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Introduction to this forum-first water cooled Porsche!
Hello everyone. Wanted to say hello and introduce myself. Live up in the PNW. I am coming over from the 993 forum the past 6 years. I've been playing with three air cooled 911's the past 12yrs. Had an 85' and two 95 993's. I made a recent decision to sell my last 993 with a 3.8 for financial reasons and just picked up a Basalt Black with two-tone tan/black interior 09' C4S with a 6MT a few weeks back. I wish I could have kept the 993, but I have a building project that really needs finishing and I realized I needed some $$ to do that! With the values of 993's going a bit crazy the past few years I made the difficult decision. I'm fairly mechanically inclined. I have been working on Audi's for years (including three allroads!). I got into Porsche's in 2008. Have done engine swaps, clutches, brakes, etc. Having the luxury of working off a 2-post lift the past three years sure has helped! What a game changer. It actually makes DIY work so much more enjoyable. I'm 50 now, and got tired of feeling beat up working off concrete garage floors! Since I got my C4S I've done a 40hr paint correction and ceramic coat detail, adjusted and rebuilt the shift mechanisms, and added a little "mod" to the badging on the doors and deleting the rear badges. I like the detail! Anyhow, excited to continue to be part of RL community-just with you guys now. I hope to add something to the DIY column and/or contribute to other gear heads looking for help on their own projects. Here's my car:
Nice garage and car. I've got a manual 08 C4S also basalt black with 2 tone interior. I'll have to consider the paint correction after seeing you're car.
Congrats and welcome. Must have been tough to let the 993 go, but if anything will have a chance of helping you forget - a 997 is the next best thing
Kind of how I see it too. Obviously a water cooled 911 will never feel or sound like an air cooled 911 but I see the 997 as a modern version of the 993. Has a lot more in common with the 993 than the 996 or the 991 or later, at least to my eyes.
To the OP. Beautiful car. I'm afraid a paint correction of my GTS has now become a must have. How much difference does the ceramic coating do and what exactly is the main benefit of having one done?
2-post lift the past three years sure has helped! What a game changer. It actually makes DIY work so much more enjoyable. I'm 50 now, and got tired of feeling beat up working off concrete garage floors!
Congratulations on the car, I would love a shop hoist, but I'm divided between a flush-mount bendpak to keep the garage streamlined, or the "full Monty" two poster like yours.
Recently I discovered I actually get nauseous after a few hours of diving back and forth under the car, down and dirty on the floor.
It must be inner ear related, the sensation is just like motion sickness.
Welcome. How do you like the water cooled 911 since you come from an air cooled 911? Does it not feel like a Porsche and lost it's 911 soul like most air cooled 911 owners say?
Welcome. How do you like the water cooled 911 since you come from an air cooled 911? Does it not feel like a Porsche and lost it's 911 soul like most air cooled 911 owners say?
That was something I had considered for sure. The short answer I can confidently say is no! This C4S felt immediately "familiar" behind the wheel. Very "911" for sure. This is my first 4-wheel drive Porsche and the front end feels completely secure to the road vs the lightness a 993/early air-cooled cars experience once you start really driving them hard. That is different. Everything feels more refined, more comfortable, more planted to the road. But, less visceral? I don't think so. The "soul" I feel is still very intact despite it being a water-cooled 911. My previous air-cooled cars were great, and sure I miss every one I've owned, but, it IS still a Porsche and no matter what Porsche you drive-especially the 911, this manufacture knows how to build cars that thrill! So far I love the car! Maybe someday I will own another air-cooled 911, but for now I am really loving the power, comfort and refinement of this 11yr old car. The direct injection/9A1 motor is amazing. It really revs nice! I had it up in the lift last night tinkering, and I was super impressed with the way the Kevlar engine/body covers have air flow channels for brake ducting-likely some form of downforce on the car and other thoughtful designed elements all UNDER the car! I geek out on this kind of stuff! I am learning more and more about the car as I go through it, maintain it. It's a good one!
Nice garage and car. I've got a manual 08 C4S also basalt black with 2 tone interior. I'll have to consider the paint correction after seeing you're car.
Hit me up if you have questions on how to do it! It's all about patience and the prep when it comes to Ceramic coating. But, it isn't rocket science.
Kind of how I see it too. Obviously a water cooled 911 will never feel or sound like an air cooled 911 but I see the 997 as a modern version of the 993. Has a lot more in common with the 993 than the 996 or the 991 or later, at least to my eyes.
To the OP. Beautiful car. I'm afraid a paint correction of my GTS has now become a must have. How much difference does the ceramic coating do and what exactly is the main benefit of having one done?
I actually agree with you a lot. My friend Fred and I were comparing his 993 C4S and my 997.2 C4S and just how close they compare-especially in the lines. When I was doing the paint correction I realized just how much the curves were so similar to the 993 I just sold. So far I can say the Ceramic coating is unbelievable. I did my research and followed typical guidelines which include: wash, iron decontaminate, clay bar, then paint correction (on a black car get ready to spend A LOT of time in this phase-I actually did a heavy cut compound and then a med-light polish), dilute IPA with new microfiber cloths, and then applied the Ceramic per manufacturing recommendations. 2'x2' area at a time and wait around 45-60 secs for it to "flash", then buff, buff, buff with new micro-fiber towels. Two younger guys that work at the local P dealer had both worked in detail for a few years. I fed them beer and pizza to help me with the Ceramic coat application as I was actually getting a bit burned out on the 40hrs of prep I had just done-all three of us about 3-5mins into the job were all blown away at the appearance of the coating and how shiny and how we all felt it left this nice solid coating all over it.
I used the Avalon King Amor Shield product which is a consumer grade product that is suppose to last a solid 1-2yrs. Hit me up if you have any questions on tools needed, etc. The main difference really is in the way it forms a bonding coat on the car that is more durable vs wax. I won't use wax ever again to be honest. You have to do it every 3-4 months!
09-23-2020, 04:49 PM
Introduction to this forum-first water cooled Porsche!
I recently got a basalt black ‘08 4S. Enjoy!
