"Rating" the normal upgrades everyone wants to do
 

Is there any thread here that "rates" all the standard upgrades that people want to immediately do when they get a 911? Like a thread of some sort that says: <p>"Turbo Tie-rods: actually only marginally better than standard" <p>or, "Front Strut brace: money is better spent elsewhere"<p> I would love to read the truths and misconceptions about all the "DIY" upgrades in one place. Does that thread/list exist anywhere on Pelican? Could we start or compile one? I could start with this: <p> Recaro lightweight seats: Four star upgrade--the car loses weight, center of gravity of my body has lowered probably 3 inches, very comfortable and keeps me in place when cornering at speed. Only issue is the side bolsters press against the door pockets very badly.<p>K&N Filter: One star upgrade--Makes absolutely no power difference; receives one star over NONE simply because it's reusable and if you wash it and oil it PROPERLY it's the only air filter you'll ever have to buy.<p>Anyone else have anything?

Dyno run with a chip reprogramming.

There have been a few such threads... Generally they end up like so:

#1 : improve the driver
#2 : improve suspension
#3 : improve engine/brakes

Emphasis on #1... It's all pretty subjective when it comes to tweaks. Personally the tweaks I've "Felt" the most were the ones my body is in contact with, namely a nice steering wheel and a bucket seat... Then making the car lighter...

Every owner is different....we all have our preferences....its your car and your money....do what makes you happy....not what everybody else thinks you should do....

What makes me happy is spending my money on something that works, not snake oil or go fast stripes. I was hoping the senior members of this group could point out very quickly where the smart money is spent, and where it's not.

A lot depends on how you drive your car. Calling a strut brace "snake oil" is a little misleading. To someone that doesn't track their car and only tootles around town hardly pushing it will notice very little or no difference but someone pushing the limits at the track will feel a significant effect from having it. I think the same goes for other stuff as well. Even a chip upgrade may seem small but combine it with other upgrades that compliment it and it becomes a better upgrade.

DE 5 Stars

I thought the tie-rod upgrade was a good one. Other than that, if your car is a driver, keep the power train and suspension stock. Any weight you can lose is probably a good upgrade, especially if it's free.

Yeah, but that kind of stuff counts towards everything from a skateboard to a school bus. I was hoping for things that were tried and tested specifically for and with a 911, in real world use.

1. Steve Wong chip - really cleaned up the lower end RPM's, and winds up the top end PDQ.
2. B&K Sport muffler - helps a little, plus it sounds cool
3. Sachs Power Clutch kit* - lighter flywheel - big, big improvement coupled with S/W chip
4. Strut brace
5. New Bilstien shocks

* My clutch T.O. bearing fork broke so the clutch installation was not elective.

Replacing shifter, pedal, throttle linkage, and steering bushings make a huge difference if worn out.

My suggestions are all things you can do for free...........to start.
Adjust your pedals so you can heel and toe properly. Learn to heel and toe to the point you use it subconsciously in your everyday driving. This will help you on and off the track and save you a small fortune on repairing your 915 gearbox.
Get as much weight out of the car as you can.
The single biggest change to my car was getting it down to 2387 lbs.
Then buy a good seat.
Change suspension or at the least re-valve your shocks to your new cars weight and suspension upgrades.
Your brakes will be fine and you will notice a hugh brake improvement with a lighter car
Steve

I'm thinking you might evaluate upgrades in terms of cost, rather than relying on others' subjective assessments. The expensive upgrades are worthy of your careful consideration and input from others. The inexpensive ones can be done now, and sometimes the performance increase is on a par with expensive upgrades. List of inexpensive upgrades might include:

Turning gauges so they can be seen.
Changing bulbs is aforementioned gauges.
Reversing wipers.
Taking stuff off the car that doesn't do anything but add weight.
Wiggling all the electrical connections, perhaps cleaning them with vinegar and coating them with silicon grease.
Adjusting, cleaning and greasing everything to factory spec. Heater and fresh air cables, door mechanisms, seat mechanisms, blah blah.
Headlight relays and adding bumper-melting bulbs (costs a little, improves visibility a LOT).
Add a fire extinguisher. This might save your car.
Remove the entire air conditioning system.
Backdate the heater system (this was inexpensive for me. The only real spendy part is the left side deflector. The rest of the system can be made to work)

Et cetera. I'm guessing other guys can come up with great upgrades that are free or nearly so. If you're hoping to make your car handle noticeably better, and you've already been to so many DE's and AX's and Driver Skills Day events that you cannot improve your driving ability any further (yeah, right!), then save your money and do the chassis upgrades all at once. It makes little sense to do this one step at a time. You will need new torsion bars, sway bars and shocks.

Dead pedal - huge difference in comfort on long trips and support during cornering...$80 and 35 minutes work (30 to figure out where you want it and 5 to install). I'll never understand why these weren't standard on all Porsches.

eliminate crazy girlfriend

"Upgrades" are subjective, depends on personal tastes, what you use the car for, etc.

On my Carreras (which are street drive, semi-daily drivers), I can't think of much that is an "upgrade" over the stock part, assuming that the stock part isn't worn out.

The few that I would rate highly:

1) 8 or 9 inch Fuchs out back instead of the 7s. Not so much for performance, but it sure looks nice.

2) Aftermarket brake pads that aren't so dusty.

3) Lowering the car from US ride height. Most have already been done, the US ride height was ridiculously high. A good alignment, too (although that's more maintenance than upgrade).

4) I certainly don't object to the ride and handling of a set of Bilsteins.

Common "upgrade" stuff to me rates a "0" (i.e., a negative improvement over the stock equipment, either for looks, function or both).

1. Steering wheels.
2. Seats.
3. Shift knob.
4. Actually anything in the interior.
5. Any spoilers.
6. Window tinting.
7. Any non-Fuchs wheels.
8. Any changes to the air intake system.
9. Any stickers or decals.

Greg has a good answer -

Steering wheel and seats - you are in them / touching every time you drive the car.

From there I will go ahead and go with wider wheels / stickier tires

Suspension - especially if you are driving a tired old car -

From there - I really think it depends on how you drive your car. For 90% of the population - the stock HP is more than enough to get yourself into trouble.

Do some autocrosses, do some DE - improve the nut behind the wheel and come back when you start out driving the car. For me - I did brakes first - only because of sebring - then did the engine when my valve guides turned out shot - then did suspension when I had to wait for the suspension to settle before I started transitioning at the track.

But it changes with the person/car/situation.

Upgrades done:

-Bilsteins
-Carrera tensioners
-DC15 cams
-Ditched AC
-Backdated heat
-Stainless steel brake lines

Upgrades remaining to do:
-Turbo Tie rods (have parts)
-Backdated exhaust (have parts)

And later on: Tbitz CIS to EFI conversion.

Replaced the fuel lines - I sleep better. (a couple stars for prudence?)

I get your intent...

So here are few, jut before I pack it in for the night:

Polybronze Bushings/monoballs vs. 20+ yr old rubber bushings: 3.
Precision. Expensive to do but the car is much more controlled. Not a 5 due to the cost. It's a big financial commitment. Requires full blown corner balance. So you do it because you are ready for it, or opportunity makes it happen. Can fix an evil car.

This is actually one step down the slippery slope. Take this one, and you could be on a path to ruin!

You could skip this upgrade, if your bushing were in good shape. And add the other good stuff for a modest gain.

Sport Shock/struts: 5
A good value, better handling, solves old car handling woes.

Stiffer Torsion Bars: 4
Definately better handling, But a cost issue due to a new corner balance and alignmnt. But not as involved as the PB/Monoballs.

Brake cooling ducts and Race Pads: 4
I like to stop. Now. Without drama. On some tracks, it's required to avoid serious fade. But not all tracks.

New shift bushings and coupling: 5!
What an amazing difference. Best money I spent!

Adjustable Sway Bars: 4
Should have done this sooner. Nice to play with varying amounts of under/oversteer. But not urgent to upgrade from stock.

Lip Spoiler and Wing: 3
They really work. I like the look. But this is a tweak to a well set up car and fast driver. Wing won't make a slow driver faster.

Pop-off valve: 5+
Saved my box on many occasions. Best overall value.

Race Seat: 5
After using my Sparco for 2 years straight I put the stock seat in for a few weeks. My goodness I felt out of control! I never appreciated how much of a difference it made.

R-Tires: Another 5!
Sticky is good. Especially compared to older street tires....