy, 2 clips and 2 hoses and its out). Now you can access the foam door of death! Also, LEAVE THE PSM ON! It will not interfere with the driving experience whatsoever. This will keep you from wrecking. Unless you are trying to drift, I say keep that on. Even guys on the track leave it on its that good of a system! Finally, I would SOOO not turbo or supercharge these things. Recipe for disaster Just some stuff I have learned in the past year! Peace and thx for the video :D
Suspension and cooling refresh, coffin arms, IMS ‘solution’, then general all-round maintenance and you’ve got something really special (and mild exhaust mods for an even more exotic sound) 👌👌
Hi. Ive got the exact same car here in the UK. Very similar spec and mileage. Mine has 2WD conversion which I think improves it feel and drops a useful amount of weight and maybe adds a HP through less rolling resistance. Id say other than keeping on top of maintenance, the best thing to do is to use it regularly and always let it warm up thoroughly before going above 3000 revs. Enjoy
Foam vents is super easy. Water pump for sure with the factory plastic impeller. IMS and the UAOS oil separator, refresh of fluids, expansion tank. They are good cars. You don’t need to drop the engine for service, you can do most of the work on the car, tricky but not too bad. PCCM is worth doing it.
I had one of these new and have now graduated to a mk2 gti 8v, get more waves and attention in the VW (Australia). I never had a problem, as I had a '98 with the good IMS bearing. The common failures: Bore scoring, IMS bearing failure (not early models) and RMS failure. It's quite reliable besides these issues, the only black wheels should be on it are black fuchs, with silver rims.You got a really good deal on that beast.
Also a VW/Audi guy here... started with a mk 2 GTI (16v) after college, and now have a fleet 86 944 turbo 01 911 C4 cab (hers) 02 Boxster S 16 Cayenne S 17 Macan S (hers) Stuff that went wrong with my 996 Expansion tank Washer fluid tank Every suspension component (controll arms, tuning fork, dog bones) Headlight switch Hydraulic arms for the convertible top Guts of the headlights (new reflectors, new lenses, new HID bulbs)
Absolutely, after owning over 3 dozen VW/Audi cars I finally bought my ne Porsche 992 911 Carrera 4S in 2021 (Absolutely love this car). Also went dark side and bought a new M4 Competition XDrive months back, first BMW and it is a keeper.
Your 996 is like my Mazda Miata NC1 (the 3rd generation) commonly referred to as “the boat” in the community. But it’s the value buy because it’s sort of the most undesirable. Put in a suspension kit, wider wheels and tires and you end up with a pretty decent canyon carving roadster. I enjoyed your video, have fun.
I have black wheels on my racing yellow 981 GTS and they look superb, contrasting really well with the yellow. They also have the added benefit of not showing brake dust as much as silver wheels.
Really good buy IMO. IMS, RMS, Motorsport AOS (if you can afford it), coilovers, drop links, wheels, sticky tires, clutch (when its time), maintenance, and send it.
I have a 986 Boxster, the front end is the same as the 911. Things to look out for are any of the interior accessories. Ignition switch, headlight switch, door locks, etc tend to fail. You know about the heat foam problem and is real. Had some issues with electrical draws from the fuse box under the steering wheel as well. Great car overall, just many small, annoying things to fix from an old car with crap interior.
check the long brake pipes that run underneath the car, they corrode and can be dangerous whenever they burst! also make sure the differential fluid is changed :D
I'm so excited to see where you go with this. Similar progression even including the V10 Touareg but I have a Eurovan problem that you're not covering except for some VR6 content. Love following your projects!
*Do the alternative blend door fix!* Do not replace the heater unit. Pull the radio out, cut through the center HVAC door, put high temp HVAC tape on the blend door, then tape up the center HVAC hole. Reinstall the radio and you're done. For $40 and 2 hours you can fix the AC permanently.
Welcome to the club Charles! The interior on my 1984 looks like it came out of a '70s VW, but I didn't buy it for the interior. My journey is the opposite of yours. I got my 911 23 years ago and now my daily driver is an A4 and I share a MK5 GTI with the kids when they let me drive it. Since no one else mentioned it, I'll put in a plug for the Porsche Club of America. Check out the club in your local region. You will find many knowledgeable people more than willing to help a new owner. "It's not just the cars, it's the people". And don't forget to wave!
986 here. I pulled my immobilizer and applied a conformal coating to it as a little extra insurance, just in case I ever got caught with the windows/top down. Also, mine has been spitting foam at me for a while now. I just found that there is a VW plug kit on Amazon that fits the 9x6 (my kit comes in tomorrow).
I bought my first budget 911 back in 2012. It was a 99 carrera 2 with over 100k miles and the motor was hurt. The oil pump in the drivers side head let go and it jumped time causing 6 valves to bend on the left head and a broken valve spring on the right. I tore it down and repaired it all and did the LN engineering IMS upgrade. I also ditched the stock dual mass flywheel for an Aasco racing 13lb billet and spec clutch. I want to say I put the cheapest set of mufflers I could find on the thing and I let it rip! The 3.4 was no beast, but I had fun! Bought the car for $7800. Sold it a few years later for a little over $20k. Great times working on that car. These engines drop out pretty quick. Definitely designed around motor out services.
you can cleary see that this car is suffering from bore score. 7:17 oily exhaust tip on the drivers side. (btw, caymans do get this on the passenger side because of a different exhaust)
Lol SWEET outro!! I've taken this same car progression route since I was 16: 2 VW buses, MK 1 GTI, 6 different Audi's, and on my 6th Porsche now. All these VAG cars all seem to have similarities mechanically, fasteners, etc. Of the numerous cars I've worked on over the years, I think the Porsches are actually the easiest. The engineering often comes down from Motorsport racing knowledge so everything just seems more intuitive. If you bought this 4S for 20K with 65KM?! you scored big time. Clean 40k mile 4S typically $40-50K and a ton of bad 996's out there. If there is no bore scoring issues for sure a deal here. You are a pro mech so whatever you need to do you will figure it out. My 09' C4S w/6MT is absolutely one of my favorite AWD cars I've ever owned. PNW dude so it rules in the rain and snow we get. Black wheels look rad on silver I think. Personal choice. Warning: unless you have a ton of money or the skills to work on a Porsche and pay the tax on parts don't buy one!
If you’re not going to track the car and drive in the winter, less a lot of snow, consider the Michelin Pilot Sport All Seasons. Not ultimate grip but still very good. Fantastic under 45 degree Fahrenheit. Allows you to drive all year in most places in the USA. I use them as my winters due to very little snow in my area. But don’t have that chatter of cold tires pulling out of the garage with my P/S 4S summers.
IF your engine ever ends up toast, check out the Renn27 conversion. You'll either love it or hate it. Either ways, YOU will be VERY familiar with it. 😉 Congrats on the new sweet ride!
Sweet ride Charles! I thought it was a 911 Turbo from the bodykit, I didn't realise the 996 Carrera 4S had a different bodykit and rear light bar than a regular Carrera 4. That looks great!
Hey Charles. As someone who currently works at an Audi/Porsche/Vw dealership, don’t worry too much about the IMS bearing. The failure rate is 1% and we haven’t done one at least here at the dealer. 996 is a decent platform. Some trim pieces tend to rattle and come apart and sometimes we have common issues with window regulators and ignition cylinders locking up. Also common early VW gauge cluster type issues. If you’re used to VW from the early 2000’s (which I know you are) than you’re in good shape. Other than that and a few other things, not a bad platform.
Started with a fwd is12 2015 Audi A3, now at a 2017 manual mk7 gti with close to $10k in modifications, hopefully soon I’ll add a manual 997 to the garage to complement the mk7 and have a weekend car
Ignition cylinders fail all the time. The heater core foam can be fixed in situ if you don't mind cutting the center vent tubing. The timing chain guides can deteriorate, the headlight mounts are a problem, make a hood bypass cable, air oil separator, water pumps, oil coolers. Secondary air pumps. Done all of the above on my 986. Except the guides.
My Brother In-law also had a 996 Boxster and it got the dreaded IMS failure at 63k. I work with someone else that also has 996 and they havent has the IMS fail yet. So its a lottery picks as to who gets it. I looking forward to you replacing the IMS. That should be a good video. It's kept me away from those cars. Ill never be able to afford my GT3 RS but this is doable :)
I cannot comment on any of the other aspects, but black wheels are totally OK. They can be especially nice on some shades of silver and grey (like my Daytona grey Audi S3 2020).
The 911 is one of the few cars where I think black wheels work. Mainly because 9/10 if you are looking at pictures of classic Porsches its going to have black Fuchs wheels. Its like magnum 500s on a classic pony or watanabes on a classic Z. It just works.
Hey! After 4 years and 2 996's that I still own, here are some thoughts on maintnence: change oil every 3-4k miles, use a few qt if not all 5w-50, and I highly recommend using 1-2 bottles of ceratec every other change or so, it's great for startup anti-friction which is known to be a danger to the bores in cold weather. Don't rev above 3k rpm until it's hot, and make sure to swap out the air filter every year or so, you'll notice a throttle response difference! Fantastic cars. Drive it as much as you can.
so I hope we can get to the bottom of why bore scoring happens, there is a few versions out there, explaining the problem and the cause of why bore scoring happens , but it will be very interesting to hear yours, thanks
Congrats on the purchase! Not a fan of black wheels. Previous owner of my ND Miata spray bombed the wheels black. They have since been stripped and refinished in silver.
Dont worry.. WE got turbo R32 things to do... :)
C’mon man, just finish the black r32. It’s been like 3 years already.
You could be working on an early 90’s ford probe and I’d still watch the video
Standing by for the "My R32 is faster than my 996 at autocross video in the future."
Yes ❤ yes , ohh Yeah !🙂↕️!
Hahaha, look at you all scrubbed up with nowhere to go, except under a Posh VW😂
"Yeah if you could go ahead and change that IMS bearing that would be great" 😂
HAHAHAHHAHAH
Perfect response!!!
The outro was the best! 🤣😂
Yup definitely worth the effort! It made me laugh so much.
Not Bill Lumbergh!!! 🤪🤣🤣
What about those tps(Turbo Parts in the porSche) reports?😅
Charles needs to change channel name to StillHumbleMechanic for reassurance 😂😂
TPS reports are strong with this one
Check the engine mounts. It will make the car seem like something is wrong with suspension when in fact it’s just engine mounts and they are super easy to change
And trans Mount
And low cost.
Immobilizer control units, air oil separator, water pumps, expansion tanks blowing up, slave cylinders often become stiff and have terrible feel. -Former Porsche tech
How did you like being a Porsche tech? I was considering going to school for it
@@spideybuildscars It was great, Im in porsche parts now, but i would recommend it. The dealership makes the experience, if they are decent then you will like it. Warranty work and pay isnt very good but customer pay work is a money maker. Also having porsche experience basically makes having a job really easy.
@@georgeferguson4521just started tech school and they sold me on becoming a Porsche tech come to find out they only take two students a year and you have to be flawless…still not going to let they shatter my dreams
@@PennyGing honestly, work experience and getting your name in the door has lots of value, thats how i was able to do it. Ptap is great and will get you a job contract but meeting the local service or general managers will go a long way with this brand. One of the main parts of Porsche is personal relationship building.
@ i appreciate the advise. I’ll have to goto my local dealer and shake some hands
A 996 4S with a lightweight flywheel, the deeper sump oil pan, and the LSx oil filter adapter really is all you need. You can upgrade the shifter cables & add the Ultimate Air/Oil Separator but that's about all they need. The GT3 mods for them don't do much to the engine.
Your video is outstanding! The way you break down complex financial concepts into actionable insights is impressive. I appreciate your unique presentation style, which combines humor, empathy, and expertise to create an engaging and enlightening experience.
Same here., I strongly agree that the Bitcoin ETFs approval will be greatly life opportunity for us, with my current portfolio of $102,500 from my investments with my personal financial advisor Georgette Wong I totally agree with you😊
YES!!! That's exactly her name (Georgette Wong) so many people have recommended highly about her and am just starting with her from Brisbane Australia...🇦🇺
She's my family's personal Broker and also a personal Broker to many family's in the United states, she is licensed and a FINRA AGENT in the United States.
The very first time we tried, we invested $1000 and after a week, we received 4500. That really helped us a lot to pay up our bills.
Georgette Wong has really set the standard for others to follow, we love her in Canada🇨🇦as she has been really helpful and changed lots of life's
Love the Lumbergh Office Space cameo! “Going to need you to go ahead and come in on Saturday. Yeahhhhh.”
Beat me to it.
As a 20+ year Audi guy now owning a Porsche, I love this!
I bought a 2014 981 Cayman with the 2.7 flat six last year. I’ve already put 30k miles on it almost since buying it, it’s a dream to maintain and I use it for everything. You will probably fall in love with that 996 like I fell in love with my 981. They’re special cars, I can’t help but always want to be driving, cleaning or wrenching on mine. And mines been stupid reliable, it’s never going anywhere.
I still want to add a 996 to my garage someday, congrats on this
I agree with you. That’s why I went with a 981 spyder…for the value of the money with the more reliable and more power…modern
As someone who is living in 944 world, you've gotten the era of 911 that was king of the mountain when I fell in love with the brand. I'm a wee bit jelly Charles. I'd be super jelly if it was a Carrera 2 in speed yellow tho lol. Great purchase and I'm looking forward to the future with it.
I have a ‘99 Carrera 6-speed in speed yellow. If you can find one, jump on it, but they pop up from time to time. Love the 944 world, too, though! I had a 924S that I miss dearly.
@@justinmckeown9029 I have a 924S! I just say 944 because I don't want to explain to those who aren't in the know.
Having recently ‘graduated’ from a mk7 gti to a 997 4S, I can confirm it’s a fantastic move. Though, my wife took a liking to Porsche life and now we have a 986 to go with it!
10:04 I was looking at the truck when Charles brake hard with the Porsche. That truck driver might be awake the entire journey just from that stunt.
I have an 03 Targa 2 wheel drive, did the IMS with a solution right after I bought it just dropped the transmission went in that way which was pretty easy. Only other issue I has was a valve spring broke on #3 which was not good. Dropped the motor, no real damage to the head so got a valve and all new Porsche valve springs cleaned things up replaced the scavenger pump on that head and off I went. Did chain guides while I was in there but to be honest probably could have left the old ones in. These are great cars for the money and will put a smile on your face everytime you turn the key. Enjoy it.
I have to say this, I love this journey. Definitely need to work towards what you are doing... bloody amazing
Congrats Charles!! This is definitely the progression we all seek to obtain. I have had a ton of VWs, a few Audis and now it is time for the Porsche.
I had a 986 Boxster and let me tell you, everything about it felt special. Even where the cut corners, they were still better than most of the market across the board. One of my favorite cars I've ever owned and driven and only makes me want a 996 911 even more. If money was no option, my daily driver would be a GT3 Touring. And I now have to add, yeeeeeahhhh, if you could come in this Saturday that'd be great.
I’m happy to see you get a Porsche. I love my VWs but I got myself as 2005 Cayenne Turbo for less than $10k. Did a bunch of work to it and owned it under 4 years only to have a drunk driver take it out. I do want to get another one as soon as I can. It saved my life.
Perfect towing, off road, and high speed grocery-getter. I loved it,
Natural progression . I started in the aircooled VW world back in the 80`s . I later got into the watercooled VW world in the late 90`s . I played around with the 924 and 944 family after that . I currently have a 2005 Cayenne S as my daily driver , my 86` 944 getting ready to go through it`s second engine conversion , the 73` 914 with a 2004 1.8T and 5 speed swap in progress , and then a 2005 B5.5 Passat 4Motion I got at work with a broken timing belt for free . So much to do ,,, just need more time and money to do it all .
When you pull the motor, you may want to change the plugs, wires, and the p/s belt as PM. Also there is 1 or 2 air check valves that always goes bad, you may want to replace those as well. For parts you can look at stoddard or sierra madre for the harder to find parts.
I have also installed a few aero kits as well, you if you like that look it is worth installing, install is quick, the hard part always seems to be paint match.
We've got Lumburgh in the thumbnail and the outro!?! You're going to need to add cover sheets to your TPS reports...
Looks like somebody’s got a case of the mondays
My favorite VW youtuber is now my favorite Porsche TH-camr?? sick, Welcome to the Porsche club ya snob.
Haha thank you
That references to Office Space at the end! Classic! Love your comment on Spicy VW! 😂😂
It’s basically a Porsche with VW technology in it…
I like the 996, they were out when I was really really getting into cars. So they still hold a place in my heart
I like them! I prefer Italian cars like the Ferrari 360 though, the 996 and 986 Boxster's interior are definitely more "of the era" than the Ferraris IMO. Circles and ovals galore. 😃
I’d daily a 996 all day everyday 😊. I’ve only ever driven a cabriolet and a c4s but I loved both experiences 👍.
WELCOME. Drove a 99 VW Beetle in HS, and felt it was just me having similar vibes when I bought my 03. Enjoy
I got the same background, and did the same thing but I went air-cooled. Do not screw this car up.. the 4 wheel drive is a great choice for you and you are qualified to work on it (easy). The first thing I do is bring them back to stock everything and they are amazing. Do you want more? get another one to hotrod. The 4WD is a street machine and heavy, the regular RWD can be lightened more and turned into your super model mistress.
Chain guides, engine mounts, AOS, water pump and then refresh suspension. Bore scoring and IMS are big but you already know that
Bore scoring is the predominant and most costly issue with M96/7 engines. It’s not a question if it will happen, just when. Hartech in England has the best solution with liner replacements for better material ones that are bigger and can increase displacement to 4.1L. They have a partnership with Slakker Racing Development in the US that uses their technology. Nothing else compares to them, especially not in the US. Also, never use sleeves!!
Thats the 997 and 987 gen 1s are the ones that suffer with borescore. 996 and older and 997/987 gen 2 and newer they went back to using nykasil liners.
@ only the 3.4 996 and the 2.7 boxster engines didn’t have bore scoring issues. The 3.6 M96 and the 3.4 M97 engines did. Also the 3.8 997 Carrera S.
Have to agree here with the Slakker recommendation. Got my 997.1s back from Slakker a couple months ago as a 4.1 and it's sublime. Brandon Clark and team will take care of you.
I’ve had my 996 C4S for 7 years, love it to bits. It’s got factory Powerkit and my favourite mod is 200 cell catalysts with X-pipe!
The HVAC case in the 996 is the same one that’s in the Mark 4 R32. I wouldn’t do much besides refresh the suspension and drive it. Maybe GT3 front control arm
On my 3rd 996, an 01 c4. Love the 4 wheel drive. Other things to watch include, AOS, chain guides, check the cam timing differential, low oil pressure on high milage cars, seals on front differential half shafts, fuel injectors getting dirty which might lead to bore-scoring. Put in a low temp t’stat. I had a front wheel bearing go bad. Great track day car. Enjoy.
I’ve been an VW/audi guy since owning my b5.5 Passat which I bought new. Finally graduated to a 958 Cayenne diesel. The one thing that I found annoying moving to the Porsche world is the completely different diagnostics tools. Had to buy a new foxwell scan tool and can’t use my obd eleven on the Porsche.
shockingly good Lumbergh
Just found your channel. We have had 3 beetles for my daughter. She learned to drive stick on her 2012 2.0 turbo. Sadly am f250 ran a stop sign and took it out. I wish I was handy. She now has a 2013 2.5. I really want a fun manual car but can’t do my own maintenance.
best outtro ever! I'm definitely gonna need you to come in on Sunday too
I love the comp with the mk4. My first car was a 24v VR6 GTI. Earlier this year I bought a 996 C2 and it does remind me of the gti in a funny way. The 911 is the best car I've ever driven, I can't get enough of it
Welcome to the graduating class of 2024! I joined the Porsche bandwagon in 2022 after 24 years progressing through VW‘s and then Audis and then finally all my kids graduated and went to college so I had time and no need for a passenger car and I got a 911. Enjoy yours! I’m looking forward to watching what you do with it. 🤓
Thanks man!!!
@HumbleMechanic You can repair the foam issue without removing the dash. You have two options:
- 1. Take out radio, slice duct, you now have access to the door of death and foam bits
- 2. Remove the frunk plastics near battery, remove battery, remove chassis strut-things, remove heater core (super easy, 2 clips and 2 hoses and its out). Now you can access the foam door of death!
Also, LEAVE THE PSM ON! It will not interfere with the driving experience whatsoever. This will keep you from wrecking. Unless you are trying to drift, I say keep that on. Even guys on the track leave it on its that good of a system!
Finally, I would SOOO not turbo or supercharge these things. Recipe for disaster
Just some stuff I have learned in the past year! Peace and thx for the video :D
Suspension and cooling refresh, coffin arms, IMS ‘solution’, then general all-round maintenance and you’ve got something really special (and mild exhaust mods for an even more exotic sound) 👌👌
Hi. Ive got the exact same car here in the UK. Very similar spec and mileage. Mine has 2WD conversion which I think improves it feel and drops a useful amount of weight and maybe adds a HP through less rolling resistance. Id say other than keeping on top of maintenance, the best thing to do is to use it regularly and always let it warm up thoroughly before going above 3000 revs. Enjoy
Foam vents is super easy. Water pump for sure with the factory plastic impeller. IMS and the UAOS oil separator, refresh of fluids, expansion tank. They are good cars. You don’t need to drop the engine for service, you can do most of the work on the car, tricky but not too bad. PCCM is worth doing it.
I really really love to see you refoam this panel man, the video will be great, and you will show the differences to us, great car man!
So excited to watch this series. Just purchased a 997.2 C4s and I'm sure there will be a lot of relative content.
NICE and congrats
I had one of these new and have now graduated to a mk2 gti 8v, get more waves and attention in the VW (Australia). I never had a problem, as I had a '98 with the good IMS bearing. The common failures: Bore scoring, IMS bearing failure (not early models) and RMS failure. It's quite reliable besides these issues, the only black wheels should be on it are black fuchs, with silver rims.You got a really good deal on that beast.
Also a VW/Audi guy here... started with a mk 2 GTI (16v) after college, and now have a fleet
86 944 turbo
01 911 C4 cab (hers)
02 Boxster S
16 Cayenne S
17 Macan S (hers)
Stuff that went wrong with my 996
Expansion tank
Washer fluid tank
Every suspension component (controll arms, tuning fork, dog bones)
Headlight switch
Hydraulic arms for the convertible top
Guts of the headlights (new reflectors, new lenses, new HID bulbs)
The ACCURACY of the costume in the outro!!! Amazing! Congrats on the Porsche.
Absolutely, after owning over 3 dozen VW/Audi cars I finally bought my ne Porsche 992 911 Carrera 4S in 2021 (Absolutely love this car). Also went dark side and bought a new M4 Competition XDrive months back, first BMW and it is a keeper.
As a former mk4 and current mk5 owner who has been looking at this era of 911, this hits me where i live.
Your 996 is like my Mazda Miata NC1 (the 3rd generation) commonly referred to as “the boat” in the community. But it’s the value buy because it’s sort of the most undesirable. Put in a suspension kit, wider wheels and tires and you end up with a pretty decent canyon carving roadster. I enjoyed your video, have fun.
I have black wheels on my racing yellow 981 GTS and they look superb, contrasting really well with the yellow. They also have the added benefit of not showing brake dust as much as silver wheels.
Really good buy IMO.
IMS, RMS, Motorsport AOS (if you can afford it), coilovers, drop links, wheels, sticky tires, clutch (when its time), maintenance, and send it.
I absolutely love my 2002 911 C2. The Headlights are actually something I like.
I have a 986 Boxster, the front end is the same as the 911. Things to look out for are any of the interior accessories. Ignition switch, headlight switch, door locks, etc tend to fail. You know about the heat foam problem and is real. Had some issues with electrical draws from the fuse box under the steering wheel as well. Great car overall, just many small, annoying things to fix from an old car with crap interior.
Exhaust System, Oil leaking and a broken Waterpump could be problematic on this platform.Rust on the older ones.
Youre right about the intro, from VW to Audi to eventually porsche
I am glad I watched the whole thing right to the end! Epic love it ! Kind of suits you actually
An insult of the highest order Hahahhaha. Yeah…..
check the long brake pipes that run underneath the car, they corrode and can be dangerous whenever they burst! also make sure the differential fluid is changed :D
I'm so excited to see where you go with this. Similar progression even including the V10 Touareg but I have a Eurovan problem that you're not covering except for some VR6 content. Love following your projects!
Charles, congratulations on your new Porsche! Terrific content, as usual. Love the wheels, double-love the exhaust note! Enjoy!
Excited to watch this series. Now all you needed is a Porche branded pocket-protector to match the fit
*Do the alternative blend door fix!* Do not replace the heater unit. Pull the radio out, cut through the center HVAC door, put high temp HVAC tape on the blend door, then tape up the center HVAC hole. Reinstall the radio and you're done. For $40 and 2 hours you can fix the AC permanently.
The office space bit at the end was epic!
Living the dream. As a fellow long time mk4 r32 owner I’ve always wanted to move up to a pcar one day.
Welcome to the club Charles! The interior on my 1984 looks like it came out of a '70s VW, but I didn't buy it for the interior. My journey is the opposite of yours. I got my 911 23 years ago and now my daily driver is an A4 and I share a MK5 GTI with the kids when they let me drive it.
Since no one else mentioned it, I'll put in a plug for the Porsche Club of America. Check out the club in your local region. You will find many knowledgeable people more than willing to help a new owner. "It's not just the cars, it's the people". And don't forget to wave!
986 here. I pulled my immobilizer and applied a conformal coating to it as a little extra insurance, just in case I ever got caught with the windows/top down. Also, mine has been spitting foam at me for a while now. I just found that there is a VW plug kit on Amazon that fits the 9x6 (my kit comes in tomorrow).
Congratulations sire on the new whip and EE would cosign on the tires first.
I bought my first budget 911 back in 2012. It was a 99 carrera 2 with over 100k miles and the motor was hurt. The oil pump in the drivers side head let go and it jumped time causing 6 valves to bend on the left head and a broken valve spring on the right. I tore it down and repaired it all and did the LN engineering IMS upgrade. I also ditched the stock dual mass flywheel for an Aasco racing 13lb billet and spec clutch. I want to say I put the cheapest set of mufflers I could find on the thing and I let it rip! The 3.4 was no beast, but I had fun! Bought the car for $7800. Sold it a few years later for a little over $20k. Great times working on that car. These engines drop out pretty quick. Definitely designed around motor out services.
The way it drives is what we all love. Congrats 😊
you can cleary see that this car is suffering from bore score. 7:17 oily exhaust tip on the drivers side. (btw, caymans do get this on the passenger side because of a different exhaust)
Lol SWEET outro!! I've taken this same car progression route since I was 16: 2 VW buses, MK 1 GTI, 6 different Audi's, and on my 6th Porsche now. All these VAG cars all seem to have similarities mechanically, fasteners, etc. Of the numerous cars I've worked on over the years, I think the Porsches are actually the easiest. The engineering often comes down from Motorsport racing knowledge so everything just seems more intuitive. If you bought this 4S for 20K with 65KM?! you scored big time. Clean 40k mile 4S typically $40-50K and a ton of bad 996's out there. If there is no bore scoring issues for sure a deal here. You are a pro mech so whatever you need to do you will figure it out. My 09' C4S w/6MT is absolutely one of my favorite AWD cars I've ever owned. PNW dude so it rules in the rain and snow we get. Black wheels look rad on silver I think. Personal choice. Warning: unless you have a ton of money or the skills to work on a Porsche and pay the tax on parts don't buy one!
If you’re not going to track the car and drive in the winter, less a lot of snow, consider the Michelin Pilot Sport All Seasons. Not ultimate grip but still very good. Fantastic under 45 degree Fahrenheit. Allows you to drive all year in most places in the USA. I use them as my winters due to very little snow in my area. But don’t have that chatter of cold tires pulling out of the garage with my P/S 4S summers.
IF your engine ever ends up toast, check out the Renn27 conversion.
You'll either love it or hate it. Either ways, YOU will be VERY familiar with it. 😉
Congrats on the new sweet ride!
Sweet ride Charles! I thought it was a 911 Turbo from the bodykit, I didn't realise the 996 Carrera 4S had a different bodykit and rear light bar than a regular Carrera 4. That looks great!
Omg that perfect office space ending !
Should be a fun series! It's a car I could see owning with either; a) your skills and tools, b) deep pockets for Porsche tax.
The suspenders and that tie are tasteful! I love it
Got me with the outro. Wasn’t ready.
I am aiming to get myself one of these one day. Always had a soft spot for them. Beautiful car. Thanks Charles, enjoyed this one!
Hey Charles. As someone who currently works at an Audi/Porsche/Vw dealership, don’t worry too much about the IMS bearing. The failure rate is 1% and we haven’t done one at least here at the dealer. 996 is a decent platform. Some trim pieces tend to rattle and come apart and sometimes we have common issues with window regulators and ignition cylinders locking up. Also common early VW gauge cluster type issues. If you’re used to VW from the early 2000’s (which I know you are) than you’re in good shape. Other than that and a few other things, not a bad platform.
Started with a fwd is12 2015 Audi A3, now at a 2017 manual mk7 gti with close to $10k in modifications, hopefully soon I’ll add a manual 997 to the garage to complement the mk7 and have a weekend car
Ignition cylinders fail all the time. The heater core foam can be fixed in situ if you don't mind cutting the center vent tubing.
The timing chain guides can deteriorate, the headlight mounts are a problem, make a hood bypass cable, air oil separator, water pumps, oil coolers. Secondary air pumps.
Done all of the above on my 986. Except the guides.
My Brother In-law also had a 996 Boxster and it got the dreaded IMS failure at 63k. I work with someone else that also has 996 and they havent has the IMS fail yet. So its a lottery picks as to who gets it. I looking forward to you replacing the IMS. That should be a good video. It's kept me away from those cars. Ill never be able to afford my GT3 RS but this is doable :)
Wow! Look forward to see what you do. BTW, my daily is a Mk7 GTI, and my weekend car is a 2000 996 C2 Coupe!
I knew it was coming from the thumbnail but that "ooo...yeah" sent me
Yes! I was hoping you’d branch into some Porsche content!
Dude! Fab exhaust and the wheels look awesome! I think I saw 63K mile… it’s nice sample…
I cannot comment on any of the other aspects, but black wheels are totally OK. They can be especially nice on some shades of silver and grey (like my Daytona grey Audi S3 2020).
Nice acquisition Charles!! Perfect color and sounds super cool too!!
The 911 is one of the few cars where I think black wheels work. Mainly because 9/10 if you are looking at pictures of classic Porsches its going to have black Fuchs wheels. Its like magnum 500s on a classic pony or watanabes on a classic Z. It just works.
I have a 986 shell I bought cheap and in the slow process of swapping in a AEB 1.8t. It will indeed be a spicy VW.
Hey! After 4 years and 2 996's that I still own, here are some thoughts on maintnence: change oil every 3-4k miles, use a few qt if not all 5w-50, and I highly recommend using 1-2 bottles of ceratec every other change or so, it's great for startup anti-friction which is known to be a danger to the bores in cold weather. Don't rev above 3k rpm until it's hot, and make sure to swap out the air filter every year or so, you'll notice a throttle response difference! Fantastic cars. Drive it as much as you can.
awesome Lumbergh! your going to have to come in on Saturday and change those headlights out to the ones that make it look like the other Porsches
so I hope we can get to the bottom of why bore scoring happens, there is a few versions out there, explaining the problem and the cause of why bore scoring happens , but it will be very interesting to hear yours, thanks
I'm glad I waited to see Lumburg at the end. Classic. 😂
I agree, the natural progress is to a Porsche from the VW.
Drove my friends 2002 Boxster S many years.
Sure they're not fast like our Golf Rs but fun.
I have never light Porsche exhaust at idle or very light throttle! It sounds broken. But when pushed it sounds amazing
That office space reference in the thumbnail made me smile. Yeeeeeaaahhh.
I didn’t realize how much I liked the black wheel on silver until now lol
Congrats on the purchase! Not a fan of black wheels. Previous owner of my ND Miata spray bombed the wheels black. They have since been stripped and refinished in silver.