kisik

What are the "must -haves" for 981 platform to enjoy on a track. The focus is reliability, safety, and cost of consumables. Please correct if needed. I am thinking switching from 997 to 981 and this list I was thinking of. Car is 70% street and 30% track. No need for JRZs, roll cage, and 1200lb springs
1. GT3 LCA for address ~ -2.5 front camber
2. X73. I heard only good things about.
3 If PASM equipped: TCP box and X73/GT3 sway bars
4. Track brake pads (PFC, Ferrodo) and Motul fluid
5. Rear toe links to address correct alignment
6. GT3/GT2/Recaro seats, roll bar, 6 point harness and HANS
7. Heat shields for coils
8. Center radiator if not GTS to address 275F oil temperatures
8. Extra sets of Apex/OZ/Fordgeline with dedicated track tires.

Kitc2246

I have a 2013 Boxster S PDK with PASM, added third radiator, 911 coil heat shields and GT3 LCA with -2.5 camber which I started DEing last Spring. It has eight track weekends at Summit Point and a double at VIR with my son. I have a set of 18" Forge Ones from Tire Rack with Hankook RS4s. I use Motul 660 brake fluid with Sebro slotted rotors. I ran Raybestor ST43s last year. My son and I back to backed the car at VIR and edge cracked the rotors. The rotors were from FCPEuro so warrantied them. Switched to a less aggressive Ferodo DS1.11 when FCPEuro briefly sold them this Spring. The ST43s were great, but in talking to others they have a rep for being very aggressive and generating huge amounts of heat. The DS1.11s only lasted six track days. Had to put on new fronts to finish the Sunday at three day PCA weekend. Have a set of Pagid yellows to put on. If I use Ferodo again it will be DS3.12. I still see low 270F oil temps when its 90+ at Summit Point. I normally leave the PDK in auto but will paddle upshift when I see 270F. The water temp gauge stays on 194F, The oil temp quickly drops 30F on the cooldown lap. I suspect the oil heat exchanger capacity and the PDK temp. Never had limp mode. The 981 GT4 has a larger oil heat exchanger that supposedly helps 10F. LN and PTC both now offer a larger PDK cooler. I suspect part of the oil high temps are from the PDK. Had the PDK and diff fluid changed in June. Not sure if it recalibrates with the PIWIS when you change the fluid, but definitely shifts smoother. Saw a thread that said the OEM oil temp is an algorithm blend for both the engine and PDK. I'm not particularly worried about the 270F or even a 280F based on what I've heard about the GT4 temps. The GT4s apparently run 280-300 all the time. I use Mobil 1 5W-50. I've done several oil samples with good results and plenty of life left in the oil so I change annually.

Hinz Motorsport

Having just gone through this with our 981 (build thread coming soon), perhaps I can provide a bit of feedback. Your list is pretty spot on given your street/track ratio, but bear in mind a lot of this depends on what you are wanting out of the car and your skills as a driver (it looks like your an instructor, so you know all of that already). In this case, X73 would be perfect for your application and you could get by without coilovers. The standard suspension proves a bit too soft for the track and it's also worth mentioning that if you add a set of 18" track wheels, the fender gap on the standard suspension makes the car look a bit silly. We knew we were upgrading to coilovers so whatever came on the car didn't matter. Upgraded sway bars probably aren't necessary right away either, depending on how much body roll you are seeing with X73, but part of that will be a function of the tire compound you are running. Upgraded Front LCA's will certainly help, we were only able to get 1.1 and 1.6 degrees of negative camber on our car stock. You might just start with the front LCA's if you can get 1.8 or more camber out of the rears stock. Rear toe arms would not be necessary at that point then as well.

Sport Chrono is recommended if non-GTS, to give you the sport/sport+ options which help keep the car cooler on track via shifted thermostat settings. Our car also came with PSE, which is a lot louder on track than we expected. We thought we would be replacing the exhaust system right away, but have found it adequate for this first season.

We have run several different brake compounds in the car so (and have since moved to a BBK, for other reasons) but were very pleased with the factory brakes with Ferodo DS3.12 pads and high-temp fluid. If you are up for swapping pads and rotors, you could keep the OEM setup and set it aside for when you do track days. Then run a dedicated pad/rotor set up for the track. We had good luck with Sebro slotted rotors with Ferodo pads (tried DS1.11 and DS3.12). Liked the DS1.11's, but we found the DS3.12 to be incredible with this setup. You will not have any complaints about the brakes. Another option would be to run the Ferodo DS2500 for the street, and then keep the rotors on year-round and just swap pads between events. A BBK will certainly reduce running costs in the long run, but you need to be honest with yourself regarding how many events you are going to do a year with the car.

Seats are more preferential, we are running the Sparco QRT-R, it fits nicely but we aren't happy with the build quality of them. Can't go wrong with any of the seats you suggested. We also don't love our Sparco 6-point harnesses. Will be going with Schroth and OMP next time.

Our car runs hot, we added the third radiator but did not notice a significant reduction in track temps to our disappointment. This still seems to be a grey area as depending on who you talk to, the temps are all over the place. We have seen 275F oil temps on several occasions on 80 deg days. We are pursuing other options to help bring temps down. I'm convinced there is still air in the coolant system, but we still haven't been able to purge any out after several weeks. Our car is a PDK car, which obviously contributes to higher temps, but we know others with the exact same setup as us and they "claim" they don't ever see temps over 250F on track, even in 85F+ ambient.

It's worth mentioning that we have not had any issues with limp mode from either PDK or engine temps. PDK is amazing on track and not sure the manual would be more fun (having just come from a manual track car). I did miss it on the street, however, for the brief period that it was a daily, something worth considering in your case.

Heat shields for coil packs will be going on this winter, would also recommend that upgrade.

We are running the Apex EC-7R Forged wheels in 18x9 and 18x10.5 fitments. The wheels are a great value and so far have held up to a lot of track abuse. For tires, we are running the newer Goodyear Supercar 3 (220TW) in 245/40/18 and 275/40/18. Since this is our track rental car we were looking for a tire with good grip, but would also last a long time (aren't we all?). So far we have 29 sessions at Road America on these tires and tread wear is probably 50%, we have been pleasantly surprised by them. They also were just a little over $1000 for the full set, if I recall, so they are reasonably priced as well.

We went with the Studio RSR roll-bar. While we liked its robust design, it also interfered too far into the cabin costing us nearly 6" of seat travel (forward/back). Would recommend other options for those that are taller and will be driving their car on the street, such as the BBI bar or the Competition Motorsport bar. Plan ahead on these, most companies were several weeks out on builds when we were inquiring.

If there are any of these mods you are considering and are unsure of, plan a trip to Road America and come drive ours and see what you think.

If you have any questions, I would be happy to discuss further how we took a really great street car/daily driver and completely ruined it for the sake of saving a few seconds on track

ledbette

Must have's vs. nice-to-haves...

1. GT3 LCA for address ~ -2.5 front camber
Nice to have. You'll eat up the front tires with 70% street driving and a lot of camber. I'm about the fastest (non-GT4) 981 in our region and running OEM max negative camber, which I believe is about -2.2. I've contemplated putting the LCA's on, but honestly, the tire wear is fairly even as-is.

2. X73. I heard only good things about.
3 If PASM equipped: TCP box and X73/GT3 sway bars
You can be fast without it. I'm running stock PASM. Car handles great as-is. Maybe a nice long-term upgrade, but start with stock and see how it handles before investing in a lot of mods.

4. Track brake pads (PFC, Ferrodo) and Motul fluid
I much prefer Pagid RSL-29's all-around or RSL-29/RS-14 combo. I tried PFC-08's and really disliked them. They seemed to overheat the brake system much too quickly running Motul 600/660.
Buy fluid from FCPeuro, and upgrade to Castrol SRF. After the first fill, the rest is free.

5. Rear toe links to address correct alignment
Have those, but didn't really do much. I ended up buying a dedicated racecar, and really haven't gotten the value out of them.

6. GT3/GT2/Recaro seats, roll bar, 6 point harness and HANS
Won't make you faster, but will increase safety.

7. Heat shields for coils
Yes. A fairly easy DIY. I also always have a spare coil in my track to-go bag.

8. Center radiator if not GTS to address 275F oil temperatures
Added it, but it really didn't help that much. The car just runs hot. It's not coolant temps, as they stay inline.
An oil cooler upgrade would probably be more beneficial to reduce oil/PDK temps than the 3rd radiator, or maybe you really need both.

8. Extra sets of Apex/OZ/Forgeline with dedicated track tires.
Definitely need a second set of wheels, what you choose is up to you. I am running a set of OEM 987.1 18's on my Boxster for HPDE.
I really like the Nitto NT-01's for HPDE, but I bet a set of Hoosiers would be awesome on this car.

I have a PDK, and never had any issues with limp mode, even in ambient temps up to 104 deg at COTA (before 3rd radiator).
If PDK, I would recommend the Sport Chrono package with LSD. The shifting is awesome.
IMHO PTV just puts way too much heat into the brake system, and I would probably disable it if I had the option. It didn't really affect me that much until I started getting faster. Now it's a hinderance.

After several years of HPDE's, I opted to buy a BMW E36 racecar and significantly reduce the wear on my 981. It costs me a lot less in consumables and to repair any damage, and it's caged so much better safety.

txbdan

Yeh, those mods are pretty much exactly what I've done to mine, except seats. The car is excellent. I haven't had any cooling issues either. 270F oil temps are fine. Sport Chrono is an absolute must.

Knolly

This comment surprised me and made me second guess myself. I have a Cayman S, pretty minimally modded (X73, Pagid pads front and rear, Cobb tune), and have been thinking about Recaro seats purely because by the early afternoon on a track day, my legs and glutes are destroyed from bracing myself in turns. I sat in a friend's GT4 with the race seats and instantly became jealous of how it anchored me in there. Is my thinking off? I know it isn't necessarily tied to lap time but I always believe that the less energy you spend on other things, the more energy you have to focus on driving.

9eight7

Your thinking is correct, seats and a harness significantly reduce fatigue and improves feel/feedback.

txbdan

Yeh for sure. Every straight away I'm yanking on the seatbelt to tighten it. I need a CG lock or something. I once did a TNIA where they allow shorts and my knee was bloody from bracing against the door! I used to have an E36 track rat and going from a cage/seat/harnesses to stock seats takes some getting used to. That said, its a much better situation than most car's stock seats. I don't want to compromise the street drivability of this car so I'm pretty stuck.

Four Ring Circus

I second this. It is safety and performance. It is very cliche but you feel more connected to the car. When I got my seats this year I felt like the steering wheel was for steering instead of just hanging on.
Try out seats- I was going for Recaro but the shoulder holes are made for someone 5’9”. I am 6 feet and they were a couple inches too low- not even close. Went with OMP WRC and couldn’t be happier.

Squeaky

As a few have mentioned, it really depends on what level of driving you're at (ie how hard you can push the car). The only must-have I'd say is brake fluid, alignment, and maybe tires depending on the driver's level. It also really depends on the track. For example, one track I go to is low speed and highly technical which works the brakes really hard and needs good response and rotation. Another one is very high speed with long corners and fast entries which rolls and heats up the outside tire a lot and requires a stable car to enter corners fast. They require different mods. Finally it also depends on how much you can tolerate while street driving (ride quality, noise) etc. You don't need 1200lb springs for a Cayman, unlike a 911 which doesn't have Macpherson struts in the rear.

If I started over again, this is the order I would build the 981S, with the mods that novice drivers won't need located further down the list:

1. Brake flush w/ high temp brake fluid
2. Brake pads
   1. something that doesn't require much warming up, easy on the rotors, and has decent cold bite would be good for your use case
   2. I tend to use endurance pads
3. Alignment (within OEM limits)
4. LCAs
   1. to get more front camber and track
   2. I would suggest solid bushings.
      1. if getting solid bushings, replace it for both front and rear.
5. Toe links
   1. required to get toe back to spec after installing longer LCAs
   2. get ones which allow bump steer adjustment
6. Alignment (something that works with your driving style and balances your track and street usage)
7. Track-suitable tires
   1. preferably with smaller lighter rims, or you can street drive them on your OEM rims if size is available.
8. seats and harness
9. suspension
   1. i prefer coilovers, ideally 4-way
   2. if not coilovers, make sure you're getting spring and dampers designed to be used together.
   3. spring rate really depends on the track and your street tolerance.
   4. good time to get sway bars now, if not earlier, so you can realign and/or balance the car in one shot.
10. Maybe cooling
    1. I've not personally run into cooling problems on this car, even on a hot humid day. Mine is manual
    2. I've heard other people have cooling issues
    3. YMMV
11. Rest are just enjoyment mods IMO

Even with these mods, I think the most important thing is still knowing how to set the car up. These mods for the most part just allow you to set up the car so your tires are working in a happy window. I'd also get an Aim Solo 2 DL and a pyrometer. I know these aren't mods perse but I'd get them pretty early on.

ncster

I'm about to my very first track day (not just with the Cayman) in two weeks. Lots of useful knowledge in this thread. Since I'm just dipping my toes in the water here (only prior experience is autocross), I'm not going all out on track modifications. I'm simply doing a full brake fluid flush with Motul RBF600. Brake pads are OEM replaced recently so sticking with those for now.

Anything else I should considered as an absolute minimum modification before I track the cayman (considering that this will be my very first track experience)?

9eight7

As an absolute minimum, I would review the inspection sheet and ensure everything is within specs on your car a week or more in advance. The main things are safety, thickness, and NO LEAKING FLUIDS. These cars can handle many track sessions right off the showroom floor which is exactly what they do at the driving school in Alabama.

After that, bring a helmet, water/food, chair, torque wrench to tighten lug nuts before your first session and a good pressure gauge for your tires.

ncster

Inspection is the plan. Already measured pads and rotors. I do need to get a new helmet. The one I got for autocross is a size too big.

Thanks!

burnergt4

^ All this is solid advice. I'd also get a vinyl tarp (or similar) to lay your stuff on. I have an oversized one so that if it ever looks like it's gonna rain I can quickly just wrap everything up to keep it dry.

Some other bits I bring with (by no means is any of this required, it's just to give you an idea): full socket set (I got one of those 150 piece kits and just throw it in the trunk), an extra plug & coil, spare tire + jack, can of engine oil, container of brake fluid, duct tape. And after I had a coolant expansion tank blow up on me last year, I also bookmark the nearest car rental location just in case.

Kitc2246

While OEM pads are OK for the first couple beginner DE's, they will wear rapidly. If you drive to and from the track a set of "go home" pads is recommended. PCA does tech inspections every morning and pad thickness less than the backing plate fails. Carrying a spare set of new pads or ones that are more than 50% is recommended. Track pads are needed if you continue to DE. There are many options for pads. Drilled OEM rotors will quickly develop stress cracks between the holes. Sebro slotted are the common replacement. FCPEuro is a good source with their life time warranty. Adding Tarrett brake caliper studs is recommended. The risk of thread damage to the aluminum knuckle by the steel caliper bolts greatly increases with frequent front pad changes especially if you are in a hurry at the track.

I carry two tarps, one to put on the ground and one to cover items, A small canopy is nice to have along with large tent pegs and a hammer. I carry the canopy in the passenger seat. I don't carry a jack since they will be many at the track if I need one. A CW track will wear the outside edge of the left front. Adjustable LCAs are needed to get sufficient negative camber to even out the tire wear. First get a "track" alignment that maxs out the stock negative camber. Michelin PS4S tires are a good street/track tire, however an 18" wheel and dedicated track tire will eventually be needed.

AAA Premium will give one 200 mile tow a year and is good insurance.