All -

I've been reading these forums for the last few months trying to learn all I can about these awesome cars. After looking at a number of cars, I pulled the trigger last week on a 2006 911 4S Cab with a 6 speed and 32k miles, all from just one previous owner.

This car is fantastic, and I'm thrilled with the purchase. There are a few issues though, and I figured I would ask here.

The car has a few minor defects -
1) The nav / radio system is broken. I checked the fuse and that's not the culprit. The seller took off another $2k due to this. I don't want to replace the nav with anything that'll require fabricating additional pieces / parts, but I'm hoping I can get this replacement done for less than $2k. Are there any packages out there that come with everything? Or, is it (relatively) safe to buy a unit on eBay and then have a dealer install?
2) There was a minor tear on one of the back seats. I've looked around a bit and think I'll order a repair kit from here: http://www.leatherrepairkits.com/porsche.htm. Does anyone have any experience with that? Does it work as advertised?
3) There are some minor scratches on the paint. I had the car detailed and some of them came out, but there are a few remaining. The only one that's visible from more than 5 feet away is a small rock chip. How easy is paint repair? I've read a bunch here about people buying Guards Red paint and model shops and it's a good match. I'm okay with spending a few dollars more if it's worth getting the correct paint from Porsche.
4) The car did not come with the wind deflector. I'm a little upset about that one since the seller didn't mention that prior to me driving 200 miles to get the car. But the price was good and I didn't want something small to get in the way of the deal. But now I'd like to buy one. I've looked on eBay and it appears that the 996 wind deflectors go for less than the 997 ones, even though the auctions state that the wind deflector will fit both 996s and 997s. Is that true, or should I buy one that came from a 997?

What are some other things that I should do right away? I'm not interested in replacing the steering wheel or anything like that, and I love the car as is, but if there are any simple things I should do to increase enjoyment, I'm all ears.

Thank you much.

 

Depends maybe on how often you would drive it,how you drive and where you live....I have the same 2006 C4S which I've had about 6 mths now and is my DD. Its my 5th Porsche but first 997. I do a combo of hwy and city driving and after reading some comments and suggestions of this forum and asking my P mechanic I've put in a center third radiator and 160 degree thermostat ...temps stay below 200 always and more like 175-190 mainly...got the clear side turn signal lts....zunsport grill, just ordered a fister exhaust....will probably do a sharkwerks intake, z51 headers,fabspeed or maxspeed 200 cell cats and possibly a plenum and Gt3 throttle body...replaced the belts,air and cabin filter as I didn't know when they had been replaced(car had 48K when I purchased).....basically one thing would lead to another....I've been thrilled with my car and cant wait to hear the difference these mods make....good luck and have fun!!

 

Congratulations and enjoy driving this wonderful machine. Any plans to do a track day with the car and enjoy truly seeing all of the performance? We can help you in several areas with your Porsche when you are ready.

 

Congrats on your purchase and best of luck!

As for suggested mods it is almost universally suggested that you change out the amber side makers in favor of the clear European ones (check out Suncoast). I would also recommend the Gundo/Fister hack (partial muffler by-pass) if your car did not come with the Porsche Sports Exhaust (PSE).

After that the items to mod are endless and it really comes down to intened use, personal taste and of course, finances.

 

Congratulations on the purchase and welcome!First thing if you don't have it already would be installing a clear bra on the front end,after that the sky is the limit on mods...enjoy!

 

Congratulations on your lovely new 911, if it was me I'd be looking for a nice sports exhaust so you can hear that flat six scream its full song roof down (just be sure you don't get one that is too loud and causes cabin resonance). Porsche's own comes with a nice switch so you can have it loud or soft depending on your mood.
With regards to a new PCM unit off Ebay, these are usually coded to a specific car/VIN, so you usually need a helpful accepting main dealer to make it work.
http://www.porsche997book.co.uk/

 

First post a picture of your new toy. Otherwise no one will believe you!

 

Congrads,,,, I would get some driving time first... I would also like to know what the last owner did as far as service... Cabin filter (simple to change), air and oil filter, brake fluid and maybe spark plugs. I know you probably are asking about mods but I d check those other things first.
Gundo hack exhaust (first mod that will making driving more enjoyable). Do a search on that. Unless you have a sport exhaust already.

 

I'm interested in trying the leather repair guys you found. My drivers side bolster is more worn than I would like it to be. I have a black interior on my 07 looking at there guide looks like I need to pick up the 2879 Blue Black colour for my year. Has anyone else used this stuff on their car?

 

agree with everything above. I'd consider a new head unit if I were you. I have the Kenwood. If you stick with OEM, I'd wait for a killer deal in the classifieds here or even on Craigslist - from someone who went the aftermarket route.
Clear Sides, Gundo / Fister exhaust, then just drive it. There are many threads on mods. You won't hear anything different than what's in those threads already

 

Congrats on the car!

There's a place that repairs Porsche PCMs. Search the forum it's either been mentioned here or the other forums.

People have reported decent paint touch up with Dr Colorchip, but I have not personally tried them yet.

 

Thanks all!

I went for the clear side light covers and then some quick fix items (wind deflector, touch up paint, leather repair). I live in Charlotte, NC and am trying to find a place to do the Gundo hack. That seems like a no-brainer.

All the above items (except the Gundo hack of course) were ordered yesterday so I will be able to report back on things like the leather repair next week.

As for the PCM - I think I'll take the above advice and look for a unit on eBay or Craig's List. If that doesn't work for a few weeks, I'll just go the dealer route.

After that I'm going to look a bit more into the header upgrade - though that might be a slippery slope that leads to spending 10s of thousands on car upgrade.

Thanks for all the advice - I'll go through and read everything a few more times to make sure I'm understanding it all.

John

 

mods are fun, but remember that these cars don t need that much to be fun (and fast). You are smart in a assessing the slippery slope of dumping money that gives very little in return.

 

on my side, I did the clear side marker and changed the wheels (had the lobster, now have the turbo wheels)

my 2006 cab c2s is black, so I can't do that mod.
but I really like the speedster look where the rock gard in front of the rear wheels is black.

 

I wouldn't start doing any mods at all if I were you. I'd just drive it for a few months, and then slowly figure out what you might like to change.

I don't know if the 996 and 997 wind deflectors are interchangeable, but a call to your local Porsche dealer should resolve that. I will say that it's very useful and effective, and is an absolute must to have. You can also get the paint from the dealer. It's cheap enough that there's no reason to use anything else.

With regard to the audio/Nav issue, you can try calling these guys:

http://www.beckerautosound.com/Porsc...6644_6642.html

I have no personal experience, but someone told me about them, and I'm doing the same for you. Hopefully they can repair your unit.