Mec's Intro Thread

B7 A4
#159

Hey guys, haven’t been here in a while.

Yeah it’s a long story. But short version is I got bored.

About a year ago I was offered a sizable sum for my built engine and so I sold it, well sold pretty much the entire engine bay, thought I can totally stuff a 2.5 in there and turbo it.

Well sold the 2.0t, bought a 2.5, and then I started a job that had me clenched by the nuts. I was making very little income, much less then when I was running my landscaping business, and I was unable to afford to do an engine swap, but more than that it was also a full time commitment, often taking up to 15 or 16 hours in a day, I had no time. So the car sat for a year. And for a year I went through a dark period where I was very unhappy with my financial situation and just with life, a job like that doesn’t allow for much freedom. Well I quit that job mid December this year and I decided to turn my life around.

Sure enough, I got a job offer that paid better and required much less commitment. So I started thinking maybe now with the new salary I can afford to fix the car, but it’s just not a passion of mine anymore. It’s a 10 year old entry level sedan, it struggles to compete with anything by today’s standards. So I decided to list it for cheap no engine and it looks like it is gonna sell quick.

I’m going to be driving my jap suv for a bit until I can find a car I really like but I’ve been very taken by the 996t, they are a very good deal for the car you get.

Either that or ttrs perhaps, depending on how they retain their value, I can’t justify spending 50k on a ttrs, it’s more like s 30k car to me.

The cool thing is that I’ve gotten a lot of interest in selling the car and three people actually said they would buy it to continue the swap. So maybe someone else will get it done, for now I’m just interested in starting a new chapter in my life.

#160

Good for you making the tough decision to get out of of a bad situation. Lifes too short to be miserable at your job.

#161

So sorry to read this. I just stepped in to give jake some crap for not updating his thread and I saw this. A huge loss for the platform, to loose you. The 2.5 idea was a fantastic idea. One I think many were excited about. Still, life happens and you’ve got to make the right moves that work best for you. Sorry to hear about the obstacles and roadblocks that you had to this point. Life is too short to be miserable in any aspect. It’s good to hear your picking up and moving on and it sounds like you’re going to do fine. I doubt there is, but if there is anything I can do to help, let me know.

#162

glad to see your on a better path and much happier. Sucks to be in that situation. I hope to see you in a TTRS one day and continuing to come here. Best of luck!

#163

I appreciate the kind words, but everyone goes through rough patches, I’m just happy to put this one in the past. I wake up every day with a sense of purpose now and just happy to be awake, happy to have put that stormy cloud behind me.

Car sold yesterday. New owner is going to be putting in a 2.7t into it. His brother(whom I have known from like three years back) also has a 2.7 but in a b6, so hopefully he should have a good idea of how to finish off the swap.

We’ll have to catch up soon it’s been too long. And hey maybe I’ll talk to you about a 996t tune when I finally feel like the car has slowed down :slight_smile:

Thanks for the kind words, I’m sure il be in and out, I’m keeping my eyes on some Audis still. Those 4.0t’s in the s6 and s7 are starting to come down in value, might make a good daily for when my Murano blows up lol.

#164

So did you already pick up the 996 turbo? If so what are your thoughts? I’ve been considering one recently too!

#165

Not yet. I wanted to clear my garage first. The issue right now is that there’s only one for sale in Colorado…so I’m looking at going out of state for one. I’ve driven a few of them though and they are exceptional, comfortable, quiet, insanely fast, yet linear. Honestly you don’t even realize how fast you are going, the power comes on so smooth. Suspension is great, handling and cornering are of the best I’ve felt.

I have two complains with the car.

  1. The steering wheel is gargantuan, and the column doesn’t adjust a ton, so it sits closer to my legs than I would like, but not really in the way, just tight clearances.

  2. It’s too quiet, for being what it is you wouldn’t recognize its potential from the cabin noise. It needs an exhaust for sure. Problem there is all of the cheap exhausts are garbage, and the good ones cost $4k:/

#166

Double post

#167

Buy a used exhaust or make your own.

#168

I’m hoping I can score a used turbo with exhaust and tune. That saves me some money down the road. Pretty common mods so it shouldn’t be too tough especially on forum cars

#169

‘save money’ and 911 usually ends badly.

Put aside $10,000 for problems. If you’re buying a $50,000 car, have $60,000 available. If you’re buying a $30,000 car, have $40,000 available.

The problem with people saying ‘oh I can just DIY any problem that comes along’ is that this is not what Porsche buyers want to hear. You might think you’re ‘saving’ by DIY fixing a problem if it comes up (and you’ll still get murdered on parts) but you’re probably knocking $5,000-$10,000 off your resale value when the service isn’t being done at the dealer.

So either buck up and be ready for problems that you have a certified Porsche tech fix, or buy a car with no service history (because the price will already be impaired).

I know it means nothing whether an astute owner fixes a problem vs. a dealer tech who might be sloppy…you could argue the owner does a better job. However the Porsche buyer market is not the same as the Audi buyer market. You have a majority who only want to see dealer EVERYTHING. Same goes with a Ferrari. Full Ferrari service history adds 10s of thousands of dollars to the price. More accurately, not having it subtracts 10s of thousands.

#170

Somewhat agree. But I would say if you have a certified porsche indy and or performance shops completing all maint, repairs, and even mods you will be fine. Also not sure if you have checked 996 turbo prices but most buyers buy for condition regardless of where it was maintained especially if the vehicle is modified.

On that note well serviced examples plus mods are sometimes actually sold for more than a stock cream puff with porsche only service. I would say the 996 turbo is a little different than pretty much any ferrari. Yes there will be porsche factory addicts who will pay premium for the above, but actually most buyers of these cars that are not collectors are fine with minor or moderate mods and maintenence outside of a porsche dealer. Many porsche folks also steer cleae of the dealer not for cost but they would rather go to a reputable porsche specific indy shop as they think they have more experience.

I would also go out on a limb and say that a “normal” d3 s8 has probably spent more time in service, with higher total labor and parts costs vs. Normally maintained Late model 996 turbo.

Slightly different story but my 08 c6 s6 with 55k miles incurred roughly 9k in maint and repairs over 2 years. Over the same period My 08 cayenne gts with 95k miles cost roughly 2k . Even with another ~$ 2500 pending for normal 115k maint (starter, alternator etc.), that puts me at $4-5k. Again not apples to apples, but yeah. That said I’d gladly own a 996 turbo with an exhaust and tune, I’d also be fine with a stock example. I’d pay more attention to condition attention and service history overall vs. What was done at a porsche dealer or not, or what mods it had. That’s just me though.

Cn: Different strokes for different folks

#171

Show me the labour rate for a ‘certified Porsche indy’, and show me the parts prices, and tell me where this is cheap or allows someone to save money?

I think you missed the entire point of my post. I said that if buying a used Porsche, be ready to pay a massive porsche tax on parts and to an extent labour, or else a huge part of the used marketplace will not embrace your car on resale. Your suggestion of going to a certified porsche indy changes nothing. It’s still expensive as hell, and parts are still as expensive as hell. Thus I suggested keeping a pile of money handy to pay someone to fix it or to be prepared to see the majority of the marketplace not be interested in your car on resale if you DIY it.

Sure you might not care. Good for you. You’re not the part of the marketplace I’m talking about. I’m talking about the people (the majority of Porsche owners are of this ilk) who don’t do anything to their car, and would never consider the fact that a dealership tech is lazy and sloppy, and a committed DIYer might do a better job.

As for your singular example, that’s fantastic. I guess the conclusion is that $2k is the maximum that a Porsche owner will need to spend on repairs and maintenance? I guess my suggestion of keeping $10,000 handy is overblown. Didn’t realise Porsches come with a guaranteed $2,000 maximum repair bill over their lifetime. I will revise my first post on the subject once I see that in writing. Let me guess…nobody in your family ever died young either and you’ll never buy life insurance as a result? Of course reality is that you can run up a $9,000 or $10,000 repair bill on an old Porsche in a heartbeat. My good friend has a Cayenne too ironically (2008 Turbo S) and he has spent $11,000 on repairs, and none of them were trans or engine replacements or anything major. So as we all know, prepare for the worst and be pleasantly surprised by the best is a far better practice than hope for the best and get raped when something else happens.

#172

Yes and no regarding porsche ownership. But it highly depends on WHICH porsche too. There are some platforms I wouldn’t hesitate with, and others I wouldn’t touch with a 10ft pole.

Knock on wood, my 996 Turbo has been one of the most reliable cars I’ve owned and while I’ve done preventative maintenance it hasn’t been that bad imo. It actually in some regards has been much easier to work on then my S4 was. Also, there is a lot of DIY porsche work, especially as you get into older vehicles.

Additionally, Porsche’s values do not plummet with aftermarket parts or track time like most other cars. There are tons of 996/993/987/etc that have seen loads of track time and modifications that still fetch good money.

That said, I’m not discrediting it CAN be an expensive platform. The 996 turbo was ~$140k+ after taxes new. It’s an expensive ass car that was built to be driven and often owned by people that pushed them. AC system, Coolant system, other shit that just breaks and needs repair with age due to hoses etc will be expensive. But at the same time, they didn’t cut corners in some regards when looking at brakes, ducting, etc. It’s what we’ve talked about before regarding the value of a RS5 vs S5.

I do agree though, plan for the worst and be happy about the best outcome.

#173

Mec

As I’ve said before, I’ve loved my Porsche. When I finally sell it, I’ll probably look for an older one (late 80’s) as I just love the lines. If you add a tune, expect $2k, and I wouldn’t even think twice about who go to with. CountVohn personally told me to go to Todd @ Protomotive and he’s hands down the best. Do a tune, exhaust & meth and you’re scary fast (imo) with probably close to 480-500whp. Upgrade to fender intakes, and k24/18g or hybrid k16’s and you’ll be buying tires at an alarming rate (probably close or over 600whp depending on configuration on pump gas). I never even got a “finalized” tune from Todd b/c I’m more than content with my current level. Also, you can get used exhausts for $1200-1600. But if you want a really nice sounding one it will be $4k.

The one big thing to look for is to see if the coolant lines have been “pinned” or “welded”. It requires the motor being dropped. It’s the one weak spot of the Turbo, but it can be fixed. Luckily, the IMS that the non-turbo cars have is not an issue on the Turbo. There was a shop in ATL who used to do the whole gig for $1800 or something so it’s not as bad as it sounds. Great time to do other mods like clutch, injectors, intake, etc. I planned my build around it, dropped the motor with a buddy and a lift, and did the GT2 clutch conversion.

I’ve got a buddy who may sell his 2002 black on black with pss9’s, tune & exhaust (not protomotive but still) with ~70k on it. He’d probably try to get high 30’s. But you can find lots of options out there. Look on 6speedonline for one already modded if you want.

There are a lot of days I miss my S4. It was very custom and I had a lot of personal involvement in the build of it. But at the same time, there are not many days that I would trade my turbo for it. The sound of the S4 is the thing I miss more than anything. But the driving experience of the turbo more than makes up for it.

For modding reference I took a bone stock one:
-Catless Fabspeed used exhaust $1200
-triple carbon clutch & LW flywheel $2k
-60# injectors $400? can’t remember
-Hybrid k16 turbos $1500 without core return (~$500 value I didn’t take)
-Meth kit $700
-Tune $2k
So that’s a bit shy of $8k (plus install). And that took a bone stock Turbo (420 crank hp) to a potential of ~600whp safely which several in similar configurations have run low 11’s at high 120’s on pump in street trim.

I will say, I went with the hybrid turbo’s b/c I wanted less lag and more low in response. The guys that go for the k24/20g get up to 650whp safely with supporting mods for about the same price, and set higher trap speeds and dyno numbers, but obviously give up some on the low end.

Again, not at all trying to argue it’s the cheapest or best platform to get 550+whp out of, because its not. You’re unquestionably going to pay the “porsche tax”. But I enjoy the car and it’s what I wanted from the car. So, to me, it made a lot of sense and I’ve gotten a lot of enjoyment out of it.

#174

^nice write up. Porscherevolution?

#175

Wow thanks for all the advice!

I definitely started looking into tuning and mods although I’ll most likely keep it stock for a year or two aside from exhaust and a tune. But I was shocked to learn that the gt2 and turbo s basically run a factory turbo kit upgrade. K24’s seem to be preferable to my tastes over gt28’s from what I’ve read, though ball bearing turbos are much nicer in my experience.

I’ve been looking at kleine, and euro pipe, both exhausts are about $4k but I’ve got my fingers crossed to find a turbo with a nice exhaust for sale.

As for parts and service, my roommate works at the local Porsche indie. They’ve got a great reputation, and he offered to help me out with parts and labor however he can. Though it doesn’t appear that working on this car is that hard. I’ll probably do a lot of the work myself, I’m not too worried about the resale value.

It’s a car after all. And I’m a driving driver. I’m not about to buy a Porsche to keep in my garage 360 days out of the year, I’m buying it to drive it and understand that implies wear, tear, and a decrease in value for an exchange of smiles

#176

PinoyS4 on here had a turbo’d Porsche (cant remember which one) and is a Porsche tech. I remember he did a lot of upgrades to it so he may be someone to get in touch with as well

#177

Good tip! I’ll see if I can get in touch with him.

#178

I’d look into “markski” for exhaust work and off the shelf options.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160221/9203a52cab929a7d2909b3a7670f763c.jpg

He is a dealer for Protomotive, but where Protomotive majorly misses the mark in advertising/forum posts/community, that’s where markski picks up. He was a big Protomotive customer who then opened a shop or something along those lines. But he’s gone through the paces and set a lot of the 1/4 records out there.

The appeal of stock is nice, but when you start modding, just set an actual goal and what you want. Too many of these cars get built into 1000+ ho machines bc it’s too easy to say “well, while I’m doing X, I might as well do Y” lol.

The stock block will do 650whp all day, the weak spot is the rods and tq. That’s where tial28 and even hybrids can push it too far. The bigger turbos like k24/18 push the the curve later and safer for stock block. But the right tune is all that matters. The hybrids I have are REALLY a lot of fun lol, and can be had for $2k + core vs $4 k for a GT setup, or $3.5k for k24/18. But the real factor is ANYTHING past just a tune & meth puts the stock injectors past their limit, and Please skip the fuel pressure regulator (for) bandaid. Just do new injectors.

I also completely agree about it being a drivers car. I drive mine in all conditions, and honestly drive it almost more in the winter than the summer. I love my jeep a lot and the summer is when it shines with the soft top and doors off.

Anyhow, keep us posted and glad to help however possible!