Modding my 911 GTS
Discussion
I have never made any modifications to the cars I have owned over the last 22 years of motoring so I feel it's time to start.....maybe.
My GTS is a dream, pretty much perfect in every way for my needs so it will either stay with me forever or get chopped in against a 991 GT3/Turbo next year if business goes well. Question is, if I keep my GTS I fancy making some mods to it, first being an aftermarket exhaust. I love the sound but a bit more of it would not go amiss, so what are my options? Can anyone recommend some upgrades, ones that will preferably not have significant insurance/warranty ramifications.
My GTS is a dream, pretty much perfect in every way for my needs so it will either stay with me forever or get chopped in against a 991 GT3/Turbo next year if business goes well. Question is, if I keep my GTS I fancy making some mods to it, first being an aftermarket exhaust. I love the sound but a bit more of it would not go amiss, so what are my options? Can anyone recommend some upgrades, ones that will preferably not have significant insurance/warranty ramifications.
tuffer said:
I have never made any modifications to the cars I have owned over the last 22 years of motoring so I feel it's time to start.....maybe.
My GTS is a dream, pretty much perfect in every way for my needs so it will either stay with me forever or get chopped in against a 991 GT3/Turbo next year if business goes well. Question is, if I keep my GTS I fancy making some mods to it, first being an aftermarket exhaust. I love the sound but a bit more of it would not go amiss, so what are my options? Can anyone recommend some upgrades, ones that will preferably not have significant insurance/warranty ramifications.
On the insurance side of things, going through a specialist is the only way to achieve a reasonable premium. They'll be able to provide a reasonable assessment of 'risk' which will translate into a premium that isn't downright ridiculous and you will be in a pool of risk with similar owners. My GTS is a dream, pretty much perfect in every way for my needs so it will either stay with me forever or get chopped in against a 991 GT3/Turbo next year if business goes well. Question is, if I keep my GTS I fancy making some mods to it, first being an aftermarket exhaust. I love the sound but a bit more of it would not go amiss, so what are my options? Can anyone recommend some upgrades, ones that will preferably not have significant insurance/warranty ramifications.
Any modifications of any sort will invalidate your warranty unless you add Porsche original components. I wanted a more advanced Cobra Tracker in mine than what is supplied as standard (it allowed for a web interface) and I was told categorically that I would not have warranty support if I chose to go this route, even if an OPC undertook the fitting which they wouldn't as it wasn't Porsche approved. Despite being from the same manufacturer as the ones they fit standardly.
I'm not sure what the spec of your GTS is but you could add a short shifter or PSE as after market although I'd be tempted to go Akrapovic if I was going after market. You can spend a fortune on Akrapovic but maybe something like: http://bit.ly/PCMHCt could be an interesting solution. There are YouTube videos aplenty which will give you an idea of the difference in sound although in fairness, most are not brilliantly recorded and I'd advocate arranging a drive with an approved installer, they'll have sales videos or a car to demonstrate.
Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 7th November 08:44
Porsche have successfully dialled out all the fun with thier German styled warranty (we have ways of making you conform) mind you are they a sports car company any more ,with their product range of vans and diesel's , I know the 911 needs the revenue from these vechicals but why neuter your heritage. 
Nice oneWhy do you want to modify it?
By that I mean what do you hope to gain?
If it's just to make it sound better then there are many options but if you are still under the OPC warranty then you can only go for the PSE (Which sounds great by the way)
If you want to make it faster and/or handle better then thats another thread entirely.
By that I mean what do you hope to gain?
If it's just to make it sound better then there are many options but if you are still under the OPC warranty then you can only go for the PSE (Which sounds great by the way)
If you want to make it faster and/or handle better then thats another thread entirely.
tuffer said:
I have never made any modifications to the cars I have owned over the last 22 years of motoring so I feel it's time to start.....maybe.
My GTS is a dream, pretty much perfect in every way for my needs so it will either stay with me forever or get chopped in against a 991 GT3/Turbo next year if business goes well. Question is, if I keep my GTS I fancy making some mods to it, first being an aftermarket exhaust. I love the sound but a bit more of it would not go amiss, so what are my options? Can anyone recommend some upgrades, ones that will preferably not have significant insurance/warranty ramifications.
The GTS has the Porsche Sports Exhaust fitted as standard, but I know what you mean about wanting more - the sound quality is superb, it's the volume that could do with a lift! My GTS is a dream, pretty much perfect in every way for my needs so it will either stay with me forever or get chopped in against a 991 GT3/Turbo next year if business goes well. Question is, if I keep my GTS I fancy making some mods to it, first being an aftermarket exhaust. I love the sound but a bit more of it would not go amiss, so what are my options? Can anyone recommend some upgrades, ones that will preferably not have significant insurance/warranty ramifications.
The simplest and most effective way to do this is to fit a bypass pipe. There are several available and they all do the same thing - namely replace the 'primary' centre silencer that sits across the back of the car with a couple of straight pipes. This gives a number of advantages: 1) it removes weight at the most advantageous point on the car 2) it removes a layer of silencing to give you a bigger version of the same sound and 3) it removes the 2, very sharp, U-bends inside the factory primary silencer. This reduces back-pressure at higher rpm/throttle and liberates about 10-12 BHP. Not really enough to feel, but it's good to know you're getting a small improvement here as well for your money.
Whilst all the above will hopefuly provide what you're looking for, the biggest bonus of all for me is that the bypass can be installed/uninstalled in about an hour and a half (if not less) and is a relatively simple job. This means if there's anything goes wrong with the car (or come service time) you just put the original centre silencer back on and no warranty issues! Installation is made really simple if you remove the rear PU and heat shields (very easy) as you have all-round access to all the exhaust components.
I have the Sharkwerks bypass on my Gen-II Carrera S. Details of the the Sharkwerks offering can be found here:
http://www.sharkwerks.com/products.php?pid=193
including a sound clip of the bypass installed on a GTS.
Hope this is of some help.
Edited to add: This mod also has ZERO drone or resonance inside the car. As quiet as factory at part-throttle/cruise
Edited by Ian_UK1 on Wednesday 7th November 10:41
Upgraditus is normally very costly, and only worthwhile if you intend to keep the car long term.
It usually devalues the car at re-sale, compromises the warranty, can affect the insurance, and won't necessarily make a better car. Best stick with the (expensive) Techquipment stuff if you really do have the urge.
IMO get a 997.2 GT3 or 997.2 Turbo 'S'. 0r, save the money towards the next 991 GT3 or 991 Turbo - (late 2013?) - but I suspect they will be quite expensive.
It usually devalues the car at re-sale, compromises the warranty, can affect the insurance, and won't necessarily make a better car. Best stick with the (expensive) Techquipment stuff if you really do have the urge.
IMO get a 997.2 GT3 or 997.2 Turbo 'S'. 0r, save the money towards the next 991 GT3 or 991 Turbo - (late 2013?) - but I suspect they will be quite expensive.
Ian_UK1 said:
To improve the handling of a GTS, driver training is your best course of action (unless you're already an accomplished track wizard)!
Sometimes. And that's already been said.But perhaps there's something the OP specifically wants to change about how the car handles, and perhaps he's an accomplished track wizard
There's nothing quite as expensive as saying you want to "make your car betterererer"
Output Flange said:
Sometimes. And that's already been said.
But perhaps there's something the OP specifically wants to change about how the car handles, and perhaps he's an accomplished track wizard
There's nothing quite as expensive as saying you want to "make your car betterererer"
Oops, missed the driver-training post above!But perhaps there's something the OP specifically wants to change about how the car handles, and perhaps he's an accomplished track wizard
There's nothing quite as expensive as saying you want to "make your car betterererer"
So, I need a cross-over pipe, thanks Ian, Driver training...agreed, I'm crap, primarily my fear or terminal understeer. Yes I know it's a trait, I just can't get my head round it. I've done the Silverstone experience day but quite fancy something on a larger track where I can let the car stretch its legs a bit.
tuffer said:
I've done the Silverstone experience day but quite fancy something on a larger track where I can let the car stretch its legs a bit.
Can't recommend Don Palmer highly enough:http://www.donpalmer.co.uk/index.htm
(And Bruntingthorpe's fantastic - miles of space to get it wrong and learn)!
Gassing Station | Porsche General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff