STATUS Racing sent over there new 5 point harnesses today to put in Project 996. I had high expectations after originally seeing their product at SEMA, however the quality of their delivered product has blown my mind. Every detail from the outside textured box with recessed logo, to the branded carrying bag, to the quality stitching and brand was top notch. You can tell a ton of though has gone into every aspect of the product, something that I find very important given the products is intended to save lives. These harnesses are currently available in 4 / 5 / 6 point offering in Red and Black. Limited edition versions in Blue and Silver are on the horizon. All versions are FIA approved which should meet or exceed most sanctioning bodies requirements.

Titan Motorsports is now the East Coast distributor for Status Racing, we will be adding their line to the site soon and will stock their seats and harnesses once we move to our new location. If you are looking for a great seat or harness setup for your car give us a call and we’ll get you setup with a set. Custom colors and options are available, and Status Racing takes great pride in offering a 1-2 week or less turnaround time on custom seats, something unheard of from most seat manufactures. We’ve got a custom set of seats on the way for our Porsche project, keep any eye out on the blog as I’ll be posting pictures as soon as they arrive.

We headed to Colonial TownPark for the 5th annual Cars for the Cure show. The show is an annual event held in Lake Mary that benefits the American Lung Association. It is their largest local fundraiser for the year, and Nero and myself are both on the committee for the past few years. The show features a great variety of cars with the majority being customs or exotics. It’s free to the public and normally fills the outdoor shopping complex to capacity. The event has become a staple in our event calendar and usually marks the start of a busy few months of regional shows and testing for the upcoming race season.

This year we where blessed with temperatures in the mid 70s and blue skies throughout the day, a far cry from the morning showers that have plagued this event in years pasts. We had the pleasure of showing Greg Aukscunas 4 digit horsepower Supra in our booth this year. Greg had flown down from Pittsburgh to pickup his car after yet another round of modifications and decided to stay and extra day to take part in the show. We also brought my yellow 996tt and our Camouflage 996tt which had a fresh round of upgrades done just in time. The response to the camouflage car was phenomenal and it had plenty of fans and haters throughout the day. Overall the show was a great success, even though we didn’t win any awards as a group, we all had a great time and got to see plenty of cars we don’t see every day, all while raising money for the ALA.

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We recently installed a GT2 bumper on our Camo 996tt Project. This conversion appears to be fairly straight forward, however as others have experienced there are a few hiccups here and there that may give you headaches. I spent many hours trying to find the best solution for these particular headaches and decided it was time to do a proper write-up on a functional GT2 Nose conversion. I skipped the details on how to remove and re-install the bumper cover itself as these have been covered previously and is pretty much straight forward.

It is always a good idea to test fit everything prior to painting the cover itself. Once you have the bumper painted use the 25 Speed clips to secure the black trim pieces on the center, right and left side. This is pretty straight forward, just mount the trim panels to the inside of the bumper and slide the speed clips on the plastic tabs to tightly hold these in place. These interior trim panels will line up with the newly added radiator shrouds on all 3 radiators when you go to install the bumper cover onto the car. The center grille attaches using 6 Allen screws and bolts which I ordered from Porsche. The lower lip clips into place and is secured on each side by a screw and clip. Once you’ve completed these steps the bumper itself should be ready to be re-installed onto the car, you just need to prepare the car for the bumper.

The biggest problem with this conversion lies with the center radiator. The GT2 features a tilted center radiator allowing the airflow to enter in the center and evacuate up through the grille which is added in front of the hood. It sounds straight forward, however do to the difference in cooling systems between the GT2 and 996 there is some custom modifications require. Be prepared to spill coolant all over the floor and yourself, but it’s all part of the gain (it’s a good idea to drain the coolant system as much as possible prior but you’re still going to spill quite a bit with the removal of the radiator).

Start off by removing the 996tt lower radiator brackets and replacing them with the GT2 counterparts. You will want to loosen then up, pop the clips off the radiators and press hard against one side to get the radiator out of the original bracket. It’s a bit tricky and will take you a bit of time, but it’s just the start of what’s to come. Holding the brackets up side by side you will notice that the GT2 units are nearly identical except for the angle on the lower mount, this gives you the pitch you need to make the radiator functional). While you have the brackets out, it’s a good idea to move the horns as well, we removed the front horn and bent the bracket to allow enough room for our re-routed hoses to fit nicely in their place).

The new shroud for the GT2 requires the radiator to be flipped. Flip the radiator over and install both the new interior ducting and front air duct as well (this is pretty straight forward as just 2 metal strips hold the front duct on, and 2 clips and 3 plastic tabs hold the air duct in place).

There will be 2 metal spacers needed behind the shroud to properly space the mounting brackets out, this will space the 996tt upper and lower surround brackets out enough to make them work with a bit of tweaking). Using M8x16x80mm bolts (check Ace hardware for these cheap) attach the upper radiator bracket through the frame, through the spacer (which is inserted inside the interior shroud) and into the mounting point on the car). This should line up the radiator just as you need but will leave quite a gap between your hoses and the radiator

As a result of the different cooling systems, we needed to make modified coolant hoses to make this work. The factory hoses where pretty cheap (under $15 each I believe) so we ordered 2 new ones from Porsche. Our plan was to cut the factory ends off the original hoses, use a 1.0″ hose connector and some worm clamps to attach the new hose pieces we bought to the exposed hoses on the car. This takes a bit of patience and mocking up on the car, but after a few tries and cuts to each hose you will end up with a path that works. Clamp the new hose onto the extensions, the extensions to the existing hose coming from the car, and the connectors should bridge the cap to the now flipped radiator.

Once you have the center radiators fabricated up and the hoses connect, it should be pretty straight forward from here as far installing the GT2 bumper just as the original one came off. Using OEM parts it should make for a very easy conversion, I’d expect 7-8 hours for the install if you have all the parts lined up and ready to go (which we didn’t as a complete parts list wasn’t something readily available previously). I also want to thank Stevem Russell @ Suncoast Porsche for helping me throughout the process with multiple parts shipments. They’ve got the best prices on OEM parts if you’re looking to do this conversion I’d suggest giving Steven and the gang at Suncoast a call.

Parts Needed
—– AESTHETIC ——

Front Bumper Cover 996 505 311 30
Air Inlet Trim for Bumper (left) 996 505 563 30
Air Inlet Trim for Bumper (right) 996 505 564 30
Air Inlet Trim for Bumper (center) 996 505 561 30
(25) Speed Nuts (secures trim) 999 507 258 02
Headlight Trim Bracket (left) 996 505 539 03
Headlight Trim Bracket (right) 996 505 540 03
Headlight Trim Gasket (left) 996 505 741 30
Headlight Trim Gasket (right) 996 505 742 30

Center Top Grille 996 575 326 31
(6) Allen Screw (secures grille) 900 623 012 07
(6) Hexagon Nut (secures grille) 999 084 120 02

Lower Bumper Lip 996 505 555 30
(2) Tapping Screw 900 144 101 02
(2) Speed Nut 999 507 072 02

Front Wheel Well Liner (left) 996 504 123 90
Front Wheel Well Liner (right) 996 504 124 90

——- FUNCTIONAL ——-

Left Air Duct 996 575 321 30
Right Air Duct 996 575 322 30
Center Air Duct 996 575 325 30
Center Air Duct to Grille 996 575 141 30
(2) Spacer Sleeve 996 504 679 31

Lower Radiator Bracket (left) 996 106 131 72
Lower Radiator Bracket (right) 996 106 132 70

Coolant Hose 996 106 638 75
Coolant Hose 996 106 639 75

(2) 1.0″ ID Hose Joiners
(4) Worm style hoses clamps
(2) M8x16 x 80mm headbolts

We received our KW Clubsport suspension which will be installed tomorrow before going for a nice alignment courtesy of master tech Jim at Porsche Orlando. KW is a leader in coilover suspensions and is the OEM unit found on the Viper ACR. KW was out of stock in the US but overnighted these in from Germany to make sure we’d have them in time for our busy next few weeks of events. I can’t wait to get some time out on the track to get these dialed in and really put the car to work.

We also received our OMP Velocita Steering Wheel and Lifeline quick release hub. We’ll be installing a GMG rollbar in the car, as well as a set of Status racing new 5 point harnesses and racing setas in the coming weeks. We don’t plan on daily driving the car, so by installing the wheel we where able shed some weight and get rid of the airbag (which won’t do us much good once fastened securely in our harnesses).

You may also notice that the radio is torn appart, gone is the OEM Navigation which hasn’t received updates since 01, and in it’s place will go Sony’s newest single Din player the CDX-GT930UI. This radio has everything we need all in one compact unit, allowing us to enjoy our tunes and save weight. A rear USB Port allows for easy iPod adaptivity so we will always have some much needed tunes on our way to the local race track. I’ll post some pictures of the unit once we get done installing it later this week. In place of the factory navigation screen we will be mounting 2 Titan Wideband gauges to monitor each bank as well as a Greddy Profec B boost controller to keep a close eye on our boost levels.

Another year, another Rolex24 at Daytona International Speedway! As Wes has already mentioned, the race this year was great. This year was the first time I have attended the race and not camped at the track. Some family members that couldn’t make it to the race had booked a hotel room, and I decided I would stay in the room myself. The hotel was less than a quarter-mile from the Turn 4 tunnel. It was a pretty good-setup, it was an extended stay hotel complete with a fridge, microwave and stove…the next best thing to camping at the track. I first arrived to the track on Friday. While my plan was to at the track for the start of the Koni race, I was running late and didn’t arrive until the last hour. It was still plenty of time to watch the battle for the win as well as see the drivers and teams in the garage doing their post race inspections and de-briefs. After the race I made my way to the camping area where I had stayed in previous years. I met up with some friends and chatted about the Koni race, as well as the upcoming GT and DP cars of the Rolex race while sitting around the fire enjoying some drink. It doesn’t get much better than that! As it got later the girlfriend and I left the track for dinner before heading back to the hotel.

Saturday morning after a great breakfast at Bob Evan’s we packed up the car to drive our cooler and snacks to the infield, when we got to the gate we found out that they were already at capacity and we would have to park elsewhere. I took the cooler and carried it in why my girlfriend parked the car back at the hotel and walked to the track with the rest of our stuff. We got everything inside the track just in time to hustle over to pit road and the start/finish line for the pre-race activities. Tradition is to sign your name on the start/finish line and as usually there were dozens of people doing so, as well as taking pictures. The banking on the front stretch is 18 degrees, while the 4 turns of the tri-oval are 31 degrees. It feels much steeper than that when you’re walking up it or standing on the track than it does watching it on TV. You also really get a good feel for just how big the infield area is when you see the grass that has the Daytona logo, as well as the race series logos.

We made our way back to the garage area for the start of the race. After the national anthem there was a jet flyby. I haven’t been able to figure out what kind of jets they were (drop me a line if you know), but one of them had the “Rising Sun” painted on the tail…pretty cool. The next 8 or so hours were spent making our way around the track. From the banked turns of the oval to the infield hair-pin. We attended both the chili cook-off and the wine and cheese party in the blue garage area. This year’s wine and cheese event also had a selection of beers to try and while it was pretty packed, the entry fee ($5) was well worth it and I tried almost all the wines as well as the beers and got my fair share of cheese. Some of the chili we tried was great, one that really stood out was from team “Louisiana Heat”. I am inspired to find out more information about entering the cook off and may try to enter next year.

Around 10pm a group of us made our way to Hooter across the street for some dinner. Unfortunately we missed the fireworks while we were eating but we did see them on the TV coverage of the race at the restaurant. The happens to be a small go-kart track behind the Hooters, while I had checked it out earlier in the day and decided to pass on it (they are just your regular run of the mill “karts”, nothing fancy) being there with a group of friends and under the influence of a day spend drinking in the sun, we headed over to get some tickets and stage our own race. We drove on both their “road-course” and their “sprint track” and it was a lot of fun. Some of us were more drunk than others and there was a few times I would come around a corner to find someone else spun around and now driving towards me! No one was injured and it was a good laugh…even for the people working at the track.

We made our way back to the track and I rode the large Ferris wheel at the track for the first time. You really get a great view of the whole venue from the top! I was surprised to find out that it’s the largest Ferris wheel on the east coast at 150 feet tall. After the carnival rides I made my way to a few turns of the track to watch the action and get some pictures before leaving the track around 3:00 am.

Sunday we started our day at the blue garage again, this time for the breakfast buffet offered by the track. We walked around the garages and saw some of the carnage as well as a few of the cars that had retired overnight. We left early to get back home and watched the incredible finish on TV before taking a much needed nap. It was a great weekend of racing and another great Rolex24. I’m not sure if I will do the hotel thing again, or go back to camping at the track. While it’s nice to have a room to go back to (especially for years when it rains) there is nothing quite like being there, camped at the infield. Something about getting so used to the sound of the cars that you fall asleep and wake up when they are NOT running, like during a caution and can only fall back asleep once racing resumes. There is also something nice about staying up past the 30 hour mark…that’s when things really start to get interesting.

-Geoff

This weekend I headed to Daytona International Speedway for the annual Rolex 24 hours race. This race features some of the world’s greatest racers, battling it out for 24 hours at Daytona’s famed race course. The race features 2 classes, Daytona Prototypes which are purpose build race cars for the series running under the DP designation, and the GT class which features cars build from factory chassis. The race starts off the Grand-Am series each year and pushes both the cars and their drivers to the limits.

This year marked a change in start time, normally the race starts and ends at 1PM, however this year the race began at 3:30PM. I left the house around 11:30AM and made quick time to the track, unfortunately I was not quick enough as the tunnels to get to the infields closed about 10 minutes before my arrival. The infields of the track become a giant campground and car show, so it’s always nice to park your vehicle in the mix of things. Not only does it prevent you from lugging your personal belongs around for the entire time (in this case a well packed camera bag and cooler full of adult beverages and ice), it also provides a bit of shelter from the elements. I stayed for about the first 10 hours before heading home to enjoy the finish on SpeedTV.

After a grouping 24 hours, the 58 car of Brumos Porsche took the overall win by a few mere seconds over the Chip Ganassi fielded car. The GT Field was won by our good friends over at TRG Racing who also claimed the second place finish as well. It was one of the closest Rolex finishes in history and real nail biter from start to finish (.167 seconds was the different between first and second). I hope they continue the 3:30 start time next year, although if they decide to I will be sure to get there early enough to setup camp on the infield, and stay from start to finish.

This weekend marked the first time I’ve really got to experiment with our 5D camera as well, I’m trying to get a bit more artistic with the shots rather than just using the point and click shooting. I’m getting a bit better with it but still managed to come up with a few good shots, pay particular attention to the J Lowe racing red Porsche Cup car, I just happened to be in the garage area as it drove be on fire and got some quick snaps of the car being extinguished.

On February 8th we will be hosting a BBQ Meet and Greet at Orlando’s newest race track, the Central Florida Road Course. The event will be hosted from 11-5 at the road course which is located. Food and beverage will be provided. No alcoholic beverages are allowed on site.

– Parade Laps paced by a Titan car
– Open Session for qualified drivers and those who have completed driver training.
(The next training/evaluation course is January 31st, take the course and gain access to the track at our event)

For More Information on the Course / Training Courses and for additional directions and photos visit http://cfroadcourse.com

If you plan on attending or have any questions about the Titan BBQ event please email wes@titanmotorsports.com

Don’t forget to Bring a Helmet!!!

This weekend I had a curious passenger in my yellow Porsche. After having a nice brunch at Dexters in Winter Park with my Fiancé, sister and the bosses, we walked outside to the cars and I caught a glimpse of something on my wheel. After a closer I realized it was a nice 3-4 foot black snake hanging out around my nice Brembo Brakes and HRE P40 wheel. We tried to scare him off with a stick, but he kept moving around the wheel. I figured the best way to get him off would be a spirited drive, so we headed off to Lolicup for the 370z Tour stop and headed inside for some Bobba Tea.

After a while we came back out to the cars, to my surprise the snake was not only still hanging around the car, but he had managed to find his way to the front of the car now and was poking out the radiator grille of the GT2 nose. We tried for a bit to wrangle him out of the car unsuccessfully, so it was off for a spirited drive home, hopefully he would find his way off the car along the way. I got home to find the damn snake still poking his head out the front grill. In an effort to keep my fiancé and dogs from having a nice black snake in the garage or sneaking his way into the house I parked the car out front and tried to get him to come out of his hiding spots, again to no avail. Frustrated I went inside and watched some football for an hour and came back out to have round 2 with Mr. Snake. I caught a glimpse of his tail poking out the hood release area, used my remote to pop the hood as I used a prong style “nuts and bolt retrieval took” to snatch his tail and yank him out of the car and into the yard. The battle was over, the car made its way back into the garage, and my fiancé could now sleep easy with no worries of a snake in the house. For me it was just another fun Sunday adventure driving my Porsche.

This weekend we headed out to Colonial TownPark in Lake Mary,FL for the monthly Cars and Cafe event put on by Orlando Automotive Club. Attendance was slightly down as a result of the holidays, however there was a still great turnout of cars from various marquees. I had my father in town for the holidays and had the pleasure of bringing him out to the event to enjoy all the beautiful cars on such a nice day. This was also the first Cafe meet the Camouflage Porsche attended and it received quite a bit of attention as one can expect. Check out the gallery below to see all the great cars in attendance.