2013 Rolex 24 GX Class Cayman 3.8L Build Update
11-02-2012 | 12:42 PM
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From: Ormond Beach, FL
2013 Rolex 24 GX Class Cayman 3.8L Build Update
For those that have asked, the Roar Before the 24 will be open to the public. Attached is a link to the Event Page. You can buy tickets there, but it seems to be down right now so you might have to check back shortly.
http://www.grand-am.com/events.aspx?eid=3498&sid=2
As for the build update, here's where we are:
October 20th the car arrived with a 1.5" roll cage installed in a 987.1 donor chassis courtesy of Road Sport Supply in Costa Mesa, CA. RSS went the extra mile and supplied the car with a set of KW dampers, RSS Tarmac Series front and rear toe links and lower control arms.
(SIDE NOTE: While there have been some reported failures of these arms, it is my intention to run these lower control arms in the 24 hour because I have that level of faith in the product given my past experiences on track with them. While there is much speak, mistakes happen at every level and while there is no place for them in this industry, RSS did what was expected of them by sending out replacement parts. I'm going to test these things to the fullest of abuse and see what happens. Sorry for the tangent).
It's undecided right now as to whether or not the KW dampers will stay because I haven't worked with them and we lack spares. However, I have found nothing but good feedback during my KW research and you would be amazed how many Rolex and World Challenge teams run these dampers. Further suspension development is legal because in Rolex GX, you're allowed to move pickup points like in World Challenge so the Cayman is allowed to run a full 997 RSR style lower suspension. The donor tub arrived needing some LF frame rail repair love so that work has been moved to Phase II for the car's return to Florida. (P.S. Only the lower part of the RSR bits are allowed. Requests to run a Prep 2 Cayman with a 997 rear subframe were turned down for obvious obvious reasons!)
As of today, the car is deep in Phase I having had the entire 1.5" roll cage removed so that we could install the legal Grand-Am 1.75*.095 safety cage; Rolex allows you to do a few different things with the cage so this is a more robust cage than we have ever done in a Cayman. The car is shown in pictures with the re-designed Carbon Fiber Cayman coachwork from Getty Design in California in the form of a new pair of 987.2 widebody front fenders, lightweight doors, lightweight decklid, lightweight rear hatch and additional carbon fiber quarter panel wheel arches for the wider 305 rear Continental GX slick. The competition weight of 2550 requires full use of Lexan front and rear. The entire interior will be sprayed in typical BGB fashion with Porsche Arctic Silver Metallic paint from head to toe. Once the interior paint is complete, the new spare 987.2 DFI chassis harness that we had will be installed. The existing 987.1 harness was already removed by RSS in anticipation of this build. It will receive the wider 997.2 Carrera S uprights, the larger 6-piston red versions of the PCCB caliper, the remaining suspension will be hung along with a fresh set of 4 AST air jacks, before we go out to Arizona to pick her up for Phase II in 10 days.
During November and December, the goal will be to test the car through December in anticipation of the Roar Before the 24 on January 4-7, 2013. HOWEVER, in order for that to be possible, Phase II needs to be executed and the car needs to go to the body shop first to have fresh Carrera 4 sheet metal installed up front in the form of a bulkhead so that the car can be equipped with a GT3 Cup style fuel cell for Grand-Am legality purposes. During this time the front sheet metal will be cleaned up, any frame rails will be replaced and shortly thereafter, it will be outfitted with a 997 Cup style front pedal assembly, larger aluminum PWR radiators, fuel cell and finally, the heart of the beast will be the drivetrain, which will be a 997.2 GTS/X51 powerplant bolted to a 987.2 Getrag 6-speed OEM Porsche transmission with improved Guard Transmission internals and our trusty Guard Transmission limited slip differential.
Stay tuned…more photos to follow. Here are some for now though to keep you guys interested!
Thanks.
http://bgb-motorsports.smugmug.com/P...6296913_cFSnDq
http://www.grand-am.com/events.aspx?eid=3498&sid=2
As for the build update, here's where we are:
October 20th the car arrived with a 1.5" roll cage installed in a 987.1 donor chassis courtesy of Road Sport Supply in Costa Mesa, CA. RSS went the extra mile and supplied the car with a set of KW dampers, RSS Tarmac Series front and rear toe links and lower control arms.
(SIDE NOTE: While there have been some reported failures of these arms, it is my intention to run these lower control arms in the 24 hour because I have that level of faith in the product given my past experiences on track with them. While there is much speak, mistakes happen at every level and while there is no place for them in this industry, RSS did what was expected of them by sending out replacement parts. I'm going to test these things to the fullest of abuse and see what happens. Sorry for the tangent).
It's undecided right now as to whether or not the KW dampers will stay because I haven't worked with them and we lack spares. However, I have found nothing but good feedback during my KW research and you would be amazed how many Rolex and World Challenge teams run these dampers. Further suspension development is legal because in Rolex GX, you're allowed to move pickup points like in World Challenge so the Cayman is allowed to run a full 997 RSR style lower suspension. The donor tub arrived needing some LF frame rail repair love so that work has been moved to Phase II for the car's return to Florida. (P.S. Only the lower part of the RSR bits are allowed. Requests to run a Prep 2 Cayman with a 997 rear subframe were turned down for obvious obvious reasons!)
As of today, the car is deep in Phase I having had the entire 1.5" roll cage removed so that we could install the legal Grand-Am 1.75*.095 safety cage; Rolex allows you to do a few different things with the cage so this is a more robust cage than we have ever done in a Cayman. The car is shown in pictures with the re-designed Carbon Fiber Cayman coachwork from Getty Design in California in the form of a new pair of 987.2 widebody front fenders, lightweight doors, lightweight decklid, lightweight rear hatch and additional carbon fiber quarter panel wheel arches for the wider 305 rear Continental GX slick. The competition weight of 2550 requires full use of Lexan front and rear. The entire interior will be sprayed in typical BGB fashion with Porsche Arctic Silver Metallic paint from head to toe. Once the interior paint is complete, the new spare 987.2 DFI chassis harness that we had will be installed. The existing 987.1 harness was already removed by RSS in anticipation of this build. It will receive the wider 997.2 Carrera S uprights, the larger 6-piston red versions of the PCCB caliper, the remaining suspension will be hung along with a fresh set of 4 AST air jacks, before we go out to Arizona to pick her up for Phase II in 10 days.
During November and December, the goal will be to test the car through December in anticipation of the Roar Before the 24 on January 4-7, 2013. HOWEVER, in order for that to be possible, Phase II needs to be executed and the car needs to go to the body shop first to have fresh Carrera 4 sheet metal installed up front in the form of a bulkhead so that the car can be equipped with a GT3 Cup style fuel cell for Grand-Am legality purposes. During this time the front sheet metal will be cleaned up, any frame rails will be replaced and shortly thereafter, it will be outfitted with a 997 Cup style front pedal assembly, larger aluminum PWR radiators, fuel cell and finally, the heart of the beast will be the drivetrain, which will be a 997.2 GTS/X51 powerplant bolted to a 987.2 Getrag 6-speed OEM Porsche transmission with improved Guard Transmission internals and our trusty Guard Transmission limited slip differential.
Stay tuned…more photos to follow. Here are some for now though to keep you guys interested!
Thanks.
http://bgb-motorsports.smugmug.com/P...6296913_cFSnDq
11-13-2012 | 09:33 AM
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From: Ormond Beach, FL
Ladies and Gents,
More photos have been posted. He's a little teaser shot.
Casey, it's a Gen 1 tub that we will update to 987.2 specs for appearance purposes. I can't put a 997 front bumper cover on because we'll get snipped from a-far so it MUST look like a Cayman. I am having widebody Carbon Fiber fenders done and I have decided to skip the CF roof skin installation because of time, savings, etc.
Essentialy every part that I have had made for this car by Getty Design in California has been hung, fitted and massaged. Mark will have all of this stuff for sale for Cayman owners and it will fit like OEM. I think you can probably call them now, as most everything but the fenders are done.
John
More photos have been posted. He's a little teaser shot.
Casey, it's a Gen 1 tub that we will update to 987.2 specs for appearance purposes. I can't put a 997 front bumper cover on because we'll get snipped from a-far so it MUST look like a Cayman. I am having widebody Carbon Fiber fenders done and I have decided to skip the CF roof skin installation because of time, savings, etc.
Essentialy every part that I have had made for this car by Getty Design in California has been hung, fitted and massaged. Mark will have all of this stuff for sale for Cayman owners and it will fit like OEM. I think you can probably call them now, as most everything but the fenders are done.
John
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11-15-2012 | 04:01 AM
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From: san francisco
Ladies and Gents,
More photos have been posted. He's a little teaser shot.
Casey, it's a Gen 1 tub that we will update to 987.2 specs for appearance purposes. I can't put a 997 front bumper cover on because we'll get snipped from a-far so it MUST look like a Cayman. I am having widebody Carbon Fiber fenders done and I have decided to skip the CF roof skin installation because of time, savings, etc.
Essentialy every part that I have had made for this car by Getty Design in California has been hung, fitted and massaged. Mark will have all of this stuff for sale for Cayman owners and it will fit like OEM. I think you can probably call them now, as most everything but the fenders are done.
John
More photos have been posted. He's a little teaser shot.
Casey, it's a Gen 1 tub that we will update to 987.2 specs for appearance purposes. I can't put a 997 front bumper cover on because we'll get snipped from a-far so it MUST look like a Cayman. I am having widebody Carbon Fiber fenders done and I have decided to skip the CF roof skin installation because of time, savings, etc.
Essentialy every part that I have had made for this car by Getty Design in California has been hung, fitted and massaged. Mark will have all of this stuff for sale for Cayman owners and it will fit like OEM. I think you can probably call them now, as most everything but the fenders are done.
John
damn.
12-10-2012 | 06:35 PM
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From: Ormond Beach, FL
The X51 GTS manifold is going on right now as we speak. The Guard diff showed up about 4 hours ago. Various 3.4L DFI wiring harness parts are missing and delaying us a day or so. We have put power to the car but without a flashed gateway and DME I haven't seen the cluster wake up.
http://bgb-motorsports.smugmug.com/P...6296913_cFSnDq
