RSR Update
 

There seems to be quite a few RSR "build" threads - so I thought I would start an RSR Update thread - just for something different.

[http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241502513.jpg
[http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241502587.jpg
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My car was pretty extensively covered here a few years ago when the previous owner transformed the car from a yellowbird replica into an RSR – see attached links
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/318653-my-rsr-gtporsche-magazine.html
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=299650&perpage=20&pagen umber=1
The last rebuild was pretty extensive with the PO mainly focusing on the aesthetics of the car while also doing a some mild engine updates with a 3.2 conversion.

I purchased the car about a year ago and after enjoying the car for a summer decided to carry out some drivetrain updates over winter to give it an extra bit of go to match the show. My initial intention was an engine upgrade however “updateitis” set in and the plan has grown - not to mention the budget. My Winter project is also turning into a Spring project.

Most of the info / ideas for the update came from this BBS and almost all of the parts have been purchased from the Parts For Sale section. I started the update a few months ago have been taking photos, with the intention of starting a thread but have been a bit slack in getting started.

The current update plan is as follows:
Motor – Twin Turbo 930 – created by The Motorsports Group in Florida – purchased from the PP Classifieds

Transmission – shortened G50/50 with factory LSD, Spec Clutch and Flywheel – purchase from the PP Classifieds. Hargrett shifter - from our host.

Brakes – 996TT with IG hubs and adaptors

Front Suspension – Bilstien coilovers and bump steer kit - from Rebel racing. Tarret sway bar, ERP polybronze bushes and new ball joints from our host.

Rear Suspension – Bilstein coilovers and 935 spring plates from Rebel Racing. ERP monoballs from our host. Smart Racing adjustable rear camber boxes.

Other updates – G50 conversion with an extensive list of parts from “Kaefer” (PP BBS member). Rear seat delete to make room for the camber boxes. AC delete. Fuel system update. And the list keeps growing.

I am doing most of the work myself and will try to cover it here as I progress

I remember when the previous owner was building the car. Nice car for sure.

It is good to have you here on Pelican.

that will be very cool once it is a wolf in wolf's clothing. The sheep's underpinnings deserve to go.
Good plan!

Doug

I'm looking forward to watching this thread. Please take lots of pics!

The dissassebly starts
 

The mid-rise lift made the engine removal a fairly simple exercise.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241581470.jpg

All of the suspension was then removed for a refresh and update.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241581855.jpg

My tub is an 82Sc and as I was planning a G50 install I deliberated for some time on the best way to proceed. The main options that i considered were:
- Short bell-housing G50
- G50 Torsion tube transplant
- Modify the 915 torsion tube.

Luckily I found a full G50 conversion "kit" that a fellow Pelican member had for sale. "Kaefer" supplied just about every single part - including the torsion tube - needed to carry out the conversion from a donor car. This made for an easy decision - G50 torsion tube transplant.

Prior to taking to the original torsion tube with the hack saw I fabricated an alignment jig to locate the rear control arm mounting points - doweled off the rear sway bar mounts. I used the original centers from the old rubber control arm bushings for the jig.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241583112.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241583159.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241583206.jpg

The welding is a bit rough - but it is only a jig.

I hope you enjoy and have more to follow,
Richard.

Richard, nice man, looks like your doing a killer job. Can't wait to see how this turns out. Welcome to the board! Keep going with the pictures and progress write-up!!

JW

IMO, there aren't too many killer yellow rides. This certainly in one of them! Good luck with the transplant.

Thanks for the positive comments guys. I am deep into this project so there is no turning back now.

Following the manufacture and a few trial fittings of the jig it was time to take the big plunge. I did a fair amount of research on the torsion tube install and had a basic plan however it was clear that welding in the new torsion tube was going to be difficult with the rear seat in position due to the clearance on the front and top of the tube - very tight to get a mig gun in there. I had also seen a few installs of the adjustable rear camber boxes and Jay, my engine builder convinced me that they would improve adjustability and the handling the car. I had also read Jack Olsen's thread and became convinced that removing the rear seat would not only allow for an easier installation of the torsion tube, but would also allow clearance for the Smart Racing camber boxes - so the plan was set.

I must admit that taking to a perfectly good car with an angle grinder and sawsall creates a fair amount of apprehension. Here is a shot of the rear seat area before I started. The PO had spent a bunch of $’s on the interior including the fully trimmed rear seat area in Alcantara (or suede to some).
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241672418.jpg

I stripped all of the fancy stuff out and marked it out (black line) for cutting.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241672736.jpg

The cutting took a fair bit of determination and perseverance. I cut the complex shapes with a small cutting disc on a Dremal which I brought specifically for the job. Even though I took it very easy I ended up burning the motor out on 3 units before I got it completed. The store where I purchased them from changed them under warranty each time and finally told me that they have some sort of problem on some models :eek:. Even running unloaded for a few minutes they would get too hot to hold with you bare hands - frustrating when you are kneeling in the back of a car with 110V of smoking motor in your hands:mad:
Here is a photo showing the rear seat panel removed and some tape lines to measure up the replacement sheet metal.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241673286.jpg

With the rear seat panel out of the way, I had plenty of room to access the torsion tube - both for cutting out the old and welding in the new one.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241674301.jpg

Stay tuned - I will cover the modification of the G50 torsion tube in the next instalment.

Richard.

Holy F****...yeah doing that takes balls for sure.

Great work. Gotta get one of those lifts for future work. Makes things 200% easier.

Would luv some pix and/or more details on that motor ur stuffing in her.

Gabriel - either balls or stupidity. I just hope my abilities can keep up with my ambition. My goal is to do most of the work on this project myself. I figure that if I find I am getting into trouble I will have to out-source for help - but generally there is enough good expertise on this forum to give one confidence to tackle just about anything. BTW - How is the blackbird coming along? I have been following your build and am most impressed. You gave me the inspiration to go twin turbo :D

Juicersr - "once you give up your jack, you will never go back".
I was trying to build some suspense regarding the engine. But as you have asked I will give you a preview of what is to come.


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241710680.jpg

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http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241710959.jpg

Enjoy,
Richard.

Richard -

Very clever alignment gig for the trailing arm mounts!

You're also ahead of me with removing the rear seat pan for access. I'll use your outline as a reference in the future.

I have the exact same lift, including the use of hockey pucks. Cool.

This thing is going to be great!

Thanks Glenn - the jig was fairly simple to manufacture and worked well to center the replacement torsion tube. If you are also doing a rear seat removal I have the drawings of the panels that I had folded up it you are interested. See in the pictures in the post below.

A fellow PP member "Kaefer" supplied me the complete G50 conversion kit. Fortunately for me Kaefer supplied the tube complete with all of the sheetmetal still attached to the center portion of the tube. This was very helpful as it allowed me to understand how the torsion tube is attached to the body. The tricky part is the 2 curved sections that attach to the rear of the tunnel in the floor pan. Having this section from the doner car allowed me to experiment with removing the tube without destroying the mounting points.

Here is the G50 torsion tube after the sheetmetal had been removed.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241754321.jpg

One discovery that I made following the delivery of the adjustable rear control arm boxes from Smart Racing was that they are not designed for G50 torsion tubes.
Following a bit of measuring

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241754726.jpg

I took another big leap of faith and sectioned the brand new $600 camber boxes with the grinder.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241754969.jpg

I then applied some heat and bent the inner side plates back to be striaght with the main body of the control arm box.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241755097.jpg

This provided the necessary shape to fit to the G50 torsion tube.

Next task was to carve up the G50 torsion tube to fit the camber boxes. The instructions from Smart Racing were simple enough however the rear control arm mounts on the G50 torsion tube are 1/4" cast steel and not 1/8" formed sheet. The Smart Racing instructions suggested to use a 1 3/8" hole saw to open up the 14mm rear control arm mounting hole to position the new control arm boxes. This was not as easy as it seams as you need a 1/4" hole to center the hole saw and keep it at the same angle as the control arm mounting hole. To achieve this I turned up a length of bar 14mm diameter and drilled a 1/4" hole in the center and used this to both center the hole saw and keep it at the right angle.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241756134.jpg
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http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241756328.jpg

Richard,

Again, very clever solution with the 14mm centering jig.

I think you did the right thing with modifying the SRP piece. Ballsy, but spot on.

I didn't know the SRP piece wouldn't fit a G50 tube. I'll be installing that same piece into a 74 tub, for use with 930 trailing arms, plus the G50/50. I think I'll just notch the tube instead of do the whole switheroo as you did.

I also didn't know you had to cut a 1-3/8" hole, so I'm looking forward to your next sequence with anticipation.

Yes, please hold onto the paper panels! Thank you.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241710680.jpg

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http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241710959.jpg

Damnnnnnnnn!!!! Now THAT is a proper motor for this car!! Love the raw old school non-bling look and incorporation of the 964 manifold. Thanks for the early peak and cant wait to hear more details on it (injector size, turbos using, engine mgt, etc)

WHERE did you (or the previous owner) source those billet injector adaptors???

Very cool project taking an already jaw-dropping car to a whole other level. Keep up the posts and good work.

And where did you get the 180-degree bend from the I/C to the intake please?

I've been thinking of going to the C2 intake on my 3.3 TT, and I have the same Protomotive I/C I could modify.

You're building a really cool car!

I then cut the top section or the mounting points out with a hack saw and cleaned up the edges with the grinder.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241756484.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241756538.jpg

I then spent some time trimming and grinding to fit the control arm boxes.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241757053.jpg

The finished product - shown with some spacers to maintain the width.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241757161.jpg

The next task was to remove the 915 Torsion tube. This photo shows the 2 curved sections that attach the torsion tube to the rear of the tunnel in the floor pan.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241757362.jpg

Cutting the weld off the 2 curved sections.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241757670.jpg

And the torsion tube removed.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241757863.jpg

The old with with the new
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241758010.jpg
You can see in the photo above - in the end of the G50 torsion the "spacer" that I had turned up to act as a spigot for aligning the new torsion tube. I borrowed this idea from another PP thread.

I trimmed the G50 torsion tube to the correct length
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241758347.jpg

I then pushed the spacers inside the remains of the 915 torsion tube still attached to the chassis, slid the G50 torsion tube into position, tapped the spaces along so the were centred at the joint of the G50 torsion tube, installed the jig and welded it all in position using the spacers as a back up to the weld.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1241758850.jpg

Overall this was made considerably easier by the fact that the rear seat had been removed. This would be do-able without removing the rear seat however you would likely need a stick welder, a mirror and a very steady hand.

In the next instalment I will show the fitting of the new rear seat panels.

Richard.

Juicersr - the motor as shown in the photos is is just being mocked up to do all of the plumbing work. This is being done by Jay at "The Motorsports Group" in Florida. Once all of the mock up is complete the custom headers will be thermal coated, the IC / tanks cleaned up and polished and the motor will be disassembled and completely re-assembled. Jay had the Injector adapters CNC'ed and is also making the custom fuel rails to suit.

Glenn - I am not exactly sure where the 180 bend is from - Jay has been working with Orbit Racing and Holcolmb on the intake / turbo design. The intake manifold is from a 993TT engine - so I guess it came directly from there? I will try to find out.

Richard.

Glad I could help in the inspiration department :) I'm sure your wife hates me SmileWavy

She's coming along, we just traded out rear tires to fit the 28.6" tall 345/35/19 Pirelli Corsa DOT race tires. And now we're going to recontour the flares to fit over them.

You're going to love that motor and especially love the sound of the unmuffled hellhound when spooled. Mine still makes the hair on my neck stand on end, and that's just at idle.

Wish you the best, and i'm watching with eagerness and in suspense!

You have mad DIY skills. Great work and very inventive.

regards,
Al

Skills, +1 on that!

Amazing work. Keep it up!

Holy cow! Subscribed for sure!!!

Very well thought out..

- Nice car to start with...

- Should be even hotter when completed..

I had been silently following this thread but can't contain myself... Subscribed !!

Paul

I have put in a few G50 tubes over the years and I like how you removed the rear panel.

Good job your doing there. Keep up the good work.

Are you putting in a G50 or a G50-50 tube?

The donor tube came out of an '87.

Great work! Enjoy the project and the finished product.

Nice build! subd

Thanks for all of the positive comments. I have been swamped with work during the past week and not had any chance to provide an update.

As previously outlined, the rear seat was cut out to
1. make it easier to install of the G50 torsion tube.
2. provide access for the SRP adjustable rear control arm boxes

I decided to do the replacement panels in 4 seperate pieces and tried to follow as much of the lines from the tub as possible to make the panels easier to fit. The replacement panels were folded up by a local sheet metal shop. I also included a removable aluminum panel to provide easy access to the adjustable rear control arms. The removal panel will be held in place by six 1/4 turn fasteners.
Sorry about the photo quality - theres not much room in there to take pictures........

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1242273184.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1242273258.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1242273306.jpg

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http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1242273534.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1242273582.jpg

As you can see - I decided to drill and plug weld the panels in place. This was to help prevent buckling of the panels due to the heat from the welding.

Next step will be to clean up the welds, seam seal and undercoat the new panels and torsion tube.

Richard.

While working on the rear seat panels the suspension components where sent out to "Half Baked Powder Coating" in WI. They did a real nice job and turned the parts around in less then a week.

Rear control arms where done in silver
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1242274669.jpg

Front A -arms in yellow and cross member in silver
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1242274715.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1242274947.jpg

The front suspension upgrades consist of ERP PolyBronze bushings and low friction control arm mounts, new OEM ball joints, Rennline strut brace and monoballs, Tarret sway bar, RSR coilover struts with Rebel Racing spring kitand bump steer kit.

While the welds were cooling down on the rear seat panels I assembled the main front suspension components.;)

Overall I was really impressed with the quality of the ERP components. They were surprisingly easy to install and the instructions where excellent.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1242275738.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1242275797.jpg

The Tarret sway bar was also very high quality and came with all of the hardware needed to install. Drilling the holes through the tub took a little bit of work - measure twice, drill once - and other then welding the U tab onto the front control arms, is an easy job for anyone with basic mechanical skills and a cordless drill.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1242275834.jpg

The Rennline strut brace was purchased from a fellow pelican (Milt) and was virtually brand new.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1242276022.jpg

And finally the RSR struts with lowered spindles and Rebel Racing spring kit - pure mechanical porn
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1242276045.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1242276089.jpg

With the front suspension in place, I will be moving onto the G50 Pedal assembly and brake master cylinder conversion next.
Richard.

Beautiful work and components!

Damn nice work. What are your spring rates?

To start with I have 250's for the front and 550's for the rear. Clint from Rebel suggested that this would be a good all round set-up for street and the occasional DE / track use.

Richard.

Thanks Rich

I assume you deleted your front and rear torsions? What rear shock tower reinforcement are you doing? Standard RSR?

Richard, very nice build. Subscribed. Simple question for you... What are you using in place of (the painted piece with PORSCHE) your rear reflector? I have a track car that is an IROC clone of sorts and lost my reflector at the track. I want to fabricate something like you have since that looks a lot like they did it back in the IROC series. I am going to be drilling it also to mount the rubber hold down straps. I am not too keen on these spendy rear reflectors for a track car.

juicersr - the torsion bars have been removed front and rear. At this stage I am not planning any changes to the rear shock towers. I also have an IA built 930 that has coil overs (my wifes car) that have been on there for many miles with no problems. I guess it is a bit of a risk but as the car is a street car with mild track plans, I don't think there will be any problems.


t6dpilot - thanks for the compliments. The rear reflector replacement was done by the PO. From what I understood they formed the reflector panel out of a piece of aluminum, screwed it in place and then cleaned up the edges with some bondo. I will try to post some more detailed photos of it for you - although you cannot see too much.

How did you get the hubs so clean?... Bead blasting???

Great car BTW...

Richard MAN YOUR FAB SKILLS are awesome. Very cool project loving the thread keep it going!!

JW

form following function. looks to be a great car when you get finished.

Peter - the hubs came as part of an adapter kit for the 996TT brakes. I purchased the kit from Instant G and they told me that the hubs were bead blasted. they were clean and dry when they arrived. BTW - I am originally from OZ, grew up in the country west of Melbourne and have spent quite a lot of time in Mt Gambier and Robe SA.

JW and Shane - thanks for the compliments.

I spent most of winter deciding how to cut and splice all of this together. I also think that seeing how others had done this, from other posts, also helped a lot. I purchased a Miller 180 MIG welder with Autoset for this project. This is a wonderful piece of equipment for this sort of project. The Autoset feature makes it a real "point and squirt" welder - it makes any amateur look good.