Scaramanga is back and fitted with MOTEC "Plus 1"

Scaramanga is back and fitted with MOTEC "Plus 1"

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peter_964rs

Original Poster:

287 posts

274 months

Thursday 22nd May 2003
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For those that are interested in the MOTEC “plus 1” conversion from 9m, of which Scaramanga is (I believe) conversion number 2.

I’m due to scoot off to the ‘ring and Spa on Saturday and picked Scaramanga up from Colin only last night. A knackering 3 hour drive back through pouring rain in the dark on greasy motorways with a now massively torquey engine and worn part-slick Michelin Pilot Cup Sports later and I’m somewhat bleary-eyed this morning for some reason but able to post a few initial comments on the conversion. I’ll know more after the trip overseas in aggressive track conditions and will post again when I get back too!

I’ll gloss over some of the disappointments L, like forgetting to fit a cat bypass, forgetting to fix the heater (which, combined with the rain and dark on the motorways meant I use a constant supply of Holts Screenies to wipe away the mist. Anyone would think I had a small rain forest in the car, the way it kept steaming up), 9m’s paintmeister wandering off on holiday with my nipple so forcing Colin to fit a metal and rubber item that looks like a small stubby aerial is poking up out of the bonnet (see the car and you’ll understand why it’s called Scaramanga), and not having a proper dyno plot due to the dyno handset being screwed.

No, despite the waiting and travelling and dark and gloomy roads, O and the bill as well (had to go to the toilet immediately after writing the cheque as the sight of the invoice loosened my bowels somewhat) I’m thrilled, because it works and it’s brilliant.

By converting to Motec “Plus 1” I’ve had the new injectors and Motec unit, plus cams, porting, rod bolts, valve springs and some 9m magic weaved around it all.

The car is now dynoed at 332bhp. Pre-Motec it was dynoed at 293bhp, mostly due to the fact that I had a Cup ECU fitted by the previous owner and didn’t know it (incidentally, if anyone wants to offer me some dosh for it, let me know… I’m going to stick it on eBay when I get back) as well as a Cup bypass pipe and airbox. Had 9m remembered to fit a cat bypass as planned… I’m sure I’d be at 340+! I can’t wait to fit one myself and experience the additional shove in the back it’s bound to bring.

Anyway, after driving back down the motorway last night for three and a bit hours in the rain and the dark, I can tell you that what Motec “plus 1” gives you is two new engines.

Engine Number 1 is the standard RS engine, but more of the same wonderfulness. No drawbacks, just more oomph, more revs, more growl, more edge, more passion….. it’s just like the beautiful engine I used to have, but smoother and with noticeably more power. OK, it’s not snapping my head back into the seat like someone lit the blue touch paper on the solid fuel booster rocket, but it’s faster than anything I’ve been in except someone’s tweaked GT2……

Engine Number 2 is the more impressive engine in some respects. This is the torquey engine that surreptitiously shovels speed onto the car at lowish (circa 3.5 to 4k) revs and higher gears. You really have to watch the speedo to protect your licence. You also have to watch the back end in the wet on worn tyres – it *will* step out!!! I’m sure it’s as torquey as the supercharger conversion, albeit the supercharger would come in lower down, but you get Engine Number 1 into the bargain and none of the loss of character the supercharger allegedly produces.

Combine the two engines and it feels like I now have a four litre RS engine that revs well and really squirts the car forward, whatever gear you’re in. Definitely recommended.

iguana

7,044 posts

261 months

Thursday 22nd May 2003
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Domster should right now be on his way to the 'ring if you two manage to bump into each other and he gets a ride, I would not bet against the Baron finding its way opp north quite soon after!!

peter_964rs

Original Poster:

287 posts

274 months

Thursday 22nd May 2003
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What car has he got again (I mean instead of the RS)?

RoadRunner

2,690 posts

268 months

Thursday 22nd May 2003
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Peter, you say it's quicker than anything you've been in except the GT2. I expect you mean around a track, not in a straight line, sheer oomph kind of way. Have you ever been in a 993TT also? Just asking as I know a standard 964RS is the same pace as a boxter. I'd be suprised if this was *that* much faster with NA.

peter_964rs

Original Poster:

287 posts

274 months

Thursday 22nd May 2003
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Well, a 993TT is quick but a GT2 is quicker and, no, I haven't been in one. Or a 996TT. I'm sure there's plenty of straight-line monsters that would do better - maybe even ones from Blackpool, I don't know - but on a track the GT2 is one of the few cars I've been in that approaches or exceeds the speed of the RS. Still waiting for a ride in a Radical, mind you!

Best not play the "my car is faster than yours" game. Suffice to say it feels really, really quick in a non-turbo-slingshot kind of way. And certainly much quicker an more driveable than std.

rubystone

11,254 posts

260 months

Thursday 22nd May 2003
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Blimey Roadrunner, that Boxster must have been ing fast...or the RS very slow....

RoadRunner

2,690 posts

268 months

Thursday 22nd May 2003
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Well it came from Domster I seem to remember. Apparently a standard 964RS is very similar to a Boxter S in terms of speed. Sounded fair enough to me, considering near identical outputs and mass. Boxter is easier to drive quicker too, isn't it? Can't be much in it either way in unmodified form.

clubsport

7,260 posts

259 months

Thursday 22nd May 2003
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993TT Gt2 forget this is a 964 RS...there is nothing faster,handles better or appreciates quite like one.





Peter only messing,your car sounds even more fun than before have fun at the ring.


ninemeister

1,146 posts

259 months

Thursday 22nd May 2003
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Apologies for the oversights Peter, I hope they do not detract too much from your +1 Spa/Ring experience. To be honest, I was so focussed on getting your engine and the next +1 #3 built that I did not think to double check the order for the other parts, so slap on wrist accepted.

Now, for me the fact that you have 332 with the cat is nothing more than good news since your car has more power at the top end than +1 #1. This means that it must be breathing better at 6250-7000rpm that the other engine, and since decatting it will pull up the torque more I think we should easily see the same results as #1. By the time you get back from the jaunt we should have tested #3 without the cat and thus will be able to transfer the data directly #2's (I am a name, not a number - Scaramanga) ecu for an instant hop-up.

Glad you like the dollops of smooth though, it makes the months of effort worthwhile to know that we have improved on a few 1,000,000Dm of Porsche development budget.

I'll keep you posted on #3.

peter_964rs

Original Poster:

287 posts

274 months

Thursday 22nd May 2003
quotequote all
Tsk tsk tsk

Consider my finger firmly wagged. But only tongue in cheek as I'm ever so pleased with it.

Tried to cold start it this evening after work, just to make sure. Good news is it started. So I shouldn't get any unexpected dead car moments when I'm in the middle of Europe! Might need a touch more work on the cold start engine map though, just a touch rougher than of old.

Tomorrow night's task is to clean all the road gunk off, and try waxing the inside of the windows to counteract the steaming up, if it rains en route. Otherwise I think I'll need to text my fellow travellers when bombing along the autoroute to see if it's OK to pull out or not!

clubsport

7,260 posts

259 months

Thursday 22nd May 2003
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Sounds like Rain-X on the inside to me Peter..

clubsport

7,260 posts

259 months

Friday 30th May 2003
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Peter did you manage to use the extra power at the ring? Surely the car was in it's element,suprising standard RS models....

peter_964rs

Original Poster:

287 posts

274 months

Saturday 31st May 2003
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clubsport said: Peter did you manage to use the extra power at the ring? Surely the car was in it's element,suprising standard RS models....

Er...no. Because it fell apart even before I left Blighty. Colin is coming down this morning to trailer it away.

OK, so it was driveable, but mysteriously down on power - easily outgunned by a friend in a bog std RS in a 3rd gear roll on test on the motorway, or even another mate in a Boxster S - blowing smoke, engine and wheelarches covered in oil, part of the exhaust fell off and damaged the rear bumper and tyre (!), bits of blue paper towel left behind in the engine bay wrapped around the fan and sucked into the ventilation system - so I drove there and back and managed a pitiful few laps of both circuits before it got so bad that I decided to just let it sit there for the journey home and took p-rides with other people.

Bah. Obviously p*ssed off at the ruined holiday (at least I met Domster doing a Bono with his yellow sunglasses), it's due a second full engine rebuild to diagnose what went wrong, dyno & mapping as well as being loved and hugged back into pristine health.

Watch this space..........

clubsport

7,260 posts

259 months

Saturday 31st May 2003
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I am very sorry to hear that tale,not only your pride & joy being molested,but such an amazing driving weekend being ruined..
This is not a response you should have had cause to post,lets hope things get sorted out quickly with suitable recompense....chin up Peter,,,I am sure the old girl will be back better than ever,soon.

peter_964rs

Original Poster:

287 posts

274 months

Saturday 31st May 2003
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Yeah, well..... we'll see what happens next.

Question: is Scaramanga a girl or a boy? I've sort of skirted around the issue, preferring to refer to it as an "it" since Scaramanga is a boy's name but we tend to refer to cars using female pronouns.

murray

408 posts

284 months

Sunday 1st June 2003
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Know how you feel Peter. Engine in my 993rs went pop yesterday, looks like it's seized.

Jim

Roadrunner

2,690 posts

268 months

Sunday 1st June 2003
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A touch of bad luck there guys. Are you looking at a couple of k for a rebuild?

clubsport

7,260 posts

259 months

Sunday 1st June 2003
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A couple of K for an engine rebuild?





Please say you were not trying to be funny..

Sorry to hear about your bad luck Murray,if ever there was a car worth repairing it has to be the RS,,maybe a good excuse to put a piston/barrel kit in to extract a few more horses.
I am suprised to hear this,I thought those engines were close to bomb proof.were you trying very hard at the time??

randeria

77 posts

285 months

Sunday 1st June 2003
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Sad to hear about the engine Jim. How many miles did you have on your RS? Hope it doesn't cost *too* much to sort out.

All the best

Zubin

murray

408 posts

284 months

Sunday 1st June 2003
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Had just picked the car up after some work had been done on it (re-mapping to sort out MoT emissions problem and an oil change). Had done about 35 miles on dual carriageway, in sixth doing 80 and something went pop. Car had done 72000km.

Jim