74goldtarga

I'm sure it is fast, and I understand the attraction. I like my 944T and am trying to make it faster, so I get that too. I think if I felt the need for a chevy V8 (which I also like) that I would sell my 951 track car, which is basically a race car without a logbook as it sits, and buy a corvette race car that someone else has already done and this would be no bad thing. I'm not arguing that there is something better about the 951 engine either because obviously it is older and has a harder time making power than a big modern small-block. So the question is, what is it that you so love about your 944 that you'd rather have it with a chevy engine, than a corvette with a chevy engine? Is it because it is a Porsche and not a Chevy? Obviously not because the bowtie is there if you open the hood. I get the argument that if you've already poured a ton of time effort and cash into your car that you don't want to abandon it just because the 951 engine blew its head gasket again, but why not turn the page, sell your 944/951 and buy a properly set-up vette or, for the cost of the swap, buy a vette and set it up for the track the way you want it? No criticism, it just seems I am missing something here.

MAGK944

Are you saying the GM aluminum V8 is lighter than the 944na aluminum 4-cyl. Sorry but I cannot see how this would be possible. Maybe that guy got the 50/50 weight bias with a slab of concrete in the trunk

onspeed

I think I remember reading that the LS1 weighed only like 50lbs heavier than the Turbo motor, a difference that wouldn't really affect weight distribution. Keep in mind that the LS motors are pushrod, meaning they're more compact than the specifications implies.

V2Rocket

you guys were using the wrong superchargers...

V2Rocket

LS1 is right around 400lb assembled longblock...accessories should weigh about the same as the 944 stuff. clutch is bigger by 1-3" depending which you use so some weight there.

that said, the LS1 is about 3" shorter than the 944 engine (bellhousing surface to end of crank pulley) so maybe the weight is further back enough?

Techno Duck

While i understand the argument to just sell the 951 and buy a C5 Vette. They are one heck of a performance value, C5's are under $20k and C5 Z06's under $25k all day long.

The reason i decided to go with the V8 route is the C5 simply doesn't do it for me. In my opinion it just doesn't have the same presence as a clean 25 year old car. I really love the 944 platform, so its nice just keep running something a little different than the rest of the pack. Its not just a track car for me, i still attend plenty of local car shows / meets / get togethers.

My other reasoning is my car is already pretty well equipped for the track and its a damn fun car when it would run right. Good suspension, upgraded brakes, solid transmission, rebuilt torque tube...etc. Its just the engine that never really kept up with the rest of the car.

And regarding the weight, ive read 450lbs numerous times for a fully dressed LS1 engine (flywheel, clutch, pressure plate, accessories..etc). Who knows how accurate that is though.. wish i had a scale so i could weigh the LS1 i have sitting on a dolley. The factory 951 service manual says the 951 engine is 401lbs (dry). Not sure if that includes the intercooler, wastegate..etc.

pcarfan944

+1

xschop

I sold my custom streetfighter/beast because it has taken a backseat to the 948 daily thrashing on 4 wheels.



Happy trails.....

xsboost90

Alans swap -ls1 into a turbo- the car sits higher up front after the swap. Maybe about the same as an n/a motor, hard to believe but true. I like the swap and its more about the process and building something than it is about the motor- if they wanted a corvette they would have one- and a gold chain. I do think for the amount of money some spend on the swap they could build a nice turbo and have money left over but if you are building a race car i could see how reliability could be better. My turbo was pretty damn fast and reliable, but to build a proper race motor would be about the same as this swap.

UltimatE157

The slant-4 is a relatively large engine for a 4-cylinder to begin with. Think about how jam-packed that engine bay is with turbo equipment... intake piping, hoses, intercooler, turbo, exhaust, solid iron wastegate... the weight adds up. Plus if the guy was to omit A/C, and switch to manual steering and manual brakes ... Its very possible to drop a ton of weight over the front wheels.

chrisc

Why someone asked? Probably the same reason somebody stuck a 289 into an old Brit sports car many years ago. Also, my bud was tired of changing the oil and the headgasket with the same frequency. He consulted many of the 951 gurus who basically told him that is the nature of the warmed over 951's. The owner went down to the local Cheby store, plunked down about $7/K for a crate LS3 w/ the Electronic stuff, sold the T-motor for almost that amount so the cost of the conversion was the labor he paid the pro to do the job. A lot less than a top notch T-motor rebuild! The host car was set up beautifully prior to the swap, full Moton package, LSD, custom bars, no t-bars, etc. The car behaves just like any other well set up 944. The owner has a very nice 968 street car, wonder if we'll see a 968 motor in the 4-sale listings anytime soon?

xschop

I would also bet that the V8 swap puts the car at a lower COG as well.

V2Rocket

do you know what your weight was before that?

as my car sits now, if i were to do a V8 swap today, it should still come in a bit under 2800lb...even a stock vortec motor would make this a FAST car (10:1 lb/hp at most)

Cole

I've driven one and I can see the attraction. It's not just about power either.


The beauty of a 944 on a track is the marriage of a nice linier predictable chassis with a nice linear engine. The 951 takes that fun up a notch in stock form. Start modifying the 951 to put out more "modern" power numbers and the beautiful combo goes away. You get a laggy but fun boost buggy around town and a twitchy harder to drive really fast combo on the track. While not impossible to drive a highly booster car fast on a track it's certainly trickier to get the power you want exactly when and where you want.

The LSx swap give back what the 944 had but with a much more modern punch. You keep the beautiful linear handling and gain a powerful yet liner and predictable power plant.

onspeed

linear?