WilliamIII

I would like to buy a 944 and drop in a small V8. I have found several web sites with help for DIYs. For anybody who has done this swap, two questions: since I don't have the 944 yet, is one model better suited for the swap, i.e. 944, 944S, 944S2, or turbo and; has anyone had good or bad luck with any of the companies that provide transition kits and manuals? Any help would be appreciated.

Grandpa#3

Hi William, If possible buy a 951 turbo car as it will have the heaver suspension / brakes / transaxle you will need for a LS1 engine conversion. A regular 944 will need all this added to it plus a 951 turbo transaxle. As to price of the adaptor kit needed I have no real idea, but some say around $10K - $12K.

Cheers,
Larry

tempest411

Can't Camaros and Corvettes be had with these engines already in them? I don't know about a 'Vette, but you can get an older Camaro for much less money than it would cost to put an LS1 into a 944. And parts for a Camaro are easier to get and cost less generally.

Arominus

You'd want to start with a turbo, S2 or 968. Its a very doable swap but its easy to end up 10-15k into it very fast. That doesn't include the cost of the car.

marc abrams

Agreed 110%

odurandina

944T, S2 or 968... but...

rlets

Do not try to buy the manual from Greg Sloan. He's disappeared but somehow still collects money. I used a kit from TPC, run by Eric Hill. He can be hard to get a hold of but his parts are good and he stands behind them. 87+ has late offset which makes for more wheel and brake options. I started with an '87 944 race car with a blown engine. Good luck.

Rich

Jfrahm

Camaros with an LS1 or LS6 are reasonably priced but not very nice cars IMO. Corvettes are at least $10K more and the C5 is not that nice to be in. It's pretty reasonable to build the car you want if they do not already make one at the factory. A good 928 is worth a look if you are OK with a hardtop but if you like the 944 platform but want a solid, mild 350whp car and have the $20K or so, a swap might be for you.

Some people make the world, others just live in it.
-Joel.

arthropraxis

Everything you need to know is here http://944hybrids.forumotion.com/

admiralkhole

My LT1 swapped 944 is for sale, needs a few things here and there, love, and some tlc but it runs like a bat out of hell. $6500. I'd consider parting it out for the right price too. I also have the swap manual if you're interested... As others have said, don't go through Sloan. Everything is available online.

Up next... V12T

Arominus

You've been hanging out with XS haven't you! lol I can't wait to see what you build.

admiralkhole

Lol ever since he mentioned v12 swapping things I couldn't shake it!

Going single (maybe twin/sequential) turbo m70/3 v12 BMW e24. Picked up a 635csi!

Techno Duck

Later cars are the best choice; the turbo being the best starting point with the larger brakes and transmission. S2 and 968 gearing is not ideal for the V8. Suspension is kind of a moot point because if its still original its shot and needs to be replaced anyhow. I would always pick a late offset car over an early one also due to more flexibility with suspension options.

The 944Hybrids forum anthropraxis linked has all the information you need to do the swap. I have a copy of the conversion manual from Sloan and there is really no information in there that cant be found in the forum or figured out yourself.

All of my conversion specific parts; headers, uprights, oil pan, bell housing adapter..etc are from Texas Performance Concepts. Everything fit quite well. They also run the 944Hybrid forum.

I wont say the conversion is easy but all the tricky parts are well documented on the hybrid forum. Its a very rewarding swap and brings the 944 to a totally different level when complete. I love mine .

V2Rocket

you're going to need a hell of a hood bump to fit that into a 944. 4-5 inches maybe at the front.
the M70 would go from the firewall to the radiator frame so youd need to move the rad.

yes, i looked into this a few years ago, lots of research and measuring of cars/engines, its more suited for the 928.

admiralkhole

No no, I picked up an e24 635csi to put the v12 into. The factory made 1 prototype and it's been done a couple times in Europe... I've heard no one in the US has completed the swap yet

....yet.