OK, excited! I just picked up a used model year 2000 Boxster (non-S) ... needs some basic maintenance, but I got it for a song, so I'm ready to get started. I intend to use this for track days and driver's education events.

First thing I noticed was the shifting is mushy and has a long throw, so I'm planning on buying a B&M short shift kit to fix that.

Second is that the front brakes are worn down and need replacing. Any recommendations on decent brake pads? Is it possible to switch out the calipers for something bigger and should I?

Any other recommendations? I need all the help I can get on this! I'm not planning on going overboard with the upgrades as the whole point of this is doing it low cost ... but reasonable fixes are in the budget.

 

Congratulations rkuo on the purchase of the Boxster. For extra power and sound, replace the stock exhaust system with a Fabspeed Maxflo muffler. Our cat-back, T304 stainless steel muffler will pick up 8HP/7ft-lbs of torque instantly; combine with our sport headers for 15HP. For even more power, reprogram the ECU and add a drop-in BMC filter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEav_DtvgXk

 

Congrats on your Boxster!

I'd double-check on the short shift kit. B&M makes an excellent product but I know that the transmissions in the '97-'99 Boxsters don't do well with the short shift.

I highly recommend Pagid Orange brake pads, front and rear, for track events. You might consider slotted rotors to help with heat dispersion.

Tarrett, or H&R sway bars, GT3 control arms, PSS9 or PSS10 shocks...

It's a slippery slope.

 

A very slippery slope. I am beginning to empathize with crack addicts.

 

Congrats. Before you buy the B&M check out this thread........


https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...7-ssk-wow.html

 

Probably the cheapest shifter upgrade for the money is to buy a 987/997 shifter on eBay. It'll reduce the stock throws by 10% and is not that finicky on setup.

A big recommendation is to put an underdrive pulley on the front of the engine, as running the car at sustained high revs tends to put a lot of stress on the power steering (sometimes melting the plastic return tank), the alternator (wearing out the voltage regulator/brushes), and water pump (accelerated seal wear).

You should probably budget some money to go through and fix the nagging little issues that will come up with a used Boxster (ignition switch, vacuum lines, AOS, etc.).

Max out the front camber (full negative). (Don't worry, without camber plates, GT3 front control arms, or lowering springs, you'll never gain enough camber to get weird tire wear on the street).

Budget lots of money for R-compound track tires! (Then you will realize that you need to do one of the above things to get more front camber).

 

first, do safety stuff. a nice brake upgrade is the pfc floating hats / 2 piece rotors for the front, pfc 97 pad, stainless lines, gt3 brake ducts, srf fluid...and your brakes should be bulletproof.

seat / harness / FE / HANS.

for suspension, don't dump the dough on coilovers...yet...get the gt3 f / tarret rear sways with tarret drop links...stiffer / lower springs, probably toe links rear to dial out the toe you'll get from lowering the car, and camber plates in the front to get into the -1.8-2.0 camber range (as much as you'll be able to use with street tires).

stock s struts with stuff springs do really well. or m030 struts.

I like dunlop star specs for tires...super grippy at a great price. try to go with as little stagger as possible to help dial out some of the understeer built into the car.

then do a few days and see where you come out.

 

per the above, a shifter kit is good too...when you do that, change the linkage to the metal evo one that replaces the stock plastic one that is prone to breaking

 

Lightning knows his stuff and he has the lap times to back it up. +1

Another weak spot is the front motor mount. If yours is original it may account for a lot of your shifter slop. Pagid brake pads- expensive but worth it. Comp tires are the best bang for the buck in terms of lap times but you will quickly relate them to the crack pipe. Reduce weight- The less your car weighs the faster it will go. Safety gear- more important than performance gear by a long shot. Forget all the other go-fast goodies for now and just get some laps in. When you need something else, you will know.

 

Save your money on the exhaust and headers. Spend your money on suspension (PSS9's), GT3 and H&R sway bars, R Comp tires and get in as many track days as possible. I also like pagid brake pads. I would also highly suggest installing an X51 oil pan if you are going to run R Comp tires

All of the suggestions above are good ones, just be ready to get addicted and have fun

 

I picked up Pagid Yellow's for the front (they now have them in the non-S size) and Pagid Black's for the rear. This seems to be the configuration favored by the spec boxster guys so should be good. I'm going to try to swap out the brake pads myself and possibly the rotors myself, so that should be a good learning experience!

My focus is to keep the car reasonably streetable so I'm looking for in-between changes for now. Need to get some repairs done to the car by an actual mechanic and see where things go from there. Higher temp brake fluid seems like a good idea, and adding in safety equipment as well ... I just bought a helmet and gloves last week ... a seat and harness sound like good ideas.

 

I am contemplating a similar move for a dual use Boxster.

Do you guys think that using a harness is a good thing without adding a full cage?

TIA!

 

Answer: Yes, with two caveats:

1) Stock seats don't have a slot for the sub-strap, so most install a racing seat that has such a slot. The stock seats and belts also don't provide much lateral support (although a G-lock is better than nothing). It is possible to get an upolstery shop (or a friend with a carpet knife) to put a slot into your stock seat, but I've never seen anybody do that. (FYI Porsche sells a steel sub-strap mounting bar that will bolt to the factory sliders in the correct position). There have been setups where the sub-strap connects to webbing on the front seat mounting bolts, but this arrangement violates the safety design of the harness, as the sub-strap is supposed to be anchored below and slightly behind your crotch.

2) If your forays onto the track will include higher speeds and/or hard immovable objects (like walls), and/or you regularly explore the edges of adhesion, you should consider purchasing a HANS device. Without it, in a high-G frontal collision the harness will stop your torso but not your head and helmet (without a HANS device). Can't say if you will rotate far forward enough for the airbag to save your neck (unless you've already removed the airbag, then we know it won't).

 

PSS9's and H&R sway bars completely transforms the car. Will really make it handle well on the track and is still very comfortable for the street. You will not be dissapointed with money spent. Worth every penny! OEM suspension is too soft for the track. Way too much bodyroll.

Later on upgrade to Gt3 lower adj arms and adjustable rear toe arms.

You can upgrade to "S" calipers, pads, and rotors. (you are already buying pads and rotors)

I have Fabspeed exhaust and intake. Sounds awesome! Highly recommend! (but do suspension 1st)

Don't use B&M ssk. Use Porsche ssk. Much nicer.