SSMotorhead

Hey guys, I don't know whether or not the topic has been discussed, and please forgive me if it has been at great length in the past. But I'm a newbie and am curious with a short amount of time on hand.

I'm curious as to what the differences are between the 944 and 944 Turbo. Engine I know, but what of the rest of the car? Upgraded suspension? Better rear end? Better brakes?

I'm thinkin about buyin a cherry 944 located 50 miles from the house for $4850, garage kept with 53,000 miles. I'm curious what it would take to make a 944 Turbo later.

Why? I'm leaving back to Afghanistan in about.... 4 days and I just happened across this car and I'm curious how hard or how much money we're talkin to make a really fun daily.

Speakin of daily, 944's good for Daily's? I'm guessing Porsche will be like almost every other manufacturer from Europe in that they have solid cars.. Unlike America?

krystar

short answer: more money that it's worth. i'm going to take a stab in the dark and say $5k + labor as a starting point.

long answer: engine, accessories, harness, electronics, dash, suspension, brakes. basically everything except the shell

m73m95

Your answers are not as simple as you may think.

If you just want a faster daily driver, go buy a turbo 944. They are extremely cheap right now.....however...

If you have an emotional attachment to your NA (Like I do for mine), then the turbo swap isn't as bad as these guys want you to believe. The stock DME from your NA car can run your turbo engine, you just need to add a knock sensor. Your suspension is 20+ years old, so it needs upgraded anyway. The brakes from a turbo car are very easy to swap to the NA, or for an even cheaper solution is using Lexus LS430 calipers shown here. If you do very mild boost, then the stock NA transaxle SHOULD suffice, if you go easy on it. IF you do switch gearboxes, turbo boxes are just a few hundred dollars.

So, more expensive than its worth.....It probably is.

Is it easy to do on a car that you just can't handle parting with.... absolutely (providing you understand what you are getting into.)

944s will never be worth anything in a resale, so all of this talk "Its not worth it" is nonsense. We ALL have more money in regular maintenance tied up in our cars than they are even worth.

krystar

lol very true. i've spent i think 5x the purchase price of my car on maintenance

chrenan

M758

Alot.
Engine, Suspension, wire harenss. Engine controls, brakes, transmission, and interior and fuel tank on some years.


Don't do it. If you leaving for Afgahnistan don't buy jack right now. Buy a turbo when you get back. Both wil work as daily drivers, but by the right car. Getting the wrong car because you have not learned enough about them is an expensive mistake. Take your time and find the right model and the right condition to suit your needs.

SSMotorhead

Well, I went and looked at it. Gave the guy $100 bucks to hold it.

Pictures do not do it justice. It looks and drives like brand new. And I mean it looks A M A Z I N G, inside and out. Definately not what you'd expect for an 84... of any make.

Forgive me guys, I'm a bit of a nut and I know I didn't explain a lot when I asked. But I'm a do-it-yourself'er.

I have a 1971 Chevelle SS, fully restored, and a RB26DETT swapped S13. So I know what I'm getting into. Plus, after driving it... I won't need to swap the damn thing. Its fun enough for a daily.

The guy's been using it as a weekend track-car for Autocross. All the bushings are telron? Elron? somethin like that... Personally I've never heard of them, but when I drove it the thing was super stiff and seemed like it would be very flat in the corners. It had Fuchs wheels, new lower control arms, and an assortment of various other things associated with making a fun little Autocrosser.

And yes, I know, daily + very stiff isn't usually what everyone goes for... I'm young, and I don't mind sacrificing a little comfort for a very fun car.

For me, it'll be perfect for a grocery getter that can make me smile -- and for a daily, thats all I really care about. However, I do really appreciate the input guys and ... Hell, for posterity I'll throw up pictures of my Chevelle and S-13... Tomorrow I'll post some pics of the 944. I'm tellin you guys, its BEAUTIFUL.

My S-13



And the Chevelle, rockin 396 big block power. Soon to be a LS engine when I get home from Afghanistan.

carlege

buy a turbo. judging from your cars you want something that is on par with those in terms of quickness

SSMotorhead

Haha. Nah, I don't want it to be near as fast as either of them. Just fun. The RB has 340hp, in a 2600 pound car its scary fast... Its almost impossible to drive it unless you know how to drive sideways. The Chevelle on the other hand is more of a brute force 400hp noise-machine that never ceases to make me smile. I love just listening to it throb at 70mph.

krystar

droool RB swap

Marcquito

I...want...that....s13!

SSMotorhead

Hehe Thanks guys. As you can probably tell. I'm a driver. I love driving. And I live in West Virginia. Some of the best roads in the world are here in Redneckville, USA. West Virginia's best kept secret.

M758

Save and buy a turbo.

The NA is a dog on the street. You will get passed by minivans full of kids watching sponge bob while eating fuit snacks all the while mom is on the phone. Yes the non turbo cars are that slow in a straight line.

It will cost you an arm and leg to ge any power from the non turbo cars and then when you do it wil have less hp than a stock turbo.

Just get turbo and chip and you will be making stong power(260 whp easy) in chassis that can handle it. A turbo swap can bring you to over 300 at the wheels with simple bolt ons. Plus you get better chassis than the car you drove.

The only non-turbo car that makes any power is the 89-91 944 S2. 3.0L 16valve. Nice car, but you still can't easily get more than stock. The good news however is the stock is pretty solid.

SSMotorhead

So apparently the guy I bought the car off of ...... is ON this forum. I noticed on the way home as I was filling it up with gas... There's a Rennlist sticker in one of the windows. Will post pictures tomorrow to try and track him down. Don't want to openly give out his name over the interwebs.

Reimu

Sounds like a nice car

It's not always about straight line speed after all