Boxster V8

[Dlirium]

Great! Always looking for a viable alternative for when my 3.2 eventually goes...a few questions and comments tho..

1) Who is "we"? is this something you've done before with other platforms?

2) Agreed with Deserion - why not go with the cheaper, smaller, lighter LS-x platform? there is even an e-ROD smog compliant version you might be able to work in for those of us in the US that require it

3) I think you should target the S models, they have the 6 speed tranny that can actually accommodate the HP increases we'd like to see. 350 hp is a little light if one is going through all the trouble of a V8 swap anyway. Might as well get the HP as well - especially if these are going to be dedicated track cars.

4) Price point will be very important to differentiate from others in this space. With a lower HP and less "accessible" (Audi vs Chevy) option, I'd be very interested in the "bang for buck" alternative you are proposing.

Looking forward to updates! I have been seriously considering this change for quite some time and would love to see another option!! Please post updates frequently...

[Topless]

With any conversion, the devil is in the details and there are a LOT of details with these cars. Early on in my ownership I looked hard at conversion options. My goals are:

More power, completely street legal in Commiefornia, and dead nuts reliable. Cost was less important if I could accomplish the other three.

So far, none of the conversions look viable for my needs. Several do make more power and are suitable for track use if you can find a reasonable competition class to run where you won't be classed with Grand Am Cup cars or Ford GTs. Getting a conversion past the CA smog nazis is the greatest hurdle and would probably require a large cash donation to the governor's favorite charity .

Reliability has also been a big issue with most conversions. The new engine runs fine but takes out transaxles or has other gremlins associated with the chassis electronics interface. This results in a lot of quality time in the cold pits diagnosing and repairing problems while all my friends are out driving. This doesn't work for me as I find my joy turning the steering wheel rather than turning wrenches. It nullifies the primary reason for considering a conversion in the first place. I want a reliable car, not a continuous science project.

Solve these issues and you just might have something.

[Nerv]

Ahh the details:

With this conversion being very involved on the electrical side of things, we have been putting quite a bit of effort in this area early on. It looks like we will be able to retain the OBD of the Audi as well as the emissions systems in hopes of appealing to California Boxster owners.

The main challenge has been having the car behave as though the engine was always intended to be in the car. We now are pretty confident we'll be able to do exactly that. Making adapters that will not involve any Porsche wiring alterations is one of our goals, with the exception of the new engine harness of course.

We'll keep you posted as the car comes together.

[Dlirium]

Originally Posted by Nerv

Ahh the details:

With this conversion being very involved on the electrical side of things, we have been putting quite a bit of effort in this area early on. It looks like we will be able to retain the OBD of the Audi as well as the emissions systems in hopes of appealing to California Boxster owners.

The main challenge has been having the car behave as though the engine was always intended to be in the car. We now are pretty confident we'll be able to do exactly that. Making adapters that will not involve any Porsche wiring alterations is one of our goals, with the exception of the new engine harness of course.

We'll keep you posted as the car comes together.

Great to get an update! I know there are a bunch of us out there quite interested in what we can do with our cars when (not if) the engine dies. Prefer not to make them boat anchors...

Price point will be key - having a somewhat "turnkey" solution for under $15k is probably what is needed. Remember, these are going into cars (especially the older 2.5's) at are worth about half that - less if the engine is dead. That's always been the hard pill to swallow. Putting an engine in a car that is 2x the price of the car. There is a BEAUTIFUL 2003 with 65k miles on the board for like $16k. That's really your competition. Sell the broken car for $4k and for a net out of pocket of $12k, you have a Boxster S in great shape.

I REALLY want something that will be CA legal, and unfortunately suspect there won't be a way to do this in CA. If it was a pre-1996 (OBD I) car, we likely could (see eRod LS engines). But I can't imagine CA letting this one go without MANY hoops. This is really the ONLY reason I haven't done the Renegade conversion.

That said, i'm in line for mine :-)