Two very different M491s
 

I have never been a fan of 996s but my friend David's 2002 C4S changes that. What a great car! Beautiful, fast, comfortable. Contrasting to my car that is slowly undergoing a complete restoration, going to paint this spring, but having some fun with it until then, recently removed a good 125 lb+ from the back of the car making the ride height ready for the Paris Dakar. Custom muffler (megaphones masquerading as a muffler) and headers, '75 Mg case 915 that shifts like a Honda (rebuilding the original 915 over the winter) single fixed back bucket in it now with seats going to Tony/Autobahn along with the rest of the interior, dash and door tops already done.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1570368859.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1570368859.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1570368859.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1570368859.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1570368859.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1570368859.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1570368859.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1570368859.jpg


Excellent camera work here. Turn up the volume!

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wpRYJ7C-y0s" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I like the one with the short guy leaning on it more

You guys actually sit on your cars? :)

I will admit to browsing for a C4S of that vintage often.
I would put winters on it and drive the wheels off of it given the opportunity.
I have a big old GMC pickup for when the snow is deeper than the bottom of a C4S.

A bit of a dream right now.

Shaun's M491 has seen "worse" than sitting or leaning on it... of course it was much better from my perspective :D For example a few months after Dad bought it the parents went out of town to a conference, leaving me at home over a long weekend with the 2 Porsches and a new girlfriend... Always was careful not to leave seeds, stems, smells, stains or other evidence to indicate that someone had been up to shenanigans... No so sure about my older brother, but his shenanigans all involved the 356 ...

Do gotta say that it looks "wrong" to me without the whale tail... or as my grandpa called it, the luggage rack.

Hey Steve, LOVE the car and it's in good hands, definitely doing it right! I took the tail off mostly to save the rubber. I drive the car a lot so I don't want it it get damaged.

Rebuilding all 4 calipers over the winter, right rear sticks.

https://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/1019062-restoring-set-turbo-calipers.html

I may look for a second tail when $ allows and paint it to match. Car does rock with the tail but I also like tailless and it saves 30# over the back end.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1570372951.jpg

Put a whale tail on it versus a tea tray. Since it's a widebody, the whale tail would "fit" and be super cool.

I swear to the big guy that I hovered my cursor over your images waiting for your names to pop up as on Facebook. Great googly moogly. It's happening and it's too soon. :)

Love both cars. Pal had a black 2003 C4S and has an 89 930. Driven both but only the 930 a little bit "in anger" and not in the twisties. Just a foot mash on a nice long straight - memorable.

I like red.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1570385447.jpg

That’s a nice pair, there.

I prefer the 3.2 of those two, nice looking car.

Now if the C4S was a 996TT, then it might be different.

^^^ You know I've driven both this car and an 01 TT. The TT is of course blindlingly fast. Scary fast. But for normal roads, I prefer the C4S. I think that would change with more seat time in the TT. I realized that my response timing is geared toward older, slower cars. More seat time would sharpen response and make the car more enjoyable to drive stupid fast when time and location permit on regular roads.

I felt the TT made for the perfect daily driver. Would eat up the highway miles and was very docile when driven around town. When you wanted to push it, it responded very well.

Agreed. Definitely more on the GT end of the spectrum, hence why it’s a great daily driver. While it is very capable I wouldn’t really consider it to be a hardcore sports car. Though a suspension swap does wonders.

This is exactly what I am doing :-)

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1570540657.jpg

Great photos. I'm actually surprised to see the C4S doesn't look a ton bigger than the M491 in some of those shots.

After driving friend's TT, I said it was the fastest Camry on the planet. :)

What I like about the C4S is that it feels closer to an air-cooled car than the TT does. Mind you I have limited experience in driving either but just my impression.

Both could eat crackers in bed.

Nope. I helped Ben prototype the muffler for Carreras. It was louder, and a little meaner, than this one. More F1 shriek too. This one I want to go to 3" outlets vs. the 2.5" it has now. I thought 3" would be cartoonish coming out of the bottoms of the bumperettes but in fact 2.5" is a little too small. And 3 would deepen it a little at higher RPM I think. If I could, I would do 2 2.5" for each bumperette but that's a whole new muffler.

Milt, I can sit and listen to the burble for hours. And when I go on my circuit drives a few times a week, all I do is wind it up and down when not going through the proper course.

Ben built me exactly what I wanted, megaphones masquerading as a muffler. Would love to dyno it to see what I'm getting with a custom Sal Carceller chip. Also can't wait to open up the '75 915 this winter to see why it shifts like a Honda and makes the car very quick, much quicker than the 915/72 that came with the car that I will rebuild this winter.

As the owner of the red car I never really considered a turbo.

Love your car Jerry! I was surprised about that too and wonder how it would look against a 997. 991s are huge. If I finish the welding on my '73 in 2021, I'll see how they look side by side in aerial view.

Have to say the C4S pulls off Guards Red extremely well. One of the few colors I would consider if I got one.

I can say it was a joy to drive Shaun’s car. The air cooled 911’s are cool enough but when Budka-Fied, your talking a whole new level of sensory overload. Well done Shaun. Your an artist.

Regarding the red, I really wanted a silver one. Looked at one right before this one and loved the contrast between the silver body and the red reflector panel. The red was a better car. IMO, it’s one of the unique features that makes the 996 4S uniquely special and unfortunately the red body hides it. Being the case, i’m still trying to figure out a way to draw more attention to it.

..with jeans on.....?
...the kind with RIVETS fastening the pockets to the fabric?

Turbo with PSS9's gets you there - nice pair of rides.

Yeah, that's not happening in Massachusetts.

But I think Vermont doesn't have reciprocity with the RMV...?

It would. Trust me on this. You get used to the acceleration very very quickly. :D

Waze works wonders. Lot of road work these days too. Some are even smooth. I swear the road crews in this state are either the worst in the country. I've driven a lot in 10+ states and our roads are by far the worst.

I would expect so yes. It would be interesting to test my long held dear belief that driving a slower car at 9/10s is more fun than a fast car at 6/10s. I will say my '73 with a healthy 3.2 weighing in at 2174# is the most fun car I've ever driven.

The M491 on it's restoration weight loss plan is starting to feel similar. When a new suspension goes in, it may give that car a run for the money. But I know another 40-50 hp would help as well. While I love to go fast, it's the feel of driving that is most precious.

You don’t -have- to go fast.
It’s the acceleration that makes it fun.
That and the ability to pass pretty much at will on a back road.

Yes, the acceleration is otherworldly.

It really isn’t that great. Boost comes on too late.
Until you chip it and add a decent exhaust at least.
Then it’s a little livelier.

I was stationed in Springfield for several months. I'd ride my motorcycle a lot out there in Western Mass. I could tell where the state line with CT was, as even the backroads all got a little nicer and smoother.

Shaun, have you driven a 996 C2. Now I didn't like them because they felt so light in the front vs the 4S. You might actually prefer that as many do. Probably more of a 911 air cooled feel.

Regarding speed and acceleration, I am a big fan but how much do I need? I think the 4S was rated at 5.0 0-60 and 170 top speed. I've done neither so really silly to spend money on something I will never use. Now if I was in a macho contest, yes the 996TT would be the way to go. The accountant in me says waste of money "in my case". "In my case". "In my case".

I am not a big sports car scene guy but recently I was at an autocross with Jr. He wanted to try so I took him. Brought his Miata (talk about a fun car). The overall winners at the end of the day were a S2000 and a 986S. (I miss my S). Not close to TT capabilities but on that track, that day those cars would have ate a TT. Does it lessen the greatness of the TT, neck no. Does it say it's not perfect and not the ideal car for everyone, I would say so. Anyhow, if blowing by people on the highway is your thing or you need to be the fastest guy around (well until the next version comes along), go for it. I'll still wave to you as you blast by me at my 75mph. SmileWavy

I am glad you like your C4S, I could counter every one of your comments but not going to waste my time or yours.

If you ever get a chance, get behind the wheel of a 997 GT car. That will change your impression of the 996 series cars.

Will do. I'm sure I will enjoy.

I drove a beautiful, stock 996 C4S when I had my regular 996 coupe w some performance mods. The C4S felt like a big/heavy/slow/understeering barge in comparison. I drove it on Mulholland, you may or may not even have roads like that to test a car. YMMV. :cool:

I have driven regular 996s, to me they are just meh cars, like the 01 Boxster S I almost bought 3 years ago. For my taste, there just isn't anything interesting about the cars. Quick and capable but, meh. And narrow 996s aren't lookback cars, that's important to me too.

Slow car fast vs fast car slow is what I love so much about the 356. On the 270 degree turn interstate on/off ramps I can push it to my limits and probably the cars limits and not worry about speeding tickets, etc. Same with the mildly twisty roads we have around here (drive 10 miles to find two or three good curves). Heck even flooring it from a light you don't even have to worry about "display of horsepower" tickets, etc.

That's it exactly Steve. Here's part of a circuit I do 3-5 times a week, maybe 3-5 times around, at low traffic periods. it's great for learning the car and working on technique. So much fun. With a much quicker car, it would all happen too fast and not be as much fun.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1570733010.jpg

Even the G body cars were dialed in to understeer from the factory. The TT does as I assume the C4s does too. Just like the G body cars they also respond favorably to suspension tweeks. A set of decent coil overs transforms the handling. Mine is coupled (PSS9's) with a bigger rear sway bar and wider tires and it handles like a go kart.

My impression of a 1985 M491 that I was considering buying was that it was a pig - a slow heavy pig - so I get completely where you are coming from.

I do prefer the G body M491’s without tails, otherwise theY scream all show an no go.

There was a gorgeous black/red one for sale earlier this year that was tempting (except for the price).

You think that '85 you were looking at was slow Jeremy, try this. I had to do a top end on the motor with 8 broken studs, sort of rushed through the install and didn't have even close to WOT. Drove that for awhile. Slow but still entertaining and fun. Fast forward to this summer, put the '75 wonderbox 915 in which necessitated a new clutch cable. Putting that in found that the pedal box accelerator bell crank bushings were gone. New brass went in.

That combined with the weight loss a custom chip for megaphones, I'm now at less weight than an 84 Carrera with a little more power and all the braking and handling of a Turbo. I think the wonderbox also has short gearing, I can beat an M4 to 45 off the line. That's pretty fun.

What I love most about these cars and cars in general is there's a seat for every butt, each with it's own passions and desires. That air cooled 911s are essentially a box of Lego's that you can make whatever crazy car you want makes them a little extra special.

Boost, I hear you on the tail. I love it because it's iconic, so period perfect for the body though I do like the sleek tailless look too. If the Catorce cases ever ship, I'll be building a 4.0 MFI motor for the car as soon as I get mine. Then I can put the tail back on, or at least another one saving mine. :D