Most bang for your buck.

[maestro]

Okay, I know this has been done to death, but my search-fu is weak today apparently.

What I want to know is what performance upgrades give the most bang for the buck on a 2500 dollar budget. I've got a 97 box, 2.5L. Any and all help would be appreciated. Thanks

[Blkboxster]

if you can spend a little more money a turbocharger is the best, but if your stuck with only $2500 you can get abit, but not much power, remember the boxster isnt meant for straight line performance, i would do the following

Headers
Exhaust
suspension
De- snorkel FREE
chip

and you should stay within your budget

[maestro]

What kind of chip? Can I do the install myself? Just curious about the install, I like to do everything I can do myself, myself. What kind of gains am i likely to see with these mods? Already de-snorkled. Why a turbo instead of a supercharger?

[Blkboxster]

Originally Posted by maestro

What kind of chip? Can I do the install myself? Just curious about the install, I like to do everything I can do myself, myself. What kind of gains am i likely to see with these mods? Already de-snorkled. Why a turbo instead of a supercharger?

you get much more power with a turbo charger. its more logical to get the exhasut headers and then do the chip, powerchip.com

[Blkboxster]

lol didnt see the other part of your question

headers- 12hp
exhasut- 5hp
chip- 8 hp
de-snorkel maybe 1hp

turbo alot of hp

I recommend buying:

1) a great set of new tires for about $1,000
2) about 300 gallons of gas for $1,500


drive....drive....drive!

[Blkboxster]

Originally Posted by bmussatti

I recommend buying:

1) a great set of new tires for about $1,000
2) about 300 gallons of gas for $1,500


drive....drive....drive!

yep thats probably a better idea

[maestro]

have no fear, I drive it all the time.

[Blkboxster]

Originally Posted by maestro

have no fear, I drive it all the time.

instead of performance

why not get some new suspension rims and lower it?

[Jeph]

Nitrous, that's what most of us on this forum use.

[Kirk]

Originally Posted by Jeph

Nitrous, that's what most of us on this forum use.

Got mine....

[fragdude]

I recently installed purge points in the vents on the side of my box, PICS:


yeah, i guess it does look more like its shooting flames, but hey, it was a 5 min photoshopping job

[fu03steve]

drop a 3.2 or perhaps 3.4 996 engine and you should be fine...

[Lil bastard]

As already alluded to, a Driving Course can most often be the biggest bang for the buck.

These cars' abilities usually exceed those of their owners and you'd be surprised how much performance of a stock Boxster remains untapped because the driver hasn't learned how to extract it.

That's where I'd start anyway.

[Tracktimeplz]

Originally Posted by Kirk

Got mine....

Id remove that sticker on your bottle, Nitrous is not flammable, its making you look like a fool to anyone but ricerboyz who dont know any better.

[2000SoCalBoxsterS]

Originally Posted by Lil bastard

As already alluded to, a Driving Course can most often be the biggest bang for the buck.

These cars' abilities usually exceed those of their owners and you'd be surprised how much performance of a stock Boxster remains untapped because the driver hasn't learned how to extract it.

That's where I'd start anyway.

I agree completely. Everybody wants to mod their car. How about modding the driver? I was ridiculed when I suggested this on the Corvette forum. They are a bunch of Neanderthals over there. All they care about is brute force off the line and when they hit the curves it's all over for them.

[fragdude]

My brother is a HUGE camaro person (he to this today insists that his 2001 Camaro SS was the best car money could buy), and we had a running joke that a bigger engine in your car is good because it "anchors" your car around the apex of a turn. Haha, vette and camaro people love stomping on the gas and love saying they get good fuel economy on the highway thanks to that "supper cruise" 6th gear (stupid IMO)

[angman]

I have not dyno'd my car but I don't think my Dansk exhaust added much power after the install. It sounds great though. I installed the cheap $100 headers the other day (excellent quality) and the whole system sounds much better now with less resonance (not that I had much to begin with). However, I certianly feel like I lost low end torque after the installation of the headers. I have't had a chance to let it rip yet but the sound is truly amazing at higher RPMs. Do you guys think a chip would help or would it just be more money down the drain? I don't smind pending money on my setup thus far as I like the look of the stainless exhaust and headers as well as the sound very much. I just don't want to spend money on a supposedly performance mod if I am not really going to gain any real performance from it. At least the other stuff has some cosmetic appeal.

The upgrade that I like the most so far are my Eibach lowering springs.

[Blkboxster]

some exhasut can loose Horsepower!

[Adam]

For $2500 your best power adder is going to be nitrous. Of course, the best bet is dump your 2.5L and trade it in on a cheap 3.2L boxster S. It's like a 2.5L on nitrous except you never have to refill the bottle...plus you get better brakes/handling ect.