fpena944

In all fairness to Hurdi I have seen a lot of newbies coming in and immediately asking how they can change the 996. So it's not the long time members who answered this thread but those who see a cheap Porsche and want to figure out how to make it look like a more expensive Porsche.

For those of us who have stuck around for a while the answer, of course, is "no we're not ashamed."

I used to think that way when I was younger too. I remember wanting to buy a base air cooled 911 and purchasing a body kit to make it look like a 959. But now that I have my 996 I could care less about the headlights. Sure I like the way the 997 C4S looks better than mine but most people can't tell my car from a 991 anyway so it really doesn't matter and I'm saving $80k at the same time.

5CHN3LL

I guess I don't understand why driving a fake 959 would be less "shameful" than driving a stock 911. Along those lines, I don't understand why slapping a new front bumper on a 996 would assuage any feelings of inferiority about the car.

Most of the population know nothing about Porsche models, so they don't care about 996 headlights. The remaining few are going to think you're more of a tool for trying to disguise your car and pass it off as something else.

Hurdi seems incapable of differentiating between people who are ashamed of their cars and people who want to do things to make their cars stand out. For most people (the vast majority, I suspect), adding a new spoiler to your 996 isn't about being ashamed of your car - it's about personalizing the car and making it your own. It's not really much different than sticking every emblem you can buy at the Porsche parts counter to the back of your 996, thought it's probably a bit more tasteful.

Certainly, there are some folks (like the guy last week who wanted to remove the ugly 996 "skin" and replace it with something else) who want to hide what they own. Maybe I'm fooling myself, but I think these folks are the minority.

Anyone who is ashamed of their car should sell it and buy something else. As for me, I'd rather drive my 996 than just about anything else out there. I love the car. If I allow my opinion about stuff I spent my hard-earned money on to be swayed by some Internet people I don't even know, I deserve to be unhappy.

I saw my car in an online listing and said, "Holy s**t, I've gotta have that car," so I guess I feel differently than someone who thinks, "Wow, I sure wish I could drive a 911, but all I can afford is this lowly 996, so I guess I'll buy that." I don't see the point in buying something you know going in isn't what you really want - and if you did buy something you really wanted, why would someone else's opinion on an Internet forum matter?

Cuda911

Yes.

996_North

I threw up in my mouth a little when I first saw my 996, but I bought it anyways. Alcohol and My ugly headlight therapy group has helped me through some rough times. A friend once told me the 996 is hot, but "office" hot. You know like that girl from the office you would tap, but compared to the rest of the world maybe not so hot.

I love mine.

Dennis C

I'm ashamed of myself for reading and actually posting something in this thread...

I remember the first time that I ever "noticed" the headlights on a 996. It was a MK II car and it pulled up behind me in traffic waiting to leave after a Formula 1 race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I knew very little about Porsche 911s at that point other than the fact that I wanted one. As I watched the silver 911 pull up behind me, the driver activated the left turn signal. I could see the amber light flashing in the driver's side rear view mirror of my Saab 9-5 Aero. I remember thinking to myself: "Wow, those headlights on the new Porsches look really cool". I was uneducated in the world of Porsche 911s at that point, and I didn't know that I wasn't supposed to like the headlights.

A few years later, I bought a 996 C4S. I didn't buy it because it was a good value or because I cared what people thought about it. I bought it because I wanted a Porsche 911 for myself. That car remains one of my favorite cars that I've ever owned. For me, that car was most special when I was driving it down a curvy mountain road without another car in sight. I also really enjoyed washing and detailing the car and really appreciating the lines of the body work. I no longer own that car, but I didn't sell it because of the way it looked or the way it made me feel when I drove it. If I really thought about the way that car made me feel, then I probably wouldn't have sold it. I had nearly 100K miles of driving enjoyment behind the wheel of a 996.

996 owners drive these cars by choice. They were hand-picked. These aren't typically cars that were handed down as a worn out P.O.S. from your older brother because you couldn't afford to buy something else. If anyone who owns or drives a 996 is ashamed of the car, then they chose the wrong car or they bought it for the wrong reasons. Nothing that the rest of us say will change that.

DTMiller

Stupid thread is stupid. Schnell still crushes the internet

KrazyK

Wow, Jumpers C4S looks good from any angle.

You peeps have scared poor Hurdi out of posting in his own thread. I hope your ashamed of your selves. Hah get it?

kab1994

if that is your garage in the background very nice!

jumper5836

it is, thanks

PRSWILL

I would buy a 996 turbo tomorrow if I had the room. IMS scares me with the NA models. The turbo is one of the best values tho-

Dennis "N" SC

Where did you get the front splitter. Gotta have one. Looks great

Dennis "N" SC

Where can I find a splitter like you have? Thanks

Hurdigurdiman

Not so... Mine was up well before they brought theres out. BTW I took mine off after I ran off the road into a barrier in the snow. The car hit the barrier **** end first. Maybe all my added letttering made the car tooooo **** heavy . It now says Carrera 911... thats all lol. Maybe I should change the 911 to 996.

BTW I am not ashamed to own a 996. The operative phrase being 996.. NOT 911.. People try to hide the fact that the 996 is not actually a 996 by altering or hiding the lovely shaped headlights. Making them round. Or even adding airfoils and removing the automatic one which came on the 996. Removing the pumpkins. Adding different bumpers and skirts to the original 996 ones. Maybe some people like to fake people into thinking that they spent a lot more money on the PORSCHE they have by altering them to make them look like a 997.

BTW thanks to all the posters for the photos of your gorgeous Porsche 966 models. I will save them all to my screen saver. I have about 2000 photos in the screen saver. I can't get enough of the 996 model. I love them.

haji3

I've wanted a Porsche since I saw LeMans in the theater! When the Boxster came out I thought that is what I might eventually get because I think it harkens back to the 356 ( I also like 914s) When I finally decided to pull the trigger I decided to look at 911s also. While I can't say I love the headlights I decided it wasn't worth the money to stress over them. I also have an 2002 Mini Cooper S which I will not replace with one of the newer cars because they made them part of the hood. I've only had mine a week but every time I go in the garage I like it more.

All the fuss over the lights is like a beautiful girl stressing over a blemish that nobody else sees.

Hurdigurdiman

Even if I say so myself, it takes a certain amount of intelligence to create a thread which gets 59 reply's within 24 hours. YES I feel like a 12 year old girl, but where can I find one of those at this time of night hahahahaha.