Refitting 996 Turbo OEM Headlights: How much?
Discussion
I'm considering purchasing this here automobile:
Mechanically and cosmetically the car is probably very good. Great color, OEM carbon interior.
The problem is the headlight mod. If I wanted to have it rebuilt professionally using OEM parts, how much might I have to pay? Would they need to switch out the entire headlight assemblies?
For practical reasons, I may replace the aerokit snowplow splitter also.
Mechanically and cosmetically the car is probably very good. Great color, OEM carbon interior.
The problem is the headlight mod. If I wanted to have it rebuilt professionally using OEM parts, how much might I have to pay? Would they need to switch out the entire headlight assemblies?
For practical reasons, I may replace the aerokit snowplow splitter also.
freedman said:
Its only a plastic cover, isn't it?
The standard headlight is intact underneath,surely
A lot of money's riding on the "surely" part. No doubt the assembly will pop out easily enough, but the question is what lurks underneath that masking bit. Anyway, I asked my trusted Porsche indie and am waiting to hear back.The standard headlight is intact underneath,surely
That's the thing, though. If I'm looking at buying two new/used headlight units, the price is no longer competitive.
Unfortunately it's the likely scenario. I'm assuming that ripping off the masking part will ruin the glass/clear plastic pane of the headlight cover. That pane is sealed to the unit and can't be removed.
Well it can, if you use a heat gun, and then it becomes a right old mess.
Plus, I've no idea if you can actually buy the glass/plastic pane separately.
Unfortunately it's the likely scenario. I'm assuming that ripping off the masking part will ruin the glass/clear plastic pane of the headlight cover. That pane is sealed to the unit and can't be removed.
Well it can, if you use a heat gun, and then it becomes a right old mess.
Plus, I've no idea if you can actually buy the glass/plastic pane separately.
I did some sleuthing and am getting a bit dubious about the whole thing.
This car has been on sale for 2.5 years. That is a very long time.
On a positive note, they should be very keen to sell. On the downside, what's up with that? Has the hate for aftermarket mods become this intense, or is there something else going on? Also, where has the car been stored all this time?
For hilarity, here's a graph that tracks the asking price over the years. Up and down it goes in sync with Covid and the seasons.
The currency is Swiss Francs.
We're currently at 50k CHF = 43.500 pounds. For the UK that would be a lot, but for Switzerland it's almost a good deal.
This car has been on sale for 2.5 years. That is a very long time.
On a positive note, they should be very keen to sell. On the downside, what's up with that? Has the hate for aftermarket mods become this intense, or is there something else going on? Also, where has the car been stored all this time?
For hilarity, here's a graph that tracks the asking price over the years. Up and down it goes in sync with Covid and the seasons.
The currency is Swiss Francs.
We're currently at 50k CHF = 43.500 pounds. For the UK that would be a lot, but for Switzerland it's almost a good deal.
FYI: My Porsche indie tells me that removing the headlight covers is not actually a big deal. At worst they may need to polish off the remnants of the glue and then re-glaze the glass/plastic. A few hundred pounds at most, probably less.
I will try to look at the car before Xmas, ask them a litany of unconfortable questions, then report back.
They do say in the ad that they have been servicing the car for the past 9 years, so I'm expecting detailed documentation of major jobs done.
I will try to look at the car before Xmas, ask them a litany of unconfortable questions, then report back.
They do say in the ad that they have been servicing the car for the past 9 years, so I'm expecting detailed documentation of major jobs done.
My advice would be to remove each headlight unit (a 10-second job) then use a plastic razor blade to gently prize the aftermarket cover off the headlight unit assuming it is stuck in place with adhesive. Do it indoors and use a hairdryer to put some heat into it to help soften the adhesive. It will probably take ages, be patient.
Gassing Station | 911/Carrera GT | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff