Hello Steve (and everyone else)!
I'm really happy to have discovered this forum! I've got a lot of frankly novice questions and didn't want to waste anyone's time through more official business channels
A bit of context — I'm a fairly recent 993 owner, picked up a great-condition car about half a year ago up here in the Seattle area. My first 911 is of the 991 generation and I was worried to be missing out on all of the character of the air-cooled models. Suffice it to say, I'm smiling a whole lot more driving my 993 than my 991 (even though the 991 is video game-fast — mine is a Turbo S).
I've had some work done on the 993 — Bilstein PSS10s, re-geared transmission with an 8:33 ring and pinion and an Albins 3.00 first gear (read: *super*-short but so much fun), exhaust, seats, steering, wheels/tires, shifter. Really happy with it so far! Touching the engine is something I want to do in a couple of years and I'll admit that my criteria is more based around the emotion of it rather than optimum performance for a street car that sees occasional track time.
Here are the checkboxes I'd want to tick if I were to venture down the path of creating a more emotional experience with the engine (besides shelling over the enormous funds that this apparently takes, haha):
– High rev limit. Understandably, our engines don't make much power past a certain point, but the ability to safely rev high has always captivated me. Seems like a GT3 crank and other bits are key to allowing this safely?
– Mechanical "wailing" sound in the upper rev range. The Singer engines have this characteristic and it's reminicent also of the 991.1 GT3 between 8200 RPM — 9000 RPM. Chris Harris' video on the Singer Porsche while he's on the track and inside the car best shows off this sound.
– Still streetable. Lumpy-ish idle is fine if that means it can breathe okay at the upper rev range.
– GT3 intake plenum + maybe ITBs? There's something beautiful about this setup, and it seems like this also helps with it breathing at the top end?
– 3.8L or 3.9L. I'd like to see a general power increase but the other bits do it for me more than just getting the most power.
Obviously a weird, backwards approach to an engine rebuild. I'd love to get thoughts on what components contribute to what effect. Let's say that, well, budget is up there for now haha.