Mike Roblin

Also, if you add the LSD you will NEED a transmission cooler and when you open up the box you'll probably find a few things in there that need to be refreshed as well. Not to mention you start to think of all the upgrade parts you might want to add while its opened up. Then there's a LWFW, new clutch & pressure plate, and other misc maintenance items that you'll need to do to the engine, it definitely adds up.

I thought about the long term costs and have considered a dedicated track car but I like the speed potential of this car too much. Keeping up with the latest GT cars is fun, especially in a "sleeper"

TrillyPop

I have never owned one, but from what I understand vettes are a pretty bad choice for building a track car. They sure are tempting for the price range, but they have tons of overheating issues.

HDA

you are right Mike, that’s my last thing planned and I do not want to go rwd without an Lsd and do not want to mess with the trans until it’s time to do the clutch. I know that the while you are in there approach when the trans is open is going to be pricey...

HDA

I am more and more thinking about trimming the list

- Ohlins
- GT3 LCA
- short shift
- tune
- pin / weld lines
- 997 coils/plugs
- gt2 Rs intercooler
- aftermarket sway bars

not even sure about LCAs as I dont plan to go too crazy.

i have already bought the ICs though. I think it’s a mod that improves engine health, especially here in Texas

pancing

From what i know from all the guys that run them here is they keep the engine stock power and add extra cooling everywhere.

2fcknfst

If you are going to remove the engine to pin the lines, I would also take that opportunity to do the clutch and remove/update the clutch slave cylinder.

When I got my 996, I was aware of a few issues that had not been maintained over the years as the previous owner had simply driven it back and forth to his office every work day, for 15 years. By the time i had done all the maintenance 'items', including some of the things on your list, I am on the wrong side of $40k CDN, and I'm not done yet.

My next major project is to do the transmission, not just the 2nd gear detent, full GT2RS 1- 4, steel syncros etc. Preliminary budget for this to be done is somewhere around $27k USD+ ($35k CDN), bringing total investment into a street car north of $75k CDN.

Now I am doing this because I see the 996 as a 'forever' car and I am totally in love with it, and would never track it. Consider for a second the numbers - $75k into a car that will not see track duty; imagine the costs associated with building a track car, or look at what John (PowdrHound) has done with his - I suspect he is very deep into that car.

Capt. Obvious

It's your money, do what you want, BUT... that seems like a silly way to spend a lot of money for no reason for a low-mile car that will never see a track. Why not just put in an LSD and then drive it until it actually needs transmission work?

Dock

I think it can be a "forever" car without doing those things.

2fcknfst

I'm a perfectionist when it comes to my motors. I believe that all outstanding reliability issues, either formal, or those I have researched online must be addressed.

So imagine how the list grew - one of the original wheels were warped, new wheels bought, oh, perhaps I should get some titanium hardware for them too...

There was a squeak somewhere in the rear suspension; new sways, bushings and endlinks...

Hoses are 15 years old, right rad is weeping a little, all new hoses, rads etc.

Engine is out? Well, time for a new water pump, belts, pinning, voltage regulator, injectors, thermostat, etc., etc., etc....

None of the monies I have spent have been spent with the intent of building a track car, rather, it is the idea of knowing exactly what was done, and when. They guy I bought the car from, my boss/friend/mentor, literally just drove it - he never did anything else but the basic oil change once a year and tires over the 70k kms he had it. So, once I started looking at it closer, all these little things started adding - for example, once they had the gearbox out, and after going through one clutch slave cylinder failure, it seemed prudent to employ a more reliable fix. Then, it turned out (because he loved to drive around the city in 6th gear @ 30mph, completely disregarding the owners manual guide on shifting gears...) there was a little more damage inside the gear box than I thought, so new parts there.

My point is two fold; 1) I don't have children, and 2) I hate flying and anything to do with airplanes, so I will in fact DRIVE this thing. In a spirited manner, over long distances primarily for work. You may have noticed in some of my previous posts I have, on occasion, had some fairly spectacular failures. With this in mind, and considering how I use my cars, I have to maintain them at top level if they are going to be considered 'reliable', by my standards of course.

And as these things go, these are not the cheapest vehicles to maintain. It most certainly wasn't what I was expecting, but once committed, I just kept going.

The gearbox thing could be considered excessive; I have used the Gbox 2nd gear detent, however, it gnaws away in the back of my mind as something that could pop out of the woodwork at the worst possible time, so I save my nickles in a bag in order to have the best fix possible - and some new gears, which are sexy...

I suspect the reason folks come up to me, somewhat regularly, and want to buy whatever I may be driving that day, is because my OCD in how I take care of them. I find the whole experience of cars very calming and peaceful. Wouldn't change it for the world.

My house is paid for, I have no debt, my other half has a good job as is relatively self-sufficient, so what the hell - I might as well enjoy it while I can!

2fcknfst

I have two other 'forever' cars that have had considerably more resources thrown at them than this one. Most of the work, as noted above, is work that was never done - I mean, I love the guy I work for, but you couldn't change the fuel filter ONCE in fifteen years???

I cut it open and it was black and nasty; preventative maintenance is big with me, so I changed the injectors too because God only knows what made it through the filter...

Dock

I was referring to the transmission work. The GT2RS gears certainly aren't required to make the car a "forever" car.

2fcknfst

Absolutely - I just want them.

Capt. Obvious

Fair.

HDA

yeeeeaaaah my budget is $10k lol

TrillyPop

Are you doing the work yourself? Because if not, pinning/welding coolant lines, plugs/coils, coilovers/sways, intercoolers are going to put you at or above $10k at a shop. If you can spend $3-4k to pay a shop to pin your lines, ask them to do the plugs/coils while motor is out, and install everything else yourself, you'll be able to throw in a shifter and tune. Forget the LCA for now. Oh, and you still need tires and maybe wheels, and a good alignment/corner balance. Crap. Just forget about the money and do what feels good! Haha.