rsabeebe

not a local option for me really, but you can clearly see that a flash upgrade will optimize the ecu, based on your chosen mods. i will make contact with them and see if a generic flash for the pieces i have is available or whether taking in specific choices made comes into play. why spend $1800 on sport cats, $1000-2000 on mufflers, $500-600 on an intake and $800-1500 on headers and then NOT spend $995 to maximize the results?

http://www.softronictuning.com/catal...duct_info.html

rsabeebe

I am now speaking with Josh @ Vivid Racing about their Softronics software and it seems to show great potential. I'm discussing a post-software dyno run, with my given set of mods, to show real world, non-biased numbers and exact hp/torque curves. i believe seeing this from an ordinary list member would go a long way towards validating their claims. Will keep you all updated.

russo

Doing mods on a NA 997 is simply a waste of money. The only mod, if a car does not have an exhaust bypass from the factory, is the exhaust. Any other mod is simply throwing money away since any claimed hp gains are not noticeable, even under track conditions. If you really want to mod the car spend you money on cosmetic changes, at least the car will look faster.

TJ Elliott

russo,

Please share your personal experience with the mods you've installed and the data you have collected. That's what this thread is about. General sweeping statements such as yours without details add no value.

USMC_DS1

rsabeebe, make sure you use an AWD dyno. A 2WD dyno will cause CEL errors and limit the potential performance of the car. If the wheel speeds (between the front and the rear wheels) are different, the ABS system will send a signal to the DME indicating an unstable driving condition or worse yet a system failure. The DME will cut power back and sets the vehicle in the "limp mode"/emergency mode. I had to reset my car with a Durametric tool after my pulls on a 2WD dyno here in Austin. Still got good HP# in spite of these issues but I hope to see better HP#'s on an AWD dyno someday. BTW, if you find a good AWD dyno shop in Dallas please LMK... I'd be willing to drive up there for a good run.

rsabeebe

i have to agree with tj, generalized statements like that never carry much weight, plus everyone is always looking for varying results when spending money on their mods. considering your post count, i have to believe you have had sufficient exposure to porsches - tell us some of your experiences. for some of us, we can't help it anyway, but it's nice to know that you're not just tossing money away. again, improvements can be cosmetic, aural and/or performance. most are looking for all of the above. to say that headers (on an S), 200 cell cats and mufflers will not help flow and performance on a 997 seems unsubstantiated. those mods will improve the performance, to some degree, on almost any car produced. a ecu upgrade, to compensate for the improved flow, would make sense also (certainly to me). are we talking a 60bhp gain, no. not that i'm a full believer yet, but vivid racing is claiming 411bhp with my mods and a softronic tune. if that happened to be the end result, a 56bhp improvement would be incredible in my book and well worth the money i have spent. would you feel that amount of hp improvement, absolutely, and it would also translate to the track. if you have seen other results, we would all love to hear them.

thanks for the heads up, usmc. i will be sure to locate a 4WD dyno. i will also let you know how things go in locating one in this area.

Chris from Cali

The thing is, and I think this is where Russo is coming from, you can't just add up 20hp + 15hp + whatever hp and have a total. It doesn't work that way. For example, you might see 4 parts with 10hp gains each, but when they're put together the net result might only be 36hp more instead of 40. I don't think anyone is saying results are false, it's just not as easy adding numbers from a manufacturer's site.

rsabeebe

I guess it was in my 6speedonline thread that this was discussed - believe me, i agree with you 100% here. I have done enough modifications in the past, on various makes, to know that each mods 'eats' into every other one you have and the end result is not the sum of the purported numbers. my original thought was that a 997S, with well designed headers, 200 cells, sport mufflers and a solidly designed intake might be good for an adjusted-for 385-395bhp. Josh at Vivid Racing is claiming, with my mods and a Softronic ecu tune, I could see 411hp (at a 15.5% loss rate). Those numbers are well beyond what I would have thought, but I'll certainly take them if they are legit. Russo's point was that any mods are a waste of money on a NA 997. If you could see 345-355rwhp, would you consider that a waste from an exhaust, an intake and a tune? Personally, I wouldn't. I'm just on the side of the fence that is saying; if you're going to add all these components, and many of us are anyway, why not slap an ecu tune on top to maximize the results. It's really not even a question of the mods - we're all doing those from a sound and pleasure standpoint anyway. When I finally finish with the car, I will gladly post the results to either confirm or deny whether (performance oriented) mods are a "waste" on a 997. I have everything but the tune already, why not throw it on a dyno and quantify everything. I'm not waving anybody's flag here - just an interested gearhead like the rest of you. If we weren't interested in performance, we'd all be driving Camrys.

Chris from Cali

I don't think mods are a waste if that's what you want to do, but the only way to verify any gains are before/after runs on the same dyno. Everything else is just hot air....

mdrums

Mods are fun I admit just as long as one goes into spending this type of money fully understanding that any bolt on engine mods that they will not really feel a world of difference in power. Only way to really gain any power is some sort of forced induction. Other than that just bolting on a free flowing exhaust, ECU flash, Plenum, Intake junk with out altering the cams, valves in size and porting you will spend a lot of money for little gain.
Money is much better spent in driver mods, like DE instruction and suspension mods like coil overs, LCA's, mono *****, dog bones and aero mods and bolting on GT3 sizes brakes.

colombiano

Being new to Porsche world, I can see where rsab.. is going with it and I also understand what you folks mean about turbo; But if he is enjoying modding then why not. It's all on personal preference IMO. Curious to see your dyno once tune all done. Cheers and happy modding.

Chris from Cali

It's all about managing expectations. Personally, my mods are for my visual/aural pleasure. If I wanted a faster Porsche, I'd get a Turbo. I have more fun driving my Carrera S at 7/10ths where I would be driving a Turbo at 4/10ths because it's so damn fast....

USMC_DS1

+1... Mod away if that's what you like to do. It is a personal endeavor that some enjoy as part of their car ownership. Some prefer to DIY vs. trusting the stealership with our cars even if we can afford their ridiculous prices. Others prefer to have a p-dealer do all the maintenance and service. Well, to each his own I say... it's all good. The thing that bugs me a bit is that I've seen once too often those who denounce the efforts of another member on the forum with nothing more than an opinion to back their statements... if you consider your own opinion that highly then please share the facts with us. For example, if you modified your car and it did not work out for you then please share with us what you did, what the results were, etc... so that the rest of the forum may benefit from your experience. You know... post something constructive.

I for one enjoy and like to see what others have done to their p-cars - the good, the bad, and the ugly. So mod away my fellow RennListers... enthusiast have been modifying their cars since before the model T. Just post what you did so that we can all benefit.