regretting that Dad sold his 1998 Boxster this year.

Bill,

Sorry to hear of your concerns.

If your going to sell..what do you want for your 3.6 and 915?

- just wondering

I guess today's the day

Bill, do the right thing

KT

Spec Boxster is going to work for a lot of Husband/Wife AX and even DE/TT co-driving couples. Modern technology in a really well balanced FUN car. I am pretty sure I will allways have a 914, but I now doubt whether it will be our family's primary race car. I can't see my wife in my 914! Have you or your wife ran a Boxster at AX? I may make the November Infineon AX and if you (Bill) want to run one around we can probably talk my wife into it.

Two things...

I know where a 1997 boxtser is .. CHEAP.... In cosmetically and mechanicly good shape. It has Gemballa interior. Nice car for an early model....

I spoke with Brad Roberts last week about several things...

I am under the impression he knows a bunch about spec Boxster. Suggest ya mail em or phone him....

Twystd1

Cheap would be $10,000. I have seen 97's sell for 12K. Best used sports car bargain around!

I do believe it is about 10 Gs..

If ya want me to homework it for you.. PM me...
I will send you the fellows phone number.
He is in Buena Park CA.
And he is a friend of a friend.

The fella seems like a straight up fellow.
I have done a little biz with him... he honored his word.

I have seen the car... it needs tires....

NOTE..... I don't know a hell of alot about boxters...
I probably am not the guy to mechanicly check it out for you.....
Just so you know......

Twystd1

I had a great, productive meeting with the shop today and we discussed several race car options including The Beast. We talked the full spectrum, including a detailed "Beast" build, plus several other cars I have been looking at that are in various states of completion. We also talked about a nationally known 914-6 that has recently come on the market. This car is highly developed and at the high end of my price range (really high end!) but possible. It runs 1:41's at Sears Point. If anyone has driven Sears, you know that is a really, really fast time. Driver has alot to do with it of course, but the car is sorted and chassis development complete.

Here are the cars I'm looking at minus the one I just mentioned. The shop doesn't have the spec sheet yet, but we expect it in a few days. From lowest cost option to highest cost option, here is what I get to decide:

1973 911 with GT2 Kevlar Bodywork-- this car hands down is the least expensive choice. Ther are several parts on the car I can sell and recoup money. 2100 pounds. With my 3.6 motor and bullt 915, this would be a fun car at the track and auto-x. Older technology, but fun.

Option #2

2000 996 -- Water Pumper!

Believe it or not, this car with a cage, fire system, PSS9's and tires will be a full $15K less than The Beast to complete. It stops and make you think....really....for a tidy sum of $15K LESS than The Beast....I have a car that will easily do 150+MPH. And if I get it...I'll leave the A/C in for cooling me off in the pits.

What would YOU do?.....



P.S. The cost includes taking care of the dreaded G-Load oil starvation problems. Porsche Motorsport has a fix that works...it's easy and cheap...and VERY similar to a Tuna Can, but much bigger!

Option #3....The BEAST

On paper this thing should haul ass. Realistically, the 996 would be fast on the track but the 1800lbs 914's driven by the local hot shoes will kick my butt in Auto-x, especially with the courses we run that are so tight they wouldn't pass SCCA. The '74 911 might be competitive because it is much lighter and can turn quicker. But having driven a mid-engine car...it will be awfully tough to get those TTOD's. The BEAST offers the chance to be close to the top in Auto-x and be competitive in a GT spec series. But....it's not quite ready for prime time. And it is the most expensive option to have completed for me.

Here is a picture of The BEAST in approxiamate stage of tuning....

So I have choices to think over. And thanks to our beloved Vultures in the Garage circling my still warm carcass...I don't have to worry about finding homes for most of my parts. That was made very clear to me by the e-mail traffic!

At this point in the development of The BEAST, it is actually close to going to paint. The guys at the shop have figured out how to do almost everything I have asked them to design.

Now, I can make the project go down in cost cosiderably by only paying for certain parts of the assembly along with their expertise in planning and designing what I want. The catch is that I would have to do the major part of the assembly. Did I mention I'm time challenged? This would make choosing The BEAST more comparable in cost to options 1 and 2, but I wouldn't know when I would be competing again...

Hopefully you folks see that I have some interesting choices....and how eye opening the different platforms can be from performance and cost.

My heart says (beast, Beast, BEAST!).....but that 996 looks awfully tempting....

It's going to be a sleepless weekend trying to decide.

Bill P.

Aren't decisions wonderful?

Those are some nice looking cars.

I think you should race this one...



Anyway, seems like a winner in every direction.

Hope you got a good laugh for all the advise you received.

Beyond the sensibilities, if you go 996 you will:
-concede to the dark (wine) side
-your head will swell
-you will not be the David slaying the Goliaths
-it will be harder to relate to the 914clubbers
-you can't transfer all your 914 racing experience

I still say we can get a group of guys together to deliver this baby in a fraction of the time...who "wouldn't" want a chance to help work on this car?

QUOTE (neo914-6 @ Oct 13 2005, 02:00 AM)

I still say we can get a group of guys together to deliver this baby in a fraction of the time.

I'd love a chance to screw up your car!

I agree the 996 looks tempting on many fronts. Try focusing on what you don't like about the 996 and see how that sits with you for a few days (seriously). At first glance, voting with your dollars, I'd go with the 996; but it's lacking the one thing I want in a race car, that high HP / low weight combo. You can overcome the ratio with more HP but it won't feel the same, it'll feel like you're finessing a lot of mass around the track (all my un-founded opinion, of course).

So I think I'd stay the course on the beast. Once it's painted I think you'll feel a lot different about the project. And once you're eventually racing the build time will be a distant memory.

Bill, stand tall and sing along!

Beast, Beast, Beast!!!

KT

QUOTE (nine14cats @ Oct 13 2005, 12:32 AM)

My heart says (beast, Beast, BEAST!).....but that 996 looks awfully tempting....

if my car could talk, it would wisper "996" in your ear while you are at sleep ...

Andy

I know your time challenged but were you planning on doing the v8 conversion or farming it out? Just trying to understand how you looked at both projects... such as farm out Beast, do the V8 at home etc. Another way to look at the Beast is to have the shop to xxx key items and you do other items. When I put the tail dragger back together I let my mechanic do certain items tasks that
1) I hate to do them stuff
2 past my abilities would spend to much time trying to learn items.

Can you not pick items they do and then do others tasks in your limited time ?

Actually the V8 car (JLO) will be built by me, my son, and my dad. The reason I bring up selling her is that the race car is in the cost overrun mode at the moment (surprise!)....

It's a pure numbers game....I can go certain ways on my track fix, but I have to pony up alot of cash. I would like to keep JLO...my dad in the past owned a chopped and channeled '39 Ford...and a nice 283 SBC '55 Chevy PU. But if I choose to work on the race car...my house gets filled very quick.

I have underestimated the cost of getting to where I want to with The Beast. I am now figuring out where to go. It's just all one big check written to someone. I personally like the shop that is doing the work, I was just time challenged and now I'm money challenged for what I want. My decision on The Beast is tied to budget and time. I can scale back the build and continue on, or I can bring it home and sub out certain parts to the race shop, or try to do it all. But if I choose to help build it myself to reduce construction cost, I will most likely be again down a good portion of next year. And I haven't driven my car since July 4th weekend, 2004.

I've got several options. I'm weighing them currently.

Bill P.