Even a Corvette guy can appreciate a 996...

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5chn3ll
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Even a Corvette guy can appreciate a 996...

Post by 5chn3ll » Fri Jan 12, 2018 2:56 pm

This was one of the first reviews I wrote of my 996, shortly after I got it, at the request of another Corvette forum member who was keen to know more about the 911. It's a little over-the-top in places, but it does capture how I see the differences between the two cars.

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The Carrera is an amazing machine, especially given that physics says it shouldn't be driveable given where the motor sits. It makes about 300HP at the crank, so it's not overpowered. However, it weighs in at about 3200 pounds. Redline is up near 7,000 and it loves to make power above 5K. I find myself wanting to drive it flat out. A lot.

The 996 (Porsche's model designation for this 911) has taken a huge beating due to the IMS bearing issue. Essentially, the bearing on the intermediate shaft, which drives the cams for both banks is prone to fail. Like most issues on the Internet, it's overblown - the bearing affects between 1-10% of cars depending on who you believe (the '99 is in the 1% range). The downside: if the bearing fails, the intermediate shaft buckles and the timing skips. Pistons hit valves, rods break, the car runs for a second or two sounding like a coffee can full of marbles, it dumps 9 quarts of oil, and then it seizes to cap off its catastrophic engine failure performance art. Why this is actually awesome: Resale on these cars is in the 20K range instead of the 60K range like other 911 models, and the issue can be resolved with a pricey - but cheaper than a new engine - retrofit. The 911 really is a 90's vintage "supercar" (yeah, the reviews actually said it in 1999) for less than a loaded Camry.

C4 vs C4:
The Corvette is fun for what it is - a loud (with a chambered exhaust), fast (due to my Dana 44 swap) V8. It doesn't corner so great, it doesn't stop so well, but it can turn $500 worth of tires into smoke like nobody's business, and is fun to drive in the same way that a Louisville Slugger is fun to apply to a mailbox.

The Porsche is VERY different. The wing makes buckets of downforce. It corners like Lindsay Lohan working a line of blow with a straw, and it stops on a dime. It does have flaws - the lift-induced oversteer caused by a flat 6 engine hanging out past the rear axle can cause you to wind up in a ditch backwards - on fire - if you let it. When you dive into a corner too hot, there's a good chance you need to give it MORE gas if you want to live. Lift the accelerator and go for the brakes, and you'll see the back end pass you by.

I would not say one is better than the other. The Porsche is like an Xacto knife - it's a precision tool for specific jobs. The 'Vette is a 6-foot wrecking bar... also an ideal tool, but for a different job.

Neither is destined to be a classic, but both deserve to be. The Corvette is a nod to America's auto industry giving a farewell finger to the fuel economy frenzy of the 70s. The last of the C4 Corvettes also demonstrate Chevrolet's honest effort to make "America's Sports Car" as good as anyone else's. We all know the Corvette has some rough spots...mine has its share of squeaks and rattles, of screws that pop out, puzzling combinations of metric and standard bolts, and rampant chassis flex when the targa panel is out - but it's a step in the right direction.

The Porsche is one of the last true sports cars in my opinion - no flappy paddles, no alcantara, no satellite radios, touch screens, lane-departure-warnings, or driver and passenger side scrotal impact airbags. All auto makers are now loading cars up with so much stuff, and it's a shame. The Porsche does have PSM (stability management), but just like my 'Vette's ASR, there's a button to make it go away. My Carrera was born with all-wheel drive; I have since removed the FWD stuff because it's a 911, not an Outback.

I understand that not everyone likes to change their own oil, and for those folks, new cars with plastic engine covers that don't even let you see the dipstick are great. Me, I'd rather have something I can spend a Saturday under. Surprisingly (at least to me), the 911 is much easier to work on than the Corvette. Everything - from brakes to headers - is designed to be able to get on and off in a hurry.

I love 'em both, and I plan to keep them both forever. Both are bargains, and if you know your way around a wrench, you can find near-perfect specimens that cost less to purchase and maintain than most Korean/Japanese/American econoboxes. If you're a CAR fanatic who isn't brand-preoccupied, adding a pre-owned 911 to your garage - even if you're a Chevy or Mopar guy - isn't something you'll come to regret.

Understeer: You will hit the wall with the front end.
Oversteer: You will hit the wall with the rear end.
Horsepower: How hard you will hit the wall.
Torque: How far you will move the wall.

Gone hunting with Alec Baldwin and Dick Cheney. Back soon.

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Re: Even a Corvette guy can appreciate a 996...

Post by gnat » Fri Jan 12, 2018 3:06 pm

ElSchnell wrote: Fri Jan 12, 2018 2:56 pm caused by a V6 engine hanging out past the rear axle
Damn, I had no idea just how far you have come!

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5chn3ll
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Re: Even a Corvette guy can appreciate a 996...

Post by 5chn3ll » Fri Jan 12, 2018 4:00 pm

Heh. For the record, I knew it was a flat six even back then - but I apparently couldn't be bothered to use the right terminology.

I'm a terrible person.

Understeer: You will hit the wall with the front end.
Oversteer: You will hit the wall with the rear end.
Horsepower: How hard you will hit the wall.
Torque: How far you will move the wall.

Gone hunting with Alec Baldwin and Dick Cheney. Back soon.

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B3DAWG
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Re: Even a Corvette guy can appreciate a 996...

Post by B3DAWG » Sat Jan 13, 2018 5:55 pm

Wow... great read! Makes me want to go out a get a loan for a 996 at one of those title pawn places. It's 9 pm on the east side.

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B-ran
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Re: Even a Corvette guy can appreciate a 996...

Post by B-ran » Thu Jan 18, 2018 9:43 pm

“ It corners like Lindsay Lohan working a line of blow with a straw, and it stops on a dime.” :lol: :lol: I am so stealing this line for future use!
99 C2 Aero that had its fried eggs surgically removed by a previous owner.

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