To chip or not to chip?
05-20-2006, 02:11 PM
#1
Advanced
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 73
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
To chip or not to chip?
I have a 86 non-turbo 944 and i am looking into increasing performance. Will a chip do this on a non-turbo. What other performance upgrades do you guys reccomend?
05-20-2006, 02:47 PM
#2
Intermediate
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: York, PA
Posts: 25
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
it seems like somebody asks this question about once a week. you may actually get some people nice enough to help; apart from that, the two most popular responses will be "use the search feature" and "sell your N/A and get a Turbo."
05-20-2006, 03:04 PM
#3
Race Car
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Albany, CA: celebrating 100 years of independence from Berkeley, CA
Posts: 4,887
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
The third popular response is "fix the nut behind the steering wheel". Do some AX or track events and learn to really drive.
The fourth popular response would be "make sure your car is well tuned". The factory did a pretty good job -- so get the car back to that level before trying to make improvements on it.
Overall our cars are made for handling -- not acceleration. Think canyon runs rather than 1/4-mile drag strips. My favorite pasttime is trying to get a Mustang to follow me into a sweeper on the freeway at speed and powering out of the turn as the Mustang slows down for entry into the turn. Rather than looking for power, I'd look for improvements in the suspension department (sway bars, stiffer springs/t-bars, fresh sticky tires are super nice).
As for chips on non-turbo applications, they work but hardly worth it in my opinion (gives you maybe 2-5hp and mostly by raising the rev limiter -- only slight effect on the torque band).
BTW, welcome to Rennlist.
The fourth popular response would be "make sure your car is well tuned". The factory did a pretty good job -- so get the car back to that level before trying to make improvements on it.
Overall our cars are made for handling -- not acceleration. Think canyon runs rather than 1/4-mile drag strips. My favorite pasttime is trying to get a Mustang to follow me into a sweeper on the freeway at speed and powering out of the turn as the Mustang slows down for entry into the turn. Rather than looking for power, I'd look for improvements in the suspension department (sway bars, stiffer springs/t-bars, fresh sticky tires are super nice).
As for chips on non-turbo applications, they work but hardly worth it in my opinion (gives you maybe 2-5hp and mostly by raising the rev limiter -- only slight effect on the torque band).
BTW, welcome to Rennlist.
05-20-2006, 03:14 PM
#5
Race Director
if you feel 2-3 hp is worth ~150-200$ (i dont even know) a chip costs then go for it...
to make an n/a have power will cost a ton of money. but you can look at Milledge cams if you want to spend a bit more and dont mind doing it..
to make an n/a have power will cost a ton of money. but you can look at Milledge cams if you want to spend a bit more and dont mind doing it..
05-20-2006, 03:32 PM
#6
Rennlist Member
A local guy, a mechanic, chipped his 84 and said it really improved the performance. I guess it depends on how you drive the car as there is no free lunch and you can move the power band but it may to the detriment of the in town drivability. Now if you really need power consider dropping a 5.7 LS1 into the engine bay and get some one to tune the computer. That is serious HP and you will blow the doors off anything around you. Google Porsche Hybrid and good luck.
05-20-2006, 04:58 PM
#7
Nordschleife Master
Originally Posted by yellow9ll
so i guess its safe to say "you dont know"
Trending Topics
05-20-2006, 06:14 PM
#8
Race Director
Originally Posted by yellow9ll
I have a 86 non-turbo 944 and i am looking into increasing performance. Will a chip do this on a non-turbo. What other performance upgrades do you guys reccomend?
I know how to incrase the performance of a non turbo 944.
In fact my non turbo 944 is faster on the track than my 944 Turbo S.
I will give you one little bit of advice. Although I have chip in 944 it is NOT the thing that makes the car fast.
05-20-2006, 09:24 PM
#10
Nordschleife Master
Originally Posted by Mike Markota
if you feel 2-3 hp is worth ~150-200$ (i dont even know) a chip costs then go for it...
to make an n/a have power will cost a ton of money. but you can look at Milledge cams if you want to spend a bit more and dont mind doing it..
to make an n/a have power will cost a ton of money. but you can look at Milledge cams if you want to spend a bit more and dont mind doing it..
Is there a website for milledge cams? Are the any other performance cams?
thanks
05-21-2006, 03:02 AM
#13
Drama Queen
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Somewhere in WI in my garage, or circum-navigating the globe in a wooden boat.
Posts: 2,009
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
man (yellow911), if u bought a n/a and expected race car performance u are wrong, u want that u better invest in a 951 or something. my 86 944 n/a is fast enough for me, i was like you when i got it askin how im gonna get this thing burnin rubber thru the gears, and i have seen a 944 that could do that but it cost the guy about 5-6k$ in the motor alone!(selling the car for 18k$) im happy to just have my 944. like josephsc said its not power but how u drive. i found a site that specializes in lightweight fiberglass 944 parts. oh and btw these guys know their stuff so dont take it for granted.
05-21-2006, 08:50 AM
#14
Unbannable
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
I put an Autothority chip in my '87. Since a friend of mine worked there, I got it at half price (~$250 versus ~$500). At this point I can't say if the car is really noticabally (sp?) any faster. I want to say that maybe it is, but butt-dynos aren't that precise. The one thing I did notice was thet the throttle response is sooooo much better with the chip. To me, that makes it worth the money I spent, but I doubt I'd be as satisfied if I had paid full price.
At this point I'm on the fence about de-chipping the car due to fuel costs, but since it's not my daily driver the added costs won't really amount to much over the year.
In my opinion, unless you are willing to spend the extra money for a smidgen of performance, it's probably not worth doing.
BB.
At this point I'm on the fence about de-chipping the car due to fuel costs, but since it's not my daily driver the added costs won't really amount to much over the year.
In my opinion, unless you are willing to spend the extra money for a smidgen of performance, it's probably not worth doing.
BB.
05-21-2006, 09:33 AM
#15
I dynoed my '89 944 S2 as stock then opened up the stock air box and installed a 3" Lindsey racing exhaust along with a $45 chip that I found on eBay.
Net results ....11 HP and 10 ft/lb torque.
So now the car has 195 HP atthe rear wheels and I have taken out 300 #'s. When I get the Racer's Edge coil overs it will be one awsome track car...much better than the driver ;-)
Net results ....11 HP and 10 ft/lb torque.
So now the car has 195 HP atthe rear wheels and I have taken out 300 #'s. When I get the Racer's Edge coil overs it will be one awsome track car...much better than the driver ;-)
