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Also was going to mention that around the same time I bought the 911 I bought a 2014 Jeep rubicon soft top with 6 speed manual for my son that was approaching 16. It didn’t really take and my wife wasn’t thrilled with the idea of him driving it so it became my toy. That thing is fun. Had mild lift and 35” tires installed. There are unlimited projects with plentiful aftermarket accessories. That has somewhat taken my attention away from the 911 and is why I don’t drive it / tinker with it as much as I should. And it’s a lot better for throwing the kids in to take to soccer or baseball.
nah - I’m still here. All good points. So much feedback it’s hard to know where to start replying.
A few people asked if I bought the correct 997 for me - with the exception of a manual transmission there were no must haves for me. Although I don’t like the looks of a cab as much as my coupe I think I might enjoy a cab more (daily drove Audi TT roadster for about 7 years back at the turn of the century) My car does have sport exhaust that I love. A little more power would be ok but I’m never going to seriously track the car and the non S has plenty of power around town for me.
People asked if where I live has hills/twistys. I guess that is relative but I’d say yes. I’m in north Atlanta. If you know Atlanta roads I’m right off Spalding and close to Riverside too. Both pretty twisty and with some elevation changes. I’ve taken two day trips to north Georgia. Fun no doubt.
updates I’ve made to car - clear side markers, new mats, replaced AC buttons, removed tint, replaced 18” wheels with 19” carerra sports, updated head unit to Alpine with CarPlay.
uodates I’ll make if I keep the car - have new pccm sitting in box (haven’t installed because I’ve been on the fence about selling and I’ve been watching the forum letting others work out the install kinks), my interior is a little rough. Would like leather console but haven’t been able to bite the bullet on the cost. A few other interior bits could be replaced. I’d like the steering wheel with round airbag. I’d like to get a euro rear bumper or lose the bumperettes
tracking the car/joining club: I’ll never be a serious track guy but a few times a year the Porsche center here in Atlanta has a program where you can drive your own car then drive current version of your vehicle. I think it’s around $600. I’ve thought of joining club but I’m not a very social person.
I went to local Porsche dealer recently and they offered me $27k. no thanks.
I’ll likely keep it indefinitely. I do enjoy it when I drive it and it is sexy as hell. If I had more garage room I’d probably be looking for a project car.
when I was at Porsche dealer I asked about wait times. Was told a few years. Maybe I should get on the list now?
thanks for all the feedback. Was hoping to start a conversation and it worked.
Honestly no. Every single "fun" car I've had in the past has been manual. DSM's, Evo's, STi, S2000's, 3 Porsche's including a gt4, Mr2 turbo all manual, and weirdly I don't miss the clutch pedal. I do pretty much only drive the .2 in PDK's "manual mode" though.
Saved me a lot of typing. Thank you. Same exact sentiment as mine. I've had countless manual sports cars and I don't miss that 3rd pedal at all. Things evolve, usually for the better. Like computer from typewriter and PDK from TIP and so forth. As I've said before, I can't help but think that some or maybe many of those who hate the PDK do it for two reasons:
1: Must be a manual. No compromise and no interest in new technology. Has to be three pedals. End of that discussion.
2: No interest in learning how to use the PDK to get all it has out of it.
For example, there have been a number of posts here from members being "afraid" of using PDK in sport plus mode. Also no shortage of members having a PDK without sports chrono which I totally agree is basically a modern version of the TIP. I wouldn't own one of those. PDK needs sports chrono to bring out all it has to offer which is a lot. And like you, I'm always in sport plus, manual mode once the oil is warmed up. And I shift with the gear lever as opposed to the paddles since I think Porsche has something to learn from Benz on that.
The Porsche paddles has too long of a throw compare to the Benz paddles which are much quicker with a short and simple click. The Porsche PDK gear lever delivers pretty close to the Benz paddles though. Big difference between the performance of the paddles between the two though imo.
I've heard this quite a bit, and every time I've ever heard it the reason wasn't because of the car, it was more of the usage and driver/car relationship.
I don't think you fell out of love with the car or out of the "honeymoon" phase, I just thing you haven't really opened the car up to what its capable of or really designed to do. (maybe you have and disregard all of this).
I promise you a few miles of "open highway" during normal commutes plus traffic is not going to be anywhere near the experience of what a 911 was made for. Granted, it should do all the well (997's and up do) but I would reiterate whats been said here already.
Drive that car. Go out and find the drives to experience the car and what it can do. Find events, etc..
The same thing happens to me from time to time where in our daily commutes and lives, its hard to get out and enjoy it. Mine isnt driven for weeks at a time and yes, I just stare at it... then have the same feelings as you. But I also know because of past experiences what it is really about, then proceed to give a good drive once In a while and the honeymoon starts over.
The 997 will blow you away once you start experiencing why it exists. Also, modify it a little bit, get that suspension tighter, open up the exhaust, enjoy!
I was on the fence of keeping/selling mine at some point, but after a few driving trips and being around like minding enthusiasts, there was no question, keeping it forever, driving till the wheels fall off. Handing down to my child.
This is somewhat hard to explain but I’ve found I do not love my 997 as much as I thought I would After the honeymoon period ended I rarely drive it. I still absolutely love looking at it though.
I bought it on a bit of a whim but I’d been a Porsche fan since I was a teenager. I did some research once I saw the car and thought the 997 would give me some of the rawness of an earlier car with enough creature comforts and reliability to drive it 3-4x per week.
Now I feel like I would be better off with an older model that is more of a beater and has more
projects. I’ve found I like the projects more than the car itself. On the other hand some days I find myself looking at newer 911s.
Considering selling it but can’t pull the trigger on that either. I find a certain comfort seeing it
parked in garage.
no real question - just an observation
track it a few times each month. You'll have new respect for it and plenty of projects. My heart goes out to your son, poor kid. I had the good fortune when I turned 16 to buy my own 69 dodge dart from a junk yard.
Also, try buying a manual next, tighten the suspension and open the exhaust. These are nothing like the aircooled cars. If you want that raw visceral experience, you will be hard pressed to find it with the creature comforts offered here. If you want a comfortable dual purpose car, 1999 and up are your options. life is balance
1: Must be a manual. No compromise and no interest in new technology. Has to be three pedals. End of that discussion.
2: No interest in learning how to use the PDK to get all it has out of it.
3. Has had an SMG/DSG in the past and missed the extra involvement of a manual.
I was one of the first people to get a MK5 GTI DSG on Valentines Day in 2006, a week or so after the US launch.
I loved it at first however grew bored of it, I ended up swapping GTIs with another guy from VWVortex by November of that year. He was from NM and I was in Dallas, we met outside of Amarillo to swap cars, trade titles etc. He just had knee surgery so he needed a DSG.
First thing, how can you fall out of love with a car you have barely experienced? You said you took it north of Atlanta a couple of times. That's nothing! You haven't fallen in love WITH it yet. Until you take it and experience what it can do for you, you won't get it. Take on a trip. Far, and not on the highways. I would kill to have access to roads like you have nearby. You have the entire Smokie Mountain road system less than 2 hours away. Drive, go to Tail of the Dragon. Get some BBQ at Haywood Smokehouse in NC. Spend 2 days there. Put an exhaust system on first, then go. Spend a week of driving how it's meant, where it's meant, then get back to us.
Then, if you're not feeling it, sell it. It's not the right car for you. If you're thoughts are, "I bought a 911 and it sits in the garage when it's not going to the grocery store, it's just not doing it for me", then you're doing it wrong!
I've had my 911 since I bought her new in 2010! I ordered the PTS Turquoise Blue and and every other option that I have in her and I've done some small mods like exhaust, SS and aftermarket wheels. She's mine the way I created her and I absolutely love that car and the older I get the deeper I fall! LOL!
I could never sell her and I do hardly drive her but when I pull her out for a drive somewhere or take har to dinner...well I'm in love all over again. Different strokes...but I'm hopelessly in love and the fact that Porsche's keep getting bigger and uglier...at least to my eyes make me value her all the more!
I also love this 85 CJ just as much! Another car I'd never sell! And I feel both are irreplaceable!
"I have spent HOURS (like for real) at work looking at this pic. of my car. I want a car that I can stare at forever and want to stare at it more. It isn't even that good of a pic."
Drive your car up into the mountains forming the backdrop of your photo.
Snap a picture worth hours of staring. (The two at the bottom are my car were taken last November with an iPhone.)
You live beneath some of the very best driving/ scenic roads in the US- accessible all year round (except for fires and freak snowfalls).
Get out there and stretch that car's legs and post a picture we can drool over!
This is your freaking backyard.
I am so jealous.
Last edited by Liste-Renn; 03-19-2023 at 12:54 AM.
03-16-2023, 10:13 PM
One more thing
