Please, don’t leave this project at this point. You can repair, so you must repair ! 💪

Has the car ever been hit? If the frame is not straight, perhaps the stress once installed caused the crack in the housing.

I’m guessing maybe the engine case probably had a stress fracture from the first cracked gearbox ,bolting the second box to it and adding new engine mounts stiffened everything up and caused it to let go or the gearbox mount was off line ,don’t give up you guys have gone so far and it’s a great looking

Gutted for you all ! Reach out to the Porsche community locally, someone will fix you up with an engine/transmission, finish what you’ve started. The car will be great again 👍

Ah.. I'm absolutely crushed for you guys. 😭 This gives me all the feels of rebuilding the Boxster this fall. I really think you should find an engine/trans combo and do the full swap. The 996 prices continue to go up and you have a beautiful platform to start from. Good luck!

Ah, that's Sod's law. You guys should feel proud of where you've got this car to. Its also one of the nicest looking 996's around... You can't let it die. It's the season of good will, if all us subscriber's popped $5 in a 'save the 996' account, we could cover the cost of the engine and transmission and you guys get to finish what you started, as intended. Set one up, and I'll start the donations.

It’s not failure. Car looks great and is testament to commitment to an idea. Don’t give up. Let’s see this problem worked around and solved and more great content. She’s a beauty.

Wow James. I cant believe it. Huge credit to you and the guys mate for staying positive. I really feel for you. Easy to say but I think you have to stick with it and complete the project. i just think you will kick yourself if you pass it on. The car looks incredible and this is the essence of AutoAmateur. God only knows how this happened but you have to finish the job. I was at my local Porsche garage in Chiswick today talking with two other guys about the big reveal. Your fan base here in London is solid. The UK Porsche owners are with you mate! You've got to finish it. Good luck!

I'm so sorry to hear about the catastrophic failure!! What on earth could cause that? Maybe how the first transmission got cracked?

When I saw the original transmission I thought to myself wtf how does that happen? Well now you have the chance to figure that out. Don’t let it get you down it’s only a car. So find out why, then install a new used engine and transmission sell and move on.✌️

That’s terrible news James. A lot of hard work but I would probably cut and run.

Really sorry to hear, James. Hope it ultimately gets sorted out in the most epic way! *cough* 4.0 *cough*

Seems like there is another underlying reason why the 2nd transmission cracked. Stick with it.

James you and your pals have completed and extraordinary project...It is truly a beautiful car and I can only imagine your pain and discomfort with this recent development. You have been an inspiration to us all....

Best looking 996 I’ve seen in a long time 👍

Sorry to hear man, bad luck, hope you guys stick with it.

Wow. What a gut wrenching turn of events. You did a great job fixing it up. It looks great. I don't know what to say but I wish you the best of luck with it. Thanks for sharing the whole thing. Even though it isn't going well now, it was a real adventure. Thank you again.

Two interesting comments in the thread require answers before proceeding. You really ought to know if it had frame damage, ruining the drive train alignment. Second, the engine and transmission mounts should be examined for possible contributions to the problem, and all replaced. You would not be wrong to cut and run, but a re-start should be a mated engine and tranny all in one.

Merry Christmas James. Persevere! Besides this circumstance is a blessing as it offers the opportunity for additional content.

Hi James, sorry to hear of the mishap with your powertrain. Michael to the east in Hastings, would certainly be willing to come over and offer a hand in removing the drivetrain with your mates. '99 911 owner here and would love the chance to dive into the issue you have here. Can't turn down free labor, engine/trans could be out in

No failure here! You turned a mothball into a beautiful car. Rotten luck with the drivetrain however maybe the car is screaming for a transplant! A little non traditional but an LS V8 swap would be super fun!!

Gutted for you guys! It looks fantastic, awesome work. I hope you get to the bottom of what's causing the cracking

Just watched your video it's 9 months old guessing since it took out two transmissions and an engine with cracks it's got to be something weird like a crank, flywheel or dampener out of spec causing some crazy vibration. Sucks to go through all that hard work finally get it out for a quick drive and then have a catastrophic failure like that. I hope Christmas came early and you're able to get it back together.

I feel for you guys. You’ve done a beautiful job on what accomplished so far. As hard as it may be selling it as is might be the wise thing to do. Some inherent problem is causing the cracks and who knows the cost of correcting that problem even if you can find replacement engine and trans for a reasonable cost. Best wishes, really.

James you will find someone or someone will find you that can help you guys out. There needs to be more people like you buying old Porsche models destined for the crusher, working some magic and making them the beautiful car they once were. Fantastic really content 👏👍

Certain that you can turn this setback around ... and that Auto Amateur fans will stick with you and cheer you guys on. Chin up!

Hi James, just caught up with your progress ! Sorry to hear what’s happened, best thing to do is put it to one side and think about it in the new year, reflection is a wonderful thing (I don’t mean looking in the paint 😁). Don’t do something in haste. In the meantime have a happy Christmas and a good Covid free new year 👍. Worse things happen at sea, so they say ?

Feel your pain guys it’s not a failure it’s a drop stitch in life’s tapestry keep the faith and see it through have a merry Christmas and new year 👍🏻

Hey I’m just getting around to see this video and so sorry about what happened. I hope you keep this project going. Good luck!

Sorry to hear about the problems with the car , and I am very curious what causes these horrible Problems because this is massive , try to Look at it as a learning Seminar. Wishing you and your friends all the luck !! Greetings from the Netherlands!!

So so sorry! Oh the suspense!!! Nearly tearing up for you guys. I would NOT call it a failure though! To have it crack in same way... can’t be a coincidence. Just SO glad wasn’t me driving it!! Big G style hugs!😉😍🤗

I have sat for more than a month with mixed emotions about the catastrophic transmission damage. Many of us are 996 owners and are emotionally invested in this project. I now know my position: fix it.

Thanks for sharing. It’s a good lesson for us all. Projects are not easy. And not always covered in glory. Keep going and good luck

Sorry for the devastating news boss!!! Just a stepping stone. Anything is possible!! I will try to join you guys on Sunday!!!

I don’t think it was a fail buddy car looks great and like you said you can make your money back. Sell it and let the next guy do the repair. Just in case it does it again. Engine might be off alignment

I’m actually gutted for you guys 😢 I can see the emotion and disappointment in your eyes after all that hard work, effort, and time. Truly heartbreaking. I know you are all emotionally tied to her now, but for me you need to end it and move on to your next project and pick yourselves up, admit defeat and start again. You guys did a great job, inspired me and others but don’t throw any more good money after bad. Chalk up the experience and let her go. Absolutely loved the journey and even bought a drone to start mapping my own! Keep going buddy, continue your journey 👏🏼👏🏼

After so much effort has been put into this project it’s perhaps the moment to take a step back and evaluate the problem. Reach out to assess why this problem could have happened and what is required to rectify it. The car does look stunning and deserves to be finished. Wish you all well, Stay Safe and Happy Christmas

Sorry to hear James! I’ve been watching this whole project come to life since May. I noticed that halfway through this video when you’re revving the car (8:12 remaining), you can see the left exhaust pipe starting to fall off. I remember you mentioned in one of the previous videos that you changed the engine mounts. The cracked transmission might be some underlying issue related to how the engine is mounted in general, given what happened right before you got home. Hope you can figure it out!

Buddy that sucks..You guys will get it sorted! Ever moving forward!

Oh no! Can I be Santa? Sorry to hear about the problems sir. I know you guys will do great things

I’m so sorry. Feeling your pain 😞 It’s really beautiful, and I think you can get it done. Obviously the cost will be higher than you’ve planned, but I really think it’ll be worthwhile once your done.

Sorry to hear, but believe or not been through a similar experience myself with my 996, got way more in it then it's worth now, but I'm never letting go of it

Oh man! Sorry James and boys....this was a really kick in the crown jewels!! Sorry for your loss guys...but did it turn out soooo nice though. The color and the mods are so restrained but very well done. Onwards and up.

Sorry to hear that James as it’s such a beautiful car and such a lot of work. All I can say is that LFC never gave up for 30 years on wanting to win the championship 👍

Still absolutely gutted for you. If it was me, after finding out why it went, I'd source a new trans, and then a short block motor. You can then carry on project 996 with a motor rebuild!

You guys did a great job, what a supreme bummer! So sorry to hear this.

Sorry to see the new issues, on what has been a great to watch restoration, keep going my heart says and we are all interested in the finding the cause of the issue.

Love the channel! I am a Porsche fanatic also!

OMG, what a #bummer! I feel for you James., Pat and Steve. Keep going with the project and make more great 996 videos. As long as you can recover your investment, we'll have more great content to watch!!

Great humility !! Well done...we are learning every day. BTW, everything you have done is what I would have done. AND, it looks MAD !!

Beautiful resto! Sucks about the housing. Bolts torqued beyond spec? IDK

Great one, James! The color, everything. And I really like the fact that you did keep the rear wiper! Lol, you know what Nick says: it brings you an extra 15 hp. Have a great X-mas with your family & #StayHealthy!! Cheers, Irwin 🦅

Sad news! Sorry to hear. Things will work out whatever you decide.

Sorry to hear this! I need to go back and watch the whole series, but do you know what happened to cause the original failure? If that wasn’t addressed, I guess it’s not surprising it happened again in hindsight. Could bad transmission mounts have been the culprit? I also wonder if the engine case was already cracked but it wasn’t visually detectable. Ugh, sucks! Just a setback though!

Sorry to hear about the problems. I know you will keep the car and fix it. You guys don’t strike me as the kind to cut your losses and let this go. I’m thinking late model 996 engine/trans from a salvage yard, or just purchase a wrecked car and part it out yourself. Either way, it’s all great content. Btw, back in the sand box. Cheers.

Ah no!! The Project has been great viewing if it’s any consolation - one of my 2020 highlights - hope you get a good resolution and look forward to more videos!

Oh man James that’s harsh after all that work. I hope you stick with it. I guess I would have to be pretty confident that there were no underlying problems before I continued.

Hi James- another twist of fate in a leap year to forget, don’t give up, you’ve all put too much effort into this journey. Looking forward to Sunday pal. Regards to your two sons and dear Ruthie.

What a shame all that work. I’m sure you will get it on the road again, It looks fantastic , you should be pleased with the work you guys have done

AAWWWWW dangit... Such a pretty car (except the wheels, no loving black). You all will figure it out. Great work, keep it up.

Sorry to hear this fella. Can see what the car meant to you and everyone on hear as enjoyed sharing the journey with you. You’ll think of something. Nil iligitimi carborundrum.

Oh god! So sorry for this issue. So you break even (no 996 videos) or break even (but have more 996 videos to make) Selfishly I'd like you to win completing this and create more 996 content.

I agree that flat 6 innovations is a great service.. I have a Raby rebuild more than 5 years old and recommend it without reservation. But it is for those who want to keep their cars “forever” and not to flip cars.

Sorry to hear James, but keep going. Another engine and transmission will come from somewhere.

gutted mate. There must have been an engine crack the whole time ! Must have broken the replacement gearbox

Sorry man... Persevere and you will get there!

Sorry man. Not what we wanted all see. James But keep your head up and brother your guys stay strong check your body frame on the 996 is not keeping your transmission isn't straight and level. Do a carfax review to see accident rear damage.

Man I so sorry about the car! I’ve been following you the whole way...going to paint my car same color! Good luck with whatever you all decide!

I've been following you project, and I'm sorry to hear about the engine and the gearbox.

This Truly makes me feel ya pain (def worse than the steering wheel ) but its a part of the game . ya safe healthy and happy if thats the biggest thing that gets ya down ya doing grate! BLESS UP!

Ahhh, shit. Feel your pain! Fight on, it is too nice to give up on now!

The 996 looks beautiful! Great job!

Not sure if i buy the idea of a bent chassis being the cause of this? Just thinking out loud but if the chassis was that out i am doubting you being able to get the gearbox back in and bolted up , there is not a massive amount of wiggle room on the mounting points? Unless you were being pretty brutal , but never say never . Some simple measuring will prove that easily. Was there a lot of engine movement when revving the engine? I noticed in that vid that one of the mufflers looked like it was moving quite a bit? Worth looking for something loose that you haven't touched , rear engine mount comes to mind. Looking at the video clips that engine case looks as if it may have been apart before ( more sealant than factory possibly) . Maybe an awful lot of end float somewhere? If the crack in the engine case is limited there may be scope to repair it but it's a full strip down of the engine , which might well be prudent given the miles anyway. One other thing i noticed on the vid , is the rear crossmember the correct way round ? My memory is that the arrow should face the front ! Not that it should cause your problems.

Oh thats horrible, feeling your pain.

Hi James! This is a really sick twist of fate, I must admit, and the plot has really thickened but there is a saying in Greece which in free translation is: every obstacle in your way is to bring something good! Since you have gotten into this I believe there is no turning back and selling it as it is now would be a shame. I think that you should proceed with making it mechanically mint too. Perhaps, and although I have already told you that I loved the new colour, you should have just perfected the original colour and stayed there aesthetically. This would have saved a lot of money and time, money which should have been used to make sure that no mechanical problems would have occured. Everything happens for a reason, though, and if I was in your shoes I would definitely consider going the extra mile of fixing everything to pefection and even take a step back to take a look at the big picture meaning that there are no one way streets in this. Perfecting the 996 would even get me thinking of going against the odds and flow and even sell the 991 and keep this, which already is a modern classic that in terms of value has nowhere to go but upwards. At the same time quite a lot of money from the 991 would stay in the bank, which would be a blessing at times like these especially with the baby girl just around the corner. You would have a truly yours car, which you know very well inside and out, a car which will always be a 911 but a 911 with an attitude and at a very reasonable total cost. If you then decide at some point, after the baby has arrived, to go for something more modern then all the options will be open, 991.2s and even 992s will be going downwards at that point. Just my thoughts on this...!😊

Your raw honesty is refreshing. Sorry, James

I'm so sorry to hear the bad news about your car my friend. Just take a deep breath and I hope you have some kind of warranty on the transmission.

I am so sorry to hear this bit of news. But knowing you as a decent man I know you would never be able to rest should you have auctioned it off and this catastrophe would have happened on someone else’s watch. Glass half full, you can still sell it and make the $$$$ back... but I think you will see it through to the end with a new power plant. Awesome job, and excellent looking sexy car! No matter the cracked bell housing!

Now it gets real interesting! The mystery and the suspense! Time to call vTuned for advice.

Cut and run please, sometimes its better to know when to cut your losses. Start fresh on a different project

The car is gorgeous! what value would the car have with a track/street engine and rebuilt trans, then auction it on BAT

wow that really sucks. I have been through those ups and downs mainly with classic muscle cars. i understand. i would say get out but i am guilty of going all in as well. you would have to go big on the engine, radical. good luck

Ah man! What a kick in the nuts! So sorry. I thought when the vid started you were going to reveal a bore scoring issue or something, but I never would have imagined this scenario. 2020 is a bastard of a year!

Dang. Sorry to hear this. I agree with the other comments as far as an alignment issue. Could've been a rear slide out to a curb, not hitting body panels but just one of the wheels, and just ever so slightly tweaked it?? I am sure the three of you will figure your best path for the project. I do agree with you, if you repair it... you may (if lucky) break even at best. Selfishly, repair it... means more videos from you guys!

Would love to know why this issue keeps coming back... Highly unlikely that it the transmission, something else is wrong...Would love to see the out come ....Great end result apart from the , well you know what....

Hi James - sorry to hear the news. Good learning moment though. It would be nice to determined what caused the issue. Could this be a result of bore score. We know the 996's can suffer from a cracked bore liner, intermediate shaft failure or main bearing failure I recall hearing a loud ticking in one of your videos several months back and I commented at that time that the engine sounded like it had developed bore score. Keep up the great videos.

Did Nick Murray own this car?

That sucks... but you guys didn’t fail... you did a great job building it... it’s just really bad luck...

ahh sorry guys thats such a shame, keep going! where did you get the duck tail I NEED ONE!!

Send it to flat 6 innovations and turn it into a dream car. They will turn it into a 4.0 with loads more power. I am on their schedule to get a motor built in my 996! Their engines are rock solid hand built masterpieces.

996 prices continue to soar. Might be time and worth the investment to drop the cash into both our rebuilds?

Such a lovely looking car and a pity about the gearbox.....personally I would keep it and fix it up before selling it on...maximise profit before the next project 99?....keep the videos coming 👍👍

Project engine rebuild on the way :)

Sad times! The rest of the car is so nice, bodywork especially, that I think you need to get it back on the road... again! Maybe with a twist - EV conversion or LS3?! Or if you don't want to take away from the 911 driving experience then is there anyone in the US doing 3.9+ rebuilds on these engines like Hartech do in the UK? It deserves to be special!

That is devastating ! I sincerely hope you find a way to finish the project. ✌️

Maybe the engine case was cracked before and you missed it. Get in touch with Jake Raby at Flat Six and see if he would be interested in doing a joint KZfaq engine tear down and solve the mystery. That way you can put a built 4.0 in it and let it live a better life.

Two deep breaths.......Listen you don't have Covid or worse. Its just money. For the good of the channel you must go on with the new engine and transmission. Its all part of the Porsche experience.

That. Sucks. What a kick in the jewels. Love the series on this car. It's only money, right???? Finish it!

Love that you saved one

Absolutely brutal. Really sorry to hear it. If there is any silver lining, it is that you have a couple of "break even" options. Small consolation, I know.