Porsche 911

outdrguy

You're right, for extreme weather conditions I would have to have another "snow car." The ground clearance alone on the 911 wouldn't make it in significant snow, and I wouldn't take a chance on an expensive car.
However, I wanted to try to avoid having to store and change 2 sets of tires yearly (since I don't have the space). And I thought that a very good set of ultra high performance all season tires (ie Pirelli PzeroNero M&S) could allow me to enjoy driving my C4 at least 10 months out of the year in a variable weather region.

bph2

My wife has a 997 C4S here in Minnesota and we have found that one simply does not take it out in the winter, especially when there is snow. For one thing, it is very difficult to get it washed, and keeping it clean and polished is part of the "joy of ownership". The 4 wheel drive doesn't realy mean much with the low ground clearance, either. However, since it represents a lot of money just sitting in the garage for half a year, we popped for the 18 inch wheels and snow tires so as to extend the season a few months more.
The original 19 inch wheels and performance tires are pretty worthless below 40 degrees, so the winter tires are more of a soft rubber thing than for snow gripping.
We keep the car covered and at the ready and do take it out when the roads are clean and dry, but for the most part, it really isn't a good year-round driver.
Fortunately, we also have a Cayenne S which IS a fabulous year-round vehicle, especially in Minnesota, so not using the 911 every day is less critical.

tagman

I think each one of us loves the Porsche we ordered/bought. I prefer a Cab so that's what I have.

I agree with you on the Cab. I think Kennygoodboy should make sure he has actually opened the Targa roof to determine for himself if the opening is large enough to warrant the extra green ($), and also if it provides enough open air experience for his tastes.

A reminder is that the open Targa roof panel slides inside the rear compartment and impacts the rear headroom very slightly... likely not a concern, but check it out to be sure. Also, I found the roof panel's shade's motor housing is in line with the rear vision when the roof is open, and reduces rear visibility somewhat... a problem for some and not others as we have learned recently on this forum, but Kennygoodboy should make up his own mind, of course.

I believe in a test drive before spending the six digits.

Your info about the MP3's is interesting. Are you suggesting that there are no compatible discs that can be burned and then played by the changer? That would certainly provide a reasonable library of songs if possible.

TagMan

tomtomtom

"Your info about the MP3's is interesting. Are you suggesting that there are no compatible discs that can be burned and then played by the changer? That would certainly provide a reasonable library of songs if possible."

I don't have the CD changer in my Pcar but based on the CD changers I have from other cars, they're picky. Some can read CD-R but not CD-RW, some can only read the one with silver surface and some can read both silver and blue. So yes you can burn your music to a Audio CD in DAT format and play in the changer with a max of 480 mins of music.

dweiser

I'm fairly certain that the Porsche CD changer will not play MP3 encoded CDs. The single player will play MP3 CDs. One can easily get 10+ CDs, encoded to MP3, on one CD.

w210

I'm 100% certain MP3 CDs are only compatible with dash CD player and not the changer.

outdrguy

Thanks bph2 and habitat1 for the advice. I'll be sure to keep my other car as the "snow car" and opt for the 997 C2 with 18"wheels and A/S tires.

tomtomtom

The single player will play both WMV and MP3 files CD.

tagman

My '07 Cab is equipped with the CD changer, so it would seem the question for me is to determine exactly which type of discs can be burned that the changer will recognize, so as to be able to burn a selection of favorites. I would expect six discs should be more than adequate to provide a decent collection of songs.

TagMan

dweiser

If you want to make some compilation CDs (i.e., with music from several CDs) for your CD changer, you will need "ripping" software (some are free) that allows you to select tracks from your CDs and "burning" software that will create the new CD-R. MP3s and WMVs will not play in your changer. CD-Rs will "limit" you to approx. 80 minutes per CD where approx. 10 to 15 CDs will fit on one MP3 encoded CD-R but your changer will hold 6 CD-Rs so you should be fine. It's just too bad people are paying the high premium for the changer when it is an outdated and unnecessary piece of equipment.

habitat1

"It's just too bad people are paying the high premium for the changer when it is an outdated and unnecessary piece of equipment."

Good advice. And given that it's 2/3 the cost of the sport chrono I keep recommending, I'll remember that.

So how many miles on that C4 Cab of yours?

tagman

It's just too bad people are paying the high premium for the changer when it is an outdated and unnecessary piece of equipment.

Yes you are right. In my opinion, at this point the vehicles deserve an AUX input for iPod or other devices, and Bluetooth as well.

TagMan

tagman

And... I understand that satellite radio might possibly be offered later this year.

TagMan

dweiser

You're not Jimmy Carter are you? Please say you're not.

I have 5,434 miles on my 2006 C4 Cab. It still brings me joy to look at and of course to drive. Was 63 here in western NC today with 64 predicted tomorrow. I have a Honda that I like and that I've owned for a year longer than the P-car. The P-car recently passed the Honda in miles on the odometer.

blckislandguy

Here's an idea: buy the C2 and put the money you save into a used Jeep Cherokee as your winter beater.

Speaking of Porsches and the upper midwest, Cornell had running back that was drafted in '73 to play pro football by either Green Bay or Minneapolis. He took his signing money, bought a purple 911, and drove to camp. His teamates all had pickups (this was before the 'Slade came out) and both they and the coaches ribbed him unmercifully about the Porsche in snow country.

dhanley

"His teamates all had pickups (this was before the 'Slade came out) and both they and the coaches ribbed him unmercifully about the Porsche in snow country."

I was visiting the 'fam in wisconsin for xmas, and i saw a boxster for sale at a dealership in west salem. Don't know where you'd get that thing fixed anywhere within 80 miles.

'round hyah, i have heard porsche brought up as a good snow car, at least in terms of sports cars. Of course that's compared to vettes and mustangs.

beatfive

I'm a first time participant and long time observer of forum. Well I made the big plunge and recently bought my first Porsche, a 2007 C2 Cab with all the bells and whistles. I did have the dealer strip a satellite radio from a Cayenne to make me happy in completing the deal. The shop interfaced the radio into the pcm without a hitch. Now I'm a happy aficionado listening to my bluegrass without interruption and pushing the petal.

kyfdx

Now that you have a new Porsche, do you find it difficult to sing along with "I am a man of constant sorrow"?

ifpsken

No, he probably sings along with Glenn Frey (of the Eagles) "I've got mine" !!!!

tagman

That is probably similar to the installation that will become "official" later this year. Good to know it works. Very cool.

TagMan

ifpsken

Do you know where they put the satellite antenna?

beatfive

Tagman: The shop installed the satellite antenna under the hood near the front window so it's not obtrusive and the reception is excellant.

tagman

beatfive, it was actually ifpsken who asked you about the antenna location, but I am also glad to hear the results are as good as you indicate. I'm not sure I understand the location, however. Are you suggesting that the antenna is hidden from view?

On a different subject, the aftermarket Bluetooth installation is still a question for me also. I've heard mixed reviews.

Anyway, thanks, again.

TagMan

beatfive

Yes, the antenna is completely hidden from view under the hood. The one thing that I did not mention is that since the satellite radio is not OEM and you are listening to AM or FM and want to switch to Satellite you have to punch the FM button twice for access.

tagman

So, that makes it unclear to me whether or not the system is fully-integrated, or whether it is an FM modulator that re-broadcasts and plays through a specified FM frequency. Let me know if you must tune your FM to a specific frequency, because that would answer the question as to whether or not it is a modulator.

TagMan

beatfive

No, I do not have to use a specific FM frequency.

tagman

Thanks for the info. One more question...

Does it display the information about the channel, song title, etc. on the navigation screen?

TagMan

beatfive

Yes it does by pushing Info button and dialing right radio knob to radiotext.

tagman

Thanks, beatfive. Sounds like a decent installation. You've got me convinced... I'll most likely add it later in the year when it becomes "official".

Enjoy that new Carrera Cab. Keep us posted.

TagMan

ifpsken

Any possibility of posting a photo of how/where they put the Satellite antenna? My dealership, in Riverside, Calif, has not heard anything of the switch. I am also told IF they can do it, the antenna must be placed on top of the bodywork somewhere, otherwise it would not be able to pick up the signal. What dealer did you use? Perhaps I can have my dealer contact yours.

beatfive

My dealership which installed the satellite radio is:
Roger Beasley Porsche
200 E. Huntland Dr.
Austin, TX 78752
Ph: 512-371-1155
My sales rep is Jason Todd
Good Luck!!
Oh, I don't have an outside antenna and do have a great signal.

ifpsken

Thanks for your quick reply, I will give this info to my dealer.

tagman

ifpsken,

This whole satellite think that we've been discussing with beatfive has has become quite interesting to many of us. Now that you are going to follow up with your dealer, please keep us informed as to what you find out. Thanks.

TagMan

rodeo911s

Just purchased a 911S in Houston (still have my 912E purchased 31 yrs ago) So, loving the new experience. I was about to let the dealer put in XM through FM radio. However, this all sounds better. My sales person knows nothing about this or when Porsche will offer its own. I would also like to see pictures and hear more. Any idea if the Austin dealer would do this installation for someone? I wold like to hear what others find out.

lnkdoc

Local dealer, Omaha, took trade on a C2
400 mi
GT silver metallic
xenons
sport shifter
Asking 4% off MSRP. I was thinking a minimum of 12%. Any thoughts.

habitat1

Given that you could get a brand new car for at least 6-8+% off MSRP, I would agree that 10-12% is the minimum discount I would shoot for on a used C2. Which is still above its invoice and way above what they probably gave the guy in trade in. Also, GT metallic silver is, I think, an expensive option. Unless you really love it, I would think standard silver or the current equivalent of seal grey at the standard metallic paint cost would be just as good. Compare the price of this car to the one you would actually order new.

Also, not to sound like a broken record, but why did someone trade it at only 400 miles? I assume it's not a demo? That 400 miles may seem negligable compared to new, but it's about 1/3 of the all important break in period. Personally, I wouldn't take it unless I was both getting a great deal and getting some assurances that the car was responsibly driven during that time. Hard to know for sure, but a trust fund baby prior owner is a bet against.

pandd

Sirs:

I've have owned a 2006 C2S for about 17 months now and have been reading this forum for at least that long. Some really great points have been made and some great information has been shared. Opportunity presents itself to register my opinion on a matter that has surfaced on a regular basis by a number of individuals, that being : What should I buy ? "
So:..with my experience in mind...............................
1) Don't ask your wife her opinion about options, color etc. It won't be her car anyway, she dosen't want you to spend any more money than you have to. Frankly, she dosen't want you to have the car, you know that much!
2) Don't listen to your brother, he is jelous and he REALLY doesn't want you to have the car.
3) Do listen to you driving-age son. He knows what's cool, he really wants you to have it because he thinks he is going to get to drive it... silly him.
4) Don't even waste your time asking your driving-age daughter, she's dosen't want you to spend her inheritance.
5) Don't order options because you think they are good for resale...odds are you'll never get the money out of the options..what you like someone else may not. Anyway, you are going to love the car so much you won't be selling it .
6) Don't ask me or for that matter anyone else here on the forum, we won't be buying or driving your car.
7) And finally.. if your are hesitating on an option because you think it is too expensive... don't even go there.. if money is a factor .. buy a honda. I was lucky enough to pay cash for mine, ya the wife was po-'d
but that's too bad. She just will never understand.

Everyone enjoy your cars.. they are a kick to drive!

PandD ( Performance and Design )

tagman

Thanks for the words of wisdom.

TagMan

habitat1

Thanks for the humorous advice. However, my ciscumstances when I bought 16 months ago were a little different:

1) My wife was "go for the 911 (vs. Boxster S), you deserve it" from the first time we test drove one with our two girls in the rear seat. And the girls insisted on the Cab.
2) No brothers or sisters.
3) No driving age son, thank god.
4) No driving age daughter, but the 8 year old has laid claim to the 911 as her inheritance. The 11 year old would be happy driving a golf cart.
5) Took an instock car with $13k+ of options. More than I would have ordered, but a $10k+ discount helped a lot. I do agee with your recommendation, however - order only optons that you want.
6) Agree - but if anyone is inclined to ask me - the sport chrono option needs to at least be tried.
7) Agree.

I must have married right. Caught my wife washing some bird do-do off the hood the other day. Unfortunately, when she noticed me, she did remind me that I owe her a waxing of her MDX.

dweiser

Let's see if I have your advice correct. Never ask any female including your wife or daughters for their opinion(s). It's o.k. to ask your teenage son but not your daughter. Oh, and don't ask anyone on any forum anything (probably because they might be a female and you just can't tell from the ID). You know, as in pandd c-o-u-l-d have a vagina!
:surprise:

pandd

Ohhhhhh....
Dweiser, let's lighten up a little...this was tongue in check..I have 2 grown daughters and a wife of 35 years. My wife agreed that I deserved the car after putting 2 young ladies through college for the ride of their lives. I bought 2 cars for each of them over the last 6 years and sent both of them through top 10 colleges. They have more stamps in their passports than I could every imagine my passport having and it was on my dime. Maybe " Dweiser " has a weiser? Anyway, you probably took the advice on options from the dealer anyway and you are stuck with the $10K ceramic brake option you'll never learn to appreciate anyway. Chill dude, or is it dudette?

PandD

dhanley

dweiser, you have to ignore the 13 year olds posing as adults.

pandd

Dhanley:

You appear to be like the rest of the dweebs on this forum, you can't appreciate humor when it's slaps you in the face. 13 years olds cannot afford 911's unless their daddy bought it for them.. that's probably the category you fit into. Get a life and spend it somewhere other than on the internet. You can clearly see there are 2 to 3 people who spend their lives here. Welcome to the club.. I'm out of here . Thanks for the friendly welcome.

PandD

dweiser

I'll sure miss you.
(not)
Go brag somewhere else.
Oh, sorry but I don't have ceramic brakes.

tagman

is going on here? I just read the last few posts and... yikes!

Hope we can get back to the cars soon.

TagMan

chrmdome

Dude:

Why did you guys beat up on PandD . His original post was really kind of funny and was not aimed at anyone. It seemed to portray a normal give and take in the American family. Watch "Married with Children " sometime. It was a parity. For people who can afford $100K cars you think a little more understanding of what people say would be expected. His " bragging " was an obvious response to his being accused of being anti-women. Sounds like he is taking great care of his family and really did a great job with his children. Lighten up guys

Chromedome

chile96

guys - don't worry about this PandD bragger....he only has a C2S (jeesh - get a real Porsche) and the top 10 school is probably a top ten JC from his county/parish

just a little tongue in cheek, newbie

chrmdome

Chile96:

Simply put and simply answered: harsh. " Only has " is oxymoronic when it comes to Porsche and your comments are high-schoolish, or no, more on the the level of rude. Some people have commented to me about their attitudes of those who own Porsches. I'm getting a better idea now of why they feel the way they do about us. I too, only own a C2S. PandD was trying to grace us with a little levity and obviously did not mean to offend. Talk about jumping down his throat. These past few posts make it easier to understand why man makes war. Pathetic and childish. Time to talk about cars again and why we love these great machines. Goodbye to all the " trolls " Ya you chile96. Any idea what a troll is buddy?

Chromedome

Claires

As a woman, I wasn't offended by the post that sparked this minor melee (btw, the original poster also advised against asking the member's brother, whom I assume is male).

This kind of stuff is a pretty far cry from the usual discourse here, and I'm hopeful that it's over. Let's get back to discussing the 911. I'll be removing anything further that's off-topic or disrespectful.

tomtomtom

we would had a good laugh wth pandd comment...so everyone please go grab a beer and reread the post OK