sjfehr

The rule is that you need to do a complete package retrofit. So if you want M030 springs, you have to do everything else that came with M030. Fortunately, Porsche was pretty ala carte and we're allowed to change shocks and one swaybar in Street, which means all you really need to do to legally run M030 springs is to run one M030 swaybar. As I recall, the rear swaybar was identical between 986S and M030, but you'd have to check the part#s to be sure.

burglar

Not necessarily that you should, but you can. Porsche lists a 18.7, 19.2, 19.8mm rear sways for the 986S. I think the 19.2 is correct for M030, 3.2, manual, 03-04 but I'd verify. I think the 19.8 is for a Tip car.

Also in my notes I have for 03-04 US M030 springs:
REAR 98633353140504 Identification Orange Brown
FRONT 98634353116504 Identification Yellow White

00-02 have different US M030 part numbers and paint markings.
All four springs and the rear bar can be done for <$600 if you shop smart. You'd have to have all five pieces though.

FWIW, I'm not sure that it's worth it. From what I've read, there isn't a huge difference between US M030 and standard. It's certainly not going to hurt, but it's not going to transform a standard car into a mid engined GT3.either.

Anecdotal story:
I bought a Mini Cooper a few weeks before Nationals, took it to Lincoln in the configuration I bought it, and got 9th place.

Next year I bought the port-installed JCW suspension which lowers the car noticeably - closer to the ROW M030 change. This included spending an entire day dropping the front subframe off the car to change the front swaybar 0.5mm thicker (since that was part of the JCW package.) Other than the sticker on the bar, you could not tell the difference. I bought Koni shocks, and had a custom 3" exhaust made that gave me some more top end and dropped a few lb.

Went back to Lincoln with all that money spent, and all that work, on all of those improvements, and got... 9th place.

Some people have to know they've removed every variable possible and prepped to the limit, and that's fine. Me, I've learned my lesson and I'm ok with getting the lowest hanging pieces of fruit and leaving those few scragglers up top.

SailinBoxster

SailinBoxster

So you're saying I should not try?

Earlydays

Definitely try and enjoy it.....not every driver/ND will beat you.

edfishjr

The more I've learned about autocross the more I discount the effect of the car and the more I respect the capability of the driver.

In theory, one car may be usually faster and out-classes the other model in the same class. All this really means is that with 2 similar (mediocre?) drivers, one car is usually faster. The bigger variable, however, even at the upper levels of national scca competition, is the driver. Several people have recently proven that in only a few years it is possible to reach a level that most do not understand. They will take a 4-cyl Camaro in DS, for instance, and win against everyone else in the "car to have." Then a bunch of people go out and buy Camaros and find out there's something missing. They will take a 987.1 Cayman S and beat all the fast guys in the "car to have." Then people go out and buy Cayman S's and find out there's something missing. And these same type of people can take a 986S and beat everybody in an ND.

Don't ask me how they do it. All I can tell you is they weren't born fast. They got fast by increasing their knowledge and skill.