smallinson

Newbie here: any ideas on off-the-shelf performance improvements to a 1988 944 S? Looking for something that helps the car off the mark a bit. UK company Promax (http://www.promaxmotorsport.com/) claims 20 BHP gain with their chip, but I don't know if that's going to help at low revs. I just drive it around the Cambridgeshire country lanes and would like a bit more ooomph. (I know - buy a Turbo - it might be easier...)
Thanks
Steve

jgporsche

enjoy it for what it is. That's the best I can tell you. I own one and I love it the way it is. If i want to drive fast I drive my 951.

MM951

Was it you (jgporsche) or someone else that was talking about turbo'ing a 944S??

jgporsche

yes




i've gone back and forth on it. it depends on how i feel that day. I probably will do it. I have been collecting parts for it. but until I get all the parts I will enjoy the car the way it is.

gtroth

The S can be a blast if you just keep the RPMs up. If you haven't already, sort out all the little things like vacuum, spark and injectors, etc. They might add up and you'll notice some gains (I sure did).

And since you're new and may not have searched all that much, don't take chances with the cam chain tensioner (and of course the T belt).

Cheers.

Daniel Dudley

Improve exhaust and intake. Then rev the **** out of it. Use second gear more, and downshift at higher rpm's than you are accustomed to. Just don't beat it.

Also realize that a nice exhaust will make the car sound better as well as giving you maybe 18 HP. The cars are really not slow, but they are so high geared and quiet that they are undramatic. The S doesn't really make power until about 4000 rpm, so uncorking the exhaust will really free up the engine's top end power while telling your ears that you have a real engine.

BTW, Try telling the trooper that your car is slow when you get pulled over at 90 plus. They really fly. Nobody I have taken for a ride has ever said ''Gee, what a slow car.''. I also have an 89 928. Very fast, but similarly undramatic. Driving my 72 Fiat Abarth replica with the competition cams and exhaust gets me dirty looks at normal speeds. Burns rubber etc. and feels really fast at 70. The 944 will blow the doors off of it and I can fly by the locals without a second glance. Feels very smooth at 120, no drama. Go figure. Sometimes I have to open the windows to get a feeling of just how fast I am going. LOL

jeeper31

What kind of exhaust would you recommend?

Campeck

no exhaust on a 944 is going to get you 18hp. and if it did it would be within a 500 rpm powerband at 5,500 rpm. and you would have to chip it to change spark/fuel.

now. two adjustable cams with tuned exhaust and short runner intake will prolly net you over 20 i would think. THAT would be fun. and sound badass.

jgporsche

Yes, the intake manifold is what people need to upgrade. I talked to LR and they said they flowed a 16v head from a junk yard and it flowed 300+CFM. The intake manifold can't flow more than 200CFM. With a piggyback to add fuel and short runner intake, the motor would make more power.

If you were to install the larger 951 valves on the 16v head, that thing could flow HUGE numbers.

But why stop there? Why not 4 into 1 headers?

9xx

ProMAX chip certainly helps you with the low revs. Smoother and some extra torque. But it won't make your car much faster, just better. That's how I felt after installing this chip to my car.

Check your ignition, vacuum lines, injectors and all the basic stuff. You can install for example a Promax chip and that's about it then. Remove some weight from the car maybe. Then just floor it. If it's not enough, get some other car.

I think the S-model is somewhat fast car but it doesn't feel like it. It's somehow too sophisticated and humble. I like it A LOT but I guess this is our last summer together.

smallinson

Thanks for all the inputs folks. Looks like the answer is: rev a bit harder, look at the vacuum, spark, injectors, consider the Promax chip for low rev gains. And then after that you're into metal bashing. Agree the car is swift, but the frustrating bit is at low revs. BTW, I went hunting for 944 performance chips on the internet, and found a bunch, but couldn't find too many specs; which is suspicious. Any thoughts on them?

Thanks again

FRporscheman

According to a car magazine, the 1988 944S does 0-100km/h (0-60mph) in 8.0 seconds, and 400m (1/4 mile) in 16.2 seconds. I believe the stock power is 180 hp or so. I'm sure you know the engine is 2.5L.

People can tell you to buy a turbo, but sometimes you just want to keep your car. But while you're in it you wish you had some more grunt... I think weight reduction and bringing things back up to snuff are the best things to do. Weight reduction is often simple and cheap, and highly effective at improving both handling (as long as you keep the distribution 50/50) and acceleration. Fixing up all that stuff mentioned above will make the car run smoother, deliver power better, and make the car more reliable. Don't forget, a fast car is still a useless car if it doesn't work.

Past that, I hear the most promising upgrades to an NA 944 are cams, exhaust, fuel, intake. Before you spend money on upgrades, or even fixing up your engine, decide whether or not you'll be happy with a 180hp engine. If not, before you invest into it, swap it for a turbo engine or something. HTH.

nkgosselin

What about a new final drive?

86 951 Driver

I can't believe the 944S does the 1/4 mile slower then my 924S. I did the 1/4 mile in 15.8.

jgporsche

Power is 188hp 170lb-ft, the 0-60mph time you posted was incorrect. Most range from 7.2-7.7. Me personally, I have done a 7.14 on a stock motor .