motoo344

Hey all, new owner of a 1999 Porsche 911 Cabriolet in blue (I already forget the exact color lmao) with a matching hard top, Savanah interior and a 6 speed. I am usually not big on cabrios but the 911 looks good in almost any trim IMO. Every once in a while I check the classifieds around the web and see if anything catches my eye. I was not actively searching for a 911 but this one stuck out because of the miles and proximity to where I live. I went and looked at it right before Christmas, seemed in decent condition, not a garage queen but nothing that stuck out too much for a 20-year-old car. No solid service records but carfax shows it was at the dealer regularly and I had a PPI done. Common Porsche issues showed up, the PPI recommended RMS and AOS and I negotiated that out of the price and will take care of the IMS and clutch at the same time. Ended up purchasing it a few days before New Years and enjoyed a nice drive home in a downpour but since it's been a mild winter so far I have had a few chances to take her out. Slowly going to fix up some aesthetics, I detail cars so that helps with that. Think I will keep this thread as a placeholder for the things I do to it.

Here are some pics...

The day I brought it home.



Random pic from the other night.




One from today. The shape of these cars just looks good no matter the age.



First, wash.



All the black trim is trashed, faded, polish/wax all over. Before and after. Little touches like this will save money on replacing the pieces and make a huge difference in the overall appearance.





50/50 of the Cowl and Completed





Fender liner, 50/50 and after. Very happy how this came out and I cant wait to do the rest.





Wheels. Looks like I am going to get this refinished. This is after a thorough cleaning, several rounds of iron remover and 000 and 000 steel wool. I could sand them down, primer and spray them but I think I would rather put my time elsewhere. It is a shame because the faces are in excellent shape, calipers look decent as well. Debating on having the calipers powder coated or just cleaning these up and ceramic coating them.

TexSquirrel

Looks nice.
Is that Midnight Blue?

MattBurns

Love that color combination. It was my first choice until I found my triple black cabriolet. Wife liked the black interior better than the beige. Some battles aren't worth fighting as I really liked both of them, but that's a sharp car you have there.

motoo344

Thanks, paint correction is going to make a huge difference. I thought I had a pic of the spec sticker handy but apparently not. I thought the code was for ocean blue metallic. It's a nice color, dark in low light and very bright in sunlight. It is also a fairly low option car and it has the LSD which is a nice option.

cheffrey

If you don't have solid repair records; and haven't done so; REPLCE the water pump and hoses ASAP.
This is common way to damage or lose an engine in a 996. ASK ME !!!!

motoo344

Black generally ages the best but this is different. It's not too dark or light and the black accents help.

I hear you, I might do it myself.

I worked on the front set of fender liners today, came out pretty good.

e90steve

You are using the floor jack in the standard suggested location.

Is it ok to use the additional jack stand in the location you are using?

motoo344

I had a hard time finding the spot pelican suggested for the initial jack, maybe I am blind or maybe I was just being cautious because I didn't want to crush any of the lines the run in that area. If I was doing this long term or laying under the car I would switch it around. I just needed up in the air for an hour.

wyovino

What did you use on the black rubber and plastic pieces?

Kris Murphy

Where in PA are you?

motoo344

Solution Finish is what I have used on all the plastics so far. It is for restoring faded and beat up plastic. Something like Cquartz if for plastic in good shape and I want it to last a year or so. Perl for everyday dressing or something like Optimum Tire Gel.

I am in Doylestown.

Kris Murphy

Small world. I'm in Jenkintown.Grew up in Doylestown area.

motoo344

Small world indeed. Seems to be a decent amount of members in this general area as well.


Was hoping to have a friend come over who wanted to check out the car and help with some paint correction but he had wedding planning to do. I did a small test spot and this thing is pretty hammered. I used some foamed wool pads and it removed 90% of the defects but I need to order in some smaller ones which should help a bit.

Ratchet1025

pcasanova

Nice ride. Color combo is one of my favorites for a Porsche.

Miss my C4 Cabrio.