Ok, I just realized the '77 924 I bought has no Sunroof, which is apparently somehow special or good?

But....why?

I mean it sure looks stylish, but is the sunroof that detremental to the form of the car?

-Jeff

 

A non-sunroof car has a stiffer chassis, which is a plus in racing.

-z-man.

 

The sunroof delete option is probably good for saving a few pounds.

 

i dont knwo what i would do if i didnt have my removable roof, its the greatest driving at night in july being able to stop at ever stoplight and look up and see the stars.....

some of my fondest memories of my car involve that roof.....


awesome

 

Sorry Z-man, Matt's got this one. Porsche added a lot of steel to the roof when they cut the sunroof into it, so much that the sunroof car is often considered to be more rigid than the non-sunroof chassis. The downside is weight, all up as high as posible and in this case a stronger roof is (hopefully) not all that helpful.

 

Didn't they reinforce the roof to make up for the gapping hole? I'd imagine that it's similarly stiff, just more weight with the sunroof.

 

would'nt the car be lighter because you could just take the top off?

or is there some rule saying you have to fahe a roof on your car when racing?

 

Probably required to be there. Plus, the extra weight comes from the extra reinforment, not really the roof. The roof itself is pretty lightweight.

 

With all the extra steel, that ~22 lb panel might almost be enough to make it even.
BUT...
there is in most cases.

 

but dont alot of people race cabs. the only thing i can think of now would be something like a cobra, but some cars dont even have a top.

 

Older cars weren't exactly concerned too much with saftey. In any of the SCCA races with Boxsters, they run with hardtops. Most (if not all) require some sort of protection for the driver and something to restrain your arms from getting crushed.

 

You won't see many 944/968 cabs at the track. Cars like the Cobra get their strenght from a ladder style chassis or from a tubular frame, for them a top doesn't matter, they are usually just required to have a roll bar. A 944/968 cab is also usually required to have a rollbar, but a unibody doesn't react well to having it's top cut off. Porsche did an admirable job of reinforcing the cab chassis but it is still not as stiff as a coupe, flex in the chassis equals less in the handling department. A 944/968 cab is heavier than a coupe which has a negative effect on performance, it has more flex than a coupe, that's negative number two, and you're more likely to need to install a rollbar (another expence and more weight). Not many cabs on the track.

 

The sunroof is pretty useless in my opinion (only useful for breaking). They should have made a roof that slides back automatically.

 

Well, weights a factor in my electric conversion, so Woohoo I guess, heh.

How much does it shave off?

Also does anyone have an actual verified figure for stock '77 924 coupe weight? I've gotton anything from 2350 to 2650.

-Jeff

 

Go manual. It's better.

Manual steering: no stupid leaking PS pumps/lines, and no busted pumps.
Manual roof: no stripped gears, no bad wiring, no misalignment. Just lift it with your damn hand.