[chrisbalich]

Hey everyone. Things are just getting back to normal after we had an RWB build here at work these past two days. I've been away from socials and Pelican...and actual work like emails and voicemails and customers.
My brain is melted from exhaustion, so I'll do my best to communicate articulately.

Originally Posted by MikeD930

Chris...I'm curious about the effect of swapping in an LS into the e36M3. Did you sell it because the car's characteristic changed for the worst or was there another reason? I remember seeing a 944 with a swapped modern LS engine and I thought it looked fun to drive.

I forgot to say that I just don't see how your new paint affected the look of your 911 even though you explained the reason. I suppose one cannot see the difference without seeing the car in person?

The LS itself was nice. The headers hung a little low, but the motor was lighter and more compact than the S52. (It also made more than an additional 100hp with a significant increase in TQ.) The T56 (and shifter I chose) were sub-optimal after the silkiness of the ZF 5spd trans. The car made great noises and great power. It had better weight distribution and was super fun to drive...mostly. The trans really ruined the experience. Couple that with the desire to liquidate 'whatever it takes' to buy the 911 and it was sold as quickly as possible. I have a friend with an LS-swapped 944 that will be attending Ruchlos 4 this June. Come on down and I'm sure Derrick will give you a ride. (Or come to Indy and I'll link you up.)

The shiny, light grey makes the car a bit amorphous. The loss of contour is problematic for me.

Originally Posted by lateapex911

I think he thinks the shape of the car (hips etc) got lost. Because the highlight reflections are now the primary indicator of form, and because the paint is quite light the highlights don’t contrast very well. Previously when the car had no gloss, the non-highlighted core areas were darker in comparison. I think.

But I imagine Chris can probably explain it better

IDK that I can explain it better than this. Pretty much hit the nail on the head.

Originally Posted by 75 911s

Speaking of masculinity, when are you going to man up and wide body this thing? You're never going to be happy until you do so. Start this weekend.

DW, my friend.
So many dollars and I need to make a full decision about what I want. I spent the last four days surrounded by Porsche enthusiasts and the last two days surrounded by four RWBs. AND I'm still waiting on my shipping quote from "plan A".
I'm not any closer to a decision than I was last week.

Originally Posted by lateapex911

But....will he be happy even if he does???

This is the $1M question.

Originally Posted by brasch

Chris guys like us love the journey more than the end. I get the benefit of designing other peoples cars and parts everyday to scratch the itch but the struggle is real. My 72 we backdated after my accidents in 2 months and the process was fun. Then i drove it to Ruchlos and at Rennsport but have not touched a thing since. Not sure, as we have talked a lot about, if it’s the journey of learning new things, pushing your skills and bringing a vision to life that drives you most? I know that’s me, I eat sleep and dream of every new part / car we make until it’s just right, then it’s on to the next. Hang in there brother, and enjoy the ride!

I love the build. But I also relish the part of the build where I no longer HAVE to do things, but rather CHOOSE to do things. I'm close to this point of demarcation...but I'm not quite there and I'm finding it stressful.

Originally Posted by MFX

As good as these cars look with 15's, tyres are a nightmare to get. 16's have more tyre options, but 17's opens up a bunch more. I have 17x8's on the front and 17x10's on the rear with 2" spacers with 930 flares. My fronts are 225/45r17's which are very slightly fatter than yours, but they match perfectly with the 255/40r17 rears. I know a couple of guys running the same tyres with 930 widebodies and I think they look good and there are a bunch of good tyre options available. If you go a 12" rear tyres you can go up to 315's but they are more limited.

Food for thought anyway.

Jeff,
Thank you for sharing. I've seen a couple cars here with Turbo-width cars running 225/45 - 255/40 setups that looked great. I probably even have pics in my phone. I'm at the crossroads of deciding what I really want the car to look like. I can do a mild widebody and go Turbo width...or go quite a bit further. Both have pros & cons. I know my thoughts on this, but until I have all the info (still waiting on that GD shipping quote), I can't really make a decision. Once I have pricing info, I'll do a full breakdown on here so you can all chime in...and then I'll end up doing whatever the heck I want because: A. I'm insane and getting worse...and 2. I'm the one paying for it.

Tire selection is a major component of this decision. I'm not happy with the offerings in my current sizes. Coupling that with the proportions of the car and ratio of ride height to car proportions, the widebody really should be the way to go...but the car really does drive excellently. I had two different people compliment me on how well the car rides in the last two days. (totally doesn't help...but makes me feel better about the decisions I've made to this point.)