A Return to Porsche Ownership: 2003 3.2

[Fat Albert]

Hi Folks, thought I would say a quick hello now I have had a long overdue return to Porsche Ownerhip and blagged myself a 2003 3.2 from a backstreet dealer in Stevenage, 109k miles, Seal grey, loads of options, long overdue a service and a blown stereo amp...but it had 11 stamps in the service book (8 OPC) looked and sounded straight and I got it for a good price.
I drove it 400 miles over Christmas and then dropped it into Dove House Motors in Rushden for Tony to do a post-purchase check and a major service. He gave it a relatively clean bill of health, just the front disks/pads needed imediately, with tyres and rear brakes needed over the next 12 months, with some other minor niggles I can work on as we go forward. They also pointed out that it has an Aerokit rear bumper and an aftermarket exhaust (not sure which one)
So now that is done I will book it in to a Hi Fi specialist to have my Alpine Bluetooth/USB/Aux head unit fitted and a harness made to go through the bulkhead and bypass the amp which will cost £100-200, but should get that back when I sell the existing head unit and multichanger.

Really pleased so far, it drives well and that flat 6 just behind your ears is addictive (but i don't need to tell you chaps that!)

a few pics:




In Dove House:


A Great pair of Christmas Presents!

 

[Fat Albert]

Thanks for the warm welcome......

anyhoo, about 700 miles in now and still thoroughly addicted to the noise and finding any excuse to take it out
Took my son for Pre-season training on his Catamaran on Friday and found that his new Rooster 90L sailing bag fits exactly in the front boot!

 

[DrSimon]

The sound of that flat six right behind your ears is highly addictive. I've had a couple of 911s now but nothing touches the adrenaline rush of that exhaust note six inches behind you.

 

[Fat Albert]

oh yes, somebody on Pistonheads asked about MPG, but the issue is I can't settle down and drive sensibly with that noise behind my ears! I will have to do what i used to do in my 944 Turbo, if I could get an extra 20 miles out of each quarter of a tank, that then earned me some serious play time and still got an overall MPG that satisfied 'Senior Management'!

 

[CLIFFWILKINS]

Congrats on your new car enjoy.

 

[Fat Albert]

Thanks Cliff

 

[graham1259]

HI Fat Albert
Like you i just bought a 2003 3.2 and it has a std CDR-23 unit installed. I'd like to upgrade to a new bluetooth /aux unit and was interested in your comment about by passing the amp...is the existing amp an issue? I've yet to enquire at any hifi shop.. Delighted with the car though! Any info you can share re upgrading the CD player will be great
thx

 

[Fat Albert]

Hi Graham, glad you're loving yours too!
I bought mine knowing that the amp had blown and that I had the Alpine Bluetooth/USB/Aux head unit that I had in my Saab.

I spoke to an audio place and he said that because the head unit and amp are connected via a fibre-optic link then you can't just change the head unit, he has also looked and there are no standard looms available this side of the Atlantic, there is one in the US that looks the same but labelled as being for the 996/early cayenne, and at the price and shipping, it is just as easy for him to make his own.

A couple of things, he will have to wire in a new power cable to sense when the ignition is being switched on, etc as it gets that feed over the optical link at the moment, the speakers to amp connector is a unique one, he will look for a female version, but might have to cut it off and use some standard plugs and sockets
He will fit a standard ISO connector for the head unit so I can upgrade that easily in the future.

I have the Subwoofer upgrade, so in order to use that I would need to fit an aftermarket amp (he recommended a JBL) which is about £150. Because I have already spent £900 on service/brakes etc this month I won't do this yet, but he will run in all the cables from my head unit through the bulkhead ready to add one easily at a later date (probably after I have sold off the standard stuff).
He will also run my microphone into the instrument binnacle for phone use.
He can't give me a fixed price as there are some variables at play here, but he has done 4 before and they have come out at between £100 and £200 which is what I expected (and got £200 knocked off the price of the car for it, as well as £300 for the service).

At this price point I am not worried about originality, but more having good hands-free telephone fucntion and listening to music on a USB stick or from Spotify on my phone is more important.

At the moment all I have is that Sonorous Six-pot behind my ears to entertain me, which is no bad thing!

 

[graham1259]

Thanks for that fullsome response...I'm going into an Audio specialist tomorrow so i can now go well armed.

 

[Fat Albert]

Thanks Graham, let me know what they say, make sure it corroborates with my chap before I go ahead!

 

[graham1259]

Well the good news from Car Audio specialists in Garratt Lane Wandsworth is there an off the shelf kit that fits neatly between the existing amp and speakers for £200 and you can then fit any 1 or 2 din unit you like..eg something as cheap as £60 with USB and Aux input for iphone etc. £100 includes handsfree....They would charge £85 to fit the whole thing and new head unit..Thought was all reasonable and will think seriously about it. With your extra sub woofer presume wuld add a sall amount of extra complexity but i'd giev billy there a ring if you wanted a second opinion

 

[Gary986]

Hi there. I bought a 98 2.5. I never listen to the stereo because I love the double wail of the exhaust behind my head. Better music than anything on the radio. Gary.

 

[Fat Albert]

Well the good news from Car Audio specialists in Garratt Lane Wandsworth is there an off the shelf kit that fits neatly between the existing amp and speakers for £200 and you can then fit any 1 or 2 din unit you like..eg something as cheap as £60 with USB and Aux input for iphone etc. £100 includes handsfree....They would charge £85 to fit the whole thing and new head unit..Thought was all reasonable and will think seriously about it. With your extra sub woofer presume wuld add a sall amount of extra complexity but i'd giev billy there a ring if you wanted a second opinion

Thanks for the feedback Graham, I thought there might be a kit, but as you say my sub adds a layer of complexity, so my guy will make a bespoke loom to make it amplifier ready, and I have this head unit, which is not hugely expensive, but brings the capability forward to the 21st century and I know the Bluetooth bit goes loud and clear enough for phone calls at speed in a convertible (The Saab was much noisier!!)
https://www.caraudiocentre.co.uk/product_m-alpine-ute-72bt_p-28153.htm?gclid=Cj0KCQiAnOzSBRDGARIsAL-mUB1_3sAz0gbazH0sEk0eXeQUlv6A70IP9O9FM6IIg_2ydMpAqdemKEYaAqrxEALw_wcB#

Gary, that is the only emtertainment I have at the moment and it is great!

 

[Fat Albert]

Well, Phase 1 of the HiFi upgrade/fix is done!
£180 to remove the old head unit/amp/cd changer and fit a replacement loom to bypass the amp to the speakers, fit my Alpine head unit with microphone placed behind the steering wheel.

When i have sold off the old kit I will do phase 2 which is to add an amplifier back in to power the Bose sub that is behind the seats.

Really pleased so far, obviously lacks bass at the moment, but the upper & Mids are reasionable with the Bose speakers and of course I now have USB/Bluetooth/aux in capability to bring it into the 21st Century.

It is not the last word in classy looks or quality but it does the job, and of course it is just plug 'n' play to upgrade the head unit in the future

 

[martynh]

Thanks for this, should be a great improvement once the sub gets wired back in.

Great looking car by the way, glad you are enjoying it

 

[Fat Albert]

Thanks Martyn, still loving it!

 

[CLIFFWILKINS]

Nice upgrade Jeremy.

 

[leighlo]

Looking great!

Like you I've bought a 2003 3.2 S and will be replacing my head unit and amp soon.

 

[Fat Albert]

Seems to be the car to buy at the moment! []