Top 5-10 997 Mods for £100-£2,000???

krispe · 2 Aug 2017

4 Wheel alighnment £100 - Get as much negative front camber as possible (which is about -1.0- -1.2degrees with standard lower arms and top mounts) This will reduce understeer.

BMC Filter and Cold Air hose/plug. Not really much difference in performance but sounds amazing. Probably my favourite mod, above 5krpm you now hear the engine howl inside the cabin, sounds like a GT3 :mrgreen:

Lowering Springs - 997 sits too high standard and looks wrong. I have Eibachs which I think are perfect, (H&R lower a bit more which I think personally is too much). My car actually rides better on Eibachs as they are progressive so a touch more supple to begin with then firm up more than standard when cornering hard.

Wheel spacers - These are pretty much essential if you lower the car as the wheels will disappear further inside in the arches when lowered. Go for 12 - 15mm all round. If you have a proper alignment as above there will be no rubbing at 15mm anywhere, the wheels will then be inline with the car the same as a 'GT' Porsche. The wider track will also improve handling.

Exhaust - This is to make the car sound better to other people, (with the windows up you don't really hear it that much which is why I think the BMC filter/cold air kit is better in terms of noise.) Too loud exhaust and you won't get on most track days and just annoy other people. A switchable exhaust would probably be best. Personally I would start though by sending your cats to Carnewal who will open them up and remove the 600 cell unit and replace them with a 200cel version. This will give more performance and a little extra volume at the same time.

TRACK DAY!!!!!! Take your car on track, it's the most fun you will have and Porsche builds all it's cars so that they can be used on circuit!! Start somewhere like Bedford Autodrome which is a very safe circuit with loads of grass run off. They do beginner evenings and you can get instruction (which I highly recommend you take at each circuit you first attend) for £20 for 20 minutes. Seriously everyone should take their Porsche on track once in a while :thumb:

Phil 997 · 2 Aug 2017

Here's my thoughts on the simplest ways to unleash some of the locked up performance gains.

1.Cold air induction and BMC filter has to be the first its a simple cheap mod

2 Exhaust, lots of options, budget and sound are the deciding factors with this mod. Sports boxes either valvetronic so they act like PSE or just fixed most companies do 2, a mild sports and a full sports option .
The best value for quality ones are Topgear in Bridport this is what I had on my Gen1 ,I have a cargraphic full race set up on my gen2 but they are a much more expensive option and came with the car not sure if I would have parted with 6k if they hadn't already been on it.
200 CELL cats again options are as posted above get your OE modified or aftermarket are cross over or xpipe personal choice and both types have their supporters ,I chose big bore xpipe 200cell cats from topgear on my gen1
Finally headers again options are X51 style either OE or stainless from the states,in the UK the most chosen stainless option is equal length headers

The exhaust and primarily the 200cell cats are the single biggest power gain available without adding turbos or superchargers or getting into big bucks engine rebuilds etc.

3 IPD 82mm GT3 throttle body and plenum this replaces the smaller stock unit and requires a remap to get the best from this mod , This is the second biggest power gaining mod as it allows bigger air intake which combined with the improved gas exit from the new exhaust give the car impressive low and mid range gains which is ideal for someone looking for a fast road car as that's just where you want to see the gains in the range for everyday fun.

4. 4" underdrive pulley and shorter belt , this actually adds no bhp but what it does is redirect the oversupplied and unused energy in the cars other components to the rear wheels giving a small gain, but the biggest win for me with this mod was the slightly increased weight in the power steering the 997 has light steering compared with the 996 etc and can be a bit disconcerting this mod gives a much better feel to the steering and in turn adds confidence when corners and manoeuvring .

5.Remap, can be added anytime but is best as a final mod to bring together the mods listed above for optimum gains.

Those are IMO the best group of performance gaining mods without affecting the everyday drivability of the car , but getting the very best out of these engines and adding to the big grin factor of driving these cars.

There are things like lightweight flywheels etc but you are starting to change the characteristics of the car when you get into those things and start to compromise everyday drivability and start to get a more track focused car.

Other things to consider to aid handling and visual appearance are

Lowering the car , adding spacers , fitting semisolid engine mounts. these are all very popular mods and again a number of options are available .
if your wife hasn't left you after spending all the money on power mods
:floor: :floor: then we can get into that, unless you want to tweak the handling and stance prior to doing performance mods which many do. If you want more info on that let me know. :grin: :thumb:

I hope some of that was of use to you :thumb:

P911X50 · 2 Aug 2017

Phil 997 said:
Here's my thoughts on the simplest ways to unleash some of the locked up performance gains.

1.Cold air induction and BMC filter has to be the first its a simple cheap mod

2 Exhaust, lots of options, budget and sound are the deciding factors with this mod. Sports boxes either valvetronic so they act like PSE or just fixed most companies do 2, a mild sports and a full sports option .
The best value for quality ones are Topgear in Bridport this is what I had on my Gen1 ,I have a cargraphic full race set up on my gen2 but they are a much more expensive option and came with the car not sure if I would have parted with 6k if they hadn't already been on it.
200 CELL cats again options are as posted above get your OE modified or aftermarket are cross over or xpipe personal choice and both types have their supporters ,I chose big bore xpipe 200cell cats from topgear on my gen1
Finally headers again options are X51 style either OE or stainless from the states,in the UK the most chosen stainless option is equal length headers

The exhaust and primarily the 200cell cats are the single biggest power gain available without adding turbos or superchargers or getting into big bucks engine rebuilds etc.

3 IPD 82mm GT3 throttle body and plenum this replaces the smaller stock unit and requires a remap to get the best from this mod , This is the second biggest power gaining mod as it allows bigger air intake which combined with the improved gas exit from the new exhaust give the car impressive low and mid range gains which is ideal for someone looking for a fast road car as that's just where you want to see the gains in the range for everyday fun.

4. 4" underdrive pulley and shorter belt , this actually adds no bhp but what it does is redirect the oversupplied and unused energy in the cars other components to the rear wheels giving a small gain, but the biggest win for me with this mod was the slightly increased weight in the power steering the 997 has light steering compared with the 996 etc and can be a bit disconcerting this mod gives a much better feel to the steering and in turn adds confidence when corners and manoeuvring .

5.Remap, can be added anytime but is best as a final mod to bring together the mods listed above for optimum gains.

Those are IMO the best group of performance gaining mods without affecting the everyday drivability of the car , but getting the very best out of these engines and adding to the big grin factor of driving these cars.

There are things like lightweight flywheels etc but you are starting to change the characteristics of the car when you get into those things and start to compromise everyday drivability and start to get a more track focused car.

Other things to consider to aid handling and visual appearance are

Lowering the car , adding spacers , fitting semisolid engine mounts. these are all very popular mods and again a number of options are available .
if your wife hasn't left you after spending all the money on power mods
:floor: :floor: then we can get into that, unless you want to tweak the handling and stance prior to doing performance mods which many do. If you want more info on that let me know. :grin: :thumb:

I hope some of that was of use to you :thumb:

Very useful info. Just wondering, would you need to also fit new actuators, diverter valves GTRS intercoolers etc when remapping or adding the IPD?

Thanks

Phil 997 · 2 Aug 2017

P911X50 said:
Phil 997 said:

Here's my thoughts on the simplest ways to unleash some of the locked up performance gains.

1.Cold air induction and BMC filter has to be the first its a simple cheap mod

2 Exhaust, lots of options, budget and sound are the deciding factors with this mod. Sports boxes either valvetronic so they act like PSE or just fixed most companies do 2, a mild sports and a full sports option .
The best value for quality ones are Topgear in Bridport this is what I had on my Gen1 ,I have a cargraphic full race set up on my gen2 but they are a much more expensive option and came with the car not sure if I would have parted with 6k if they hadn't already been on it.
200 CELL cats again options are as posted above get your OE modified or aftermarket are cross over or xpipe personal choice and both types have their supporters ,I chose big bore xpipe 200cell cats from topgear on my gen1
Finally headers again options are X51 style either OE or stainless from the states,in the UK the most chosen stainless option is equal length headers

The exhaust and primarily the 200cell cats are the single biggest power gain available without adding turbos or superchargers or getting into big bucks engine rebuilds etc.

3 IPD 82mm GT3 throttle body and plenum this replaces the smaller stock unit and requires a remap to get the best from this mod , This is the second biggest power gaining mod as it allows bigger air intake which combined with the improved gas exit from the new exhaust give the car impressive low and mid range gains which is ideal for someone looking for a fast road car as that's just where you want to see the gains in the range for everyday fun.

4. 4" underdrive pulley and shorter belt , this actually adds no bhp but what it does is redirect the oversupplied and unused energy in the cars other components to the rear wheels giving a small gain, but the biggest win for me with this mod was the slightly increased weight in the power steering the 997 has light steering compared with the 996 etc and can be a bit disconcerting this mod gives a much better feel to the steering and in turn adds confidence when corners and manoeuvring .

5.Remap, can be added anytime but is best as a final mod to bring together the mods listed above for optimum gains.

Those are IMO the best group of performance gaining mods without affecting the everyday drivability of the car , but getting the very best out of these engines and adding to the big grin factor of driving these cars.

There are things like lightweight flywheels etc but you are starting to change the characteristics of the car when you get into those things and start to compromise everyday drivability and start to get a more track focused car.

Other things to consider to aid handling and visual appearance are

Lowering the car , adding spacers , fitting semisolid engine mounts. these are all very popular mods and again a number of options are available .
if your wife hasn't left you after spending all the money on power mods
:floor: :floor: then we can get into that, unless you want to tweak the handling and stance prior to doing performance mods which many do. If you want more info on that let me know. :grin: :thumb:

I hope some of that was of use to you :thumb:

Click to expand...

Very useful info. Just wondering, would you need to also fit new actuators, diverter valves GTRS intercoolers etc when remapping or adding the IPD?

Thanks

No you don't need to change any of those items on a NA car the Turbo cars might be a bit different. If you have a manual then many suggest fitting the third rad where the tip has its third rad in the centre
but the stock items seem to cope perfectly well. I had fitted a low temp thermostat which at £60 made sense to do but I never suffered any temperature issues. the IPD is really just allowing a lot more cold air in which it turn creates more power combined with the exhaust mods giving improved gas exit flow these are two areas that Porsche use to restrict the non flagship models that and a less sporty ecu map , So they are very easy mods to get some of the hidden power back , there are other more complex things they also change to create a GT3 etc but these mentioned will give your car noticeably more beans. And as most of the gains are in the very usable part of the power curve its very noticeable in a fast road car. :grin: :grin: :thumb: interestingly the gen2 which as stock has more BHP than the gen1 actually comes with an 82mm throttle body so Porsche have done some of the same things in the gen2 to release more BHP they then use the plenum on the gen2 to restrict it so IPD sell only the bigger plenum with the V shape to improve smooth intake airflow on the gen2. the stock plenum is T shaped so very restrictive for smooth air flow and the V design is far superior.
:thumb:

PJ997 · 3 Aug 2017

On my 997.2 (non-S) I was looking for something to improve intake noise. At the time I came to the conclusion BMC filters in the standard airbox might be worth a try . . . but wasn't convinced. Any suggestions/experiences? Perhaps I need a full kit with Y pipe (which I can't find on Design 911) or is this a waste of money?

Mods on a 997.1 intake seem a lot easier.

Phil

James M-S · 3 Aug 2017

PJ997 said:
On my 997.2 (non-S) I was looking for something to improve intake noise. At the time I came to the conclusion BMC filters in the standard airbox might be worth a try . . . but wasn't convinced. Any suggestions/experiences? Perhaps I need a full kit with Y pipe (which I can't find on Design 911) or is this a waste of money?

Mods on a 997.1 intake seem a lot easier.

Phil

opcorn:

I don't think there's many of us on here...

Phil 997 · 3 Aug 2017

PJ997 said:
On my 997.2 (non-S) I was looking for something to improve intake noise. At the time I came to the conclusion BMC filters in the standard airbox might be worth a try . . . but wasn't convinced. Any suggestions/experiences? Perhaps I need a full kit with Y pipe (which I can't find on Design 911) or is this a waste of money?

Mods on a 997.1 intake seem a lot easier.

Phil

You are right there is less available for the gen2 re induction , I have fitted 2 BMC filters and it does help the car breath better and increases air flow. I have asked someone who is friends with the director of sparco to look at designing a silicon smooth flow hose to replace the funny corrugated hose that runs from the airbox to the throttle body its a difficult design so not something we can easily fix with some off the shelf silicon hose.
I have settled for the BMCs at the moment as after lots of research on my gen 1 I came to the conclusion the stock airboxes were about as good as it gets for true cold air induction . The other options for the gen 2 are the twin cone Y pipe design fabspeed do one with a carbon panel between the filters and the engine, I honestly cannot see how that will be true cold air as there has to be some warm engine air pulled in which won't damage the engine but will lose power.
But what you can do to the gen2 to give it a nicer sound is fit the haywood and scott rear muffler delete cross over pipes,£430 very well spent and can be easily put back to stock in the future for resale etc.

https://www.haywardandscott.com/porsche/porsche-997-gen-2-centre-silencer-replacement-pipe.html

hope that's some food for thought :thumb: :grin:

PJ997 · 4 Aug 2017

I've already got H&S and PSE . . . . . just a boy racer at heart

Love your new center console and door inserts (on the other thread) . . . can I be rude and ask how much wicked coatings charged you (perhaps PM). My car is aqua metallic and could do with a lift like that.

Phil

Phil 997 · 4 Aug 2017

PJ997 said:
I've already got H&S and PSE . . . . . just a boy racer at heart

Love your new center console and door inserts (on the other thread) . . . can I be rude and ask how much wicked coatings charged you (perhaps PM). My car is aqua metallic and could do with a lift like that.

Phil

I have PMed you Phil :thumb:

lol If you have PSE and the H&S then sound wise you should be pretty happy the BMC filters will be worth fitting not for the sound over the exhaust lol but to help the car breath better and adds a few BHP. :thumb:

nigel99 · 4 Aug 2017

Norfolk & Idea said:
nigel99 said:

If its a Gen 2 then I'd recommend the Hayward and Scott center silencer bypass. Bargain for £400.

Gen 1 id replace the PCM with an aftermarket unit.

Also, either gen, H&R lowering springs will make a noticeable improvement to the stance, especially with the 15mm spacers.

Click to expand...

I love the (lightly) slammed look and 15mm spacers. I made inquiries about it but was told it will compromise handling. Err, so that was the end of that. Open to differing opinions.

I've had the spacers and lowering springs since Christmas and haven't noticed any difference in handling. The spacer make a big difference to the stance. In mod terms they are low cost diy job so if you didn't like them could easy reverse and sell on here. Sometimes I regret lowering because I don't like to hear scrapping when I drive over speed bumps or in car parks. Looks good though

Drew1209 · 4 Aug 2017

Is there any gain swapping out my standard cats for 200 cell items while retaining my standard gundo hacked exhuast

Phil 997 · 5 Aug 2017

Well in theory the gundo is bypassing some of the exhaust therefore increasing gas exit flow , so I see no reason why the 200 cell cats wouldnt further increase the flow as the stock cats must now be the most restrictive part of the system. :thumb:

medmick · 5 Aug 2017

Drew1209 said:
Is there any gain swapping out my standard cats for 200 cell items while retaining my standard gundo hacked exhuast

From Gert Carnewal's website ref 200 cell cats:
"The result is a 10 HP and 10Nm torque increase and a louder and deeper sound"

James M-S · 6 Aug 2017

£11 great mod, remove that minging number plate plinth, and buy a fully legal stick on plate from dmbgraphics.

rob_p · 7 Aug 2017

Drew1209 said:
Is there any gain swapping out my standard cats for 200 cell items while retaining my standard gundo hacked exhuast

I tried this last year. I have gundo (1.5inch pipe) and added 200 cell cats.
BIG mistake (for me at least) - it was far too loud and some nasty resonance etc. I lasted 3 weeks and removed them.

You have been warned.....

Standard cats with gundo is just right IMHO.

Top 5-10 997 Mods for £100-£2,000???

krispe

Monza

Phil 997

Le Mans

P911X50

Nurburgring

Phil 997

Le Mans

PJ997

New member

James M-S

Barcelona

Phil 997

Le Mans

PJ997

New member

Phil 997

Le Mans

nigel99

Mexico City

Drew1209

Spa-Francorchamps

Phil 997

Le Mans

medmick

Monza

James M-S

Barcelona

rob_p

Suzuka

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