10 (or more) things to do to make your 944 much better
07-29-2007, 12:21 PM
#1
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
10 (or more) things to do to make your 944 much better
I thought I'd start a new thread about easy and inexpensive things you can do to make your 944 a lot better. Feel free to add to it. Please nothing subjective (like trendy stickers, smashing in the front bumper, etc.) but rather OEM-style repairs/improvements you can do in an afternoon for not a lot of money that make the car better.
Here are a few of mine:
Interior lights: These lights get yellow and brittle and can break over time, even draining your battery if they decide to stay on all week in your cabrio trunk. This lamp is also used in about a billion VW cars from the 80's and can be found for around $10 new. I would not buy a used one due to the age of the part and the annoyance (blown fuses, drained battery) when the plastic breaks.
Lug nuts: Anytime I have a wheel off of a car, if the lug nuts are in poor condition I repaint them. This is pretty easy on a 944 and it looks a lot better than the dull, purple anodizing. I use a quality flat black paint. Just wipe them down with something to clean and degrease them and give them a quick shot.
Windshield wipers: Remove, prep and paint these guys sometime.
Bumperettes: These look a lot better if they are not all chalky or torn. They are also pretty cheap from a part-out and not too awful to replace. I have not tried 'back to black' on them but I have refinished them with black bumper paint with decent results. There is a rubber repair kit that might work to repair damage, I have not tried that, or you can get some good ones and get them looking nice before installing them.
Plate frames/covers: A good license plate frame looks great. I like the simple black ones with screw covers. I use a clear plastic cover on the front but just a frame on the rear (a covered plate illegal and I do not like getting pulled over and hassled.) Make sure your tags are visible (see above.)
Wheel refinishing: This is not too awful even without removing the tires. If you are getting the tires replaced then it's no big deal if you get overspray on them, otherwise they can be masked. You can make a template in cardboard and re-use it if you want. Take a wheel off and stamp the wheel into the cardboard, then cut out the circle. A bit of masking tape in the critical areas and you are set. Prepping the wheels is the tough part. I have used Dupli-colo wheel paint with good results. Wurth might be better, I don't know. For the winter wheels on my Audi I fixed some gouges in the aluminum with JB-Weld and that has held up well. Get your tires done at a good shop and maybe they won't scratch/gouge up your wheels too. Maybe.
Painting the center caps: Prep, paint to match the wheels, then paint the crest with paint pens if you like. Do a search for the routine. If the cap rattles you can restake the rivets with a ball-pein hammer (before you refinish them) and if you are concerned about the caps falling out of the wheel you can add some grip to the tabs with a hammer and a punch. Put the rim of the inner ring on a block of wood and hit the inside of the tab with a punch, driving it into the wood a bit. Make sure the cap finish is very dry and hard before popping the caps back into the wheel (at least a day of curing time; remember, 'dry' is not 'cured.')
Steering wheel cover: Wheelskins covers look a lot better than a worn-out OEM cover. Get a second thread kit and do a baseball stitch. Take your time. You can also take the wheel and cover to a shoe repair place and they'll probably do it for a few bucks. There is one around here that also does motorcycle seats and stuff so they are used to this sort of work. Often a nice wheel can be found cheaply used, also. That'd be better than a cover if one can be found.
Shifter cover: I used a Wheelskins cover, it is a struggle to install but looks great. Vinyl is probably easier to install but I like leather. Search for tips.
Pedal covers: You can replace worn out pedal covers on a whim using Toyota covers from the 'Help' section at the local auto parts store. OEM style from a good mail-order supplier are actually cheaper if you plan ahead. They are around $5 each for the brake and clutch.
Visor clips: Word has it you can get VW clips for cheap. I have not tried this myself. OEM Porsche ones are also cheap. I do not recommend used ones, old brittle plastic parts (IMO) belong in a landfill.
Rear ride height: This is not too hard if you have the right tools, and the right tools are not that expensive. the car looks a lot better and will handle better if the rear is not dragging. I finally got around to doing mine after I was out for a day with a 110lb Norwegian girl in the back 'seat' and the right rear was really low, thumping a bit even. With my $100 compressor and $75 monster impact gun, this is not that hard. I used a (cheap) 36mm bicycle wrench to rotate the adjuster, You also need a sturdy 24mm wrench. A but adjustable wrench does not really fit in there, at least get a bike wrench to do this. I needed to use the jack method to bust the bolts loose for the first time. After that, a second adjustment just takes 30 min. You can have an alignment shop do this also.
Do not loosen the rear (eccentric) too much. Bust the rear (eccentric) loose first, then snug it up good again, then bust the front. That way if the adjuster comes too loose the arm will not move before you can snug it up again. Mark the relationship between the blade and arm before loosening anything.
Enough for now,
-Joel.
Here are a few of mine:
Interior lights: These lights get yellow and brittle and can break over time, even draining your battery if they decide to stay on all week in your cabrio trunk. This lamp is also used in about a billion VW cars from the 80's and can be found for around $10 new. I would not buy a used one due to the age of the part and the annoyance (blown fuses, drained battery) when the plastic breaks.
Lug nuts: Anytime I have a wheel off of a car, if the lug nuts are in poor condition I repaint them. This is pretty easy on a 944 and it looks a lot better than the dull, purple anodizing. I use a quality flat black paint. Just wipe them down with something to clean and degrease them and give them a quick shot.
Windshield wipers: Remove, prep and paint these guys sometime.
Bumperettes: These look a lot better if they are not all chalky or torn. They are also pretty cheap from a part-out and not too awful to replace. I have not tried 'back to black' on them but I have refinished them with black bumper paint with decent results. There is a rubber repair kit that might work to repair damage, I have not tried that, or you can get some good ones and get them looking nice before installing them.
Plate frames/covers: A good license plate frame looks great. I like the simple black ones with screw covers. I use a clear plastic cover on the front but just a frame on the rear (a covered plate illegal and I do not like getting pulled over and hassled.) Make sure your tags are visible (see above.)
Wheel refinishing: This is not too awful even without removing the tires. If you are getting the tires replaced then it's no big deal if you get overspray on them, otherwise they can be masked. You can make a template in cardboard and re-use it if you want. Take a wheel off and stamp the wheel into the cardboard, then cut out the circle. A bit of masking tape in the critical areas and you are set. Prepping the wheels is the tough part. I have used Dupli-colo wheel paint with good results. Wurth might be better, I don't know. For the winter wheels on my Audi I fixed some gouges in the aluminum with JB-Weld and that has held up well. Get your tires done at a good shop and maybe they won't scratch/gouge up your wheels too. Maybe.
Painting the center caps: Prep, paint to match the wheels, then paint the crest with paint pens if you like. Do a search for the routine. If the cap rattles you can restake the rivets with a ball-pein hammer (before you refinish them) and if you are concerned about the caps falling out of the wheel you can add some grip to the tabs with a hammer and a punch. Put the rim of the inner ring on a block of wood and hit the inside of the tab with a punch, driving it into the wood a bit. Make sure the cap finish is very dry and hard before popping the caps back into the wheel (at least a day of curing time; remember, 'dry' is not 'cured.')
Steering wheel cover: Wheelskins covers look a lot better than a worn-out OEM cover. Get a second thread kit and do a baseball stitch. Take your time. You can also take the wheel and cover to a shoe repair place and they'll probably do it for a few bucks. There is one around here that also does motorcycle seats and stuff so they are used to this sort of work. Often a nice wheel can be found cheaply used, also. That'd be better than a cover if one can be found.
Shifter cover: I used a Wheelskins cover, it is a struggle to install but looks great. Vinyl is probably easier to install but I like leather. Search for tips.
Pedal covers: You can replace worn out pedal covers on a whim using Toyota covers from the 'Help' section at the local auto parts store. OEM style from a good mail-order supplier are actually cheaper if you plan ahead. They are around $5 each for the brake and clutch.
Visor clips: Word has it you can get VW clips for cheap. I have not tried this myself. OEM Porsche ones are also cheap. I do not recommend used ones, old brittle plastic parts (IMO) belong in a landfill.
Rear ride height: This is not too hard if you have the right tools, and the right tools are not that expensive. the car looks a lot better and will handle better if the rear is not dragging. I finally got around to doing mine after I was out for a day with a 110lb Norwegian girl in the back 'seat' and the right rear was really low, thumping a bit even. With my $100 compressor and $75 monster impact gun, this is not that hard. I used a (cheap) 36mm bicycle wrench to rotate the adjuster, You also need a sturdy 24mm wrench. A but adjustable wrench does not really fit in there, at least get a bike wrench to do this. I needed to use the jack method to bust the bolts loose for the first time. After that, a second adjustment just takes 30 min. You can have an alignment shop do this also.
Do not loosen the rear (eccentric) too much. Bust the rear (eccentric) loose first, then snug it up good again, then bust the front. That way if the adjuster comes too loose the arm will not move before you can snug it up again. Mark the relationship between the blade and arm before loosening anything.
Enough for now,
-Joel.
07-29-2007, 12:28 PM
#2
Rennlist Member
-throttle cam or cut the lobe off the original- some dont like it but removing the cam part of the throttle cam makes loads of difference in throttle response time
-extra running lights in the rear- there is lense in the lower center of your taillight left blank- just has a reflector- if you get a couple extra taillight socket inserts and pop them into those holes, run a wire from the outer running light to the extra sockets, you have twice as much taillight- which they are really dim at night. Euro cars come factory w/ this- ive done this to three or four cars so far and i love it. Credit goes to nine-44 for the idea.
-the amber taillight redout- take some testors translucent candy apple red model spray paint and paint your rear corner turn signals red- makes the whole taillight red- ive seen the reverse light sprayed too.
-adding a turbo rear valance to an n/a- there are many writeups on this but makes a big visual difference
-extra running lights in the rear- there is lense in the lower center of your taillight left blank- just has a reflector- if you get a couple extra taillight socket inserts and pop them into those holes, run a wire from the outer running light to the extra sockets, you have twice as much taillight- which they are really dim at night. Euro cars come factory w/ this- ive done this to three or four cars so far and i love it. Credit goes to nine-44 for the idea.
-the amber taillight redout- take some testors translucent candy apple red model spray paint and paint your rear corner turn signals red- makes the whole taillight red- ive seen the reverse light sprayed too.
-adding a turbo rear valance to an n/a- there are many writeups on this but makes a big visual difference
07-29-2007, 01:22 PM
#4
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by Mamooguy
Where can I get a 110lb Norwegian girl?
As for mods, can we put those into another thread? I'd like to keep this a 'fix-up' thread rather than a modding thread.
Thanks,
-Joel.
07-29-2007, 01:42 PM
#5
Three Wheelin'
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Taranna
Posts: 1,401
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I hope my Icelandic girlfriend doesn't read this forum ...
Anyway, great suggestions for fixes.
Here's mine: replace the oxygen sensor if you're still on the original. After changing mine I noticed a distinct improvement in gas mileage. It's not hard, you can see it when you pop the hood and look down the exhaust manifold ... it's that little plug thing just aft of where the exhaust meets the manifold.
Anyway, great suggestions for fixes.
Here's mine: replace the oxygen sensor if you're still on the original. After changing mine I noticed a distinct improvement in gas mileage. It's not hard, you can see it when you pop the hood and look down the exhaust manifold ... it's that little plug thing just aft of where the exhaust meets the manifold.
Trending Topics
07-29-2007, 04:54 PM
#8
Nordschleife Master
10 Things to Run Better.
1. LSx motor
2. Heads For LSx Motor
3. Cam for LSx Motor
4. Intake for LSx Motor
5. Tune for LSx Motor
6. Kit with exhaust and radiator to install LSx Motor
7. Rennbay Front Brake Kit
8. Stainless Brake lines and a Flush with good fluid (SBR, motul, etc..)
9. M030 Swaybars + Poly Mounts
10. Shocks and Springs/torsionbar
10 things to look better.
1. Stub Nose
2. 924 Hatch (no wing)
3. Wheels
4. Good paint
5. Steering wheel
6. Seats
7. Rollbar
8. Hookers
9. Booze
10. Hookers..
1. LSx motor
2. Heads For LSx Motor
3. Cam for LSx Motor
4. Intake for LSx Motor
5. Tune for LSx Motor
6. Kit with exhaust and radiator to install LSx Motor
7. Rennbay Front Brake Kit
8. Stainless Brake lines and a Flush with good fluid (SBR, motul, etc..)
9. M030 Swaybars + Poly Mounts
10. Shocks and Springs/torsionbar
10 things to look better.
1. Stub Nose
2. 924 Hatch (no wing)
3. Wheels
4. Good paint
5. Steering wheel
6. Seats
7. Rollbar
8. Hookers
9. Booze
10. Hookers..
07-29-2007, 08:31 PM
#15
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by Mamooguy
Here's mine: replace the oxygen sensor if you're still on the original. After changing mine I noticed a distinct improvement in gas mileage. It's not hard, you can see it when you pop the hood and look down the exhaust manifold ... it's that little plug thing just aft of where the exhaust meets the manifold.
Again, please keep the mods out of this thread, thanks. Smooshed bumpers, V8 swaps and shrapnel ***** are not for everyone.
-Joel.