I've done some work on the gearbox on an as needed basis. I lost a synchro and few other bits. We dropped the box and replaced the broken bits only; you could see some minor wear here and there, but nothing bad so put it back together with new bits rather than replacing everything. I might be wrong on this but I think the early cup box is just the road car mk 1 box with steel synchros and different cable linkage (this changed later). I think it was £5oo in parts and a few hours labour so probably best part of a grand, but then would be same for a heavily tracked road car.
The engine had had a refresh before I bought it. We check the compression from time to time and it's been mapped a couple of times. It seems suitably healthy and unchanged since I bought it and hence I'm not rushing to rebuild it. I've been discussing it with the chap who looks after it, a well known porsche engine builder/racer, and our feeling is that a rebuild is rather binary in terms of cost/parts so to keep it on care and maintenance, checking top end and compression regularly.
My view is that it's a relatively cheap (relative!) car to buy, so my desire is to run it at a sensible cost. I do subscribe to the "it's a road based GT3" view and so treat it better than a road car in track day usage, but not as if I was readying a car for Le Mans to be front of the pack.
On the driving side, it feels very "race car" vs my 993 rs cs that I raced before in terms of the stop, go, cornering. As mine is an early model it is closer to the 993 cup. I raced against a lovely 993 cup that was in fine fettle and had a 8/32 final drive. That was about the same speed off the line (or out of a slow corner) due to its lower gearing, but I reeled it in fast as speed came on and could have him round the corners. It is a noticeable quicker car and the Cups got a lot quicker through to the final 2005 year. My car gets murdered by those later cars if driven with similar skill.
Under braking the GT3 is great, partly due to my upgrade. It's very stable and you can use the ABS. I used my 993 clubbie at a charity airfield day the other week and had to stop it from 140ish for a chicane; it stops well, but is much twitchier than the GT3 and so less inspiring.
I think you are right re the GT3 being less accessible to get the last bit of speed out of. That was always the Steve Rance view. I know I should be able to drive it a second faster to get to best end of club level racer and I suspect the Supercup boys would be rather better again!
