'88 911 3.2 Performance upgrades?

[WydRyd]

You can do a low boost, 360HP turbo upgrade, for ~$2k if you're good at shopping for 2nd hand parts

[rnln]

exhaust = 20HP
air Intake filter = 20HP
cat = what? 40 HP?
come on guys.

[KFC911]

With all due respect to the previous posters (except for the suggestion to 'lose weight' and driving experience), imo they've missed the obvious. I suggest that you focus on the suspension. I've done a bunch over the past few years (SW chip, Fabspeed premuffler, sport exhaust, dropped a couple of hundred pounds, TOTAL suspension refresh/upgrade, 930 brakes, etc.), and by far the biggest performance gains were in the suspension area and improving the handling. The suspension upgrades will transform your car into a different animal, while the the modest hp gains will not. Lighten your car by 200 lbs (for free), and you'll be way ahead in the performance gains. Your suspension is approaching 20 years old...it's tired

ps: Welcome to the board!

edited: pps: I just read the previous posts a bit closer, and see that others have indeed suggested suspension... I concur!

[Bill Verburg]

stage 1
7 or 8 x16 or 17 w/ 225min tires
8 or 9 x16 or17 w/ 245min tires

Stage 2
adjustable sways f/r your choice

Stage 3
up grade t bars & bushings your choice

stage 4
930 or 993 brakes

stage 5
open up the motor, you need cams, port mods, chip mods, rod bolt upgrade, exhaust

[KFC911]

If your car still has the original Boge shocks (as mine did), that's the very first place I'd start...

[JeremyD]

I think it's pretty common for people to look at the exhaust as the first mod - coming from a 964 I thought the stock carrera 3.2 exhaust sounded more like a toyota than a sports car. Since that time I have worked my way through just about every component.

Also interesting - I was looking at a "used sports car market magazine" in barnes and noble the other day. One thing it specifically mentioned was that the shocks on the 3.2 carreras are good for 200,000 miles, one of the things that made the 3.2 a "good used sports car buy" in their eyes... It made me chuckle.

and by this post, I am not advocating muffler over suspension, I just think it's pretty common to look at those items first, when in all actuality, following Bill V's steps will probably get you the highest "performance" gain.

[Bill Verburg]

Forgot the Bilstein's in step1

[Nine9six]

Originally posted by Redlineshftr
The best mod i ever made to any of my cars was to lighten them... and its suuuuper cheap!

I need to know where you shop for your titanium and carbon fiber!

[Zef]

i will go for euro pre-muff...M&K exhaust...and a SW chips.

[MattAlpha]

Buy the chip after the upgrades to the engine, exhaust and intake. That way you know you like the mods and then buy the correct chip for the final set-up of your car

[Noney]

SuperClyde,

Without hijacking this thread I will simply say that you should go back and re-read my original post. I was responding to SKM911's question about the stated performance gains in the Performance Parts catalog as they apply to air intakes. Some of the ads claim to add over 20 horsepower just by bolting on their air cleaner. This is clearly BS and has been proven so.

In regards to exhausts, I would make the same claim if a manufacturer stated that by bolting on their muffler you would gain 50+ horsepower. But the fact still remains that some gains CAN be had by swapping mufflers, cat bypasses, etc. Is it 50+ horsepower? No way. Your bone of contention seems to be why there are any performance gains to be had at all. You seem to believe that the exhaust restrictions were built into the motors on purpose. Do you really think that a bunch of engineers sat around and said, "OK, lets use the more restrictive exhaust on these 3.2's so that guys can bolt on new exhausts to get more power"? We are going back roughly 20 years now, but the available technology and design parameters at that time led to the design of the exhausts as we now know them. In 20 years will someone find a way to get more power out of a 997 by messing with the exhaust? Probably. Does this mean Porsche knowingly built in a horsepower deficiency? Probably not.

[DW SD]

I think the combination of intake, exhaust (SSI's), muffler and chip was good for about 15HP to 20HP, total on my old 3.2. The part throttle response increase from the SW chip is instantly noticeable. The smoother idle is instantly obvious, as well.

Doug

[SuperClyde]

Noney-

My "Bone" of contention is the thought that Porsche wouldn't obviously leave HPs on the table and not as you indicate in your previous post "why are performance gains to be had at all".

The manufacturing process often causes engineering and design decisions to be made which will cause power and performance to suffer- this results from the need to mass produce products . Your rhetorical questions is absurd to say the least as we know that engineers aren't trying to diminish HPs but are required to maximize the HPs given a variety of parameters , including manufacturing limitations which you seem to conveniently ignore.

As for how you even processed my previous postings and concluded that I was implying that engineers are trying to minimize power is beyond me (a non-sequitur and a red herring to say the least, try a different approach)- but If you like, I have an extra bolt laying around for the loose screw to enhance your intellectual exhaust output if you like...

[MOMO3.2]

Quote from Redlineshftr:

The best mod i ever made to any of my cars was to lighten them... and its suuuuper cheap!

Nothing could be more true Scott. I don't know what your long term plans are for your 88 or what condition it is currently in. But, if you are going to "keep it forever" and you don't really care about resale, strpping off uneccessary pounds can really pay off in the area of driving dynamics and FUN!

My 87 Carrera has 165,000 miles and I have decided to "keep it forever". My car is far from perfect and the interior was getting a little worn, so... off came 400lbs, on went 9" Fuchs for the rear and 7" Fuchs to the front, Bilstein Sports, a suspension refresh, lowering, cornerbalance and Voila--a new car! It is WAAAAAY more fun and exciting to drive now than it was during the first 3 years.

Before mods:


After Mods:


There are a couple more changes coming too.

Mike

[Noney]

Settle down there, SuperClyde.

I've read all of your posts again and I'm still not exactly sure I'm following your argument as to why various systems on p-cars can and cannot be improved upon. We seem to have similar parts to our arguments...

[SuperClyde]

Lets go out for a beer... or a race in the canyons. The funny thing is I have an exhaust, SW chip and a stock air filter...

[Noney]

I'm on my way.

[Dixie]

Screw "upgrading" the car...

Sign up for a handfull of track days. You'll learn the biggest nut you can adjust is the one behind the wheel. And here's the kicker. When you move on to another car, you retain full value of the upgrade!

[WPOZZZ]

Originally posted by Capt. Carrera
Screw "upgrading" the car...

Sign up for a handfull of track days. You'll learn the biggest nut you can adjust is the one behind the wheel. And here's the kicker. When you move on to another car, you retain full value of the upgrade!

Rob - Check SKM911's location. We have no track.

[Dixie]

Rob - Check SKM911's location. We have no track.

AutoX my man. The next best thing.