Ultimate Boxster S HPDE Project

[Tabbasco]

Subject: 2001 Salvage Title Gelb Boxster S

Goal: Fastest Lightest Boxster S

* HPDE not Race...needs to be technically street legal

Items Accomplished:

1. Gutted, stripped...Top is in great shape...plus motors & trans for sale cheap

2. Bodywork Fixed...no frame damage

3. Items to be installed
a. KSPort Racing coilove with camber plates
b. New Rotors and Pads...DCT70s/60s
c. FG roof with Lexan...Texas Performance Concepts
d. Corbeau Seats
e. Momo Steering Wheel
f. Studs and lugs replacement
g. X51 oil Pan 0.5 extension kit
h. Manzo Exhaust and Headers ***
i. Swaybars and upgraded endlinks
j. Windshield...thought about lexan but decided stock
k. Wheels and tires...O.Z. with R888

4. We are open to suggestions...any ideas would be welcome...

***yes we want to go cheap on the exhaust...Manzo looks fine for our application but we need to know how not to throw a code (Texas)...is their anyway to use a code eliminator to pass emissions...we are willing to weld in a cat if necessary?

We considered 17" wheels to help with the long gearing in the S...but the difference was negligible

We are doing a software also...any problems associated with new software?

[AZ986S]

I'd be interested in knowing what the car ends up weighing. I have an 02 S and thought about turning it into a track car, but I really like driving it top down on weekends on the open road

Also, I would think you would want to pull the trans and inspect clutch, flywheel and upgrade the IMS bearing and RMS. For a nice bump in power, I would say plenum and throttle body upgrade as well as ECU race tune. For the emissions, high flow cat headers, but expensive. I would want an underdrive pulley or you should add a power steering cooler 160 deg thermostat. 17 in tires/wheels are much cheaper and more options.

All done, I bet you would be at 290 BHP with a 2,400 lbs car (no BSR rollbar and no Accusump). That would be a fast car on the track!

[thstone]

My Spec Boxster is still street legal and would be at 2,360 lbs without the roll cage (about 100 lbs).

It can be done, but you'll have to jettison just about everything if you want to hit 2,400 lbs

Here is a short list of what I did to pull out weight: remove yellow center console + center console delete + all climate controls, remove radio and all speakers, remove door panels, remove door windows, remove door window motors, remove door panel reinforcing, remove heater, remove a/c compressor and all a/c lines, remove all non-required wiring, install a light weight AGM battery, remove stock seat belts, install lexan windshield, remove both radiator fans, install single lightweight racing seat + single racing harness, remove windshield wiper system, etc, etc.

[m332is]

How many driving events do you have under your belt. Have you maxed out your skills? I truly mean no offense by this comment, but until you are at the top of your game, the weight is not the issue. I started doing HPDE with my BMW and eventually got my race license with BMW Club Racing and SCCA Club Racing. During that time, I will tell you the car was always better than me (and I had a track record at Watkins Glen with SCCA).

My point is seat time is more valuable than go fast parts and weight reduction.

Again, I hope you don't take this as me being an ass. Just passing along my experience.

Vince

[PaulE]

Cool project. How about 987 engine cover and Ben006 ball bearing short shifter? Are you going to add a cage? You should at least consider a Brey Krause roll bar extension even if you pass the broomstick test without one because 2 separate hoops can dig into dirt if things get really ugly.

[j.fro]

Carbon fiber hood
fiberglass trunk lid & clamshell
fiberglass front fenders
lightweight flywheel
swiss-cheese the bumpers & fab lightweight solid bumper supports
Ditch all the heat shielding underneath & put vents into the rear bumper
scrape the undercoating from the car (or acid dip the body$$$)

I don't know what state inspections are like in TX, but in VA the windshield has to be glass; Lexan doesn't pass.
Also, it's gotta have working windshield wipers, but you can ditch the washer reservoir and pump.

Aside from removing the door airbags, getting weight out of the doors is tough if you still need the car to be able to sit through a rain storm or drive in the winter. I've thought about ditching the window motors and rigging up some sort of strap/pull system or just building slide-in side curtains (a la Speedster) but it's going to take some fabrication.
FWIW, my car is about what you are describing and I'm at 2600# & 250RWHP
I've got cheap headers, fabspeed pipes w/ 100 cell cats welded in, and a pair of 2.5" single chamber imitation Flowmasters. I reflashed with the Softronic product and there's no CEL. LWFW, 74mm TB, and filter/MAF sitting outside the engine bay where the tunnel housing the snorkel used to be round out the engine mods.

[truegearhead]

Originally Posted by j.fro

Carbon fiber hood
fiberglass trunk lid & clamshell
fiberglass front fenders
lightweight flywheel
swiss-cheese the bumpers & fab lightweight solid bumper supports
Ditch all the heat shielding underneath & put vents into the rear bumper
scrape the undercoating from the car (or acid dip the body$$$)

I don't know what state inspections are like in TX, but in VA the windshield has to be glass; Lexan doesn't pass.
Also, it's gotta have working windshield wipers, but you can ditch the washer reservoir and pump.

Aside from removing the door airbags, getting weight out of the doors is tough if you still need the car to be able to sit through a rain storm or drive in the winter. I've thought about ditching the window motors and rigging up some sort of strap/pull system or just building slide-in side curtains (a la Speedster) but it's going to take some fabrication.
FWIW, my car is about what you are describing and I'm at 2600# & 250RWHP
I've got cheap headers, fabspeed pipes w/ 100 cell cats welded in, and a pair of 2.5" single chamber imitation Flowmasters. I reflashed with the Softronic product and there's no CEL. LWFW, 74mm TB, and filter/MAF sitting outside the engine bay where the tunnel housing the snorkel used to be round out the engine mods.

I've seen j. Fro's car a few times (and ran against in an autocross). He's your competition if you want the ultimate HPDE car.

[Tabbasco]

First...My Buddy and I are racers and hpde instructors. "ET" races a 996, I race WRL, Chump, LeMons in a 2nd Gen MR2...this car will have data and we will use it to hone quali skills.

So great suggestions on the exhaust, we prolly won't pull the clutch/flywheel till we break something. It makes sense to replace the flywheel and replace the IMS bearing when the clutch comes due.

Where is a good source for fg fenders, hood and trunk?

The car weighed 2850ish originally, We will post weights at every major mod interval. The doors are gutted. We came up with a trick mod for the glass...and we left the door bars in for protection, no cage. We plan on welding in a taller cross cockpit roll hoop.

Decided against the lexan windshield...decided to keep AC & Heat...Texas can be brutally hot and cold for transit to track. Was hoping to buy fg bumpers but those are no longer in production.

Why put vents to the rear bumper??

[Gilles]

Originally Posted by Tabbasco

Why put vents to the rear bumper??

Perhaps to help the trapped air to exit without additional turbulence, and help to cool the engine compartment as well..?
Curios as well

[steved0x]

Originally Posted by Gilles

Perhaps to help the trapped air to exit without additional turbulence, and help to cool the engine compartment as well..?
Curios as well

Cools the transaxle better since more air is flowing over it when you have these rear cutouts.

[likestadraw]

Are you interested in selling any of your parts? Interested in your yellow console.

[j.fro]

The vents definitely help to cool things off, especially since I've removed all of the heat shielding. When the car is sitting still you can feel the heat coming out of them. There's a low pressure area right there created by the spoiler, so I'm assuming that at speed heat continues to move out.

For fiberglass parts, try Getty Design or MA Shaw. One of the two of them, I don't remember which, made my front bumper cover, trunk lid, and wing.

I'd love to know more about your door mods...

[Tabbasco]

Originally Posted by j.fro

I'd love to know more about your door mods...

I dig the rear vent holes...so

We gutted the doors on "Gelb" and used a wire cable to actuate the door...we then used the felt piece that covered the spring in the door as the door pull cover.

We then took the glass and used windshield epoxy glue...to glue on a strip of 90 degree aluminum the length of the window, from Home Depot to the inside so the aluminum trim sits on the inside rubber trim. Then drilled a hole in it to be able to secure it...the gorilla glue failed so we used JB Weld windshield glue the second time.



I dont have a good picture of the fixed door glass.

So my buddy also has a non gutted boxster so we will be able to give u a comparison of both cars..."Blau" has PSS9s and an upgraded swaybar, no engine upgrades...it will be interesting to see how far we can go with Gelb!

[Tabbasco]

I was watching YouTube and saw that the header bolts frequently sheer when trying to remove the headers...has anyone experienced this?

[WillH]

Originally Posted by Tabbasco

I was watching YouTube and saw that the header bolts frequently sheer when trying to the headers...has anyone experienced this?

3 of mine sheared off.

[The Radium King]

if you are worried about glass getting into the cabin from side impact, i found this image of some cool fabricated door panels:

[KC-CarGuy]

Very cool.

[Tabbasco]

Originally Posted by j.fro

The vents definitely help to cool things off, especially since I've removed all of the heat shielding. When the car is sitting still you can feel the heat coming out of them. There's a low pressure area right there created by the spoiler, so I'm assuming that at speed heat continues to move out.

For fiberglass parts, try Getty Design or MA Shaw. One of the two of them, I don't remember which, made my front bumper cover, trunk lid, and wing.

I'd love to know more about your door mods...

Where did u buy this rear spoiler?

[Evil Todd]

Hey... lots of good suggestions here. Thanks. My buddy Good Todd is working with me on the yellow car.

But I have to laugh...i've seen innumerable threads of interesting discussions about upgrades to cars for track use and always.... I mean ALWAYS... there is some douche bag who posts a fatherly bit of advice that the original poster really should work on their driving skill before upgrading their car.

Thanks Vince. As impressed as I am that you have a comp. license with the Fiat Club of America and that you held a lap record at Watkins Glen in the Douche Bag GTS8 class, you look like an idiot giving driving advice to someone you've never met (or raced against for that matter).

Thanks to everyone else for giving useful advice on the actual topic of the thread, ideas for making a project Boxster car good for the track.

Evil Todd (for Tabbasco aka Good Todd)

[Tabbasco]

So this shows the side that was damaged and the basic repairs, more work is needed to make it look a little better. Tho functional is more important than beauty on this project!

The Car before stripping weighed approximately 3068 with a hard top, now with windows but without the FG top the car weighs 2763.

The windows probably weigh slightly less that the FG top but its surprisingly close. Windows will be removed while on track.

More Weight to lose:
1. Bumpers Swiss Cheesed, remove rear insulation - 10-20 lbs
2. Catback - 30 lbs
3. Remove Spoiler motor - 5 lbs
4. Hood - 23 lbs
5. Lightweight Passenger seat - 20 lbs