TheMirror

Gang -

Knowing that a number of 968s and a few 944S2s were delivered to the US with the full M030 suspension package, I was wondering how many base models were sold here with that option....if any. I'm sure some folks did the pick and choose from the option catalog, but did Porsche send any base M030 cars over here without special-order status?

Thanks,
-Mirror

Tom R.

dont think it was called 030. my brothers 84 had the koni option and no LSD. dont think it was option 030 though. My friends dad had a 84 in 84 and it had the suspension option and the fuchs option.

Airflite40

wasnt the sports suspension for earlier cars M474??

FRporscheman

474 is sport shocks, while 030 is sport everything (shocks, springs, sway bars, brakes, spindles etc). Please correct me if I'm wrong. Also depending on year and/or model, the 030 shocks can be stiffer than 474 shocks.

You're asking if there are 944s out there with m030 suspension (from the factory) that don't have "030" on the options tag? Why wouldn't they put it on the options tag even if it wasn't special ordered?

TheMirror

Sorry, my question is a little muddled. I'm just wondering how many full M030 944 base models are here in the US, if any.

Tom R.

The question is if 030 was available on a NA pre 89.

The 030 option on a S2 and 951 included the height adjustable konis, the 928S2 four piston front calipers with bigger rotors and some other stuff. The LSD option 220 was a separate option. the 951S of 88 and 89 951 had both packages and ABS standard. The 030 package available on the 89 951 had the same parts as the 030 package on the 968. Im not sure if the 968 also got the bigger sways with the 030 package.

Going back to your question, my brother's 84 had the konis. I dont think just konis were available in 88 or 89+ when the 030 was around.

In 84 a rear sway bar was optional. That became standard around 87 on the NA. Was the rear sway a separate option in 84 or part of the koni package? As i mentioned earlier, each option was separate. My brother had the konis and cookie cutters and an open diff. We looked at a 84 with boge shocks, cookie cutters and option 220 LSD.

Then there was my buddy's dads red automatic 84. When he bought the car he wanted an automatic and the sport package in gold. he couldnt get it in gold so he got the red one with the sport shocks - konis, that's one option, the 16" fuchs (tough getting 16" tires back then and about $200 a tire) that's a separate option, and im not sure if his car had the LSD because i didnt drive it enough.

so in summary, i think the answer to your question is zero because i dont think the 030 package was available in pre 85.5 cars.

maybe someone here can affirmatively state when 030 first became availabe in a 944 and what it consisted of.

edit: i am saying Koni in the 84s. I think they were bilsteins. what's the difference anyway, they are both yellow so they must be the same thing, right?

JimGinKC

My 83 has Koni's and LSD, but came with cookie cutters

FRporscheman

I believe my '84 has 474 and no other suspension codes, and it came with the 14mm rear sway bar. I don't know what shocks it had because they've already been changed twice.

944CS

474 was the option on the early cars because 030 didn't exist then. 030 was available on base models in '87 but you don't see many 944's with that option. I would guess there are more 924S's with the option than 944's due to the 924SE model.

sbyrne

Doesn't the Fordahl's multiple SCCA solo trophy winning early car have factory M030? They have run it in the Stock classes for many years. I researched that question on the autocross board when I bought my car 3 years ago, but the details are a little fuzzy.

Tom R.

what is the difference between a 86 474 and a 87 030?

im curious since the 030 on the S2 and 951S is not just shocks, but brakes too.

TheMirror

Excellent information guys, thanks a million!

Information I can offer in return is that 968's did receive upgraded sway bars with the M030 package, 30 mm - hollow up front (up from 26.8 mm solid) and a 19 mm solid 3-way adjustable bar in the rear. 968 Tiptronics with M030 had the same front sway bar but a slightly different rear, 18 mm solid non-adjustable (up from 16 mm).

Cheers,
-Mirror

moorepower

So, were the height adjustable, threaded collar struts not available on early cars, or was this part of the 474 package? I have a pair on my 924S (early offset suspension) that I got from a 924S-SE, and I believe they had 951 part numbers. So would these have been available on the '86 951 (also early offset)?

turbokev

Is there anyplace else I can look for the option codes besides under the rear carpet? My car does not have them there..

I've got an 84 5 speed with sunroof delete, LSD, Konis, sport steering wheel & a rear sway bar. Car came with silver painted cookie cutters when I got it.. maybe it was a Fuch car when new but without the codes I don't know..

944CS

456 was descirbed in one porsche manual I read as "sport shocks and stabilizers" adn was available in '83 (actually koni's were available in '82 in whatever country the 944 was launched in) and consisted of koni shocks, the stiffest front spring offered, a 21.5mm front sway bar (as opposed to the standard 20mm) and a rear 14mm sway bar.

474 was introduced sometime after 85.5 and just specified sport shocks

030 is a sport chassis option that consisted of koni's that were height adjustable in the front, 14mm rear sway bar (on N/A's), 23mm front sway bar (which increased to 26.8 in '87), 24.5mm rear torsion bars (later increased to 25.5mm), and certain rubber bushings with a harder durometer, most notably the strut mounts and the bushings for the rear trailing arms.

I may be missing some info but those are the basics