View Poll Results: What to do?
Pony up for PCCB
31
22.14%
Just get a damn S
75
53.57%
The standard 19" & 20" wheels look fine
34
24.29%
Voters: 140. You may not vote on this poll
PCCB on base Carrera?
#16
Rennlist Member
Spec'ing a lightly equipped Carrera as close to $100k as possible but I do want to get the 20/21" wheels. I know the brakes will look puny in those wheels which will definitely bug me. To make matters worse, the car will spend most of its life on a lift that I'll be walking by daily and looking into those gorgeous wheels and seeing the smallish and soon to be corroding steel brakes.
Upgrading to PCCB is about $9k which would seem to make no sense at all in view of my spec and price goals, but I do appreciate their benefits and like their looks and the yellow calipers. On the other hand, upgrading to the S is "only" about another $5k more, and I get to enjoy the extra 65hp plus the slightly larger though still steel red brakes, but now I've really blown out my budget. I also imagine that when I eventually sell it, I'll more than make up the extra $5k on the S over an odd ball PCCB base car.
Probably the best solution is to stick with the standard 19/20" wheels which seem to be designed to make the standard brakes fill the wheel better - but I really think the larger wheels are part of the 992's new "look".
What would you do in my position?
Upgrading to PCCB is about $9k which would seem to make no sense at all in view of my spec and price goals, but I do appreciate their benefits and like their looks and the yellow calipers. On the other hand, upgrading to the S is "only" about another $5k more, and I get to enjoy the extra 65hp plus the slightly larger though still steel red brakes, but now I've really blown out my budget. I also imagine that when I eventually sell it, I'll more than make up the extra $5k on the S over an odd ball PCCB base car.
Probably the best solution is to stick with the standard 19/20" wheels which seem to be designed to make the standard brakes fill the wheel better - but I really think the larger wheels are part of the 992's new "look".
What would you do in my position?
#17
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I've been going back and forth myself on an order on I placed with regard to PCCBs. As superficial as this sounds, I would have spec'd them if I was going with a color combo other than silver and red. And paying an extra G for glossy black is something I won't do.
The benefits I see are as follows
No brake dust
Lifetime service life (for street use)
More fade resistance
The drawbacks are
Susceptible to chipping.
Some apparentlysqueak.
Track use can seriously shorten their service life.
Very expensive $25k to replace all 4.
Questions I still have,
They do reduce unsprung rotor weight by half, however, is there any noticeable performance benefit to this.
Breaking distance, is it significantly better.
How about breaking feel for everyday street use.
Unfortunately, I never really paid close attention to the breaks in cars I've driven with PCCBs so maybe an enthusiastic test drive focused on such would help.
The benefits I see are as follows
No brake dust
Lifetime service life (for street use)
More fade resistance
The drawbacks are
Susceptible to chipping.
Some apparentlysqueak.
Track use can seriously shorten their service life.
Very expensive $25k to replace all 4.
Questions I still have,
They do reduce unsprung rotor weight by half, however, is there any noticeable performance benefit to this.
Breaking distance, is it significantly better.
How about breaking feel for everyday street use.
Unfortunately, I never really paid close attention to the breaks in cars I've driven with PCCBs so maybe an enthusiastic test drive focused on such would help.
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jkautz (11-09-2019)
#18
Everyone is free to spend their money in any way they desire when making a purchase.
Wrong or right isn't an issue, happiness and satisfaction are what's important.
For myself, I try to balance out what you actually need and what you want. What you want may not be what you need or even be practical.
Still comes back to being happy and satisfied.
Enjoy the process OP, good luck!
PS:
For the most part, the PTX GTS fleet has PCCBs with lugged wheels. The chief instructor explained that the PCCBs will last the same as several sets of the steel brakes, however, their costs aren't what us civilians would pay.
Several posts have been made on the forum by track drivers who state they use steel brakes due to replacement costs. I drove PCCBs this summer at PTX and they exhibited no noise or fade, but then, the steel brakes on the Cayman I drove there was also quiet with no fade. I'll there again this next week and see how they go in cooler ambient temps.
Wrong or right isn't an issue, happiness and satisfaction are what's important.
For myself, I try to balance out what you actually need and what you want. What you want may not be what you need or even be practical.
Still comes back to being happy and satisfied.
Enjoy the process OP, good luck!
PS:
For the most part, the PTX GTS fleet has PCCBs with lugged wheels. The chief instructor explained that the PCCBs will last the same as several sets of the steel brakes, however, their costs aren't what us civilians would pay.
Several posts have been made on the forum by track drivers who state they use steel brakes due to replacement costs. I drove PCCBs this summer at PTX and they exhibited no noise or fade, but then, the steel brakes on the Cayman I drove there was also quiet with no fade. I'll there again this next week and see how they go in cooler ambient temps.
Last edited by BSO; 11-10-2019 at 12:16 AM.
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DavePugh (11-11-2019)
#19
Three Wheelin'
the calipers, the discs, the hubs, and the lack of break dust.... throw in the better performance, and the near lifetime usage.. and it's the best $9K I spent on that car.
#20
Three Wheelin'
I understood what you meant, no worries. I could have spec'd my car with every option available, but I didn't since some of them did not seem useful or likable to me, so I can understand different points of view; however, I do not believe any option is a waste of money for someone that is willing to pay for it.
#21
A 911 is a waste of money. It's pointless to even worry about this.
Will you get your money back on trade in? No. The PCCBs do not add value on resale. Options are a terrible "investment" in general.
Will it get you the look you want with added performance and way easier cleaning? Definitely.
Like with most things in life - If you want it and can afford it, then get it. Only you can answer the question, "Do I really want to spend $9k on this."
Personally, I'd do it. PCCBs are cool.
Will you get your money back on trade in? No. The PCCBs do not add value on resale. Options are a terrible "investment" in general.
Will it get you the look you want with added performance and way easier cleaning? Definitely.
Like with most things in life - If you want it and can afford it, then get it. Only you can answer the question, "Do I really want to spend $9k on this."
Personally, I'd do it. PCCBs are cool.
#22
PCCBs are a waste of money. They look cool but the price doesn't equal the improvement in looks. And FYI - no one will care about them when you trade / sell it - more so on a base 911. Had them on my 997 GT3, no one cared. Didn't have them on my 991 GT3. No one cared.
#23
Trust me, most if not all of those people simply couldn't afford your spec. Jealousy is ugly but it sure is rampant among sportscar enthusiasts!
#25
I'd get only exactly what you want if you have the privilege of doing your own spec, not what may or may not make the most financial sense. Never really understood that line of thinking buying a brand new luxury car that will take a decent hit the moment you drive off the lot regardless, just go for what your heart wants that's why we buy these things
I ordered a base C4 and also upgraded the wheels to the 20/21 setup (love the Carrera classic style on 992). The smaller-ish brakes in the larger wheels don't bother me, I had the 20' RS Spyder wheels on base brakes for my 991.2 C4 as well
Brake dust does suck with the standard brakes or the S reds, and I would have opted for PCCB for my 992 C4 if it was my only sports car but I already have another with ceramics so I wanted to keep my C4 build as bare as possible (and still had over 20k in options). The stopping power and bite is unreal, they look killer, and no brake dust which is very nice
YMMV
I ordered a base C4 and also upgraded the wheels to the 20/21 setup (love the Carrera classic style on 992). The smaller-ish brakes in the larger wheels don't bother me, I had the 20' RS Spyder wheels on base brakes for my 991.2 C4 as well
Brake dust does suck with the standard brakes or the S reds, and I would have opted for PCCB for my 992 C4 if it was my only sports car but I already have another with ceramics so I wanted to keep my C4 build as bare as possible (and still had over 20k in options). The stopping power and bite is unreal, they look killer, and no brake dust which is very nice
YMMV
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PeterB123 (11-11-2019)
#26
Probably some of the most short-sighted/misguided advice I've read on Rennlist -- and that's saying something. There are many individuals who consider the absence of PCCBs a deal-breaker when buying a pcar. Honestly, at 9K they are a no-brainer cost option imo, try buying them after the fact and see how much they cost! And anyone who thinks PCCBs is just about their great looks is just lost.
Originally Posted by WCE
Upgrading to PCCB is about $9k which would seem to make no sense at all in view of my spec and price goals, but I do appreciate their benefits and like their looks and the yellow calipers. On the other hand, upgrading to the S is "only" about another $5k more, and I get to enjoy the extra 65hp plus the slightly larger though still steel red brakes, but now I've really blown out my budget. I also imagine that when I eventually sell it, I'll more than make up the extra $5k on the S over an odd ball PCCB base car..
In terms of real-world performance and experience, I've owned several 911s and a few GT3s. I've never felt the PCCBs have warranted the cost. I've had better pedal feel and performance with my non-PCCB cars - and the benefit of no squeaks. On resale, buyers never pointed out the cars had PCCBs, nor were they deciding factors when purchasing. That said, I will agree that GT3s with PCCBs may be more desirable than one without (even though they didn't affect my personal sales), but GT3s are significantly different cars than base 911s, both from a performance and market perspective. Again, I'm speaking from real-world, first hand experience as an owner, not a speculator.
I think the point here is that we are all free to express our opinions on what options work for us - and what don't - and we do that with our wallet. Different strokes for different folks. I think the OP has enough opinions now, along with links to other threads, to make an educated decision as to what will work from him.
#27
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Let us know what you decide WCE.
#28
Burning Brakes
I'm in the camp that would LOVE PCCB on my cars. But if it was between PCCB base and non-PCCB 'S' (budget restricting, I couldn't have both)? I agree: it'd be S all day and twice on Sunday. I'd much rather have the better model than PCCB.
#29
Burning Brakes
I’d rather get a PCCB base and spend $3k on a tune and push 470+ HP without mods. About 30HP more than an S for $13k less