Karl_W944

That's the idea! Although I think pimping would be the easier way to go. I have no idea how to do any of that, but I bet someone wrote a book on it haha!

I'll have a fleet of '44s and I'll be leading it in a Cobalt Blue 968 hardtop....

Cuda911

^^^ I agree. Finally some logic and rationality in this thread.

bonus12

Hmmm....Cuda and Karl... ............and OD....

odurandina

may I present the 257th failed rebuild thread??

and what, the 8th low oil pressure thread in the last 2 months ??\

Karl,

low oil pressure is P-car Pig-Latin for, "omfg, what have I done??? I coulda had a 5.3 for $700."

gone broke is what you've done.

https://rennlist.com/forums/968-foru...r-rebuild.html

xschop

You need at least 2 of the 3 to own a 944/951
1) Ability to turn a wrench
2) Healthy bank acct.
3) Unlimited patience***

***noun
noun: patience1. the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset

odurandina

tweaked your truthful post just a tad and added one more critical item.


cars are expensive. no one's denying that....

but, a good 944/968 power-plant would theoretically offer at least some reasonable balance of performance vs upkeep...


and while it may be true the Porsche engine doesn't kill every single person (financially) who attempts to drive one,

even for those lucky individuals who aren't left for dead, the oem engine leaves much to be desired.

xschop

5) Single....as in unmarried
6) Clueless

Butters944

Karl do this!

odonnell

I don't understand all the hating on the 2.5 engine. I DO understand the appeal of the V8 (I've driven admiral's car), but seriously, I don't know why everyone is hung up that a low compression 8v inline 4 from the freaking 80s only makes 140-150hp.. as if that was a surprise when you bought it and it wasn't able to keep up with a 2004 Accord.

It's not like it's an expensive motor either. You can buy a 8v NA long block for what, $600? If you're not doing your maintenance and you eat valves that's on you... and it's not like the WP ($100 from Zims), rollers, and belts are expensive anyway. I've only owned mine for 6 months, but after doing multiple jobs on it, I can tell you that it's easy and accessible relative to other (more modern) cars I've worked on. It's not some complex design that will just break for no reason. Seals will degrade like any other 30 year old engine, and bearings will wear...etc. It's a fact of owning an old car.

/end rant

Sorry, I had to throw that in. At the end of the day it's YOUR car, and the right engine is the one that YOU want in it. It's not a right-or-wrong debate... any engine can be expensive, the stock engine is no exception. In good condition, it's not that bad at all. If it's been poorly maintained, it's not because it's a poor design. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

konakat

I'm with you. Seems crazy to condemn a design that, for when it was built, was very advanced with good power output. People seem to forget that the Corvette V8 in 1984 was putting out 200hp and the top Mustang engine had 157hp. The LS1 is absolutely a superior engine in every way that I can think of, as it should be since it is 10 years newer. Engines made huge leaps in that decade as manufacturers learned to deal with emissions regulations.

odurandina

things can go well for a given period of time, but overall the engine is indeed a poor design.

the engine can turn a few rpms... and that seems to lure people into a state of semi-euphoria...

so, let's not get all euphoric or sentimental. Porsche sure as hell isn't.


it suffers from oiling issues and it's timing belt/H20 pump system is completely awful....

Porsche didn't show any sympathy to the prospective buyer during the production run.

Proof: having to dismantle half the car to swap in a new clutch....

it shouldn't cost me $1,300 to change a too early-to-fail water pump....

effectively turning a $1,600 t-belt/bs-belt/tensioners/H20 pump interval into a $3,000+ interval.....

that's a ****ty engine.

a $3,000 camshaft repair shouldn't become a repeat offender 500 miles down the road....

we shouldn't be reading about 240 failed rebuilds in 10 lifetimes let alone 5 years.

the HO cars shouldn't blow so many head gaskets....

the electrical systems..... I'm not sure if fully fried electrical systems get a pass or not

but, if I were Porsche, I'd be willing to issue new wiring harnesses that didn't cost a fortune.


for execution of what already was a flawed design to begin with, the 944/T/S2/968 gets a C-.



here's an example of a fantastic, yet straightforward design that could have taken the S2/968 to the next place,

and destroyed the Jap competition with one swing:

the 3.5 and 3.7 litre Chevy Vortec I-5s....

http://www.underhoodservice.com/Arti...ve_engine.aspx


could Porsche have built a HIGH DISPLACEMENT I-5 that was this good for their $45,000+ 968s in the mid-90s ????

the answer is an unequivocal YES. and had an engine of this caliber, capable of equating a FLAGSHIP 968, ever have been offered,

I'd be singing Porsche's praises to the ends of hell.....

all they would have had to do was get Audi's Motorsport division on the phone.

and the bulletproof, monster-5 with bolt-on turbo....



.

odonnell

The whole point of the technical forums is for DIY discussion and mechanical information sharing. You can't expect figures like $1600 for the dealership to change your WP and belts to be applicable to 95% of people on here... it costs maybe $200 for a DIY job which can be done in a driveway.

You're completely right about it being ridiculously expensive... that's why we're here sharing info and helping each other keep our cars on the road. Of all people you should know that no offense

Butters944

+944444444444444 TO EVERYTHING SAUSAGEHACKER HAS SAID

odurandina

that's a marginally valid argument with asterisks.


ok.

there's no way in hell I'm ever attempting to dismantle the timing belt system on a Porsche 968.

just not going there.

but i should be able to PAY $$$ for an H20 pump interval that doesn't break the bank.

or a service between engine builds interval that doesn't require so much wrenching, expensive parts and time off the road.

odonnell

If you get it to Waco, I'll do your WP for half of what the dealership charges. Where is your god now...

Just bring the beer!