Living the Legend
James McGrath
Minneapolis, USA
@auto.amateur
Auto Amateur
AutoAmateur
Model 996.2 CARRERA
Year 2002
Acquired 2020
This month I’m happy to report that my 996 project car is back on the road. Not only that, I’d argue that it’s in the best condition it’s been in since its early days, rolling off the factory floor in Stuttgart! Here’s how I got here…
In 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, I decided to find a project that would keep me busy at home while I was grounded for what I thought might be six months (turns out it’s been two years since my last business trip!).
My friend Patrick and I invested in a beaten-up 2002 Arctic silver 996.2, with its fair share of dings, scrapes and mechanical issues. After a summer of wrenching on the car, with the help of our friend Steve, and completing a host of different jobs on the interior, exterior and the mechanical components, we got it running for maybe 30 minutes. Long enough for me to make a video, showing off the famous 911 silhouette set against a warm Minnesota sunset via a wealth of different drone shots. But then it broke down. My transmission started to fail, I limped home for a painful mile or two until reaching my driveway and CLANG, the transmission bell housing connected to the engine broke clean off. Game over.
These initial exploits are well documented in past Total 911 issues and my AutoAmateur YouTube channel. If you want to see a grown man fight back disappointment and tears, while trying to present his restored but now broken dream car to the world, then you need to check out my channel.
Eighteen months later, through a collision of happy coincidences, I was in a position to restart the project and get the car finished. In the past three months I’ve sourced a new transmission, a reconditioned engine and a host of other parts. With the help of Porsche Minneapolis and my local Porsche club friends, the dream has finally become a reality. Not only is the car back on the road, but it looks, feels and drives like a brand new car. The clutch, the transmission, the sound of the engine, the rush of adrenaline with the explosion of the flat six engine behind you… I’ve been lucky enough to drive a variety of 911s of various generations over the past few years and I can confidently say that the 996, and THIS 996, doesn’t disappoint. Arguably, if not definitely, the 996 is the best 911 for your money. Even after a make-over and replacement parts, it’s legendary in every sense of the word.
For those interested, here’s the list of mods and jobs performed since it arrived on a flatbed truck two years ago. Replacement transmission, replacement clutch, new brake pads and reconditioned brake calipers (seals, fittings and powder-coated). A replacement 996.2 3.6-litre engine, short shift kit, new Fuchs-style 19-inch wheels, and new tyres, air filter, cabin filter and spark plugs/coil packs. A duck tail spoiler, turbo front bumper, new windscreen, and a complete paint removal and respray (silver to blue – inside and out). Headlight replacement and reconditioning, driver and passenger seat leather restoration/replacement, GT3 centre console delete, deviated blue seat belts, custom blue rev counter/ tachometer face inside the instrument cluster and seat extender rails (which provide four inches of extra leg room). And finally, Soul Performance high-flow sport cats, FD Motorsports ‘Fister’ exhaust mufflers, all fluids replaces (oil, gearing, brakes, coolant and so on), front control arms/wishbones and forward control arms/struts.
