996ers.


I am plotting my upgrades to my car for the next year. I am making small upgrades now, but will invest more heavily in the next 4-5 months which will include an IMS retrofit, but have a couple of questions.


Is the IPD Plenum worth the money? According to Suncoast they claim it adds at least 11-12hp and could add much more. It seems to be the biggest bang for the buck as compared to some other adds like headers (+5hp). Coming here for the truth. Opinions welcome.


Secondly, looking to upgrade my wheels. I'll keep the originals for when I sell, but want a more dramatic (but not trashy) look. Are there Porsche wheel manufacturers that are most recommended? I am asking because I upgraded my Audi to Hartmanns last yr and they are perfect. However, Hartmann has a very limited assortment and am looking for good alternatives for my 996. thanks!

 

Cat-Bypass or cell200 cats offer the most bang for buck assuming you're not in Cali.

You will lose some low end on cat-bypass if you get X-pipe design. If going cat-bypass, I recommend traditional cross-over design instead.

Only go for lighter than stock wheels else it's going to be counterproductive to your go-fast upgrades.

Forgestars, Wheel Dynamics, Victor Insbruck, OZ's, OEM Carrera II wheels are your budget friendly options. If no budget, then BBS, Champion, HRE, CCW would fit the bill.

 

Start with suspension, not power. The 996 does not lack for horsepower, and probably already has more than you need if in good condition.

Plenty of great options available. I did Eibach springs and Koni yellows. Car handles much better, and the 1.5" drop looks great. Also pushed the wheels put a bit with spacers - 10" front and 15" rear.

 

I saw some nice black powder coated wheels around here the other day for $1,100, with nice tires on them.

Can't find it now...

 

How long have you had the car, OP? Generally, upgrades are done to correct shortcomings; if you haven't had the car long enough to determine what you don't like, you may just be throwing money at the wall to see what sticks.

Very, very few "power adders" add much power to your car - but at least you'll have the knowledge that you'll be helping put someone else's kids through college.

 

Hmmmm...I never considered not adding more power. I have owned it for a few weeks. However, I can buy the argument that I haven't owned it long enough to address legit shortcomings. I'm just looking at the list of options now, but wouldn't look to do anything until I understood the vehicle better.

I don't want to bastardize the car. I bought it because I've always admired its naturally aspirated beauty and finesse. I've prided myself in making cars "more themselves" and am careful in choosing upgrades. I'm perplexed on how/if I can make the 996 "more", but I don't want to lose the car's natural identity in the process.

I want to swap out the air filter with a K&N but on my way to,pick one the clerk told me that based on the info he had it indicated that the part takes 24 hrs to install. Is that correct?!?!

 

I suggest you Search for and read a Section called "What we learned on the Track" .
The K&N is a "Ricer" item that gets little support here. Oil filtration upgrade may be a more productive line of research.

 

+1 on all of the suggestions so far. And don't worry, it took me awhile to get over the HP mindset as well. What do you plan on doing with it? Strictly street driving, AutoX, DE? This is one of the biggest factors in choosing an upgrade path.

And if you are getting the IMS done, be sure to have them change the AOS while they are in the area.

 

Wheels... Wheel Dynamics...I'm very happy with the wheels I purchased from them. Compared to my stock wheels these are light weight.

 

you wont get any difference unless you do everything at the same time and be done with it. Do complete free flow exhaust, air intake like K&N, (IPD if you have the extra money), and Good ecu software like revo or evomsit. then youll feel the difference

 

How much did they weigh and how much did your OE wheels weigh? Which OE wheels did you have?

 

24 hours? I bought (and later sold, since it was useless) the K&N "cold air" box - it takes about an hour and some hand tools. 24 hours? WTF?

If it's just the K&N filter element for the stock airbox, you're looking at a solid 15 minutes.

 

Sorry bud, but just for the fact that the first mod you want to jump on is the K&N filter and the fact that you don't even know how to install an air filter really tells me that you need to cool down first and not spend one dime of your money on anything until you read more up on things and gain some additional knowledge.

Take that finger off the trigger.

The best mod you can do now is to read/research to death before spending one dime.

Actually, the best mod you can do is to spend it on driving education for Porsche's specifically to get to know how to control your car better.

 

^ IN addition to this, find another speed store, as the guy behind the counter at the one you visited clearly knows jack s*** or was intentionally jerking you around. Neither of these are good.

A K&N filter will definitely save you money...if you plan to keep your 996 for at least a decade. Otherwise, buy a new paper filter element and save the money. Keep in mind that if you fat-finger things when you oil your K&N, you will destroy your MAF and spend another $200-300.

 

I don't know the comparative weights. I had 2002 C2 stock 18" wheels. Wheel Dynamic weights are on their website. I work on my own car so I had removed the stock wheels multiple times and they seemed heavier. When I got the new wheels they were noticeably lighter. My main concern was not the weight, I like how they look.

RS-808 (Rotary Spin FORGED) $1599/set
18x8 (off-set 45) 18-lbs.
18x10 (off-set 50) 19-lbs.
Options: Hyper Silver or Satin Black