Living the Legend – 911 owner reports

Our contributing enthusiasts from around the world share their real-life experiences with their Porsche 911s

James McGrath Minneapolis, USA

@auto.amateur

Auto Amateur

AutoAmateur

Model 996.2 CARRERA

Year 2002

Acquired 2020

This month I’m happy to report that my 996 project car is back on the road. Not only that, I’d argue that it’s in the best condition it’s been in since its early days, rolling off the factory floor in Stuttgart! Here’s how I got here…

In 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, I decided to find a project that would keep me busy at home while I was grounded for what I thought might be six months (turns out it’s been two years since my last business trip!).

My friend Patrick and I invested in a beaten-up 2002 Arctic silver 996.2, with its fair share of dings, scrapes and mechanical issues. After a summer of wrenching on the car, with the help of our friend Steve, and completing a host of different jobs on the interior, exterior and the mechanical components, we got it running for maybe 30 minutes. Long enough for me to make a video, showing off the famous 911 silhouette set against a warm Minnesota sunset via a wealth of different drone shots. But then it broke down. My transmission started to fail, I limped home for a painful mile or two until reaching my driveway and CLANG, the transmission bell housing connected to the engine broke clean off. Game over.

These initial exploits are well documented in past Total 911 issues and my AutoAmateur YouTube channel. If you want to see a grown man fight back disappointment and tears, while trying to present his restored but now broken dream car to the world, then you need to check out my channel.

Eighteen months later, through a collision of happy coincidences, I was in a position to restart the project and get the car finished. In the past three months I’ve sourced a new transmission, a reconditioned engine and a host of other parts. With the help of Porsche Minneapolis and my local Porsche club friends, the dream has finally become a reality. Not only is the car back on the road, but it looks, feels and drives like a brand new car. The clutch, the transmission, the sound of the engine, the rush of adrenaline with the explosion of the flat six engine behind you… I’ve been lucky enough to drive a variety of 911s of various generations over the past few years and I can confidently say that the 996, and THIS 996, doesn’t disappoint. Arguably, if not definitely, the 996 is the best 911 for your money. Even after a make-over and replacement parts, it’s legendary in every sense of the word.

For those interested, here’s the list of mods and jobs performed since it arrived on a flatbed truck two years ago. Replacement transmission, replacement clutch, new brake pads and reconditioned brake calipers (seals, fittings and powdercoated). A replacement 996.2 3.6-litre engine, short shift kit, new Fuchs-style 19-inch wheels, and new tyres, air filter, cabin filter and spark plugs/coil packs. A duck tail spoiler, turbo front bumper, new windscreen, and a complete paint removal and respray (silver to blue – inside and out). Headlight replacement and reconditioning, driver and passenger seat leather restoration/replacement, GT3 centre console delete, deviated blue seat belts, custom blue rev counter/ tachometer face inside the instrument cluster and seat extender rails (which provide four inches of extra leg room). And finally, Soul Performance highflow sport cats, FD Motorsports ‘Fister’ exhaust mufflers, all fluids replaces (oil, gearing, brakes, coolant and so on), front control arms/wishbones and forward control arms/struts.

That’s it for now! More to come…

Lee Sibley Poole, UK

@9werks

9WERKS TV

9WERKS Radio

Model 996.1 CARRERA

Year 1998

Acquired JANUARY 2019

You may have seen in the Update section of last issue that we recently held the inaugural 9WERKS Awards with Design911 at the unique premises of Shorade Accident Repair, Cannock. The Awards was a personal project I’d wanted to execute ever since I started 9WERKS, as it feeds directly into one of the core values of the brand, and that’s excellence.

As mentioned in the Total 911 news article, we had 80 guests attending our lavish black tie evening, where nine awards were given out to businesses and individuals who were recognised for their excellence (you can find the full list of winners, plus an extended gallery and highlights video, over at 9werks.co.uk).

I was most proud to have Tony Hatter, the legendary designer of the Porsche 993, Carrera GT and GT1 race car, fly in from his home in Stuttgart to attend the Awards as my Guest of Honour. It was the utmost privilege to have Mr Hatter over, where we spent the best part of two days in each other’s company, hearing many wonderful and candid stories from his three decades at Porsche.

A particularly special moment presented itself on the morning of the Awards, when I was able to collect Tony from Heathrow airport in a friend’s 993 Turbo S (one of only 23 in RHD!). And so an utterly surreal moment took place that I’ll not forget in a hurry, whereby I was driving this stunning (and rare) Porsche 993, with the very person who designed it sitting next to me as my passenger. Just fantastic.