zroadster.net

Thanks for the comments

Well the car is going in for a Major service at Porsche on the 13th, the car has full dealer history so i'm hoping to keep it that way. I have to say the prices for servicing are extremely reasonable and less than a local specialist quoted!!

Anything over and above I will be carrying out myself (where I can!) starting with the following:
- Fuel Filter change
- Front Diff and Gearbox oil change with Mobil Mobilube SHC 75w90
- Spark Plug change
- Brake Fluid change
- Anti-Freeze top-up
- Replace clutch accumulator (old one has failed) and top up Hydraulic fluid if necessary

All parts are Genuine Porsche, the oils/fluids are the very same as from the factory.

Nice easy tasks on the new car...A whole new experience begins..

Shanty, a few relatively cheap tweaks, it's transformed, trust me.

Well i threw myself into the spark plug change this morning, took my time including about and hour working out how to safely jack the car up and get it on stands. Finished about 7 and a half hours later. This was partly due to a few seized bolts. A pic of my old man looking confused:



Quite tight in there!:



Had a worrying moment after fitting three of the plugs, built car back up again and started her over to check all was well, ABS and PSM warning lights came on, car idled badly then stalled! Turned out I had already unplugged the intercooler hose on the drivers side which the car did not like! hose back in place and all was well.

Car appears happier on cold starts, not much chance to test yet!

And in the lower working class,living on a shoestring world, we have our z3's.

That looks like a “job and a half”. I haven’t worked on a newer 911 myself but am aware that access to spark plugs can be an issue on some modern performance cars. Hope you fitted nice long life ones that you can forget about for 60,000+ miles.

Good for you shanty.. Nice to see your getting your hands dirty with the old girl..

I hope you'll bring it to a meet next year so we can have a look at her ?

Looks a bit different to the engine bay of the z3m. I see your old man is keeping within reaching distance of the cakes!

Thanks for the update, certainly an involved job to change the spark plugs I reckon half a dozen cakes in return for the help from your old man was a good deal on your part

Thanks for the interest

shootinhoover - Have no fear, i'm just on a more scary shoestring
Del - I went for Porsche OEM, i'll be back under there in 2 years/24k
z3cade - I'll be there not sure I can turn up to the BMW show though
Bi11 - He had the right idea I think, i've well and truly put him off porsche ownership! The engine bay is very uninsipring compared to the zed
Brian H -I agree a good deal on my part haha

Well after another two solid days under the car I have ticked off the following things:
- Brake fluid flush/bleed
- Fuel filter replace
- Gearbox fluid renewal
- Clutch accumulator replace.

The clutch accumulator was a real pain and would not come off, it was also in one of the most inaccessible places!! a stolen pic for anyone interested:



After several hours of blood, sweat, tears I resorted to an oil filter removal tool - it did the trick!

Only things left on my list I had planned was renew the front diff oil, unfortunately the fill plug is well and truly forced on and rounded slightly by a previous owner/mechanic. I'll be dropping her in to the garage for a new plug and a careful removal

Impressions after all my jobs are of a far happier car, clutch feels light as a feather, gearbox is alot smoother and the car sounds happier from cold

Happy new year all!

Good job James, well done.

How long do plan to keep,that beauty?

I read an interesting guide on pistol heads regarding buying a Porsche 911 turbo.

It said that you should expect to spend around 4.5k a year renewing parts and servicing the car.

This was too keep it in top condition.

What are your thoughts?

Mark.

Ps, a cracking car sir.

I'm son envious!

Mark

Ps, I hope we can meet up this year James.

If so I'd love to ride as a passenger in your car!

Not been in or experienced a Porsche 911 turbo

Had ours just over 2 years now, done about 9k miles and had no work needed that wasn't covered by the supplying dealer expcept new brake pads & discs at the front (which considering the use is reasonable and was only on a par with the Z3's big brake set up in terms of cost.

Saying that, it's due a service (minor) and MOT, so see if that brings any unexpected bills.

That would have been a top quality plug on the diff and it's incredible that a mechanic either forced it on so hard and/or used an ill-fitting socket, sufficient to cause damage.

Nice to see a grey Porsche, best colour to have.

I have only ever had the air cooled variety, are the newer 911's easier to drive than the older air cooler beasts ?


M

Cheers Mark,

So far no plans to let her go so no idea! I think 4.5k is over-kill but you can see how it could add up. The servicing costs are near enough on par with the M (due to lack of valve clearance adjustments). Parts are more expensive but I think its the labour which can spiral out of control due to more difficult access. An example of this is the major service I had carried out at Porsche for £430, it would have been £830 with spark plugs as its a 4 hour job, do it yourself and the plugs cost ~£40. As Stu mentioned Brake discs/pads are a similar price but tyres are quite expensive due to the speed rating.

Time will tell I guess. My S54 caused no grief in my ownership but I expect the odd fault on the porsche - not because they are more/less reliable its just capable of higher performance. She looks like a good one but I would expect my old ZM led an easier life.

Hopefully I will see you at a meet at some point

Stu - Glad to hear your ownership has been good value, i'm hoping for the same!
Del - It might not be that tight but there were signs of some rounding on the bolt so I didnt dare try too hard without a replacement at hand and best possible access e.g. a ramp
Mark - Thats a lovely looking 911, I had a go in a 993 C4S which sold me to the brand, the 996T is definately a calmer place to be but the driver involvement doesn't appear to be dumbed down too much, law breaking speeds are worryingly easy to reach without realising it though!. No regrets as of yet!

Well the weather was so nice this weekend I had to get out and do something on the car, the exterior was already clean from last weekend so I spent the afternoon doing the following:

- AG Glash polish inside/out
- Leather care
- Gummifledge all rubber seals - I noticed at the bottom of the front windscreen the seal has come away slightly, is this a common problem? any solution?
- Tyre shine (also used on front grills and other external plastics)
- AG Fast glass on exterior lights
- Interior shampoo & vinyl shine
- Polish exhaust tips with Autosol
- Wheel sealant on alloys




I also purchased a genuine porsche car cover - I have to say its a very tight fit!



And changed the front differential oil, new fill and drain plugs were ordered direct from Porsche to replace the rounded part.

Finally the first fault occured on the car,it started jumping into limp mode so I ordered a durametric style cable. I was convinced I upset something on my service but the culprit ended up being a faulty throttle pedal potentiometer (to my relief nowhere I had been poking about!):

My that cover does look a snug fit! Don't think I'd leave my bike there
All looking fab though

('_')Z3 wrote:My that cover does look a snug fit! Don't think I'd leave my bike there
All looking fab though

Trust me if I had a choice I wouldnt!, unfortunately I live on the 4th floor of a block of flats and the road racer wasnt cheap! (so it cant sit outside)

stu wrote:Had ours just over 2 years now, done about 9k miles and had no work needed that wasn't covered by the supplying dealer expcept new brake pads & discs at the front (which considering the use is reasonable and was only on a par with the Z3's big brake set up in terms of cost).

Saying that, it's due a service (minor) and MOT, so see if that brings any unexpected bills.

I clearly angered the Gods.

Picking mine up tomorrow after extensive rectification & some more mods. Bill is >£5k.

Ouch! What did that entail?

2 turbos & RS intercoers & a bunch of other associated items to get it back to top performance at Nine Excellence. Very happy with the results.

Put a data logger in it and did a steady 4.35s 0-60 this afternoon. It's quick.

Well at least you got some upgrades thrown in there! I assume your old turbos were on the way out? Any symptoms for future reference?

Not until it was too late unfortunately.

shootinhoover wrote:And in the lower working class,living on a shoestring world, we have our z3's.

Is that a different demographic to the upper working class - or even, heaven forbid, the middle class working class?

Anyway, speak for yourself, I know how to spell and use an apostrophe (I even know what one is); therefore, I'm middle class - and of course, drive a middle class Zed - the 2.8.

And my daily IS the Z3.

A Turbo 996 will cost less than a Specced MINI or 1 series btw.

Anyhoo, we're all friends round here except Lord Gary & Lady Jo

Well its been a long while since i've updated this thread, hope all you zedders are doing well!. Various things happened in my personal life which involved a flat sale/temporary relocation leaving me a 3 drive to work each day.

The car needed to be re-homed as well since my daily was in full use, thankfully my folks offered me their open garage which, after a few months got my OCD itching. I didn't like to think of the car open to the elements whilst sat for an extended period. I decided to fork out for an outdoor carcoon, all the reviews came back positive.

Here is the state of her after several months left in cover (but not properly tucked away):




Car clean and ready for proper hibernation:




All done, its a clever piece of kit, which has two layers to keep moisture/condensation away from the car.



Roll on 1.5 years and i'm finally back in a position to take it out. Thankfully I opened up the carcoon to find the car looking as good as it did going in:




Some new tyres on the back and it went straight in for an MOT, no advisories The drive home was fantastic up until about 2 miles away from destination, the battery voltage gauge started waving and the dash lit up like a christmas tree, assuming alternator/battery charging fault I made sure not to make a stop on the way home - the correct move. As I pulled in to the drive and shut the car off it was apparent the battery was completely flat



New alternator fitted (with some swearing) with a new drive belt and she was purring away again




The final bit of news was a minor service (with brake fluid change) at the local OPC highlighting a corroded power steering pipe, not a cheap job!! (quoted £1400!). I'll be nursing her to Wilton house and attacking all the advisories found (exc. the PAS pipe which will I think is best left for the professionals - apparently it involves the front subframe being dropped?!)

That poor Porch, so clean yet so undriven!

I love it, stunning car, I wish, does it have 3 x Isofix in the back?

Your last picture James is a sign of modern times, gone are the paper Haynes type manuals, YouTube and an iPad is all you need Good to see you are still around.

Stunning car BTW

Good to see an update. I really must update the thread for your old Z3M!

Good to see you on here James, glad things are getting better for you.

Love the car, always wanted one.

Mark