2000 boxter engine conversion options

[Falco]

I love my Boxter. It just needs another 100hp so I want to do a conversion of my 2.7 litre engine to either a 3.4 or 3.6 996 or 997 engine. I am planning to get a used engine, but how much is a new remanufactred engine, who is a source for getting a new remanufactored engine, what about using a used one? which option would you go with, without spending a TON of money? Which engine is better for a 2000 2.7 to use; a 3.4, or 3.6? OK, give me the scoop all of you pro's. Last question, will it be hard to sell this car after the conversion is complete? will it appreciate or depreciate?
Thanks

[Lil bastard]

First start with a budget. That will determine where you go. The 3.4 is the easiest and cheapest as I understand it, because you don't have to uprate the DME (at least that's what I understand). You're fortunate in that you are already setup for egas. The earlier cars require more work.

With the 3.6, you have to spend more on ancillaries, like a new DME. There is a company in the UK which can rebuild these things upwards of 3.7Ltrs. and I bet it's a screamer, but it ain't cheap. And I don't think any of them offer an additional 100Hp, though I may be wrong.

I think if it's done right, and documented fully (especially photodocumented), it won't have a detremental effect when you sell it, but I doubt it'd inflate the selling price very much. What it may do is sell the car faster.

But, any mod like this on a relatively plentiful production car can't be thought of in terms of a financial return. You'll get the return through improved power and that should be good enough. If it isn't, I might rethink the whole idea.

[Dohertycm]

if you have someone do it like Roock motorsports in atlanta, a 3.4 conversion would cost about 15 grand. That is what they quoted me when I bought my boxster from them.

[rick3000]

If your interested in a car with 300+hp, you bought the wrong car. I don't think anyone has added 100hp to a Boxster (but I may be wrong), but if it has been done it cost well over $14k to do. Boxster's weren't designed for drag racing, they were designed for high speed handling. Looking at the cost to benefit ratio you might be better off, with another car if you want 100hp more.
A 3.4L is possible, but it won't deliver the hp you want.
Just my $0.02!

[Lil bastard]

@rick3000

Well said, I completely agree. If the sky was the limit, I'd look into Autofarm's built engines - http://www.autofarm.co.uk/ . They have a very good rep overseas. I'd buy it as a crate engine which would work for me as my state has no emmissions testing or certification.

In terms of reliability, I'm more comfortable with their Silsleeve liners than the cast-in-place Lokasil liners Porsche uses. In theory (and largely in practice) this cast-in-place method is OK. But the number of failures, due to improper casting and flow of the material, is, IMO, less reliable than a separately cast/machined insert liner. They also seem to have done a better job than Porsche in eliminating the IMS issue.

But, all-in, you're staring uncomfortably close to $20K (with shipping, Duty and currency exchange). I guess I don't love the Boxster that much to make that kind of commitment.

[saaber]

re: autofarm's silsleeve liners: I noticed they used nikasil.

Nikasil was what the old jaguar v8's had (pre 2000) and what the failed BMW v-8s had before they started using a different substance. The jaguar motors were good to about 40-50k miles.

As I understand it, the nikasil was attaked by the higer sulphur fuels found in the US. But I believe we use lower sulphur fuels now so it shouldn't be a problem. Interesting reading if you google nikasil with bmw or jaguar. Lots of engine failures credited to that stuff, but it may not be an issue now if we don't have sulphur in the fuel anymore.