Yes dear, I do need this 911
 

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VF-Engineering is just down the street from me. I know this because I can hear them, usually at 2am when they decide it's a perfect time to rip a few 0-60 mph runs in an uncorked Lamborghini. Doesn't bother me but it irritates the wife so by default, it bothers me. "Yes dear, I'll go talk to those dreadful car people and force them to behave." (not really...I just wanted to see what was in their shop).
I follow a predictable online routine. I start off with CNN to make sure the world’s not exploding and then double-check BBC to make sure. I check email, answer a few and then go to TheOnion, Wired and MotherBoard. Late at night, I go to my “special sites” and start oogling. Normal males use Pornhub…I prefer CarGurus, CarsForSale, PelicanParts and AutoTrader (the printed version). This works for me. It scratches the itches I get at least 40 times each day.

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I wasn’t looking for another car to own, I simply needed an excuse to pacify the wife. I've known Nik from VFE a long time and he's a solid guy. When I mentioned his 2 am hijinxs (which totally does not bother me by the way) he shoved the keys to a black C4S into my hand and suggested I keep it for a week or so, maybe take the Mrs to dinner, maybe pen a few lines about the 911 for his website. Gracious? You bet. My only concern was where this 911 would sleep at night.

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This black 997 C4S is fairly non-descript (as far as black C4S’s go). It’s got some 50k on its clock and has a well-used-but-maintained patina that looks…beautiful. Each rock chip is a badge of honor. Porsche builds its cars for this kind of usage and I’m sure they love seeing them leading active lives. And, it’s a manual 6-speed as well. What a bonus! I haven’t felt so needed in years. During my tenure as editor of a car magazine, we had 997 C4S in the long-term fleet. I remember it was an easy-to-learn car with an intuitive layout, good driver positioning and excellent seats. And it was a hoot to drive.
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VFE’s Porsche was exactly like that. It sounds like a normal 997-no crazy exhaust braaaap (maybe a little harmonic), no rubbing tires, nothing scraping the aerodynamics. It’s simply a lovely car and I find myself running the “could-I-afford-one-of-these” calculations in my head. This consumes a chunk of my brain’s higher functions and my driving devolves into that of a typical Toyota Camry owner. I’m rolling through town in 4th gear, just slogging the balls out of the engine. It’s got plenty of torque so it doesn’t care. But if a 911 could look sullen, this one surely would. I see the reflection of a black Porsche dancing across a glass building and noticed the driver staring at me, scowling even.
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I wondered who is behind the wheel, probably some *******. It took a few seconds before remembering I was the ******* driving a black 911. That’s one of the reasons Porsches are so great; they don’t constantly remind the driver he’s in an extremely capable sports coupe. You want to drive it like a Camry? That’s fine. It should be a punishable offense but it’s not.
At the heart of VFE’s supercharged 911 lies a V3 Si-Trim Vortech supercharger unit that was chosen to match the engine’s revised volumetric capacity. It’s a beautifully crafted piece of work with silent, helical-cut gears a 20psi max rating and 1000 cfm maximum capacity. It’s probably over-engineered for this Porsche application which is geared to produce a conservative 6 psi.
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Sunday morning traffic is nil and I continue this acceleration experiment until I cross into Long Beach. I must have folded space or something because it doesn’t seem possible to travel that far in so little time. I’ve been deep into go-to-jail part of the speedometer, or so I thought. Six months inside a Nissan Frontier had re-jiggered my memory in terms of dashboard design. I’d been glancing at the Porsche’s tach and figured the 12 to 1 o’ clock position is about 120-145 mph. I was actually at go-to-jail-forever speed.

I planned to blame the car if the Joe-law became part of the picture. It’s so smooth the mind’s perception of velocity can’t quite keep up. I envisioned the door of my dark, dank cell slamming shut and the deputy laughing at such a lame excuse.
I drove more reasonably as I flipped directions through Long Beach. Actually, I was on the LBGP road course as one point and cursed at the dis-jointed pavement. It was so bad it was making the tires ping. How the hell could an Indy car do 200+mph over this ****ty tarmac?
The 911’s factory suspension is great at managing the bumps and I know the traction control was busy keeping things pointed the right way. There’s a long, sexy ramp in Long Beach that if negotiated correctly, encapsulates everything good about driving a Porsche. I do it perfectly. Just as I’m about to hit hyperspace, I notice a CHP ½-mile behind. VFE’s 911 transforms into Camry-mode once more and the 17-mile drive to Fullerton is in slo-motion (68 mph).
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The VF-Engineering designers set about designing the billet supercharger mounting bracket with CAD software creating solid models of parts to be CNC manufactured. The bracket was designed to utilize OEM bolt patterns and requires no alteration or relocation of any engine parts to be fitted. Made from 6061-T6 aircraft grade aluminum the bracket mounts to factory machined surface points on the aluminum engine block for a precision fit.

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The air-to-water intercooler (charge cooler) was integrated into the tight engine bay as means of reducing charged induction (boost) temperatures. Lower charge temperatures reduce knock and improve the quality of the combustion cycle which means the 911 is not so apt to get hot and cranky. Air charge (boost) from the supercharger is directed through the chargecooler core before entering the throttle body. The cooler core contains isolated channels circulating with water from a separate self-contained system cooled by its own radiator. VF-Engineering integrated a Porsche OEM front radiator and front bumper vents into the kit. Water is circulated by means of an added OEM Bosch water pump through OEM GoodYear water lines and the unit is always on. Intake air temperatures in the manifold were measured to be 140 deg F even with ‘spirited’ driving at 118 deg temperatures in the Arizona desert. This dramatic drop in charge temperature helps the 997 create consistent power.

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Engine management software was by was crafted by HEX TUNING who tested both the Carrera 2 and 4 models. Multiple factors such as charge air temperatures, ignition timing, fuel trims, maps and injector performance were taken into account and monitored for wideband air fuel ratios at load levels greater than would be experienced on the road.

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The results are an increase of 150 horsepower and 90 ft-lbs of always-there usable torque. The HEX TUNING code is programmed into your ECU with the HEX-Flash programming cable. Install the HEX program and drivers from the enclosed USB drive in the cable package. Plug the cable into the OBD2 connector beneath the dashboard and follow the prompts to copy and send the file (it’s under 3mb) to your nearest HEX dealer. They will email the performance file that will be uploaded via the HEX cable. This is what the future of automotive ECU tuning will look like.
I pulled into the driveway, shut the engine off and just sat there listening to the tink-tink-tink of the cooling exhaust. I was going to talk myself out of loving the VFE 911 by finding all its warts. The steering wheel had a few worn spots and the cigarette lighter was missing. It also had a small dent in the right quarter panel and two of the wheels had minor scrapes. That was the extent of its flaws.
Late that night I visited my “special sites” and began the search for my next car. There are several within the 35k to 40k range and a few wild cards below 30. No, I don’t need another car but this is a 911. Yes, I have a Boxster with a 3.6 transplant but it's not a 911. Plus, what if the sun explodes next month. I can’t afford to wait.
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Ok Nik, we are even-steven. Feel free to perform late-night Banzai whenever you like. I'll take a VFE loaner car as your act of contrition.
Side note: The 997.1 on these pages is (or has already been) CARB-certified and 50-state legal. Good job guys.

Great first post! Nice read... Thanks!

Really enjoy the article. Thanks

Good story. Sounds like you need to make a deal for yourself on this car!

You left out probably the best part of this story. When you went home and said " Honey, I set those guys down at the shop straight".
"O by the way, come and take a look outside the window".... XX@@&&.

Nice article ! By the way - how did the wife take having the 911 in the driveway ?

Two lines deep into your post I was thinking "wow, this guy can write!" and then I read that you actually are a writer and editor. Well, good work sir, good work. I enjoyed it. Great storytelling.

I chuckled at the CNN then checking BBC just be sure line, and the line "plus what if the sun explodes tomorrow... can't afford to wait" is the exact reason why I'm here. I've danced around the topic of when the right time would be to finally pull the trigger on a 911 and there's always an excuse not to do it. My wife (who also would be highly annoyed at a speed/tuning shop ripping through gears down the street) is the one that finally told me to just do it, and stop finding reasons not to. My search started immediately, and hopefully soon I'll have the keys in hand on my first Porsche.

Hope to see you around the boards talking about your car and not just fulfilling your duties to do a write up in exchange for a loaner car.

The real cost
 

The way it seems to work in my house is: husband's new acquisition will be fiscally matched by wife + 15% divided into husbands free time. If husband is especially pleased with his new acquisition then wife's spending factor rises another 5 to 8 percent.

Basically, this 997 is going to cost me a bathroom remodel. A smarter man would write a clever formula to describe it. Sadly, I was an English major (we tend to write around math).

"and hopefully soon I'll have the keys in hand on my first Porsche." good luck vbb -
buy responsibly and thoughtfully and -
You will not regret it.

Terrific write up. Now the fun part begins.

great post. thanks for taking the time. I learned a lot. I have this kit and its killer.

nicely done...

Thank you for your description. I have recently purchased my first 911. While my car is a black 996 (purposely chosen model), your writing describes perfectly how I feel every time I get to drive my car, which is nearly every day. I have counted a new rock chip or two and noticed small blemishes in the leather I didn't previously see, but it is my car, my chips, my blemishes, which I believe does add character.

Additionally my nine year old son feels on top of the world being able to ride next to his dad in our very own Porsche 911.

Excellent writing, good read!

I thought the same thing. I'm a numbers guy who has to do a lot of report writing and I can generally spot a decent writer now (not that I am one). And the OP is decent :rolleyes:.


I agree with the "sun could explode tomorrow" mentality. As a numbers guy, I have to be the conservative financial mind at work and at home. Luckily my wife kept saying things like, "why are we saving that much for retirement when we could be dead tomorrow?" So, I bought the 997 a few months ago and cant believe I didn't do it sooner!


Good luck!

For decades, I've been ultra-responsible fiscally. I've had 2 daily drivers since 1988. I couldn't imagine spending what is essentially the downpayment on a new house for a car but next weekend I will be heading out to pick up a new-to-me 911. Like the author (but less artistically), I've decided I do need this 911 and I need it before I turn 50. Now's the time, if I wait any longer, I just won't be able to enjoy it as much.

The sun's too young to explode tomorrow or next year but we could certainly be hit by an asteroid next year. If it does, I will have owned and driven my very own 911. For however brief a moment, I -- like my father before me -- will have my own Porsche. I will experience the pure joy of driving in a car that is more than just a system to transport mass from one point to another.