Resources for a new 996 Owner
Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2018 5:22 pm
In addition to a forum full of self-described know-it-alls, there are a few things you'll find handy when you acquire your first 996.
Books
The 996 Essential Companion by Adrian Streather
This is less of a how-to book and more of a what-the-hell book. The Essential Companion helps explain a lot about the car, provides a wealth of information about the differences between 996 versions, and mountains of other information. This isn't the book that will help you change your brake pads, but it is the book that will help you get a better understanding of the 996 as a whole.
Porsche 911 Service Manual - Bentley Publishing
This is a nuts-and-bolts, nitty-gritty service manual. It covers a great many projects, but the degree of detail can vary between projects. This is not an idiot's guide to first-time car repair, but if you're a semi-established weekend wrench, this book will give you the confidence to tackle projects and save a bundle of money vs. helping put your indie's kids through college.
101 Projects for Your Porsche 911 996 and 997 1998-2008 - Wayne Dempsey
Somewhere between Essential Companion and the Bentley book falls Wayne Dempsey's 101 Projects book. There are a wide variety of projects covering everything from changing the cabin air filter to dropping the engine.
Fastening Specifications for Porsche 911 (Type 996) Automobile - Knowledge Gruppe
This resource supplements your other 996 documentation with the specs for every nut and bolt holding your 996 together. It may be overkill for the causal wrench, but as you get deeper and deeper into the engine bay, having the correct torque specs at your fingertips becomes invaluable.
Recommended tools, in addition to your normal
[*]An OBD-II code reader, either a standalone unit or a Bluetooth or WiFi dongle and app combo.
[*]A full set of security Torx bits. Not all Torx fasteners on the 996 are security, but you might as well buy the right set first.
[*]A full set of metric sockets and wrenches, including various wobble and standard extensions.
[*]A decent floor jack, at least two jack stands, and some hockey pucks (unless you have a fancy jack that mates with the Porsche jack points)
[*]A full set of metric hex keys / Allen wrenches
What did I leave out? What did I include that I shouldn't have? We'll keep this list updated and growing.
Books
The 996 Essential Companion by Adrian Streather
This is less of a how-to book and more of a what-the-hell book. The Essential Companion helps explain a lot about the car, provides a wealth of information about the differences between 996 versions, and mountains of other information. This isn't the book that will help you change your brake pads, but it is the book that will help you get a better understanding of the 996 as a whole.
Porsche 911 Service Manual - Bentley Publishing
This is a nuts-and-bolts, nitty-gritty service manual. It covers a great many projects, but the degree of detail can vary between projects. This is not an idiot's guide to first-time car repair, but if you're a semi-established weekend wrench, this book will give you the confidence to tackle projects and save a bundle of money vs. helping put your indie's kids through college.
101 Projects for Your Porsche 911 996 and 997 1998-2008 - Wayne Dempsey
Somewhere between Essential Companion and the Bentley book falls Wayne Dempsey's 101 Projects book. There are a wide variety of projects covering everything from changing the cabin air filter to dropping the engine.
Fastening Specifications for Porsche 911 (Type 996) Automobile - Knowledge Gruppe
This resource supplements your other 996 documentation with the specs for every nut and bolt holding your 996 together. It may be overkill for the causal wrench, but as you get deeper and deeper into the engine bay, having the correct torque specs at your fingertips becomes invaluable.
Recommended tools, in addition to your normal
[*]An OBD-II code reader, either a standalone unit or a Bluetooth or WiFi dongle and app combo.
[*]A full set of security Torx bits. Not all Torx fasteners on the 996 are security, but you might as well buy the right set first.
[*]A full set of metric sockets and wrenches, including various wobble and standard extensions.
[*]A decent floor jack, at least two jack stands, and some hockey pucks (unless you have a fancy jack that mates with the Porsche jack points)
[*]A full set of metric hex keys / Allen wrenches
What did I leave out? What did I include that I shouldn't have? We'll keep this list updated and growing.