I know the rear sway bar was on option in '84, and standard in '88.

What year did the rear sway bar become standard?

 

I know mine did not come with one, so it is after 85.5.

Bump.

 

Not sure. My 85.5 had one as an option and Tifo's 85.5 did not have one.

Edit- You just beat me on this one Tifo.

 

mine has one, the 87 had one as well. Not listed in the option codes on either, therefore I conclude... standard equipment.

(This is a observation based upon my experience and has no bearing on reality)

 

My 85.5 had one as an option as well (And LSD!) , my 86 had one and I don't remember it being listed as an option.

 

86 or 87 it looks like.

 

who has a brochure or window sticker from 86 or 87?

 

Mine is a 87 and I do not have one. So not in 87.

 

I don't know how accurate this data is, but the guys on 924.org puts the rear sway as standard only on Turbos and S2s: http://www.924.org/techsection/10suspension.htm. My '87 did not come with the rear sways, either.

 

Let me second the opinion that they were not std on 87's. Mine doesn't have one and I bought from the original owner.

 

Hmmm...perhaps they were *never* standard on the base 944...perhaps the only exception here would be the 2.7L in 89, but I don't know any 89 owners...???

S2 and Turbo seems standard, and I'm not sure about the S.

 

They are standard on the turbo and S2. Options on all 944 and 944S (option codes M404 or M030.) Having said that, the factory manual says that option M404 was part of the "standard euipment package" on part of the 87-89 944 and 87-88 944S production. It may vary by country or region.

 

This may be true, it is said that the NA have mild understeer with the same size tire all round, when you add the rear sway bar the handling gets perfectly neutral. The turbo and S2 have more power = wider rear wheel/tire and to get back the neutral handling they added the bigger rear sway bar.

Just my $0.02

 

Starr faxed me a copy of the window sticker to his 88 NA when we were negotiating.

in the list of standard equipment is "-stabilizer bars, front & rear".

so i guess the rear became standard on the U.S. NAs in 1988.

if we know someonee who has an 88 without a rear sway bar it would mean it was made standard mid year.

dont forget porsche wouldnt reduce the price, and as the dollar fluctuated they just made more options standard.

 

Just for reference, my 83 has it as an option