hello,

I have had my 996tt for about 6 years now and it is still bone stock. I want to start modding to keep me from buying something else. i want to do wheels, exhaust, and ecu.

just want to make sure i do the right thing.

I had been going to a shop in houston for a few years to do work on my M3 (lawell motorsports) they did a good job on the M - and ive seen tons of turbos in there so i would trust them with my baby. but if any one knows any better shops in the houston area let me know!

lawell told me that he recommends the GIAC ecu and showed me a few options on wheels and exhausts. But i think its going to be up to me to order everything that i need and have him help me with the install.

so i am a n00b here. and i dont just want to jump into something i dont know too much about. I have been searching for about a week and i still do not know the best place to buy all of the things that i need.

any recommendations on these 3 items as well as places to buy them (best deal?) would be greatly appreciated.

best,
John G

 

edit: do i need bigger turbos?

 

bigger turbos ? depends on what kind of power you want. but no u dont need to swap your turbos out for your ecu flash. theres tons of flashes out there for you to look into protomotive would be my choice, also umw and evoms are something to lookinto .

as for exhuasts there tons of them out there . you can hear allof them on youtube and see which you like the most . and how loud you want it to be ..

 

You'll need GT3576R if you hangout with Tweety and the Dr.

 

There's a lot of options out there and ultimately it's all going to be subjective to what you like, sound, power and aethestics.

Here's a thread to help you get going on exhaust options.

http://www.teamspeed.com/forums/997-...ip-thread.html

As far as wheels go, it all depends on your bugdet, what you want to do, and what you like.

Personally I'd stay in the 18's for performance purposes and like the BBS E88's and Mags, HRE C21 Cups, Fikse Profil 13's and any of the CCW Corsair line. The first three are top of line in weight strength and finish. As such they will run you about 5k a set. The CCW Corsair line is just as strong and light but the finish isnt nearly where the first three are. That being said they will only run you around 3k for a set.

If you want to go 19's i really like Champion RS 171 and 98 monolites look killer! The HRE 543 and 545 are also really nice. You can see what most of these wheels look like by clicking the board sponsor "Wheel Enhancement" to the right ------>

My advice for ECU reflashing....Call a couple different tuners with different ECU reflashes. The big ones here are GIAC (call Fabryce at GMG-714.432.1582), UMW (Kevin at UMW-Kevin@ultimatemotorwerks.com) and Softronic (call Dan at Vivid racing-1.866.44.VIVID). Talk with them about the softwares they sell and see why each is the "best." Also feel out which you think would provide the best customer service. IMO having a top notch customer service tuner is more than worth a couple extra here and there. And most likely each of those three can get you almost everything you'd want parts wise.

Once you narrow your exhaust and wheel choices down, let us know and we can help you find the best places to get them.

Good luck, the slope quickly becomes a cliff!

 

If the Turbo is the first high hp you've had try and exhaust and ECU reflash first. You'll be amazed what a simple reflash and exhaust can do!

 

So you want to start "modding" in order to "save yourself" from spending money on another car....

Let's face facts and that's that:

#1 Without suspension the mods are really not usable.... Do suspension first. $3,500.00 for some PSS9's and "aggressive street" alignment.

#2 After several track days with the new suspension set up you may find that you don't need anything else. You should hope...

#3 If in case #2 doesn't do it for you.... then there's the EVOMS-2 plus clutch, light flywheel, DV's and exhaust (none) which should run you around $7000 total additional dough. That's around 400HP on AWD and 420TQ.

#4 If #3 doesn't cure it then you'd do well with some K24/18G's since you're not going to spend the $15K to do the bottom end but the K24/18G setup will require another $8K in doo-dads (fuel pumps, 5 Bar FPR, boost controller, injectors, custom tuning) beyond the cost of the turbos. Roughly another $8000.00 total assuming clutch and etc. are done already.

So all in all..... for around $20-25K you can "save yourself" from the dreaded new-car purchase..... You end up with a 600WHP Porsche with some serious attitude and a thirst for C16, tires, clutches, and VERY frequent oil changes.

 

I completely agree with this, although I will say that you might consider just immediately going with an engine kit from EVO, Agency Power or the like to get something that has been tuned and tested.

I would consider used wheels given the age of your car. I got a beautiful set of custom 3-pc wheels from Lucent motors that didn't have many miles on them and had an almost fresh set of PS2s on them for $3,600. They originally sold for $4400 without tires.

As for having the car "feel" new, you may want to consider a full color sand or multi-stage machine polish for the exterior (maybe a new wing or body mod to go with that). Also some interior adjustments like a new head unit for the stereo might help too.

I suffer from the same disease, so let me know if you need any other ideas!

 

SpeedYellow is spot on.

Started with PSS9 and Europipe loud. Then after about a year, UMW tune, LWFW, and diverter valves.

Very happy with my choices.

Have fun, but remember it's a slippery slope!

 

Suspension is a very popular first modification. This will tighten up the car's overall feel and you will fall in love with your car all over again. A set of Cross, Bilstein & H&R coilovers will do the trick.

Exhaust will free up a few extra ponies. I would personally recommend the Cross exhaust or the Race Precision unit. We are running a big sale on this exhaust at $1995 shipped which is a steal.

If you decide to get the ECU and that proves to be not enough, bigger turbos will definitely do the trick.

 

Hey John,

What part of Houston are you in? I didn't know there was another "stock" TT besides mine in Houston.

 

im close to the medical center.

 

no one has mentioned it but i think the best mod for a 6-speed car is the clutch assist delete - makes the clutch actually feel like a clutch - and made me enjoy the car 2-3x more.

by far, best bang for the buck...

- chuck