I don't usually look, but saw a number of Boxster S 3.2L motors on Craigslist. Here's a 2006 motor with 12K miles for only $5500. Wow. At these prices, I'm surprised that Lucille doesn't have one already.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/pts/457347069.html

Demick

I see '00 and '01 Boxster S's are dipping to the low $20's too....

Dont encourage him.. LOL

Skip all the BS and go for a new Porsche 3.8 X51 crate engine. 385hp with warranty to your door for 15k. NEW engine, not rebuilt. Bolts in with two 1.5 inch spacers on the front mount (so the taller intake clears the engine cover)






B

A local guy is running a similar set up at PCA AX...I think it's a 3.6L tho. It's "under development".

Now a Boxster S would be perfect for a 3.8 as it has upgrades that a normal Boxster doesn't.

Leeds Gullick?

Multiple conversations with Fordahl while he was doing the conversion




B

Does Porsche warranty the motor even if its installed in a Boxster? That would be close to the ulitmate Hot Rod Boxster for not too much money. Pick up a $15K car sell the old motor for couple thousand buy the $15K 3.8 motor. Do some suspension mods and you'd have a freaking monster with a factory warranty on the motor.

Grant,

because we had a factory trained tech on staff, and he came from the dealer we bought it from.. yes.. they warrantied the engine the minute we started the car. We actually had the engine before we had the car!

If you work with the dealers (like most shops do) and they trust you (been doing bizz with them for years).. it doesn't seem to be an issue for warranty work.

The install is very straight forward. This is the Cayman Conversion I was involved in.


B

Stock Cayman Engine+Tranny

Click to view attachment

X51 engine after pulling it from Porsche crate

Click to view attachment

Give me a few minutes and I will upload the "progress" photo's we shot for the customer

Not enough room on this server. I'm uploading to the now 5 month old "new" club server.


Our X51 CaymanS was running driving at the same time Farnbacher was finishing their car. They just hit the ground running with press LONG before the car was drivable



B

This is sick stuff. So we are really seeing the emergence of truly cool and affordable engine swap for Boxsters. I was never too excited by 3.4 swap. Given Boxsters capability I always saw it as being a car that would be a blast with 400+ HP. 385 hp is close enough!

A brand new warranted 385hp (stock) engine Grant. You can hardly build that much HP for $15K and whatever you build wouldn't last 1/10th of the time of the factory stock engine. UNBELIEVABLE....



ummmmm. Wonder what one would be like in a light weight 914?

Grant,

we tuned it to over 405 with headers on pump gas The torque is what PINS you to the seat (like an early small block Corvette with a Muncie).

Testing the URL right now.



B

If I'm honest about all money I have put into my six in the past 2 years including dyno tune it has totaled $15K. ..and it has limited life. Makes me want to dump 914, buy a Boxster and start 3.8 conversion. That could be a rocking fast track car with some big fat tires. Bet it could be a fast AX car too. Biggest issue with Boxsters in AX is lack of torque. With 3.8 no torque problems. ..and I could keep it street legal. I think? How do you pass smog?

3.8 for Boxster is like the aircooled 3.6 for a 914, but even better.

Know anyone that wants to trade a used Boxster or a 3.8 for a 914-6 race car?

It is smog legal. Nothing changed. We didn't even have to change the brain in the car (start with a fly by wire car)

Here is the url:

http://72.22.91.196/brad/caymanx51/index.htm

Fire away with questions. I was there and involved for every single detail (I was running the shop)


B

The first one we did was 50 hours of labor. Second one will take 40 hours. We charged 5k for the install.



B

The Boxster and Cayman are only different: on how the water tank is placed. The Boxster has it in the rear trunk, the Cayman mounts it in the engine compartment. No big deal. Several of the pics have notes on how we did stuff.

I'm also uploading all of our Boxster Spec build pics.


B

Here is a video I shot (me in the background) I believe we had just fired it off. I cant view the video for some reason, but I could hear the lifters pumping up (which means the engine is brand new)


http://72.22.91.196/brad/caymanx51/113_1349.AVI



B

Before you get crazy.. tidbit of info for your searches:

There are 4 versions of X51 engine packages

1. X51 996 Turbo engine (wont work)
2. X51 996 normally aspirated engine (will work in Boxster/Cayman)
3. X51 997 Turbo engine (wont work)
4. X51 997 normally aspirated engine (will work in B/C)



B

X51 996 engine picture. Now you know the physical outward appearance difference between the two. The 996 X51 is nothing to sneeze at. It lays down 350+ hp out of 3.6L


B

ok, I'll shoot...
what about electronics?
I heard the computers can be a real PITA once you start mixing/matching these engines and you need special reset codes/passwords from Stuttgart

We were *told* the same thing. It plugged in and fired right off with NO Check engine lights.

Now, if there is a problem, we know how to use the Porsche System Tester II and tell the brain that it has a 997X51 engine it is running now.

This is where having a dealer connection helps also (if you do need to change the code) BUT.. the aftermarket has caught up since all of this first started happening. Now Revo can flash anything you want + tune the stock brain.

This conversion is over a year old now (almost 2)



B

did you just remap the cayman (or boxster) computer?

We didn't remap anything. We called BS on Farnbacher That is how we knew they didn't have their car running. We plugged ours in and it fired right off. They didn't try to fire it on the stock computer (from what I understand)

All the Porsche brains come loaded with the different fuel and ignition maps (within reason) If you look at the brain parts numbers, the only difference is for Tip and a few other odd ball options. This means they all run the same brain and ALL the maps are loaded in them. It sees the sensors and takes a reading.. and switches maps (best we can tell)



B

FYI: A LOT of computer related manufacturers do this. Cisco is number 1. They sell you a product with a license key that only unlocks what you paid for. Want more? Pay for another key. It is already loaded in the appliance you bought from them, you just don't have access to it until you pay.


B

cool!
makes it sound sooooo easy :D

It is a lot of work (physical) but I didn't find it hard to figure out what needed to be swapped from one engine to another. We even went as far as too drill and tap blank spots in the block casting that the Boxster/Cayman engines are drilled for. Simple things like holding down wiring harness' with small M5 bolts into blind tapped holes. The entire upper injection system has to be flipped. It is also easier to use the Boxster/Cayman fuel rails with the X51 injectors. The rails are all the same size.. but the fittings are in different spots (mid engine versus rear engine'd)

I would say that the average garage guy could figure it out, but unless he has been exposed to the later cars.. it might take him quite a bit of time to get it all done.



B

It's a tough call as to weather Lucille will get a X51 or even a 3.4. Since she's a cable actuated throttle body, the 3.4 is the somewhat easier approach. Also, the car would need bigger brakes and the like. I think you'll probably see her stay in present trim until I sell her.

$15K is a smoking deal for the motor. But it's still another $5K in exhaust and other bits to get it into the car, so it is a $20K conversion. Still not bad for the X51.

I have a contact in LA that used to run a major aftermarket company for body parts. He has offered me a 40K mile 996 3.4 for Lucille for under $4.5K. That would make having 300HP in Lucille doable for under $10K. And I can use my stock brain by only adding one more wire from the brain to the engine. This swap in a pre fly by wire car makes alot of financial sense.

For a bigger motor swap such as an X51 I'd probably sell Lucille and start with a Boxster S. Bigger brakes, bigger gearbox, availability of custom gears and LSD.

Truthfully, if I do one more car build in the future, I really have a hankering to cut up a Cayman S. But the entry cost to cut one up may be too much. But 3.4 996's are cheap. They may be the best bang for the buck for a track car besides a Spec Boxster.

Bill P.

5k for exhaust?? Ouch.. we actually bolted on all the stock Cayman exhaust for the first couple of thousand miles. You could feel the engine choking in the 4500+ range. Ended up making custom headers for it and making a muffler. Now they are available from the aftermarket! (not sure of the cost however) I believe we cut all the pieces and bought the collectors.. and had someone else weld them up for under 1k

Tidbit of info:

Ira Ramin (real engineering degree) worked professionally in the micro electronics industry. My point: he can make fly by wire throttle bodies.. which means he can make CABLE throttle bodies for any engine. S-Car-Go has larger 996 throttle bodies. So.. ANY fly by wire engine can be put into a cable car. My thought was too convert cable cars to E-Gas, but the wiring harness is a pain in the ass (so I'm told).. not sure I believe it..



B

2001 Boxster S in San Diego right now for 17.9 under 70k miles.. Nice car. Silver 6 speed 18inch wheels




B