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Another day of fun out with my 997.1 GT2 as I picked it to be my chariot to 'German Car Day' at our seasonal exotic car show this past weekend. Also some bonus content with a 991.2 GT3 finished in PTS Viper Green that I happen to have at my dealership currently.
My 997.1 GT2 after parking at 'German Car Day' at our local Exotics show this past Saturday
991.2 GT3 finished in PTS Viper Green next to my 997.1 GT2 finished in Basalt Black Metallic
991.2 GT3 finished in PTS Viper Green next to my 997.1 GT2 finished in Basalt Black Metallic
Some very exciting news is that I just picked up a set of PCCBs for my GT2 and it will finally be going back to having its factory correct brakes. I'm quite excited about that!
This thread is supposed to be about both of my GT Porsches, but I haven't been able to get a moderator to update it yet.
Recently my wife and I took the day off and headed to Leavenworth, WA for a day of fun. Her selection for the day trip was my favorite car...our 997.2 GT3 RS. The car was a true delight at all speeds (as always) and gave us plenty of smile about all day!
Showing off my my 7.2 3RS at the parking lot in Leavenworth, WA
Before heading home from Leavenworth, WA
Last edited by Steve Theodore; 06-10-2023 at 02:14 AM.
This past weekend was all about my 997.1 GT2 and the time had finally come to get PCCBs back on the car, which is something I'd been looking forward to for 3+ years. So, my wife and I headed to my favorite aftermarket Porsche shop and they took care of it.
Note the bonus 991 GT2 RS Club Sport content, which was a fun treat to spend a bit of time around that special Porsche.
Arriving at the shop after a rainy morning drive
Not too often I find myself around a 991 GT2 RS Club Sport!
They graciously allowed me to fool around in the Club Sport
Not a bad view if I do say so myself!
The man behind the shop, and a great friend at this point too.
That's awesome. I am doing the same on my scud right now (putting the ceramics back on after years of Girodisc rotor track duty). I'm excited to see if I can tell the reduction in unsprung weight (I could on my former 996 gt3 when I would swap iron rotors on for track days, but that car had much less power torque than a gt2!). If nothing else, I'm looking forward to the reduction in brake dust! Now you can detail the wheel well areas and all the suspension bits and it may stay halfway clean for more than 3 drives!
That's awesome. I am doing the same on my scud right now (putting the ceramics back on after years of Girodisc rotor track duty). I'm excited to see if I can tell the reduction in unsprung weight (I could on my former 996 gt3 when I would swap iron rotors on for track days, but that car had much less power torque than a gt2!). If nothing else, I'm looking forward to the reduction in brake dust! Now you can detail the wheel well areas and all the suspension bits and it may stay halfway clean for more than 3 drives!
On cars as powerful as these my butt dyno isn't always able to tell, but the reduction in rotating/unsprung weight was 10 pounds for the front rotors and 6 pounds for the rear. I believe the Girodisc rotors may be slightly lighter than Porsche OEM too, but I didn't have stock rotors to weigh.
The lack of brake dust and lack of noise (so far) is extremely worthwhile, and as much as I like to modify my cars I do think that GT2s belong on stock PCCBs at this point in their evolution. The PCCBs I bought are in really fantastic shape as they were off a 5k mile 2010 GT3, and are noticeably better condition than those on my own 2010 GT3 RS. When bedding them in I was really pleased in their performance as I'm a pretty gentle braker most of the time so it was fun to see just what this baby can do when you really hit the brakes! Best wishes on your own Scud based brake project too buddy.
So the driving season is winding down in my part of the country and the toys are being put away in time for fall/winter, but that didn't stop me from taking my 997.2 3RS on one last fun outing.
This past weekend my local PCA chapter was fortunate to have Patrick Long (of Porsche Motorsports and Luftgekuhlt fame) come up for a wonderful conversation about his racing career and life beyond motorsports. As a volunteer for the event, I was incredibly lucky to be able to attend a private dinner with the man himself, so got to spend a decent amount of time with him. Pat is an incredibly thoughtful and down-to-earth person, a real joy to be around, and that is to say absolutely nothing about his amazing accomplishments while racing internationally for our favorite manufacturer.
Here are a few pictures from that night of the dinner for your (and my) enjoyment!
Pat Long signing the hood of my 3RS (right alongside Hurley Haywood's signature) An after-dinner photo with Patrick Final fill-up of the season with ethanol-free fuel before she goes into winter storage
Well, I'm definitely excited to share this update. Over the past few months I've been thinking about ways to rekindle my affection for my 997.1 GT2. That is not to say that I've fallen out of love with it, as that won't happen...but I have always held my 997.2 3RS in rarified air that the GT2 couldn't compete with. Given my experiences as a dealer of specialty cars of all makes and models I started to consider carefully about what became alluring to me overall with other cars and thought about ways that I might be able to bring that over to my own personal GT2. The singular thought I came up with was the attribute of color, and more specifically my experience of a 991.2 GT3 that I had sold for a customer of mine last year that was the shade of RS Green (I think it may have just been 'Green'). The impact of that color on me was extraordinary, and I remember it totally transforming how I viewed that car relative to its peers. In theory I had always known that the power of color was an incredible emotional yardstick, but this particular car drove that point home to me in a way that no hypothetical thought would. Thus, it left a massive impression on me and I remembered it long after it was gone from my dealership inventory.
I considered my experience with having vehicles wrapped and of course needed to try to set a budget for this, and called out to a local vinyl wrap professional (Mark Wu of Wu Wraps!) in order to see if he would be available for my project. I had never worked with him, but his reputation is impeccable for both quality and turn-around, so I had no qualms giving him a shot at a project of my making. He invited me to his shop and allowed me to go through hundreds, if not thousands, of color sample cards from various wrap manufacturers. I decided that RS Green was the look I was after and, after narrowing down selection to about 3 color cards, ultimately settled on a 3M color called Gloss Kelly Green. I'm including an image of that product and color in case anyone else feels like using it in the future on their own project.
Mark explained his process to me and evaluated my GT2 in person to see where his challenges may lie. He quickly gravitated to the rear spoiler/decklid and said that he thought that was going to be the most difficult part of his work (which turned out to be true). Vinyl wrap technicians are artists in a way as they have to be able to envision not only ways to accomplish the final product, but to create strategies to deal with complicated shapes and where they will be able to create seams in the material that are not easily visible. Whereas a Tesla Cybertruck might be something you could literally wrap within one day, cars like ours require more skill and vision to get to a great final result. But, fear was allayed quickly and he expressed confidence that he could get it done right.
He budgeted 3-4 days for the work and so I left him my car early last week, knowing it would be an excruciating wait! He was kind to send progress photos on each day and, even with the first one, I knew my choice had been vindicated not only for color but also for his level of care and precision in being the right partner to get this job done. As we got to Friday I was nervous whether or not it would be done as I had a PCA event that I was hoping to reveal the car on the following day. Fortunately, he came through and I was able to come see him finishing up the car that night and was able to marvel in its stunning change. I am extremely pleased to report that I am absolutely satisfied in all my decision making, and it literally feels like having a new car!
The following day (Saturday, March 16) I was able to drive the car over to my friends at MaxRPM Motorsports in Bremerton, WA where they let me park the car on their dyno as a showcase car for their open shop tours. The color change was so extreme that nearly no one figured out that it was my car unless I mentioned it, but I was beaming with pride the entire day and really had a blast sharing it with my local PCA community. My own wife didn't get to see the car until Sunday, and when I received her seal of approval I could let out a final sigh of relief as she seemed convinced that I was going to somehow 'ruin' the sinister look of the car that she always appreciated. Although it's certainly less sinister now, I love that it helps to really showcase that it's a special and rare Porsche and brings a bit more visibility to the GT2. I would do this project again, meaning I have zero regrets.
Some fun details to note, if you care about that type of thing.
1. The yellow film up front was my installers idea, but I was initially worried my turn indicators would no longer flash orange. They absolutely still do, and the overall resulting look harkens back to a Le Mans racer in my eyes. I love it!
2. Wrapping the outer edge of the intercooler ducts on the rear quarter panels was my installers idea, and I think was a great touch.
3. The contrasting colors on the mirrors and door handles was his idea, and I really think it was smart! The look of the mirrors from the driver's seat looks awesome.
4. The GT2 logos on the door were my idea, and I decided to backdate the idea that Porsche themselves had for the 991.2 GT2 RS. Although they turned out a bit larger than I expected, I'm happy with them.
5. The single color infused spoke on each wheel was my installers idea, and I was pretty cautious about my thoughts on it. So far, so good...but I'm letting this idea age a bit before I give my final and full approval.
I hope you enjoy a few photos of the car being finished, the car at the PCA Tech Ed event, and even some bonus photos parked next to my buddies 992.1 GT3 RS for a fun Saint Patrick's day themed shoot we did on Sunday!
One of my very first looks at the project in-progress, and had a huge positive emotional impact on me!
My installer wanted to wrap the roof black, but I insisted on body color. This photo made me really happy as I was able to confirm my own decision.
Contrasting look of door handle (not yet finished here) was a very nice touch.
The yellow film is really special to see in person, and I'm so glad that I let him run with that idea. Now my marker lights glow yellow, but my turn indicators do still flash orange. Please pardon my knackered RS lip!
Factory 991.2 inspired GT2 logo on the lower doors was larger than expected, but I'm very pleased with it. I want people to know that a very special 911 variant is nearby when they see me!
Just completed wrap, having not left my installers garage yet.
Showing up at MaxRPM Motorsports to be placed on their dyno for the event.
Sitting on the dyno, this is how show goers would get to see my GT2 throughout the day.
Sitting besides my friends brand new 992.1 GT3 RS for our little Saint Patrick's Day shoot on Sunday
This is the 3M color I used, in case anyone else would ever like to use it in the future for their own cars.
Thanks for making the time to see my fun update, and I hope that all of you are enjoying your 997 GT cars in the best of health!
I realized after posting that I forgot to include the car that provided inspiration for my color change. I'm including a photo of that awesome machine here.
Looks great Steve, absolutely in love with the green! Will PM you more about this recent passion for green I think the GT2 script is a just tad too big but personal preference lol
Last edited by SupraSaiyan; 03-19-2024 at 06:59 PM.
Looks great Steve, absolutely in love with the green! Will PM you more about this recent passion for green I think the GT2 script is a just tad too big but personal preference lol
I had the exact same initial impression to you about the size of the script, but since it's only a sticker I'm going to let it age and simmer for a bit before deciding if to make it smaller. Thanks for the kind words and the feedback of course!
You're not kidding. I started off my ownership of the car in 2019 with a cross-country road trip to get it home! I've since driven the car to Las Vegas and back (from Seattle area). It is a car that you can actually drive fairly lazy compared to a GT3 RS, and still make serious moves due to the torque curve.
05-29-2023, 12:16 PM
I think the GT2 script is a just tad too big but personal preference lol 
