Originally Posted by 67King

Why is that a considerable undertaking? The 968 engine is darn near a stand-alone, only a few wires in the harness interface with the rest of the car, and those are either power or gauge wires. And with a good exhaust and tune, the 968 engine can make a TON of power. Mine makes 244 at the wheels (which is probably over 280 at the crank). Not LS levels, but a whole lot simpler and less expensive, and despite what our egos tell us, 300 horsepower is really hard to use on the street. I rarely get to open up my daily driver (535i w/ a Juicebox).

Originally Posted by Arominus

That the RSbarn exhaust and tune?

Originally Posted by Eddie93304

I have an 86 NA and I'm really thinking of a modern German engine for my car.

At our shop we have an Audi 2.7tt out of an A6. My bosses B5 S4 (Stage 3) makes 400 whp. I love the power of that engine, and we're quite familiar with them.

This engine needs the heads redone, and maybe bolt on a set of rebuilt KO4's. I'm parting out an 87 NA 944. As soon as I pull the engine out, I'm going to take some measurements. To me, had Porsche continued with the 944 platform it should've been either this engine, or something similar to a I6 BMW.

I know that the brake booster could be an issue, along with the width of the frame rails. But the engine is there if I want it. I want to keep the car German. And since Porsche and Audi collaborate often, I think it would be a neat car.

I absolutely love my 944. Finding a 951 would be nice, but I love the power and economy of a modern V6. I fell in love with V6's in the 80's when they ran them at Indy. Those were the days man. You just knew the V6's would out run the V8's. It was just a matter of them holding up and not blowing up within the last 10 laps! LOL.

It's been difficult to find info on the bell housing possibilities for this swap. I hear that the 924 turbo bell housing or the Audi I5 may work. This stuff keeps me up at night. With a mild tune the engine would make lots of usable power.


To me this set up would totally rock. Diagnostics are done through VAGcom, so that's easy. Nothing against LS engines. Those are awesome, but I'm not an American car guy, otherwise I'd have an LS powered Vette and call it good.

Maybe someone has specific insight on this swap. I'd appreciate it.

Originally Posted by alxdgr8

Found my measurements...I have an empty 968 engine bay, a 32v V8 and a 40v V8 sitting in my garage that I've made measurements on. On the V8, the heads are the widest part, so even with custom manifolds it still wouldn't fit.

Frame rails on the 944 are only ~24" apart (it's wider by an inch or so above the rails where the shock towers are. The 32v V8 is 30" wide (and 40v is even wider).

Originally Posted by 67King

I think there are some issues with these numbers. First of all, the frame rails are about 26-3/4" wide at the crossmember. They turn inward towards the front, so I suspect that you are looking at the front of the car, rather than the middle. Second, the strut towers are 30" apart (at least at the top). As the widest part of any V-engine would be notably higher than the framerails, the strut towers would be closer to the truest constraint. Well.......that and the intermediate (steering) shaft. And master cylinder.

FWIW, I have a 32V V8 in my garage, as well as a 968 engine. The 968 engine is about 27" wide at its widest point. It is a VERY big engine for a 4 banger. Of course, my 32V is also one of the widest V8's around, too, a Ford 4.6L. Its widest point is at the front of the engine where the chain drive is......30".

At any rate, I don't think it is safe to assume that they wouldn't fit unless and until you try to put them in there. Tight? Without question. Impossible? Not sure.

That said, as this is about a V6 conversion, I still think that for that level of performance, a turbo or 968 engine would be the simplest way to get there, and give the best results. The only reason not to do that would be if you end up rebuilding engines a lot (and FWIW, the LS's blow up, too - friend of mine was going through one every couple of years after converting his Turbo).

Originally Posted by Sterling Doc

So many here are caught up in the expense of the motor itself, or feel that using what they have in front of them is the easy way to go. Most of the exotic/novel engine swaps never get completed because of the amount of fabrication and adaptation headaches. Getting the headers/steering shaft/oil pan/trans/starter/motor mounts to work are the major roadblocks. These have been solved with the LS motor. Pick the size that meets your power needs, and be happy. Unless you have your own fab shop and a ton of time, along with endless patient, other options are an expensive road to nowhere.

Originally Posted by odurandina

we've got some seriously talented fabricators on the forums.

still

–great post elucidating the stark realities vs supercar go-go parts currently available.