G50 Conversion - Complete!

[Natchamp]

Welp, after numerous removal/tweeks/installs its finally complete. I think! I drove the car last night and a lot today with the G50. It is a totally different car and I can't believe the difference. It shifts unbelievable better than the 915. I also made improvements to the throttle linkage so its more progressive and not so touchy. It doesn’t make much movement in the 70mm throttle body so a progressive setup really helped. It still takes getting used to and requires a certain technique to drive. I don’t know if its just my setup or because of the Sachs aluminum sporting pp and disc but the pedal movement for clutch engagement and disengagement is very little. It reminds me of driving the Nascar at Fontana speedway. It’s basically either in or out.

Anyway, the shifting is incredible compared to the 915, fast, positive, consistent with a good feel to it. The re-gearing (longer ratios in 1,2,5th gears) also made a dramatic difference. 1st gear is now useable and matches the torque curve very well. Because of the new ratios it actually feels like the motor has a broader torque range. I haven’t really felt the difference with the addition of the Quaife torque biasing diff yet but haven’t really “uncorked” it a lot yet either. It has been over 3 months since I last drove the Beast and it really felt good with all the improvements, the car has major grunt (and I speak lightly). The 31mm rear torsion bars I installed also appear to have helped a lot. The car doesn’t squat so hard and haven’t rubbed the rear fender wells yet. Damn, and I missed the San Diego get together by only 1 day.

[Jack Olsen]

Solution: drive it up to Thunderhill tomorrow afternoon, and track it all day Tuesday. Thom Fitzpatrick will be there with his 77 3.6, and I'll be there with my 73... it'll be a clash of the Pelican titans. And the 8-9-hour drive will allow those gears and synchros to seat (you just keep going 3-4-5-4-3 all the way).

Harebrained ideas aside, congratulations on another milestone in the Beast's rise to p-car world-dominance. You've got to bring it up to LA, sometime, so we can get a look at that rolling piece of supercharged perfection.

[Jack Olsen]

Actually... since it's a 70T, originally, you ought to bring it to R Gruppe in Cambria in the beginning of May. With all the work you've done on it, I think it qualifies as a 'sport-purpose' early 911.

[Natchamp]

Thanks for the invite Jack. I'm not quite that brave yet! I am slowly making the runs I go on longer and longer from "base camp". After all the troubles I have had I'm a little gun shy of jumping in and going a long distance. It does feel good driving it again and I'm looking forward to final tuning and logging more miles.

[RarlyL8]

Wow Mark, another step closer to Porsche nurvana.
Are you still tinkering with the paddle shifter dodads? I say just drive it! Enjoy this thing for a while! I'd love to see the look on the face of the Jap squid behind you when you jump on it in second gear! Priceless.

[Natchamp]

Rarly, I agree. I'm going to just drive it for a while b4 I mess with the sequential shifter. I tell ya, the way it shifts now is so un-comparable to the 915, Its a whole nother car (for the better!). I still need to do some tuning with the Haltech to get it just right, so I'll be spending some time on that but that's the fun part. I also want to put a set of sway bars on it too. And there's also that set of Kinesis wheels I want.....

However, being the tinker-er that I am, I still plan on doing the shifter. I actually think it would be a marketable product (for more than just P-cars) and I love designing and figuring out things. After driving the G50 I am convinced my sequential shifter would be able to shift it extreemly fast. Another advantage is that you wouldn't need to take your hands off the steering wheel. I have already noticed that when I really get on it, things happen really quickly because of the speed and it would help a great deal to just hit a button for shifting.