Apex Competition's 996 Carrera 2 Project Car

So what's this all about? It's about the impressive Porsche GT3 Cup cars that we can't drive everyday... so why not take an affordable 996 C2 and modify it to arrive at a semi-comfortable yet formidable weekend club sport toy... One that can still be driven to and from the circuit and even everyday!

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

GT3 Aero Kit Installation

The most obvious change in the transformation from a standard Carrera 2 to a GT3 look-a-like is without doubt the Mk1 Aerokit. The deep spoiler, side skirts and conspicuous rear wing totatally transform the look of the 996.

Below are a series of photos showing the progress. All work was done in house.

The mk1 Aerokit body components are made from polyurethane while the rear wing is made from what appears to be a glass fiber composite. This is preferable for two reasons. One is that curbs and other cars wont destroy the parts on contact. And the other reason is we wanted to make sure the car was only fitted with original equipment Porsche parts. The mk1 Aero kit was an option for the early 996 C2.

First, the slick polyurethane components were scuffed up with scotch brite to make sure the paint would adhear. Then we used a special sticky bonding agent called a "tie coat', that was sprayed on to make sure the paint would really bond to the flexible poly parts.

The side skirts were already primed and the tie coat acted as a primer, so there was no need for a special primer coat. We added a flex agent to the Glacier White paint so that it would not crack or flake should we ever come in contact with anything after installation. The base coat was laid on thin, allowed to "flash dry" for a few hours, then lightly sanded and the the final 2 base coats were added to give a thick flexible coat of Glacier White. These were allowed to dry overnight and the following day a liberal application of clear coat was applied. This provided the final protective barrier and would also allow for a durable high gloss shine.

Installation of the side skirts is extremely simple. The old plastic stone guards are removed from the bottom of the rear rockers. The new side skirts are then fastened with Porsche body clips to the underside of the rocker panels and by plastic "rivets" to inside edges of the front and rear fender openings. Afterwards the backing tape is peeled off the inside of the side skirt which allows them to be bonded to the car all along the skirt's upper length.





Fastening the front bumper to the car is a bit more involved than the side skirts but is still definately within reach of a 'garage mechanic' should you be thinking of attempting this yourself. First the side lights and head lights are removed. Then a number of self taping screws are removed all around the periphery of the original bumper. A few small bolts along the top where the hood lays and the old bumper should literally fall off the car.
Assembly of the new GT3 bumper cover is the reverse of removable with one exception. No two parts are ever the same. Especially when working with a 10 year old car. So while the new bumper cover should theoretically just slide into place, quite a bit of adjusting and and a tiny bit of trimming were required to get it to lay in place where we wanted it. All in all however , not a very difficult job.

The final result... a 996 Carrera C2 tat looks lower, more aggressive and newer. The downside is that the car now looks unbalanced. Aero treatments to the front and sides now are really asking for that Aerokit rear wing!

Sunday, August 24, 2008

An Mk1 GT3 to aspire to...

Here are a few pics of an early mk1 GT3 that I found on a German website. This car looks very much like what we had in mind when this project started.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Brake Bleeding & Parking Brake Adjustment

As part of our gearbox and slave cylinder replacement a full fluid purge and refill with ATE Super Blue Racing fluid was in order.  Therefore no time better than the present to take the opportunity to adjust the parking brake as well.
Adjusting the parking brake on the 911 is similar to other drum brake adjutment procedures. Instead of another "how to" here I would highly recommend any Porsche owner to head over to http://www.renntech.org and set up an account. RennTech is a great resource for DIY tutorials and is THE place to go for technical Q&A about all things Porsche. Check it out.

I often work on my Porsche alone and my wife is no longer thrilled about pumping the brake pedal during fluid changes.  The Motive Bleeder to the rescue! This little unit really makes life easier.  It is a simple one person power bleeder for your car. The Motive Products Power Bleeder (which we sell) requires no external power source and allows you to completely flush your hydraulic system without refilling. An accurate pressure gauge ensures safe operation. Pressure bleeding is the preferred method used by professionals and the Motive Power Bleeder will help you achieve those same professional results in minutes. 

The entire brake system was flushed and refilled by myself in less time than it normally would take two people using the old "one guy on the brake pedal, one guy shuffling between bleeders and reservoir" method.  It's a must have.


All the tools and fluids show here are available from Apex Competition Systems. http://www.apexcompetition.com/






Sunday, August 10, 2008

New Clutch & Gearbox

Text will be added later

- New Slave Cyl


- Rebuilt Gearbox fixed pinion whine



- New SACHS clutch. The 6 puck SPEC was grabbing & chattering





Saturday, August 9, 2008

GT3 Aero Kit !!

Found a GT3 Aero Kit!

The Carrera 2 and the GT3 share the same basic chassis & suspension. It's the gearbox and engine that really make the GT3 shine. The early 996 GT3 (which was never sold in the USA) had a 'body kit' installed from the factory which was also available on the 996 as an option. This option is commonly referred to as the "Aero Kit". This 'GT3' Aero Kit is comprised of a deeper, wider front spoiler, deep side skirts and a large rear wing. This whole package was developed in the Porsche windtunnel to help the GT3 with aerodynamics at racing speeds. It is not simply all show...but it does look cool :)

Recently we were lucky enough to locate a set of early side skirts and a GT3 nose on EBay. These bits are all factory OEM Polyurethane components and not the cheaper fiberglass you sometimes see advertised. Since this is still a street car there is no substitute for original polyurethane. It can bump a curb or two, whereas fiberglass will be destoyed with even the slightest contact.

We also got a small carbon fiber chin spoiler which can bee seen in the photo above. This really adds a nice agressive look and will more importantly keep even more air from getting under the nose. Reducing lift at 100+ MPH is what it's all about !

What we have not obtained yet is the GT3 rear wing. The verdict is still out on whether a "period" Aerokit wing (affectionately known as the "Taco Wing") such as was found on the street going GT3, or a far more functional GT3 Cup wing as found on the factory Carrera Cup race cars is a better choice. The race wing will produce more downforce but since this is still primarily a street car we may need to make a concession here depending on price availability, practicality, etc.

We'll be adding another post to this blog when we paint & install these parts...stay tuned!

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Updating the Headlights

The amber turn signals were delivered on the earliest Bosters & 996 cars. Personally I dont like them at all. I like the new 997 headlights as they look more "classic 911" however this is a 996 so we're stuck with what we have. What we can do however is swap out these old faded yellowing headlights for a nice new set of clear lights with smoked turn signals and get rid of the amber. The smoked lights will look much better on our project car's White/Black color scheme.


How to install 996 Headlights.

It is really simple but I have heard all sorts of stories from people who did no research prior to attempting this and wound up breaking their lights. There are no screws or nuts to remove. You need to use Porsche's special tool that is included in the tool kit in each car.

First locate the plastic interior nut holding the carpet in place. After you remove the plastic finishing screw you will be able to pull down the carpet. Remove the rubber plug just to the right of the grounding wire to expose the headlight removal socket. In your Porsche Tool kit you will find a hollow 'hex' wrench with a handle. Insert the hex head into the socket as show with the handle hanging down.

Turn the handle counter-clockwise until you hear a "click" and see the headlight move out forward. You can then pull the headlight straight forward out of the car. It is located by plastic guide pins in a plastic channel. Assembly is simply the reverse procedure.


Wednesday, July 2, 2008

More Sparkle :)

I was lucky enough to find that "The Racer's Group" had just posted a set of the later model tail lights on their website. Something they had taken off a 996 shell for conversion into one of their full on race cars no doubt. It gives the rear of the car a nice updated look. The main difference is the replacement of the amber lense across the top with the newer clear/smoked lense.