sharkster

we've secured an 06 Cayman S shop car so that we too can play with these cars. There's quite a community of CS' in the Bay Area and over the past year or so we've worked on so many that it was only a matter of time. In fact, it's also one of the few cars the wife "OK'd" (at least until we start modding the heck out of it). I've always loved rear engine but even with less power most of our customers are still faster around the track with the mid-engined CS. Out of the box it's obviously a fantastic car. However, (and the real purpose) hopefully we can do a few things to it our way to improve on an already fantastic car and have something you guys can try out first in order to help you decide on whether certain mods do or don't float your boat. We're all different...

So we're sticking with our tradition here of white (on black) and I'll post pix soon...

First plans are:
1)GIAC Flash
2)EVO intake
3)PSS9s
4)H&R Sways
5)SSK
6)Exhaust

It's been a long search (we really wanted white) so that it would go with these:




OK so we didn't have a lot of time today but the process has begun... Here she is- fresh meat for the grinder.:banana:


The first phase is to do the GIAC flash for slightly more HP and improved throttle response. Now it's not like the TT cars we do in terms of the gains but certainly some marked improvement (and Egas remapping).


Then we quickly de-snorked it. Obviously there's plenty of write-ups on this but the main thing you really need to be careful of is the "middle" clip. Try prying that off first as it's a weak-spot and you can/will crack/snap it. A flat head screw driver is your friend... We ran out of intakes so that'll happen shortly.


We also we're going to use this:

sharkster

But then James realized we'd better install it on a customer's Cobalt (love that color btw) Cayman S instead:crazy:

The side window doesn't fit our decal (doh) so we had it tagged another way

sharkster

We have our handling part of the equation sorted. For now we decided to go with Bilstein PSS9s and H&R sway bars for an aggressive street/some track type set up. The adjustability and compliance is second to none in terms of a street coil over and much more to our liking than a lowering spring kit. I'm just not keen on the stiffer spring/soft shock mismatch which gives you the pogo effect (bounciness). We lowered the car about 1.5 inches in the front and 1.25 in the rear. The dampening was set to 3 to start off with. It's quite an involving install as most of the back end and interior has to come out and in fact takes more time to do than any 996TT, 997TT etc... The rear sway bar is easy but the subframe has to come out on the front thanks fo some "ingenious" routing of the sway bar by Porsche on that one.



Either way, the car set up the way it is now seems to be so much flatter and devoid of sway through the twisties. The real test will be this weekend when she hits Thunderhill where she'll be driven on the same track with this new set up. The time there previously was 2min 15 seconds (not me driving!) so we're hoping the same driver can shave a few seconds off....

If anyone in the Bay Are now wants to compare "stock" vs "PSS9s" you're most welcome to come by and see how she handles. That was the other reason for doing this but hopefully doing springs will be a thing of the past.

sharkster

here she is lowered... I'll get better pix later on:


Right now she's at the dealer for the infamous steering rack leak.. Doh!


With the extra G's we expect at the track the stock seats just aren't going to cut it. For almost 5K per side, the 997GT3 ones aren't either so in with a pair of 996GT3 seats and a harness bar from TC Design. With the schroth harnesses and the seats my butt no longer slides around... I've been using the GT3 seats for years in 996s and they are _not_ for everyone in terms of fitments. Try them first for sure. It really helps to take the steering wheel out as well when doing the install. Just for clearance on the driver's side. With everyone out it was a good time to do the B&M SSK kit. The shifter in the 987/997 is certainly much improved over the 996s but still too long for our liking.

We also installed our Fire Extinguisher kit as some of the organizations requite it.

ajp33

Looks stunning

sharkster

thanks! And here she is ready for the track....

BrokeAss

Fantastic pics Alex - thanks for sharing! I'm in the middle of a GT3 seat installation myself. ...only difference is that I'm using a 6 point sub strap.

Dale Gribble

Stellar work as always Alex!
The Cayman community can look forward to big tings from sharkwerks!

(Aside: Wanna sell me the white 996TT in the picture above...I can't find any white non-cabrio's within driving distance from Toronto )

allill

Alex, the CS looks great!

mooty

hey, are you trying to copy my old cayman S ;-)

sharkster

Hey C4 Guy the newer the cars get the worse the seats seem to get as well! I'm so used to GT3 seats and they just "fit" me so that's how we usually go... 6 point shouldn't be too hard. Which brand?

sharkster

Cheers very much Dead-Eye. We're having a blast (as did the driver at the track today ). Meanwhile we're staying home working on turbos

On the white TT, you and me both man. It took a LONG time to find one. They just didn't make many TTs in white for some reason.

sharkster

Only in spirit.... there can be only one Mootyfied Cayman. Hmm actually make it three. Don't laugh but James has been looking at Elise/Exiges recently. I have no idea why but I told him you already did that so there was no need since you have one

I wish the motor wasn't that blasted M96 derived block but hey... they've lasted a lot longer on the 996s than we ever thought..

mooty

lotus are fun toys. tell james to get one.
then get james wong to buy another.
by then, i'll be ready to sell my to you

sharkster

The Corrupter... that's you James has always been into Lotus' but because he works with me and I'm English he's worried about the overall structure or anything manufactured in England. Then again he's a sucker for anything blown or turbod. I love that it's light weight like that. The Cayman needs to loose like 300 pounds of meat but that's not going to happen... There's also a bit of weirdness with the rear suspension (struts <roll eyes>) so that needs some work too but we'll get there.

PS James Wong was hitting on a 997GT3 all morning long at T'hill in ze CS