carrerafanboy

As the title says, I recently acquired my first Pcar — a 2013 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S.

I was pretty set on a "4" model since the car will eventually reside on the east coast, and I'd like to be able to comfortably drive it in [almost] any weather condition as it'll be my only vehicle for the foreseeable future.

Luckily within a few weeks of searching, I was able to locate a non-CPO 4S in mint condition (inside and out) within driving distance, with ~5.5k miles from one owner on the odometer. I had the car PPIed within 48 hours of locating it online, and purchased it 5 days later for $4k under the dealer's ask. I jumped on it even for a middle-of-the-road price because the car was specced almost exactly as I would have myself, in nearly perfect condition, and I didn't want to spend weeks or months searching for a "better" car or price and miss out on precious driving time. Here's my build sheet.

The good: It's a driver-centric build with PASM Sport, PDCC, Sport Chrono, and a 7-speed Manual Transmission. I'm glad it has some of the creature comforts like Premium Package Plus, Navigation Module, BOSE Audio Package, and SiriusXM + HD Radio since it'll be my daily driver. It's also in my favorite color — GT Silver!

The bad: It's lacking Sport Exhaust and a Full Leather Interior. The former isn't a big deal since I can always add it later, but I'm torn on whether or not I'll miss the Full Leather Interior in the long-run... Although, I wonder if it's a blessing in disguise since I don't take pleasure in detailing interiors, and the Standard Interior seems much easier to maintain. And obviously the fact that it's not a CPO vehicle (it was purchased from a non-Porsche dealer), but it does have ~1.5 years of the factory warranty remaining.

Unfortunately, for as beautiful and performant as the car is, my ownership has been a bit of a mixed-bag so far... I didn't bond with the car initially because I discovered that within ~30 minutes of driving, I get very bad lower back pain (in the sacral region, which is beneath the lumbar region and thus the seat's adjustable lumbar support). I'm confused by it because I've never had this issue with any car in the past, am young and in good shape, nor did it show up during three separate 991.1 test drives — all with the same 14-way seats my car has. This really bummed me out and I pondered selling the car immediately to minimize the hit I'll take on resale value

Thankfully, I was able to take the car out for its first real spin this past weekend along the Pacific Coast Highway and around Big Sur (pictures below), and I came away with it determined to work through my issue and keep the car. The ride was a hoot to say the least — I can't wait to track it!

My only other low point was scraping the bottom of the front bumper in my first week of ownership, and picking up quite a few rock chips on my weekend trip Since I received the car with its paint in 98% condition and planned to get it clear braed soon after, this was a big bummer. I plan to get the bumper and blemishes repaired by a highly-rated mobile car touchup person, and then have the car paint corrected, clear braed, and OptiCoated.

Now for a few questions (providing I haven't already bored you to tears!):

1. I did a bunch of searching, but wasn't able to find more than 1-2 threads talking about sacral pain and remedies. My current band-aid has been a foam wedge and folded towel, but I'd like something more permanent/elegant. I think the main issue is the downward faux-bucket angle of the seats, and am considering shimming the rear rails to give the seat a more neutral position. I've also considered going to a reupholstering shop and having the seat re-profiled. Does anyone have any tips here?

2. Is there anything I should be aware of before getting a paint touchup and then clear bra? I've read that touchup paint can lift once the clear bra is removed (although this can be minimized by allowing the touchup paint to cure for ~30 days), and am prepared to take that risk in order to get the paint looking perfect before the clear bra is applied.

3. Besides joining the PCA and checking the West US Rennlist Region subforum, what are some additional ways to connect with fellow Bay Area Pcar nerds — er — enthusiasts?

If you made it this far: Thanks for reading, and for providing me with weeks worth of entertaining and informative posts! I've learned a ton from this forum, and it helped me pull the trigger on my first Pcar purchase. Also shout-out to STG and his "Hot for Sale" thread — I didn't find my car through it, but found it to be an outstanding resource during my hunt.

Last but not least — the pictures!

Stopped along 17 Mile Drive


Exploring dirt roads in the mountains


Sunset over the Pacific


Obligatory rear shot


My jury-rigged seat solution


Bumper damage on the passenger side


Bumper damage on the driver side


My build sheet — the car came with Turbo wheels when I purchased it though

dawgcatching

Oh man, that's a sweet car! Manual 4S, they are pretty rare for some reason! Seems like I see far more 2S manuals.

Johnny5Alive

Nice car. Haven't had the back issue you're having. Probably a dumb question, but have you tried running the dampers on the softer settings?

Don't sweat the standard interior. I've had full leather on past Porsche and the standard on this one. I don't think you're really missing that much unless You're constantly staring at the door cards, dash etc. Porsche standard materials do an excellent impression of leather. I suspect it is more durable if you daily drive the car.

golfnutintib

and why NOT join PCA? that is THE way to connect ... GGR in particular...

now you have the car...now meet the people...

here is a secret -- as amazing as the cars are, the people are even better ... shhhhhhhhhhhh

RoWa

... just acquired my 2014 GT Silver C4S (PDK)
... also live in the Bay Area (East Bay)
... also had lower back pain first time I drove it and was totally bummed ... but played with seat controls for 10 minutes and seem to have gotten the seat setting right for me
... also have scratches on the nose exactly where you have them

Please PM me with how you get on with L&M ... I have some leads/costs on local Clear Bra installers

ArthurVandalay

Nice build. Nice colour. I'm just waiting for mine to arrive.

Having had two spinal cord surgeries...I feel your pain. And did a little investigation prior.

Magicrat had his seats tailored .
https://rennlist.com/forums/991/9181...-thread-5.html









What did you scrape your front on? To know what to avoid. Thanks




_

Bents

I have the exact same back issue that you describe, and have also never had an issue in any other car. Really strange. I'm 34 and also in good shape.

carrerafanboy

The 7MT does indeed seem increasingly rare. Of all of the dealers in the Bay Area that I surveyed, only a single one had a 991.x with 7MT (a CPO trade-in). None of them order their dealer stock with 7MT anymore because 99% of their walk-in buyers want PDK. Which I can understand given how bad the traffic is around here, but it's a shame they've become impossible to find on the showroom floor.

I was a little worried since I'd read the gearbox isn't as nice as the 997.2's, but I've found it to be quite good so far. Clutch throw is on the lighter side (not "light", but certainly not heavy), but I think that'll come as a blessing on my commute. I really wish the gears weren't so long though, and that it only had six of 'em.

Yep, I've run the dampers on both Normal and Sport settings, and even lowered my tire pressure to the "comfort" setting (after reading this article). I'm pretty certain it's the angle of the seat since the vibrations/bumps really don't seem to bother me or aggravate the pain.

Thanks for the reassurance about the Standard Interior. Porsche's plastics and leatherette are really top-of-the-line!

My bad on the wording of that question — I was just wondering about additional venues to meet other Pcar enthusiasts locally I'll definitely join the PCA!

Awesome!! Congratulations on your purchase

I'm curious about how you ended up getting the seat adjusted to your liking. Do you plan to attend any Cars & Coffee or Pcar events in the Bay Area soon?

I'll definitely drop you a note re: L&M, and am interested in what kind of quotes you've been getting from clear bra installers in the area.

Thank you! And thanks for showing me MagicRat's solution — glad to see the seats can be reupholstered and still look stock.

Do any Bay Area Rennlisters have a recommendation for top-notch upholstery shops in the area? I've had trouble identifying a good one for modern Porsches...

I scraped my front bumper on a very low parking block. I didn't see it while pulling into the parking space, and stupidly didn't get out of the car to check before continuing to pull forward. Oddly I didn't feel/hear any contact with the PASM Sport lip, and only felt/heard minor rubbing once it got to the lower bumper. By that point it was too late though Lesson learned!

I'm sorry to hear that (but selfishly glad to hear I'm not entirely alone, which gives me hope!). How have you addressed it so far?

I think my main issue is the angle of the seat and the divot at the rear of the seat that your butt is meant to slide into, which leads to a lack of support for my sacral region. When adjusting the seat you can't really adjust the height of the back of the seat relative to the front, without dropping the front all the way to the floor which then results in unsupported legs.

The wedge helped a lot because it gave me a 90° angle to work with between the seat bottom and seat back, so now my lower back is [almost] fully supported. I'm hoping shimming the seat rails at the rear will be a more elegant long-term solution...

KenTO

Interesting point on the back pain issue. Do all of you who have this issue have the 14 way seats?

Leecw

I had the same issue in my 2CS - I am certain it is due to the difference in the seat cushion due to having the ventilated seats (part of the Premium Plus pack)
After about 80 miles of driving my lower back is really sore - since purchasing the following: the pain goes away. The seat pad folds nicely in half and can be stored behind the seat.

Dewinator

I developed crippling lower back pain splitting driving duties between my Boxster with base seats and a Nissan, the 991 with 14-ways saved me and I'm all better now since I can adjust the lumbar up and down (as far out as it goes) to get right in there and give me support where I need it.

siitech

Congratulations on the beautiful car!

i had a similar low back pain a few years ago from my then new Audi S4 driver's seat, my back would feel hurt after only about 20 minutes of drive. I searched for solution, to make a long story short, I eventually found that what needed fixing was my back but not the seat. Althought at the time I seemed to be doing ok with my BMW seat on long drives, the Audi seat aggrevated and revealed a problem I did not pay attention to, it was not serious, instead of spine, the pain was mostly from ultra tight muscle in my lower back area. I went through several Chiraprators and doctors, benifited most from acupucture treaments, and by doing streching excercises, and I am getting a lot better now. I no longer bothered by the Audi seat for any short drives, and I took several 2 days trips in the car without too much stress.

I know everybody is different, but from my experince it maybe wise to have a check up on your back before modifying your seat. At least try to exercise, stretch, and relax your back. And of course, pay attention to tension on your lower back muscle, try different adjustment and seating position to prevent your muscle from acting up. On the other hand, your back problem maybe very different from mine, so just a suggestion from my experience.

By the way, in my case I found the 14 way driver's seat in the 991 is much more comfortable than the S4's.

Dewinator

To piggyback on the exercise thing, I used to do leg day like once a week. Now I do squats and quads Mon + Fri, deads + hammies Weds and calves on Tue + Thurs. Getting stronger has really helped everything stabilize I think, in combination with having lumbar support.

tgcrun

Even with 4 wheel drive, make sure you get a good set of winter tires when you move to the east coast. My wife has them on her 997 4S, and she drives it to work no matter what the weather. My 991 4S with summer tires stays in the garage when it snows.

Bents

You explained the issue exactly as I see it, in terms of the divot at the rear and that part not being adjustable. I am sorry to say that I haven't found a solution and it has impacted my ability to "bond" with the car as you describe. I keep meaning to try cushion of some kind (may try the GSeat one recommended here) because I stubbornly can't get my mind around having to do this at my age and in a car like this. Please do let me know if shimming the seat rails helps. I've never had an issue with any other car seat.