Owning a Porsche – new or old – is expensive. Parts are expensive. Shop labor is expensive. Now that I’m the owner of a new-to-me, cheap-ish 911, I’m determined to keep costs down without sacrificing the quality of parts on my car. This means doing some wrenching myself, and my results thus far have been mixed but mostly good.

If it’s Worth Doing, It’s Worth Doing Twice

During my PPI inspection, one of the things I learned was that my window regulator was on its way out and that it would need to be replaced. After seeking out some DIY videos and some DIY articles (thanks to my former employer, Pelican Parts), I figured I’d roll the dice and try to fix it myself, and as it turns out, this was a pretty easy way to get into working on my 911.

Despite all the bad things people love to say about the 996 generation 911, it’s pretty easy to work on. Despite my limited wrenching experience, I completed this job – the first time – in about an hour. The toughest part was removing the foam vapor barrier, which had been on the car since new. The glue that held it on was recalcitrant, to say the least.

Now, I say “the first time” because there’s a little “gotcha” in the window regulator that comes from the 911 sharing with the Boxster. A little window stop screw comes installed on all the regulator assemblies, and it’s not used…