Minimal essential mods to tracked GT3/RS

[TRAKCAR]

OK, you can go nuts (Trackrat ) and make the car materially better and faster.

I on the other hand bought the RS because I like to leave the car as stock as possible and enhance warranty chances. My essential enhancements are only aimed at safety, durability and lowering operating cost.

Essential to me:
- SRF brake fluid and endurance pads.
- Grippier pedals for better heel n toe. More so if you have big feet.
- Roll bar and 6 point seat belts 9Both seats!) for safety and track comfort. Don't forget Hans belts and Hans device.
- Full wrap or you will have to repaint eventually
- Studs in caliper, or you will eventually strip out an upright.
- Cup splitter, they are cheaper and more flexible
- Gurney flap. OK, this is questionable but it balances out CUP lip.
- CUP LSD, the car needs it to be more stable and maybe wishful
thinking but it might keep transmission temps down.
- CUP rear toe arms, hold better allignment, saves on tires.
- Slotted front rotors, will pay back in nextended life over OEM cross drilled ones.
- Sharky bypass final exhaust if you have an RS because the OEM ones burn out in only a few track days and I doubt they keep replacing them 3x a year.
- Brake caliper piston puck holder, or you'll spend ours fishing the pucks out of your rotors.

I think that's it. Did I forget something?

[CWS]

Shorts and T-shirt?

On a serious note, replace the eccentric rear-toe adjusters with fixed bolts.

[TRAKCAR]

Yes, cool suits add too much wait.

[NickW]

Studs for the calipers/uprights- Where do you get those, and what is the install procedure? Do you use jet nuts on the top to secure the calipers like a Brembo aftermarket kit?

I think I actually had pretty much everything else you recommended done. I also had the larger 3RS brake ducts installed all around.

[Izzone]

I did time certs

[TRAKCAR]

Studs for the calipers/uprights- Where do you get those, and what is the install procedure? Do you use jet nuts on the top to secure the calipers like a Brembo aftermarket kit?

I got them from Orbit. Yes it is the same as he Brembo kit and the CUP cars, but the studs are different from the CUP cars due to different uprights. Sorry I don't know install procedure and specs.

Time certs also work.

[FTS]

I had the same objectives as you in selecting a brand and model. With Porsche/Cayman, I found the answer and the GT3 just made things so much better for me. It is the perfect car in which I can go to work in a suite (business, not racing ) and go to track without changing anything, I just push couple of buttons. Single car, single maintenance, one operating budget, one payment, dual purposes served and no trailering.

In your list, I'd add wheels and tires though.

But I have to ask...

As far as I can tell, you only take your RS to the track and not drive it daily. For you, would it not have made more sense to buy an actual track- or race-prep'd car? I don't mean a Cup car necessarily, but even a spec 911 would have done pretty well probably. I don't know if you remember the Excellence article in which they compared a spec 911 racer to a 997.1 GT3 RS to a 2006 or 7 Cup car. They concluded that the Spec 911 was a better value if the purpose was to track it only, and the GT3 RS only made sense if one was to track infrequently and intends to drive the car on the street daily or over the weekends. That article made quite a bit of sense to me.

So, why the 7.2 RS for you?

[TRAKCAR]

Who, me

The RS is my only car

I do have access to the company truck for when the RS is being worked on, or if I need a people or trailer mover.
I also have my wife's car as backup when she does not need it, but the RS is the only car I really drive. I only live about 10 miles from work and if we go anywhere my wife insists on taking her car instead of the bouncy clown car
I don't mind as hers is comfier, faster (on the street) and I don't care what the valet guys do with it.

Yes, I agree, I have 2 sets of 3-piece BBS track wheels and tires are needed as well. The MPSC are great on the road and track, but you earn your track wheels back by running cheap track dedicated wheels. Even cheaper if you get 2 sets, so you can run them till they cord.

When I get even older and even fatter and money allows I'll probably steel my wife's car and buy a CUP and just pay for arrive and drive service.

[Trackrat]

Originally Posted by TRAKCAR

OK, you can go nuts (Trackrat ) and make the car materially better and faster.

I on the other hand bought the RS because I like to leave the car as stock as possible and enhance warranty chances. My essential enhancements are only aimed at safety, durability and lowering operating cost.

Essential to me:
- SRF brake fluid and endurance pads.
- Grippier pedals for better heel n toe. More so if you have big feet.
- Roll bar and 6 point seat belts 9Both seats!) for safety and track comfort. Don't forget Hans belts and Hans device.
- Full wrap or you will have to repaint eventually
- Studs in caliper, or you will eventually strip out an upright.
- Cup splitter, they are cheaper and more flexible
- Gurney flap. OK, this is questionable but it balances out CUP lip.
- CUP LSD, the car needs it to be more stable and maybe wishful
thinking but it might keep transmission temps down.
- CUP rear toe arms, hold better allignment, saves on tires.
- Slotted front rotors, will pay back in nextended life over OEM cross drilled ones.
- Sharky bypass final exhaust if you have an RS because the OEM ones burn out in only a few track days and I doubt they keep replacing them 3x a year.
- Brake caliper piston puck holder, or you'll spend ours fishing the pucks out of your rotors.

I think that's it. Did I forget something?

A good list and let me add:

I have the understanding that SRF has been related to ABS seals in the system swelling over time and causing problems and that factory fill for Cup cars is now Endless fluid. With that said I have SRF in my 3RS and plan to swap it out to Endless sometime this year. I will try to confirm the validity of this claim but it comes from a reputable source.

My calipers have been on and off 10-15 times over one year and threads are fine. I DO make it a point to ALWAYS use brake clean spray on the threads (male/female) to remove any possible dirt or contaminant. Assemble clean and dry. So far no problems. But I think dirty threads and/or air tools could easily damage the threads.

[PJS]

pic of gurney flap?

[CWS]

Almost forgot track alignment. These cars need more negative camber to be happy on track.

[TRAKCAR]

Ahh, yes off course! Allignment. I forgot! Corner balancing would be good as well.

Trackrat, I will try Endless brake fluid next time if I go with Endless pads. Just for the hell of it. Keep us posted I really like my SRF brake fluid and know of 30K + mile GT3's that are tracked hard and ran SRF for 4 years straight. No problems yet.

I am also thinking of trying the crazy expensive Endless pads A45mB or something like that. If I can get them on time for Sebring.

Servicing the wheel bolts and clean thread is also a good point!
I can add; Mega torque wrench, Lowes paint can opener, Lock bar to depress brake pedal against seat, Castrol grease, extra wheel nut (Damaged the original, don't ask, beer involved) a spare wheel nut and 2 spare center dust caps because the fly off on the cool down lap..

Oh and ideally extra TPS in the track wheels :-)
Also get Porsche shop to PIWIS reprogram to turn off all seat belt warning lights and chimes.
Still to do: reprogram flat tire warning limits with PIWIS. So far success for frnts, but rears still give flat tire warning..

Gurney pic:

[CWS]

Originally Posted by TRAKCAR

....extra wheel nut (Damaged the original, don't ask, beer involved) a spare wheel nut...

Peter:

Porsche makes a nice trick bottle opener that looks just like your wheel nut but works better and costs a lot less.

Order one here:
http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/...OL10a_pg18.htm

[Dell]

Essential #1 mod is the driver. SEAT TIME, SEAT TIME, SEAT TIME!

Obvious prep is make sure alignment is not out of whack and get the toe arms to control any toe change due to alignment slip and/or bump steer. Other than that the only essentials I can agree with are proper fluid and pads. Everything else would fall into that "stage 2" category once you start gathering skill and speed.

With that said, if you are already a "fast" driver that drives flat out on day 1 then I would agree with most of the OP.

[bman]

Originally Posted by Trackrat

My calipers have been on and off 10-15 times over one year and threads are fine. I DO make it a point to ALWAYS use brake clean spray on the threads (male/female) to remove any possible dirt or contaminant. Assemble clean and dry. So far no problems. But I think dirty threads and/or air tools could easily damage the threads.

How about torque setting?

I've heard opinions that the factory torque spec is high for calipers that see frequent removal/attachment.