Is a "Tracked" Car a Negative?

[BoxMann]

A lot of street cars receive a severe daily beating by the owner whereas a car that has been to the track a few times might have lived a fairly easy life.

Given the amount of money they spent on upgrading the front suspension, I kinda think it's been to the track more than "a few times".

Originally Posted by thstone

It really depends on the owner and how they drove it. Unfortunately, that info is most often nearly impossible to know.

Exactly. Just what I was thinking as I was reading your post.

[steved0x]

Originally Posted by BoxMann

I have some additional info on the car and maybe someone can help me with this.

I understand that the car has "H&R Springs, RSS Billet Aluminum LCAs, monoball ends and spherical bearings"

I know the LCAs are for camber adjustment, but can someone tell me what the rest of that means?

Also, there's a note there that says these upgrades are "causing slight MVH". Don't know what that acronym is or what that statement means.

Thanks.

You can remove those RSS LCA without too much trouble (maybe 2 hours of shop labor, most likely they are just on the front) and replace with OEM LCA (Meyle ~$100 x 2) and get a new alignment, and then sell the RSS LCA and come out decently ahead in terms of $$$. You can sell them to me, I am getting a Cayman and will be adding something similar to that one, once I get it that is ) If you are close to FL I will help you swap them out.

NVH - I have got spherical bearings everywhere except the castor bushing which is still the stock rubber (where you have a solid bushing in the RSS) and it isn't too bad. I don't think it will bother you, but then I have been gradually adding on racy bits to mine over time so it may have snuck up on me. Have you done a test drive? Or is this a remote car?

[jsceash]

Maybe I'm not the average guy, but here we go, I track my car regularly. I change oil after almost every event. Depending on time between events I swap brake pads. Not that I have to, but I pay about $550 for a complete set of track pad. Why wear them down on the street when $120 a set pads will do. Every major part of the car is checked and recheck. A safety inspection is required for every track weekend. My engine was totally rebuilt in the winter of 2011 and 2015. It might come out again this spring before my first track event. It's called piece of mind. I don't buy cheap junk part.

I guess what I'm trying to say is the car is mechanically more sound because I track it than most street only cars.

[BoxMann]

Originally Posted by steved0x

You can remove those RSS LCA without too much trouble (maybe 2 hours of shop labor, most likely they are just on the front) and replace with OEM LCA (Meyle ~$100 x 2) and get a new alignment, and then sell the RSS LCA and come out decently ahead in terms of $$$. You can sell them to me, I am getting a Cayman and will be adding something similar to that one, once I get it that is ) If you are close to FL I will help you swap them out.

That thought crossed my mind -- that those parts might be valuable to a guy who tracks. Ditto for the springs, I think. Would it make sense to do that for the springs too? I don't need a lowered suspension.

Have you done a test drive? Or is this a remote car?

The car is 900 miles away. But I was thinking of possibly just flying there on a day trip to test drive it to see how it feels, and if it's ok, maybe then do the PPI. Of course, there's more expense going that route.

With all that said, this ain't the only used Boxster S around, and I'm in no big hurry to buy one. I could buy one this week or I could buy one in two months, I don't care. This may not be worth all the bother.

[mikefocke]

Seems to me that that amount of mods means the owner was pretty serious and went well beyond DE days. You make these mods if lap times matter. Is there any record of mods to the oil pumps, the oil pan/sump, baffles and the like? Any recent oil analysis?

[BYprodriver]

I would ask the owner what oil he uses and then search the forum for it's suitability.

[Xpit77]

Most of the time track cars have decent upgrades but and its a big one . Is it top of the line upgrades or Flea Bay and who did them ? If your someone who has done their own upgrades you will know. My 986 had a couple that I was OK with.The last Porsche I had a 944s, had a ton of upgrades and was setup for track and street,in that order, by the PO. I sold in 2 days online..