Is there anything else I can do other than watch the classifieds and ask around to find a 89-91 944 rolling chassis? Maybe someone is buyibg a runner because they need the engine and are looking to unload the car afterward?

Share your thoughts with me, I need more ideas and don't want to spend $6k on a car that's still running.

 

this proibably wont help.. but i have an 87 944S that needs head work

$1500

or $2500 with brand new camshafts and a new headgasket set

-keith

 

I'm not sure how compatible the '88 944S and my 90 S2 are body-wise. Anyone else have the answer?

 

What are you looking to do?

The S2 is a 951 with a normally aspirated 16v motor.

The S is a 944 with a normally aspirated 16V motor.

also in 89 there were three 944 variants, 944 NA, 944S2 and 944 turbo (was turbo S in 88). in 90 and 91 Porsche got rid of the NA and turbo leaving just the S2 which was called 944 and 944S2.

 

My guess is that he has a wrecked 944S2 race car, that he wants to retub.

Do you need the full uni-body, or just or front or rear clip?

There really should be few differences between the later chassis', so I think you can expand the range of years, at least back to '87. May be a clip, or tab here or there that may need to be added by a creative mechanic/bodyshop guy, but I dont think there are any really significant differences.

Are you going to do the work yourself or is a shop doing it?

 

You should be able to use any year 944 turbo, and any 944 S2. There are very very few differences between early turbo's and the S2. The S2 chassis and the Turbo S chassis are rumored to have pieces welded in to increase stiffness. You technically COULD use an NA roller, but then you will have to modify the front end if you want it to have the clean S2 / turbo look. A good friend of mine just swapped all the running gear from his wrecked '87 turbo into a '90 S2 roller. It was a pretty clean conversion, and he was even able to use the instruments from the S2.

 

My 1990 S2 suffered a triple-whammy:
- It was hit in the "A" pillar (bent the A-Pillar and "frame")
- which sent the car into the hay bales (which teaked a bunch of stuff in the front)
- the treated hay still burned some and fried the engine wiring harness and the speed sensor (we'll see what else)



My goal is to fix my car with parts from another car (I'm doing the work myself, except for the frame shop). I'm afraid that if I try to buy all the little (and big) bits from salvage I'll end up having to spend way too much money (that I don't have). The ideal would be to find a compatible white 944 with the ultimate being another S2.

It needs about 30 parts so far, including the l/f fender, drivers door, and the frame shop suggested cutting out a portion of the cowling/A-pillar and weld it in when they put the car on the frame rack to straighten it out. The purpose being to make it look better in addition to being perfectly straight when they're done.

So, from what I've heard so far, the cars to look for are (in order of preference)

89-91 S2
88.5-91 Turbo S
86-88.5 Turbo

Am I close?

 

if you have an s2- and are using the s2 motor- it would be easier to use an s2 body because of the differences in the wiring harnesses. Any other car would not have the igniter in the ds wheel well up front, and some things under the dash- really most everything else is the same as a turbo- if you want to swap interior harnesses then it wouldnt be a big deal though- i for one would not want to do that!

 

The only wiring I should have to replace are the engine harness, the wiring off the alternator and the speed sensor. I think I can re-wrap the battery-to-starter wire, the insulation is burned but the wire inside looks like new.

Thanks to all for you advice. The more I can get help from you guys the less likely I'll be to make a mistake