New to the site. Not new to the scene. Fairly big accomplishment the other day (11/5/13) that I wanted to share, along with the trials and tribulations leading up to the “big 10”. As many of you know, chasing 10s in a car that arguably wasn’t meant for draggin’ is a pretty big deal, especially on stock internals, and safely. Here are the current specs of the car:

Full EPL 750 package - K24/18g (billet) –all bolt-on – all stock internals

EPL Custom ECU Calibration

RACEWARE head studs (OEM head gaskets)

Blown 6 intercoolers

Fabspeed headers

AMS Wastegates

EPL 72lb Injectors

OEM 997 Coils

USP inlet pipes

Upgraded Thottle Body

Upgraded IPD Plenum

Upgraded/Modified EVOMS Y pipe

Tubi Exhaust (catted)

Greddy Profec B spec II EBC

Sachs 2.5 clutch (OEM DM FW)

GT2 clutch slave conversion

Full TechArt lower body (front, side and rear) with original/functionalGemballa wing

JIC Coilover suspension – cornerbalanced

Full carbon fibre interior

Full custom stereo with carbonenhancements (amps, custom sub box, etc.)

iForged Monaco 19” rims (235s front –315s rear)

Keep in mind the car is a pure daily driver, and the only thing I did different for this track event was pull the front seat and subwoofer box, along with a few other weight savings tips (lightweight battery, RWD conversion with drag radials, spare and tools out, etc.). Car tipped the scale at 3260 lbs the day of the track event with over ½ tank. Prior to any weight savings, the car tipped the scale at 3520 lbs with everything in it (sans myself – I am 260lbs).

Since I had the experience of a prior 996TT with a similar package, I set out with a simple goal – 130 mph trap in the ¼ mile. Originally, I never cared about ET in this car, as I didn’t really want to jeopardize axels, drivetrain, etc. However, when I ran the car at a local track (Lebanon Valley) with almost full weight, and with the car on full heat soak, I was able to pull an 11.1 @ 132 mph on big/heavy 19” rims with Michelin PS2 street tires and a soft launch (2500 rpms slipping clutch). This equated to 1.9 and 2.0 60’s. This was all I needed to know. 10s were now all but a foregone conclusion.

Realizing that any crash course diet (for myself) was not likely to shed the weight in time, especially during football season, I subscribed to the sticky weight loss thread on this site at the suggestion of a friend. I quickly found a way to shed acouple hundred pounds, grab a set of 18” wheels I had lying around, put an old set of 265/40/18 MT ET street drag radials on the back, and I was there (in my mind). Now, it was just a matter of finding a track relatively nearby, as both tracks near me (ESTA and LV) had closed for the season. However, before we get to the pinnacle of this thread, it is important to understand the journey…

Historical perspective – When I bought the car several months ago, I had a PPI which missed, of all things, a blown head gasket (see pic)! The gasket was not an outwardly obvious problem, as the compression (and leak down on all but one cylinder) was fine and well within spec. So, originally, the car was simply brought to EPL for a custom tune and possibly a few upgrades (it had stock injectors and inlet pipes at the time). As with anything else passing through EPL, they wanted to make sure the car was “green lighted” for tune/upgrades, etc. So, they did a very thorough check and found the blown head gasket. The car was not really down too much on power, nor was it spewing coolant, quacking like a duck or exposing any other outward symptoms of a gasket or similar problem. Basically, it started, idled, drove fine, etc. It did, however, have a fairly troubled recent past with the prior owner, as he seemed to be chasing a few elusive gremlins that he was never able to apparently sort out. So, I bought the car for a fair price and decided to undertake the task of sorting everything out and meeting my goals. Keep in mind, the cosmetics and interior of the car were about as close to a “10” as any car with similar mileage that I had ever seen, so I was comfortable putting the money and time into making this car “right”.

As most of you know, when you decide to drop the engine on one of these cars, it makes a whole heckuva lotta sense to do a bunch of other stuff. Since I was now "in that boat" (see pic), and much to the credit of EPL, we addressed everything that was necessary while the motor was out (coolant fittings, water pump, inlet pipes, injectors, coils, etc.). I also decided after MUCH research to go with RACEWARE head studs to hopefully try and prevent lifting in the future. Once the engine was out and on the rack, a full inspection was done. And, not everything was good news, as is usually the case. Among other things, the turbos were distinctly discolored and one bank seemed to be running very lean (see pics). This motivated me to upgrade to the billet wheels. I decided to not do the bottom end (rods, etc.), as my goals with this car were never originally beyond 130+traps. EPL did all the work (properly sourcing out when necessary) and had the car back together in a very reasonable timeframe. Keep in mind this was during their busy season (May-July).

After the necessary breaking in of new brakes, clutch, etc., datalogging and a few return trips to EPL were necessary. Each time, EPL worked with me to my satisfaction. Keep in mind, I am an UHM (ultra high maintenance) customer and I have been around quite a few tuners in my day (42 years old and more cars than I can count under my belt). I have also owned a few street cars that have run 10 second quarters, including a current 907 whp S2000 that has also run 9s, but never have I enjoyed the drive down the track as much as in my recent 996TT. Other heavily modified cars I have owned include a Supra Turbo, E55 AMG, several S2000s, and even a Lotus Esprit V8 twin which was no slouch. I have even had a few records associated with some of my cars (some of which may still stand). So I understand the game, as well as the players. What I can say about EPL is nothing but praise. Even with a horrendous series of bad luck, they have managed to figure everything out to my satisfaction. I consider Tony to be nothing short of a mad scientist (he is actually extremely pleasant and nice), if not a genius, when it comes to figuring out “problems” with the P-car.

After all issues were sorted, and everything was properly broken in (within the last few months), I decided to do some of my own “road testing”. This included street racing (in Mexico, of course) several of my buddies (supercharged Z06, fully built 10 second mustangs, minor modded GTRs and even a few liter bikes), as well as attending a few well known, respected and attended track events. Keep in mind, all of this was done “in the car”. I never trailered this car to any track event once the build/tuning was complete. And, this includes roll on events at Pocono, racing at Lime Rock and dragging at Lebanon Valley and Atco. All in all, I put about 3k miles on the car/build in the last few months with very respectable showings. At Pocono, I won just about every roll race I competed in (about 20 pulls) with the exception of a JBE 900ish hp 997. This included a SLS AMG, several modded vettes, a heavily modded Camaro, a modded M5, a few lightly modded GTRs and 997s, and anything else that would play with me – lol. I did stay away from the “big boy” races between the UGR lambos, the 8 second GTRs, and Eddie Bello, although I spoke to all those guys and they were super-cool. At Lime Rock, I was in the intermediate class, and the car literally mopped up the track (did NOT have AWD disconnected at this point). I literally had my way on the straights, and handled most anything in the twisties. What a perfect car for a track like that! At this point, I had already achieved my 130+trap goal, but knew the conditions were far from ideal, so I chased a few other track events – one in full street trim (Lebanon Valley) and the other with weight savings and a stickier tire (Atco). The Valley yielded very respectable times/traps: 11.25 at 131.90 mph and 11.19 at 131.78 mph. These were with no burnout, full street trim and soft launches. Then came Atco.

It should be noted that the morning of Atco, I had VBoxed my car on the way into work on MS109 (yes, I literally drive the car to work like an ordinary car when the weather is nice). I had no plans on going to any track that day (Tuesday – 11/5/13), and in fact had a long day of work ahead of me. It was crisp out and I have an ideal road for testing/logging (no traffic, no inroads, in Mexico, etc.), so I decided this would be a good test of the car’s current power level, etc. I had tentatively signed up to go to MIR for the 11/16 rental with the Benz guys, so I was in no "rush" and that morning was more of a prep for the upcoming MIR rental to make sure everything was ready to go. I did one 60-130 mph pull followed by one ¼ mile pull. The 60-130 result was a 6.6 with no brake-boosting and one shift. I simply rolled into 3rd gear and shifted normally. On the return road, less than 5 minutes later, I did the ¼ mile simulation. Results were 60’ = 2.1 (37.0 mph); 330’ = 5.2 (80.8 mph); 660’ = 7.6 (109.2 mph); 1320’= 11.2 (137.2 mph). Temps were high 40s, and DA was definitely negative (around -300 to -500). I also had between ½ tank and ¾ tank ofstraight MS109. The reason I list these results is because throughout the season, my Vbox has been DEAD ON with most of my track events, usually within a tenth on the time and 1 mph on the speeds. When I saw these numbers, I knew I would have a hard time waiting a week and ½ until the Maryland track event. What I didn’t know was how hard it would be to concentrate at work THAT day thinking about where else I could go sooner. Needless to say, I checked the nearest tracks to me that were still open (Atco and E-Town) and saw that Atco actually had a street night THAT NIGHT! I had never been to Atco before, so I was unaware of their usual schedule, etc. The rest is typical for how crazy I get about this stuff. I have dragged my street cars as far "west" as Chitown area and as far south as South FL (PBIR).

"The Atco 12-Hour Tour"

So, I’m at work. It’s 3:00 p.m. on 11/5/13 and I have a free night and a VERY understanding wife! Atco is exactly 323.07 miles from my house (not my office), not including detours to get more race gas (Atco was out – figures). By my calculations, which are much more optimistic than Mapquest, I figure I can make the trip with stops and traffic in 5 hours….hahaha ... I get home at 3:30 p.m., throw everything I can think of in my car (helmet, zoom camera, GoPros, etc.), and shoot out of my driveway like a slingshot (at 3:45 p.m.). There is no looking back now. I average a speed on the highways upstate NY that I cannot freely admit on the internet, although my Navi was yelling at me. I make the requisite phone calls to setup my pickup of race gas (thanks VP regional office for helping set that up!) en route. However, one problem, the only place that has MS109 en route closes in 1 hour. There is no way I am going to make it, so I pay them to leave the gas at a local gas station in Newark – yes DOWNTOWN Newark….ugh. Of course, I hit traffic, sit and stew with my car on full boil, wondering if this will be the most monumental waste of my time in recent years, but I don’t give up. I get to the gas station, avoid getting mugged, car-jacked or anything else of the sort, get the gas and leave tracks (2 of them) pulling out of the gas station. Finally, I get on a stretch of road heading out to the track where I can stretch the car’s legs again. I call the track repeatedly to make sure they are not going to close early (before 10 p.m.), as my Navi now gets me to the track at 9:00 p.m.! I get to the track, the person at the gate already knows me from all the phone calls, pushes me through quickly and tells me she spoke to the owner who will likely keep the staging lanes open till 10:15 or so because there was a spill on the track, which shut them down for a bit. I quickly run over to tech and the guy takes my slip and passes me through. I then find a spot to let the car cool – NOT – and mount the GoPros. Next, I search out my new “friend” to video my runs, realizing although the car is HOT (temp), the weather conditions at the track that night were great (-1200 DA and lower as the night went on). This was actually a large part of my motivation to attend the track event that night (and, if I hit my goals, it would free up my weekend on 11/16 as I would not have to go to MIR). The crowd was pretty sparse that night, but I found a few guys to video both of my runs. I did not know anyone there and was WAY out of my area. What followed was pure adrenaline and exhilaration! First run, I do a decent burnout, as most of the people I watched and/or spoke to said the burnout box / launch pad was “slick”and people were not yielding good 60’s that night. Figures. Always a trade off with cool weather. You give up a tick on the front, to hopefully get 2 ticks on the back. Since I had limited time, I got right in line and prepped for my first pass (cameras on, PSM off, etc.). Then, BAAABAM! 10.78. After the first run, but before I got my slip, I knew the run was solid, as I was running my trusty VBox. The VBox had my 60’ at 1.70 (again, DEAD ON), and my ¼ at 10.8 @ 135 mph. I knew with those numbers, I was likely in "10 land", but still didn’t have the all-important slip. What I did have was my phone recording while I got my slip. That video really sums it all up, myreaction, excitement, etc. The gamble paid off! However, I now had the decision of the night. Do I verify the run with a 2nd pass (which most people require for verification) and risk breaking something so far from home with NOBODY there to help, or do I take it a little easier on the lauch and go for it? For me, the decision was easy. The 2nd run was happening whether I liked it or not. And, what do you know – less than 10 minutes later and BAAABOW! 10.97 with a very similar “hot lap” trap speed. This time, my videographer was BALLSY! He got right up in my bumper on the launch and almost got kicked off the track! When he gave me my camera back, I was so excited and rushed, I didn’t even think to say thank you. Fortunately, I saw him about an hour later on the drive home at a Wendy’s with everyone getting their midnight fix! I shook his hand and showed him the video. We were both very pleased! Those recordings will now live on forever. The trip home was exhausting, and but for my continued adrenaline rush (and a few red bulls), I probably would not have made it home. Nevertheless, I got home at 4:00 a.m. safe and sound. The car never hiccupped or did anything out of sorts. It was possibly one of the best trips of my life. Isn’t that how it usually happens – the ones you don’t plan for or expect turn out to be the best!

For the future, the car has a limited life in my garage. It will probably be sold within the next year (most of my cars last 1-3 years with me) not for any reason other than change. It is an amazing ride, and when the time comes it will be missed for sure! For now, I know it has a better ¼ and trap in it – possibly a record-setting pass (with a lighter driver, cooler engine and a little more tuning - lol). I just don’t have the nuts to chase any more this season. MIR is now out for me. And, other than a few street passes against the Honda (a solid "low 6" Vboxer in its current detuned trim), hibernation is imminent.

Can’t thank EPL and Synapse (local shop in Albany,NY area) enough for their patience, work-ethic, skills and knowledge. They have made this car one of the fastest stock internal cars I have ever owned, with much care and attention paid to making sure the air/fuels are where they need to be. I feel nothing but confident recommending their services/products to anyone seeking similar goals on this platform(996TT).

Anyway, here is the video I put together compiling all the different angles I had that night at Atco. I have many more pics and vids as described in this thread, but have to figure out how to get them all attached/uploaded.


Hope you all enjoy!

 

Weight loss pics and VBox pics morning of track event...

 

Picture of the slips attached...

And, crazy phone video reaction to the 10.78 (yes, I'm opening myself up here...let the shots roll)...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rbven...ature=youtu.be

 

And, just to be thorough, here are the 2 street tire/full trim runs a few weeks ago at Lebanon Valley (sorry the video is so crappy)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37pnV...ature=youtu.be

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNnAA...ature=youtu.be

 

wow congrats man and nice video there! I did 11.2@132mph with a28@ 1.4,1.5bars did you add ms109 on your pump setup ? how much boost?

 

Thanks man!

Added MS109 on completely empty tank at the track.

Boost was about 1.4 bar that night.

Car is 130+ mph on pump too (at about 1.25-1.3 bar), which was my original goal....but we all know that a goal is simply a "moving target"

 

Great writeup! and congrats on the milestone....what's next??

 

Thanks!

Prolly go for a 997.1 with goodies next.

Problem is, in the bang-for-the-buck market, what I am sitting on is tough to beat - which I'm sure you know all about judging from your sig

 

Are you a writer by trade?

jk

Thats some dedication and impressive time. I like going to Atco but you REALLY wanted that 10sec slip !

 

Solid numbers all around!

This thread is getting me excited for my new set up with my EPL BILLET 20's & meth! The car should be all put together by this Friday and then EPL can work his magic! Hope fully it all comes together like yours (my head gasket initially went as well)!

 

As the wife said before I pulled out of the driveway that afternoon, "if this means you don't have to go to MIR for an entire weekend later this month, then GO!"

As far as the writing goes, you may remember some of my posts from mbworld....no one will ever accuse me of not being thorough...or persistent

Bottom line here is I thought these results with this setup were significant enough to warrant a good/detailed write up. A lot of people don't want to go "internal" if they don't have to, and many of those same people want 10s/130s, as this is almost "necessary" with the cars/competition out there today. This just shows that it is not only possible (with the 996TT), but likely, to achieve CGT numbers, or better, for a small fraction of the cost. A no-brainer as far as I'm concerned.

 

And, thank you Tony! It was a long road, and hopefully one "less traveled", as I am REALLY happy with the road I am on now.

As I like to say, and have said before, "you turned Frankenstein into the car [man] of steel". Now, let's just hope I'm not Kryptonite. So far, so good!

And, just in case you couldn't see my face in the videos, it looked like ...but only after it felt like this off the line

 

Congrats,,
That is great, especially with a catted Tubi exhaust..

 

You should've seen what was on there before...

Makes me still want to hurl

 

This was FAR better, especially at the price I got ($1300)