Eight months ago, I embarked on a major evolution of my 996TT. Speed Gallery has served as the general contractor for this project (and they have done an outstanding job) – they have also supplied many of the key comments. Thank you Speed Gallery!

The center piece of my project was a new set of Stage VII Zero Clearance turbos manufactured by Ultimate Motorworks (Kevin). At the time, I was using Kevin’s Stage V ZC turbos, and they were working well. Kevin represented that the Stage VIIs would produce considerably more power than the Stage Vs. Based on Kevin’s representations, I choose his Stage VII turbos over EVO’s GT800 turbos.

Todd/EVO generously agreed to sell me certain of the components comprising EVO’s GT800 package (e.g., the fuel system), even though Todd knew that I was using his parts in conjunction with a competitor’s turbos. Thank you Todd/EVO! Likewise, Stephen/IA agreed to rebuild my engine and supply certain parts even though I was using a competitor’s turbos. Thank you Stephen! Many tuners would have refused to facilitate the creation of a car built around a competing turbo. Todd and Stephen put aside such pettiness and contributed to my project.

Dan/Speed Gallery invested a tremendous amount of time and money in this project. In particular, they built a shop car which uses most of the same components as my car, including Kevin’s Stage VII turbos. Given that a new program was going to be required for my new turbos/set-up, and my Tip is not suitable to dyno tuning, it was essential to my project that a similar 6 Speed version be created so that GIAC could use the 6 Speed version to create a program. Dan/Speed Gallery created the necessary test car, which proved to be a Herculean task -- Dan and Speed Gallery spent untold hours, and thousands of dollars, building their test car and resolving the various issues that arise from a first of its kind configuration. Thank you Dan/Speed Gallery – I am eternally grateful!!!

Last week, Dan sent his car to GIAC to have a program made specifically for Kevin’s Stage VII turbos. After a multiple days of extensive efforts, GIAC was unable to produce anywhere near the HP Kevin had represented. Needless to say, I was profoundly disappointed with the results. (Note: Kevin’s Stage V turbos have been dyno proven to produce awesome power, and do not suffer from the problem that appears to have limited the Stage VII turbos – moreover the Stage VIIs, although not producing the huge power I am seeking, still produce considerably more than stock and are a fine option for someone seeking Stage II/III type power – they also spool very quickly).

With my proverbial tail between my legs, Speed Gallery and I called up Todd and asked him to supply a set of GT800 turbos to replace my Stage VII turbos. Notwithstanding my initial choice of a competitor’s turbos, Todd graciously agreed to supply me with his GT800 turbos, programming and related parts so that I can finally complete my project. Thank you Todd!!!

Alex/Sharky also deserves some props. He has graciously allowed me to use his custom GT800/900 program. Thank you Alex!!! I am probably also going to have EVO modify my torque converter as they did for Alex.

If all goes as planned, all of the above should be done next week, just in time for the Ventura Porsche show.

This has been a VERY long and windy road, but it finally appears close to an end.

Craig

 

Craig,

YOU KNOW I feel your pain. When you get to this 700hp plus level everything gets real complicated. I think Tony with PES, Todd with EVO and Stephen with Imagine Auto are three of the absolute best tuners out there. They really know their stuff, are very responsive and truly love these cars. Oh forgot to mention Garrett at GIAC also is AWESOME and AMAZING!

I hope your car gets done soon as it sounds like it will be INCREDIBLE!

I have really enjoyed driving my car over the last few weeks and have now put 1500 miles on this baby and dang it is fun!

Can't wait to get my cat bypass pipes and straight pipes which will make this car sound like a monster again and unleash some extra ponies!

Good luck!

 

Todd/EVO are great to deal with. They continuously go above and beyond. Hats off to EVO.

 

Sometimes better to go with the smart people that have already done the homework(EVO) that have a proven product than to listen to those that promise the world and can't deliver the goods. Too bad you wasted so much time on this product as opposed to just going to Todd and being done months ago with the same hp levels you wanted(800hp). Now that there are 700, 750, 800 and higher levels available why try and re-invent the wheel? Too much time and $$$$.......
Evo is the way to go from what I see and here, they back up their product unlike others.............

 

What are the differences between EVO's GT800 turbos and Kevin's stage VII turbos?

 

Craig will probably be better able to explain. But from what I understand the GT800 uses a Garret GT35 turbo and Kevin uses stock K16 housing with K24 turbo internals?? Is that correct?

 

Craig, other then the TC what are you upgrading in the tranny? Clutch packs or anything?

 

I have not dealt with PES, so I canot comment on them, but I certainly agree that Tood/EVO, Stephen/IA and Garrett/GIAC are awesome. I would add Dan/Speed Gallery to this list. Dan has been tuning Porsches for a many, many years and he knows these cars like few others do. Moreover, SG has introduced some great new products that I am using on my car, including a modified intake plenum, intercooler end tanks and y-pipe, which should distinguish my final product from others (I am informed that one or more other tuners have since added similar products to their high HP line-up).

Craig

 

I'd really like to see the answer to this one - I like knowing the transmission is holding up to this kind of HP, but with all you've put in, what have you done to accelerate the shift time and the brutal upshift from 1st to 2nd.

 

also, what have you done as far as extra cooling to the tranny goes? That's the biggest factor w/ that much power IMO

 

With all due respect, I DID go with VERY smart people. I think most here would agree that Dan/SG and Kevin know their sh*t. In fact, I doubt anyone here, and few people across the country, know Porsche turbos like Kevin. Additionally, Kevin's prior turbos had performed as forecast, so we had every reason to believe that his Stage VIIs would as well.

Yes, going with an existing package is the easier, softer route. However, if everyone does this, our options remain slim, new, better products are never developed, and the homogenous results would be grossly lacking in diversity. Sharky, Buddy, CJV and many others have chosen a different route. In so doing, they have created many new options and products that all other Porsche owners can now use. Likewise, my project has spawned new products developed by Speed Gallery (intake plenum, intercooler end tanks and Y-pipe) which were not previously available, and which are now being utilized by many. Had Sharky, Buddy, CJV and I simply gone with an existing package, and done nothing more, many new products and options would not be available Therefore, I disagree with the premise that everyone should simply follow the easier, softer path and buy existing packages. That is certainly the best path for most people. However, an occasional risk taker is necessary and good for the development and evolution of our cars.

The bottom line is this . . . sometimes new products work as forecast and sometimes they do not. However, it is critically important that new products are developed and tested, so that the ones that work well can be made available for others. Stated another way, competition breeds invention. I was not trying to reinvent the wheel. Rather, I was merely trying to improve upon the existing wheel, and in some cases, I succeeded, while in others I did not. However, if no one ever tried to improve upon the existing wheel, or to build a better mouse trap, the evolution of are cars would come to a grinding halt.

Craig

 

Incorrect as to both turbos. However, its not for me to reveal what these folks are using as internals. Thats up to them to disclose.

Craig

 

I have an x50 transmission, which came strengthened from Porsche. Sharky’s non x50 Tip has proven capable of handling the additional power, so I remain hopeful that my stronger unit will as well. If not, I am aware of several tuners that offer reinforced Tips (including TTP and 9ff, among others), so I will use one of their products if my Tip is unable to handle the power.

Craig

 

I agree well put!

 

Heya Craig,

First off I'm sorry things didn't work out as planned in the end. It's a long, windy road this big power stuff but I've had a lot of bumps, set backs and such along the way. It's all part and parcel I guess To date nobody I know makes turbos spool up as fast as Kevin. He's got that down to a science. Right now I've been driving the car solid for two weeks and loving every minute of it- although I want to figure out something better for maintaining higher boost. I mean spark plugs foul (the FR6s) with leaded C16 pretty quick. Perhaps someone out to experiment with an MSD system and so on... Non-leaded and the car runs great but now with my cannons on again I'm getting some crazy boost levels (grin!) so it's hard to resist not throwing in some C16 for safety's sake. Spark plugs are cheap and even though they're a pain in the *** to change, they're better than running worse grade gas on high boost... Yes these Turbos are laggier than the 700s but as I was saying on the phone, your motor is already built so you might as well go this route with the bigger turbos. I mean it's absolutely insane once it gets going. It reminds me of a Supra running high boost in terms of the Gs and the way it pulls up top. It's smooth, not violent but the "smooth" part is scary. It just keeps pulling and pulling and pulling until you're in -straight-to-Jail-territory.

I commend you on the information you have ALWAYS shared and enjoyed reading all of the updates. It really seems to me that we'll actually have the same car (almost!) by Ventura and even the color lol so we can now officially be called Twins! And the more I launch and play with the car, the more I have to say, I truly think this TQ converter makes a difference. I'm going to test it properly this weekend and see if I can't pull a better 60 foot than 1.67 like last time without it....

The programming that Garret does is truly outrageous. I think he calls this the "crazy" file or something but if you can try doing the 3X option, so you have the standard 91/93 mode, and then the 103plus mode... That last one is so much different to the first. It's night and day! Garrett truly is talented at this stuff. I cannot believe the amount of permuations in terms of hardware and software for the car that he's been able to configure and yet to date not one car has been damaged from his programming. He's a humble guy but still a genius and I believe he will soon be tuning CJV's car as well! It seems like we've all ended up going to him because in the US there's nobody else like him for the 996TT.