pcarplayer

Then someone does this and i get all confused again...or maybe not. I would still want a manual 'box

http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-show...sport-racecar/

Pel

Call Grant at GT Refinsihers, he's looked at the rust in this car. He hasn't looked underneath it though, the economics of tracking cars will never stack up.

The owner lives overseas, with his son selling on behalf. Probably your last chance for a while to pick up a sub 30k hard top Carrera, bad conversion or not.

Mark I agree with your sentiment re a 996 Carrera, problem is people have stopped asking 30k for them too. New or old it all costs money, deferred maintenance or depreciation.

Considered a 991C2, would have sold the 996 but couldn't get past PDK and electronics. GT3's have become collectors cars, so unless you got in early, there's not value from a track perspective anymore. The rough 996 GT3 for 55k 8 months ago is coulda shoudla woulda now.

nzskater

Or we could build something like this: http://www.worldtimeattack.com/index...p-968-porsche/

Nice work on the SC Pel. Look forward to seeing it on the track.

Feels like summer is on the way this week - eating lunch in the sun, thinking about all the weekend driving to be had. Is a pipe dream at the moment due to plaster of Paris (legitimising my online handle to blame) but looking forward to getting the Turbo out again in 6-8 weeks.

Picked up some Esco stands (thanks for the connection Warwick) and will change the oil and "fix" my melted brake sensors (thanks Taupo), although won't happen until I regain use of my left hand.

Installed a mesh grille in the front bumper on Saturday. So glad I did - lots of leaves, feathers and stones caked into the recesses of the radiators. Am sure it's worth a second at HD! Anyone with a water cooled 911 should consider doing the same. Sadly was another expose for poor mechanical work in the past, with a few broken clips and missing screws found. Glad to be doing the work myself, even if it does take three times longer.

Tested the grille out with a drive up to Mangawhai via SH16 on Sunday morning. Successfully prevented a bird from hiding in there judging by the amount of feathers I found stuck on it after getting home so feel it is working as intended.

Macca

Yes, fairly consistent with the reviewers here.

Interestingly Jim picks up on a point which is one of only three complaints Im hearing from owners who I trust (i.e. they drive them hard on road and track) and have similar late model GT3 & RS to compare by. That complaint is fairly minor and depends on driving style and ability but is along the lines of "too much mechanical grip removes some of the fun of throwing is around on back roads". The other way to say this is as Jim has said "could do with another 100 bhp". Some have pointed to their GT3s being more fun in this regard due to the ability to break traction and trim the chassis using the slip angles although on the road it will take skill and experience.

The gearing is tall and has come in for a bit of criticism when driven on the road - but you can learn to drive around it as the engine has plenty of torque.

Understeer has been fairly heavily criticized on the track but can be dealt with using LCA shims at the front to go beyond -2.0 although at the moment there is little in the way of acceptable methods to go beyond -1.75 at the back due to the proximity of the lower rear arm to teh bodywork with increased camber. I believe Roock and other race shops in Germany are already working on a solution here.

Bang for buck there is little to compare to the GT4 and it covers most bases more than adequately. On the future used market (at lets say 150K) its going to put the value proposition of older GT3 under the microscope. There is no doubt from what Im told the car is as quick at a 71. GT3RS or 7.2 GT3 on tighter tracks which makes it a real contender on NZ tracks and even in stock trim a perfectly viable weapon for the "arms race" at the pointy end of the grid. In the hands of someone with natural capability like Leong, Graeme and others it will be a weapon I am sure!

Graeme very interesting article there from Evo on the shortly to be announced GT4 Cup car. No surprises regards the PDK for a track focussed machine. Stripping teh carpet and seats out for some Halo after market units seems a logical way to save 40kg and something any GT4 owner can attempt along with bolting up some of the 991 GT3 Cup car front LCA & control arms (the main changes to the front geo to get more camber Im led to believe). Again its a value led package as the entry costs and on goings will be around 1/3rd of the new DCI 991 Cup car which is due to break cover in Jan. I wonder how much work is required to get one of these back into street trim? Shame they will be LHD only!

The closing comments on the Australian GT4 review are curious. Someone buzzed the engine already? In sport mode this should be impossible with auto blip?

Pel. You are right regards the 996 price conundrum. However Im sure there will be some cheapies pop up from time to time. I think Steve R paid 50K for the 997 C2 thathad been turned into a targa and track car, although Im guessing it would cost another 10+K to upgrade the brakes and suspension and get it set up like he has but at 60K all in still makes a viable 1.14.xx car at HD and a potential GT3 worrier for half the price of entry and a lot less at risk. I look forward to hearing how you enjoy the SC on the track. My experience is you do not get the "wow" factor on the straights but in the corners my bum and teletry tell me they give nothing away to the newer metal. You only have to watch Steve R pedal his little 240 bhp RS replica at HD to know they can punch well above their weight!

John McM

And now the clubsport version is announced with PDK. There's always a bigger dog!

Macca

Nice work Jake and an ideal task during your "recovery".

Interesting statement from the horses mouth at Rennsport Reunion V in the USA last week regards the furture of NZ engines in the 911 range and PDK vs manual.

All current or future 911 (and one assumes Cayman if there is such a thing) RS model will be PDK only. As the flagship track car these derivatives will be given the fastest shifting box available with the technology at hand. The decree is absolute in regards to the RS.

The NA engine will remain in the 911 GT3/RS range for the face lift 991.2 due to be announced in march 2017 in Geneva. This is said to be a very light make over of the current model and performance gains will be somewhat minimal as there as a step function in this regard already between 997 & 991 generation GT cars. Expect changes in the interior to further differential the GT cars from their 911 breathern along with series changes to body work styling etc. No mention of capacity increase for the GT3/RS but generally understood that they will probably move the GT3 to base 4.0L and the RS will just keep a power hike through some improvements in breathing, cams and tuning etc.

A manual option is being considered for the GT3 variant (only). Its unknown if this will occur in the 991.2 generation or the later 992 generation but many suspect sooner rather than later (although I believe development of the 991.2 cars is well advanced).

Prices of GT models are likely to increase significantly in the future due to the reduced commonality of shared components with the donor 911 range and world wide demand, FX etc.

There is likely to be a very limited release model of the GT3 announced in the next 6-12 months. This will be a numbered model and may feature a manual transmission as a pre cursor to the 991.2 GT3 model. It will likely be facelift and based on the 991 GT3 wide body (but not the super wide RS turbo style body). Weight savings are touted to be a focus. It will likely incorporate the RS 4.0L engine and may see a HP bump to 520 bhp as a precursor to the 991.2 Gt3 RS engine we will see announced in September 2017.

Beyond 2018 production pure NA engine existence in the product road map is under evaluation. Motorsports regs may influence this along with CARB/Euro 7 and other influences. Hybrid/Kers systems may be deployed but its all very much known at this time....

FYI only.

Macca

Impressive time attack 968 donor build. No expenses spared there for sure!

Maxem

I don't have much experience with older torsion bar 911's to date compared to 964's and 993's but I am enjoying the SC immensely on track mainly because of its shortcomings that the later models were developed to overcome. 915 box, tricky at the limit, no PS or ABS etc. And I think we all got a pretty good lesson of the effectiveness of a lightweight older car when Paul rattled off a 1:19 in the 204 bhp SC powered C3.

Macca

It was a sweet little car. Fully developed in the suspension department of course as Paul had finely tuned it and on 214s was as fast as any 964 Ive yet seen punted around HD by the RSG team (save of course Sean's ex Cup car RS conversion).

The 70TRod performance on the track should be quite interesting. Technically Id expect it to pitch somewhere between Paul's C3 & Steve's RS replica. Cant wait to see it driven "in anger".

Lets face it we go to the track to enjoy the handling of these cars closer to the limit. Not a Sunday drive. For most of us we use a PB time as our ultimate goal although some days are just about enjoying the rhythm and coming home intact. Setting any generation 911/other up to be an effective weapon then driving it to the edge of ones ability is the name of the game IMO, regardless of tech platform or ability...

nzskater

I second that statement Macca. I'm having so much fun "learning to drive" in mine. I use lap times as a means to see if I'm improving, but the real measure is enjoyment + genuinely feeling the car. The Turbo is surely miles from the "feel" you get from an early car, but I'll no doubt check that box garage wise at some point. Right now I couldn't be happier.

Took some photos of the grille. Relatively discrete. Happy with the end result.

CS Mende

Looks sharp man! Sorry to hear about the hand - glad it won't affect beer consumption.

kiwi 911

Macca - Steve is already into the mid 13's at HD in his 997..........

integralenz

Have listed my 993 C4 on TM. Top money and a top car!

Macca

Sorry assumption made on his times at Manfield and Taupo during NITT...I fogeit the home track advantage!

Ok. Even more to my point. He's made a 60K car faster than a GT3. That should get the attention of a few folk wanting a nice entry level to the arms race....

kiwi 911

Your car is a nice example..........

I see my old 933 is now being marketed on FB too??

A bit of choice when you add Jamie's car too.