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I recently sold my 1200hp 997.1 911 and was looking for a new project. That was my first Porsche and I really fell in love with the car. I wanted something LS powered this time. I narrowed my list to 997 911 with an LS, a Superlite SLC kit car or a chassis up build of a 1st gen Camaro. I decided that trying to get the SLC or Camaro to the level I wanted for the finished product (interior and detail wise) would just eat up too much time. I could easily see that taking 3 years
Then I stumbled into a build thread of an LS3 in a Boxter, which turned into finding a thread of one in a Cayman. Thought this would be the perfect project. Great chassis, mid engine and I wouldn't have to hand build the entire interior or hand make body panels (I hope...).
The plan for the car is forged LS3, Gallardo (Graziano) transaxle, and Xona Rotor turbos. I plan to make around 1200rw on kill and 700rw in 'road course' mode. This will require a ton of cooling to keep 700rw handled for lap after lap.
At a high level this is the game plan:
Forged stock CU LS3
twin Xona Rotor 62626
Graziano Transaxle (R8 version)
Aftermarket ECU (TBD)
Aim MXS icon dash
Wide body
GT3 front conversion
GT3 rear wing
Large front brakes (TBD)
Aftermarket stereo
Tillet (probably) carbon seats
wrap all interior pieces in alcantara/leather etc.
As much tire as I can fit under it (Michelin Cup 2 on street, A7s probably for track use)
Last edited by JordonMusser; 06-11-2018 at 03:14 PM.
Ive been thinking about similar ideas for a long time, here is my brain dump of similar paths you may explore. Graziano ‘may’ need drop gears for the ls3. There is a guy in the slc forum that is making them. You can get the trans from fran for about 12-15k i think for a new one. As some of the guys mentioned in the FB group, the ls is putting the cv joint at max in these conversions. Would have to see if the graziano will impede or help that. You may wsnt to talk to mendeola too, his gearing will be better. Slc will look way cooler but as you said interior will never be oem level.
Michael- Although this project isn't cheap, its far from a check writing endeavor.
Stevie- I had no heard that, but I like shifting plus breaking a DCT/PDK type box can be $choochoo$. Graziano offers one as well.
I got the motor pulled out, but not with out some fun. This is the first mid engine “wide” engine I have removed with my lift and it turns out the lift pads are about 1” narrower than the engine package :doh: . Ill be posting a vide on some of that stuff. I had a slick time lapse I did of it (basically it took 2 hrs to raise the car off the motor instead of 10minutes) but the SD got corrupted ☹
So enough with the boring stuff. The Graziano transaxle showed up. Its huge. I think I can accommodate it and it many ways it fits better, but it 4” wider at the CV flanges meaning that the angle of the CVs is going to increase and the plunge depth require will increase. So I need to figure that out. Note in the video that the flange to front face is actually shorter helping with packaging. VIDEO LINK
Here are some pictures of the ‘box including what looks like shipping damage but it seems no damage done to the transaxle itself.
Pretty much go / no-go time this week. Ill get the motor mated to the transaxle and see how everything lines up. I can’t move the seat due to my height. So the best I can do is a thin carbon seat, but I need the seat back in the standard position.
More photos on my Instagram: Instagram.com/JordonMusser/
Michael- Although this project isn't cheap, its far from a check writing endeavor.
Never doubted you'd be doing the heavy lifting Jordan, physically AND financially. I'm a tall guy and had a Cayman S -- I just know how pricey stuff gets when 1) it ends up having anything to do with Porsche or Lamborghini; 2) when multiple boosters get involved; 3) when HP levels start to climb much above 600-700. Like it or not -- this is definitely a no substitute for cubic dollars project. And I like it.
Last edited by Michael Yount; 06-08-2018 at 04:44 PM.
Guess I should add - it's all relative. To the 'average' Grassroots/Turbobricks guy who is struggling to swap an $800 junkyard 6.0L into his worn out E36 or 245 or fox body, me buying a $5800 crate engine seems unattainable. So, 1200HP of LS/Graziano in a Cayman is unfathomable. However, at least we're not writing a $600,000 check to the Ring Brothers.
Now back to watching the vid....
Last edited by Michael Yount; 06-07-2018 at 08:49 AM.
When FedEx trucking dropped off the pallet with my crate motor, I rolled the cherry picker up to the pallet to pick the motor up so I could put it on the engine stand. The legs of the cherry picker weren't far enough apart to clear the pallet in either direction. Versa saw to the rescue --- easier than your fix.
So I am thinking about making a custom crank pulley, or modifying the stocker by cutting off 1" of the front (the stock acc drive) and running everything off the AC belt. Ill have to add grooves to get to a 6 rib pulley, and I will need a ton of idlers to get the belt around to both sides of the motor. I will also lose the ability to use the stock water pump.
Anybody see any other pitfalls? seems like an easy way to gain an inch if I don't care about using the factory water pump.
If it's an LS3, then you already have the shortest front nose anyway.
The Corvette guys that use the same offset have a flip drive kit for their blowers, which I believe switches to run all accessories off the air con grooves at the rear and leave the front main grooves for a blower drive only ?
Which probably is quite similar to what you're proposing, although you'd be shortening the actually pulley itself. But as the front pulley is also a damper, that aspect would need retained.
05-31-2018, 09:16 PM
Twin Turbo LS3 / Graziano Transaxle / Cayman 
plus breaking a DCT/PDK type box can be $choochoo$. Graziano offers one as well.
