Yup, Mr. D Gurney's shop "improved" and campaigned the AAR 'Cudas.

 

When you put the piston back in, remember to use a small amount of brake fluid to wet the piston and the o-ring, will really help.

Had I just read the list of toys I would have seen that it is a challenger - another good example of RTFM...

Ray

 

So, the "refreshstoration" continues as my weekends are remarkably devoid of church, kids' sports, eating out, or anything else! While the transmission is still away in surgery, and while I wait for my caliper decals to arrive so I can finish the caliper rebuild/repaint, I decided to do a little more cleaning. The undercarriage bracing and rear anti-roll bar were absolute horror shows. They were all completely black, grimy, and disgusting. Couldn't put pieces back on my baby like that so I spent a few hours cleaning everything up. Very satisfy, albeit time-intensive. Re-sprayed the black bits with semi-gloss high temp bbq paint too, just to freshen them up. Finally, I also refinished my crusty shift bezel ring (that you can't buy separately...also had to repair all the broken tabs that hold the ring/bezel to the retaining ring), and installed my new shift boot I had a shop make for me (with red stitching!) using my old nasty, ripped-up one as a template. Probably the best 50 bucks I've spent on the car yet (the shifter is not seated on the console yet because I'll need to use the alignment tool once I re-install the gearbox and cables). Coming along! Just ordered the missing upper brake ducts, and newly rebuilt shocks (with slightly heavier springs) should be here next week. Also installed newly-refinished a pillar leather trim pieces that were all scratched up. Can't believe the interior transformation so far.

 

Looks good!

Ray

 

Awesome Scotty! What a difference effort makes, aye? Inspiring👍 My plan if my other plans fall through 😀 Rock on man

 

I still can’t think this car could have fallen into better hands than Scott’s.

 

I didn't read the whole thread, but wanted to add a couple of comments. Sounds like the previous builder may have been Gbox. I know he closed his shop location a year or two back, but heard he was doing boxes out of his home garage still. If he's really gone this time, that's great news for the community as he was the Motormeister of gearboxes. He was a notorious parts trader, putting used parts in and billing for new, or as seen in this box brass synchros when steel are called for, etc.

I am a big proponent of the 996TT mainshaft 1-2 that CMS suggested. The difference between the 2.056 turbo 2nd and the 2.15 2nd found in the .US 996.2 GT3 is neglible. However, the argument for the 996TT version is that it is the only GT gearbox 2nd gear that Porsche sells as an idler replacement. This is HUGE if someone tracks the car. It's one of the two most common wear/failure points. The dog teeth get all bashed up. Yes, CMS will weld on a new replacement, but they also will not warranty it for track use. While I've never seen a CMS repaired one fail, the ones Gbox used to do failed catastrophically.

I prefer new when available, and since you can buy one for the turbo, that's the recommended option for track junkies.

The 997 GT3 mainshaft is also a great option if the car is only going to be tracked moderately. It has a 2.26 2nd, which lends itself to building a short stack using alternative ratios for 3-4-5.

The other thing I would add is that any proper rebuild on these boxes, if they are tracked, involved magnufluxing 3rd gear for cracks, as well as the LSD bell housing. These are the two other failure points to watch out for. This becomes doubly true if one shortens up 3rd gear substantially. Anything shorter than 1.684 I consider a 50 hour gear. While DE use is nowhere near as abusive as racing, and that is a racing lifespan, it's the kind of thing where after a couple seasons of track days, I strongly advise opening things up and checking that gear. It's also a good habit to have the ring and pinion backlash checked on the same sort of interval. People used to talk a lot of trash about the 4.00 Cup CWP sets saying they don't last more than 50 hours. When racers started checking them every 25 hours and adjusting or replacing the bearings on them, they started getting 100 hours out of them. We once raced the same gearbox at Daytona 2 years in a row with nothing more than new synchros between years.

As many of you know, I'm not in the business of retail sales and don't run a service shop. CMS is my 2nd largest dealer of my parts and their attention to detail and expertise is top quality. I strongly recommend them for your gearbox service needs.

Regards,

Matt Monson
Guard Transmission llc

 

When I did my box, Matt suggested the 996TT mainshaft 1-2. I am completely pleased with the outcome!

 

You will definitely not lose money. I’m newer to the Phoenix area. Can u plz forward the shop's that are doing your interior restoration. I have some faded pieces that need to be done. I would really appreciate it and it’s seems like your not the kind of guy who would use poor quality shops.
thx

 

Welcome to the club!

 

Thanks for the nice welcome !
Scott I’ve flipped my share of high end sports cars. IMHO u aren’t crazy but you are car crazy. That’s a good thing if you know how to buy them right and not afraid like most of us to pull the trigger on a damaged Porsche and put the time and money to make it right. No risk No reward.
Sorry to keep asking but I too am in the need for a good body shop that is Porsche quality or better and need to refresh my interior and any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Being in the Phoenix area I will buy you lunch as a appreciation for your referrals. I used a guy I meet at Barrett Jackson but it came out average at best.
Great write up
Thx Again

 

welcome! I used an interior upholstery shop in Mesa called Autospa. https://www.autospaofarizona.com/. They did a great job repairing the leather a pillars that were all scuffed and making a new shift boot. For paint work I used Campus Auto Salon in Tempe. Not cheap but not crazy pricey either, and VERY good work. Got a lot more cleaning done the last couple of days. About 1.5 hours spent at each wheel well! Also refinished all the wheel bolts. To clarify, not going to flip this sucker. Plan is to follow Marv’s lead and keep it for a Loooooong time! Can’t wait to get it on the track.

 

Thanks Scott
Really Appreciate the referrals. We do have some things done in common.
im a clean freak as well, I put my car on stands 2 a year and do a complete undercarriage deep cleaning.
It’s very satisfying but not as much as my 3 stage wax/buffing each year and my monthly clay bar/hand wax(This is my therapy). Bugs and debris just seem to fly off my paint and not stick too it with all the layers of wax.
Thanks again
I owe u lunch

 

You don’t owe me lunch lol. This morning I pulled the bumper to clean the rads. After owning 7 996 and 997 generation cars I’ve learned that this is a must do maintenance every two years or so. Unfortunately, you can’t suck out all the crap that gets lodged between the two radiators without pulling the bumper. Take a look at how much crud had accumulated between them. No doubt having 1/4 of the rad surface area obstructed is not ideal for keeping coolant temps low!

 

This post keeps getting better.
I had 1 replaced last year and every time I wash my car, after vacuum inside out, I use a long flat extension to vacuum all 3.
I’ve never cleaned the middle out before. Do u think that Porsche cleaned out the other 2 when replaced the faulty one? (Probably not)
I’m not the most inclined mechanically, is this a dyi job? I know how to remove bumper and have extra tabs/screws in case I break one but I don’t want to break rad.
thx
Great Post
Whats next? I have some time right now?
What I’ve detailed recently
1) Removed Calipers- Had Redone
2) Re powder coated rims
3) Removed and replaced inner fender liners ( mine were perfect but up here n North Scottsdale with roads being repaved did a number on them
4) Re powdered coated windshield wipers, piece below the wipers
5) Headlights 3 stage process sanding to spray on 3 layers of clears then wet sand , then polish and finish up with ceramic coating
6) Windshield replaced (nightmare of a time for installer and scratched the top inner dash
7 Per Scott’s referral repaint interior pieces and Front Bumper
Great idea on cleaning Rads hope I’m inclined to do that?
Thx
Glad I joined this community