944/951guy

Check this out.
https://rennlist.com/forums/924-931-...ar-voting.html

krystar

here's what i've done to my 83 NA.

gutted interior. $0
swapped two seats for race buckets. $700
koni shocks $700
seat belt harnesses $200
harness bar (for now, replacing with rollbar) $130
18mm rear sway $50
welt springs $100
tires $500

weighs 2400 pounds with 1/4 tank of gas. fun to drive certainly. sure it has no power. for it to better, i think i'd want the front coilovers at 350lb or so. and 28 29 or 30 rear torsion. saving up money and time for that.

944/951guy

What all is gutted?
2400 sounds heavy...... but Maybe im wrong.

Potomac-Greg

2,400 is pretty light. You'd need to go to fiberglass body parts and lexan "glass" to go much lower.

krystar

all interior trim and carpet. did not remove the dash. removed all AC, power steering pump, all the evap stuff. i think that's about it. i could never find original curb weight on a 83 anytway. i figured probably 2700?

M758

I have 944 Turbo S street car and 944 NA race car.

My 944 NA race car is faster than my 944 Turbo S street car on the track. The lower weight, stiffer suspension and stickier tires easily counter the 100 hp I give up from the Turbo to the NA.

The NA is cheaper to run due to smaller tires, less weight, less hp and cheaper parts.

The NA is cheaper to build due to lower initial costs and cheaper parts costs.

I first started tracking my 944 in october 2000. I am still enjoying it now still with 2.5L 8 valve stock motor.

For your budget make it simple. buy a 944 NA strip it, put a suspension on it (look to 944 spec rules http://944spec.org for good cheap set-up) and rebuilt the motor at home to make it reliable. Then throw in at least a roll bar, seat and harness.

It will not be fast in a straight line, but very fast in the corners if you learn to drive it well. For 6k you can't go much faster. My 944 has been a great car for many years. I have completed over 100 races in my car find to be a perfect balance of speed, handling, relability and operating costs.

Plus 944 spec is great class to race in.

Turbo's are fun cars, but cost more to build and run. You can stuff a 968 motor in the car, but then that will costs you money and then drive you to wheel /tire and brake upgrades which will add in even more costs.

As for weight 944 spec rules require the cars to run 2600lbs with driver. This a reasonable weight target for a stripped 944, but no replacemet of sheet metal or glass. All that costs money. If you are really in to it you might be able to get anothr 100lbs from the car still being stock sheet metal and glass. To do that however you will spending lots time removing undercoaings and glue. It can be done especially if you are a smaller driver.

944/951guy

Thanks for the Great reply!

f1rocks

Two big considerations.....tires and brakes. With a 944 N/A you can run a set of RA-1 Toyos to cords and get a lot of track time. And they are nearly as fast on the last lap as they were on the first lap. The heavier Turbo will go through brake pads and tires at a much quicker rate. I got a full season out of the fronts and still using the back pads on the Spec car, the turbo....maybe 4 weekends

I've got well over 8K in suspension alone on the turbo where as the Spec car weighs in at 2300 pounds and could be built for close to just what I have in suspension on the Turbo.

I parked my Turbo S race car till I get faster with the NA then I'll eventually move back to the Turbo...but as much fun as I'm having that may be a while.

Much harder to drive a slow car fast but imagine starting there then moving to a fast car.

Litespeeds

Turbos will have much more issues and cost you so much more money to maintain. Buy a NA and all you need is strip out the interior, put in a good rollcage and all the safety equipment, a set of Hawk Blues in the fronts, 26.8mm front bar with a 18mm rear bar, adjustable front suspension with 350-400lbs front springs, 30mm rear torsion, Koni adjustables front and rear, corner balance and alignment and you are ready to ROCK AND ROLL!

Just remember that the 944 na is a great learning tool to drive fast through the corners and is very forgiving if you make mistakes. Turbos are much harder to drive due to the turbo lag. For the street, the turbo will be more fun but for the track, I highly recommend a 944na.

Tom R.

where are you getting a S2 or 968 for 6k ready for the track?

Why spend 3k on a wrecked M3 when you can get a running high mileage one for 5k?

Also, it is 95 M3 3.0L, and 96-99 M3 3.2L.

krystar

it's also more gratifying when you catch up to some bigger cars and the drivers come back with "how much power u got in that thing?" heh

Potomac-Greg

My favorite exchange was with an old guy who was watching me run in the same group as his kid. He walked over during a breake.

Guy: "Car moves pretty good."
Me: "Yup."
Guy: "That a turbo?"
Me: "Nope."
Guy: "... Is it an S2?"
Me: "Nope."
Guy: "16 valve?"
Me: "Nope, 8."
Guy: "Car moves pretty good."

Tom R.

my favorite exchange was qfter a session in a pair of levis and a T shirt in my 5k M3 with a guy in a nifty racing suit and a C4S
me:That was fun chasing you forthose laps
him.: irrelevant
me:you didnt have to give me the pass it was fine... im not thrilled with the stock pads on my car so i was braking a little early.
him: i prefer an empty mirror
Me: silence as i ask myself then why didnt you give me the pass after the 15th turn instead of the 50th turn?

odurandina

still miss my ol' 44S.

87 944 C

e36 m3 for 3k b/c it's damaged...no. you'll spend the rest of your 6k on repairing it, than you'll also have a car that's been damaged so you'll have to make sure the frame is straight. most e36 m3's are 8-10k, 15 if they're low milage great shape and good history.

951, if you're good you'll get one that runs and drives for 5g, but would need some maintenance done(like full tune up, probably suspension or brakes) again exceeding your 6k budget

8v: easily found for 3-3500, in good running shpae, may need brakes or suspension. still staying under 6k.

if the car is going to be a track car, don't worry about what it weighs and what it can do now, learn how to drive it well, then start changing it.