996 performance imporvement

I have had my 2004 996 Cab since new. The engine was replaced by Porsche several years ago due to RMS issue. I would like to improve its performance and would like some recommendations on how to best do that and what the costs might be. Currently, I am willing to spend up to $2500. Not sure I want to spend the 10K for a SC. Thoughts.....

Are you talking street or track use (or both)? For the best bang for your buck I'd suggest aftermarket exhaust - not a huge performance upgrade but it will sure sound like it. For the track - suspension (coilovers) would be your best choice IMO.

You can spend a lot of money on exhausts , air intakes ,chips etc and maybe get 20 hp. Not a big bump for $8K . The flat 6 gets near on 100 bhp per litre , it's pretty well developed so trying to get a few more horsepower is a bit of a blind alley . Your car is a cab , so you already get more exhaust burble than us coupe folks do. On a limited budget , I'd think about a set of performance brake pads ( I've got cool carbons on mine) stainless steel brake lines ( I've got goodridge) . That's going to improve your brake performance and set you back about 400 bucks . You can do this when you are due for a brake job. And then think about a set of h&r sport springs & sway bars and a fresh set of shocks ( check out the bilstein heavy duty or sport ones ) While its in the shop get them to replace any worn bushes and top mounts. Stock bushes are ok but check out powerflex ones ( might put you a bit over budget but last 4x as long and are a great performance tweak) This will help you get the most out of your car and if you shop around ( check pelican & tire rack for the suspension bits) do some of the work, be close to your budget When your tires need replacement , get some quality rubber .

Thanks for the info gentlemen. I was talking street, not track. Still enjoy my 996 cab, not sure there is really much I can do to increase the fun.

swaybars are the best bang-for-your buck. Lots of options out there, from OE GT3 bars, to GMG, tarrett end links, etc...but usually a few hundred dollars and really improves the handling. Combined with 030 springs, or aftermarket sport springs, it's a good deal. I would recommend koni sport shocks, too. I wouldn't waste your money on any horsepower modifications; you won't see much return.

I did a K&N intake, IPD plenum, full free flow SS exhaust and REVO ecu. It is a big improvement in performance. I think maybe about $4000. you could do w/out the ipd, and get cheaper exhaust and get around the 2500 range. But unless you do intake, exhaust and ecu, youre not going to get any benefits

Do nothing! The reason I say this is because I've owned a lot of cars in the past and spent a lot of money buying exhaust, suspension, chips, wheels and tires etc. The reason I bought my 04 C4S is because it does it for me. I'm not modding anything. Trust me I have the money to go all out, but this trip around I'm putting my money somewhere, while I still enjoy a factory bad *** ride. Think about it before your spend $2,500. You could buy a lot of Netflix stock, go on a cruise, take up a new hobby (Scuba Diving, Cycling, Photography) renovate a room in your house (appliances). Leave it in the bank for 30 days, see how you feel about spending that cash on your car and also look for other investment opportunities while you wait. Just my 02. Cheers

Like others have said, your performance gains without getting into the engine will be minimal. But, stick to breathing - intake and exhaust. The gain in sound quality and quantity will make it feel like a good bump. And personally, that's worth it. Tires are good, too. The suspension stuff won't make you any faster on the street (using the full capability of your handling on the street is pretty rare). Just my two cents.

Given the age of the car , it's unlikely the suspension will be performing as well as when the car was new . So yes , refurbishing it will make a big difference on the street . Doubly so if you live anywhere with twisty roads . Where as louder won't make you faster . And in a cab , long trips with a loud exhaust are not fun.

You will enjoy suspension mods the most especially if you go to a good quality coilover setup. It will be an all around improvement even if you are just cruising. Makes driving much more enjoyable. Best mod in your situation imo. You only enjoy power mods when you are getting on it and it can get annoying when you don't want the car to be loud. I am looking to possibly get a set of KW V3's myself. They were great on my S2000. That car has since become a track only car and I switched to AST4150's. If anyone has any used coilovers for sale, let me know. I've got a 2002 C2.

Take driving lessons. Seriously if you have not learned how to drive a Porsche fast you are wasting time and money doing anything else. Take a performance driving course. Spend time at speed on the track in a track school car.

Roll bar. Then take it to the track and enjoy. If you are seeking a faster car then there is no point putting any money into your C4, it's basically as fast as it's going to be. Porsche spent 40 years FULL TIME getting the car to this point. I have a 2002 C2 and when I have the rpms between 3700 - 5500 I don't really see any need what so ever for a faster car. The Porsche OEM exhaust is one of the best on the planet. The OEM air intake is awesome too. I would install an air horn if you want to have more fun while you drive around.

My first mods were Fabspeed cat-back exhausts and their intake mod. Subjectively, no performance gain but I think this is what the car is supposed to sound like. See if you can find a friend or club member who has an aftermarket exhaust and sample it. You may agree. I second the thoughts above that it is difficult and expensive to try to improve on these engines without some significant downside. Mine is stock from plenum to catalysts. I substituted a single mass, lightweight flywheel when I did the clutch and I love this mod, but it is not cheap and most people would not put up with the transmission rattle that comes with this mod. It is also thought to impact long term durability. although mine's seen over 20K since the mod without incident.

If you're okay with 15-20hp max; exhaust, air filter and tune. If you want more, sell the car and buy a turbo.

For street driven car, I think one should concentrate on the mods that bring the most exciting experience regardless of power that one can feel all the time, such as short shifter, sprint booster(or remapped factory ecu), exhaust, refresh worn suspension, etc. My $.02

JATO. In seriousness - you're going to dump a HUGE amount of money into the car for incremental gains (best case) or no gain (likely) or a net loss (depending on your combination of aftermarket stuff). The suggestions about how to make the car feel faster and ways to take better advantage of the power it makes (suspension) are good ones. Of all "bolt-on" mods, the one certain to net more usable power at the wheels is an underdrive pulley.

I assume an underdrive pulley slows the rotational speed of all accessories. No impact to Power steering? Electrical charging? A good reason to keep the revs up I suppose.

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+1 Two words: Heel & Toe. Unless it's a tip, if so, you might as well forget about it.

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All of my 996's auxiliary systems worked fine with the underdrive pulley, and I did not notice any charging issues. Posts here and there suggest that an UD pulley will prevent power steering overheating that sometimes happens as a result of periods of high-RPM driving...mostly reported by track folks. The "take a performance driving class" answer often seems demeaning, but there is some truth to it...the mammal between the wheel and the pedals is the only explanation for how a 40-year-old car that made 85 horsepower NEW can consistently chalk up better lap times than some showroom-new 350 HP 911's with laundry lists of driving aids...

Yeah, the single best upgrade is to the driver. My current hairdresser laptimes (110 hp maybe) are 4-5 seconds faster than my best 911 laptimes (325 hp) ever were as a result of some great instruction and an open mind. Might cost more than new springs, but some instructed driving event of whatever kind will bring you years of entertainment.

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Where did you read that a lightweight UD pulley can help with steering overheat issues? I have this issue when I track after the 3rd or 4th sessions. I'm going to install a steering cooler before the next event to help but never considered a lightweight pulley could/would have a positive affect on the steering's overheating problem. Can you elaborate please?

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This is common mod for the Porsche track guys. I thought it was common knowledge as it's been printed in several articles/places. You're better off installing a UD pulley rather than any steering coolers IMO. I happen to have one if interested.

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I'm slipping man... your right of course. Funny... I called my indy last week to troubleshoot the overheating issue after an event and they didn't suggest this. They sell their own pulleys and power steering coolers too. Hell I'll buy both if it'll keep my steering consistent towards the end of sessions. OP sorry to derail your post bud.... plenty of good replies above. If I were to spend the $ Id work on the exhaust, purely for the sound, as long as all mechanicals are sorted first. (That is if you don't have PSE or hacked mufflers already)

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Also hardcore track guys know to put arm bands around brake and power steering reservoirs in case of boilovers.

I haven't used the sweat band mod since I sold my Aprilia.

Never seen the sweat band mod before. So doing this.

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I am a big proponent of driving instruction. Upgrade the driver before the car. Best bang for the buck DT, if instruction helped you get better lap times on your roadster, then the same skills should apply in the 911. Just saying......

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Just to clarify, the weight of the pulley is not the source of the benefit. The smaller diameter of the underdrive pulley is the key metric. There have been several failures with the uber-lightweight UD pulleys. If you get one, get one of the sturdy versions. The skeletonized versions are nice to look at, but a failed pulley means no alternator, water pump, etc.

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I'm sure you're right. But I haven't taken the 911 to the track since I bought the track-specific car. I do know that the time on track with amazing people in the right seat has made me a better driver across the board.

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Hello Rayman1, There are a lot of areas for improvement of the 996 Carrera. If you are looking for the best bang for the buck in terms of performance and sound, our Competition Air Intake System absolutely sings when you get over 4500rpms. In addition, the factory intake system has been shown on the dyno to be a large choke point on the 996, so the performance gains will be noticeable. On the exhaust side the biggest area of restriction of performance are your factory cats. Our Sport Cat X-Pipe utilizes much freer flowing 200cell HJS cats, and combined with the X-Pipe design has shown a substantial improvement in power. It also provides a throatier, more aggressive exhaust note especially in the higher rpms. PM me or give me call, and I will be sure to work with you closely to accomplish your goals.

Turbo sound, attach this device to your current exhaust. Paint some flames $2500 will cover this performance upgrades.