PSE for 987 Owners!!!

[Houston C4S]

Bmussatti,

In order of your questions...

Thanks! I will. I don't know which class to enter. I don't think it's really
fair to compete with cars, let's just say like Randall's, that have been
around the block a few times. It takes a lot to get those looking
really good (like Randall's). It takes me just a thorough wash and
vacuum.

So we will see. It's always a good time hangin' with the Porsche
Club folks. I may just be "Display Only." for that reason.

Next...

Yes, I just loosened and pulled the lines off the vacuum switches
at the muffler, plugged them and also plugged the valve end. Just
to keep dirt, dust and general ick out.

Does it weigh more than a standard S? I doubt it. What I meant was
that it weighs more than aftermarket ones. It's really an interesting
thing to see. It looks like they just cut off the corner of the muffler
(the rear outer corner if that makes any sense) and welded in a pipe
that has the valve in it.

I should take a picture and either figure out how to post it or
send it to someone (Randall, perhaps) to post it so you
can see it.

It will be an easier thing to sell once people actually hear one.

(Psst! No 2,500 - 3,000 rpm resonance!!!)

Best,

- Mark

Mark, you should enter "C" class for the Concours. This is exterior, interior and both trunks. At least this is how the Chicago PCA does it.


OK, so what is "resonance" and what does that sound like? I understand that resonance is a bad thing.

Thanks.

[Houston C4S]

"Mark, you should enter "C" class for the Concours. This is exterior, interior and both trunks. At least this is how the Chicago PCA does it."


Well, I have only done one of these more than two years ago (in the C4S)
and what's left of my brain does not recall what classes they have. They
are not too strict around here, preferring that they get more folks to
participate knowing that no one is going to wipe the upper disgronificators
with a white glove or check for cracks in the fallopian tubes.

So we will see.



"OK, so what is "resonance" and what does that sound like? I understand that resonance is a bad thing."

Resonance occurs with many things.

From the American Heritage Dictionary:

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source
res·o·nance (r?z'?-n?ns) Pronunciation Key
n.
The quality or condition of being resonant: words that had resonance throughout his life.

Richness or significance, especially in evoking an association or strong emotion: "It is home and family that give resonance . . . to life" (George Gilder). "Israel, gateway to Mecca, is of course a land of religious resonance and geopolitical significance" (James Wolcott).

Physics: The increase in amplitude of oscillation of an electric or mechanical system exposed to a periodic force whose frequency is equal or very close to the natural undamped frequency of the system.

Physic:s A subatomic particle lasting too short a time to be observed directly. The existence of such particles is usually inferred from a peak in the energy distribution of its decay products.


Acoustics: Intensification and prolongation of sound, especially of a musical tone, produced by sympathetic vibration.


Linguistics: Intensification of vocal tones during articulation, as by the air cavities of the mouth and nasal passages.

Medicine: The sound produced by diagnostic percussion of the normal chest.

Chemistry: The property of a compound having simultaneously the characteristics of two or more structural forms that differ only in the distribution of electrons. Such compounds are highly stable and cannot be properly represented by a single structural formula."



Note particularly the section "Acoustics." That is what happens when there is
a range of rpm where the sound produced by the combusition taking place
in the cylinders gets louder than at other rpm ranges. It would seem that
most aftermarket "systems" allow the sound to resonate around 2,500 -
3,000 rpm. That means it gets LOUD at that rpm, sometimes obnoxiously so.

But under or over that range they are not overly loud.

The factory boffins are real engineers and have big budgets and can
make the engines sound pretty much any way they want. And do so
with amazingly high flow rates with low pressure.

Does that help?

- Mark

Thank you, Houston!

[z12358]

bmuss, the first physics resonance definition is more relevant for this case.

"Physics: The increase in amplitude of oscillation of an electric or mechanical system exposed to a periodic force whose frequency is equal or very close to the natural undamped frequency of the system."

So when resonance happens with most aftermarket exhausts it usually causes mechanical vibrations, as well (in addition to the air-borne waves i.e. amplified sound). IMO, that's what really makes them undesirable to people who dislike them. Designing an acoustical system is not unlike designing an electic RLC circuit, and is far from trivial. Hence, the top $ demanded by Porsche for their smooth sounding PSE. Those engineers have mortgages to pay.

Z.

[SD987]

Super66, it sounds like you're describing the 986 PSE, which looks very cool imnsho.

Great photo, SD987...where did you get it? I like the Porsche crest on the rear trunk lid.

[super66]

Originally Posted by SD987

Super66, it sounds like you're describing the 986 PSE, which looks very cool imnsho.

as al Bundy would say, that's it! that's my song! ha ha hmmm....

so I take it those tips wouldn't work on a 987?

[RandallNeighbour]

Originally Posted by Houston C4S

I don't think it's really
fair to compete with cars, let's just say like Randall's, that have been
around the block a few times. It takes a lot to get those looking
really good (like Randall's). It takes me just a thorough wash and
vacuum.

Mark, there is no way I'd ever put my boxster in a concours event. Counting the stars at night would be easier than counting the number of rock chips and dings and scratches in my original black paint! That's why I only bring my car around you at night

And you should rethink your "I'll just wash and vacuum it" strategy. Judges at these events look at the age and mileage of the car and get VERY picky with brand new specimens. They'll take off points for lint in the corner of the glove box, dust on the inside of one of your calipers (from the road, not your ceramic brakes) or a tiny dried gas drop on the inside of your gas flap.

On my car, they'd probably overlook all this because it's ten years old and really tired looking overall.

You better get the Qtips out my friend. And don't forget to raise the spoiler and clean it real good... Pam and I both witnessed a dirty spoiler just a couple of months ago on your 986 and I'm still having nightmares from the sight of it on an otherwise pristine clean car.

Now get out there and make us proud by scrubbing the underbelly and the wheel wells and find that piece of lint in the side pockets and curse it as you pull it off with Scotch tape. And don't dare tell them you plugged the exhaust vacuum lines or they'll probably deduct points for that too!

Originally Posted by RandallNeighbour

Mark, there is no way I'd ever put my boxster in a concours event. Counting the stars at night would be easier than counting the number of rock chips and dings and scratches in my original black paint! That's why I only bring my car around you at night

And you should rethink your "I'll just wash and vacuum it" strategy. Judges at these events look at the age and mileage of the car and get VERY picky with brand new specimens. They'll take off points for lint in the corner of the glove box, dust on the inside of one of your calipers (from the road, not your ceramic brakes) or a tiny dried gas drop on the inside of your gas flap.

On my car, they'd probably overlook all this because it's ten years old and really tired looking overall.

You better get the Qtips out my friend. And don't forget to raise the spoiler and clean it real good... Pam and I both witnessed a dirty spoiler just a couple of months ago on your 986 and I'm still having nightmares from the sight of it on an otherwise pristine clean car.

Now get out there and make us proud by scrubbing the underbelly and the wheel wells and find that piece of lint in the side pockets and curse it as you pull it off with Scotch tape. And don't dare tell them you plugged the exhaust vacuum lines or they'll probably deduct points for that too!

Hey Mark, Mr. Randall speaks the truth! I lost (took second place) during my very first Concours event last year because I lost points for having dusty vanity mirrors and a smiggen of dried coolant on the filler cap in the trunk. The Judges clearly told me all of this with a straight face. I thought they were yanking my chain.

Plus, I did not even know I had vanity mirrors.

[Houston C4S]

Randall,

Actually, I was thinking your car would do very well. Seriously.

Your car: 10 years old and almost 100K on it? No freakin' way!

It's gorgeous, man.

Everyone, I have seen his car. As you know, it's black. Granted,
black is just beautiful when clean, but you gotta wash it every
10 minutes (and more than that here in Houston at the moment --
the pine trees are pollinating. Randall's car probably looks like he
painted it Speed Yellow!).

Anyway, somehow, his car has no scratches or even swirl marks.

And remember from what I post earlier, in case you missed it:


"Well, I have only done one of these more than two years ago (in the C4S)
and what's left of my brain does not recall what classes they have. They
are not too strict around here, preferring that they get more folks to
participate knowing that no one is going to wipe the upper disgronificators
with a white glove or check for cracks in the fallopian tubes."


We have more than 800 PCA members in our 37 county region that's
200 miles from end to end. Most are in central Houston. And we still only
get about 10% who participate.

The board wants to find ways to get more members to participate in
any sort of event. So the concours are pretty lax. It ain't Pebble Beach!

So anyone near Houston -- come on out! Enter (or not) and hang out.
See what it's all about. Meet some new folks. Find out about driving at the
track (like you always wanted to, just admit it, you have just been too
chicken to ask). The club does some really first class trips and social
events, too.

Boy, have I ever gotten off topic!

Sorry about that, kids.

From Randall's car with its now yellow paint, to fallopian tubes,
to concours to local club news...

Okay, back to the PSE. IT SOUNDS GREAT!

Now we are back on topic.

So there...

- Mark