The new car isn't perfect...or at least the seller isn't.

[JohnIreland]

Or things I should have checked for before I drove it off....

The hunt now being over, I'll make some periodic notes here on my very very
new (to me) car. It drives beautifully. No complaints about the car at all. But the seller is
proving to be just like most sellers, negligent.

Got home and couldn't find the special little nut that lets you take off the locking nut.
The seller said it was in the trunk...but it is not. He's now looking in his office to find
it, but I'm going to nearest Porsche dealer on Monday morning and getting one...and then
I may get rid of all of them and put standard lug nuts in. I let the seller know that this
did not make me happy.

The seller handed me the semi-leather pouch with all the literature inside, except
when I got home, it didn't have the operating manual or the original warranty book.
It did have books on the original radio which is no longer in the car, and a service
book for a 2003 car, plus some 2003 books on roadside service. The seller said he'd
get me one and that this is what the PO gave him. Doesn't pass the smell test. I let
the seller know that this did not make me happy.

The oil is down at the bottom of the dip stick and the gauge. I added two thirds
of a quart and I'll check it later. This shows, in my opinion, a seller-dealer who is
great in the sales presentation, but doesn't really follow through in the delivery
of the vehicle. I will let the seller know that this did not make me happy.

The battery is not the right size for the car. It fills up about 3/4s of the tray. While
I'm at Porsche getting the locking lug nut, I'll show them the battery, get the part number
for the correct one, and do the job myself. I will let the seller know that this does not
make me happy.

Last complaint...the after-market Pioneer nav/radio/CD/infotainment/blue tooth thing is
just awful. The quick start little brochure is useless. Today I down loaded the 455 page
operating manual and I had to shake my head...it, and the little videos that it sends you to
look at, are like a Woody Allen comedy about the future. I will probably throw it out and
install an original OEM Porsche radio/cd player that used knobs and buttons, and doesn't
have screen. Not the seller's fault...just an example of bad technology.

But now for the good stuff...This is an analog car. Nothing happens unless your arms and
legs and brain make it happen. There are no computers trying to read your mind and then
suggest they've got a better idea. Yes, this is a 20 year old car (build in 07/2000) but for the
most part you wouldn't know it. The engine just loves to rev...very different in my opinion to
the 3.6. The clutch is great...my left leg is rusty and still getting to know the point of contact.
My shifting is not embarrassing...again, familiarity and muscle memory will happen soon enough.

No rattles that I've noticed, the ac fan has some slight noises (leaves, old dry foam?) but nothing
to deal with for now. All the doors and windows and seats and sunroof and latches are great. The
two sun visor flaps that you flip up to look at yourself in the mirrors, they broke long ago and maybe
in a year or three so I'll deal with it. The flaps currently lie in state in the passenger door pocket.

The song of the engine is wonderfully raw...like a woman on the rebound whose had one too many
drinks. I have no need for a louder exhaust...just the right amount of sound reaches into my entire
body, it isn't outside of me, it is part of me. I wear two hearing aids but I have a good ear for engines.

I signed up with Haggarty and got my insurance for $781 a year. The car's basic tool kit is all
there and in very nice condition. But I'm throwing some extra tools of my own in with them. I'll give
the tire pressure a check in the morning when the air is cold. There is a little tiny little rock chip
or pimple on the windshield and I'll see if it can be repaired or at least wait until it starts to
spider out.

There are a few stone chips on the front bumper, a small scrape on the right corner of the rear
bumper was fixed several years ago according the extensive service records. And that is about
it for day one.

[gnat]

Or things I should have checked for before I drove it off....

The hunt now being over, I'll make some periodic notes here on my very very
new (to me) car.

I've moved this to the 996 NA forum.

It drives beautifully. No complaints about the car at all. But the seller is
proving to be just like most sellers, negligent.

The first part is the important part and what to focus on.

I do, however, get that you paid a premium and I'd be miffed too.

Got home and couldn't find the special little nut that lets you take off the locking nut.
The seller said it was in the trunk...but it is not. He's now looking in his office to find
it, but I'm going to nearest Porsche dealer on Monday morning and getting one...and then
I may get rid of all of them and put standard lug nuts in. I let the seller know that this
did not make me happy.

The key is going to cost more than the 4 bolts. Just talk to one of your Indy's that you mentioned in your other thread. They'll have a master set of keys and can do the swap for you.

I just went through this with my Cayenne except even more annoying was that Porsche wouldn't talk to me without seeing the car in person. Of course it had been in an accident and needed the lock bolt removed to swap out the spare tire... Bought plain bolts and borrowed my Indy's master set.

The battery is not the right size for the car. It fills up about 3/4s of the tray. While
I'm at Porsche getting the locking lug nut, I'll show them the battery, get the part number
for the correct one, and do the job myself. I will let the seller know that this does not
make me happy.

The cranking amp rating is all that is important. There are smaller foot print batteries that do the job just fine, but you need an adapter plate to keep the battery from sliding around.

If it is cranking the car fine, I wouldn't worry about it until it does start acting up.

Last complaint...the after-market Pioneer nav/radio/CD/infotainment/blue tooth thing is just awful.

Yeah I have never met one of those things that I like.

Given your tastes, you can talk to your dealer about the Porsche Classic radio options. There is a single DIN option that has been out for awhile. There is also a double DIN option, but I don't know if it's here in the US yet. They are $$$$ though. I'd just look into replacing it with a standard single DIN Pioneer/Alpine/etc... You can get such a unit pretty cheap and the single DINs are usually far less complicated and annoying.

Congrats on the new car. It sounds like other than some superficial things that you found a nice one. Hopefully it gives you many miles and many smiles.

[Einsteiger]

I can definitely identify with the radio issue. My 99 came with a very high tech, d0-everything Kenwood unit with bluetooth etc., and the printing on the multitude of buttons on the face is so small as to be illegible except with an LED flashlight and a steady eye. However I CAN choose between several colors of back-lighting for the digital display. . Every adjustment requires multiple and often simultaneous pressing of buttons. I'm certain that the unit's manual has all the information contained therein, but it takes an electron microscope to get to the fine print. It's just too damn much effort, plus I miss having the CD changer - it was disconnected during the "upgrade" by the previous millenial owner.

The upside is that said previous owner provided the original radio unit, nicely boxed. At least I can return the audio to original spec at some point in the future.

Best of luck with this one,

Kevin

[32wildbilly]

But now for the good stuff...This is an analog car. Nothing happens unless your arms and
legs and brain make it happen. There are no computers trying to read your mind and then
suggest they've got a better idea. Yes, this is a 20 year old car (build in 07/2000) but for the
most part you wouldn't know it. The engine just loves to rev...very different in my opinion to
the 3.6. The clutch is great...my left leg is rusty and still getting to know the point of contact.
My shifting is not embarrassing...again, familiarity and muscle memory will happen soon enough.

No rattles that I've noticed. All the doors and windows and seats and sunroof and latches are great.

The song of the engine is wonderfully raw...like a woman on the rebound whose had one too many
drinks. I have no need for a louder exhaust...just the right amount of sound reaches into my entire
body, it isn't outside of me, it is part of me. I wear two hearing aids but I have a good ear for engines.

I fixed your post for you.

Don't sweat the small stuff...the rest is small stuff.

[Battery Guy]

Watched this auction - glad the car is nice. It looked good to me through the computer! If the stereo has CarPlay (and you have an iPhone) you may find you like the interface. I swapped my cassette player for a double din CarPlay unit and have been very pleased. Easy to use!

Enjoy the new car!!
Daryll

[Dr_Strangelove]

John and I are birds of a feather only he moves 100x faster than me and baristas think I'm weird. You want the car to be perfect for you and I respect that. Maybe now you realize what a favor you did to all of those guys who bought your old Porsches

Great news for all of us, actually. The 996 is officially part of the Porsche Classics program now that the oldest examples are 20+ years old.
https://www.porsche.com/international/a ... odels/996/

You can probably reach out to Porsche for some original manuals & missing tools or whatever you want that's original. They are even making a brand-new Apple / Android car play compatible head unit that is designed to look original equipment.

Enjoy making the car yours. Silver on black - can't beat the classic!

[32wildbilly]

John and I are birds of a feather only he moves 100x faster than me and baristas think I'm weird. You want the car to be perfect for you and I respect that. Maybe now you realize what a favor you did to all of those guys who bought your old Porsches

Great news for all of us, actually. The 996 is officially part of the Porsche Classics program now that the oldest examples are 20+ years old.
https://www.porsche.com/international/a ... odels/996/

You can probably reach out to Porsche for some original manuals & missing tools or whatever you want that's original. They are even making a brand-new Apple / Android car play compatible head unit that is designed to look original equipment.

Enjoy making the car yours. Silver on black - can't beat the classic!

Might find an original manual on Ebay. That's where I found mine.

[JohnIreland]

Thanks for the ideas. Have an original manual (from eBay) on its way. I like the idea of an original looking radio but with modern features. The guy who put in the current radio also put in a very discrete microphone and a USB port. I'd like to at least keep the USB for charging my phone in an emergency. I'm going to go through the radio's manual and see if I can teach myself to use it, if for no other reason than brain exercise.

Go up early this morning to check out the Baristas at Woodland Hills Porsche (formally the Auto Gallery) and to pick up the little thing that allows me to remove the locking lug nuts. While I was there I decide to save time (but not money) and have the dealer give it an oil and filter change, and do the customary "inspection." Result, no leaks, all the belts are great, all fluids topped up, brakes great, etc., etc. Now I feel I have done my due diligence and the car is truly road worthy for escaping zombies. I also got to look at my car next to the new 992s. And the dealership played a video in the customer lounge selling the virtues of the new electric Tucus or whatever its called.

The engine on my car is addictive. The Alfa Giulia does things at idle speed. With the 996.1 you have a very interactive engine that wants all the revs and gears to be used. Life is good. I also taught my wife the correct way to open the doors.

[gnat]

With the 996.1 you have a very interactive engine that wants all the revs and gears to be used.

Indeed it does. Get it warmed up and then leave it in 3rd on the highway. 70-80mph makes some wonderful music as it approaches the red line

[Dr_Strangelove]

Thanks for the ideas. Have an original manual (from eBay) on its way. I like the idea of an original looking radio but with modern features.

Here's a link to the specific radio I was talking about: https://www.ebay.com/p/11039184328?iid= ... 3QEALw_wcB