Good Week @ 996Outpost.com

[Kalashnikov]

My countrymen made a masterpiece. I still have fond memories of the NFS U2.

[OceanBlue2000]

Oooof, that thread by WonbyOne over at the other place. Guy buys a 996 without a PPI, already ticking. Talks himself into it being an accessory or the exhaust or a stuck lifter, until he borescopes it and shows massive scoring on #4. "Oh well, I'll drive it until it breaks!" This is last winter.

Next thread he posts: "I found some metal in the pan." The picture looks like a robot junkyard. Then he gets salty with people suggesting what he could do with a $15K paperweight.

[32wildbilly]

Oooof, that thread by WonbyOne over at the other place. Guy buys a 996 without a PPI, already ticking. Talks himself into it being an accessory or the exhaust or a stuck lifter, until he borescopes it and shows massive scoring on #4. "Oh well, I'll drive it until it breaks!" This is last winter.

Next thread he posts: "I found some metal in the pan." The picture looks like a robot junkyard. Then he gets salty with people suggesting what he could do with a $15K paperweight.

Yeah, that is fun! However, I'm an "idiot" according to him so what do I know? the one thing I do know is I don't have a bushel basket full of aluminum in my oil pan!

[Einsteiger]

Unfortunately I think we’re going to see more of this. A 996 impulse-buy that ends predictably, followed by a Chevy engine conversion. The business for the retro-fitters will be booming.

[OceanBlue2000]

Unfortunately I think we’re going to see more of this. A 996 impulse-buy that ends predictably, followed by a Chevy engine conversion. The business for the retro-fitters will be booming.

I don't get the Chevy conversion thing. Sure it has more power, and may be more reliable than the stock Porsche engine, but the conversion is expensive and resale has to go down, no? I guess if the plan is to keep the car forever it makes sense, but I would always know in the back of my mind I'm driving a chevy.

[Einsteiger]

Agreed. I think it is done mostly because of an emotional attachment to the car and to hell with resale. I just think as 996's dip more in price, we might see more of this....by people that don't do their homework...and a PPI.

[5chn3ll]

So many of the swaps I've seen are awful... Dumping a junkyard truck V8 with iron heads into a 996 isn't going to yield the same results as a new crate LS.

If my M96 blows up, I will seriously consider a _modern_ LS swap - I've done some rough cost estimates; even with a new crate v8, a conversion will cost less than a "high-end" M96 rebuild; if the right wrecked donor is available, a conversion can cost about what it costs to install a used M96.

The parts eaten by a v8 996 are new Chevy parts rather than "Porsche Classic" parts. I haven't dug into this factor yet, but it will help determine if a SBC is the way to go.

Hopefully this is a decision I'll never need to make...

[B3DAWG]

Unfortunately I think we’re going to see more of this. A 996 impulse-buy that ends predictably, followed by a Chevy engine conversion. The business for the retro-fitters will be booming.

I don't get the Chevy conversion thing. Sure it has more power, and may be more reliable than the stock Porsche engine, but the conversion is expensive and resale has to go down, no? I guess if the plan is to keep the car forever it makes sense, but I would always know in the back of my mind I'm driving a chevy.

Jake has always said, "if you want a LS powered car, go buy a vette". And I agree. One thing I've read over and over, aside from all the pains of making the V8 fit into the 996, is that the LS radically changes the driving dynamics. The car doesn't feel as planted to the ground. Maybe the roll effect? excessive oversteer??? The LS obviously has a higher center of gravity once installed in the 996 which in turn means the handling will be a lot more challenging to get used to.

[Dr_Strangelove]

Oooof, that thread by WonbyOne over at the other place. Guy buys a 996 without a PPI, already ticking. Talks himself into it being an accessory or the exhaust or a stuck lifter, until he borescopes it and shows massive scoring on #4. "Oh well, I'll drive it until it breaks!" This is last winter.

Next thread he posts: "I found some metal in the pan." The picture looks like a robot junkyard. Then he gets salty with people suggesting what he could do with a $15K paperweight.

Yeah, that is fun! However, I'm an "idiot" according to him so what do I know? the one thing I do know is I don't have a bushel basket full of aluminum in my oil pan!

I really wanted to post - "Only an idiot needs someone to save their life." after he said "Only an idiot needs a mechanic to build an engine."

But then I put my fingers down and had some tea because my internet fighting days are behind me.

[32wildbilly]

I don't get the Chevy conversion thing. Sure it has more power, and may be more reliable than the stock Porsche engine, but the conversion is expensive and resale has to go down, no? I guess if the plan is to keep the car forever it makes sense, but I would always know in the back of my mind I'm driving a chevy.

Jake has always said, "if you want a LS powered car, go buy a vette". And I agree. One thing I've read over and over, aside from all the pains of making the V8 fit into the 996, is that the LS radically changes the driving dynamics. The car doesn't feel as planted to the ground. Maybe the roll effect? excessive oversteer??? The LS obviously has a higher center of gravity once installed in the 996 which in turn means the handling will be a lot more challenging to get used to.

Chevy V8 is a little heavier and weight is carried higher up. A couple of years ago when I had strong suspicions that my engine was wounded I seriously considered an LS swap. With a new LS and the installation done professionally and completely it is several thousand more than what I will end up with with Jake. In addition I would have a Frankenporsche when done. True engine parts would be cheaper, but it would still be a Frankenporsche with a limited resale market if and when the time comes. To make it all work there is a lot of hacking crap out of the way to shoehorn in the V8 so going back would be expensive if not impossible. Besides my car is a MY05 one of 728 C4S produced as a 2005 and I just couldn't justify having it hacked up. In fact I declined Jake's offer to go with a "stronger" engine because it would require visible modifications. Beside the fact that I, as a senior citizen, would never use the additional power I wanted to keep the car "stock appearing". To each their own. I'm comfortable with my decision.