BLACK-BETTY

Hmmmm....

Stuart, yes build a 3.8 in stages. Although know that your cams, heads may not be working as efficiently if you are not using your intended intake, exhaust system from the outset. Synergy.

Dyno figures mean absolute *****. Every dyno is different and only a hub dyno will be close to being accurate. However unless I'm mistaken IIRC I'm pushing 348 torque. Actually the Good Doctor and me are planning a hub dyno day soon...

3.8? Contemplate it, if your P&Cs are shot. Or if you plan to do lots of complimentary mods to suit. Otherwise not worth it.

Best mod? Loose weight - if you can live with it. Weight is the biggest performance killer - by every definition.

Something worth mentioning is end value. 3.8 964s command a premium.

Brideyo,
Have you chosen your builder?
What will you be doing with this 964?
How will you be using your engine?

These are the fundamental questions that define your engine build.

Remember that everyone has an opinion and often none are wrong. Specifically every builder is different. Choose your builder, and then have absolute faith.

Anyway, exciting times. I'm sure you'll be very happy wherever you end up with your engine. Enjoy the process and the next '100K' miles!

Ps. If you want some 'butt dyno' time pop along to a London964 meet for a ride - there are a few 3.8s and 3.6s with fun cams in the gang.

STUARTQ

Thanks Frank,

The plan for now, is to loose weight first, make sure the car is set up correctly on the KWV3's and give myself time to consider a short ratio box and the engine mods.
For now there is no rush, unless something needs immediate attention.
The car didn't have a compression or leak test in the PPI as JZ said it felt strong and didn't warrant the extra cost, but it would nice now, to maybe get a feel for what to expect in the future, or maybe just let one of the London 964 guys to drive her when she's back in one piece to get a comparison to another 964 as to how she drives.

dave964diver

Wow Frank awesome 340bhp and 348flbs is tourque figure not in NMR that's more than a 991 gt3!

That's more tourque than power is that even possible in a non diesel

Was a good turn out yesterday at the fairmile meet in surrey apparently this is done once a month. Hopefully see you there sometime.

ras62

Frank I think you are confusing Nm and ft lbs. Your car making 350 Nm is 260 ft lbs.

cobalt

In fairness to the others I will admit I did not do a base line run prior to the test shown. As I stated I did do a base line on my GTS on a dynapack and it came up with nearly identical numbers as the ones I posted in fact a bit more optimistic but temps were cooler.

I purchased this car from Gary R and he claimed it did not have a chip but I have never checked. I guess I will have to look into that. Although nothing out of the ordinary shows up when I plug in my KTS 300. Is there a physical way to check what chip I have? I will say that this car has lots of torque compared to other 964's and some 993's I've driven. Nothing like my turbo but still very strong and holds its own on the track. Inevitably every event I have people asking what I have done to the car to make it so fast.

At the time of the test the car did have 40k miles with leak down #'s of 1-2% done by a very reputable shop here on the east coast.

Brideyo

Many tks all.
The deal I struck with Paul Stephens involves them doing the engine build as part of the price so it's in George's hands there. Intended use is road mainly with a few track days thrown in and getting more involved with the group here is the plan.
I'm not a mechanical wizz so it probably makes more sense to keep it relatively standard but have a decent suspension set up. Once I get the car back which I think will be in 6 weeks I'll attend a meet and seek more advice. I'm not sure I want to make the car too focused as I'd like at some stage to do some big trips and also drive the kids about In her. As previously stated I have a 996 RS and an exige s so I get my hardcore fix with these. I think with this car I've got a good original low mileage example and it enables me to get mire involved with meets etc.
Tks again David

BLACK-BETTY

Sounds like a plan Stuart. It takes time to learn a 964s characteristics (5 years on still learning), this valuable time gives us great amounts of time to figure out what we're trying to achieve/ what we like.

Suspension mods are truly wonderful. In fact personally I would say the KW change is arguably the best mod I have done to date. Truly transforms the car - just don't forget to do the roll bars whilst you're there and a perfect geo for your usage.

Weight loss - great stuff. To give general perspective, Kai's car is without doubt much, much faster than mine despite lower engine performance due to the extensive diet it's been on.


Definitely Dave - your car is looking stellar. Look forwards to many meets this summer.

I'm sure you're right. Born confused - must be somewhere oh here.


IIRC Cuse92/ Ben had his engine built by Paul Stephens also. He's a happy man.

One thing to remember, even in standard form these cars are always more capable than we are. Whatever you do, you have an awesome platform from which to start from. Enjoy the ownership - allow yourself time to live the car, in order to figure out what you'd like to do. After my mods I'm having to try and take a step back, let things breath before 'rushing' on to the next thing.

Ps. We still need pictures.

911Jetta

The standard package has pretty big legs for a 20+ yr. old car. That said, great advice and interesting reading these past few pages.
The 964 is a special platform and definitely worth throwing money at to improve. It's amazing how just 50+ hp, a little better gearing and improved suspension turn the car into a weapon.

Really fun stuff. But a lot less fun if the car is used less because it's now too raw...

So I like your comment below...

Exactly! Given your other cars, I think the 964 will perfectly suit your desire to share the 911 experience with your family and meet lots of great people along the way. It has for me.

Today I'm actually driving the kids to the beach for the weekend in the 964 (wife will meet up later, carrying all the heavy gear )
Here's a picture from 4 years ago (AC wasn't working so well on that trip ).

Brideyo

Brilliant tks again for comments good to know the car is in good mechanical hands. I'm nowhere close to home at the mo so pics won't be for a good while yet but will post up when I can.
Yup need the car to be 'everyday' when needs be so I'll take it one stage at a time and see what I end up doing with the exige and the RS.,
The other part I should have mentioned was that after buying the RS last July I've hardly used it and had it put away for winter so the exige had become my regular car which means I've not been driving a 911 which wasn't really the plan so this hopefully will cure my fix!
The exige may stay for this year then the 964 becomes my regular steed .
Tks david

cuse92

David - George didn't do my build but he knows his stuff, as does Paul. You are in very good hands. Ben

kos11-12

Just wanted to ad ;
In my opinion a good driver or someone who knows to drive very well this cars is worth 50 bhp .....

STUARTQ

Kos, yes, this is very true, and has been said many times, and something I'm looking forward to.

Maybe a good analogy is Go karting.

Take a dozen Go karts, all the same spec, with drivers of differing skill and weight.
The fastest karts are going to be the ones with the lightest drivers, then it's going to be down to the drivers skills as to who is going to win amongst those smaller lighter drivers.

freedman

A heavier driver with more ability will beat a ligher one with less

Of course if its only a few % the weight will win out, but put anyone who has a bit of ability up againt someone with little or none and they will beat them, even in Karts

STUARTQ

Gary, yes, I get your point, if the lighter driver is useless, but a lighter driver with good skills, against a heavier driver who is better, (obviously I'm not talking a couple of kilos here, but let's say 10kg),the odds are for the lighter driver.
From my experience of go karting when I weighed 100kg against guys weighing 65- 70kg, I never had a hope in hell of beating them no matter how much better I might have been than them.

Brideyo

Tks Ben v reassuring .
Kos are you saying its worth the extra 50hp or not ? Tks