Bad boys...

Jamie's new toy. 9 6 4, 3 . 6, T U R B O in B L A C K. Say no more...

Spacers...

...I started to wonder if my front wheels could do with some spacers...just to nudge them out a bit. Having investigated, my front wheels are actually 18" X 7.5" (ET 50mm) - so likely to have been taken off a 996 as the standard width for a 993 from factory was 8", and my rear wheels are 18" X 10" (ET 50mm) which are as they should be. I spoke to Gert and Chris at Centre Gravity and the general consensus is not to exceed 5mm spacers without having to change the studs. Some are happy to run 7mm, but apparently not advisable as doesn't leave much on the thread. Anything more than that, then you're looking into changing studs, which means you'll need to remove discs and calipers - obviously a bigger job, which I wasn't keen on doing. So to keep things simple I gave the 5mm spacers a whirl and they worked out pretty well - a small nudge but definitely noticeable!

4x 5mm spacers at 40 euro each  = 160 euro

Shipping is 15 euro

Total : 175+21%vat = 211,75 euro

Damn you Singers!

Those Momo Prototipo steering wheels just look too good. And makes for a better drive for sure, smaller diameter, tighter grip, plus they probably make you feel like you're driving an RSR - I couldn't resist.

So, here's what you'll need (well, not all those parts were right!):

I got these parts from Design 911:

Obviously for a 993 (911) C2 1994-97

Prototipo - Black LTH / Black - Momo

Code: M11111525211

£167.99

Boss Fitting Kit

Code: ML7004

£57.99

Horn Contact

Code: 96465210400

£15.95

Classic leather embossed crest horn push button

Code: HORNPUSH002

£55.95

This horn button is the closest you'll get to the Singer one - theirs are bespoke and you can't get hold of one unless you spend north of half a million dollars!!! 

Even though the site says so (and they confirmed it), this part IS NOT compatible for a 993 modification:

Airbag Bridge Plug. Resistor for air bag warning light.

Code: 92861222000

Price: £33.78

Having consulted Gert at Carnewal (who literally knows everything about everything when it comes to 993s) he sent me one of these little guys (a 2.6 ohm resistor), that did the job! That said Paul needed to use the diagnostic computer to then disarm the air bag warning light so not a DIY job. Next time the trick is to fit the resistor before you turn the ignition back on, which means you won't need that fancy diagnostic kit (good tip!).

And the RothSport Steering Hub Adapter isn't the same one Singer use as it mounts on the underside of the boss, not the top side, so I decided against it and sent it back. 

The RothSport Steering Hub Adapter

Code: RS-095
£95.00

And one last thing, you'll probably want to change the steering column cover, top and bottom, otherwise you'll be able to see an unsightly galvanized steel plate (pic below) - the 964 parts do the job to conceal everything - see before and after pic below. 

Switch Housing 911 Carrera 94-98

Code: 9645522750001C
£36.26

Switch Housing 911 Carrera 94-98

Code: 9645522730001C
£19.37

(I also ordered these bits, but think I ended up using the originals so not necessary; Speed nut; 99959188802, Screw; 99907304702, Screw; 90014300207) 

Thanks to Paul at Northways for fitting!

Before (original 993 Column Cover) 

After (964 Column Cover - fits straight on and covers galvanized metal plate) 

Final touch...

So, even though the car had just been fully resprayed, minor defects in the paint can and do happen (super annoying for somebody like me who loves for things to be just so, but hey-ho), especially if the car hasn't been stripped back to bare metal, which mine hadn't. A conscious choice - it's hard to justify on the 993 unless it's in a really bad state, as you'll end up removing the protective galvanized from the steel and the cost of the job could be as much as double. 

Blemishes like orange peel, sanding marks, fish eyes can be sorted with some good paint correction, which any good bodyshop will do before handing the car back. That said, I still recommend going to a detailer for the final touch - as they can take the finish of the paint to a whole new level. So I booked in with Dariuz at DSR Perfection for a two stage correction.

I also opted for a protective Ceramic Coating, in form of Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light, which basically creates a super hard protective layer over the paint, adding high-gloss, resisting swirls, contaminants and dirt. Then, topped that off with some Gtechniq EXOv4, a 'hydrophobic' finishing coat to further repel water and dirt - so water just flies off it, and it makes annoying things like tree sap, tar, and hard water spots, easy to remove.

So, all and all, protecting the new paint and making cleaning the car a breeze, which is always nice. :-) 

The PPF doesn't require the ceramic coat and only gets protected with the EXOv4. And Gtechniq G-Wash has been designed to work with their range of coating so worth getting some of that too.

Here are the results. Nice job Dariuz!

Restoring the faith...

Leather connolising tends to get a bad rap - that's because so many claim to be experts, and the results can be quite poor, if not done correctly - so avoid those 'smart repair' guys! The alternative, re-trimming, can get super expensive and really isn't necessary unless the leather is that far gone, which mine wasn't. That said, my Marble Grey front seats had been previously badly restored, with bad cracking and overspray, so it was about time to have them done, and this time properly. So, today I had the privilege of having my front seats connnolised by one of only a few surviving Connolly Leather trained renovation specialists, Mark Slade of Benchmark. He turns up in his van and all he needs is electricity for his compressor and a driveway to work from - within a few hours the job was done. Thanks Mark for doing a sterling job!

And there's definitely something to be said about preserving the original leather and the car's heritage - after all that's the same leather that was put into the car at the Stuttgart factory all those years ago. I feel pretty good about that. (Just don't tell anybody that I'll soon be changing the standard airbag steering wheel for a Singer-esque Momo Prototipo, sorry!).

BEFORE:

AFTER:

And a little tip: the sudds of some standard liquid soap (mixed a bit of water) on a microfibre is great for maintaining a freshly renovated interior.  

A PORSCHE HAPPENING

A PORSCHE HAPPENING. 

In the Porsche vernacular, Luftgekühlt represents all the air-cooled cars in the manufacturer’s history, from the Pre-A 356 through the 993 model line, which ended in 1998.

The Luftgekühlt brand is the brainchild of two-time Le Mans class winner Patrick Long and noted Southern California creative director Howie Idelson. A true Porsche happening, Luftgekühlt is an experiential car culture event centered around a tightly curated list of historically significant or interesting cars, both race and street. There's no set formula for our events, but we're excited by cool venues, fun people, and creative expression, so you can bet those elements will always be in our recipe. We like coming up with wild ideas that celebrate the passion we have for all things air-cooled, and we love collaborating with like-minded people and brands. 

This Porsche Happening crossed the Atlantic and landed at Bicester Heritage, Oxfordshire, UK on wet and windy Sunday July 29, 2018...

...so off I went to Luft GB. 

I didn't take many snaps mind you, so more to follow here. And hopefully this event will make their next book. The first one's here, which I have on my shelf and highly recommend - beautifully art directed. You never know, my car might even feature in it, as it got pulled aside to be officially photographed! 

One of my all time favorites - the mighty 934 

(nice article here of a similar car from Stanceworks) 

Wet Paint - do not touch!

I couldn't resist anymore - it was time to have my car resprayed. So I booked it in with Tyrone (Riviera) who's a top painter and a really nice bloke (between you and I, he paints the UK Singers when they need some TLC, but nobody knows that, so Shhh!). He updated me with a few pictures during the few months he had the car - see below.

We left everything pretty much standard apart from a rear wiper delete and a slight face lift with the addition of the Aerokit Chin Spoilers (Supplied by Carnewal, who do the factory parts, not fiberglass imitations, which are a nightmare to paint) - not to be mistaken for the RS Chin Spoilers. I prefer these as they resemble the design of the Turbo S Chin Spoiler, albeit in two parts. I was inspired by that Yellow 993 spotted in a previous post. We flattened off the sills to match the bodywork, which typically have a rough textured finish from factory. Left off the rear Carrera badge - looks cleaner without. Replaced the rubbers / seals all round, and the lenses and indicators; freshening up the front end. And went for a smaller front number plate, which was scaled down to fit the exact size of the plinth, which looks great.

The wheels were fully reburfished by Chris at Exel, who does a splendid job and provides a hassle free collection / delivery service, including providing loan wheels! We took the opportunity to replace the front tyres, which had good tread but were showing signs of aging with some light cracking due to the rubber hardening. The car handles much better now - feels gripper, turns in better and stops / starts with more bite.

The new front and rear screens (with wiper delete, whilst retaining the heating elements and third brake light spoiler, fitted to '96 > '98 993s) were done by Paul at GlassTec, who's a Porsche Specialist with his very own blog about 'Automative Glazing Matters'! In fact, I got a stone chip in the new windscreen the day I picked up the car - Grrr - but thanks to Paul it had miraculously disappeared within 24hours! A good guy to know.

After the paint, I decided to invest in some Paint Protection, in the form of XPEL - an invisible urethane film with 'self healing' properties - I kid you not! So, off it went to Topaz in Wembley, the UK's most exclusive detailing and PPF specialist, for a Level 2 detail and Full Front and Sills wrap. Not cheap, but this way my nice new paint can remain, well, nice and new.

Oh, nearly forgot to mention that I also protected my nice new wheels with some protection too, in the form of Gtechniq C5 Wheel Armour, which uses a unique chemical bond to become the functional surface of the wheel, making them dirt and brake dust repellent as well as being much easier to clean. A single application lasts up to one year! Nice and easy. 

The car looks brand new - perhaps even better than it did in 1996!?!

Next stop - Luft GB. Luftgekuhlt is coming to the UK!