997 C4S

[Guest]

Hi everyone. I just bought a 997 C4S. It's my first Porsche. It is a truly amazing car. It was a bit of a treat, and I still can't believe I've got it! It was owned by the dealer with 2500mls on teh clock, so nicely run in.

It's basalt black with black leather interior and comes with the aerokit. It looks fabulous. I can't believe how solid and stuck to the road it feels no matter how hard I accelerate or brake.

I'm new to this forum so I welcome any suggestions on how to get the most out of this club and my car. Any tips on car care would also be kindly received.


Thanks.

 

[sidicks]

Welcome !!

My C4S is my first Porsche and I'm amazed - It's hard to describe, but someohow it does feel like it justifies the price, despite the M3 I had previously being such a capable car and a relative performance bargain. Coming back after a long day at work and seeing the car in the station car park, ready for me to drive home is still a special experience!

My car was purchased from new, but have done a similar amount of miles to you - I agree that it is so well planted on the road, and don't care one bit that many people will argue that the C4S is not the pure driver's car that the C2S is - It does all I want it to, handles beautifully, and will be very sure-footed when the weather gets worse.
What is the full specification on your car? I'm presuming that as a former dealer car it has a liberal number of options? Key question is do you have the Sports exhaust ???

Black will be very hard to keep clean, but will look great when it's been well looked after.
I think there are many views on the best products to use - Zymol has a great reputation, but is also very expensive. I'm sure you can get good results much cheaper. For what it's worth, my approach is the following:
1) Initial rinse with a pressure washer (not allowed under the current water shortage!!), to loosen any surface dirt - not too close to the paintwork
2) Wash with Meguiars Gold Class car wash (using a separate bucket for rinsing the wash mitt)
3) Dry with a synthetic towel to avoid smears
4) Nattyboys blue wax
5) P21S wheel cleaner
6) Autosol stainless steel polish for the exhausts
7) Turtle wax glass cleaner
8) Vacuum the interior carpet - takes 2 mins at most !
9) Occasionally put some leather conditioner on the seats
I try and do this weekly, but often I'm too busy, so its often just a quick wash and then top up the wax etc
The products were recommended by a local detailer who detailed my car when I first picked it up, and who I will probably get to tidy it up in 6 months time or so - he's very thorough and good value! If you're in the Kent Surrey area, I'll pass on his details !!

PS - where are you based ?

Cheers

Sidicks

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the welcome!

I can relate completely to the experience of seeing the car in the station car park! The drive home is always great.

I know there are the alleged purists that comment on the 4 wheel drive - but with some luck, in time, they may read the technical specs and realise that it's not permanent four wheel drive. And most of the time there's approx 95% of the power going to the rear. But with the C4S you have first rate supercar performance nay day of the year. And that's saying something with English weather!! I've driven it in the wet, and i can't believe the performance it delivers, in terms of braking stability as well as acceleration.

Yes, you're right about the liberal options. Unfortunately, I don't have the sports exhaust ( It does have the aerokit cup. I wasn;t massively keen on it to begin with - but it has really grown on me. It does make the car look that bit more unique. It has a multifunctional steering wheel which is very good, air con, leather seats (black), classic wheels and the centre console in exterior paint finish.

A friend of mine is very kindly bringing over his Zymol kit next weekend to work on the car. So I'll see how good it is for real. Thanks for your suggestions, and I'll be in a better position to decide which way to go pretty soon.

I'm based in Bedfordshire, near Luton. So that's just north of Watford!

Do you use super unleaded or just plain unleaded?

Cheers, Dev.

 

[sidicks]

ORIGINAL: Dev
Do you use super unleaded or just plain unleaded?

Didn't know there was anything other than Super unleaded....................!!!!!

Seriously, I always ran my Audi S3 and BMW M3 on Optimax Super unleaded, both for the small performance benefits but also because they were supposedly better for the engine.

I've never done a back-to-back test, but many people reckon that fuel consumption improves with Optimax, therefore going some way to offset the higher cost.

Just my opinion, but I don't see the point of spending £75k or more on a performance car and then skimping on the fuel..................

Sidicks

 

[Delbox]

You've got a beautiful lady to take out so give her champagne to drink - not some cheap plonk!!

Del

 

[Guest]

Thanks guys I agree. believe it or not, the dealer was the one who said that you can use either!! What about oil? What's the best for the beautiful lady?

 

[n3gooner]

I picked my new C2S Cabrio this week and am absolutely blown away by it!!!

My OPC also said that either fuel was fine!

I am having a problem with the opening of the doors and boot as well. Its really annoying and is obviosly a very common fault which they must know about so why don't they make them less sensitive!

 

[sidicks]

I'm sure there is some sensor that will detect whether you have Super unleaded or not, and sort out the ignition timing accordingly, however I'd only ever use normal unleaded when Super unleaded (Optimax) wasn't available - for example it is often difficult to find Optimax in Cornwall where my parents live, but normally I can plan around this and make sure the car is pretty full beforehand !!!

I leave the oil to the dealer, but expect that Mobil 1 or some other high quality synthetic is what's needed. I was toild to keep an eye on the oil level as the car is new, but it hasn't used much at all so far.

Sidicks

 

[Guest]

Congrats on picking up the cabrio. I'm sure you're having as much fun as I am!

The bonnet opens very easily!! There is another thread on this subject, and I agree with the recommended outcome - which is to walk away from the car and do not put them into your pocket until you';re out of range.

Because there's no audible beep when the doors are locked or unlocked with the key, I'm sometimes uncertain if they have locked!

But what a great car!

 

[Rob Edwards]

Hello Dev, welcome and congratulations on your fantastic car - sounds fabulous.
Firstly I would recommend reading the FAQ section, as this may answer any questions your may have without the need for posting them.

Check out the other forums too, to get a feel of the general porsche sentiment and also to see what issues are relevant to various models. Some, like the 996/Boxster forum have a lot in common - they are always worth a read, as is the Cayman forum (recently founded).

The feedback is always good - you won't get flamed for asking sensible questions or indeed, just sharing your moments of joy.

Good tip - no silly speed postings (on public roads) or crass comments to other posters - it's a sensible and balanced forum with the odd bit of gentle leg pulling.
There are some real experts out there in Forum land, and I thoroughly enjoy my daily 'trawl' through them to see what's occurring.

Joining the Porsche Club GB will also give you a bit more kudos on the Forum, as you then become 'one of us' (don't worry, it's not painful!).

I wish you many happy smiles of motoring in your new car - one of the most iconic and enduring sports cars the world has ever seen!

Rob[]

 

[Guest]

hi sidicks
I'm in Surrey, who does your detailing then, I could be interested in their work for my car...

 

[Guest]

Hi Rob,

Thanks for the tips. They are well received. I am a PCGB member - just received my pack in the post last night, so have updated my profile this morning with my membership number.

Will scan some of the other forums and FAQ section. Thanks for the positive comments. Speak to you soon.

Dev.

 

[sidicks]

You'll need to send an e-mail to get your profile updated as a PCGB member (see the FAQ for more details).

Sidicks

 

[sidicks]

ORIGINAL: Nick Epps
hi sidicks
I'm in Surrey, who does your detailing then, I could be interested in their work for my car...

Rather than post his e-mail and phone numbers on this public forum, I've sent you an e-mail. Happy to do the same for others who are interested.

Alternatively, go onto www.bm3w.co.uk and search for Ben - he is very highly regarded.

Sidicks

PS - For the avoidance of doubt, I'm not connected with Ben in any way, apart from the fact that he did some quality work on my car and I will use him again!