PumpkinRS

PumpkinRS

Starting this journal on 692446.

Background:

This is as close as I’ll probably get to a barn find.

I wasn’t even looking to purchase a car since I had just sold my black gt3 to MChang when I ran into this super low key autotrader ad.

This was a car in the middle of nowhere In the middle of winter in frigid IL. It had a rebuilt title due to being a flood car -THE NY2021 I think.
Long story short I spoke to the mechanic and the owners of the dealership and it seemed like the car hadn’t really been in any kind of natural disaster and it seemed more like an “insurance transaction”. My opinion only of course.

Anyway I pulled the trigger- in the midst of transitioning to a new job, while still living in Denver (even after I could not get anyone to come out and do a PPI). A couple of weeks later at our new place in the Bay Area, while still moving in I took receipt of Mr. Black.
It felt really good as the driver unloaded the car - hard to explain. I felt happy, it felt good to own a 996 GT3 again. I essentially moved in the car first before the wife and all the pets. They followed weeks later - that itself was a big adventure on its own.

I was ecstatic to find it was as I had hoped for. No sign of water damage or moisture at all - even the stickers on the harness/connectors under the seat were pristine. The factory tools and items in the frunk were utterly dry with no signs of moisture. I eventually also peeked into the mounting holes for the factory roll bar and those were clean and rust free.

The day I was taking it to be inspected for registration the car died. In hindsight the first thing I should have done when I received the car was to charge the battery.

During the early days of ownership I took the car to one of only a handful of shops authorized to do an inspection. I drove in without an inspection, in the heart of Oakland. I got a lot of looks and it was uncomfortable. The place was booked and I ended up going to Alameda Auto Lab - where the car subsequently died a block away. Knowing what I know now and from actual personal experience it was actually a good thing the shop in Oakland was booked and that I ended up in the middle of the street in a small neighborhood in Alameda instead of where I was in Oakland.

I got to the Alameda Autolab, drove right past them, turned around a block away and the car died.

As luck would have it the car just needed a new the alternator and battery a few days.

However, because of the above or maybe it was unrelated the car needed to be driven in order to get the ECU ready for smog test.

This was a pain. This ultimately involved working in the stacker parking late nights so as not to bother residents, moving my rear bumper up and down the elevator into the apartment just to install new o2 sensors and of course a few drives at 3 am in the Bay Area with the Durametric. I don’t know of another time in the day where one can drive the federal adaptation process to completion!

I finally got everything to work and since then I’ve been basically enjoying the car ever since.

I had toyed around selling Mr.Black and going for one of the white 996 GT3s that came up for sale on the forum - but I’ve since changed my mind. The color black has grown on me - specially when I learned about the Black Widow that Porsche campaigned back in the day. I’m thinking of running that livery someday.


Color:Black
Trim:std interior, std suspension, thicker steering wheel

Cosmetic:
as received: a couple of super minor dings rfender, hood, left rear roofline - all easily pdr’d. car also came with full front ppf- another pleasant surprise!

sometime during my stay in the Bay Area in 2022: someone parked next to me in the stacker parking- placed a small ding that they tried to remedy but ended up scratching the area - luckily fixed by PDR and a polish.

suprisingly very good condition paint wise - only blemishes really are 2 tiny areas I inflicted myself - passenger area behind door where my laptop touched slightly during my last day at the Bay Area job- and left quarter where I intentionally sanded a small spot experimenting with touch up paint repair

Mods: factory rollcage, cargraphics/tubi exhaust, giro discs, grey shift ****, full front.

Parts on hand not installed:
GT3 buckets, Factory CF wing, numeric shifter, CF center console,, E88 on Michelins as spare set

Maintenance/repairs done:
New alternator, new battery, new o2 sensors, cerakote and fuel cleaner, dry ice blasting/cleaning, paint correction and ceramic coated, new tires

PumpkinRS

Cleaned and painted the battery tray this weekend.

cgfen

enjoy.
I have a 6 GT3 and a 360 Modena for about 8 months together.
They had some amazing similarities and other differences.
I'd not by another 360, but might consider another 6 GT3 when I leave California because of this huge understatement

"However, because of the above or maybe it was unrelated the car needed to be driven in order to get the ECU ready for smog test.

This was a pain. This ultimately involved working in the stacker parking late nights so as not to bother residents, moving my rear bumper up and down the elevator into the apartment just to install new o2 sensors and of course a few drives at 3 am in the Bay Area with the Durametric. I don’t know of another time in the day where one can drive the federal adaptation process to completion!?

ScottArizona

Nice! excited to follow the progress. As I have mentioned to you in the past, you really can't beat a 6-3/Modena (or scud ) combo!

PumpkinRS

Thanks Scott! The combo is great.

One angle in my case is that it opens up the enjoyment/hobby/experience to the spouse. She couldn’t care less about going for a ride in the raw, focused 6/GT3 but immensely enjoys hanging out the window in the Modena shooting videos and pics, not getting jarred as much, and giggling at the Ferrari soundtrack on every acceleration or downshifts inside the numerous tunnels on the way to the weekend breakfast.

PumpkinRS

[QUOTE=cgfen;19018998]enjoy.
I have a 6 GT3 and a 360 Modena for about 8 months together.
They had some amazing similarities and other differences.
I'd not by another 360, but might consider another 6 GT3 when I leave California because of this huge understatement

"However, because of the above or maybe it was unrelated the car needed to be driven in order to get the ECU ready for smog test.”

THE Federal Adaptation drive!

Haha yes definitely an understatement. I remember the pure joy and achievement I felt when the shop told me it passed . I even remember starting to look for factory CATS online “just in case”. Interestingly the battery I just put in this weekend was bad (i thought it would be fine showing green after a few days in the ctek). Never ends . As for Ms. Red I haven’t ran into issues with the 360 (gated) yet…it’s actually got more miles than the 6/GT3

spiller

Well done. I know that feeling of being without a 996 GT3 and having to jump back in . The 360 looks beautiful also. I’d love to scratch that itch one day.

Look forward to following the progress.

PumpkinRS

Thanks Spiller! Let me know when you dip into the 360 experience. Can’t beat the sound in my opinion. The 360 shouts at the top of its lungs for attention, inviting everyone within earshot to the party. 6/GT3 feels smaller, more intimate, personal, and focused, like you and it alone are on a mission.

PumpkinRS

PumpkinRS

Driving around with crack since I scraped it on Alameda Auto Labs ridiculously steep driveway when I acquired Mr Black


Car came with entire front PPF to my pleasant surprise years ago

Fiberglass









Been hanging on to this lip for ages finally got to install it.

PumpkinRS

I posted this on a separate thread but last week I did exactly what this fella did.


How quickly things can turn! I had a perfectly running GT3 one minute and then in a blink of an eye he’s back in storage undriveable waiting on me for the next step. As an added bonus he’s got a mangled transmission plug that I can’t even find at the dealers.

I actually remember the transmission change watching Drolas garage and didn’t click on my head i was barking up the wrong plug so to speak.

I briefly spoke to Scott A that night, to commiserate, if anything else - thanks Scott! - and by the time I spoke to him I had pulled up that video above and confirmed what he said from personal experience that the tranny will have to be pulled.

I will be more careful next time!

dukmon

Oh dang

Marv

Sorry to hear about this, but it will be right again!

PumpkinRS

Thanks for the encouraging words!

The pin was reinserted through the pins sans spring as I mentioned so I was able to carefully shift the car (have to repeatedly find 1st gear because it now goes into reverse with the same throw) back to the parking spot.

He still made his appointment with the paint guy that weekend- see pics.

And super good news since this was the thing I was most bummed about- Roger at CMS actually had the plug (see pic) and sold me a custom piece. Great guy thinking of sending my tranny there for a refresh if needed. I have 45k miles what do you think it will need…


I’m still on the hunt for a stock one but I’m glad to have this in hand.

also I just found out Callas Motorsport is literally next door so that’s the quick way and expensive way out.



The elusive plug!

A small unnecessary self inflicted erroneous touch up job turns into a whole panel treatment. It’s a theme for me I guess.






My bad touch up attempt. Wasn’t even anything but a scratch that would have polished out.

Need to fix this someday small hairline crack, prob ably me again when I pulled it to change o2 sensors last year.


Scratched with the stupid laptop last day at work at my old company - was a tense moment in between jobs- was distracted