kencollinsjr

Apologies if answers to some of these questions are buried somewhere in the threads, but these are some of my still open questions and am about a month away from delivery.

1. Any idea what the approx. retail price would be for the GT3 racing buckets if that's something I want to put in the car in the future? I might be interested in installing these if the price isn't too astronomical. Kind of regret getting the heated seats given that the U.S. racing seats won't accommodate it and I don't want a useless button on the dash.

2. Any recommendations for helmet brands / models for someone interested in just an occasional track day? I will probably only do ~2-5 days per year.

3. Does anyone have an educated guess of how many hours of track use they would estimate the PCCBs to last (rotors and pads separately)? I know the forum is full of commentary that the steels are a better economical choice for long-term track use and the PCCBs are fine for occasional use, but I haven't heard any hard data on whether we are talking 5, 10, 15 days of estimated track use. I know someone said their steel rotors were shot after 5 track days, but track days' duration can be way different in terms of hours or minutes per day. Real-life input welcome.

4. Same question as #3 for the MPSC2 tires - how many approx. hours / days of track time are you seeing them last?

4. Any general pros/cons or overall satisfaction levels with the 18-way seats in terms of aesthetics & performance? I've seen a few posts on this, but for the guys who are die hard GT3 fans, do you plan to just keep these seats in or replace w/ the racing buckets when then come. I will not be a hard-core track junkie - just the occasional track guy. Also, FWIW, I am a 2008 Audi RS4 owner and it still irks me that we didn't get the Euro seats that are drop-dead gorgeous on the U.S. spec cars. Don't get me started.

5. I know there are a couple of us here in the Atlanta area (sgroer, Lodi, and 1-2 others), but if there are others in GA who will want to participate in the occasional track day or some spirited weekend touring, PM me and I will try to get a list and maybe a Facebook page together so we can stay in touch.

Thanks!

kencollinsjr

oh, and one more: #6: where's the best place to order the clear side marker lenses? Suncoast?

kencollinsjr

Ignore question 6 - found on Suncoast.

Haku

PM sent Ken.
Btw, get your dealer to throw in the clear markers... mine does that anyway.

911dev

I have heard you can toast the rear PCCB rotors in very quick fashion when driving with the nannies on; PCCBs or irons for that matter. PCCBs are just so damn expensive too replace. If tracking much at all consider replacing them with irons for rack duty.

orthojoe

1) Don't shoot the messenger, but I have heard that decision has been made to NOT offer the new 918 style buckets for purchase aftermarket. I don't know any more details than that. It might have something to do with seat backs not being able to fold forward and not wanting people to install these in regular 911s with rear seats. This means the only way to get them is to swap with someone who had them optioned from the factory. Hopefully the info is wrong, but people should know about this distinct possibility.

2) HJC makes good helmets at a good price. The HJC-AR10 is a very popular starter helmet

3) This is very difficult to answer. It depends on a) how good of a driver you are and b) the layout of the track you are driving on. Some tracks are very brake intensive, some drivers are very light on the brakes. If you are a good driver on a track that is brake intensive, I would GUESS that they will last about 15 track days. If you are just a casual track day driver, then they very well may last the entire time you have the car.

4) see 3. Driver and track dependent. It seems people are getting 5 days or less out of their mpsc2?

Mike in CA

1. Good question. I'm waiting on this too; I doubt anyone really knows yet.

2. Lot's of choices. I have a lightweight closed face Bell M3 which I got because it was a) suitable for an open wheel racing course I was taking, b) was comfortable on my head, c) was reasonably priced and d) accommodated my eyeglasses. Recommendations aside, you really need to try helmet brands for fit.

3. The new Gen III PCCB's are supposed to be much more durable than the previous Gen II's with a higher ceramic content. Again, at this point I doubt anyone outside of Porsche knows how long they will last on track.

4. They are showing less wear after 2 autocrosses than my previous MPSC's but others can give much better input on this.

5. Seats. The 18 way seats have proved much better than I thought for autox and very nice on the road. I've had buckets and a harness in my last two autox cars and thought this would be a problem but I don't find myself having to brace myself like I expected. For serious tracking, though, you need a harness and that means buckets. I think the buckets really fit the car and despite giving up some on road utility, I may get them depending on #1 above. But I can live with the 18 ways if that's how it turns out.

montoya

I can answer one: Bell M1 is a nice trackday helmet with everything you need at a reasonable price, from a reputable manufacturer and has pre-drilled holes for HANS mount. You can pay more for lower quality, but not less for higher quality- in my most humble opinion of course.

kencollinsjr

Thanks for the input, guys. I think my conclusion on brakes is that I will probably leave the ceramic rotors on, but if I get the itch for more intensive use, will probably convert to an iron rotor set for more economical track days.

A pain to switch too often, so will pick my moments

Maybe Porsche can sell me a leather carrying case for my ceramic rotors w/ an embossed case...

montoya

Here's the model I was referring to: https://www.bellracing.com/helmets/sport-series/sport

Not sure if the names have changed, I could swear my old helmet was an M1, but that seems to be a different motorcycle helmet now.

kencollinsjr

Thanks for the input on helmets. What are your thoughts on open face vs. full face protection?

24Chromium

If you've got PCCB rotors, the pads wear quite quickly as compared to the pads for cast iron rotors. Again, take this with a grain of salt, as a beginner may never need to change pads, while I needed new pads for my 997.2 RS after 2 or 3 track days. Granted, I'm pretty hard on brakes and I'm not a putz as far as speed.

For a beginner, the only "mod" I suggest is to replace the fluid with a high quality race fluid. That's it. Then get a coach and learn how to really drive.

reidry

I have had both, I ran an open face helmet when I ran exclusively autoX. When I moved up to track days I bought the AR-10II mentioned above which is a full face helmet.

I run a dedicated track car without airbags and with a cage so I wanted full head protection. I also run 6 pt harnesses and a head and neck restraint.

If you wear glasses you may prefer an open face or a closed face with an extra large eyeport.

You want a Snell SA helmet, which means special application. These helmets are designed for the multiple impacts typically experienced in an auto crash.

Ryan

Mike in CA

IMVHO, your sentence above answers the question; full face protection. The only reason to wear an open face helmet is for comfort.

montoya

No reason for anything but saftey- +1