997 GT3 tuning/modification, where to start??
Discussion
Hi, just wondering what the general consensus is on modifying a GT3... I have fitted a titanium exhaust system with high flow cats to gain a bit more power/less weight, but am not sure what the next step should be (if any).
It's a road car with occasional track use.
What do most people do next?
It's a Mk1 997 GT3 Club Sport.
It's a road car with occasional track use.
What do most people do next?
It's a Mk1 997 GT3 Club Sport.
Uprated suspension - ohlins.
Fit a Cup diff (or Fearnsport modified one)
Uprated bigger steel brakes.
Get a proper geo done.
WIth that lot it will be a fair bit quicker. Engine wise unless you want to rebuild there's not a huge amount that you can do, plus it is all pretty expensive.
I suppose you could de-cat, fit a 4.0RS air box and filters - with modified engine cover lid, and get a custom map, not sure on the gains, but I'd def do the suspension and brakes etc first.
Fit a Cup diff (or Fearnsport modified one)
Uprated bigger steel brakes.
Get a proper geo done.
WIth that lot it will be a fair bit quicker. Engine wise unless you want to rebuild there's not a huge amount that you can do, plus it is all pretty expensive.
I suppose you could de-cat, fit a 4.0RS air box and filters - with modified engine cover lid, and get a custom map, not sure on the gains, but I'd def do the suspension and brakes etc first.
Have you changed your sway bar?
If you've not put on the thicker rear then this would always be the first place to start. Without it you won't be able to dial out the inherent under steer in the 997.1
There's background info on pages 4-5 of the parr fast road geo thread.
After that it's the usual stuff and depends entirely on what you want and are trying to achieve.
If you've not put on the thicker rear then this would always be the first place to start. Without it you won't be able to dial out the inherent under steer in the 997.1
There's background info on pages 4-5 of the parr fast road geo thread.
After that it's the usual stuff and depends entirely on what you want and are trying to achieve.
Edited by fioran0 on Tuesday 14th August 09:15
Take off the PASM, smash it up with a hammer, burn it then bury it underground. After that fit a decent set of adjustable dampers and get a geo done by somebody who knows what they are doing.
Thats all you need to do. Dont sod about with anything else, it will be a waste of money. A 997GT3 - any 997GT3 - with a decent set of passive dampers and a geo will be a stunning car to drive
Thats all you need to do. Dont sod about with anything else, it will be a waste of money. A 997GT3 - any 997GT3 - with a decent set of passive dampers and a geo will be a stunning car to drive
Steve Rance said:
Take off the PASM, smash it up with a hammer, burn it then bury it underground. After that fit a decent set of adjustable dampers and get a geo done by somebody who knows what they are doing.
Thats all you need to do. Dont sod about with anything else, it will be a waste of money. A 997GT3 - any 997GT3 - with a decent set of passive dampers and a geo will be a stunning car to drive
Jeez - what's wrong with the standard dampers? Thats all you need to do. Dont sod about with anything else, it will be a waste of money. A 997GT3 - any 997GT3 - with a decent set of passive dampers and a geo will be a stunning car to drive
FactoryPilot said:
Uprated suspension - ohlins.
fit a 4.0RS air box and filters - with modified engine cover lid,
I’ve done this on my 997 gt3 mk1, makes a nicer sound along with the fab speed by pass, no other gains noticeablefit a 4.0RS air box and filters - with modified engine cover lid,
But I’ve heard the RS4.0 air box is v.expensive being carbon fibre. I know fab speed do a modified air box which they say gives +hp
Airbox, suspension, geo & exhaust would be as far as i would take it.
Steve Rance said:
Take off the PASM, smash it up with a hammer, burn it then bury it underground. After that fit a decent set of adjustable dampers and get a geo done by somebody who knows what they are doing.
Thats all you need to do. Dont sod about with anything else, it will be a waste of money. A 997GT3 - any 997GT3 - with a decent set of passive dampers and a geo will be a stunning car to drive
+1, dont bother with Zorsts / filter and remaps they are 415bhp anyhow, if it then makes 420bhp you will be wasting your money chap just get some RS29's, adjust the roll bars, get a good geo and learnt to drive it, then some struts if you want to spend £3-£7K on KW's or Ohlins.. if you want more power buy a 3.8/3.8RS or a 4.0...!Thats all you need to do. Dont sod about with anything else, it will be a waste of money. A 997GT3 - any 997GT3 - with a decent set of passive dampers and a geo will be a stunning car to drive
Edited by RatBoy M3CSL on Tuesday 14th August 14:19
tomvcarter said:
Hi, just wondering what the general consensus is on modifying a GT3... I have fitted a titanium exhaust system with high flow cats to gain a bit more power/less weight, but am not sure what the next step should be (if any).
It's a road car with occasional track use.
What do most people do next?
It's a Mk1 997 GT3 Club Sport.
Surprised nobody's asked; what are you hoping to achieve with your mods? More power? Better road car? Better track car?It's a road car with occasional track use.
What do most people do next?
It's a Mk1 997 GT3 Club Sport.
To be honest, I'd say simply don't. By the time you put a titanium exhaust on it, mess around with the induction and suspension and bolt on 380mm disks you would have been better off getting into a 3.8 to begin with. Upgrade the diff when it needs replacing. Upgrade the disks when they need replacing. Single mass flywheel is an option (which is a matter of taste as much as performance) at such point as when you need a new clutch.
The one thing that you should do is have it geoed by someone who knows what they are doing, but other than possibly a rear anti-roll bar change - that shouldn't need parts. You will need to spend a fair amount of time and money on track days and instruction before it is genuinely worth switching the dampers IMHO. If you can pedal like Mr Rance then it is night and day, but frankly - the question being asked implies that at this point your money is better invested in yourself than shiney bits for the car??
The one thing that you should do is have it geoed by someone who knows what they are doing, but other than possibly a rear anti-roll bar change - that shouldn't need parts. You will need to spend a fair amount of time and money on track days and instruction before it is genuinely worth switching the dampers IMHO. If you can pedal like Mr Rance then it is night and day, but frankly - the question being asked implies that at this point your money is better invested in yourself than shiney bits for the car??
DiscoColin said:
To be honest, I'd say simply don't. By the time you put a titanium exhaust on it, mess around with the induction and suspension and bolt on 380mm disks you would have been better off getting into a 3.8 to begin with. Upgrade the diff when it needs replacing. Upgrade the disks when they need replacing. Single mass flywheel is an option (which is a matter of taste as much as performance) at such point as when you need a new clutch.
The one thing that you should do is have it geoed by someone who knows what they are doing, but other than possibly a rear anti-roll bar change - that shouldn't need parts. You will need to spend a fair amount of time and money on track days and instruction before it is genuinely worth switching the dampers IMHO. If you can pedal like Mr Rance then it is night and day, but frankly - the question being asked implies that at this point your money is better invested in yourself than shiney bits for the car??
+1The one thing that you should do is have it geoed by someone who knows what they are doing, but other than possibly a rear anti-roll bar change - that shouldn't need parts. You will need to spend a fair amount of time and money on track days and instruction before it is genuinely worth switching the dampers IMHO. If you can pedal like Mr Rance then it is night and day, but frankly - the question being asked implies that at this point your money is better invested in yourself than shiney bits for the car??
Sharkwerks 3.9 conversion (there's a bigger one on the way too apparently) 
will give you 500hp and added to a £55K Gen 1 "vanilla" GT3 will still be far, far less than a 500hp 4 Litre factory car.
Bolt on a set of ExeTcs finest and you'll still be quids in (and have a quicker/better handling car than a Gen 2 3.8 GT3/RS or 4 Litre)
You'll not get much/any of it back come resale time, but the journey is often waaaaay better than the holiday. If that's you, do it, the end result would be epic.
FWIW, I considered all the above mods, but found the standard car more than quick enough (and its handling more than adequate) for the road . . . .
I think you may be trying to "Gild the lily". There's absolutely no harm in doing so, as long as you go into the exercise with your eyes wide open.
will give you 500hp and added to a £55K Gen 1 "vanilla" GT3 will still be far, far less than a 500hp 4 Litre factory car.Bolt on a set of ExeTcs finest and you'll still be quids in (and have a quicker/better handling car than a Gen 2 3.8 GT3/RS or 4 Litre)
You'll not get much/any of it back come resale time, but the journey is often waaaaay better than the holiday. If that's you, do it, the end result would be epic.
FWIW, I considered all the above mods, but found the standard car more than quick enough (and its handling more than adequate) for the road . . . .
I think you may be trying to "Gild the lily". There's absolutely no harm in doing so, as long as you go into the exercise with your eyes wide open.
absolutely, passive dampers and geo is it in a nutshell however you need to do your rear sway bar first before anything else. if you dont you will still have a ton of understeer that you cannot get out.
the bar costs about £300 and can be fitted yourself in 10 minutes.
even just with this change and a geo the car will be much better to drive, however you will still be locked in a battle with PASM as it trys to adjust to something you have already adjusted for. unsettling at times, scary at others.
the rear bar on the 997.1 is simply too small. the car has a ton of understeer however it is delivered from the factory with the bar maxed out. what this means is you are left with nowhere you adjust to to improve things. the only adjustment available is in the opposite direction you need to go.
the 997.2 changed to a larger bar which not only cured the understeer but gave you back a degree of adjustability to fine tune with the bars too.
fwiw there is a technical service bulletin from porsche for the 997.1 advising dealers that the changing to the larger rear bar is beneficial and acceptable, and the original smaller rear bar is now superseded in PET to the larger bar. this means that if you had a bar issue on a 997.1 you would be supplied with the larger one. there is no small rear one available any more. this is as close to admitting a mistake and offering a recall/upgrade as one will get from porsche these days sadly.
after that, passive dampers and a good geo and you are away and flying. the 997.1 is a great car.
the bar costs about £300 and can be fitted yourself in 10 minutes.
even just with this change and a geo the car will be much better to drive, however you will still be locked in a battle with PASM as it trys to adjust to something you have already adjusted for. unsettling at times, scary at others.
the rear bar on the 997.1 is simply too small. the car has a ton of understeer however it is delivered from the factory with the bar maxed out. what this means is you are left with nowhere you adjust to to improve things. the only adjustment available is in the opposite direction you need to go.
the 997.2 changed to a larger bar which not only cured the understeer but gave you back a degree of adjustability to fine tune with the bars too.
fwiw there is a technical service bulletin from porsche for the 997.1 advising dealers that the changing to the larger rear bar is beneficial and acceptable, and the original smaller rear bar is now superseded in PET to the larger bar. this means that if you had a bar issue on a 997.1 you would be supplied with the larger one. there is no small rear one available any more. this is as close to admitting a mistake and offering a recall/upgrade as one will get from porsche these days sadly.
after that, passive dampers and a good geo and you are away and flying. the 997.1 is a great car.
Edited by fioran0 on Thursday 16th August 11:11
..I've heard that a lot of folk put the GT2 RARB on these cars, which helps a lot
Assuming most folk would have the FARB set to full soft to get the most grip they can and then run out of adjustment, you cant play with the dampers, so the next best thing is to stiffen and loosen the rear, does this mod actually help the front grip harder, or just loosen the rear to balance the car out better ..?
Assuming most folk would have the FARB set to full soft to get the most grip they can and then run out of adjustment, you cant play with the dampers, so the next best thing is to stiffen and loosen the rear, does this mod actually help the front grip harder, or just loosen the rear to balance the car out better ..?
Edited by RatBoy M3CSL on Thursday 16th August 11:31
yeah, thats what folks were doing and what the TSB issued by porsche covers. that rear bar superseded to a new part number shared by the 997.2
it moves the balance of grip to the front giving you greater overall grip. you gain at the front by losing some from the rear which enables you to exploit more of the maximum available. the weakest end is always the limiting factor.
the 997 platform is fantastic, sadly it takes a bit of work to be able to unlock it due simply to its factory configuration.
it moves the balance of grip to the front giving you greater overall grip. you gain at the front by losing some from the rear which enables you to exploit more of the maximum available. the weakest end is always the limiting factor.
the 997 platform is fantastic, sadly it takes a bit of work to be able to unlock it due simply to its factory configuration.
Edited by fioran0 on Thursday 16th August 11:38
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