JLJ11

So finally back in nyc after 14 months away. Time to start dusting off the fleet and getting things working. Decided to start with the 930 and make it my daily driver for at least a while. Driving a raptor to work in Manhattan is fun but tricky so until it gets too hot for the AC to work i'll spend my time in my favorite 911. I guess at this point im halfway done with making its a more reasonable prospect to use daily. Some decisions were pretty easy. Here is a pic from when i bought her back in 2010 from a guy in florida..

First thing to go were the tints.. maybe thats ok in florida... maybe.. but i wanted to be able to see out of the windows.. Front fogs i didnt like so off they went. Rear 3rd brake light.. off with that too.

Then onto things to make my life easier.. guess its already such a mutt that i hope not to be too derided by the purists on the way this car is progressing.
Firstly has a 964 motor swap and a custom exhaust system that is borderline manically loud. No leaks, no compression issues, no overheating problems. The 3.6 is not turbo charged like the original but i believe the 76 turbos barely broke 200bhp so im up over stock with more predictable delivery. A 915 5 speed with a Wevo short shift is the transmission.


Biggest problems were the brakes. Stock 930 brakes but with zero modulation and full weight pressure to even get any impact whatsoever.
Firstly rebuilt the calipers, new brake lines and new pads.. didnt improve much. New master cylinder then bled re bled the brake system. Finally the car stops which is useful. LED dash lights and HID's make seeing instide and outside a lot easier and i raised the suspension a fraction to eliminate any chances of rubbing. Was set up on the minimum setting when i purchased it and it just didnt feel right.


So now she looks a little cleaner, drives a lot better and is much easier to live with.

Remaining on the list for this month is: Remove half bar and harness and put in regular seat belts.. Im not going to track the car and its just a pain especially without bucket seats.
Need to figure out the converter for the tach which currently isnt working.
Figure out the best way to plug all the holes left from removing the fogs and rear wiper and 3rd brake light. Replace the speakers and radio to something that works. Fix the short thats causing the wiper fuse to blow - pretty annoying in the north east. Currently running too rich also but its making lovely popping and crackling sounds on downshifts which is entertaining. Also the rubber seal on the hood is warped so it pushed the metal up on one side and makes the shut line look off.
Best thing of all is the weekend blasts to bear mountain and any tunnel in manhattan. That and being surrounded by a sea of cabs in the same color on the drive to work. Makes me want a longer commute.
1st up tho will be the seat belts.. if anyone knows a good place for second hand belts would appreciate it. Dont want to spend 400 bucks or similar on a new set..

Reiver

That last one is a great pic...poster quality.
Visited friends and NYC last Oct....don't know how you do it.

TexasRider

Good car, good pics and good post.

But man I think you got to be dedicated to make these into a daily driver .

JLJ11

Its really not that bad. The more regularly i drive her the more problem free she becomes. Hopefully most teething issues are in the past.....

mstier

I don't know, man. I live in the Jersey suburbs, virtually never drive the 911 in Manhattan. Hate driving anything there, but the only stretch of road I can stand in my Porsche is the Henry Hudson between the GWB and Riverdale. Too many potholes, too many bad joints, too many crazy cabbies and other nuts.

Have fun with your car on weekends, get yourself something cheap and expendable for the weekdays.

aratapuss

Nice mods, looks great. A few of your pictures are REALLY good. The headlights are pretty awesome also, IMO.

ECS Tuning

That last picture is amazing Nice modifications so far, love seeing your daily driving but be careful with all those pot holes this time of year. Enjoy and keep us updated.

JLJ11

Thanks for the compliments fellas.
Most people think im nuts for driving in manhattan. I agree the most fun i have is the saw mill parkway and bear mountain. However i know the location of every pothole on my ride to work, i get the chance to listen to her pop and crackle loudly in the park avenue tunnel and dodging cabs is a game that hopefully i'll continue to win. Sadly reminded by todays events in Boston i'll take no day for granted and drive my 911s as if each day was the last. At some point i'll switch to one of the others but only once she is perfect. Back to searching for seatbelts...

SARGEPUG

Nice ride!!!
What's your commute and what part of town you live in? When I lived in the city, I kept a new '99 M3 in my building's garage (47th and 2nd) and then did the opposite commute to New Rochelle each day. Even though I was blocks away from Grand Central, I preferred to be on my "own" schedule. Moved out to the burbs in '02, but retain an apt in the West Village. However, I only take my Benz GL450 and CLS550 into town. Porsches reside between Hamptons and westchester homes, nicey nice! lol
Saw mill is a good one, especially up north and I frequent Bear w/ a group of P-car friends quite often. You should join us, I am also looking forward to the weekly car show on Wednesdays!

mstier

Well, have fun. Can't say I didn't try to persuade you. And yes, there are few roads like the Saw Mill north of 287, especially on those rare days when you get it to yourself. Make sure you have a Valentine 1. Cops will sometimes surprise you, even on the Henry Hudson in Manhattan, as my ENT, a Boxster driver, reports.

Hey, another great, if too short, run in Westchester is Route 22, Mount Kisco Road north from the circle in Valhalla up to King Street near Armonk. You can then drive down King Street and get on the Merritt, or go back and work your way over to the Saw Mill.

And let me add, great looking car, hope it drives as well as it looks.

JLJ11

I live in nolita and work in midtown. easy commute and v little traffic when im on the way in. 3rd av, - 4th av - park av. - Its a lot more fun than it sounds.
Would love to get out there with other p-cars some weekend. Is there a persistant thread for Metro area guys? I used to tag along with the 964 london owners club when i was living there. was a lot of fun.

As it turns out i was late today and did catch traffic.. luckily i blended right in...

JLJ11

Ha, i cant be persuaded to drive something different at this point.. i cant see it getting old. Your routes u suggst are great - ive not done the route 22 one tho.. i need to give that a go..
The car now drives amazingly. Its hard to fault from a driving perspective now i have figured the brakes out.

SARGEPUG

Love nolita! Have you been to Rubirossa yet?? For those non "New Yorkers", nolita stands for North of Little Italy.

Wow you really troop it in town! If I were you, I would just jump in a cab or take the subway! Then I would go for runs out of town on the weekends. Are you paying garage fees in Nolita and midtown? When I lived in Midtown in the late 90's, I was paying $450 a month to park my M3! However, I paid a premium for my own private seperate from all spot (only 6 existed) and the right to park my myself. Since I own my own business, I was able to write it off.
No persistent thread Metro wise, but you should join the Metro PCA.

JLJ11

I was a member of metro pca before i went to london for a year. i should get back on that.

Yep, been to rubirosa and all the spots near me. it sure has changed a lot in the last 5 years. it was a ghost town when i moved here.

Couldnt give up the drive for a taxi. Garages got a lot more expensive in manhattan but luckily i have a good relationship with both the one at home and the one in midtown and cost is very reduced. Its logistically very difficult to juggle this many cars tho without incurring ridiculous costs. Im lucky for some very helpful friends. I might start a thread for some weekend meets to gauge interest.

I still find it weird how nobody thinks jumping in an old 911 every day is a good idea. I used to have a 997 and other modern cars, just never made me smile as much. Will be a sad day when they are all tucked up in garages and not being seen out and about.

mike5876

i hate that ugly third brake light...that comes off the day i get a car that has one.....you can get plugs at lowes not home depot they dont have...the 2 small holes are 1/4" larger one is 11/16" for the brake light holes...the hole for the wiper they also have dont remember size offhand