Wonderdan

ya I have zero anxiety about bits like exhaust, wheels, mechanics etc. Mine is cosmetic, when interior and paint are perfect I just didn’t like parking anywhere or near anyone, cringed when asphalt kicked up etc. Now I have ppf everywhere and the front and rear bumper while still original have both been refreshed to new from rocks/scraps so if a bird hits the bumper again or an idiot backs into me and I respray it, it won’t change the value.

speaking of a car I am more than willing to put on the shelf and look at…

Drool…

RAudi Driver

Here's one for ya. Looks like a Clubsport.

https://rennlist.com/forums/market/1324053

Bxstr

2007 GT3. Black. 42k miles. Aftermarket wheels. Grille screens. Aftermarket pedal. Aftermarket steering wheel trim. Exhaust. Rollbar. Paint meter readings and DME should be posted in coming days. Coolant lines not pinned or welded. Radar/laser system. Aftermarket head unit. WP0AC29917S792215

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/20...he-911-gt3-63/

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Bxstr

Understandable. Sounds like the side muffler valve went on your car. Technically, cost could have been half of that to do just one side if you had to pay out of pocket (glad they replaced under warranty). I don't think one side muffler is $5k, even with install. I remember it being $2500/side.

The biggest common "issue" on the 997 GT3 is the coolant line failure, which is $3k to pull the engine and pin the lines. Given that tires with mount, balance and alignment is over $2k, I really don't consider it that bad to have to spend $3k on fixing the coolant lines. Granted, while you're in there, you should do more stuff, so expect it to be close to $6k. You could get into other items such as camshaft actuator bolts if you're running a LWFW, but this is less common. Even a 981 Spyder will likely have some of the same issues as a 997 GT3, it just isn't an old enough model yet for them to develop those issues. I definitely am a big pro warranty person (most of my recent cars have had a Fidelity warranty or CPO warranty including my current daily driver), but the 997 GT3 shares so many parts with the normal 997 and the parts it doesn't share (engine and transmission) are incredibly stout.

Now, to be fair, I often think about what it would be like to trade in my 997 GT3 for a 718 Spyder/GT4. Reason why is because I could order it new, put paint protection film on the entire thing, know how it was driven and maintained from day one, and have a very near perfect (due to the PPF), yet frequently driven car. I could also get a better spec (with PCCB's and buckets). But I've held off on doing that due to how much I enjoy the 997 GT3 experience even though other cars may deliver an equally rewarding experience, just rewarding in a different way. Although after writing that paragraph, it's tempting.

Enjoy the Spyder. It's an amazing car!

lawrence1

FYI - no one is pinning coolant lines for $3k anymore. It's $5-$6k now and that number goes up if you do anything else while you're in there. With these cars being over 10yrs old, there is always other things to address once the engine is on the floor. it's not a trivial job, nor is it inexpensive. Comparing it to throwing on a set of new tires is underselling it a bit ... ;-)

lawrence1

cool car!

Bxstr

My local shop in 2020 did mine for $2500, plus Sharkwerks elbows. Even if that’s $3500 now with inflation at the same shop, that doesn’t seem outrageous. My dealer at the time was quoting $4200 at their winter rate. The shop that did mine is very well regarded around here, warranties their work and does a great job. But I do remember people being surprised it was that inexpensive, even back then when I was having it done. A friends dad travelled from PA to OH to have his done due to how much less expensive they were.

Now this is Ohio, so I wouldn’t compare it to CA or even TX prices. I guess my point is that a $3-5k repair or preventative maintenance item every 5 years doesn’t seem crazy.

Not trying to disagree, just giving some additional detail to those interested.

Would be happy to give out the info of the shop that did mine if someone wants to get updated pricing.

akhbhaat

I've driven all the 996, 997, and 991 GT3 variants over the past two months back to back with my current 718 GT4. To be honest with you, the plan was that this car would be a stop-gap while I found the perfect 997 because in some ways I find the GT4 a little synthetic, but I'm now thinking of keeping the 718, or swapping back into a 981 GT4 (I've really grown to miss the one I had) and pocketing the difference (e.g. if the exact spec I want comes up). Or, if I can somehow get a new allocation at a not-stupid price, that.

As I much as I like the hydraulic steering and Mezger motor (both clearly better than the GT4 equivalents), the overall driving experience isn't as massively different as some people make it out to be, and there are other things I prefer in the GT4 and would regret losing (like aesthetics and interior). For example: it's fairly easy to find a GT4 with buckets (both of mine have had them) and I think that's a killer feature, whereas they're comparatively rare in GT3s, especially 996/997 era cars. There's also my use case: ~4k miles/year mixed-used road/track driver (IMO the GT4 is really hard to beat as a track car, especially considering running costs--the only GT3 I like more in that context is the 996.2). The wild card is future/recessionary market prices. For now, I'm back on the sidelines and pausing any changes.

RAudi Driver

I looked over that car over on BAT and it appears that it wasn't taken care of like a true enthusiast would. Someone bought the car and really didn't know what they had. Terrible mods, that horrendous PPF on the rear bumper, who does that? Looks like it's got a RMS leak beginning or wiped clean for the picture. I can go on but I'll let you guys call out anything you see.

One more thing is that rear light on the driver's side is not proper and the front bumper paint match is not the best. The rear hatch looks to be painted also.

mikes70

The black 997, above, listed on BaT, clearly has transponders in the grill. Or, are they something else. Yet, the car isn't pinned/welded.
Make sense? doesn't too me...

gerryros

Look like remote radar/laser sensors including the one you see at the top of the rear plate (pic #80). A previous owner had the full remote Escort system installed on my 7.2, unfortunately.

8Lug

what do the laser jammers have to do with coolant lines? Not following….

mikes70

I thought they were transponders from tracking, which is related to the pinned lines. And if they "were transponders", it could indicate significant track time.
Personally, I think you'd be crazy to track one of these without pinning or welding. Although, I know people that have not pinned and do track with no lines coming loose.

RAudi Driver

Unnecessary mods vs necessary mods. Who would direct money to a laser jammer before pinning their lines? I know...... It's the same person who puts little tid bits of carbon fiber on the car, an aftermarket radio and anything else that does nothing to make the car better. Red seat belts with those little touches of red look so incomplete, who even begins that process?

I think the car needs:

Remove PPF from rear bumper
Remove Laser detectors
Get rid of the red center lid and door trim pieces. Keep the belts if ya must.
Get rid of those ugly wheels
fix that rear driver's side taillight
Change out the steering wheel. That's gotta be the most matted down alcantara I've ever seen or some seriously worn leather.
Redo the pedals and make them uniform.
Throw those floor mats in to the harbor
Throw that roll bar in the harbor also. Who TF wraps it in leather? Also wonder where it's connected at the back. Those are way past the shock towers.
Get rid of that crappy ebay front spoiler and get a proper one from FVD. The fitment on that thing, it's not even fitting in the front bumper channel.
Address the engine leak.

Full detail and paint correction to try to get that front bumper to match better. Also looks like the rear deck could have been painted or maybe it's just the picture that makes it look that way. Looking at those marks between the G & T.



Also the front badge looks to be aftermarket or something. Looks rough around the edges.

Bxstr

Transponders are for an Escort 9500ci custom installed radar and laser system. The display can be seen above the mirror in pic 127. It's an older and outdated system at this point so I'd probably remove it.