Widowmaker Project (Building a Faux GT2)

User avatar
Flat6BlahBlah
OG (First 100 Outposters!)
Posts: 188
Joined: Thu Jan 18, 2018 12:59 am
Location: In a van, down by the river.

Re: Widowmaker Project (Building a Faux GT2)

Post by Flat6BlahBlah » Thu Mar 01, 2018 12:11 am

It sounds like you have a very cool girlfriend. Kudos to you! It's always more fun when you have someone with you while you're on a parts chasing mission. My bet is what looks like a wheat beer is hers, and the darkest ale on earth is yours. :D

Just curious, but have you chosen which GT2 front bumper and rear deck/wing you're going to use? What I'm getting at is aftermarket or stock? If you can find the stock stuff, from what I've seen, it's the best way to go in terms of quality/fit/finish. The aftermarket stuff runs a wide range from not so good to pretty good.

User avatar
TheDeckMan
OG (First 100 Outposters!)
Posts: 345
Joined: Fri Feb 16, 2018 8:52 am
Location: Masshole behind communist lines
Contact:

Re: Widowmaker Project (Building a Faux GT2)

Post by TheDeckMan » Thu Mar 01, 2018 6:20 am

Flat6BlahBlah wrote: Thu Mar 01, 2018 12:11 am It sounds like you have a very cool girlfriend. Kudos to you! It's always more fun when you have someone with you while you're on a parts chasing mission. My bet is what looks like a wheat beer is hers, and the darkest ale on earth is yours. :D

Just curious, but have you chosen which GT2 front bumper and rear deck/wing you're going to use? What I'm getting at is aftermarket or stock? If you can find the stock stuff, from what I've seen, it's the best way to go in terms of quality/fit/finish. The aftermarket stuff runs a wide range from not so good to pretty good.

IPA was mine and the vanilla stout was hers (Irish blood runs deep) :D It is quite fun doing road trips and she loves the adventures. Weather was nice last night and got a text that we needed to go out for a drive in the 997 so I obliged on a 100 mile coffee run after work.

Going all OEM parts for the front bumper and radiator setup. The rear decklid I was going to go Misha but a setup from Germany possibly Manthey Racing but not really sure dropped into my lap with a OEM bumper setup so going to use that.
996TT - Widowmaker Project -RWD, UMW Tune, H&R RSS, Phenix Engineering Control Arms/LCA's, GT3 6 Pistons, SpeedTech 3" X-Pipe, Ported Headers, 997 GT3 Shifter, GT3 Buckets, GT2 Clutch/PP, GT2RS IC's, RSS Roll Bar, GT3 Brake Ducts, Joe Toth Aero/Ducts, Champion Thrust Arms
997TT - LSD, Chrono , UMW Tune, DSC, Phenix Engineering Toe Links & LCA Bushings, Tubi Race, 3" eRams, 964RS Engine Mounts
Audi TT Track Car
Corrado SLC
https://phenixengineering.com/

User avatar
Flat6BlahBlah
OG (First 100 Outposters!)
Posts: 188
Joined: Thu Jan 18, 2018 12:59 am
Location: In a van, down by the river.

Re: Widowmaker Project (Building a Faux GT2)

Post by Flat6BlahBlah » Thu Mar 01, 2018 9:32 am

That sounds great! OEM is the way to go. I bought my front bumper cover from Precision Porsche. Good fit and finish, but it's still fiberglass. Then behind it I have OEM gt2 upper vent grill, lower lip, ductwork, brackets, etc. I don't know whose rear deck/wing is on my car. I suspect the wing angle adjustment hardware might be a telltale for the well informed. I'm having fun following this conversion, so thanks for sharing the process. I'm also looking forward to hearing what you think after the front drive components are no more.

User avatar
TheDeckMan
OG (First 100 Outposters!)
Posts: 345
Joined: Fri Feb 16, 2018 8:52 am
Location: Masshole behind communist lines
Contact:

Re: Widowmaker Project (Building a Faux GT2)

Post by TheDeckMan » Mon Mar 05, 2018 5:46 am

Did some stuff this weekend with swapping out the cross member for the later 997 unit (997.331.261.02) and cleaning the radiators. Started to get ready to drop the front differential out but ran into a snag of not being able to find my 32mm impact socket. So have to pick one up today at lunch.

Image

Removed steel unit
Image

Old steel unit and new aluminum one
Image

Image

Image

Of course beer was involved once completed this task.
Image


With that done was time to clean the radiators all out.
Image
Image

And so she awaits for more attention this week of dropping the prop shaft and drive shaft/diff.
Image
996TT - Widowmaker Project -RWD, UMW Tune, H&R RSS, Phenix Engineering Control Arms/LCA's, GT3 6 Pistons, SpeedTech 3" X-Pipe, Ported Headers, 997 GT3 Shifter, GT3 Buckets, GT2 Clutch/PP, GT2RS IC's, RSS Roll Bar, GT3 Brake Ducts, Joe Toth Aero/Ducts, Champion Thrust Arms
997TT - LSD, Chrono , UMW Tune, DSC, Phenix Engineering Toe Links & LCA Bushings, Tubi Race, 3" eRams, 964RS Engine Mounts
Audi TT Track Car
Corrado SLC
https://phenixengineering.com/

User avatar
OceanBlue2000
Fresh out of funny, ask Frunk
Posts: 674
Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2018 6:01 am
Location: Swamps o' Jersey

Re: Widowmaker Project (Building a Faux GT2)

Post by OceanBlue2000 » Mon Mar 05, 2018 7:54 am

Man, I am envious of that garage. I'm new to this stuff, so excuse a dumb question, but is the change in cross member for weight purposes, or something else? Is it stiffer? Or just completeness? Following with interest.
Mike
Strange things I have in head, that will to hand.
2000 Ocean Blue 996 Carrera 2
1982 928 (sold)

User avatar
B3DAWG
OG (First 100 Outposters!)
Posts: 1659
Joined: Sun Jan 07, 2018 11:46 am
Location: Gawga DAWG Country

Re: Widowmaker Project (Building a Faux GT2)

Post by B3DAWG » Mon Mar 05, 2018 8:04 am

OceanBlue2000 wrote: Mon Mar 05, 2018 7:54 am Man, I am envious of that garage. I'm new to this stuff, so excuse a dumb question, but is the change in cross member for weight purposes, or something else? Is it stiffer? Or just completeness? Following with interest.
I'm with you. This garage make us all look bad! hahaha :lol:

I also have a question about your lift. With the rear weight differential of these cars being heavily biased to the rear (of course)... should you do anything to the lift to minimize accidents? Not sure if it's just the photo, but the car does look like it's unbalanced on the lift.

User avatar
TheDeckMan
OG (First 100 Outposters!)
Posts: 345
Joined: Fri Feb 16, 2018 8:52 am
Location: Masshole behind communist lines
Contact:

Re: Widowmaker Project (Building a Faux GT2)

Post by TheDeckMan » Mon Mar 05, 2018 8:07 am

Thanks for the complements on the garage. Been doing a ton of work to it over the past year, you can follow the garage build here http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.p ... DIY-Garage

For the cross member the main thing is weight savings where ever possible as the 996tt is a heavy girl. I am not aware of it being any stiffer than the steel unit.
996TT - Widowmaker Project -RWD, UMW Tune, H&R RSS, Phenix Engineering Control Arms/LCA's, GT3 6 Pistons, SpeedTech 3" X-Pipe, Ported Headers, 997 GT3 Shifter, GT3 Buckets, GT2 Clutch/PP, GT2RS IC's, RSS Roll Bar, GT3 Brake Ducts, Joe Toth Aero/Ducts, Champion Thrust Arms
997TT - LSD, Chrono , UMW Tune, DSC, Phenix Engineering Toe Links & LCA Bushings, Tubi Race, 3" eRams, 964RS Engine Mounts
Audi TT Track Car
Corrado SLC
https://phenixengineering.com/

User avatar
TheDeckMan
OG (First 100 Outposters!)
Posts: 345
Joined: Fri Feb 16, 2018 8:52 am
Location: Masshole behind communist lines
Contact:

Re: Widowmaker Project (Building a Faux GT2)

Post by TheDeckMan » Mon Mar 05, 2018 8:16 am

b3freak wrote: Mon Mar 05, 2018 8:04 am
I'm with you. This garage make us all look bad! hahaha :lol:

I also have a question about your lift. With the rear weight differential of these cars being heavily biased to the rear (of course)... should you do anything to the lift to minimize accidents? Not sure if it's just the photo, but the car does look like it's unbalanced on the lift.

Looks a lot worse than it does in person. Even on my buddies shop lifts I noticed that it is a little saggy on the rear like the front engine cars are in the opposite direction. This is my first post lift and been getting use to it and working under it. I have thought about adding a top mount plate that crosses over to help keep things more balanced. There are also larger floor plates that help as well. The lift is perfectly level with the car on it which is awesome.

I am using lift pucks that might not be totally level from front to rear, might have to revisit them as soon as I wire up the lathe.

For safety you bring up a good point if doing some hard bolt breaking where using a couple support jacks like a transmission jack would be ideal.


Speaking of safer, that reminded me to order up some stiffening plates.
Image
996TT - Widowmaker Project -RWD, UMW Tune, H&R RSS, Phenix Engineering Control Arms/LCA's, GT3 6 Pistons, SpeedTech 3" X-Pipe, Ported Headers, 997 GT3 Shifter, GT3 Buckets, GT2 Clutch/PP, GT2RS IC's, RSS Roll Bar, GT3 Brake Ducts, Joe Toth Aero/Ducts, Champion Thrust Arms
997TT - LSD, Chrono , UMW Tune, DSC, Phenix Engineering Toe Links & LCA Bushings, Tubi Race, 3" eRams, 964RS Engine Mounts
Audi TT Track Car
Corrado SLC
https://phenixengineering.com/

User avatar
5chn3ll
Six shots...or only five?
Posts: 4640
Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2018 4:35 pm

Re: Widowmaker Project (Building a Faux GT2)

Post by 5chn3ll » Mon Mar 12, 2018 4:36 pm

Updates or ban! :D

Understeer: You will hit the wall with the front end.
Oversteer: You will hit the wall with the rear end.
Horsepower: How hard you will hit the wall.
Torque: How far you will move the wall.

Gone hunting with Alec Baldwin and Dick Cheney. Back soon.

User avatar
TheDeckMan
OG (First 100 Outposters!)
Posts: 345
Joined: Fri Feb 16, 2018 8:52 am
Location: Masshole behind communist lines
Contact:

Re: Widowmaker Project (Building a Faux GT2)

Post by TheDeckMan » Tue Mar 13, 2018 1:18 pm

Haha!

Well updates on the 996 have been slim since the other day. This past weekend was mostly working on some garage space stuff and on the Corrado.

Saturday morning was spent leveling the floor in the garage bathroom so I can put some tiling down.
Image

Then moved onto the Corrado, the last of the hardware showed up from the plater so took some time to sort all of it out initially into some of the basic classes.
Image

Swapped out the damaged core support from the jack slipping when down at the sheet metal shop with a straight one freshly powder coated.
Image

Then came some sorting out of the battery and ground cables with these fine cables from Spoonfed Tuning.
Image
Image


One of the issues with Corrado's is the fact that many parts are NLA so I often make lots of my own. In the case of this I made a new fan shroud to use SPAL fans as replacement fans no longer exist for the cars. Fits pretty well if I do say so myself!

Image
Image
Image


Sunday resulted in me shooting out to Boston first thing to get an exhaust for the 997 off a fellow. Once I got back worked on putting a hall light in along with a track light for the office space as well as running wall outlets.
Image
Image
Image

The funny thing about this hallway was I highly doubt it had a light in it ever in the nearly 200 years the building has been around. Makes for walking into the bathroom from the garage much nicer after the consumption of natures fine nectar IPA's.


And of course a reward for a days work
Image

On the 996 front I am shooting to drop off the decklid and bumper for paint perhaps next week. This weekend will be shot with travel so the following will be for dropping the front diff out and perhaps some of the other things to come. So many projects!
996TT - Widowmaker Project -RWD, UMW Tune, H&R RSS, Phenix Engineering Control Arms/LCA's, GT3 6 Pistons, SpeedTech 3" X-Pipe, Ported Headers, 997 GT3 Shifter, GT3 Buckets, GT2 Clutch/PP, GT2RS IC's, RSS Roll Bar, GT3 Brake Ducts, Joe Toth Aero/Ducts, Champion Thrust Arms
997TT - LSD, Chrono , UMW Tune, DSC, Phenix Engineering Toe Links & LCA Bushings, Tubi Race, 3" eRams, 964RS Engine Mounts
Audi TT Track Car
Corrado SLC
https://phenixengineering.com/

Post Reply