X73 is in!!!

Just got back fron the dealer. Dealer's 12 miles away, but it took me 35 miles to get home . Many thanks to Chris and others who encouraged me. Even though it will be a while before I can take it to the track, it's already well worth it. When I went to pick the car up, it was parked beside a TT. Standing static, the car looks slammed, low on the ground. The 30 mm drop may not sound like much, but it looks like a lot on a car that was already low to begin with. On the move, the car IS stiff, flat, with appreciably quicker turn in. I can't wait to get it on the track to see how it performs, and also to see if it solves the tire wear problem. I also wondered why they supplied a new set of engine mounts with the kit. The new mounts are taller, lifting the engine up a bit more in the engine bay. In conjunction with the lowering effects of the suspension, doing so keeps the half axles at the right alignment to the engine/tranny axis. Got'ta hand it to the Porsche engineers for covering all the bases. Good reason to go OEM. I'm psyched!!

great to hear you are happy with the set-up! Suspension mods should be on everyone's list

Looking forward to your track report. The engine mounts are stiffer and not taller unless there's a difference between turbo and c4s engine mounts.

Side by side with the old, the new mounts were a bit taller. There's also less clearance now with the engine bulkhead. Maybe compression of the older mount made them seem shorter? New one's ARE stiffer, and the old butt sensor picks up more engine vibrations. Won't be able to make it to the track 'til mid April. I was going to go back out again, when fluffly white stuff started to come down . Me with street tires, track tires, but no snows

Palting - WTF, no pics?!?!?! You tease us with "Standing static, the car looks slammed, low on the ground." and then you don't attach any pics???What were you thinking??? That is a big no-no!!! Seriously, that sounds awesome. Can't wait 'til you get her on the track and we get a report on how she corners. BTW, about the pics... I was only serious!

Heh-heh, sorry about that, Tim. It's still cold, and snow is seriously coming down now. Car is safely in the garage with car cover on for now. First sunlight, I'll have pics with it languorously posing on the driveay or road.

Cool, now I have something to look foreward to for Saturday!

Congrats Palting, the X73 will change your car forever. The reason for the stiffer mounts is to manage the stiffer ride, the stock ones would crack, plus Porsche wouldn't warranty any X73 stuff unless you put in the mounts as well. Yes, the engineers know their ****, you will love it at the track. My car never felt as planted at the glen until I got the '73, with sport cups you won't even be able to squeal the tires on a turn. Honestly, your tires will be fine now and you won't need that radical camber you were trying to get, the whole geometry of your car has changed back to the way it was meant to be, as per Walter Rohl! (not the dumbed down US version) One thing, about a month or so after install, my handling went to hell in a handbasket. The car had settled another 1/4" or so and threw off the toe out, just get it re-checked before you hit the track. Do take some garage pics and measure the ride ht f/r now and in a month or so. Enjoy, you won't be sorry! Now for Jeevas.....

As far as the extra vibration goes, you'll really notice it in the summer with the AC on at a light, you'll think something came loose!

OUCH!....I know,I know...Damn, it's still sitting in the garage. I'll get to it soon..it's my steep driveway that's holding me back. I have to come up with a solution for that first, and I'm being too lazy with it. Besides the first event is a few months away, I am planning to install it next month, we'll see. May be I have to settle on some wooden ramp to get my car in to the garage once I get it installed. Palting, gald to hear you finally pulled the trigger, and it's good to hear your reviews.

So far, have not had any issues with scraping. Fingers crossed. I wouldn't mind the front lip so much, but the darn bottom of the engine seems awful close to the ground. OK. Here's a pic. Too cold and too much snow outside, sorry it has to be in the garage. Pic doesn't do it justice., especially with the black under trim. You have to see it in person, and beside a TT or another 911, to really apprciate how much of a drop it is.

Looks like it is supposed to, did you get a chance to measure the ride ht f/r, wonder if it is the same as mine, looks it! FWIW, mine hardly ever scraped, once I put on the aerokit, that lip hits everything.

Here's another interesting thing I found for those interested in the X73/74. After they installed everything, they took an initial reading of the alignment. The initial reading for camber was -2.05 !! I had then set it to the recommended -1.45, but it's good to know I can go up to and possibly beyond -2.5. I'll get the tape measure and let you know, Chris.

I'm telling you, you ain't gonna need to go that radical, whole geometry has changed for the better. If you do, you can always slot out the mounting positions on the front end with a dremel or get some camber plates from fvd to get even more camber.

Palting - Looks good! Thanks for sharing the pic. BTW, Garage pics on cars that are not "Garage Queens" are OK to post

OK. Got the tape measure, went to the cold garage, measured, and came back to find out I measured from the center of the wheel to the top of the wheel well. Dang!! Had to go back out to the garage to measure from the floor across the center of the wheel to the top of the wheel well. The things I do for you guys . Fr is 25.625" and Rr is 25 .5". Pretty close to previously posted numbers. There was a prior thread on "rake". The wheel well height has nothing to do with rake. If you simply look at the numbers on wheel well height, you'd think the C4S has a nose up rake. But, I invite one and all to look at the garage pic above. The C4S has a decidely slight nose down rake. The front wheel wells are simply cut higher to allow room for the wheel to turn left and right. Set to Porsche specs, this is the correct "rake" for proper balance and performance.

Wait 'til it settles about a 1/4" or so, the 'squat' will be more noticable. But, who cares,it was/is obviously intentional and works well! Wait until you hit the track this spring, total transformation of the car, flat as a pancake in the corners, no tire squeal, planted. Before the X73, I could never hit the esses at WGI flat out floored, now I can with ease. Don't forget to recheck the alignment later,car looks nice!!!!!

weird. i know somebody who just put this setup on their turbo. just about 26" flat front and rear, with it being ever so slightly lower in the back. i can't imagine it will continue to settle another half inch.

With the sloping back, prominent front fender, the "squat" look is inherent in all 911's. It is more pronounced in the C4S due to its' wider rump and red accent. Again, it doesn't have anything to do with "rake". Here is a pic with the C4S at speed, WOT heading down a straight. It is the original C4S sport susppension, but the X73 would drop it 30 mm all around maintaining the "rake".The wheel well cut in front is higher than the rear, but the overall attitude or rake is still nose down.

Palting, you're a real son of a gun. You didn't post that picture to make a point; only to make us all crazy sitting inside during this winter blizzard. Awesome looking picture post X73. You are going to scream around the track now.

Palting you are going to be amazed when you get to the track because the whole balance of the car is now so much more neutral. Chri s is right about the camber thing too. I think the new springs and shock rates help the car attain a more neutral bias so you're not trying to overcome so much push with negative camber. These are things you just can't experience on the street. You'll see, you'll see. I am sure you're in for a treat at your next DE. I just couldn't get comfortable with the C4S until I did the X73. Good luck. Dave

Thanks. I'm psyched, and can't wait for DE season. I'm going to the tire shop tom to have them mount MPSC's on the track wheels.

Temp in the 50's, sunny, took the car out for the Ohio version of a canyon run. This sucker is stiff!! I got acquainted with expansion joints I didn't know exsited while on the highway. On the other hand, the canyon run was a blast. Very quick turn-in combined with the flat attitude made me turn too early and too much on the first few corners. Had to learn to turn later and slower. The original suspension had the C4S on rails, now the X73 is a go-kart on rails. Obviously can't explore the limits since I'm still on street tires on public roads. MPSC's got delivered today, and my expectations for the DE in mid-April are high, intimidating even. I would not recommend this for the daily driver. Very stiff suspension, accentuates the rattles and squeeks, and a bit of an engine drone/vibration from the stiff engine mounts on cruising and idling. But, if the promises found on the canyon run come true on the track, well worth it for the track afficionado while still maintaining steet drivability as a second priority.

Palting, thanks for your feedback....which DE are you going in April, I am seriously considering the mid-ohio event with the BMW club in April. Did'nt see any othe M-O events for that month (I know the Potomac is in May, which I would'nt be able to go).

OVR is April 15-16. I'm holding off on non-Porsche club DE's for now. It's been almost a year since I've been to Mid-Ohio, and I'm sure I'm rusty. Don't want those BMW boys gunning for me, yet . Probably in the summer, after several reminder runs as wel as getting acquainted with the X73 runs, I'll get on Chin Motorsports or BMW or Audi events and mix it up with the "lesser" cars .

Can't wait to hear your comments in the track !

Which dealership did the work for you? If you don't mind my asking, how much should someone expect to pay for this mod? Thanks

I had it done at our local Porsche dealership. I've been with them since 1999 when I bought a Volvo from them, and I trust their techs. Even if they didn't know what I was talking about when I asked about the X73 . I had to research the part numbers and supply it to the parts guy. The head mechanic, however, is excellent, and has made my car his personal responsibility ever since I bought it. They charged me 10 hours labor for installation, alignment, and balancing plus oil and filter change. It is company policy that I buy the parts from them, but they matched the cheapest price I could get on the internet.

You're gonna love those cups. I'll be at lamerock in march, pocono in april and the glen in may(chin motorsports).

Awesome, new X73 suspension + cups, you are loving that. More G's are soon to follow.

My X73 Turbo is 25 1/2" in the front and 25 5/8" in the rear on stock pressures.

C4S and TT's have different spring rates, that might be why. I'll measure mine again with my cups on( instead of the smaller snows).

Ok. Sunny day, but still cold at 30 degrees. Decided to take the C4S out to the office anyway and took pics. I know, I need to detail the tires and the trim, but it's too darn cold.

Palting - your car is looking BAD *** good!

Thanks, Tim. I think the X73 is the best mod for looks and performance. And I haven't even taken it to the track yet.

Do I have to re-work your avatar now to lower the C4S? You know that there is the "truth in advertising" thing!

. No, I think the way you did it the first time is perfect!! I'm using it in other forums too. Thanks again .

what kind of price are you looking at just for the motor mounts? do they look any different from the factory units? I doubt the previous owner did it in my car

They look exactly like stock mounts, different pn. They only come with the X73(?4) on a awd/C4S/TT platform.

I suppose you could order it separately. The part number specifically for the engine mounts for the X73 is "996 375 049 90". It comes as part of the kit, though, and I find it unusual that the original owner would not put it in. Why don't you make sure? First, check that it is the X73, and not some other suspension. Take a look under there, and the spring/shock assemby should be bright yellow. If it's bright yellow, then it is likely the X73. Unfortunately, the engine mounts look identical to the stock mounts. You'd have to get the tech to check the part numbers to make sure you do or don't have the X73 mounts. You do have a C4S or a TT, right?