New to cup car world
#1
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
New to cup car world
I'm considering getting into a 997.1 cup car, most likely just for DEs, maybe club racing. Did years with a PCA J-class 996 GT3, and now that I need a new car, I have this ridiculous notion that I should get a cup car. Aside from the obvious differences in driving a cup, what should one expect in terms of care and feeding for these cars. I'm only looking at cars that are well maintained and without high hours on the drivetrain. Any insights appreciated.
#2
RL Community Team
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Rennlist Member
I'm considering getting into a 997.1 cup car, most likely just for DEs, maybe club racing. Did years with a PCA J-class 996 GT3, and now that I need a new car, I have this ridiculous notion that I should get a cup car. Aside from the obvious differences in driving a cup, what should one expect in terms of care and feeding for these cars. I'm only looking at cars that are well maintained and without high hours on the drivetrain. Any insights appreciated.
#3
Rennlist Member
This is a long list. They are awesome to drive but expensive.
Engine rebuild 30K +, Gearbox refresh 10-15K. Everything else is also in thousands.
The best way to start is to take the car to a top level Porsche Racing team familiar with cups and have them go over and fix everything.
Afterwards, you MAY be able to do maiintenance work as you wish. But don't start by being cheap or going to a dodgy shop. Also, remember that almost everything in the car times out!
Also, if you worried about writing big checks, don't buy it. It wont be fun.
I have owned 2 996 Cups in the last few years and went through a couple shops before finding a good team.
Engine rebuild 30K +, Gearbox refresh 10-15K. Everything else is also in thousands.
The best way to start is to take the car to a top level Porsche Racing team familiar with cups and have them go over and fix everything.
Afterwards, you MAY be able to do maiintenance work as you wish. But don't start by being cheap or going to a dodgy shop. Also, remember that almost everything in the car times out!
Also, if you worried about writing big checks, don't buy it. It wont be fun.
I have owned 2 996 Cups in the last few years and went through a couple shops before finding a good team.
#4
This is a long list. They are awesome to drive but expensive.
Engine rebuild 30K +, Gearbox refresh 10-15K. Everything else is also in thousands.
The best way to start is to take the car to a top level Porsche Racing team familiar with cups and have them go over and fix everything.
Afterwards, you MAY be able to do maiintenance work as you wish. But don't start by being cheap or going to a dodgy shop. Also, remember that almost everything in the car times out!
Also, if you worried about writing big checks, don't buy it. It wont be fun.
I have owned 2 996 Cups in the last few years and went through a couple shops before finding a good team.
Engine rebuild 30K +, Gearbox refresh 10-15K. Everything else is also in thousands.
The best way to start is to take the car to a top level Porsche Racing team familiar with cups and have them go over and fix everything.
Afterwards, you MAY be able to do maiintenance work as you wish. But don't start by being cheap or going to a dodgy shop. Also, remember that almost everything in the car times out!
Also, if you worried about writing big checks, don't buy it. It wont be fun.
I have owned 2 996 Cups in the last few years and went through a couple shops before finding a good team.
#5
Rennlist Member
#6
Rennlist Member
I just got my '03, and @fstockcarrera is right about the purchase being the cheapest part. I do almost all my own work so that almost makes it affordable for me. I've been tracking my 996 GT3 and went to a 996 Cup for many of the same reasons as @spiller. New Pirelli slicks are $2200 last time I checked but you can get scrubs with 75% tread left for about $700.
Bob
Bob
#7
Fascinating. The costs are near identical to running an F40 on the street. If it makes you feel better an F40 requires a minimum of $25K per year just to keep running properly. And that's if nothing breaks. I agree with the 996 vs. 997. IMO the shifter and cables in a 996 Cup are the best Porsche has offered in the 996/997 generation if you want to shift for yourself. Before you jump on me for off topic or bragging or something I wanted to point out that I could not afford to maintain the F40. Also parts are quickly becoming OOP on 996 Cups just like F40s. And there are only about three good techs I'd let touch an F40. Reminds me of the comment of getting a good shop. It's not just a matter of finding one, the best shops are fully booked. I posted this because it sounded very similar to life with an F40. I am a big 996 platform fan so that's what I'd do but whatever you choose factor in all costs and then be safe and have fun. My wife doesn't like expensive surprises Best Josh PS my friends with Cups started by running them at private track days with a driver and engineer. It helps to get comfortable with the car.
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#8
RL Community Team
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I just got my '03, and @fstockcarrera is right about the purchase being the cheapest part. I do almost all my own work so that almost makes it affordable for me. I've been tracking my 996 GT3 and went to a 996 Cup for many of the same reasons as @spiller. New Pirelli slicks are $2200 last time I checked but you can get scrubs with 75% tread left for about $700.
Bob
Bob
I just want to add, costs to run these cars can vary greatly depending on who you are using to work on them, how you run them at the track and obviously how much you use the car. For ~10-15 days a year if you run the car yourself at the track, costs won’t be that different from the road car (apart from the tires). These cars are not difficult to run at the track without support if you are willing to get your hands dirty, you just have to be prepared to park it sometimes should you have a mechanical drama. This is a risk I am willing to take because I don’t do interstate trips and I only live 50 miles from each of the two local tracks in my city. Arrive and drive is nice, but it will add 50% to your running costs.
YMMV
#9
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Funny you mention shift cables. I have not replaced those yet (read "everything times out"). Expensive items (from my 08 997 GrandAm) tires, rotors, axles. You MUST take apart the transmission and inspect it before it goes boom and update to Guards improved gears. I have broken 3 or 4 sway bar blades but, I like Sebring.....
If you don't make mistakes, engines can go a long time.
If you don't make mistakes, engines can go a long time.
#10
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Thanks all. I'm OK with doing most of the maintenance work myself, like fluid changes, pads, rotors, etc. But what else needs to be done on a regular basis, excluding the obvious refresh items that time out? Defueling, emptying coolant?
#11
Rennlist Member
There is a post just a couple months ago with a pretty lengthy list of time out parts and duration to change. The question on the time out parts is how important is it to you not to have a parts failure for the weekend? If you lose a wheel bearing, your done but wont come off and most likely wont put you in a wall. So do you time and a half it? double the normal time out? Up to owner. It is a REAL RACE CAR. **** is going to happen. You have to decide "do you feel lucky" and let stuff break along the way and fix when broken. If you do, you may have many weekends with little track time..
#12
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You will have seen that after every session most Cups go in the air and the wheels come off. Why? you want to get under it and look at the usual suspects (hubs, rotors, calipers, sway bars, etc.) but most importantly, look for cracks, leaks and loose stuff. Invest in a real torque wrench (use it and store it properly), learn the values and test them. If the car has an underbody, it becomes a PITA. Do not neglect looking at the wheels not only for cracks but for leaks.
Do not rely on getting under the car in the paddock without safety stands (in a race on the hotpits it might be a different thing) and learn the proper way to drop a car from the airjacks. Another thing that must not be neglected are the regulators on the bottles.
As I said from my experience, broken sway bar blades, cracked rotors, cracked exhaust brackets need monitoring. Don't forget to clean the radiators and remember that you don't have a cooling fan on them.
#14
Rennlist Member
Thank you Marc for asking the obvious, but potentially embarrassing, question.
Juan, appreciate your comments and advice, especially in regards to torque wrenches. I just acquired a 991.1 cup which unfortunately, did not come with the standard torque wrench. I've been trying to research appropriate substitutes. I've been told that Snap On and GearWrench offer suitable tools, but haven't been able to verify that, especially given that for 991s, the wrench needs to be able to accurately perform in both clockwise and counterclockwise operation. Would appreciate your (or others') suggestions.
Thanks
Greg
Juan, appreciate your comments and advice, especially in regards to torque wrenches. I just acquired a 991.1 cup which unfortunately, did not come with the standard torque wrench. I've been trying to research appropriate substitutes. I've been told that Snap On and GearWrench offer suitable tools, but haven't been able to verify that, especially given that for 991s, the wrench needs to be able to accurately perform in both clockwise and counterclockwise operation. Would appreciate your (or others') suggestions.
Thanks
Greg
#15
RL Community Team
Rennlist Member
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I wondered this too. Slow up, slow down is what I believe to be the key. I saw a guy at the track use a large wrench to gradually lever up the release mechanism to slowly lower the car which seemed like a good way to do it. There is no way to lower it in a controlled manner when using your hands, at least from my experience.