Originally Posted by flash968 (Post 7989236)

i fully realize that there are people who aren't going to spend what is needed to do the job right. it's that way with everything. that's exactly why i don't think it's a good idea to do it at all. advising somebody otherwise is irresponsible, bordering on actionable.

dj makes a good point. while you are responsible for your own actions, and can do whatever you want to your own car, it is not limited to you. if you are in an accident, and you did not do the things to the car that were needed for the new power, you could easily be held liable, and possibly criminally negligent. if you sell the car, and the buyer thinks it was safe, because of something you said, you would be liable. there is no waiver of rights or responsibilities that will get you out of that.

as for the rest, there are no attacks. if somebody takes something personally, that is their problem. i am dealing with that which is put before me.

people fall into 3 categories when it comes to auto repair. those who leave things stock, and have somebody else do everything. then there are those who DIY things and cheap out at every turn. then there are those who do things right, and know that things cost money to do it that way.

unfortunately, there are way too many people who own these cars and are in category 2. that will be the downfall of the car. attrition rates have risen dramatically over the last 10 years as a direct result of not taking care of things correctly, or modifying the car in such a manner that the car is no longer safe or reliable, and consequently wrecking it. this is precisely why i rail against those who would see the car end up at the wrecker by being irresponsible or unwise.

in the end, you get what you pay for.

did i spend too much? i think that depends on how you look at it. i would have bought a new ferrari if i thought it could do what this car does. i now have a car that has everything i want in it, and outperforms almost anything on the road. would somebody else have done it? not likely. however, i wanted something specific, and wanted to see if i could do it. a lot of the money spent was in development. i could probably reproduce the car for about $60k, including a similar purchase. given what the car can do, that is dirt cheap.

as a direct result of those development efforts, there are hundreds of others who have benefitted from it, by now having the parts, which i initially developed for my own car, on their car, thereby improving their experience with their car. that has been very gratifying to me, and i would have spent more, if i thought it would have widened that circle even farther. so, it's all relative.

Originally Posted by flash968 (Post 7987394)

more torque means more brakes needed. period.

Originally Posted by flash968 (Post 7987394)

i spent at least $25k on my suspension setup, and the car

Originally Posted by flash968 (Post 7990746)

lol - that's like saying that if you spent $200k buying a ferrari that you are a fool. but that's what it takes. it's the same as saying that if you spend a million dollars on a track house that you're a fool, but that's what it takes here.

to get the 968 to do what i wanted, and be what i wanted, i had to spend the money i did. i knew how hard i was going to be driving the car, and how much power i was going to have., which meant that the speeds would be higher. that meant a more reactive suspension. i also know that i wanted a stock feel in ride quality, and not something bouncy, jarring or rough riding. that means hydraulic dual adjustable struts and shocks, much larger sway bars than anything out on the market, bracing of the suspension, new bushings everywhere, very lightweight custom made wheels, and super sticky tires. many parts had to be designed and made in order to get it right. then everything had to be adjusted and set, tested, readjusted and reset, again and again until it was right, adapting for each change along eh way. it's really pretty simple. as a result though, the suspension is so far beyond the koni yellow stuff that it's not even in the same league. it all adds up, but it's what i wanted. for me, it was completely logical. it was more than i thought it would be, as i had only budgeted $75k for the project, but i also made a lot of other decisions along the way that added to the price tag. i understand that somebody who spends $1500 on a car would think it was nuts. when i was a broke college kid, i thought the same thing. in terms of the people i hang out with though, who spend $100k buying a car without blinking, it is no big deal. in that world, one would never consider buying any car that cost less than $75k, no matter what it was. quality is everything, cost is nothing. you get what you pay for.

Originally Posted by Lapkritis (Post 7990787)

How any of this self-promotion for a car that isn't swapped, and that he continues to pollute the thread with, has anything to do with alternative engines other than a V8 is beyond me. Mods: Can we please block him from the thread at least?

Originally Posted by flash968 (Post 7990746)

lol - that's like saying that if you spent $200k buying a ferrari that you are a fool. but that's what it takes. it's the same as saying that if you spend a million dollars on a track house that you're a fool, but that's what it takes here.

to get the 968 to do what i wanted, and be what i wanted, i had to spend the money i did. i knew how hard i was going to be driving the car, and how much power i was going to have., which meant that the speeds would be higher. that meant a more reactive suspension. i also know that i wanted a stock feel in ride quality, and not something bouncy, jarring or rough riding. that means hydraulic dual adjustable struts and shocks, much larger sway bars than anything out on the market, bracing of the suspension, new bushings everywhere, very lightweight custom made wheels, and super sticky tires. many parts had to be designed and made in order to get it right. then everything had to be adjusted and set, tested, readjusted and reset, again and again until it was right, adapting for each change along eh way. it's really pretty simple. as a result though, the suspension is so far beyond the koni yellow stuff that it's not even in the same league. it all adds up, but it's what i wanted. for me, it was completely logical. it was more than i thought it would be, as i had only budgeted $75k for the project, but i also made a lot of other decisions along the way that added to the price tag. i understand that somebody who spends $1500 on a car would think it was nuts. when i was a broke college kid, i thought the same thing. in terms of the people i hang out with though, who spend $100k buying a car without blinking, it is no big deal. in that world, one would never consider buying any car that cost less than $75k, no matter what it was. quality is everything, cost is nothing. you get what you pay for.

Originally Posted by flash968 (Post 7990953)

the tires and wheels alone were almost $10k, so your numbers are way short.

i could not find a better car. that's the whole problem. i looked at everything up to and including a 360. this is better. try to name another convertible, 2 seat, front engine, rear drive, manual trans car, with a max of 10lb/hp, ac, power steering, power windows, heated seats, and the ability to carry 2 sets of golf clubs, 2 cases of wine, a weekend of luggage, and the wife. even my SL550 can't do that. if i could have found it, i would have bought it. i couldn't. so, i built it.

as for having anything to do with alternative engines, my entire point is that no matter what you do, if you are adding a bunch more torque, you need to upgrade the rest of the car to handle it.

Originally Posted by flash968 (Post 7991225)

well, all i can say is that you must live in a different world. but then, you are in minnesota, so that probably explains a lot. people there put up with a lot of things i would not tolerate, and see no reason to. it's the same with cars. you would likely put up with inferior performance, whereas i would not.

Originally Posted by flash968 (Post 7991225)

well, all i can say is that you must live in a different world. but then, you are in minnesota, so that probably explains a lot. people there put up with a lot of things i would not tolerate, and see no reason to. it's the same with cars. you would likely put up with inferior performance, whereas i would not.

in my world, my blue car has a dozen or so chips in the paint, so it's going in for a complete strip and repaint this winter. that's good for at least $8k. again, you get what you pay for. i will do that as many times as needed, to keep it looking new. my custom made recaro sportlines got dirty. i had them redone, because no amount of cleaning left them looking new.

i realize that most 944 owners don't have a pot to piss in. it's getting that way with 968 owners too. that's a normal regression, as the cars get older, and the value drops. it's the low rent district of porsches. that doesn't change the fact that i want more from the car, and have managed to get it.

back on topic, it also does not change the fact that increasing power, to the extent of a high power engine swap, dictates the necessity to upgrade the rest of the car to handle it. it's immutable. even porsche knew this, when they added a mere 75hp. they gave the suspension and brakes a major upgrade. it would be foolish to think that you wouldn't need to do similar things when you double the power.