Skip

FEP = Front Engine Porsche (924,928,944,968)

Just trying to change the subject, but I think it's time for another wide open topic.

Got some juicy info on a lesser known item on the FEP series??? Stuff you smacked your forehead on when you first learned it??? Post it here... this could be fun, I'll begin.

From the 89 model year Turbo and S2... there is a damper plate placed at the top of each front strut to reduce oscillations (fog horn effect) caused by braking in warm weather.

I'd always seen the difference, but didn't know what they were for... now I know

Any players??? Post as many as you like...

Skip

(please, no flames on this thread or I'll delete it... just trying to HAVE FUN!)

Tabor

How dare you waste our bandwidth with this. You better delete this thread!!!

What is the "fog horn" affect?

Black_951

According to the US Bureau of Transportation, 175,000,000 passenger cars have been produced in the United States since 1975 while Porsche imported 14,000 944 Turbos into the US during its production run.

If all of these cars were still on the road today then you would see a 944 Turbo for every 12,500 American passenger cars you passed on the road.

Hans

Porsche started sports car production with model 365 so lets take this car as blue print for a "real" Porsche and as starting point for some thoughts.

Model 365 was a sports car with as much VW parts in there as possible.
Model 914 as above, houwever affordable again.
Model 924 successor of model 914, also with as much VW / Aidi as could be squeezed in.
Model 944 update of 924 (searching for more Porsche immage and more power).

911 (and all its derivates) and 928 are designed from scratch and non VW related.
Consequently, following above line of thought these are no real Porsches.

Oops??

(Skip: like the idea for this topic, thanks for starting it. Interested to see what else comes up)

Skip

I've never heard it, but I assume it would be a low but loud groan from the front end under braking. They assumedly fixed the problem by dampening the strut top.

Skip

Matt O.

I always thought it was cool that one of the best all around sports cars ever made has the same roots as one of the most economical affordable cars ever made.

Beetle - 911

If you stretch a beetle out it looks like a 356 (somewhat) and if you streamline the 356 it looks like a 911 (actually, a1963/64 356 C Carrera 2000 Coupe looks like a 911).

Not really trivia, but interesting to me.

-M

EDIT
OOPS - that's not FEP trivia. Please don't ban me...

jim968

Well, while we're on this off topic binge, I'll get one ot two in, too.

The 911 is actually a Tatra (grin).... The original Dr. Porsche was accused of "deriving" the layout for the original VW (KdF Wagen? "Strength thru Joy Car") from an early '30's Tatra... rear mounted flat engine, IIRC.

Now we all know of the original 356's VW ties, right? And the 911 is nothing if not an evolved 356.... so it's Tatra > VW > 356 > 911!!! (just joshin', y'all)

And another one... Dr. Porsche did _not_ design the Tiger tank, neither the Tiger I nor the Tiger II. He designed an unsuccessful prototype for the TI, the turret of which was used on the successful Henschel hull. The Porsche Tiger I hull became the basis for the "Ferdinand" tank destroyer. Another turret design of his was used on some (50?) Tiger II's, but was excessively complex and was not adopted for series production. He also did a redesign of the running gear for the Jagdtiger (10 produced), and designed & built the superheavy (188 tons) Maus. Only one was totally finished, and apparently saw no combat.

Jim, more trivia than y'all wanted to know, no?

Ahmet

The 924 drivetrain was tested using a BMW 2002, as well as an opel (I can't remember the specific model!)chasis/body. Similar to how the Cayenne has been tested using an explorer body.

The 944 turbo body was modified for testing by porsche of different engine/drivetrain layouts: front/mid/rear engine, rear/all wheel drive...

Hmm, the 959, 944, and 928 share same valve stems, valves, valve seats, etc.

Porsche tested several turbo set-ups with a 4 cylinder 2.5 liter engine (essentially what became the 944 turbo engine), parallel turbos, sequential turbos, single turbo, etc.

Cup cars had the ABS cut off at times under hard braking, and upon investigation it was found that under slight cornering loads, and heavy braking, the rotor would come closer/farther from the speed sensor, so the bearings were modified.

The negative scrub radius front suspension geometry was scrapped with the late offset.

Front rotors of a 944 NA have more swept area than front rotors of a regular 944 turbo, AND the calipers are stiffer.

There are MANY interesting little facts about 944s, the 944 turbo was supposed to replace the 911 line forexample, or the 944 turbo crank was made to handle 500+hp (and is the same piece as the 944 NA crank, and so is the cam!), etc...

PS: These are all from memory, so don't try to burn me alive if a detail is not spot on.
Ahmet

agent944

I read in a book (I don't have the book anymore, its a library book, so I'll have to go back and check it out again) that in the last year of the 944, Porsche made a VERY LIMITED run of Turbocharged 944 Cabriolets. Has anyone ever seen one of these?

Tabor

They were made in 1991. The 951 was not imported into the US in 1990 or 1991. They were only sold in the rest of the world.

jim968

A few more trivia items, probably widely known, but maybe of interest to those not aware...

The reason that the 944 has two bellhousings is that the 944 transaxle was originally designed for a front-drive A*d*. The clutch is actually in the front one, at the rear of the engine. The back one would have contined the clutch & flywheel in an A**i (FWD with lengthwise engine).

Unlike other, "lesser" cars, these cars are galvanized from the windows down, so they're more-or-less rust proof, unless poorly repaired after body damage. Thus, it makes more sense to keep them running, despite the cost & hassle. The tinworm won't eat up the body a year after you overhaul the engine or re-did the interior.

The basic body structure & mechanical layout is now almost three decades old, by the time you account for design & manufacturing lead times. Considering how well they stack up to much more "modern cars, that's an impressive fact. How many other cars with their roots in the early '70's would you _really_ like to own & drive every day?

The engine management & fuel injection system that are ~common to all the 944's & 968's (allowing for evolution) originated about two decades ago. My experience has been that this is pretty reliable stuff (one TPS & one fuel pump in 7+ years & 65K miles; never a start-up failure, road-side stranding, or tow truck).

Jim, now knocking on wood....

Ahmet

Jim a couple of things:

The transaxle was, to the best of my knowledge an audi item, used in Quattro models (4000), I see these cars often, the rear of the transaxle is different, if I ever get around to it, I will rebuild one, after I find the right stuff, then could be sure... Anyway, the transaxle WAS designed to be mounted up front, but NOT for a fwd car, but an awd one...

The 944s are 100% galvanized, SOME 924 models were partially galvanized as you describe.

I personally agree with you about reliability, and the chasis roots that can be traced to the 70s... To loosely quote a vw slogan, it's all changed, but still the same
Ahmet

nib5

Tony Lapine, the stylist of the 928 924/44 also worked on the Corvette Sting Ray and the Corvair.

Mark944na86

I also heard the snap ring on the thermostat was considered excessively difficult to remove.

-Mark 86 944 NA