Operation improving perfection

[Qingdao]

My old build thread for this car got purged off this site a few years ago so I'll try to fill in its story.






In 2015 I bought a Karmann Ghia. My wife was hella jealous, and she said she wanted a Porsche. She found a 1999 Porsche boxster. We got it. Damnd if that didn't change my perception.


That boxster was fun. BUT It wasn't a power house, and the engine made me nervous (I still sent it). So I thought about what I wanted from a car.

I wanted reliability.
I wanted parts availability.
I wanted POWER.
I wanted engine noises.

So in 2019 I bought a second boxster. I shoved a 4.3 Chevy truck engine in it. I supercharged the truck engine. and I resprayed the car.

all was good for a time. I learned about what works and what doesn't. I learned more about paint and body work. I learned more about welding. I learned what stresses and tolerneses this chassis can take. MOST importantly I learned that this IS the PERFECT car for my soul.

Then it came time to implement all the things I've learned.

That time is now.

[Qingdao]

Here we are 2026. I know what I want and I can do it. Noice.


First thing I didn't like on the original build was how the subframe attached to the OEM subframe.

I had just cut a chunk out of the square tubing and drilled a hole in it to attach it to the subframe. It broke, a few times. Flawed by design.

The new piece has.... um better design???








The next thing, which is mostly just an improvement of my own skills such as they are, was the exhaust.

The old exhaust used the GM style ball clamp. This sucks for a static exhaust such as found on a mid rear engine transaxle car.

I have switched to V band clamps. MUCH Better. The exhaust is super easy to install/remove.


Yeah Yeah, laugh it up. I suck at welding, but at least I try.

[Qingdao]

One problem I've encountered is multiple fold.

When running the stock crank pulley the blower runs a LOT of boost. IDK how much, but enough to make hella detonation. Smaller crank pulley solved two problems at once. Firstly, all the accessories run at a more "normal" RPM (chevy didn't design this engine to cruise at 3k). Secondly, it dropped the blower output to about 4 or 5 PSI. Just enough to make good engine noises, but low enough to not make problems for me.


The other issue is carb attachment to the blower. Originally I taped the blower for M8 X 1.25. I cut a hole in the top of it and tried to the best of my ability to make the mounting surface flat. It was not perfect; not by any stretch of the imagination.

So RTV. LOL

Hey it worked for like 5 years, so laugh it up.


Oh I was forced to "fix" this issue due to improper handling of the nitrous system. Did I mention I'm a dumbass???









I solved this by getting another blower and milling down the hole in the top. Yes, an actual mill... not an angle grinder.


I used a flat plate to bolt the carb down to the outside of the blower.

[Qingdao]

BTW this is how I stacked an M90 on a 4.3 chevy...

[Qingdao]

I have also learned that flat tappet cams SUCK donkey nuts. Like they are hella stupid. No reason for those shenanigans.


In 2019 I didn't know that Comp Cams made a performance roller cam... Don't know why or how I didn't know this. See my previous comments about being a dumbass.

also, I did not need an oil cooler. But originally I put an oil cooler in the car. Well I melted an oil cooler line and seized a lifter.

at the time I didn't think anything of it. I just replaced the lifters, and ditched the oil cooler. Well, 5 years latter I started having issues with lifter noise on long highway speed runs. NOT COOL.


So, in May I pulled the engine out.






I did a quick engine check to see what I would need. Cam obviously, crank, rods, pistons.... yeah basically a new engine. LOL

I ordered everything and started on the body.

[Qingdao]

I cut out some breathing room in the engine bay. There is no reason to have sound deadening material now.






Oh did I mention I'm respraying the car to "Grabber Blue"?

[Qingdao]

With the paint and body done. Time to get GREaSY. Hell yeah.


That cam was Damaged. I lost about .080" on the exhaust lobe on cylinder 1.






I had a mixed batch of con rods when I put the engine together. The one odd man out didn't play nice with his friends. Cracked a bearing. To be honest I had NO idea this had happened. Testament to Chevy engines I suppose.







I got lower compression pistons and new rods and a new crank. all for under $500 new. Did I mention chevy parts are available. Not to poo poo too hard on Porsche, but Porsche engines aren't nearly as cheap.












I'm up to date. This is where I'm at right now. Gimmy a month I'll be done.





This blue paint job is by far the best I've ever done. The silver I sprayed 6 or 7 years ago wasn't too bad.

[redpepperracing]

Love it! And yeah, being a dumbass actually seems to help me, if I had a better brain I probably wouldn't do half the stupid stuff I do. And where is the fun in that?

[Outkasted]

Wow you got a lot done. I would have loved to see the supra body on the supercharged chassis. That would have been awesome. lol Sometimes i wish i would have put more effort into finding that style hardtop.

[Qingdao]

Originally Posted by Outkasted

Wow you got a lot done. I would have loved to see the supra body on the supercharged chassis. That would have been awesome. lol Sometimes i wish i would have put more effort into finding that style hardtop.

alibaba has them... $4k I think.

I made a copy of mine. For the "Boxster Plus"; my next build. ***





Car looks good. I need a little fitting on hood.








Engine is almost done.

Just waiting on the glass guy to procure glass for me.



***I plan on swapping in a twin turbo 5.3 into a boxster. No not the lame 5.3 you're thinking of; this 5.3 has class. Its also a long 5.3 so I'm gonna have to cut the boxster in half and stretch it about 2 feet.

[Outkasted]

Next build, any hints on this? Did you make a copy of the whole top with hatch or just the top portion? I made a partial copy of a guy near me that had one to make my side pieces. They are ok, good enough for now.

[Qingdao]

Originally Posted by Outkasted

Next build, any hints on this? Did you make a copy of the whole top with hatch or just the top portion? I made a partial copy of a guy near me that had one to make my side pieces. They are ok, good enough for now.

Just the top portion. Those quarter windows are a hard thing to replicate. I can see why you'd have issues making them from scratch.


Twin turbo V12 from a Jag. Gotta stretch the chassis out about 2 feet to fit it in there.


I'm definitely going to take a break for a year or so before I even start buying parts.

I'm also in the process of buying more farmland so even less time and money for projects.