6 months to live build thread

[itsnotanova]

It looks like I've started a new fad. I had a customer come out and watched me at one race. He went back home and turned his 2.7 5 speed boxster into a rallycross car. He did ok his first time out but I haven't seen him since. He did make it to one race that I couldn't attend. I'll post some pictures of his boxster when I get some.

My friend who originally had joined in on my boxster has decided to build his own rallycross boxster. He's using a 2001 S 6 speed with 135k as his car. The first race he brought the car to, he used his the first half and mine the second. He said both cars were about the same. Mine turned and rode better but his had more power. He set the fastest time of the day with his. He brought it out this past weekend and broke a toe link on the first run. The car is a work in progress.

I also have a customer/facebook friend who saw me posting about it and decided to start rallycrossing his 924.

[GLImages]

I want to do this so bad! I have done one amateur rallycross in my brother's WRX wagon. Might be the most fun in a car I have ever had. Keep the pics coming!!

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

[itsnotanova]

I've been cheating on my boxster. I bought my wife a wrecked MK6 Golf and also bought a parts car to fix her's up. When I was done fixing up my wife's car I was left with this parts car. I was content with the boxster but I have relatives who can't drive a manual. So I decided to get the parts car race ready so people who can't drive a manual can join me. Like the Boxster, the Golf started off as goof. I gutted the car of dead weight, put some of the damaged sheet metal from my wife's car back on it, and threw on some wheels. I bought some adapters so I could use my vast collection of porsche wheels with a variety of tires. The first set I tried were those ice tires I got a few months back. They sucked on the boxster but I thought maybe they would be better on the front wheel drive Golf. Nope! They sucked on the Golf too. I was dead last on Saturday using the ice tires. For the next day I threw on those RS4's just to see if they would help. It was like night and day difference. The Golf was a beast on the dirt with those RS4's. I finished second in class and fifth out of 29 overall. That was also the first time I've ever driven a FWD car like that. On top of that, the Golf's alignment was way out of adjustment from the accident. I was impressed. The Golf can be a major contender. With that I went home and made improvements on the golf. I removed more weight, moved the battery to the back, and fixed the bent suspension pieces. I also tried making it look a little bit better by somewhat finishing out the front end. I used the rear bumper cover from a subaru and wheel liners from a dodge dakota. Yeah it's still ugly, but not as much. My second race with the golf I got first in class and second out of 28 overall. I've decided that I'll be racing the Golf at one track and the Boxster at the other. The picture below is at the first race

These are what it looks like now

[itsnotanova]

Originally Posted by GLImages

I want to do this so bad! I have done one amateur rallycross in my brother's WRX wagon. Might be the most fun in a car I have ever had. Keep the pics coming!!

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

Do it! It's a blast.

[itsnotanova]

[itsnotanova]

I'll post more pics later

[itsnotanova]

About a little over a month ago I invited my friends on facebook to join me at an event and they could drive whatever car I wasn't. Forum member Senigen decided to come out and give it a try. He looked a little nervous but was eager to get in the boxster and give it a try. He had a long history of DE, porsches and recently spec boxster racing, so I was confident in handing him the keys. He went out there and drove respectfully for his first time. With every run he improved. My other friend brought his rallycross boxster too but was having issues with his boxster. He's decided to try driving mine so he could compare the two. Senigen made his 6th run and my friend jumped in after Senigen pulled in. My friend pulled up to the starting line and took off. About 75 feet down the track the rear wheels locked up and the car wouldn't restart. I ran down and helped push it off the track. The boxster was done for the day. After the race we tried jump starting it as we towed it back to the trailer but the damage was done. The motor was seized. I haven't taken it apart to see what happen internally but I suspect the abuse of overheating it this past summer caught up to it and the crank bearings gave up. These motors don't like being overheated. So the car sat while I got enough motivation to replace the motor. I had a 2.7 out of a 2000 that I've been sitting on for two years now. The car was bought non-running, partially dismantled and missing the transmission. I suspected the motor was still good and looked clean inside. I took a gamble and decided to try using that motor. While I was replacing the motor, I decided to try some performance experiments and upgrades. First on the list was a semi-solid engine mount. I just replaced the rubber mount a few months ago. When I was removing the blown engine, I noticed that the replacement rubber mount was already splitting. I also decided to use some upgraded transmission mounts I had laying around. Here's where the experiment begins. I've also decided to throw a 3.4 intake/throttle body on it. I suspect I might lose some low end torque but gain a significant amount of horsepower up high. I'm rarely below 3000rpm, so HP matters more than TQ to me. I've put a 3.4 intake on a 3.2 before and didn't notice any difference between a 3.2 motor with a 3.4 intake and a 3.4 motor with a 3.4 intake. I did that experiment on my street boxster a few years back. I'm curious to see how the 2.7 responds to the same intake.


This time I wanted to do things a little different. Last time I followed Pelican Parts 101 things to do to a boxster. I used the 996 fuel rails last time and to this day I regret it. It has you spicing into the stock fuel line and to me that's a fail point that one day come loose and start a fire. This time I used the 986 fuel rail and it was much easier and safer. I modified some hose clamps to hold the fuel rail to the aluminum 996 intake runners.

Another difference was that I need the bottom of the motor to sit at the same height as with the 986 intake. With the type of racing I do, I don't need the motor any lower than it already is. Being a race car, I don't mind hacking up some sheet metal. As you can see in the pictures, the intake sits higher than the engine cover and I now have the air filter and maf sensor inside the trunk. I plan on boxing in the filter and drawing air from above the trunk. Here's some photos of the new engine cover getting built. The first pic is the cover cut for clearance. I then covered the motor with three towels (for clearance) and then a sheet of plastic. I then plan on laying fiberglass over that.

[itsnotanova]

Here's the final cover. It's not pretty but functional.

Two weekends ago I met up with some friends and went to a different track. It was the first time for the new system and results were mixed. The car idles like crap and has lost some low end torque. I was suspecting it would. It's hard to tell how much HP I gained but it screams above 4000rpm. The car was overheating a bit and I suspect it was running lean. This is with a 3.2 ROW tune. I went racing yesterday but with a 3.4 ROW tune instead. The 3.4 tune felt a lot better (specially low end torque), but still had a rough idle. Not as bad as the other tune though. I suspect the motor itself might have some issues with the ignition or timing. I need to dig into the motor deeper.

On another note, I said the beginning of this thread that I had planned to jump it. Well I was finally able to. This new place had a spot on the track where if you were going above 55mph, you could get some air. That track was a blast but very dangerous and abusive to vehicles. I blew out two struts and roughed up the rocker panel. One guy busted his oil pan on a Audi A4 and a few weeks earlier broke both front coilovers on his 924. I took the jump a few times while another friend took pictures. I couldn't tell if I had gotten air from the drivers seat. The stock suspension really was great and never bottomed out. I think most of the suspension can take the abuse. The struts on the other hand do not like the constant up and down movement. Everyone using stock struts has blown them out from just regular track use.

[itsnotanova]

[itsnotanova]

I put a 3.4 intake on a 2.7, jumped a boxster a few times and not one comment? I feel like that old guy drinking a beer in an empty bar.

[BFeller]

Originally Posted by itsnotanova

I put a 3.4 intake on a 2.7, jumped a boxster a few times and not one comment? I feel like that old guy drinking a beer in an empty bar.

Not to be mean, but... if the shoe fits..... hahaha.....

I thought you already jumped the car.

[BRAN]

Originally Posted by itsnotanova

...how could I've missed those
Jumping the Box, and those pics DESERVE a comment!
/salute "respect, woody!"

and those 3 pics are my favs. Still wonder, if with high adjustable suspension, etc...a Daily Driver OFFROAD Boxster would be possible or is it just not rugged and sturdy enough for a little action besides the roads.

Btw...where did those 2 led lights go? lookwise, awesome. You know, times and trophies will be forgotten, but never the looks

[BrokenLinkage]

I don't know how I missed these pics on the first go around. Hell I'd drive a couple states over to that bar and buy the old man a round, just for having the chutzpah to do something different and stupidly brilliant! That looks like a blast! Much jealous of the experience, and for the creativity and skills to pull it off!
And also digging the "active aero trunklid-as-spoiler" effect when airborn (emoji). Gives it a kinda German Dukes of Hazard flavor! (lots of emoji's)

[78F350]

Originally Posted by itsnotanova

I put a 3.4 intake on a 2.7, jumped a boxster a few times and not one comment? I feel like that old guy drinking a beer in an empty bar.

Almost every one of your posts in this thread is full of Awesomeness. I don't think that its a matter of people not appreciating it, but the lack of the forum's function to give a 'Like' or thumbs up.

👍👍👍

[Homeoboxter]

Thanks for sharing these pics, must be really fun what you are doing on those tracks.
Do you happen to have a video footage of your flying boxster? This picture reminds me my kid`s toy btw




[/QUOTE]

[BruceH]

Originally Posted by itsnotanova

I put a 3.4 intake on a 2.7, jumped a boxster a few times and not one comment? I feel like that old guy drinking a beer in an empty bar.

I resemble that remark!

Originally Posted by 78F350

Almost every one of your posts in this thread is full of Awesomeness. I don't think that its a matter of people not appreciating it, but the lack of the forum's function to give a 'Like' or thumbs up.

👍👍👍

My thoughts exactly, we need a thumbs up on this forum! I love the shots Woody and the thread, keep posting, we are here

[911monty]

Originally Posted by itsnotanova

I put a 3.4 intake on a 2.7, jumped a boxster a few times and not one comment? I feel like that old guy drinking a beer in an empty bar.

No. This is so far outside the normal range of thought I think it is more like stunned to speechless. Completely Awesome. Go Woody!

[itsnotanova]

Thanks for the complements. I was starting think no one was watching my self induced train wreck. Unfortunately this train might be coming to an end. I'm not sure what I want to do with the boxster. My friend and I were talking about turning it into a Champ car because I want to move into AWD rallycross. Both the boxster and golf were built as a goof, but I'm ready to build something more serious. I would love to find a 996 C4 as the rear suspension is better suited to adding offroad coilovers. I'm ready to move onto the national stage and I want something more professional. The boxster was fun and I killed it with the Golf. I finished first in my class yesterday and first overall in a very competitive field of 36 cars. Most impressive is that I beat someone who won the national rallycross title last year, has won at Pikes Peak and raced in the Baja 1000. On top of that, she was racing her rally'd out Miata that runs on $15 a gallon race fuel. I barely beat my friend in his Boxster and he has 40 years of racing behind him. All three of us were ahead of all AWD classes too.

[paulofto]

Geez Woody, it’s like you turned your Boxster into a hovercraft.

Good stuff!

[itsnotanova]

So I've had some free time lately and have been thinking about my racing career. I've really enjoyed the golf but FWD is not as fun to drive as RWD. I've also become so good in the golf that there's only 3-4 people who are competitive with me. The rest of the field has become dull. I'm in the lead for yearly total points in 2WD and want that trophy. I plan on driving the golf until I have the season wrapped up and no one can catch me. I've decided to get back into the boxster as my official race car starting next year. RWD is technically the slower than FWD or AWD and I think I need the handicap to keep it interesting. In preperation of bringing the boxster back, I've been working on some improvements.
The first was the overheating issues I would get when racing in 90+ degree weather. I upgraded the coooling tubes going to the radiator. I put in larger tubes that double the amount of coolant going to the radiator. The previous lines were embarrassingly small and probably contributed to the engine going out. I also cut more holes in the front so more air can flow to the radiator.
I've also been experimenting with adding aero to the front. With rallycross and autocross, you can't have too much down force. Drag really doesn't matter because you rarely get over 70mph. Seeing that I don't have side radiators, I decided to take advantage of the air going through the openings and try to create some down force. I built this front spoiler/splitter out of some scrap aluminum I had laying around. To help relieve air pressure built up inside the fenders, I lifted the rear of the fenders so air could escape out the rear of the wheel well.



My next improvement will be the rear struts. I've blown through two low mile sets and I think the factory struts are the next week link. I was thinking of using struts from a MK6 golf because I've been beating the crap out of that golf and the struts haven't showed any signs of wear. I think the golf struts might be more durable and give me more cheap options for future fine tuning of the suspension. I have a 2014 golf with only 35K sitting in my yard so I grabbed the struts out of it to see what it would take. They look like they might fit with little modifications. The bolt pattern on top is wider and the shock tube is 1-2mm larger. They look like they will also give me about 2 inches of ride height and more suspension travel.