My Porsche journey (AKA Search for Nirvana...)

[BooTooo]

Greetings,

While the Suspension total makeover is still in progress, I am starting the study & planning of another stream of work:

=> Soundproofing the entire interior + doors.

Let's face it, the 911 are famous for interior (high) noise level and the new 19' wheels I put on (305 on the back) are not helping...

To be honest, this is a Terra Incognita for me as I have never done this in the past but based on some user's testimony on various forums, it looks like this is worth doing and should not add more than 5 to 8 kgs to the car overall.

I am in the process of getting in touch with few companies doing this and will keep you posted on the proposed solutions and the cost involved.

To be continued...

 

[JulesInFrance]

Very interesting post; thanks for sharing.

Can you let me know which Bluetooth module you went for?

Many thanks!

Jules

 

[BooTooo]

Very interesting post; thanks for sharing.

Can you let me know which Bluetooth module you went for?

Many thanks!

Jules

Sure, [8|]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bluetooth-A2DP-USB-adapter-for-Porsche-911-Boxster-Cayman-Cayenne-PCM-2-0-2-1/112500849717?hash=item1a3192bc35:g:QIsAAOSw0dpdRVnf

I works like a charm and far from being the most expensive around. One advice though... Avoid home install and pay an extra £300 to get it professionally fitted and connected to the fuse box like me...

Regards,

 

[BooTooo]

A quick update on the soundproofing & stereo upgrade.

I have looked around A LOT at what is available and came to the conclusion that the vast majority of the upgrades offers are too generic (and therefore not adequate) as not taking into consideration the 997 specifics (PCM 2.1, cabin size, shape and noise level...).

The good news is that I finally found one call "Audiofile Incar" (https://www.audiofile-incar.co.uk/audio-upgrades/porsche-997) that was ticking all my boxes (at a price...).

They have created a (and tested on many) 997 specific sound upgrade solution and have a good amount of experience in soundproofng the cabin as well. Interestingly, the fact that I do not have the factory BOSE upgrade is irrelevant as they told me that they get much better results by creating solid MDF baffles to mount the woofers in the front doors rather than using the back subwoofer bar. That is a great news as this tiny space behind the back seats (where the sound bar normally is) is great to put all the family coats on long journeys...

While keeping the car looking factory like, all the speakers will be replaced, an amplifier installed and, maybe, a DSP (Will test their demo car on D-Day to decide if I go for it or no) as well as the full cabin Dynamat"ized".

Budgetwise, we are around £2.2 to £2.7K for the Stereo depending on DSP or not and an extra £0.7K for the cabin soundproofing. I have just put down a deposit to secure a slot on the first week of Feb to get the upgrade done (long waiting list...).

More in Feb...

Appointment moved to March due to engine project... See bellow...

 

[BooTooo]

Greetings,

Today, few picture of 2 spare back seats I have just got modified for my 2 boys to increase comfort (and use them as a booster seat).

[ul][*]Got a pair of old 997 back seats on eBay - £90[*]Purchased some foam & cut to match the seat shape - £10[*]A shop nearby (http://www.carseatrepairs.com/) put everything together - £90[/ul]As you will notice, I did not go for leather as cost would not be justifiable for the usage (and I still have the original ones...).

Looking more comfy don't you think?

 

[BooTooo]

It has begun... [s3]

 

[BooTooo]

Getting there...

Next week, all new disks & pads + new H&R sway bars adjustment...

The old army...

And the new parts on the rear (Front is also being done...).

Archie from Porsche Brooklands working his magic...

Really looking forward to get it back and test the new drive feel on the road & at Brands hatch...

 

[Rodney Naghar]

Loving these updates! Keep them coming, Great project

 

[BooTooo]

=> Suspensions/Saw bar/Disk/Pad job: DONE []

Another tick in the box on my to do list.

I have to say, I am really impressed by the quality & detail of the work done by Barry & Archie on my 997.

The cleaning done on the wheel archs to complement the new suspensiosn is superb (One step closer to Factory new look...).

I cannot wait to test the new driving sensations with the new sway bar...

What do you think?

 

[BooTooo]

Today is a great day as I finally solved my engine rebuild dilemma…

In a nutshell, it was quite difficult to intellectually justify the cost of a full engine rebuild when it is still working fine (probably few less HP compare to when it was factory new but that's all really...).

Jules’ s bore scoring adventure and how complementary he was about Hartech services made me look a bit closer to what they had to offer and last night, I have had my epiphany…

On the top of rebuilding it, why not get more vavavoum in the process by moving from a 3.6 to a 3.9 engine (mucho torque & HPA) that will make my baby a tad more powerful than a Carrera S...

Normally, I would not be tinkering with engine specs but the reputation of Hartech, the experience they have accumulated in the domain & the maturity of the 997 upgrade offer were compelling.

A chat with Grant from HARTECH this morning and how transparent he was on the entire process, possible extras & what I will get at the end finished to convince me.

Oversized engine project is a GO !!!!!

The menu package for a 3.6-3.9 conversion is as follow:

[ul][*]All new oversize high strength aluminum alloy Nikasil plated closed deck wet liners (all 6 cylinders).[*]Strengthen lower portion of cylinder block.[*]New oversize piston set with new rings.[*]New crank shaft main & thrust bearing set.[*]New performance big end bearings.[*]New timing chain set with new guide rails.[*]New intermediate shaft bearing.[*]Basic cylinder head overhauls (strip down, de-coke heads & valves, re-lap valves to seats, skim & re-assemble with new valve stem oil seals).[*]New lower temperature thermostat.[*]New spark plugs.[*]New oil/air separator.[*]Tuning work with dyna test.[/ul]I am taking my 997 to Hartech on the 15th of December (expect pictures!!!) should get it back mid-February 2021.

Santa will arrive late this year

 

[BooTooo]

Goodbye my Precious,

See you in 2 months after your Hartech total makeover [s1]

Just to avoid any confusion, the Gentleman in the picture is one of the truck driver [8|]

 

[Dougnorwich]

Hi there

I’ve been looking at the designtek exhausts myself, how loud are they and does anyone know how they compare to the pse when in the on position

thanks

 

[BooTooo]

Hello,

I do not have PSE so I cannot tell you the difference but (from my point of view) compare the OEM mufflers, the sound level when engine started is about the same but with more bass. It gets louder as soon as you accelerate but top around the same dB when reaching maximum RPM.

If my memory serves me well, they are supposed to go up to 102 decibels and when my OEM were measured in Brands Hatch, I was at 100...

Add to this a slimmer & shiny look, some weights out of the balance compare to OEM and an attractive price and you have (from my point of view again) a winner in your hands.

If you are trully looking for a screamer, you will be disapointed...

Worth keeping in mind that is you do not have a S model already (like me), you'll also have to replace the exhaust pipe as the DesignTek diameter is lager compare to the base carrera.

 

[Mike64]

Excellent post and continued updates, very interested in the Hartech results. You have a 997 to be very proud of.

 

[jondrayton]

Great progress and a very interesting read. I also have a 997.1 C2.

Did you also replace the sub frames as they look new in the photos. Also, where did you source the LED headlights?

Will be very interested to hear about the engine upgrades when you get your car back.

Cheers,

Jonathan

 

[BooTooo]

Many thanks all for you kind comments.

jondrayton,

I sourced all the lights front & back from Design911. The subframes have just been paintent by the guys from PorscheBrookland when they did the job (they have a keen eye & attention to details...)

Yep, really looking forward to go collect the new beast mid Feb...

Sadly, no pictures received from the engine disassembly yet[:'(]

 

[BooTooo]

Finally some action up north(ich...),

Below are few pictures received from HARTECH today...

I will probably get a call soon to walk me trough their findings and the final bill...

Can't see any obvious bore scoring... That is a good start [8D]

More soon...

 

[STiG911]

I do like a nice build thread!

Watching this with interest - great to see all the oily bits, and good that they're in a reasonable condition to start with.

 

[BooTooo]

News from the Deck...

I had a long discussion with Grant from Hartech on the state of the car and overall zero bad surprises.

Just the ususal wear & tear to be expected on a high performance engine after 15 years on the road with 5 different owners.

As I am fully commited to this and do not want to cut any corners, I will take the opportunity of the engine removal to replace a lot of tubing and electric wires unnacessible unless it is out + lots of extra engine components (Oil & water pumps, cooler, plastic harnesses...).

Costwise, this should land in the 15K zone (+ VAT []).

Below is a high level list of what will be done on the top of the engine rebuild oversized.

Now, as they put it, they will go silent for several weeks while they work their magic.

To be continued...

 

[jondrayton]

Please keep the updates coming....

Out of interest, (I may have missed this in an earlier post) was your car diagnosed with bore score, or, did you make the decision to rebuild the engine based on mileage and opportunity for upgrades

Cheers,

Jonathan