Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

Hi all
I'm new to this forum. I have been active on many other german forums and rennlist where some of you already might have spotted my car but don't know any further details about it - yet…

I therefore want to start this thread in order to present my project “951 Turbo RS” at its current stage and the way forward. I already have worked on the car quite a lot but it still is far from completion...I hope that I will be able to bring it (very close) to completion in 2008.

Let us start with some old pics of the car - don't worry, the white GT stripes will be changed to something more decent and more euro-spec soon:




My 951 is an 1985 car, one of the very first cars that were delivered to Switzerland and imported via the RUF importer to Switzerland. I wanted to have a 1985 model due to the lower weight and less "BS-options" to remove. I bought a 951 because I always liked the unique and timeless shape of Transaxle Porsches of which I prefer the 951 (except for a 968 Turbo S, off course) and because I have been told that these cars are heavily underrated and seriously quick. I first wanted the 951 as an interim solution only and then soon "move on" to a 911 Turbo, ideally a 964 Turbo. Driving the car and working on it made me change my opinion on the 951 quickly though. Even if I also love 911s (especially the 930, the 964 turbo and the 993 turbo) and am absolutely addicted to their engine sound I prefer the handling and the ergonomics of the 951. The 951 is much more a drivers car due to a perfect seating and controls position, position, pedals, etc. In stock configuration it is quite fast in an unspectacular way being the complete opposite of a 964 turbo which is more spectacular than a chipped 951 but not faster at all…So instead of going down the standard route and buy a 964 turbo, I decided to use the 951 as a reliable and solid platform to build a very fast and more spectacular version of it…and there we go…
The status pictured above is from last summer. Let's have a look at the different areas of it…

Bodywork / exterior

The bodywork of the car implements the following modifications (front to back) so far:

- Custom made front splitter featuring DTM style corner wings
- Custom made Strosek based sideskirts including 993RS style front and end corners
- Custom made rear wing built from a damaged adjustable 968 turbo RS wing. I have amended the section where the side support blends into the lateral cover on the rear hatch and increased the height of the trailing edge.
- Lightened rear bumper no longer featuring the rubber element and the tow hook
- Custom rear lights

Detail picture of the front splitter:



I have just completed my Turbo RS bonnet featuring a Turbo RS wiper deflector and air outlets. Besides the functional advantage of reducing temperature in the engine bay considerably (outlets) and improving the cars aerodynamics (deflector) they look excellent and match the cars design perfectly. The quality and the fitment of these parts is very good, also check the 4th picture below where you can see the precise fitment and how the outlet beautifully implements that run along the bonnet…
I will post more pictures of the car with the white stripes put on once I have some time to finish it…






Future plans include:

- Dual headlight kit
- redesigned front panel (I already had one where I cut out an air outlet of the same shape as the IC inlet in the front bumper has…looked really nice but I was not 100% with the quality so it had to go)

After a long query and numerous discussions with friends from germany I decided to go for the KW Variante 3 suspension system. A german enthusiast has tested many different suspension systems on his 968CS on Hockenheim racetrack, measured and compared lap times and came to the conclusion that the KW Var 3 is both the fastest and the most comfortable suspension system available (Yes, this compromise exists!). Once I had fitted the suspension system to my car I was really impressed. It is impressively comfortable while providing an astonishing level of grip. I believe that this system really is a new generation compared to older systems like the Bilstein Cup and the best overall system the market currently offers for our cars. The valve setup really seems to make the difference…
To complement the new coilover system I also added a nice adjustable aluminium strut brace.
I also got some track proven settings from a german friend so I’m really satisfied with it (If somebody wants the settings send me a PM).
What concerns the wheels, I currently have fitted some heavy 17inch 993 turbo design wheels which I have painted white. This is an interim solution only. I do have some brand new 18inch hollow spoke wheels painted in the same colour, the fronts are extremely rare OEM 9inch versions.
I currently have not decided yet if I will fit them as this will require installing the late offset parts.
The brakes currently are revised standard ones with new disks and pads all around. I probably will upgrade to big reds or a similar option on the front. I will also fit 968 stabilizers.

Interior

The interior currently also is in an interim stage. Beside a first stage of general BS deletion (AC, tempomat, stereo), I have removed the rear and the front seats and replaced them with Recaro bucket seats, installed a Momo GT2 steering wheel and the latest Schroth 6 point harnesses. This is just the beginning though, there is much more to come (or to go respectively ;D)
I started manufacturing some carbon fibre interior like the window switches and the armrest




In the next few weeks, I will strip out the interior completely and remove all sound-deadening material and isolation using a special dry-ice process. I don’t have four days time to remove this annoying stuff all manually so I will go the dry ice way which I have been told should provide very clean results with ease. If anybody here has tried this before please post your experiences!
The interior then will be properly painted in guards red and I will fit a HEIGO safety cell painted in white which also features a bar that goes underneath the steering wheel…HEIGO safety cells are quite expensive but very hugh quality.



The Recaro seats will get back in again



And I will add some very nice lightweight carbon fibre door cards (an improved version of the 964RS style ones specifically engineered for the 944/951/968) that currently are developed by my business partner will be ready soon. And I will add some plastic windows.
I also plan to install a nice set of DEFI black gauges in order to have full monitoring on the engine status…which brings us to the last topic of this long first post:

Engine and powertrain:

I spent a lot of time thinking about my preferred engine and powertrain setup. I had a lot of discussions and changed my opinion several times. I also have to admit that this is a very difficult topic and that the opinions among enthusiasts also vary extremely. I first wanted to go the 2.8 liter way but have changed my opinion after speaking with two friends from Germany and Olli Snellmann. To cut a long story short, I will do the following and have most of the parts sitting and waiting for assembly.

-Brand new 968 engine block from the factory (I happen to have a good contact in Germany ;D )

-S2 crankshaft (I will not use the 968 crankshaft even if it is about 2kg’s lighter)

-Heavy duty con rods (custom made in Finland), standard length.

-2.7 liter cylinder head

-Either OEM 968 Turbo pistons or machined S2 pistons (I was quite sceptic regarding the use of machined S2 pistons but a german friend of mine has built about 10 3.0litre turbo engines both for street
and track use and after destroying a series of engines and the cooperation with an engineer from MAHLE germany he managed to get a set of pistons working flawlessly above 450 Euro bhp. He gets these pistons machined and Ferrostan coating by MAHLE (Porsche supplier) directly so I might go that way instead of paying much more for Turbo RS pistons…)
This engine build is very much euro spec (as the rest of my car) and does not include sleeves. I’m very interested in Olli’s build as he will be going a similar route…

- I will use a new wastegate and a hybrid turbocharger and lots of other goodies which I will list in detail when we start assembling the engine.. .
What concerns the engine management system I will also go a different route which will be very OEM / euro spec, too. I’m very convinced of the BOSCH motronic system and think that this system is an important part of why our engines are that reliable and solid. The knock control features are very important. The problem is though that many don’t understand the system and Without wanting to insult somebody on rennlist I am quite convinced that approximately nobody (me included) really understands the Motronic system, its programming and its limit in detail. I happen to know a german engineer who does and who is an expert when it comes to Porsche Motronic systems. He has developed a set of chips that provide 1.2 bar of boost with all safety features still fully working. It requires DME and KLR chips, a different cycling valve (Audi RS2 is an option) and a pressure sensor, both capable of dealing with the higher pressure levels, but otherwise is a bolt-in upgrade. With this set of chips and a MAF a standard 250bhp 951 puts down between 330 and 340 bhp (conservative euro numbers, off course).
I will use his kit as a basis and will get my car fine tuned by him…

Allright, that has been enough for today…I will update this thread frequently…and add some pictures of the engine components soon…

Cheers

Beni

and some pictures of the engine components I have received recently:

my adjustable CAM Gear - exlcusive to our company.
Weighs half of the OEM part, offers a 12° advance / retard adjustment range and is manufactured to the highest standards:





brand new 968 engine block from the factory:



RS clutch disk:



Heavy duty forged rods:



Cheers
Beni

P.S: Is it O.K to introduce some new products on this website occasionally?

Hi Beni, I've watched your posts on Rennlist with interest. I'm not sure the white stripes would be my cup of tea but the car does look very nice, and with the 3.0L 968 engine it should go just as well as it looks

I always thought the Swiss motoring laws were very strict and would not allow this sort of modification to a road car? Was I wrong or have you found some other way round this?

Hi Beni

Nice car, great project. A bit more detail would be nice

wow, you certainly seem to know what you are doing and have all the right contacts, project looks great, can't wait for future updates

Hi all

Paul, I will get rid of the twin stripes very soon and will replace them with a more euro-spec design finish. I really like the white wheels though and will keep them.
Basically you are very right about strict regulations here in Switzerland. I found a way around them for my project but I can not disclose any information on this in public.

Sean, I will post more details here when I start to assemble the engine. Currently I'm quite busy with my 9-5 job and establishing another business for Porsche performance and aerodynamic parts together with an UK business partner, I hope to have some free time in June to do the engine build though which certainly will be very interesting for you guys. We are currently also developping a silicon hose engine bay kit for the 951 as well as a new GTS headlight kit in very high quality.

Cheers

Beni

Facinating stuff. I like the stripes. But not the way they go all the way down the spoilers front & back. Great car & good to see someone prepared to spend serious money on the 951. All the best with the project & keep us up to date with it!

I was joking

This looks fantastic. Love some of the GRP bits, will these be available in the UK?

Oh Hi & Welcome as well

Hi Jim

Yes, most of our FRP parts will be available in the UK.
We have several moulds for producing the heat extraction vents and the wiper deflector, sideskirts also will be available in approx. 2 weeks.

If it is OK, I can post the link to our websites here, otherwise PM me and I'll send you the link privately.

Cheers

Beni

P.S: Some more pics...

Parts for the new engine:



The new covers for the new GTS headlight kit we are currently developping. This will be the first kit on the market in very high quality including transparent covers that exactly reflect the shape of the OEM metal headlight lid covers including all curves and bends...as you can see it is quite a complex shape which is curved / bent on all edges, also the rear end. We will also go one further and offer this kit with optional carbon fiber housings. This will be a nice upgrade for everybody who builds a trackday / racecar as is lowers weight on the front for 13kg's:







(even the rear end is slightly curved)

You have PM......................

I have 968 castor mounts, KW V3 and Weltmeister ARB`s set up by Promax. Its very very good indeed as currently set up for the road and track but I`d like to play with settings on track a little so if there are proven settings then I`m interested.

Hi all

Thanks for the positive feedback...

Allright, so here are the settings that I have been recommended by three german friends who regularily trackday their cars or even race them:

Torsion bar 1 cog "twisted", RTM means Remaining thread measurement


951 / S2:

Front Axle: RTM 70mm, Bump 0.75 = 5/6 click open, Rebound 1.0 = 1 turn open

Rear Axle: RTM 40mm, Bump 0.75 = 4/5 click open, Rebound 1.5 = 1.5 turns open

968

Front Axle: RTM 80mm, Bump 0.75 = 5/6 click open, Rebound 1.0 = 1 turn open

Rear Axle: RTM 45mm, Bump 0.75 = 4/5 click open, Rebound 1.5 = 1.5 turns open

Cheers

Beni

Hi Beni,

Great car!! I've also checked out your posts on Rennlist - like the site (just a shame about the Euro exchange rate!!). I am really interested in the bolt on package above - do you have any details/links??

I'm already looking forward to more of your news...

Paul

Hi Paul

Thanks. The kit is not completely ready for serial production yet. It requires some detailed dyno testing and optimization first. The engineer who developed it really is an expert knowing every little detail of the 951 engine and especially its Motronic. He owns the two very rare Transaxle cars below:





I will use a custom set of his chips for my 3.0 engine.

We will offer the kit via our company as an upgrade including a brand new bolt-in wastegate, cycling valve, MAF and a new turbocharger. The setup will not provide exceptional peak hp numbers but considerably improved response, earlier boost build-up and nice torque numbers. It will also be reasonably priced as we would like to see many nice 951's chasing GT3's on the track also in the future...

Cheers

Beni