987 upgrades; where to have them done?
Discussion
A request for advice from Pistonheaders:
For the past 18 months I've run a gen 2 987 Cayman S as a daily driver. It's a great car in many ways, but there are a few improvements I'm thinking of making - short shift gearbox, really thorough geo set-up, maybe a few minor suspension mods - and I'm posting this message to seek advice as to whether to approach my OPC to do the work or an established indy - maybe Jaz or RPM? Any suggestions, positive or negative experiences to report, sage advice would be very welcome. Thanks in advance.
Thanks for responding, guys. I'm London-based: are Center Gravity worth the trip? If so, I'll certainly consider making it up there, as one improvement I definitely want is for the car to hold a straight line a little better, and not to follow the road camber quite so readily.
Are any specific suspension mods particularly recommended generally on the 987?
Are any specific suspension mods particularly recommended generally on the 987?
My 06 987s Boxster had work undertaken at Parr by the previous owner. This included stiffened anti roll bars, short shift, upgraded plenum throttle body, milktek exhaust and revised geo set up.
As a daily driver around town (Edinburgh city centre roads) it made the car itself feel very harsh and came into its own on A and B roads.
The car felt sublime compared to a standard S. I no longer do much city centre driving so would happily have the same set up again.
As a daily driver around town (Edinburgh city centre roads) it made the car itself feel very harsh and came into its own on A and B roads.
The car felt sublime compared to a standard S. I no longer do much city centre driving so would happily have the same set up again.
Alphege said:
Thanks for responding, guys. I'm London-based: are Center Gravity worth the trip? If so, I'll certainly consider making it up there, as one improvement I definitely want is for the car to hold a straight line a little better, and not to follow the road camber quite so readily.
Are any specific suspension mods particularly recommended generally on the 987?
They are good but so are rpm and the like, no need to travel imo.Are any specific suspension mods particularly recommended generally on the 987?
Adding a more aggressive geo normally means the car will follow cambers even more, the cars ready so to speak so the two don’t go hand in hand.
Holing straight means more toe in and that’s not a drivers geo really, you are then fighting the cars natural go straight only set up.
I would try zero toe up front, 7mm front only spacers, R arb's and the max camber up front you can get without parts, then fit mpss tyres or PS4S.
You could go monoball rear toe links to stop the cars rear wheels moving under braking that helps keep he car straight under hard brakes.
That’s a cheap starting point and might be enough for your needs.
Any one can fit the Short shift unit it’s about £400. Worth it though it’s a nice 997 unit.
Agree with above posts. GC are very good but unless you really having a full suspension upgrade probably unnecessary and there are good people like rpm more local to you. As your car is a daily upgrading the suspension is a tricky one, I have Ohlins fitted by GC as a daily it would be a bit tiring after a while, as a weekend toy and the odd track day it's brilliant, decent Geo and maybe lower springs at some point may well be perfect for all you need.
Carnewall exhaust and desnork mod are worth doing also, gives the car more voice and feels quicker, the later being easily reversed and free. If you don't have sports chrono then a sprint booster for the throttle is good too, I also like the GT3 master cylinder and braided lines fitted to my car. Lastly I have copied others and fitted 17 inch wheels (for the road), whilst aesthetically it may not be to everyone's taste they add another layer of chassis involvement, improve the ride but still offer plenty of grip and can be had relatively cheap on eBay. These are great cars but a few choice mods really bring them alive, short shift is next on my list.
Carnewall exhaust and desnork mod are worth doing also, gives the car more voice and feels quicker, the later being easily reversed and free. If you don't have sports chrono then a sprint booster for the throttle is good too, I also like the GT3 master cylinder and braided lines fitted to my car. Lastly I have copied others and fitted 17 inch wheels (for the road), whilst aesthetically it may not be to everyone's taste they add another layer of chassis involvement, improve the ride but still offer plenty of grip and can be had relatively cheap on eBay. These are great cars but a few choice mods really bring them alive, short shift is next on my list.
Edited by Rocket. on Sunday 22 October 08:53
Thanks again to everyone's who's taken the time to reply. I'm absorbing all the information; it's really interesting and useful.
Sounds like RPM might be best to go with: I've stalked them online for a while now, in part because they regularly list some appealing second-hand cars in their website showroom.
A couple of questions...
What is the driving benefit of adding the spacers - or are they just to enable having a specific set-up for the vehicle?
Are the sound and slight performance boost of aftermarket exhausts worth the cost?
Which, if any, of the suspension mods suggested might, as well as adding handling benefits, serve to make the car more inclined to follow a straightahead line, rather than to drift or veer? I get the point about dialling more go-straight into the geo being an anti-driver's set-up, and I certainly don't want to neutralise any feedback of road surface/chassis balance etc, but there are times when the car seems to me to be too prone to deviate offline.
I do really like the idea of getting some 17" wheels. I'm currently on 18"s, but have read quite a bit about the 17"s offering greater interaction for non-track driving. Have held fire so far as I wonder whether the difference between 18"s and 17"s is going to be significant enough to warrant changing. Any opinions on that? I'm still tempted, however, as a bit more slip and yaw would be nice. Any other good places to buy a good set of 17"s, apart from eBay etc?
I'm definitely going ahead with installing the short shift; imo stock can feel a bit stringy and awkward, and is far from bullet-proof - a shifter cable broke on me not long ago during (fairly) spirited driving. And a good slick gearshift is essential for the kind of driving I enjoy.
I've also considered going down the Ohlins or Bilsteins route, but have held back so far precisely because I don't want to compromise the ride too much during normal road usage; Rocket's comments seem to support my caution on that.
As Porsche911R points out, I guess tyres is the other key variable here. I'm currently on Bridgestone Potenzas, and have long wondered whether putting on different rubber might prove significantly worthwhile?
I do love the car - enough gokartness about it for my purposes, but also a comfortable place to be - so I'm currently thinking it's a keeper, but I do want to customise it to my tastes just a bit... Although I guess the other option is to trade into an Elise and accept the daily driveability compromises.
Sounds like RPM might be best to go with: I've stalked them online for a while now, in part because they regularly list some appealing second-hand cars in their website showroom.
A couple of questions...
What is the driving benefit of adding the spacers - or are they just to enable having a specific set-up for the vehicle?
Are the sound and slight performance boost of aftermarket exhausts worth the cost?
Which, if any, of the suspension mods suggested might, as well as adding handling benefits, serve to make the car more inclined to follow a straightahead line, rather than to drift or veer? I get the point about dialling more go-straight into the geo being an anti-driver's set-up, and I certainly don't want to neutralise any feedback of road surface/chassis balance etc, but there are times when the car seems to me to be too prone to deviate offline.
I do really like the idea of getting some 17" wheels. I'm currently on 18"s, but have read quite a bit about the 17"s offering greater interaction for non-track driving. Have held fire so far as I wonder whether the difference between 18"s and 17"s is going to be significant enough to warrant changing. Any opinions on that? I'm still tempted, however, as a bit more slip and yaw would be nice. Any other good places to buy a good set of 17"s, apart from eBay etc?
I'm definitely going ahead with installing the short shift; imo stock can feel a bit stringy and awkward, and is far from bullet-proof - a shifter cable broke on me not long ago during (fairly) spirited driving. And a good slick gearshift is essential for the kind of driving I enjoy.
I've also considered going down the Ohlins or Bilsteins route, but have held back so far precisely because I don't want to compromise the ride too much during normal road usage; Rocket's comments seem to support my caution on that.
As Porsche911R points out, I guess tyres is the other key variable here. I'm currently on Bridgestone Potenzas, and have long wondered whether putting on different rubber might prove significantly worthwhile?
I do love the car - enough gokartness about it for my purposes, but also a comfortable place to be - so I'm currently thinking it's a keeper, but I do want to customise it to my tastes just a bit... Although I guess the other option is to trade into an Elise and accept the daily driveability compromises.
It sounds like you want a car that 'behaves' in a daily driver type of scenario. The best place to start is probably a fresh standard set up. If your biggest concern is what happens in a straight line then suspension mods for better cornering ability and feel probably aren't where you need to be right now. Replace any worn parts, get a straight and sensible geo, get some half decent tyres on and just drive it learn it and enjoy it then think about what you want to improve.
I can vouch for the Carnewal exhaust. Had it fitted back in June and it took about 1000 miles for it to really set in, but now it sounds great when warmed up (if a little throaty when starting up cold). And Gert is a really nice chap, good reason to take it for a spin on roads across the water.
Been interested in getting 17's too.
Been interested in getting 17's too.
Thanks again to all. I'm planning a trip to RPM some time soon, and perhaps will post an update then.
Meanwhile, I see that a new thread on 987.2 mods has been opened by Rocket - unsurprising given the rich possibilities of this gen of Cayman/Boxster for rewarding real-world road driving - so I'd recommend anyone interested in the topic to follow it.
And cmoose, I'm grateful for the kind offer; it would certainly be interesting to check out how your car runs on 17"s, and if I'm heading westward some time soon, I'll let you know.
Meanwhile, I see that a new thread on 987.2 mods has been opened by Rocket - unsurprising given the rich possibilities of this gen of Cayman/Boxster for rewarding real-world road driving - so I'd recommend anyone interested in the topic to follow it.
And cmoose, I'm grateful for the kind offer; it would certainly be interesting to check out how your car runs on 17"s, and if I'm heading westward some time soon, I'll let you know.
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