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1/16/22 – One Last One Before She Goes….to Sharkwerks – 39,741
Happy New Year all. Well, since I last wrote, we had the worst rains I’ve ever seen in the Bay Area and a Covid scare that had us isolating. As such, only a few quick drives here and there. The most significant change was the auction and sale of my first “forever car” on BaT.
My Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX was one of the most fun cars I’ve ever owned . For their selling price, they have no business being as fun to drive as they are. Add to that, that with a few minor modifications to intake, exhaust and ECU, they make a TON more reliable power. I bought this one three years ago thinking I would keep it forever. The thing is, sometimes what we want changes over time and we have to be honest with ourselves what’s important. What does this have to do with a GT2, you may ask? Well, when I was finally able to find one that checked my boxes (had miles, wasn’t perfect and was priced accordingly), it completely changed what I thought I wanted to drive forever. It didn’t take more than a couple of weeks for me to become completely smitten with the GT2. The EVO just sat. With car pricing what it is and given I had such a good example, I decided to auction it and overall, it did well. It’s now in loving hands and will be someone else’s forever. That’s how it should be.
Tomorrow, after what seems like an eternity…6 months to be exact…my car goes to Sharkwerks for a long to do list:
- Pin coolant pipes
- Replace all rubber hoses in the engine bay
- Replace water pump, coolant expansion tank, thermostat, cam position sensors, plugs, belts
- Rebuild diff with Guard internals
- GT2 RS LWFW and pressure plate; upgraded clutch disc (to handle moar powa!)
- RSS engine mounts
- RSS Toe Steer and Rear Link kit
This represents making the car safe for track; tweaking a few things to sharpen it’s character. It represents making the car ready for another 10 years and hopefully over the 100,000 mile mark. I can’t wait for all this to get done so I can get her out on the track for the first time. My most thrilling experiences on track in ANY car are still in the two 997 GT2’s I had the pleasure of driving at Thunderhill. The countdown begins.
When I got back from my bike ride today, I wanted to get out for one last drive before it got dark. I’ve been off the bike a lot in the past few weeks and this was a hard ride for me. In the shots below by the Nicasio Resevior, I jumped out quickly to get the shots before sunset only to have my right hamstring cramp horrendously. I was bouncing on one leg trying to get the shot while trying to manage the pain. I laugh at myself as I think about it but I think the shot was worth it.
Didn't have an excuse to post this before but I love this shot. My current computer background ...love this one too.
Nice pictures and great journal. I've still got my GD bodied STI and you're right the Japanese sports cars from that era are something special. I don't know if I'll ever let mine go...
Chris - continue to enjoy this thread more and more with each post. Keep them coming. Just saw your car on the Sharkwerks IG. Just curious, does Alex recommend pinning the camshafts as well (to prevent them from spinning) or is that something he doesn't think is necessary on stock power levels?
@Bxstr He did not...asked again too. He said he's never seen it on any GT2's or GT2 RS's including on their shop car which is running serious power.
If there’s a person to trust regarding Mezgers, it’d be Alex. He’s truly seen everything I'm sure, so I’d trust him without hesitation. He helped me out last year with a question I had on my car, great guy.
If there’s a person to trust regarding Mezgers, it’d be Alex. He’s truly seen everything I'm sure, so I’d trust him without hesitation. He helped me out last year with a question I had on my car, great guy.
Agree. My first experience with him was on my GT3. I brought it to him to do the lines and asked him to do anything else while it was out. He went through the car and said...didn't need much and sent me on my way. If there's one thing I hate it's upselling. I'm happy to pay for things that are needed but not things for the sake of margin. Another major shop had an opening within a couple of weeks. I waited 6 months for Sharkwerks. Trust means a lot to me.
1/23/22 – The Consolation Prize – 39,741 (no change)
Back in 2017, I got pretty seriously into to cycling. My weekends went from days at the track to days on the bike. I owned a 991.1 RS back then and had tracked it as well as most other cars I’d owned pretty regularly. Realizing my new priorities, I sold the RS and started looking for a better street focused car. It had to be a 911. I drove a lot cars trying to find that sweet spot of performance and useability. My first choice was a 991.2 GT3 but they were pretty new and still trading over sticker. My second choice was the 991.2 GTS.
My first experience in a 991 GTS was the gen one car at a Porsche Roadshow at Sonoma Raceway around 2016. Back then, I was driving a 997.2 GT3 but was struck by just how good the GTS was at the dual personality role. Cut back to 2018 and a test drive in a well spec’d 991.2 and it sealed the deal. From that day to now, I’ve put around 20K miles on the GTS and in general, I’m very happy with it. The only place where it somewhat disappointed me was on track. I did one track day at Sonoma Raceway and between the street sized brakes and street rubber, it was rather disappointing. I put into context that this was after all, a street focused car and not a GT car. I think given real brakes and a set of Sport Cup 2’s though, this car would be pretty devastatingly fast..and a lot closer to a GT2. One of the reviews I’d read on the 2nd gen GTS’s called it the “GT2 lite”. I though that was a funny but fitting description of the car and was able to get that as my license plate. A GT2 was still aspirational back then.
I felt like a drive this morning and with the GT2 in for service, the GTS was put into duty. I went on my usual loop and the thing that struck me is how wildly different this car and the GT2 are despite sharing many common traits. They are both turbo charged, RWD 911’s but that’s really where the similarities end. In the 10 years between them, the 911 became much more refined; some say maybe too refined. Porsche added accessibility with the PDK – arguably the best automatic gear box; full stop. Rear wheel steering was added to give sharper steering and turn in. The suspension took a quantum leap and tamed the hobby horse and bobbing nose and gave the 911 much more stable platform. All those changes make the 991 GTS feel more Cayman than 997. Switching between them, it truly is staggering how different they feel from behind the wheel. Add to that the GT tuning of bigger brakes, stiffer suspension, less sound deadening and a MUCH more powerful engine and you start to get the idea. Where the GT2 has a little lag before hitting you in the face with torque, the GTS, comes on immediately and in a more linear fashion. Where the GT2 forces you to manage grip, the GTS says “I got this!” and claws the pavement with much more surety. A friend of mine said it best when describing differences between cars: with many modern cars, all they require is steering. Analog cars require you to manage weight transfer AND grip and that you DRIVE them. That’s very much the difference between these two.
The GTS may very well be faster on my morning loop.It gives much greater confidence going fast.I’m confident on track though that the GT2 would decimate it and that is the way it should be…even with 10 years difference.So this morning, I steered the loop and longed for going a little slower but yet getting significantly more thrilled by the driving experience.I think that really is part of what makes the 997 GT cars so special.They really want you involved in the process rather than handing you speed on a silver platter. I can’t wait for the GT2 to come home.
Great story, I almost went for a 991 GTS rwd, manual before the GT3.
I sat in the thing and turned it on, the amount of eletrickery put me off instantly, didn't even turn a wheel in it, no point, I already knew what was coming.
The 997 era of GT cars is the sweet spot for me, analogue and engagement is where its at...
Thursday I got the call from Sharkwerks that the car was ready for pickup. Three weeks gone almost to the day and I was really excited to get her back. The car is a bit like a drug with it's torque, pull, looks and presence constantly drawing you to get behind the wheel, drive and push a little harder. I arranged to get down there as soon as I could.
Friday mid day I showed up at Sharkwerks and was greeted by James. I asked him if there were any surprises or issues to address. He said none. All went according to plan. A few of the coolant lines were starting to weep and the water pump was also leaking a bit too. Glad that I got all of that taken care of. We chatted a bit longer then I got in the car and back on the road. I had an idea what to expect from all the mods but I always worry that something I do will ruin what I love about the car. I really trusted Alex on his suggestions and hoped they would only improve the car. It didn't take more than a few hundred yards to notice the changes.
Blip of the throttle…definitely a LWFW in there. Much quicker response noted.
Roll down the street to the first light. Immediately noted the increase in feel through the steering wheel. The removal of some rubber in the toe links and the replacement of the tired motor mounts gave more resolution of feedback through the wheel and through the seat of the pants even. Steering was a bit sharper and more precise. None of these changes I would characterize as remotely harsh. I jumped on the freeway and headed for home.
By the time I got close to home, I could tell Friday traffic was already rearing it's ugly head. Not much in the way of time to chuck her around into a few turns. Dammit.
I spent some more time driving errands over the weekend but still nothing to really test the changes. I was not until tonight that I had some free time to do a quick loop without traffic in the way. I popped over Whites Hill in Fairfax and back through Nicasio and Lucas Valley Road. I know these roads like the back of my hand. Things were a little slick so I kept the speed “reasonable”.
I’ve put almost 7,000 miles on this car since July and as jaded as I am, the power still wow’s me. I charged into the first few turns, trailed the nose and the front end grabbed. Pushed lightly into the apex and gently added throttle on exit. She was happy to go where I pointed the wheel. No drama so long as I showed respect. Given conditions, it was hard to really get a sense of the rebuilt diff as I never had enough road to WOT on exit and unwind. It’s going to take a track day to really test that out. That’ll be soon enough.
After about 30 more turns, I crested the hill and back towards home. Big smiles. Glancing at the odometer, I knew I was close and sure enough I was. Once the road flattened out, I saw it: 40,000 miles on the odometer. I stopped the car, took two shots and got on the road again I don’t know if any of you share this feeling but I’m putting it out there. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be able to own a car like this. Some days, I still feel like it’s not real. I know how hard I worked to get here but sometimes it’s still surreal. For now, I remain grateful and will continue to enjoy this experience for as long as I can. It’s truly a privilege.
Chris,
Really enjoying this thread. I just got my first Porsche a few months back which is a 997.1 C4S and the recently was presented the opportunity to trade up to a 997.1 GT3. I get that car next week and I’m up late every night thinking about what roads in western PA, West Virginia or update NY to drive on. We recently left California to move to Pittsburgh to be closer to family for our young kids. That being said, I also started following the GT2 market and I’m hoping I can find a driver similar to yours and pick it up. I’ll enjoy reading this thread till that day happens. Keep on keeping on and thanks for sharing.
01-17-2022, 12:34 AM
