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Mark Smith |
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My car has been subject to a few modifications since I've purchased it. All of the modifications are bolt on or are otherwise replaceable with the original equipment (to preserve the option to return the car to original condition). So what have I done? Let's see... |
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The interior was special ordered from the factory in Matador Red - a deep red leather with black marbling. It came with matching color carpet. Matador Red was a stock color in model year 1994. The entire interior was dark burl wood. Well it was too much red and I never liked wood grain stuff in a Porsche (save that for Rolls crowd). So I replaced the carpet with sliver knit charcoal carpet and the burl wood with carbon fiber. Much better! I also replaced the steering wheel, pedals, stereo head unit and a few other bits a pieces including the factory cell phone set up (I prefer my Nokia over the ancient and weighty Porsche Fujitsu). |
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Before |
After |
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| Replacing the 964 steering wheel with a 996 three spoke (C4 Millennium w/ Silver Crest) steering wheel was a challenge. In addition to the housing and hub being different (the original has a slot for the computer lever and the hub's are different) the shaft itself is also different (the 993/996 shaft is longer to accommodate the 993/996 wheel). As to the shaft there are two ways to go - Mickey Mouse around with the 964's shaft (it's too short to mount the 993/996 wheel - solution: red locktite the wheel on and barely fasten the securing nut to the shaft so as not to strip it - but I don't recommend this method and good luck getting the steering wheel off later) - or you can simply install a longer 993/996 shaft which allows for a torquing of the nut on the shaft to secure the wheel (it fit's perfectly but it is the more expensive option). I installed a 993 shaft. | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| After - Much Better Now! | |||||||||||||||||||||
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In this car, everything,
and I mean everything, is covered in leather. Another unique feature
of this car is the German ant installed in the speedo. I had the
speedo out of the car and inspected it carefully. It has never been
opened and there is otherwise no way for the ant to have gotten
in (the entire unit is sealed including from behind the face). Therefore
this ant was clearly installed by the factory - but I can't find
it on the option list! Quality Control must have been taking a beer
break. Because pulling the bezel off to access the face area could
permanently ruin the leather, the ant will remain in the "factory
installed" position trapped between the face and the leather
bezel (he doesn't move if you shake the speedo - once again a testimony
to the incredible strength and durability of Porsche parts). |
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 Porsche Leather - How Do They Do That? |
 Genuine German Ant |
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The changes I made to the running gear were to add 18" Fikse three piece 8.5 and 10 Mach V's with black anodized centers mounted with Boothe locking center caps and wheel lugs (the stock 3.6 Turbo "Speedline for Porsche" wheels are factory painted to match in Black Metallic) and I swapped the stock suspension for Bilstein Sport Shocks with H&R Springs lowering the car by 1.25 inches from stock ride height. The car was very solid with the stock Boge's but now its like butter (albeit stiffer - but comfort can be sacrificed). I may still replace the stock front lower rubber bushings with monoballs to eliminate flex at speed (at the expense of even more comfort of course). The car looks much better lowered! Tires are 235/40 and 285/35 SO2's. |
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 Fikse v. Stock |
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 Sport Bilstein |
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| Mechanically I made the most significant changes the net result of which is more power, less weight and less turbo lag. First the stock heat exchangers, wastegate cat, exhaust cat and exhaust were replaced with B&B headers and exhaust. As it turned out this replacement was not all that easy. The B&B stuff doesn't just "bolt on" to this car (as it supposedly does on a regular M64/50 motor in the 3.6 Turbo chassis. Hmm?) Anyway, it turns out that to use the B&B headers you have to either to make your own wastegate pipe or purchase the B&B exhaust (which comes with an accompanying wastegate pipe - otherwise this pipe is not available separately). The reason is that the B&B headers will not clear the stock wastegate cat pipe. The upside is that using the B&B exhaust you lose both of your cats (which in itself does not add any power benefit but, except for the smog check inconvenience, is not a bad thing as it eliminates considerable weight). There were other fit issues with the B&B's including the basic fit of the header joint (it leaked badly so I had it welded closed and a v band clamp installed - the band clamp was needed as given the tremendous heat build up there needs to be flex in the system or the header mounts could crack) and the length of the exhaust bleed from the cylinders (it's not long enough for the B&B exhaust so I had to have an extension pipe welded on). Also needing attention was the turbo oil accumulator that came with the B&B headers. It hung so low I had nightmares about it being ripped off causing immediate turbo lock and engine melt down (oh ya removed the large and heavy stock oil accumulator). So I had the accumulator cut and welded so as to be higher up and bent slightly backward. The B&B tips are not very pretty so I replaced them with welded on Fabspeeds tips (as I didn't want to cut and weld - and thereby permanently destroy - the very nice stock twin pipe tips which feature the standard Porsche band style mount). The Fabspeed tips are extended well beyond the rear bumper so as to not cause melting of the plastic! | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Compare the Stock Undercarriage
to my Modified Undercarriage
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| The Stock K27 7006 turbo charger and wastegate were replaced with a Garrett hybrid turbo charger and a Tial wastegate. The Garrett, particularly in conjunction with the B&B headers, reduces lag and is much more efficient with larger internals than stock. Some sheet metal bending was necessary to get the Garrett turbo to fit. The stock wastegate spring is .92 bar. At first I used the stock wastegate with a 1 bar Porsche Motorsport spring. The boost was steady at one bar with overboost about .05 higher. But the car bucked on let off. I then went to the Tial with a .8 bar and .2 bar progressive spring set up allowing max boost a little under 1 bar with virtually no over boost on let off. The bucking was gone but the Tial does not hold as long as the stock wastegate. It is more efficient (on/off boost pressure) and smoother though. I'm still experimenting with things to find "bolt on" nirvana and will update the website when I get there! | |||||||||||||||||||||
 Stock Wastegate |
 Tial Wastegate |
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| In the meantime all I can say is, as I
have enrichened the fuel mixture, when the oxygen sensor is disconnected
the car blows three-foot flames out the exhaust pipe!
Awesome! |
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| Here is a partial description of the changes made: | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Mark Smith ©2005