As a real Newbie Porsche owner I'm wondering what neat MODs there are out there for my 2003 996 Cab.

gota911 (Tim K.) has suggested the cool stuff:

1. Aluminum Gauge Rings - get 'em from Eric at BumperPlugs
2. Aluminum pedals - check e-bay (Gonna happen really soon)
3. Replace your CD holder with an upper storage tray - Porsche dealer $35
4. You could add the Spoiler Switch to your horseshoe
5. You could also do the Garage Door Opener switch mod on the horseshoe. (This is one that sounds really interesting. I'm tired of going into the glove box for the remote already.)
6. Clear side markers (Already ordered )

Anything else that a clutzy guy like me with NO experience can do? EASY step-by-step instructions would be great.

Jim

Still got those ugly ***-stickers on the visors promising instance death-by-airbag
should anyone dare to sit in your car? For $15, buy some cover ups from this guy on ebay - they're *very* thin pieces of vinyl that go over the sticker and make it look it was never there.. can be removed if you ever sell your car.

http://tinyurl.com/2ebcay


- N

Oh, I like it.

Now are you sure that the "Car Police" won't be after us?

Dunno about the car police - the car lawyers, maybe

- Nick

FYI, for the spoiler-switch and garage door switch on the dash, these guys sell kits:

http://myworld.ebay.com/europautoparts

On the plus side the kits all put together with the switch and the wiring harness, so it really is plug-and-play installation.

On the downside, they're freakin' expensive for a few pieces of wire and a plastic switch. They also sell just the switches, and if you're OK with making up your own wiring harness that would be a much cheaper way to go.

Their garage door switch, in particular, consists of the actual garage door remote hacked into a wire harness and hidden behind the dash. It works, but it's a bit cheesy and means you'll have to take the dash apart every couple of years to replace the battery.

I was too lazy and bought the kits for both. Were I to do it again, I'd seriously consider buying just the switches from somewhere and hacking up my own wiring. You may decide the kits are worth the $$$ if you truly want something
you can plug in and be done.

Live and learn....

- Nick

Isn't there an easier way to do this and remove all the ugly stuff?

Here's a DIY to remove the stickers, thanks to Orient Express.

Looks great!

http://tinyurl.com/ys7mea




The other "newbie" change I made (also thanks to Orient Express) was to wire the Euro-style-driver-side rear fog light to the passenger-side lamp, as well, so turning on the rear fog (singular) is now turning on the rear fogs (plural)!

--

LEP 2002 C4S coupe

All of this things are cosmetic mods. I will do it later. My first mod will be for engine sound (evo intake, exhaust, cat bypass) etc.

B&M Short Shift Kit from Bumperplugs - easy DIY install - great instructions - fantastic result!

Colored wheel crests if you don't have them already

BoulderNick - thanks for the Garage Door thingy info. Is it really "plug and play" for the mechanically special-needs, 'cause this sounds too cool? Do you really have to dismantle the dash to install it (he says with sweat already running down his forehead)?

BoulderNick & LEP - Good ideas both. Seriously, is there some regulation/law-thing-that-we-should-know-about keeping these warning labels in a car?

zicoramone & cdodkin - I agree totally and hope that sometime soon I'll be out of the "Porsches for Dummies" section and actually be able to DO something mechanical rather than just admire the crap out of people who can. Right now my baby, "Norman" (you know after the calf in City Slickers) is a marvel that I am totally in awe and a just little afraid of.

Pretty darn close.. you have to pop off the "horseshoe" around the central console that houses the radio and other buttons.. it literally just pops off - use a thin bladed screwdriver, putty knife or some other instrument that won't mar the edges - then pop out one of the blank buttons, snap in the garage door button, hide the opener somewhere inside the dash behind the horsehoe, and snap it back on.

If you want it to light at night that's an couple of leads you can attach to the lighting leads of one of the other buttons - the hardest part is figuring out what are the proper lighting leads on one of the other buttons..

But that's about all there is to it..

- Nick

Hi Jim, the first mod that I did was the EVO cold air induction. I highly recommend it. I have done other mods, but this makes the greatest difference in the sound of our cars. Especially with a cab, you will derive countless hours of pleasure from the improved sound and performance.

Don't forget the sidemarker flash mod (alternating with blinker).

Oh, and the clicker range mod is a must.

-td

Paint your calipers red
Paint your "top hats" silver

Thx... knew I had seen that somewhere before.