i have no experience with the 944 at all.

...now that we got that out of the way, i have a few questions if you guys would be so kind as to answer them for me please.

1. Ive spent the last 2 days reading for hours on FAQs, different sites about things that go wrong with these cars, etc etc. First question is, are they worth it? i have a very limited budget, but im thinking about buying a n/a model, prefferably an '86 because i like the interiors. They are porsche, so of course parts and specialty tools are expensive.

2. From what ive read, there are a few engines for these cars. I can not afford a 951 so the stock n/a 2.5L is probably what im stuck with. Engine swaps, what kind are there? I know there is a 3.0 I4 from the s2's that is swapable, but as far as swaps that are the best, i dont know much in that area from my research. I know you can swap v8s like the 350 in, but i really want to keep this an all german car, one with the heart of a porsche, not a chevy. Also, are the turbo parts from the 951 worth swapping over. I know it works out alright, but what is the price on parts like that from the average specialty junkyard?

3. You guys know these cars, hence why i am here. The other car ive been thinking about buying is a DSM (dimond star motors) such as the 1991 eagle talon AWD tsi. its 200 hp, lots of aftermarket, all wheel drive, and easy to make faster, for a relitively cheap price. I realize this might be the smart way to go, but I am leaning towards the porsche because of the quality and engineering that goes into these cars, and the heritage behind them.

I have about 2 grand to spend, and money after that will be slow for repairing the car or mods or what ever else comes up. simply put, it will be a long term project. I want a car that i can constantly drive though, and ive read alot about these cars and am up for a challenge as far as repairing stuff. What are your opinions on these cars and also, i really want to make one decently fast (300-400hp and close to the same torque), but it doesnt have to be right away you know? I am not a n00b when it comes to cars, but im not an expert either. One reason I am leaning towards the porsche is because not many people can say they've fixed up and tuned a porsche, where as a 350 v8 everybody has done. One more thing i should let you know is that i do plan on this being a track car as well, not just a drive arround town car. I live out in the country, with lots of empty roads too so i would be driving alot FOR FUN. I know they are high matenence cars (what sportscars arent?) and i would love to gain more experience with one.

If this thread is a waste of time in anyway, or a stupid question, you can delete it if you want, i just wish to get some advice and opinions from people who own these cars, or know alot about them in some way or another. thanks guys, i really apreciate it.

as for sites ive been pointed to and have read:

http://www.powerhaus.com/944t.htm#motor

http://www.connact.com/~kgross/FAQ/ <---ive read pretty much everything on there.

http://www.clarks-garage.com/951faq.htm

http://www.944-world.com/

I was also pointed to this sight, and went through the 28 or so pages on this forum looking for engine swaps, and didnt really find much (as far as the titles go). thanks guys once again, i really apreciate it.

 

Well if your wanting 300-400 hp out of a NA then you have a long road ahead of you....I think but am not sure someone here has a na that is really fast but im not sure....but a 944 is an awesome track car...do some suspension mods and you would be set....

 

there isn't much of a way to get a lot of power out of an NA...for that much power...get a 951 (cheaper) or drop in a LS1 engine (didn't like it at first, but saw it and pretty nice!)...LS1 would be about the same price...and you would want to get the suspension and stuff of that sort from the 951....it would be cheaper in the long run to just get a good condition 951 (between 7-12k depending on your location) and mod it...

 

Yea definetly go with a 951 if you want that much power....but if you dont have that big of a budget right now wait...or just go with a na and have fun with it....mine is awesome and fun to drive

 

There is no way your going to get 300-400hp out of an n/a unless you are willing to spend big $$$. N/a's are not fast cars but they are definitely fun to drive.

 

Hey lawn gnome....my name is anthony too pretty crazy...actually there are a few people on the board with that name or Tony

 

thats the reaction ive been reading. "get the 951". well, since that is impossible for me right now, what about the n/a? you guys say it is an awesome track car when the suspension is upgraded...ive read on one sight that it was REALLY expensive, but i disregarded it. what did you guys pay for your yellow koni replacements? or is there something better for the cars? also, the front torsion bars, there is one company that makes a beefier set up for the whole one piece (for later models) set up. is this a good way to go too? i dont NEED fast, as long as its peppy and really fun to drive, then thats good enough for me right now. obviously a track car needs brakes, so what do these run you usually? ive seen numerous sights with the mods, but i never caught any prices. i really want to learn on the next car i drive. when i say learn i mean learn to be an excellent driver (track/autocross). obviously this takes time and lots of practice, but doing it on a porsche, thats priceless. thanks guys once again, im suprized at how fast you replyed.

 

1: Welcome to rennlist and you have found the information jackpot on porsches. The 944 n/a is much much simpler and has much less to worry about than a 951. WAY LESS. For about 2 grand it will get you a, well, "not perfect" 944 86'+. Are they worth it? it depends how much a porsche patch means to you because it really is just a 2.5 2900 pound 160 horse power car with a porsche patch on the front and back.

2: The 951 is indeed a very pricey car. Doing a motor swap is not like your average honda civic motor that you want to put a JDM motor or something into. The 951 motor and the 944 motor are very different and need a lot of time and a lot of work to swap. The LS1 is cool but it is also not porsche. I would never even think about swapping a 951 motor into the 944 though.

3: These cars are tricky. You need to / get a very good sense of what breaks or what is breaking when you own these cars (at least a 951). Parts are over priced even though they are cheaper than 911's. The motors are not easy to work on although the n/a is 1000 times easier than the 951. The interiors are nothing special because the cars are maid to be sports cars. BUT they are very very fun to drive and you almost always get a "wow thats a nice looking car" or "is that a porsche? nicee" when ever you go to a gas station. The eagle talon TSI or eclipse GSX is a very nice car specially if you are big into aftermarket parts for a cheap price. They can be maid into very fast cars and i personally think they look great. But it is apples and oranges and you have to decide which one taste better to you.


Just keep looking around and maybe you will find a nice 944 for 2 grand. If i were you i would look into the S2 944 because it has the 16 Valve head and they have the 951 body. They come with more power than the normal 944 n/a but you do not have to worry about turbos. Good luck and i hope you find the car you are looking for.

-Ian

 

I am not sure about the price of the suspension stuff...but the brakes are really good already i think in the na....if not then the turbo brake setup is pretty good...and since you are on a small budget i would stay with the brakes you have and get some other mods like a turbo sway bar maybe....but i dont know all that much so hopefully for you someone with a lot more knowledge will post tomorrow...be patient this thread will be blowing up tomorrow....maybe?

 

Race,

Nice to have ya here! You have hit some good sites for information, another might be the pelicanparts board. http://www.pelicanparts.com While you are reading the forum and hearing about problems you can also check out the prices for repairs. 944's are out there in your price range but they will require A LOT of work. I bought my rolling (not running) project for $600 and have spent almost if not more than 2K in parts and tools. I wasn't looking for a daily but would like to get it there. I am guessing that another 2 or 3K and I should have a car that I would feel OK to drive daily.

You will see 944 NA's sell for a variety of prices, it really depends on what is invested in it. Most important thing about it is to make sure that belts and waterpump are taken care of if not documented take care of it ASAP. That by the way is about $350 in parts if I remember right.

Modifications to 944 are hard. You can chip them to get a little improvement in performance but Porsche did what they could out the door to really squeeze as much out of the car that they could.

951's have more power and typically sell for more, go figure You can find them that at the price that you mentioned but I wouldn't put it on the road as a daily.

Used parts are not to bad through listers and the big 10 or so venders can have very reasonable prices. Some are close to my Corolla. Just be prepaired to do the work. Several people have good links in there signatures on how to get started. Sorry but I am not one of them.

Good luck to ya and keep us informed!

Michael

 

Very well put Ian...and yes, I can attest to the expensiveness of a 951. Being a 21 year old in college...making 7 bucks an hour...every paycheck goes to this car almost....especially if you want mods for speed/suspension/body...

 

isnt the s2 alot more though? i know the S was a turbo with even more hp than the "turbo". i love the way the 86+ interiors look, it may be simple, and a sports car, but it is gorgeous imo. also, the most comfortable car i can remember sitting in (ive sat in alot of cars) was a porsche boxter at the detroit autoshow a few years ago. is the 944 anything like this? the seats look similar. and yeah, the dsm is cheaper, easier to find, faster, but heavier and AWD (which awd is partially the reason i want it). the 944 is slower, and 3000lbs, but its inline = no shiftercables (having that problem on my current car) so your right in the trans which typically means hard throws and you KNOW your shifting. plus, the porsche is RWD which is great, and they suposedly are awesome at handling...but for being so old, suspension systems are tired and in need of replacing... just some thigns ive been thingking about.

 

Yeah its a little late. BUT if you get some koni yellows all the way around, new sway bar in the front and rear. Maybe some springs if you want ,it will handle very nice. I belive the brakes in the 86'+ are very good because they are maid by brembo hahah. Yeah the 944 is the 944. Stock it handles pretty good but with a couple suspension upgrades it will handle very nice. I think you can get koni yellows all the way around for about 500$. Sway bar you can pick up on ebay for like 40$ or some thing. Springs maybe 200$ some thing like that. You have to see what comes on the car because most the time people upgrade them already.

-Ian

 

I disagree with this statement...I drive my car daily and can't think of anything else i feel more comfertable in or confident as far as reliability goes

 

There is the:

944 83'-85.5'
944 85.5'-91?
944 s 85.5 - 87?
944 turbo (951) 86'-90'
944 turbo s 88-89
944 S2 87-91?

i am not sure about the dates but those are the different types of 944's.

The S2 has the 16 valve head.