My Porsche Story: Peter Sibley’s 996.1 Carrera

During the noughties and 2010’s, I made a regular pilgrimage to the Nürburgring alongside thousands of other Brits, keen to experience high speed driving at the notorious “Green Hell”. I was fortunate to drive, and be driven in, a variety of different cars around the circuit…from the ubiquitous Suzuki Swift Sport to a 105-series Alfa Giulia race car, a Vauxhall VX220 and my venerable B5 Audi S4. One car really stole the show though; every time I went out on the circuit, some variant of a 911 (from base Carrera to GT2 RS) would come flying past at some point, always sounding superb and always looking perfectly suited to the environment. This got me thinking…

Wind forward to 2012 and an opportunity came up to acquire a 2003, 89k mile, 996 Targa Tiptronic. Not the most ‘pure’ 911 out there, some might argue, but my first entry into Porsche and 911 ownership nonetheless. Over the subsequent three years, it provided both many enjoyable miles of motoring, as well as an immersive education in all things 996, as I was keen to get hands-on with the mechanical side of things too. Through the great relationship I developed with my local OPC in Bristol, to the superb advice received via the 911UK forum, I began to subtly upgrade and tweak the car to what I felt represented an “OEM-plus” specification. This included the full M030 suspension kit (shocks springs and anti-roll bars), available brand new from the OPC for around £750 at the time, as well as installation of 997 Sports seats and adjustments to the exhaust, brakes, gearshift (AMG paddleshift conversion) and wheels. The car completed two amazing trips out to the Nürburgring, although I sold the car on to a friend in 2015 and took some time to ponder.

In early 2020, after a brief spell in a Maserati 4200 Coupe, I felt that a return to the Porsche marque was on the cards. Quite by luck, a rather interesting 1998 996.1 Carrera 4 turned up for sale at a local dealer, which was run by someone I knew. The car was being sold on behalf of a friend of the dealership, so was in fact a private sale. I say interesting mainly because of the colour, which is factory code 3AE Viola Metallic, first offered (I believe) on the 964 30 Jahre edition. I’d never seen a 996 in this striking colour, so fixed up to view and test drive the car, which fortuitously also involved some ramp time to inspect the underside. What was also clear was that this was a highly specified car from the factory, as decoding of the frunk code sticker revealed. Along with the interesting exterior colour, the car was specified with the factory fitted homologation aero kit (XAA), sports suspension kit (M030), sports hardback seats, Sport Classic II alloy wheels and a full complement of carbon interior trims across the dash and door panels. Clearly cherished during the prior 22 years, it also came accompanied with a two-inch thick history file, with paperwork right back to its first year on the road. A deal was struck with the seller, and I became a 996 owner once again!

This C16 UK car was registered in October 1998, so is an MY99 series vehicle. By the time it came into my ownership as the eighth keeper, the odometer was reading 88k miles, but the overall condition of the car and its impeccable history meant it was carrying its miles well. Very little had been touched on the car in terms of changes from factory specification, other than a re-trim of the front seats in alcantara and leather, and installation of a double-DIN stereo head unit. So, with no real plan to do any upgrades, I started to get to know the car a bit better with a few road trips and local car meets. But, as you often find with a more than 20-year-old car, there will always be areas that can be improved! So, during the first year, and through a combination of DIY efforts and support from specialists, I did a (more or less) full suspension refresh using a range of aftermarket components, OEM fixings and H&R lowering springs. This really transformed both ride quality and handling and, combined with an overhaul of the brake system and fitment of braided hoses, the overall driveability of the car was vastly improved.

Wind forward to February 2021, and imagine my shock at finding caramel coloured plastic fragments in the oil pan during a routine engine oil change. A bit of internet searching and a few calls to specialists later, and it was almost certain that I was seeing plastic worn away from the cam chain tensioners in the cylinder heads, which had then made its way through the engine and  down into the oil sump. It’s at this point that I decided to engage Marc and the team at MLR Porsche in Stoke-on-Trent to take the rocker covers off and inspect further! Sure enough, this revealed highly worn cam chain tensioners but also a worn IMS chain tensioner. So, after some further discussion around options, I commissioned MLR to remove the engine and conduct a full rebuild. Ultimately, this included six new Mahle pistons, ductile cast iron cylinder liners, new engine bearings throughout, new cam/IMS chain tensioners and chains themselves, re-seated valves, a new oil pump and X51 sump pan, refreshed Variocam solenoids and Top Gear headers (coupled to the existing Top Gear 200 cpi cats and mid-sport silencers). The clutch and flywheel were also replaced, as was the rear main seal (RMS), and an EPS oil-fed intermediate shaft (IMS) bearing was installed. As many 996 owners will know, removing the engine affords the opportunity to address a range of other ‘while you’re there’ items, including the brake line over the gearbox and AOS unit, so these were all sorted at the same time along with retrofit of cruise control.

The improvement in engine performance and tractability became more and more noticeable as the running-in miles (around 800 or so) passed by. It revs out quicker and more smoothly, has a better mid-range, and has the most incredible exhaust note at the top end. Followed by installation of 997 Sports seats, 964/993 RS-spec engine mounts, a 997 gear shift tower, 17-inch replica Fuchs style alloys with Michelin PS4 tyres and an IXI Gears gear-knob, the car was once again ready to be enjoyed for B-road blasts and longer-range outings.

Whilst the 996 is much maligned for numerous reasons, both cosmetic and mechanical, it is increasingly (and rightly) being recognised for the superb all-round sports car that it is. Whichever variant you choose, it’s a car that can provide immense enjoyment, and also a superb platform for upgrades and improvements to suit any driving style and taste. This one’s a keeper, that’s for sure!

You can follow Pete on Instagram: @pj_sibley

Pictures taken by Pete Sibley and @mlr_porsche