Spend my money

[IamFODI]

But is a stock base 997.1 that much better than a well sorted e46 m3?

Depends what "better" means to you. Also, I'm assuming back seats aren't a concern for you or we wouldn't be having this discussion. 🙂

For me personally, assuming the IMS issue is addressed adequately, the answer is most likely yes. The weight difference alone would clinch it. Getting an E46 M3 below 3100 lbs takes real work. Also, it's a big advantage if a car is closer to what you want from the factory. Everything just works better, and there's a depth of engineering that even the best aftermarket parts have trouble matching.

Try it if you can. Only way to know.

[S14]

What about a used cayman S in the high 30/low 40k range? If I didn't need a back seat for hauling the kids around, a newish cayman would be high on my list of desirables.

[Rich022]

j0nwall hit all the marks to improve on 'back road' driving experience. If it hasn't been mentioned--set of 200 treadware tires.- Our clutches area a low wear item and last quite a while on these cars. Change diff and tranny oil too/something that's usually neglected.

[IamFODI]

What about a used cayman S in the high 30/low 40k range? If I didn't need a back seat for hauling the kids around, a newish cayman would be high on my list of desirables.

This would be my choice as well. 👍

[r4dr]

What about a used cayman S in the high 30/low 40k range? If I didn't need a back seat for hauling the kids around, a newish cayman would be high on my list of desirables.

Yes. Cayman is so underrated. Especially the 987 S. They don’t get the respect they deserve. But the upside is that prices match that

[S14]

Yes. Cayman is so underrated. Especially the 987 S. They don’t get the respect they deserve. But the upside is that prices match that

Agreed, I'm patiently waiting for the 4 cyl turbo cayman GTS to come down in price. It's the most unloved of the unloved, so I'll love it!

[dafuq]

Hey guys, I was away for almost two months but I resurrecting this now that I've had some work done.

1. Rear and front subframe reinforced
2. RTABs done
3. CV & Ball joints done
4. Had a small hairline crack near the exhaust manifold fixed

The ride feels a little bit tighter and rides nice so I'm happy with the progress.

Shifter still feels way too long and loose for my liking. Any recommendations for a short shifter?

[heinzboehmer]

Shifter still feels way too long and loose for my liking. Any recommendations for a short shifter?

AutoSolutions. Go for the autocross kit if you're willing to spend the extra money. It feels much better than stock, but don't expect porsche-level feel.

You could also get something like an RTD or CAE shifter, but the aesthetics of those are personal preference.

[dafuq]

AutoSolutions SSK ordered - AutoCross with 25% reduction. Hoping to get it in this month's batch. If not, then next month's.

[kreyes52699]

Ok, now that I've got your attention...

A year ago, I picked up an 85K mile 2003.5 slick-top stripper with the main goal of learning how to drive a manual. The plan was to move on to a newer, and at the time what I considered “better”, 911 once I was comfortable driving it.

Well, fast forward a year. Driving a manual is not an issue anymore. More importantly, I’ve come to realize that this is a really fun car that can deliver a lot of smiles on the back roads. Instead of moving on to a 911 I’m going to hold on to this and wring as much fun and performance out of it as I can.

To be upfront, I’m not a car guy, I’m a drive guy. I love the feel of high speed cornering and I couldn’t give a shit if its in a BMW, a Porsche or the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile. I say that for context because I’ve been through a lot of the threads here and on the old M3 forum and it seems like there are a lot of places I could start but I’m not sure which order to go in or what the best choices are.

That’s where I need to enlist everyone here that wants to help. This isn’t a blank check exercise but say you had $5k to 10Kish to bring the performance level up, how would you spend that money? Because that’s what I plan on doing.

A few things to note:

1. Driving will primarily be fun back-roads with maybe some autocross and HPDE thrown in. But I’m not really focused on either of those so I want it set up for tight back roads. I understand that this will never be a HP monster and I’m good with that. That’s part of the appeal – overkill is just wastage.
2. Its currently unmodded other than an AC Schnitzer exhaust that was done years ago. It sounds a bit tinny to me so I’m not opposed to updating it.
3. The PPI came back super clean other than a hairline crack on the exhaust manifold. We decided to monitor it before doing anything. But this could push a new exhaust system up the list if its got good bang for the buck.
4. None of the recommend maintenance has been done to date but I am having the front and rear subframe reinforced and RTABs replaced in a few weeks once the parts are back in stock. Feel free to exclude this cost from the $10K amount.
5. I’ll monitor the oil and do the rod bearings if things look funky or as I get closer to 100K miles.
6. The shifter feels pretty long and not a crisp as I’d like.
7. At 5-6K RPMs corers feel a little floaty to me. Would like to feel a bit more planted in turns so that I can carry more momentum out.
8. I don’t wrench. As in not even doing my oil - don’t have the knowledge or space but am not opposed to starting with easy stuff and learning. So, factor in $115 per hour in labor.
9. I want to be able to feel the impact of each change so I can understand how they each impact the car’s performance. That means I’m not doing everything at once.
10. I’m not doing forced induction – I have that covered in a different car.

So, where do I begin?

1. Vredstein Tires
2. H&R Coilovers
3. DINAN throttle bodies
4. CSL airbox

That’s it!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[S14]

1. Vredstein Tires
2. H&R Coilovers
3. DINAN throttle bodies
4. CSL airbox

That’s it!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

What's your reasoning for pick #3?

[kreyes52699]

What's your reasoning for pick #3?

I heard that, with the CSL inbox, it will add more throttle response as compared to stock ones. Are there better companies than DINAN?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk