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"..., I looked around and could not find quite the car I dreamed of, so I decided to ask Alex and the Shark Weeks team to help build it." 🙂 🦈
Committed to SW 4.1L conversion on my grey black/red 2011 GT3 RS! mooty also has some BBS monoblock 5-lugs for "Ruthie" too.
Thanks mooty for putting me in touch with Alex, golfnutintib for the 997.1 GT3 3.9L SW conversion driving experience (mouth and abs still hurt from smiling/laughing too hard) and ChrisF for always encouraging me to pursue new car experiences.
Super excited! The wait will be long but needed one car in the garage to mod. Couldn't find any more rewarding to drive car in manual to buy in this marketplace. Intake will be YE2022 and done a year out from now. Will try and keep this post alive with updates!
Will get a wrap and new contrasting color after modification. Pete Stout says the way the 4.1L Shark Werks revs is like the silver car in pic. Can't wait to have an opinion! New wheels, 5-lug conversion to come with new wrap and livery. Can't wait to finalize plans!
Congrats! Excited to hear your input after you get some miles on it in a year from now.
Which finish are you going with on the BBS? The mono blocks are one of the only wheel designs that gets me excited on the 997 GT cars (outside of stock).
Congrats! Great looking RS, and your first pic is a reminder that I might prefer the 997's proportions to all other 911s save the original SWB—and particularly in RS form.
You're going to love the 4.1, which had me a gear up over the factory 4.0 a lot of the time on the same roads. I think Mooty might say the same, judging by when I was following him that day. It's a beast of an engine. With that said, SW's 3.9 is the most CGT-ish flat six I've tried. The 4.1 slightly tips the scale toward "torque" vs "horsepower," though that may make the 4.1 even more complementary to your CGT.
Either way, the 997.2 RS—in any flavor—remains a real high point among 911s for me, and my favorites are the ones with patina from use. While Porsche has moved on with engines and handling, there is something very, very right about the package. Which takes me right back to your first photo…enjoy!
I’ve been kicking this around, I think it would be sweet but I don’t see anyone paying much ‘more’ for the car after it’s done… so would be for my pleasure only? I was trying to compare spending the $25k on the full Dundon vs the $75k for the 4.1, what made you ultimately pull the trigger? Was it really the demo of the 3.9?
I've often thought if I ever went back into a 997, would be a 7.1-3 w/sw 3.9 and a few other odds/ends like 4.0 lwfw and something to improve suspension.
I’ve been kicking this around, I think it would be sweet but I don’t see anyone paying much ‘more’ for the car after it’s done… so would be for my pleasure only? I was trying to compare spending the $25k on the full Dundon vs the $75k for the 4.1, what made you ultimately pull the trigger? Was it really the demo of the 3.9?
I guess it’s one of those things where you mod the car for you, and not the next owner. I’ve thought about the same thing as well, Dundon and have flexibility to take mods off and sell…or use that money towards a 3.9….I’m choosing 3.9 because I’ll keep this for a very long time.
Aiming for late this year or next year possible build. Have to first make sure the wife is a happy camper all of this year before I unload the ‘hey honey, gonna spend a ****load on my car’ haha
I called to inquire and I think Dan said next build time is summer time this year, so looks like they’re booked out for big jobs like this?
i bet it’s close to the same… this is a note from them when I inquired about what was included…
”it's a completely different crank, pistons, liners, wrist-pins, cams, head work all new factory parts…coolant pipe fix, cam adjuster fix, flywheel/clutch, tuning etc ...” -Alex
Im hesitant more isn’t better… but I’m a sucker for better. I saw Joe Rogan sold his?
Congrats on the 4.1, that and the 3.9 are head and shoulders above what any bolt-on can accomplish, those would just be the icing.
It's not just putting in larger pistons, crank, cams, ect, its the design recipe and secret sauce that makes them so special.
The Sharkwerks program is tried and true, others have failed at it and still are so they stick to bolt-ons...
Congrats! Excited to hear your input after you get some miles on it in a year from now.
Which finish are you going with on the BBS? The mono blocks are one of the only wheel designs that gets me excited on the 997 GT cars (outside of stock).
I told mooty to order whatever he has. Surely if it's good enough for him, I'll be a happy camper.
I agree it the BBS monoblocks are the best looking wheel for the 997. Stock wheels match the car just fine.
Originally Posted by Wonderdan
Curious how many miles on it?
30,000 kms currently. Ideally it would have more, but YOLO.
I hope to log on big miles this spring and summer before it goes in. :-)
Originally Posted by stout
Congrats! Great looking RS, and your first pic is a reminder that I might prefer the 997's proportions to all other 911s save the original SWB—and particularly in RS form.
You're going to love the 4.1, which had me a gear up over the factory 4.0 a lot of the time on the same roads. I think Mooty might say the same, judging by when I was following him that day. It's a beast of an engine. With that said, SW's 3.9 is the most CGT-ish flat six I've tried. The 4.1 slightly tips the scale toward "torque" vs "horsepower," though that may make the 4.1 even more complementary to your CGT.
Either way, the 997.2 RS—in any flavor—remains a real high point among 911s for me, and my favorites are the ones with patina from use. While Porsche has moved on with engines and handling, there is something very, very right about the package. Which takes me right back to your first photo…enjoy!
Thanks for the feedback and post! I wasn't the biggest fan of the 7.1 GT3/RS (admittedly, miss the pumpkin 7.1 3RS to look at) for performance vs. the 7.2s. Buying .2s of past generations have worked well for me. But the SW 3.9L in a well sorted out 7.1 GT3 was heaven. Golfnutintib's car was so much fun to roll through the gears. Power delivery felt OEM.
the GT3 character of the 3.9L SW engine stayed very true to form. still makes you work for torque and power until you are at the upper ends of the tachometer. mooty says the same that 4.1L has noticeably more low-end torque.
agreed! The 7.2 3RS has aged very nicely w.r.t. its proportions.
Hmm, now with your mention of natural patina... maybe I just update the decals and leave the patina'd black/grey paint as is? What would you do?
Originally Posted by Wonderdan
I’ve been kicking this around, I think it would be sweet but I don’t see anyone paying much ‘more’ for the car after it’s done… so would be for my pleasure only? I was trying to compare spending the $25k on the full Dundon vs the $75k for the 4.1, what made you ultimately pull the trigger? Was it really the demo of the 3.9?
I never looked at this project from an ROI POV. I love the 997 GT platform. Had to be my 3rd 7.2 3RS and 8th 997 GT car for me to realize how special this car is. I wanted to see what more could be done to it. Driving the 3.9L SW car for at least an hour on spirited roads was epic. Memory etched in my brain and I randomly smile when I reminisce.
Dundon and bolt-ons are great, but the 3.9L and 4.1L SW conversions are a different league. I would not be driving nor modding any 997 GT car if the goal is to maximize profits. I am optimizing for smiles and unique experiences.
Originally Posted by Jrtaylor9
I've often thought if I ever went back into a 997, would be a 7.1-3 w/sw 3.9 and a few other odds/ends like 4.0 lwfw and something to improve suspension.
Great way to go! I was thinking of a cheaper 7.1 GT3 to do a 3.9L SW conversion, but found the right 7.2 3RS in my backyard last year again.
Originally Posted by RAudi Driver
Is a 3.9 and 4.1 same cost wise?
Not very close.
Originally Posted by FLT6SPD
Congrats on the 4.1, that and the 3.9 are head and shoulders above what any bolt-on can accomplish, those would just be the icing.
It's not just putting in larger pistons, crank, cams, ect, its the design recipe and secret sauce that makes them so special.
The Sharkwerks program is tried and true, others have failed at it and still are so they stick to bolt-ons...
As they say, no replacement for displacement.
Well said. No replacement for experiencing the product. Alex and Shark Week's reputation as a quality engine builder, the way they stand behind their work and products and their desire to continue improving upon new iterations makes them special and true experts in their craft.
Originally Posted by mooty
^ you know it
Stephen just ship the damn car to MO hahaha.
your fiver lug mono block in silver is waiting....
Maybe ChrisF can drive it down as an extended test-drive or we just need to schedule an F-U covid driving trip. Thanks for keeping them for me! :-D
03-18-2022, 11:34 PM
Love my 997.2 GT3 RS, but... (SW 4.1L confirmed)
