mpruden

Background:
I've done roughly 15 DEs in my creampuff 993 targa and plan to do another 15-20 this year.

In talking with some PCA instructors that rode along with me last weekend, they felt I had advanced to point that I really need to prioritize safety - think a proper roll bar, seat, and 6pt harness. After noticing that most of the cars keeping up with me on track had harnesses, modern traction control, etc... I've decided no more speed for me until I can get a safe car.

The problem is that a 993 targa just doesn't make a great track car. You can't exactly bolt in a coupe cage and you'll always have a huge pane of glass over your head. I think it's time to return the 993 to a street car and get a dedicated track car.

So, I have a family member with a stock 40k mile '99 996 that is looking to sell. I'm aware of the problems with the M96 and am comfortable taking the risks inherent in that engine, especially one with low mileage.

The questions are:
1) Would this make a good DE car - adding tequpment roll bar, seats, harnesses, etc.
2) Or a future race car? It seems spec 996 never really caught on.
3) Also, I'm concerned the early 996s will just be too slow to keep up with the ridiculous horsepower in the advanced DE groups these days anyway. I can handily keep up with anyone in intermediate in my old 993, but struggle in advanced. I have to think the 996 will be more of the same. There's just too many GT3RS and GT4s out here

PS - Some friends are pushing me directly to SPB and SE30, although I'm not ready for racing quite yet.

Jferrante

If you really enjoy DE i would persuade you into finding a car with some or all of the modifications directed toward the track - it will save you money in the long term. An unmolested low mileage car of any sort is going to require serious investment to get it track ready so why not let someone else eat that cost and find something at least partially prepped.

ace37

A 996 would be a fun car.

SPB is a hoot, I'm starting one. Can't go wrong there.

Personally I'd pick up an early Cayman S over a 996 for similar money. The Spec Cayman class looks really good and if you build a street car in that direction, in a few years you'll probably either end up with a great SPC race car or an acceptable resale value from someone who wants to build it into one. You'll also have a very quick car at the end of it. Not a monster, but nothing to be ashamed of!

Keep in mind a Spec Cayman build is about twice the cost of a Spec Boxster build.

SWK6Cup

I owned my '03 996 since '05. In '07 I began tracking it....she received the full panoply of safety equipment and "protection" ie, LN IMS bearing replacement, x51 baffle and deep sump. Never had an engine issue. I did lower her, added coilovers, GT3 sways, roll bar, GT3 seats and harnesses.......she was bullet proof. Enjoyed the hell out of her, she took me from "greenie" to PCA Instructor. She was a very fun car!

Now, you have to decide what is most important to you...a somewhat "stock" 996 (3.4L) will give you plenty of enjoyment. If you are looking to stay with GT3 or a GT4, then you have to hope the drivers do not have a high skill level. Then, and, only then will you be able to "get around them" if your skills develop fully. The GT4 is easier to drive and 385 HP means it will pull away from you ...all day long....So, even if the driver has moderate skills you will be working your *** off trying to get a point by. If the driver has a GT3, the torque and HP will give him/her every advantage over you. If you come across a poorly driven car, you will get by, if the driver has developed skills, you will almost always be in their review mirror.......

You need to decide what is more important, fun (and reliability- and this can be achieved with a 944- balance and momentum), or is power and torque and speed more important to you..... only you can make that choice.....

for me, it was time to give er up and move on.....a GT car will be my next move, very shortly.

GL.

uscarrera

Here is my 2 cents worth about that much I raced a 993 for years and then moved up to a 996 Cup I too started in the DE program years ago. Do not chase the other cars in your group as a target yes GT3 and GT4 cars should be faster than a 996 in DE but there will always be faster cars in any track group. If u enjoyed driving the 993 a move up to a track prepared 996 will be fun and feel familiar to you not so with a spec Boxster or a BMW do not underestimate the ergonomic comfort a similar car gives you and how well you can drive and do a lap. As said before look for a car that the owner has already done some or all of the track improvements as they add $$ up quickly if u need to do them. One of the better approaches is to buy a race prepared car and use it for DEs that way if u decide to go racing u r there and u can check your DE lap times against the same class cars in the most recent race at your track.
Remember have fun no matter what your choice.
Rich

Olemiss540

In my mind you have 2 options, keep tracking the 993, or move to an ALREADY built track day car.

DO NOT BUILD unless you have a burning urge to light a large amount of money on fire in a short timeframe.

I recommend an e36 or e46 m3 track car, keeping in mind that reliability/safety are foremost and speed has VERY little to do with enjoyment compared to track time. You will ALWAYS have another car faster (with more disposable income), but it really has no impact on your enjoyment unless you allow it. Good luck either way!

P.S. My brother will be listing an e46 m3 with a toolbar, fixed back seats, 6points, JRZ RS2s and 275 square NT01s for sale very soon for an EXTREMELY good price if you are interested. Send me a PM!

mpruden

Thanks everyone - appreciate the advice.

I should have mentioned that I plan to drive the car to the track and will need to pass smog. Also, that means keeping AC given the climate here. Most already built track cars will require a trailer, tow vehicle, etc. That's just not in the cards quite yet.

Regarding tracking the 993 - DAS says their coupe bolt-in rollbar may work in the Targa and have offered to take the bar back should it not fit. I don't see how it will fit, but am willing to give it a shot.
Truthfully, I'd love to keep beating on the old 993 and have it dialed in well enough for DE duty with PSS10s, RS ARBs and an aggressive alignment already.

Assuming that DAS bolt in roll bar does not fit, does anyone have any other ideas for improving the safety of a 993 targa in a reversible way? I don't like the thought of a rollover in that car without some added protection.

David993S

I used my 993S for a couple of DE's but was not comfortable risking it considering the (then) escalating value of 993S's. So I bought a 996 to turn into a street/track toy and so I wouldn't have to worry if something happened to it. 996's, when moderately prepared for the track are fun cars with reasonable power. As someone said, there are always going to be much faster cars at a DE or track day. Don't worry about that.

You will have to spend a fair chunk of change to make the 996 "track worthy", such as suspension, safety equipment, deep sump, (maybe) IMSB replacement for peace of mind, etc. but you'll have a great track toy. And it can still be perfectly street legal (I drive it to and from the track, & don't miss the days of messing with a tow vehicle and trailering a race car). Just don't forget Rule #1 regarding race cars & track cars: it's always less expensive to buy one already done than to build one.

You'll also enjoy tracking a 996 - it will feel very much like your 993 but with more power and better handling. However, the Cayman S suggestion is a good one. By the time you prep a decent street/track 996, you'll have probably spent the same as buying a good Cayman S.
Cheers.

Frank 993 C4S

Good move to focus on safety. Unfortunately, if you need to continue to have a street legal car, everything will be a compromise. A rollbar, harness and fire extinguisher is probably already a great start.

GVA-SFO

I'm going to be not friendly, but after 30 years non stop with many 911, if you love the fun of the track, only ONE way : get a car that has its engine on the right place. A 911 is the best "compromise" sport car of the world, but to have fun on track, ..it is so much more easier to drive fast a car that has the engine in the center. With a 911, to be fast, you have to have ALL your braking points of every curves at the yard. if you have to release brake pressure before triggering your turn, then the weight returns where it come from, and the trigger of your turn is weak. Sure, if all your braking points are within a yard, then my comment is irrelevant. The big problem is that when you park a cayman or a boxster in the front of a fashion bar, you do not look like if you have parked a GT3. In my case, I do not give a ... about turning heads, but I love big time a car that drives great and easy on track, so, Boxster and Cayman are the Porsche I do prefer for track. My track car is a Boxster, because, Im a country guy, and happy when not under a roof.
Sure, 6 points harness, hans device, roll bar, etc.. is a must.
But, every day driving in a car with a cage, ..and without an helmet, ..is big time no good !

TraqGear

Buy my Stock F Boxster and a lightweight aluminum trailer. You're set.

Horus2000

There are lots of cars out there for sale that are already DE ready and can be bought cheap and driven to and from the track - Boxsters, Caymans, E36/46 BMW's, etc. . I would keep that lovely 993 a street queen. It's a beautiful car that is aging and will start to break, while also really showing wear after significant track duty.

I love my 996 race car, which I bought as someone else's DE car and converted to race spec. But, it's not cheap to make a 996 truly track ready (and there are more weak spots than just the IMS. The OEM rod bolts have turned many M96 engine into scrap).

Just my two cents.

dan212

You might be smart about preserving that 993. And nothing wrong with that 996. They are good cars, but why invest in tearing it up??

The advise you are getting here to find something already built is wise. Look for a car that has someone else has has spent money building. There is a lot more money in a good set up than than you realize.

There are a several very well set up and maintained, fully caged race 996's available for literally less than you would spend just on:
1) Seats & belts
2) Shocks & springs
3) Decent Roll Bar (Race car even better - a full cage)
4) Extra wheels
5) Never mind fire system, strip inside for weight savings
6) Install of all the above
7) And thats not counting more work taking rubber out of suspension and other tweaks you would probably skip: Things to make a really sweet track car.

And of course there is the cost of the perfectly nice car itself you are thinking of starting with.

A full cage is safer and actually makes the car handle better. There is nothing like driving a fully sorted race car that someone else has spent money building and sorting out.

I actually know of one podium 996 that is a bargain: New guard LSD, Axles, suspension bits, steering rack and more. Literally much more car than you would spend just modifying the family 996 street car. And Frank also has a super nice Cayman race car available albeit for more money.

There are a bunch more very well sorted out cars that someone else has has already spent a ton of money on.. Look for one of those.

A well set up race car is just on another planet. Plenty coming off the line that are not quite competitive against brand new cars built at greater than cup car prices in what has become an arms race in some classes. Some have ballast to make weight in their class you can take out. Look for those. They will be stupid fast - And safe.

But still, there will always be someone with a faster car. Faster maybe in a straight line, but not necessarily through turns. But will they have the race seats, full cage for safety and well sorted track suspension?

There might be someone in a 997 Turbo/S with three point belts going 150+ on a straight. I wouldn't worry about that one.

GVA-SFO

It looks to me that in the comments above, this was not "really " well read :


In my opinion, it is quite important to say/advise that a full cage, that is (more than) great for additional safety on track, ..could be extremely dangerous on open road, i.e.: when used without helmet and without harness firmly set !

I’m a supporter on saying that life can offer compromises.
On a car that I defined as “fun/track”, i.e.: you want to use it on open roads and on track, you face by nature of fact the situation of being in a compromise.
In my opinion, the cage is one.
Solutions exists, and for sure, they must be tailored to the track/road “percentage of use”. For example, a cage (not so “fun” to have your girlfriend or wife, entering in a car that have a cage, to have a fun ride over a nice week-end !) would need to be FULLY protected (foam, etc..) to be safe when used without helmet/harness.
Or, (the solution I opted for, being in this exact same situation), use 4 to 6 point roll bar, ..that is mounted in a way that serious padding / protection can be set.
Sure, a roll bar is not as safe as a cage on track, …but again, you are on compromise!
Another simple “problem” to get the feel of the compromise, is the tires : I did made some ride back and forth to the track, ..with R compound tires (Nitto NT01). It is doable, but frankly, it is not so fun.
I end up (compromise again !) to some time doing that, ..and sometime taking wife’s car, (that had a hitch to tow the boat !!), and rent a U-haul “car transporter”.
This does the job, and this, without having (another !) trailer storage, insurance, license plates, and etc.. to take care of it !

For info, in my case, with the Boxster, (that is fully street legal and do pass smog tests), I have used what is called a B&K bar, but, mounted it in “reverse position”, i.e.: in the back of the OEM “hoop” bars. The result is that the OEM padding of the hoops remained in position, the roll bar being in the back of these.
I’m thinking about an easy “extension” that could be firmly fixed to the A pilars, ..and be easily removable, ..shooting in the same track safety, without altering road use.

..Yes, building a “fun/track” (compromise) car, is a very interesting project !


Some photos of my compromise “fun/track” very old car (it is a 2001!!) :

B&K in “reversed mode” Roll bar from the rear (note : exhaust is stock, way too many track days in Laguna Seca with 91dB limit to risk any change there yet, and anyway, I'm NOT a noise guy, silence is for me, ..a quality and also respecting the ears of the others :




Interior, 6pt harness, (narrow shoulder band, for Hans use), while the antisub points can be easily hid under the driver seat padding (other points are also easily removable, and OEM seat belt still fully usable for open road usage. Seats mounting plates in aluminum (covered with Alcantara !) , rails on driver side (..another compromise), but, on pax side, seat on a fixed aluminum frame, that also hold the extinguisher.
Also B&K bar side view (yes, ..no roof anymore, i.e.: less 18kg) :





..and, just to be able to brake as late as possible :
(It is funny: during DEs, when you brake (late) and get close to the rear bumper of a car in the front of you, you normally get very quickly extremely easy “point to pass” signs ! Sure Billstein PSS9, braided lines, GT2 air brake deflectors, etc..)



No Roof : another advantage, a very quick access to the engine bay and thanks to a piece of Perspex, arriving on pits, a quick look at the engine, ..makes you (normally !!) feel good. (OK: IPD, large t-box, big intake tube and AFe filter.)



..and one, ..in the action :

docwyte

For many, many years I towed a small tire trailer to the track behind my "track/DD" street car.

Took me about an hour before and after the event to swap over race brake pads, alignment and wheels/tires.

That's the best way to go if you can't trailer it. Last year I bought a featherlite open trailer and I love it. I set the car up in my garage on my lift, pull it onto the trailer and I'm done.

If anything happens at the track, I can still get home. It also gives me much more piece of mind for the out of state events.

I use my DD Cayenne Turbo as my tow vehicle, it does great!

I wouldn't think of putting a full roll cage in a street driven car. Stick with a quality rollbar with proper sfi padding, fixed back seats and 6 point harnesses.

Proper race brake pads and fluid and a set of wheels with Nitto nt01's.

Some of my most white knuckle driving was when I got lazy and drove home on my NT01's and got caught in the rain. Don't do it! Get a tire trailer, a real trailer or run real street tires.