‘Rennlist’ Member Selling Corvette-powered Porsche 944 Turbo

Porsche 944 Turbo packs a Chevrolet LS-based V8 and it is in great shape, inside and out.

The Porsche 944 is sometimes looked down upon by fans of the brand for a variety of reasons, one of which is a general lack of performance. While a 944 will still outperform many other go-fast cars of the 1980s, they fall short of the historic abilities of the 911 lineup. However, the front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout of the 944 has proven to be popular for V8 engine swaps. The relatively lightweight construction coupled with the power of an American V8 makes for an entirely different type of performance vehicle.

One such 944 Turbo is listed for sale in the Rennlist Marketplace by “BDellis” for just $9,000, which is a good price for someone on the hunt for a Chevy-powered Porsche. There are some odd discrepancies in the listing, but all-in-all, it looks like a solid car inside and out.

LS-Powered Porsche 944

When the OP first posted this 1986 Porsche 944 Turbo in the forum marketplace section, he provided very little information.

86 – 944 turbo. LS6 conv. 6.0 liter corvette engine with 80,000 miles. chassis has only 70,000, upgraded brakes

The seller also included 11 pictures of his 944 Turbo, the best of which we have included here.

Now, if you know LS engines, there is likely a glaring error jumping out at you. For those who don’t know GM engines, the LS6 is a variation of the LS1 and both engines measure 5.7 liters. The listing states that it is a 6.0-liter Corvette engine. There are quite a few LS-based engines that measure 6.0 liters, but the LS6 is not one of them. The Corvette was powered by a 6.0-liter LS2, but we believe that the person who listed this Porsche has a 5.7-liter LS6 engine.

In any case, the Chevy V8 is mated to a manual transmission and the brakes have been upgraded to handle the extra power and weight. It also has a set of Tech Art wheels that maintain a factory look. Really, if not for the roar of the V8, this 944 would blend in nicely with a crowd of stock Porsche models.

Clean Inside and Out

While we aren’t exactly sure what engine is under the hood, we can see that this 1986 Porsche is in very nice shape inside and out. While there are only a few pictures of the exterior, there doesn’t appear to be any damage and the paint looks to be in good shape.

On the inside, the seat skins and carpeting appear to be in great shape for a car that is 34 years old. The same is true of the door panels, the arm rests and the dash board, with no signs of cracking or other age-related damage.

If you have been dreaming of rocking a Porsche 944 with a GM LS engine, this car might be ideal. It could need some sorting-out, particularly in figuring out what exactly is under the hood, but aesthetically, there are no problems with this German sports car.

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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