Porsche 996.1 cab

That's some beautiful machining. I like where you're going. 

Even thought this one can never be used, it's still a thing of beauty I agree. Being a child of the nineties I have a strong urge to anodize it purple before use, but I expect I'll resist that.

Our version:

Porsche version:

Moar parts!

First, get your box of parts, dump some tools in there, head to the garage with it:

It's not going to look like this soon:

The surround just pulls up:

Function First shifter is held on by this grub screw:

Where we run into the first problem, as these:

Don't have what we need. What's larger than 2mm, but smaller than 2.5mm? That's right, the 18th Century, AKA 3/32".

One quick trip to the hand tools section of my local Wickes later:

Bingo:

Now it's time for the Torx bolts that hold the centre console in - a mixture of T30 and T20:

The trim panels simply pop off, revealing the screws underneath:

This plate comes free when you've removed the bolt:

There's a particularly annoying screw under the coin holder, which caused me some headscratching until I located it:

Pull the connectors off the window switches and remove the ash-tray unit, there is another screw underneath:

Don't forget the essentials:

How is that Volvo of yours holding up? I REALLY want one.... I remember reading about the 850 T5R and R in Canary yellow in magazines. But really really scared of the upkeep costs.

The white screw-cover will not be on there when this car leaves the garage next:

Pop out the side-panel on the left of the handbrake and lift the console out of the way, underneath you'll find this:

This entire post brought to you by virtue of this little electric lantern:

The 997 GT3 shifter is definitely made of better materials than the others - note the very large metal bushings holding the mechanism into the cradle:

Still, it's coming out!

Push the locking covers up and twist to lock, freeing the cable ends:

They just pull up and out:

Look at that bushing:

Undo all four of the nuts that hold the shifter down - one pictured here, they're all 10mm:

And out:

New SSK, the green cradle, when locked in place, centres the shift lever:

Like this (note plastic bushings on this):

Put the cables back in, remove the green Plastic-of-Centring, row through the gears whilst making "brmmm brmmm" noises to check that you've got the cables back in the right place:

Carnage:

I'm going to take it for a spin when the DVLA acknowledge the new plate, so leaving the console off until then, so time to tidy up: 

mr2s2000elise said:

How is that Volvo of yours holding up? I REALLY want one.... I remember reading about the 850 T5R and R in Canary yellow in magazines. But really really scared of the upkeep costs.

I sold it to a friend and bought a C55 AMG wagon- the 850R is still going strong, and I’m enjoying having a V8 to fetch the shopping with. 

Checking tolerences

Tiny bit of interference with the cam chains, and a couple of other bits that need to be finessed in the next iteration - which is currently bolted to the bed of the 5-axis as I type this, ready to fire tomorrow.

What'd you replace the 997 GT3 shifter with?  Wanna send me the 997 GT3 shifter?

997 Short shift kit: 997 424 983 00

I've got the short shaft on order from Function First - will validate if the setup now in the car works, if not it'll come out and the 997 GT3 unit will go back in.

I'll work out which unit is surplus to requirements then, will let you know if it's the GT3 unit.

In other news, I've been looking at updating the stereo to something a bit better - the 9 speaker Harmonn Kardon setup in the C55 has shown the deficiencies in the 911's stock system.

The Hertz speakers I am using were recommended in the speaker thread, I've not yet listened to them but hope that they are good.

With that said, I suspect this method will work with any comparable speaker.

The stock speakers are Nokia/Haes 4ohm, and are fairly "built to a price", to my eye at least.

The speaker is attached with three screws, two pictured here:

And a single one at the opposite side here:

Potentially a thousand plagues lurks in this speaker mesh:

The accused:

Note the three attachment points:

There's an interesting cut-out here, by the single attachment point, which gave me an idea (more on which shortly):

This is the new unit:

I cut away the speaker from the retaining ring:

I then cut three further cut-outs in the retaining ring, spacing them equidistant from one another, meaning that there were then four cut-outs, which meant that the new speaker could drop in and be held firmly:

It's not going to fit into the grill with those tabs, so they need to be edited:

Then simply refit the retaining ring with its new passenger:

This screw barely bites into the metal tab which retains it, I'll use a longer screw if I can find one:

Old and new:

My next task is to teach myself basic CAD and create a digital version of this ring that can be run off using a 3D printer, as I have more of these to do and I don't want to have to cut up a speaker each time.

The difference in magnet size alone should make a good improvement in sound..... and FWIW, I really enjoy all the photos and descriptions in your posts. Helps to really understand and follow along.

I want to update the stereo in my 996 too.  Since it's a 2003 it has the fiber optic MOST stuff, plus the wacky ohmage Bose amps and speaker.  Plan is to get the 997 adapter and just replace the head unit with a double din apple car play unit and reuse the Bose amps and speakers.  Otherwise I'd have to redo everything, which I'd rather avoid.

So you went from the 997 GT3 shifter to the 997 short shifter?

I had, initially, the standard 996 shifter, with the standard shaft/knob.

Replaced the mechanism with the 997 GT3 unit, kept the OEM shaft/knob. It was just like the old shift, but slightly more precise.

Replaced the shaft/knob with the Function First "long", loved the position of the (cough) knob, but the longer lever made the throw rather more long-winded than I wanted.

Replaced the 997 GT3 mechanism with the 997 SSK, kept Function First shaft/knob. I'll test this, feels good in the car with the engine off, but that's not really a test. The idea is to bring the throw back to what it was when the shaft was shorter, but with the long shaft.

Stereo - the speakers in the dash and the rear are 4 ohm, it's the ones in the doors (which are woofers) that are 2 ohm.

I'm going to swap the dash and rear's out, and I think probably an under-seat sub with built in amp, then take stock - the next move would be to replace the Nokia amp and the door speakers (likely Hertz 130.5's), unsure on the amp but it'd need to be 6 channel and that's £much.

WRT the MOST system, that's a problem if you want to update the HU but keep the amp, IIRC, but if you change both then you're fine - the wiring to the speakers is standard metal stuff I believe.

I can keep the BOSE stuff and the MOST network as long as I use an adapter.  I'll lose my fader control but that doesn't really bother me in a car this small.

Sounds good, my car is too early for MOST, so not something I've read up on/investigated.

If anyone has a suggestion for a good 6 channel amp then please do speak up, likewise under-seat amplified subs.

I bought a JL 600/6v2, seen here carelessly balanced where the CD player used to be:

I'm debating putting it where the current amp is, or to rotate it through 90 degrees and mount it where it is in the above picture.

I don't want to cut the factory wiring, which means I need to connect to it non-destructively.

Googling the text on the plug leads me to it's female partner - available in multiples of 10:

Bendy bendy:

And time to get the soldering iron out for the first time in 21 years:

Ah, bugger - one short:

Wallop:

I've not twisted the opposing pairs together and am waiting on some RCA plugs to terminate the line-out circuits.

I’ve been considering a 997 shifter for my 996 too.  I need to het my FF knob and custom boot installed too.

My stereo install is getting truly out of hand, my hydraulic crimper arrived today and the sheet metal brake arrives tomorrow.

In reply to Dammit :

Well, that escalated quickly!

Any excuse to buy fancy tools.  My FVD brombacher mufflers arrived for my 996 today.....  I guess I can put those on and install my blingy RUF exhaust tips soon too. 

Sheet metal brake arrived on time, but the sheet metal itself has not.

Back to the engine, I present M3 ITB's:

The runner's in the new heads have had the angle changed by the chap who has ported the heads, so we need to visit his workshop (picking up the newest tappet carrier from the machine shop en-route) to establish what chamfer angle the sandwich plate is going to need.

And here's what the flow bench says:

Thousands of an inch lift is the x axis, CFM on the y.

Stock is the 96mm bore, oversized 100mm bore, performance is after porting.