sharkster

Christmas came a little early as last month SharkWerks picked up another shop car project. I've actually been hankering for a 996 GT3 for a while. There's something to be said for the rawness of the car and lack of electronic nannies. It's going to make for a very fun project and we've already mapped things out....

Say hello:


As you can see she's got the European RS tail. No it doesn't really save any weight but what the heck eh?


With GT3 seats going in and a welded-in roll bar from Tony/TCDesign we'll be safe and sound. You can't really see much of the roll bar from here but when the interior comes out I'll shoot some better pictures for you. It's honestly far nicer (not to mention more rigid) than the factory Tequipment set up.

The first order of business was to figure out the exhaust. The stock sound is a little drab compared to a 7GT3. Dropping the side mufflers and throwing on a straight pipe doesn't really give you the best sound IMHO even if it saves weight so that was a non-starter for us. We've always liked the sounds we've made on the 7GT3s with our bypass and our track exhaust. The trouble is that the headers, cats and mufflers on the 6GT3 are completely different from the 7GT3 in terms of design, route and fitment.

So off with that bumper:


Here's the factory headers, cats and mufflers (and heat shields).


Let's get a weight check. 14.1 pounds for the cats (X2):


Then there's the headers coming in at 7.34 pounds (X2):


Then in step the side mufflers weighing in at 23.34 pounds (X2):


That's a total of ~ 90 pounds there on the bum of the car.

I think you can see where I'm going with this... The 30hp power increase from the 6GT3 to 7GT3 can be attributed to a few key areas- higher compression as well as some to the better exhaust/header flow/design and tuning. I'm a big fan of the 997GT3 design as is Porsche Motorsports. Check out the 997 GT3 cup cars and you'll see the very same headers etc... and a cup exhaust not too different from ours. The headers and cats are also combined into one unit and flow a shorter distance saving weight too. So here's what we're putting back on the car in place of that 90 pound stock set up.

The 7GT3 header cat weighs in at 11.28 pounds (X2).


So factor the new headers cats (22.56 pounds) in combination with our Track Exhaust (11 pounds) and we now have a little less junk in our 6's trunk. Total weight = 33.56 pounds and a saving of ~56.44

Installing the 997GT3 header/cat combo... Obviously we're dealing with the same motor (and ports etc...) here so fitment to the engine isn't an issue. The hangers for the stock side mufflers do intrude a bit on the placement of the 02 bungs on the 7GT3 header/cat so we will be removing those as well. If I remember correctly each of those brackets (and there's one on each side) is around 2 pounds for those counting.


You can see the interference in the shot below. Since we're not utilizing the side mufflers we won't be needing those brackets/hangers:


On goes ze SharkWerks Track Exhaust:


Obviously we can't put back the original bumper. But to be honest it's really nothing more than a stock 996 C2 bumper with the same oval cut outs on either side so in comes a rear cup bumper with the center cut out. Notice NO MORE bumperettes...


Before sending it out for paint we did a quick test fit. There are a few things that the cup bumpers don't have that need to be cut... For example the 5mph bumper (which we are still going to use) needs to be modified as does a slit made for the license plate light (we made an LED unit).


The end result should sound similar to this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15SD8XYFX2Q

There's a LOT more going on with this car and in the coming weeks... but I figure I'd give you this update for now

CWay27

Didn't you say you were going to leave it stock......

sharkster

That was in 2009:P I bumped my head....

CWay27

Just like amnesia! So if you bump your head again, you'll put it back to stock?

Mr Michael B

Good show. Keep it up.

Optical TDI

If we could only get our regular 996s to sound like this!!!

cfjan

Alex,

Do you have dyno # for before and after the exhaust system?!

Also, any plan to do something that's 1/2 way in between? (instead of the all out "track" system, any "center muffler bypass" equivalent planned?)

996FLT6

May I ask what u plan to do with the stock parts? Give it away for free : ). I'm drooling big time now but it'll be a waterfall when your project is complete : ). Mike

sharkster

That's it I know Poor car. Let's see, trans is out, engine is on "barely" in. Interior is out. No wheels. No brakes... Hmm see where this is going
Thanks Michael... I'm almost glad the weather is so crappy right now... There's going to be some downtime here and I can't wait to get her on the road.
Thanks... Aye that GT3 motor uncorked is something else. You can do things like a LWF that help make the engine rev more freely so that's at least a start
Roger that... It'll be all part/parcel of the build. I don't think that this is necessarily a cost effective way to go as far as the exhaust is. I mean there's the factory 7GT3 headers/cats plus a cup bumper and then our track exhaust.... But we've been chatting and figuring out something else that could likely still use the factory bumper. The in-betweener solution would be a) pretty heavy and b) there's not a lot of room to do much.

Hey David... well I still need them to "play" with, test and run etc... I'll explain more on this later. But yes anything that isn't needed gets donated:P

4porsh

I would like to see an exhaust for the 996 GT3 that takes off weight, sound nice, and most important adds torque and HP with proof. Then create what ever is needed to pass sound at those "special" tracks. Last concern would need to be able to put back on the canisters or what ever is needed for passing smog.
What do think?

Joe

Rotary Rocket

Fantastic work Alex. Subscribed.

jmla

Yes! I knew Alex was going to come-up with some great ideas for the ol' 6. Don't forget my request - for it to be the most powerful NA 6GT3 in the country.

cfjan

Thanks. Looking forward to see what you guys can come up with regarding retaining the stock bumper. I'm sure that would cut the cost down by quite a bit!

Keep up the good work!!

jmla

Alex, couldn't a good body shop modify the stock bumper? I like how the middle section hangs lower than the Cup version.

Stiggy

I don't think that plastic license plate frame will last long so close to the exhaust tip on that second GT3