rosswj67

I have a ’96 C2 tiptronic which is a little tired, stock and currently sitting in storage in Hong Kong.





I’m physically now back in Australia, and have already applied for and received import approval to bring the 993 back to Australia - both markets are RHD.

If I proceed to bring the car back, I will fundamentally be committing to own the car till death as there is no way this would make economic sense otherwise…

My plan therefore is to conduct as much work as I can in HK before I ship it back - for two reasons a) labour is relatively cheap and b) there is no tax or duties when shipping goods into HK unlike Australia so parts can be shipped there more economically.

If this is to be the 993 they bury me with, then the first order of business is a manual gearbox. I know many will object and suggest to sell the tip and buy a manual - this is not an option for me as manuals are almost impossible to come by and I have import approval for this specific vehicle only. And so the slippery slope gets going at a very rapid pace…

I have no manual gearbox to modify or to use as a core exchange, so it’s going to be expensive, so why not go all out and get the gearbox I really want. So I have a freshly built G50 ready to ship over to Hong Kong with a motorsports 40/60 LSD and the following ratios:

3.151
2.000
1.521
1.241
1.031
0.828

First decision I need to make is whether to go with an 8:32 ring and pinion in this gearbox or stick with the 9:31.

Pro’s for the 9:31 are that it should be more reliable and wear less, con’s are that I may find that 1st gear starts are problematic in Sydney peak hour traffic with a LWF, not to mention that my driveway is rather steep to negotiate…

Pro’s for the 8:32 are that it should be a lot of fun with such low ratios, but the con would be the longevity of this R&P given that it’s not a hunting ratio… I don’t want to be rebuilding or replacing every year or two…

Note that my primary use for the 993 is as an infrequent daily driver with occasional (3-4 times per year) track days.

So first ask of the community is to help me choose whether to go 8:32 or not.

2nd request is to offer advice or assistance on building up a shopping list of items I’m going to need to complete the tip to manual conversion. I have been lurking and researching for some time, yet the final list still eludes me. At a high level I know it will start out something like:

Axles
Pedal box and floor board for RHD
ECU
Clutch, LWF, etc
Hydraulics
Starter motor
Clutch vent tube
RS gearbox mount
Linkage
Gear lever
Wiring loom modifications
Reverse light actuation
Speedo (cosmetic)
Steering wheel (cosmetic)

But ideally I need to get this down to individual part #’s - if anyone has something previously compiled, I would be very grateful. Otherwise, I guess I need to become an expert at understanding the PET and share back with the community...

I am in discussions with Jusso regarding getting one of his ECU’s to avoid having to purchase a manual transmission specific OEM ECU.

Some of the other items on my shopping list include:

Tramont Cup wheels in 18x10ET58 and 18x8.5ET52
Bilstein PSS-10 along with any other required replacement suspension components
RS Big Red brakes
Cup strut tower brace
RS engine mounts

And finally, I will be going ahead with a full respray in the original Polar Silver with all new seals and a new windscreen.

I’m torn between keeping this a stock looking C2 and going RS. My budget won’t stretch to a full RS replica with sunroof delete, etc. but may end up going down this path over the years.

So appreciate feedback on whether to keep it stock, or go RS bodykit... I'm genuinely 50/50 on this...

So there you have it. Very long winded initial post! Appreciate any comments/suggestions - I’m 100% open to peoples ideas…

Ross.

Cemoto

Keep her, she looks good!

I cannot help you with your specific questions but might offer some advice.

Whoever rebuilt the transmission would probably know all the parts you need to make the conversion and appreciate the extra business.

I'd wait on the re-spray until you got her home just in case.

Best of luck!

.

Vq-1

LA dismantlers has a conversion kit list on eBay for $8999 obo. The kit looks somewhat complete. I also believe excellence magazine #178 has an article about doing the conversion. Good luck and keep us updated.

rosswj67

Thanks Vq-1. Have considered that kit from LAD many times, but a) condition is unknown and b) it's a stock G50/20 which is not as desirable as a /21 or RS box... Additionally, the pedal box is LHD and I'm looking for RHD. If they would split out the gearbox and pedal box and offer the rest at a reasonable cost, then maybe...

I just ordered Excellence #178 - thanks for the heads up on that!

Thanks for the encouragement Cemoto. Yes, my gearbox builder can supply everything from used or new parts, but are asking me to confirm my shopping list.

I'm going to go ahead with the respray as the car has previously had a bad respray with areas of paint now cracking and obvious overspray on seals etc. If it was original paint then I would try to remain original but in this case I'm fixing up a previous owners shoddy work.

Cemoto

Well, I was thinking more about the possibility of damage during shipping.

Also, when doing body/paint work, questions sometimes come up that if you are there you can respond to faster.

I'd know I'd want to oversee the job, unless it was in the hands of 9M.

Best of luck!

Regards,

.

rosswj67

Absolutely true! But it won't be anything remotely close to a 9M paint job I have to trust in my mechanic in HK to oversee things on my behalf. And it will be around 1/3 the cost of a full respray in Australia... But hopefully not 1/3 the quality.

Kika

you can do RS pieces as you see fit, and desire. I have RS splitters and skirts on my car. Did not opt for the RS tail, as I prefer the look without it, for a street car.

RS height is a little too low IMHO for practical street use. RS +10mm is a good height, although your specific roads etc... will dictate what works best for you.

The golden rod is similar to the RS shifter, and a very nice upgrade, highly recommended. you can get the RS pieces (shift rod and SSK as well)

Motor Mounts: for street use, either OEM, RS or Wevo. I have Wevo black and am quite happy with them.
RS sway bars, they ain't cheap, but if you are tracking the car, probably a worthwhile investment, there are other options (lots actually)

RS rear brakes, overkill for street, not necessary.
there are various RS pieces for the interior, i.e. carpet, door panels etc... up to you, depends on your use for the car.
Engine bits, heater removal, belt pulleys etc... search and weigh the pros and cons. i.e. do you want/need AC?

There is no limit to the amount of money you can spend, and there is no requirement to do it all at once.
ultimately it is your car, do with it as your heart desires, all we ask here is to post pics!

Also with regards to RS parts, there are Porsche OEM (not cheap) vs. after market.

good luck!

Mike Pezely

Ebay parts listing. No affiliation.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Porsche-99...item43cf16fb2d

rosswj67

Thanks Kika for the detailed reply and information. I think I'm going to go ahead and leave the bodywork for now. This won't be an RS replica...

Goldenrod is definitely now on the shopping list.

Pictures will be posted when I can, however given that I'm not in the same country it may be challenging!!

rosswj67

Thanks for the link!. I have been emailing with this vendor for a couple of months on and off and last I spoke, he could only offer me the RHD pedal box. I have sent him a follow up email tonight to see if that has changed, however I suspect he doesn't want to split the individual parts and I don't want the gearbox...

IainM

Steering rack, lower control arms, tie rods, upper strut mount
Personally, I like to get new fasteners too as many are stretch to torque

rosswj67

Thanks IainM. I just rebuilt the steering rack and lower control arms are about 5k old, but yes I should definitely refresh as many of the suspension components as possible while I'm in there... and fasteners is also a great suggestion.

rosswj67

Ok, so here is my first draft of the parts list for the conversion to a manual based on studying the PET. Assuming I already have a complete G50/31 my shopping list to complete the conversion looks like this - note that the pricing is just indicative and sourced from information freely available on the interweb:







While pricing and availability still needs to be confirmed, this isn't too bad when you compare what some of the eBay auctions want to the conversion "kits" which obviously come with the gearbox included, but then you have no idea the condition of the gearbox and may need to spend considerable $$'s to put it right.

In addition to the above I would also be adding the Goldenrod, SSK and an RS gear lever.

Now to start checking availability and actual pricing - this is going to be fun!

tcsracing1

i would sooner sell the car then try to convert it to stick....

Even if one had a full wrecked manual car at their disposal it would be alot of trial/error and labour intensive.

rosswj67

Thanks tcsracing - agree completely, but for me this is not an option as this specific car is approved to import back home. I could sell (eventually) in HK and then buy in Australia, but the price of a good 993 in Australia is as much as I will spend on this build and will be an unknown car to me. It's also developing into a bit of a challenge - I'm enjoying the process (so far).