Hi all,

Figured I have a Corvette by the time I was 40 considering I have a red bowtie tattoed in the middle of the small of my back. Not! Guess I'll just have to get a Porsche tattoo now.
I've owned quite a few Chevy/GM products. My last 2 were actually hybrids. A 1973 Datsun 240Z powered by a 450hp 355 and 4 speed OD. And my last car was a 1989 Pontiac Turbo Trans Am Indy Pace Car #110 of 1550. They came equipped with a Turbocharged Buick V6. Basically a Buick Grand National w/ better heads. A wolf in sheeps clothing.
So I guess you can figure out what's going to happen to my new toy.
Now I can have the best of both world's German engineering and good ole American muscle. Enough about me on to the Farfignugent.
I purchased a Guards Red 1989 Porsche 944 n/a auto for $1900. The poor kid I bought it off of was the second owner and only owned it for 3 years. The reason I say poor kid is because he's put about 17k in parts and labor into it. I have the receipts to prove it. Almost everything has been replaced in the past 3 years. It's been sitting for 3 months with a bad oil leak. When he called around to ask for advice from his local mechanics they told him his motor was blown.
Well it's not. It's actually just oil POURING on to the exhaust out of the cam cover gasket in the back corner on the pass side. Will fix it as soon as my back heals maybe a week.

I'd say she's in good condition. Paint is a 6' any closer and you'll see the swirls and oxidation. Small dent in the pass rocker panel. Easily popped out and covered with rocker covers in the future. Needs rims. The white err yellowish phone dials aren't my bag. Interior is in good condition. Drivers seat could use re-upholstering. Dash has a small crack on top, typical. Need pass door arm rest map pocket.
Swithches losing there painted on descriptions. And sunroof wont open or close electrically. Can hear the motor but nothing happens. But you can push up on it and pop it out manually. Will have to resolve this first before I hit the road.
I'll post pics when I get her out of my garage.
All in all I'm looking forward to my new project. I have 2 young son's and this will make a perfect project.
I look forward to the reply's to the millions of questions I have for my fellow Rennlisters!

Thanks for letting me ramble. It's hard when you talk to yourself and even the little voices in my head won't answer!

C ya Jeff

 

well first of all welcome!!!
and second of all...It kind of pains me to hear what you are going to do this car when It must be almost perfect...

 

Welcome to the list and congrats on the steal of a deal but judging from your past cars a 944n/a auto is never going to satisfy your speed requirements no matter how much you mod it.
Unless your willing to do a motor swap that 944n/a auto will have a hard time keeping up with a mini-van in a straight line.
Now a 951 with a $1500 in mods will get you around 320 hp at the crank with sub 5 sec 0-60s and a top speed of over 165 mph!

 

Congrats and welcome to Rennlist!

The sunroof has probably stripped the gears, relatively common and it's a pretty easy fix, albeit time-consuming. Replacement gears are less than 10 bucks each. I have don this fix on over 10 cars and I've got it down to under 45 minutes- readjusting the lifter arms to limit properly is the most time consuming after the new gears are in.

When you want to tacke that search the archives under "sunroof" and you should get the idea. Post with any problems you come up with, there is a TON of talent on these boards.

 

Welcome and there are a few hybrids on this board

Best of luck with you project.

 

Looks like another one in the ranks, bring on the questions as there are a few converted cars floating around now, I have a few and there's more acceptance of this type of project than a few years ago. I'd fix the oil leak first and then you can sell the engine as a going concern, are you going to keep it auto? or go for a 5 speed, I have both and the 5 speed is now to voilent for road use so I use the auto to do the daily running around, (only 25 miles a day so it's not racking up as many miles as it used to in the UK.

 

Congratulations So Cal 89 944 and welcome to Rennlist! You are going to make many wonderful memories with your sons, and I think you will soon find out that Porsche's slogan, "There is no substitute," is absolutely true.

 

Wow you guys are quick! Thanks all.

I plan on enjoying her for a few years before I bastardize her. Will give me time to collect the necessary parts and my son's 5 and 7 grow a little more interested.
I've done some research on the conversion and have a game plan.
Parts wise I have a Chevy 408 cid short block. 400 sbc bored .040 over.
Add solid roller cam, AFR 190 cc heads and TPIS mini ram fuel injection.
Renegade hybrids kit with long tube headers comes with bellhousing , Chevy flywheel, clutch etc. Most expensive parts compared to Porsche parts.
Then all I need is a Turbo S trans, torque tube, Turbo axles, short shift conversion and pedal/slave cylinder assembly.
I'm sure there's more and I'd love to hear more opinions from both sides.
Thanks for the warm welcome!

Jeff

 

I'd be on the lookout for a front ended car so you can get every little clip and bolt you need, especially as the box and tube will probably cost you that much, one will turn up but you need to be patient and it seems like you have time to kill. Also the whole transaxle can be swapped out as one, and the new put in as a whole unit, you WILL need the help of any voulenteers to keep it all steady as you get the bolts lined up, I had loads of fun with that one!

 

Welcome to the board !!!

Yeah, another SoCal person...

Big Hint... Unless you do something to that sunroof, you will have a freeway frisbee. They lift at 45 mph. Mine didn't have the front latches and the lifting arms were blown, so I just converted it to the manual latches.

Sounds like you got a good deal.

There are many of us here in SoCal..

 

Welcome!
One of the other members here has started a bulletin board for Porsche V8 conversions.
Here's a link to it:
The Porsche Hybrids Board

 

welcome to the board! hey, does that have a 2.7 in it? i need some extra parts...jkwy.

 

Looking forward to meet fellow left coasters. Funny that when I buy a car I tend to see every single one on the road. I've only seen one so far.

Does anyone know were I can find an exploded view of the sunroof system? My sunroof would definately do the frisbee thing. Is there supposed to be something that comes out of the little holes that run to the back of the car?
The Haynes manual I bought has little to be desired! So far it covers none of my problems that need to be fixed.

Thanks for the link to the V8 Porsche board placed it in my Favorites Porsche folder.

Yes it 's a 2.7L 8V. Sorry no extra parts. And I won't be doing the conversion for a couple of years.

Jeff

 

Hey hey Jeff. Welcome welcome. Anything you need for your 944 you can find here.

 

Here's one that I found