Hey all, long time no post... Anyway, I have an '86 911 euro car that I'm looking to put back to euro spec. I believe the euro cars came with an extra 30HP, but lost most of it when they were converted once brought into the states. Anyway, I've removed the cat and put in a cat by-pass test pipe (stainless steel...best looking part under the car!), I've removed the O2 sensor along with the aftermarket (conversion for US spec)O2 sensor computer box, also the altitude correction unit (another conversion for US spec, I believe) has been by-passed so that it doesn't communicate with the DME. I also have made the car run a little richer than when I first bought it. Suprisingly, even without the catylitic converter it will still pass emissions. Does that sound right? I know the cat is required anyway. Anyway, my main question is what else is required to put this car back to euro spec? I want that extra HP gain! I know, I know, I could just buy a chip, and I might do that too in the future. Everything I have done so far is easily reversable for annual state inspections. Thanks in advance for all the info.

 

Anyone have some info?

 

It sounds to me like you've done everything that comes to mind with the Euro's. Everything else I can come up with would be only cosmetically as far as lighting, and ride height of course.

As far as emissions here's my experience: My euro is a grey market car, meaning it never had the homoligation work done to it and was brought to the states by a private owner overseas. It passes one part of the emissions testing with flying colors and fails the other part miserably. The second part I believe is the CO test which I don't think it should be able to pass without the cat on it. It's interesting that your car passed the test without the cat. Maybe it's not the same test we do here though.

 

Thanks for the info 82Euro. My car is a grey market car as well. What about ride hight that you mentioned? I've seen people mention that here. What is the difference in the ride hight? And is it easy to adjust? Thanks again.

Steve

 

Typically people mention going to the euro spec ride height as more desirable for a couple of reasons. Most think that it looks a little more agressive because the tires fill up the wheel wells more because the car is sitting slightly lower. One of the other reasons is that it is the way the car was designed. Your car, as well as mine, being a grey market was designed to RoW (rest of world) specs. When the car was brought in to the states, it should have been for lack of a better word "jacked up" to meet US bumper height requirements. I don't know how this was typically accomplished. If I had to guess most people probably cranked up the torsion bars on the front and rear of the car.

Your car may be like mine and never have had any of this done to it though. Evidently, the original owner of my car had a "friend in the business" and did not perform any homologation work other than signing the papers. When you have the ride height adjusted alignment has to be done again too. Mention this to your shop and they will know what to do.

On a side note:
Who are you going to in Charlotte? I'm reasonably familiar with the area. While I was in college (Clemson) I had an internship in Charlotte and my girlfriend, now wife, lived in Rock Hill. I remember a shop called Metric Wrenches that had a pretty good reputation. I was a South Carolinian up until a year ago and had my 944 and 911 maintained down at Doc's Garage in Columbia, SC for years. They are very good people. I believe they did the maintenance on my current 911 for the last 10 years or so, longer than I've had the car!

 

82euro, sorry for the delay in posting back. I'm not sure if my ride height has been adjusted. I guess I'll have to look at a US spec 911 more closely to see if I can tell the difference.
As far as who does work on my car, it's Eurowerks. Jim, the owner is great and I've been going to him since day one (about a year and a half ago; when I owned a 951). So far I haven't been able to ask a question that he couldn't answer and I'm really happy with his work. He's now on Independence Rd. but was working in Mint Hill when you said that your were living in Charlotte. Thanks for the help. I do appreciate it.