Dgrange

Hi all,

New to the forum and am looking for some help. I have a 87 944 N/A and would like to get some more power from the engine. I have a FR Wilks chip and am now thinking of manifold/exhaust/cams.....anything really.

Interested to hear who has done what that made a difference. Not looking for neck spanning performance and I know a 4 pot has limitations but any advice would be great. Thanks!

Paulyy

Search is your friend. This has been covered a million times.

MAGK944

We are a tough crowd here but paulyy is right, best search before you post. Also we appreciate new users to introduce themselves, post pics of their car, we like pictures

It's probably best that you also read the rules first and don't post For Sale ads when you are not a paid member. Just saying how to win friends and not make enemies. Oh and welcome to the best P-car forum on the planet! Generally we are a helpful lot.

william_b_noble

to put in a somewhat contrary opinion, one of the fun things about the NA is that it isn't massively powerful, but it is quite fast because of excellent handling. I bought a 991, and in truth I prefer the 944 - in fact I got rid of the 991 in favor of the 944 after having it only a few months - some think I'm crazy, but I prefer a balance, not just a massively powerful car.

bonus12

The naturally aspirated 944 is a "momentum" car and won't be very fast until you put in a stronger engine. Also I agree with Mr. Noble.

ECS Tuning

Welcome to rennlist We won't bite, but you must post a few pictures of your car when you get a chance.

mytrplseven

Hopefully you're in a state with winding roads, unlike here in Florida where they're straight and flat. If you are, then you have the benefit of a car that will out corner a 911 but not have the comparative straightaway power. Plus the gas mileage is great. For us, we just have a unique looking, great driving grocery-getter.

Rogue_Ant

The 944NA will never be 'fast', but it can be made more fun! We have found really good gains from a couple simple bolt-ons.
Feel free to check it out:

http://www.roguetuning.com/944_maf_kit_na-tune%C2%A9

F40LM

Ditto. Buy a NA Tune from Josh at rogue tuning and a 4 dec offset key.

Cut out the cat converter as well if it is still the one that came on the car.

In the long run these cars are more curve runners than street light heros.

Good luck and welcome.

turbodave

Welcome to Rennlist! And by all means do post pictures! and tell us a little history.

Although you didn't say what the end mission (DD,DE,track ect) of the car is, I will offer this:

You have a Wilks chip and that's great. He did my computer about 8yrs ago and while I don't know what the HP gain was, the response and drivability was much improved.

Throttle cam. Works hand in hand with your chip to really bring the car alive and makes it a lot more fun to drive. Best 30 bucks you ever spend on performance up grades!

Cam, intake manifold, headers....a lot of money for very little gain.

Suspension/Brakes. A lot to be gained for a lot less than would be spent to get an additional 30HP. Not knowing anything about your car, but if are happy with the way it handles at this point, I would just pull routine maintenance on it and make sure it's mechanically sound. Drive on and have fun!

If you find that the suspension is tired and needs work, This set-up works very well for even the best of 944 drivers on the street or autoX:
M474 factory suspension. Kony externally adjustable front struts with the rears set to full firm. 250# front springs. Lowered by 1.5 inches. Rear tailing arms set to their lowest position. (about 3/4 inch lower than stock) This gives the car a good set under braking and really helps the car exiting a turn.

Sway bars. Stock Turbo sways work perfect with the stock torsion bars and M474. A good balance and cheap and easy to find.

Brakes. No need to go exotic. The stock brakes on a 944 are more than adequate for anything you'll be doing off track. Unlike 25yrs ago, there are a ton of brake pads out there to suite any performance need or driving style. Wanna stop quick? Go with a soft compound. I prefer the Hawk HPS. Good performance and longevity.

The rest is just bragging rights! But the biggest performance improvement to the car is the cheapest! Driver Education! Get active in your local PCA or SCCA driving events. No need to fund a professional driving school. Just do 2 or 3 events and see how much better your 944 handles! Stock or not. GL. Dave