I have been looking to build a lifted 996 safari rally car for a little while. I have been looking for a salvage title 996 to build off of as the car will literally be a frankenstein with a mixed parts assortment. In come a gentleman selling a 996RS tub with a somewhat repairable front impact for a decent price. What I can tell is that the front trunk tub will need to be replaced. Also, the driver's side frame horn appear to be bent up and around the middle of the left front wheel. For collectors value, the shell is toast. The rest of the shell tub is intact. For a track car I would steer clear. For a fun rally beater type car it may be a fun project. Here are my questions:

1. Can a frame horn and trunk tube be replaced on a frame jig by a body shop?

2. Is the frame horns the same as regular 996?

3. What is the structural impact on a repaired body shell?

 

You need to replace everything front of the windshield, ie buy either a new front clip or another body with damaged rear and cut the front clip out of that car. Depending on deepness of your pockets, your own skills and tools/shop you have. You need a jig to do it the right way. Many (race)cars have their front clips repaired/replaced, so it's not really an issue.

1. Yes, but the complete front clip is easiest and most safe way to do it
2. Yes, (trunk aft wall and floor is the same with 4wd ones)
3. Nothing, if done properly

 

Thanka for the info. Looking at the tub it also has superficial drivers side rear quarter damage too. Not that for my project I want a pristine car, but thinking it might not be worth all the work if I could snag a regular carrera tub or cup tub in better condition. For my project chassis rigidity is of little concern. Still debating. But the price is right. I just am a bit scared of the cost to weld a front clip on with frame horns. If it were just the trunk tub and the horns were fine, it would be on a flatbed heading this way already.

 

Since you're looking at a rally car project, does the RS "provenance" matter? I'm thinking you can get a regular 996 tub and reinforce that to equal if not better standards, for the same price it'd take to right the bent RS frame.

Tub-wise the 996 RS (road car) body-in-white is same as the GT3. And the GT3 BIW is identical to the narrowbody 6's, save for (some) reinforcements around the suspension pickup points. You can replicate all that in your build if you're starting tub-up...

 

This is actually the 996RS FIA spec tub not street car. The prominence doesn't really matter. I like the tub for the $$ and the full cage. Basically the car needs a front clip from the window forward. The labor to weld on a new front clip properly minus and paintwork is $5000. The front clip if I go with a street car front tub is $1000. Which for my needs I could use a 996turbo/C4/GT2/3 front clip as I do not need a race spec fuel cell. If I could find a decent price RS or RSR front clip and cell it may be better for long term value. But I am guessing the value on this car being a discarded tub is just not relevant without the corresponding VIN and the accident history. This is a budget build that would be a matter off collecting parts and working on however long it takes. I am thinking it may still not be the direction I want to go versus snagging a C4 with high miles and maybe even salvage title to convert.

 

fwiw since this project wont have any real sale value why not look into a houston flood car at insurance auction/ gives you a complete car to tear apart and do what you want to it

 

 

Yes.

 

Well, if I am going to use a turbo transmission I can't use a carrera engine. My plan is to use a Metzger engine of some sort(still debating). And if I buy a complete flood car I will be paying for a mostly sound car to mod. And then discard the interior, engine and transmission pieces for not much $$. Then seeing I will be using a carrera tub it will not be as rigid as a turbo or GT tub. And to use a Metzger engine you have to also weld in rear engine firewall off a turbo or GT3 and then modify the engine motor mount structure because the carrera uses a different engine mount structure. Which to me seems more like a not so great route.

If I were to go a carrera route I would go with a 997 which has a better tub for the C2 than the 996. And those are a bit more than I want to spend on the rub side of the project. Also, I want to focus money on the suspension, drivetrain and engine side of things over the tub.

 

GT3 tub = C4 tub = turbo tub.

 

I want to stay narrow body and bolt on fender arches. And turbo and C4s tubs being wide body seem to demand a premium. And it really is a shame to hack on an otherwise good tub when I can hack on one with not much value.

 

Sorry, I must make myself clear, I was thinking of front clips in my previous answer. All 4wd front clips are the same than GT3 and Cup. When considering the whole tub, GT3 = Cup = C4 while turbo = C4S. Rwd Carrera is the lonely one here...

 

I would ideally prefer a regular C4/GT3 tub in need of body work so I am not messing up something with value. I intend to modify forward 996TT diff with better viscous coupling. Can't do that with a carrera tub. At least with significant tub work.