I have had many salvage title cars.Have 2 now.Never had a problem with insurance. Title is a piece of paper with one different word on it. I buy cars,not paper. There are lots of badly repaired clear title cars out there and ones with 'washed' titles.
Usually Salvage title cars are 1/2 KBB. That is a lot of spare change for the modification budget.
Never had a problem selling them.Keep in touch with the buyers.Obviously you have to know what you are doing.

Amen........

Yes, perhaps that works for you, but I don't think you are in the middle of the bell curve on this one. I'm guessing that folks that are contemplating the idea of a V8 in their boxster are DEFINITELY looking for an HP gain. I have ridden in a 500 hp boxster, and it IS AMAZING! Yes, would be worth every penny of $20k. No, i don't need 500, but as stated elsewhere, 400 seems like a reasonable minimum. Honestly, if there is no HP gain, it's a lot cheaper to surf craigs list and just buy a different used boxster.

I also doubt there is any realistic way to get this to work in CA, so it is mostly academic anyway :-(

Go here and read about the Boxster V8 conversion kit. Even they say forget the base model.

Renegade Hybrids

"50 state smog legal emissions options while still enhancing performance!"

Yeah, nice guys over there, but I'd take what they print with an entire salt lick. They, when pushed, couldn't point to one successful CA smog legal car. If there is one, it's news to me...

That said - does ANYONE know of a CA smog legal Boxster that has had a non-stock engine swap? Now THAT would be an interesting conversation...

I'm thinking: man, it's a shame that people have to make Frankensteins out of their Porsches because Porsche has no viable alternative.

I'm hoping my motor last a long time as I'm dropping some coin on it right now to get some more power out of it, but when the time comes a V8 would be awesome. An LS-3 engine is very reliable, has lots of power, cheaper maintenance, hopefully cheaper to buy when my motor does kick the bucket, and the sound of a V8 coming out of this car would be sweet.

Will yous also offer parts separate? I maybe interested in the wiring harness and flywheel/ clutch kit.

500hp ? Insurance? Smog test in CA? Impractical.
I am not a rich man. I'll stick with salvage title ,less than300hp,reasonable insurance cost, fewer tickets. The cost of 400+ hp is a fantasy.And for that kind of money I have more interesting fantasies & imagination?

Audi Kit
 

I too am interested. My 01 Box S is waiting patiently for a heart transplant. I am evaluating the LS, Audi, Subaru or just an EBAY PMotor. Each has pros and cons. Will the Audi bolt right up to my 6 speed? Is there a source for mounts or do I have to make my own? What about ECM? A kit would be nice!

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/x...pscze7dmdz.jpg
The audi 4.2 or 2.7 will bolt up to a boxster 5 speed with no problems but the 6 speed doesn't have a provision for the audi starter. The 5 speed is on the right, 6 on the left

Hi,

has anybody checked if Mercedes engines will fit? I ask, because Porsche used NAG1 AT transmissions for the 928, 996 and 997. So in general it also should fit for the Boxster engines.

The M112 and M113 defintely do have another engine charasteristic than the Porsche engines. But they are cheap and reliable compared to the Audi engines. And they use a similar Bosch Motronic version.

Regards from germany
Markus

Removed wrong pictures

Exactly! That's why a V8 conversion would likely not be your cup o tea...

The 722.653 is the 996 transmission. It can handle up to 800 Nm of torque.
The 772.657 is the 997 trasmission. It can handle up to 920 Nm torque.

Both AT transmissions are built by Mercedes-Benz and run a MB AMG software.

I think the shoud fit to Mercedes M112 and M113 engines if you use the front torque converter housing and maybe the torque converter of the MB transmission. But i can not validate that. It's just an idea.

@ KRAM36: On your pitures is the torque converter missing.

I just pulled those pics from an eBay listing.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Porsche-911-996-Twin-Turbo-Transmission-Tiptronic-Automatic-2001-2005-A96-50-/171242163787?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories &hash=item27ded40e4b&vxp=mtr

Actually this is what mine should look like. The other was from a 911 and this one is from a Boxster. Looks to be more common to the 5 speed on the right.

http://i61.tinypic.com/qnpah3.jpg
http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/x...pscze7dmdz.jpg

Also looked at another Boxster Tiptronic and it had this on it.

http://i58.tinypic.com/196qg4.jpg

1. Dismissing California Smog rules is short sighted. Other States seem to blindly adopt them. So I suggest the availability of a CA smog compliant engine is vital.There are Audi V8 Ca smog compliant engines.
2.The insurance issue is another hurdle. If an insurer 'sees' a massive increase in engine displacement and power it will be prohibitively expensive to insure . The alternative is to 'forget' to tell them .That is the same as no insurance +fraud+ unlimited personal liability.Not good if you own a home.
There is a milquetoast solution:
The Audi A6 3.0/ 3.2l 32 valve FSI V6 from the A6.255hp. On paper it would pass Smog,be insurable, fit easily(shorter but 1/2" taller than the 3.2 flat 6),same bolt pattern?
It may not be exciting but it is practical and highly tuneable.

I don't think my insurance company would care less about what engine is in it. They pretty much base insurance off your age, driving record and the value of the car.

Try calling your insurance company and telling them what you are planning to do.Then report back with the name of the insurance company if they "don't much care". As the owner of an over-powered hot rod car ,I would love to know. You can get away with it on much older cars as 'agreed value/collector car/less than 3000milesper year type policies-as I do with full disclosure.But not on a regular insurance policy.
That means in effect you are uninsured if you do not declare complete details of the modification in writing to the Insurance Co.
Just google Insurance+disclosure material+fact,insurance fraud.
Penalties For Driving Without Insurance - Auto Insurance Guide at DMV.org: The DMV Made Simple
There are a few very specialized Insurance Brokers who do this work ,but they are very expensive.
It is misleading to suggest otherwise.

There is nothing in your link that suggest putting a V8 in a Boxster will cause you to not have insurance. Insurance is cheap on these cars, you can do just as much damage with the current engine that's in. A V8 isn't going to matter.

"Just google Insurance+disclosure material+fact,insurance fraud."
What did you find?

BTW,I actually agree with your rationalization about the V8. But that is irrelevant.
All that matters is the Insurance Co. policy. And that is very clear regarding 'material facts'.

So since I'm putting a 987 air box, 996 76mm TB and a 997 Distribution T in my car, also did the crios mod, but will be putting headers, cat delete pipes and a Borla muffler on my car I need to notify my insurance company of this?

Ask your insurance company.Why do you ask personal advice?
Please understand the Insurance Co. objective when presented with a claim is to avoid paying it.You are helping them in that objective if there is the slightest opportunity to avoid paying. The worst part-they have and lots of practice at this game and they wrote the policy you signed.

You're the one giving personal advice on insurance, don't turn the table on me. People mod their cars all the time almost to the point of not being street legal and the insurance company still covers the claims.

I do however need to speak with my insurance company tomorrow and I will run the V8 swap by them.

"I do however need to speak with my insurance company tomorrow and I will run the V8 swap by them."
Smart move.
The Insurance company that I deal with would ask :
1. submit photos of the installed mods
2. submit a list of all of them
3. Get a certified mechanics inspection report.
It is a nuisance to do this but if the work is done to a professional standard(that is their prerogative to judge-not mine) ,they will just give a small increase in premium and a disclaimer that they won't pay for replacing/repairing your upgrades in case of a total loss/damage. They may offer third party only. Much depends on your history/relationship with the Broker.He may be able to suggest other carriers that are more lenient.
Just my experience-I hope this helps

Any more info on the swap? will you be making the independent throttle body assemblies?

What Happened To The OP This thread started almost a year ago.
 

Sure wish something was going on on the Audi V8 front in addition to the LS swap. Just seems a bit cleaner with no KEP adapter, axle geometry a bit more inline to stock etc. Although following LS376 trials and tribs with the Renegade Kit (which is a LONG way from being a kit) is great fun. Can't wait to see John fire that baby up as it's getting close. Nerv any progress, news anything ????

+1
The six is still running strong but when it dies I want this. Mrmiatanuts boxster sounds awesome
V8 Porsche Boxster Video by mrmiatanut | Photobucket

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to stop in and give a quick report on the Boxster V8 kit being developed.

First, this is definitely getting finished so no worries there. Right now the electrical systems are being matched so the OBD and gauges work fully as OEM intended as well as the EVAP system. The EVAP system uses a slightly different air leak monitoring system so we are trying to keep the Boxster as stock as possible while still keeping the Audi ECU completely satisfied that everything is functioning as stock, because it will be! No resistors or funny maps to get rid of emissions systems here.

We have decided this project is going to be completed in two stages:

One is simply a stock Audi engine with the appropriate adapters to fit in the car. This is not only going to be the cheaper option but it will also offer reliability this car has never seen, and believe it or not, that is actually one of the main reasons why we feel this is worth investing in.

The second will be the dry sump, independent throttle bodied version with more expensive and elaborate components. This will be developed after the initial stage is done and we can start getting these kits out there for people that just want a better solution to the failure prone flat six. This IS the best IMS fix... no IMS at all, +100HP

The Boxster is a unique car in that it handles great and is special enough that no one wants to see it crushed, and yet no so exotic that people wouldn't mind swapping a different engine into it. Even the purists can't ignore that the Cayenne engine is based of an Audi V8, and the Boxster comes from factory with an Audi transmission. The Climate control module is the same as the unit used in an A6 from the same time frame. (We did a 5 cylinder TDI 01E 6-speed quattro manual swap to a V6 automatic A6 wagon before this project, had to practically rewire the whole car to make it work as factory).

When this is finished it will have several in house machined billet and cast parts that bolt on to allow the engine to fit as intended into the Porsche chassis. We have put quite a bit of time into this project with the designing and pattern making and will give you guys further updates as it progresses. We really hope to retain the intake by machining a new throttle body with the same design but different shape to suit the boxster engine bay. We are still working on the 3D models for this.

Hopefully the vehicle will be ready in less than two months. Thanks to everyone that has shown interest so far, we really hope everyone appreciates the efforts we go to make this a professional kit when it is finished. The intent is that no one would suspect it was modified if they were to look at it, it will look pretty stock.

If you are interested in this project please come on and voice your thoughts! We really value your feedback, even if you are only pointing out how much you would like to go this route yourself.

Dave
Nerv

Just a quick note to clarify on the electrical:

The Audi ECU will be used instead of the DME, and the custom engine harness will hook up to both the Audi ECU and the two Porsche (technically BMW) connectors in the trunk.

Gauges and all electrical systems will work as normal. Key immo will be lost but at least if the immo module in the car gets wet at least you can still start the car! Remote key lock and unlock functions will be retained as before.

This is being made a complete kit that will have a list of parts that need to be sourced from the donor Audi vehicle. It will have many custom machined parts, both cast and billet as required, as well as the custom wiring harness and flywheel. Many parts will be able to be sourced elsewhere, such as the clutch.

We will keep you posted as the car nears completion.

Dave
Nerv

One last note for today on our V8 kit design.

We have been contacted by several people in regards to what we think the price will wind up being for the kit that is developed. It is early to say but the price will likely be higher than the kit offered for installing the LSx engines, but the engine itself will be much cheaper to source and most importantly, no modifications will need to be performed to the vehicle in any way shape or form. Anything that will not work with the Audi V8 will be simply unbolted and replaced with a component in the kit that will work. Installation will be much cheaper and faster. Every component required will be able to be supplied from us, including the exhaust system.

Essentially this kit will be able to be removed and the car made completely stock if so desired. We do our design work up front so the installer doesn't have to fabricate.

More to follow soon.

Dave
Nerv

Following. Very attractive proposition.

This has got me totally interested.

Started hunting for a roller.

Any chance this will work in a Cayman?

Rally Car?

Oh My:matchup:

What's the best donor car candidate for the conversion? Will it work with both 32 and 40 valve V8?
What donor will give the greatest potential HP ? Please give model, model yr etc.

I have a M96 engine with no IMS ball bearing. Nothing too hard about that.

Merv,

I have a 1999 Boxster base 5-speed. I would be the prime market for such swap. And I would seriously be interested if my bearing goes, if it does, in a few years. Even if the cost is $10,000 or about, I would be interested. But less is best Plus this means I am encouraging a Canadian company!

The proposed HP is fine by me. I want reliability and drivability. HP is not a priority for me and at near 50, insurance is low. So I am following development seriously.

Another Canadian keeping an eye on this. I'm not there yet either but I'm a catastrophic engine failure away!

Where are you guys at with showing the conversion? Here you said you were 2 months away, in a pm you mentioned early August. It's almost Sept. And for folks like me in Michigan , and you in Canada I guess we wait til next spring. More timely updates would be appreciated or actual photos of progress would be even better.

+1 for progress pics! Also will parts be available separately or just as a kit?

Looking at having this done in the UK shortly. Do you have a contact email/company website?