997 4S Cab. Performance and Body Upgrade!?

[porschester]

Dear Porsche Colleagues...... :D After much thinking about leaving my 997 4S Cab. as is...a.k.a a great car out of the box, or embarking in a new adventure and dream to make it even greater.....I decided to go for it and change the body and heart of my car. Still quite young, I always felt very priviledged and thankful to have owned several 911 Porsche's, and so being told over and over that the 911 is indeed the ultimate driving machine "sorry bmw!, I always resisted to make any changes. I know that there are many options, and degrees of modifications one can go after, from the very basic to the very supercharged and elaborate. That is, we all have different driving needs and preferences, and so I tried to design a plan that would do it but without over doing it. Many out there have been in search of a good formula that wont bring too much head ache. So I am sharing here my plan and will update on the results. The Collection in Miami will perform the work, and I have been introduced to their very best mechanic Rich, who has spent time and shown patience in understanding my goal and making it a reality. I shall admit that The Collection has not always gotten the best reputation when it came to the service department, but I must acknowledge that so far in this case, they have treated me above and beyond. They sincerely put all the resources and answered any questions I had before I gave it the go ahead. And so here is what we have decided for the plan and I shall answer your questions if indeed it could give you some feedback......My 997 will be going to the Collection sometimes next week.

-TUBI Exhaust....WHY? I have seen them and heard them, the craftmanship is superb, the sound amazing, and the fit should be like a glove.

-X51 Carbon Fiber Intake...WHY? It is Porsche factory and better looking than the EVO's box

-H&R Sport Springs....WHY? They are proven, and will lower the center of gravity without making the car too stiff

-H&R Spacers..WHY?5mm in front,and 15 or 7mm in back we will test both in the back and see if 15 is not too over the top..essentialy for a more agressive look

-GIAC ECU Chip.....WHY? I was convinced that GIAC was amongst the best for Porsche and that without the Chip the work would not reach ultimate performance goal feel and improvment.

-Porsche Short Shift....WHY? Again, this is a Porsche factory upgrade, and so when it comes to shorten my shifting time experience, I rather stick with Porsche

-GT3 Front Bumper...WHY? Will make the car look sportier

-GT3 Front Lip....WHY? To protect the Bumper....I will not paint the lip, otherwise paint chips will be become visible after several asphalt scratches.

Well here you got my plan and formula......Again, my goal is to do it without over doing it......keep it drivable and classy...as well as covered by the warranty. I will look forward to share with all of you Porsche pals the final results, and if indeed my curent 997 body and heart has improved. In the mean time feel free to share any comments or suggestions :drive:

Be Good, Drive Fast, Drive Safely..............

Sincerely

Porschester

Edited September 4, 2007 by porschester

[papaskog]

Just curious, are you doing end to end Tubi are just the exhaust leaving stock headers and cats? Looking forward to hear how you feel after the work is complete. Did you do any before shots and sound clips? Good luck.

[porschester]

Its so funny that you are asking that, since the head mechanic and I were talking about it today...But no for now we have decided to not do the TUBI headers and just stay with the TUBI exhaust, and let me tell you, I saw them today and they look amazing, they feel like twice lighter than the stock ones, and the craftmanship welding is impressive. The goal is to see initially how the car will feel and perform without the headers, then if need be I will decide to add the headers as well. As for the cats, I dont think I will do them, it would just make the car too loud for my taste. Perhaps one more addition down the road might be a titanium Flywheel for the transmision. The mechanic also thinks that the 17mm spacers in back and 7 in front should be superb. Everyone at the service department is excited with this project, and can not wait to see the end results. I am going to NYC tomorrow for business, but upon my return I will see if I can put before and after sound clips. I also will try to take and upload before and then after pix of the car so i cn get some opinions from the Porschsters at renntech....Thanks for your interest....

[papaskog]

I am interested becuase I am debating what cosmetic and performancne related modifications I should do to my 997 S. So natuarally I will be watching this space to see the outcome. Thanks

[porschester]

Ok....My C4S just got done with its first face lift......The GT3 front bumper and the lip have been installed, I have also added the GT3 front grill that sits right on top of the bumper....I personaly call it the "smiley" The result is a convertible 997 with a more aggressive jaw and a raceworthy design. I will upload before and after picture very soon. As for the driving experience, call me crazy, but I have sincerely felt less down force and turbulence while pushing the 911 above 80mph...or perhaps a little faster.... ;) Apparently this bumper has been tested in wind tunnel and optimized one step further than the stock bumper to minimize uplift at higher speed. This is achieved when the air is better channeled over the hood and the side of the car. So all in all I am happy with step 1 of my project, and I will post some pix soon so that I can get some honest opinion.

Cheers!

[porschester]

Hello Again.......As promised, here is a before and some after pix of my 997 C4S with its new GT3 front bumper and lip.

You will notice the grill, and also the disapearance of the headlamp washers, I was told that it looks much cleaner without them,

not to mention that in Miami Beach, there is not much need for them. Let me know what you think.....

Drive fast, drive smart, and never forget to be cordial and keep your cool on the road.........it will go a long way.

Cheers!

Edited September 17, 2007 by porschester

[papaskog]

Looks good not sure if I can get away with lip as I drag mine now when going in and out of certain driveways. How did the engine mods work out?

[porschester]

Thanks...Yeah with the lip you have to be just a little more careful....it is recommended to come in and out of driveways, not facing straight but more like on the side. The cosmetics were just the start, and I actualy droped the car today for the engine modifications. I should have the car ready by this Thursday or Friday as I have added couple other cosmetic touches. Will continue to keep everyone informed as things move along.

Cheers

[porschester]

Well today I left my Porsche for the engine and other modifications mentioned above. As I got several nice compliments on the front bumper, I decided to add couple cosmetic touches to balance and make the back of the car with the front.....the addition did add $1250+ to the tab, but I think that the car will look visualy even more apealing.

What: Techart Rear Spoiler I

Why: Techart is indeed a little more expensive but their product line is tested and re-tested for Porsche compatibilty and fit.

What: Black Ceramic Tail Tips

Why: To Give a nice visual and complement the black hard top.(Also apparently the black ceramic tips get less dirty than the stock ones)

What: Front Hood Silver Porsche Emblem

Why: Will look less "Gold" and more "Class".....color wise it will fit with the rest of the car....see pictures above.....

Any suggestions, comments or feedbacks, please let me know......I will add to my topic as I get more updates.....

Thanks

Porschester.

Edited September 18, 2007 by porschester

[neil.schneider]

What is going on with the mods? Did you do the x51 airbox?

[porschester]

The car is still at the dealer, and I shoud get it back by tomorrow if all goes according to schedule. Rich the head mechanic has put the X51 carbon fiber airbox, but I havnt seen the results yet. Stay tuned, I should have some more feedback on all the mods by this week end. What did you think of the front bumper facelift?

[porschester]

Ok everyone........The car is done.....I saw and heard the results today, but I have not driven the car yet since tomorrow they will load the GIAC software. The Porsche factory X51 intake carbon fiber package looks amazing. I am so happy that I did not go with the EVO intake. Visually the X51 looks amazing. Rich the Master mechanic did an amazing job. He admitted that it took longer to install and adjust than lets say an EVO air box but that the final result is definitely much better. The cost is also higher $1150 plus labor, vs. $595 for the EVO. Now for the muffler music.....I have heard and reheard several exhausts, but the TUBI has clearly impressed me the most...but again it is a matter of preference....so I would not say that in terms of sound one is better than the other. Now as far as the quality, TUBI is impeccable, again possibly amongst the most expensive out there but then again you get what you pay for. When Rich turned the engine on and hit the pedal, it was simply said a great roar that for me combined the combination of powerful presence and yet classy deep notes....I can not wait to open it up tomorrow on the highway. I shifted a little bit with the short shift and it definitely feels more interesting and precise that the previous version...again I will report some more, after driving. The 15mm rear spacers, and 5mm front, made the car look more aggressive and even wider, the lowering suspension spring kits adds to looks and should improve stability.....All in all and so far I like what I saw, I should further confirm if indeed my chosen equation may be the best balanced yet......

I have also ordered a new Carrera 4S rear logo that will be painted in black to add an accent...the job should cost with parts and labor no more than $150......believe or not but the logo is actually 3 parts......The Carrera, The 4, abd The S.......what in the world!!

Cheers

Porschester

[Andre5]

Thanks for sharing! Great mods. I'm guessing that the combination of X51 airbox and Tubi sounds awesome.

[porschester]

Anytime......and indeed the combination of X51 and Tubi is superb.....

[porschester]

Well I finally got to take my completed modification project to the road. I was very excited and anticipating my first drive with the re-tuned car. It did not take long for me to realize that indeed the GIAC ECU software was the seal for the deal.....Not cheap but worth it! At the first acceleration, I noticed the car being more linear in its push towards the next gear, and as I was getting ready to shift to second, that's when the magic of my new short shift made its debut.....Its a matter of preference, but I loved the shorter shifting ratios. The Porsche X51 intake looks and fits amazingly in the car. The car sounded louder, but without the need of carrying a box of aspirin in the glove compartment.... :P I think there might even be some room for added sound quality that would eventually come with a set top notch headers. As I came on I95, going from one gear up to the next, and with my window down, I could not wait for the first curve, and see how much difference the new springs and lowering the car made......and what a difference it was!! Not thinking this was doable, the car was planted like a high speed train on rails....100+ miles on the odo came quickly, and as the car felt quite confident in its new suit, it asked for more.....I had to be responsible! One of the things I noticed, is that at higer than average accelerations and speed, I could hear a little more the little rocks, and gravel on the road....Was it road condition?? Was it because the car is now lower, and therefore the gravel has less clearance?? Perhaps anyone could share their thoughts!! All in all, this has been a very pleasant choice, and I am satisfied with the outcome. The car feels more responsive, and does it with more refined singing , and even better grip and stability. The spacers look very nice and give an added aggressive feel without looking like a drag racing car. The mod. project was not the cheapest, yet not the most expensive one. Next step would be a supercharger, but then again I made it clear that I was in search of performance and body upgrade without compromising the driveability or opening myself to possible mechanical headaches....Personaly, I think that I have achieved the perfect balance, one last additional upgrade might be headers, but nothing more. Any urge for more thrill and speed, and I would be putting a deposit on a 997 Turbo Cab.....in the mean time I will enjoy my 997 version 2.0 :D

Feel free to add any comments, advice or feedback, and thanks for staying in tune. I am including couple new pix, with more to come later.

Cheers.

Edited September 24, 2007 by porschester

[neil.schneider]

I love that airbox, why not do the x51 headers too? So quicker? Is the inlet of the right side bigger? It looks like it from the picture.

Edited September 25, 2007 by neil.schneider

[porschester]

Well.......Neil's ears must have been burning......because yesterday after much conversation with the head of Motorsport at the collection and EVO, I decided to go ahead and order the headers. They should arrive in couple of days and installed by next week. Rich, the only guy allowed to work on my car is on vacation, so I have to wait until he comes back. Neil, do you approve of the EVO headers? I heard that they were amazing and proven....or do you think the X51 headers would be better??....even the collection suggested the EVO........I am including a picture of the EVO's.

[porschester]

Sorry....pertaining to your inlet question, its funny but yes visually on this pix the inlet on the right, seems bigger, but in reality Porsche designed the X51 with the right inlet slightly smaller. Since the distance between the right and left part of the X51 intake is different, this was done to even out the air distribution. When we spoke to the Porsche specialist, he said that Porsche always have a reason and understand why they do what they do. But later I will post some more Pix.

[neil.schneider]

I am considering these same mods. If I was on the fence about the headers I think I would go with the porsche ones. That way you could stay all oem. Although I think either would be fine I like the idea of the x51 headers.

[lmritter]

Well today I left my Porsche for the engine and other modifications mentioned above. As I got several nice compliments on the front bumper, I decided to add couple cosmetic touches to balance and make the back of the car with the front.....the addition did add $1250+ to the tab, but I think that the car will look visualy even more apealing.

What: Techart Rear Spoiler I

Why: Techart is indeed a little more expensive but their product line is tested and re-tested for Porsche compatibilty and fit.

What: Black Ceramic Tail Tips

Why: To Give a nice visual and complement the black hard top.(Also apparently the black ceramic tips get less dirty than the stock ones)

What: Front Hood Silver Porsche Emblem

Why: Will look less "Gold" and more "Class".....color wise it will fit with the rest of the car....see pictures above.....

Any suggestions, comments or feedbacks, please let me know......I will add to my topic as I get more updates.....

Thanks

Porschester.

Greetings:

Where did you get the silver Porsche emblem and was it OEM? I have a 2006 997 Carrera S in Carrera White and have been wanting one. I have changed the front amber side lights to clear and the car looks much better, I ordered the car without the " Carrera S" emblem on the rear hood and replaced just the " S" in the center of the panel...looks original, classy and have not seen any other Porsches with just the " S" . A couple of simple changes to make a great car look slightly customized .....hard to improve on a classic design

Thanks

Chromedome. San Diego

[porschester]

Greetings Chromedome,

I appreciate people who wants to make couple classy body and engines mods with over doing it. I think that we should all know when to draw the line and not over alter these amazing machine. Looks like you are making just the right moves. I have tried to come up with my own formula and so far I am satisfied with results. As for the Grey/Silver Porsche Emblem it does look amazing on the car and it s OEM, I dont know which other places carry it, but you can always call "The Collection" in Miami and ask for Nicholas Anding @ 305-444-1111, tell him that "Zack The Man" your favorite customer :D reffered you and he will give you a little discount and ship the emblem to you...its super easy to install and well worth it...definitely a classy and autobahn looking feel......

Hope that helped....and let me what you think once you get the silver emblem installed

Cheers

Porschester........Miami Beach and NYC

[porschester]

OK...The Techart small spoiler arrived yesterday, and It will be forwarded for painting today. The Techart spoiler will be installed with the new Carrera C4S emblem in black. I will try to post some more picture soon.

Thanks for any feedback

Cheers

Porschester

[porschester]

Hi everyone!

OK, the EVO headers finally arrived, I saw them first hand today and they look very beautiful. I was looking at the X51 headers which are a little bit cheaper, but apparently the EVO ones perform and breath better, still leaving a better price to power ratio than the X51. I have also been confirmed by my Porsche dealer that the headers would not alter my car's warranty. The car should be with new headers and the famous infamous RSS Plenum by the end of next week.

Cheers

Porschester

Edited October 5, 2007 by porschester

[neil.schneider]

Hey Porchester,

How are the mods coming. I just ordered the x51 airbox. I had a question for you. Did you also do the x51 throttle body? I am not sure it would fit. Do you think I could call and talk to you? You could email me your #. neil.schneider@comcast.net

Thanks for any insight. Also ended up with the suncoast ebay headers. They look just like the evo ones. Still I am thinking of going with the x 51 headers.

Neil