The (996) Wheels are in Motion
 

I visited my car in the hospital today...

http://www.kryzak.com/storage/986-bodyshop-boxster.jpg


http://www.kryzak.com/storage/986-04-996-light.jpg


http://www.kryzak.com/storage/986-04-996-bumper.jpg


http://www.kryzak.com/storage/986-04-996-fender.jpg

sweeeet dude.
how much is it costing total for such conversion btw?

It's gonna look good. I can't wait to see it complete.

Can you let me know all the parts involved? I've talked to Sunset and they can't tell me everything that is needed since they haven't done one. I know you need lights, fenders, fender liners and bumper. Those are pretty straight forward. It's the little pieces that I need to know so I can order all of those as well.

Thanks,
David

Your a very lucky guy. So how are the fenders reallyyyyy different? You have seen both, and you can tell us what seperates them.

Very exciting. Can't wait to see the finished product.

djomlas, I don't know the cost of the conversion yet. When it's all done I'll do my best to run the numbers for you. I'm quite curious myself.

David_J, as the reconstruction process begins, I'll know more about the parts. You've got the basics down: fenders, fender liners, bumper, & lights. Add to that headlight retainer, headlight wiring harness, and bumper retainer. More parts to come I'm certain, many of which I won't know the names to. For example, the yellow highlighted parts in this picture:

http://www.kryzak.com/storage/986-mysterypart.jpg


boggtown, I believe the only difference in the fenders from the 986 to the 02-04 996 is how much the inner area of the fender extends to the front. It's hard to explain, so hopefully these pictures will help.

http://www.kryzak.com/storage/986-fenderheight1.jpg

Notice the space from the yellow line to the top of the logo.
The inner area of the lights are taller (they go further back),
so the fender must be shorter.

http://www.kryzak.com/storage/986-fenderheight2.jpg
(Side note: the cost of the 2 different fenders is identical)


I, too, look forward to seeing -nay, DRIVING the finished product! I was told it will be ready by the end of next week. I suspect that's a little optimistic, but I'd rather have them go slow and get it right, then rush to meet a deadline. If I can get up there to take more pictures during the process, I'll be sure to post them.

12-12-06 Updates
 

Hood repaired
Fenders installed
Add to the list of conversion parts needed: Fuel Door

http://www.kryzak.com/storage/986-bodyshop-3.jpg

It's impressive to me the repairs they've done to the hood.
http://www.kryzak.com/storage/986-bodyshop-2.jpg

I cannot wait to see the lights in place! I'm just waiting on a wiring harness for that, then it should be smooth sailing from there.

While it's out of service, you might as well go ahead and lower it. C'mon, you know you want to. If you order now, your suspension could be there before the paint is even dry. ;)

I hope you didnt buy a fuel door yet because I would get the hamann fuel door. That thing is so nice looking, and on silver itd look awesome. You could get it molded in and everything.

http://www.tuni.ru/PORSCHE-996-13-096-128.jpg

http://www.seriouswheels.com/pics-2006/2006-Hamann-Porsche-997-Detail-Fuel-Cap-1280x960.jpg

How do you spell :barf: ? A Civic, maybe. Jeph's Porsche? Oh Hell no.

http://www.seriouswheels.com/pics-2006/2006-Hamann-Porsche-997-Detail-Fuel-Cap-1280x960.jpg

Hey, I think it looks pretty good. And no ricer is gonna shell out $500 for a hamann gas lid either. Most cars are comming stock like that now adays. Reminds me of the old AC cobras and vettes.

I don't like the boy-racer fuel door. I'm all about subtle improvements. That kinda thing works on muscle-ish cars, but not the svelte lines of the Boxster (in my opinion).

Grizzly, it's funny you should mention lowering it. The past week I've been contemplating it. After staring at my artist rendition for a while -which is a lowered version, it looks like my car has got a lift kit.

http://www.kryzak.com/storage/986-bodyshop-lowering.jpg

I've even gone as far as to price it out. The guys at RUF Auto Centre will do it for $660 (labor) $140 (alignment) + the cost of springs. RUF springs are $500. I could go Gemballa for $400, or Eibach for $250-300. I'd like to get RUF springs, but I don't want to spend $1300+ on lowing the car. I still have more shopping around for lowering costs. But I do want to lower it now.

The Carerra Lights, '02 front end, silver hood badge, and lowered. The package will be complete.

My S is already so low that it scrapes when I pull into the garage, and I know from experience that the front spoiler is lower than the top of a dead skunk. I can't see lowering it any more than that...am I missing something?

01-09-07 Updates
 

Fenders, bumper, & hood painted.

http://www.kryzak.com/storage/986-bodyshop-4.jpg
^ Looks like they got my lift kit installed.

http://www.kryzak.com/storage/986-bodyshop-5.jpg
^ Just behind that glass fortress, multple parts for the car are incubating to perfection. You can barely see the bumper.

Just a few days to go...

_________________________
no baiting or instigating allowed, please!!

man thats gonna look sweet

Jeph,

I noticed the pics in this thread show your car without the hardtop. Just curious if you removed it before it went to the bodyshop or if they removed it for some reason?

ddb

ddb, the hardtop is safe at home in the garage. I figured it would just get in the way of repairs & painting.

jeffsquire (jephsquire would be cooler), you're too late, I've already taken Grizzly's bait... after my finances recover from this upgrade (and the Acura TL I just bought), a lowering will be required. Grizzly even forced me to get the silver hood badge! The nerve of that guy.

Yeah, he didn't want to do it. I was twisting his arm the whole way!

add skirting and the car will look lower. Just enough to give it a better appearance.
Lowering is such a big expense and such a gamble.. not a mod to go cheap on. Seems crazy to spend more on labor than the actual parts.
I'd save up for the full coil over Bilstein PSS9 set up if you are going to fork over $600 for an install. The ride height possibilities are limitless.

Limitless? Or adjustable within a certain degree, lol. Im still thinking of the ROW M30 suspension, but if I had the cash, Id get the PSS9s.

well I meant ride height and rebound combinations being limitless...
But I hear ya its an expensive mod indeed, but there's no getting around that $600 install fee unless you are handy and have a friend to kill 6 hours with.

I driven all manner of lowered cars and I'd say most were enjoyable for the first hour and a half. And these were all manner of VERY PRICEY set ups. I also spent very big sums experimenting with custom shock mounts and spring rates.
Lowering a car is a performance mod and should not be done just for looks.
With your average set up the car will take a substantial beating over its lifetime
due to less travel. Things come loose, rattle etc.

Ya, I hear ya. I just love when I see an old oldsmobile slammed driving down the road. Cause every time it hits a bump I see the the thing bounce like crazy, lol. So don't skimp on the shocks.

http://www.kryzak.com/storage/986-bodyshop-2.jpg

^ I'm wondering if that fender gap between the tire is due to the weight of the front bumper and headlights not being on the car. Is the car sitting on anything? Those two parts parts aren't that heavy but...
p.s.
did they put the cover back on your cabin filter? Those body shops are toxic..

You know Jeph, I should have mentioned this earlier but I wouldn't have put an emblem on the hood. I would have gone GT3 RSR style and put a Porsche sticker over the silver base coat and have them clear over it. That would be awesome. And easier to wax, and more aerodynamic.

01-10-07 Updates
 

Another trip to the shop today. Wow, we are getting close.

http://www.kryzak.com/storage/986-bodyshop-6.jpg

http://www.kryzak.com/storage/986-bodyshop-7.jpg

http://www.kryzak.com/storage/986-bodyshop-8.jpg

http://www.kryzak.com/storage/986-bodyshop-9.jpg

http://www.kryzak.com/storage/986-bodyshop-10.jpg

Yep, it's a bit late to do the GT3 emblem, but that is/was an interesting idea.

The gap in the wheel well is exaggerated because there aren't any fender liners in yet. In addition to that, my wheels have a layer of light colored dust. That black color goes a long way.

One of the reasons I choose this particular bumper was because it looks good without skirting. Any other bumper would have required me to get skirts -and that's something I just don't want for this car. I'm very particular about my car's lines. And although the skirting for Boxsters is pretty smooth, it's just not what I want/like.

I can't believe the radiators are that big behind the front bumper !

Amazing. Thanks for the pics. Should look great when it is done !

Look forward to the finished product...

Nick

cool, what are they doing with that 308 in the back?

How much lower than stock does the front bumper sit? Seems to me
you might have to add the skirting, it may look too top heavy when viewed
from the side. Like a whole fish that was eaten down to the scales!

PerfectLap, I don't remember seeing any damage on that 308, so I'm not sure what they're doing to it. Maybe just some kind of restoration project.

Go check out some pix of an '02-'04 Carrera. Those don't need skirts with their stock bumper. That's why I choose the stock Carrera bumper. It doesn't look-top heavy. The height, or ground clearance, is pretty much the same. (What's cool under this new bumper is the liners below the car now have these scoop-like ducts that guide the air flow to cool the front brakes!)

Now then, I'm off to go pick up my car RIGHT NOW!

Alright, just in time for the rain and ice this weekend. Be careful!. Can't wait to see the finished product.

We are waiting...very high expectations...... :dance:

uuuuh the critical hour. This is where allot people fall asleep at the wheel: when picking up the car at the auto. Looks like Jeph has spent allot of time eyeballing the car but most see all the changes and say WOW I LOVE IT!! and then they get home and see the overspray, paint running, dust under the clear coat and missing parts! I've had to take cars back to body shop several times because it didn't pass muster.
anyhooo...the car looks great already Jeph. As for the skirting I think the 996 911 rear bumper sits lower than the Boxsters which is higher off the ground than most people realize. If the front bumper is now sitting lower than stock it creates kind of a weird side view. give it some time drive it around, play with the photoshop and think about it. Skirting makes every car look lower.

both on stock suspensions
no Skirting (looks jacked up?)
http://images.andale.com/f2/126/116/...3/DSC00007.JPG

Skirting (notice how it looks lower?)
http://photos2.ebizautos.com/1093/1356143_3.jpg

Alright, where are the updated pics?

with the skirts only middle of the car looks low, not front and back, so no skirts would be just fine IMO

Agreed. To me, what makes a lowered car look good is not how close to the ground it appears. It's how proportionate the gap in the wheel well looks. Plus, a lowered car has the illusion of being wider as well.

On to the car...
First off, I am very frustrated with the weather. My drive home from the shop was nerve-racking. Second, I can't take any good pictures of the car because it's in the confines of the garage -where it looks like it may stay for the next couple of days. I could show you a frontal picture, but I might as well be showing you a Carrera, 'cuz there's no major difference. Lastly, I don't like pictures of my car without the hardtop -like a bald man without his toupee. At any rate, I'll show you a teaser for now. (More will come later on a separate post)

http://www.kryzak.com/storage/986-conversion-teaser.jpg

So how does it look? Epic! I'm extremely excited about it. There are a couple of minor issues to adjust next week but over all, I am thrilled. This shop does a great job.

I've been following this silently, and I must say I am very impressed with the conversion. From the teaser, the car looks GREAT! Good job, and I hope you get some well-deserved sunny days soon.

JPOG

We (Mid America) used to have a 97 with the same conversion but with a turbo front bumper with a 3.4L in the back and obviously some other mods . It was sold a few mo back...