951Dreams

I know, I know, the best build idea for an auto is to sell it and buy a 5 speed, or a 951, or a 5 speed swap. I do have a 951 in my future, but right now I've got this auto, and darn it I'm going to get all I can out of it (within reason).

1987 2.5L NA Automatic is what I'm working with.

Due to blown head gasket, it's all coming apart. I'm doing rod bearings as well, so I'm going to drop in some 88 10.2:1 pistons I've got. Planning on 4 degree advance to move the power down. I'm in search for some lower end torque. Currently, with my auto, when I pull out into traffic I just floor it, then twiddle my thumps till it spools up enough to start taking off. I'm wanting to reduce that spool time, and move the power and torque down more in the range I use in the auto.

Was chatting with Jon Milledge, and he threw out using a 2.7L bump stick. Said would give me more torque down low, and I would lose top end. But since I don't race, or go over 80 MPH (normally) I'm never over 4k much anyway.

Anyone over here done this? Anyone tried to do anything with an auto other than sell it? Any ideas? Thoughts?

Jon told me to get a 350...LOL. But I come from a long LONG time messing with 350s, I'm tired of SBC, want to do something new and different. So, I want to play a little with this 2.5L. I would love to swap a 3.0L in, but unless this engine blows up, I'm sticking to trying to squeeze as much as I reliable can from this 2.5. Pipe dreams, I know! But won't get nothin' without trying!

RoyaleWithCheese

I would just keep an eye out for a 944 to pop up at your local auto salvage yard and snag the transaxle out of it. There's a real good chance it will be a manual trans.

If its a do it yourself pick-n-pull type yard they usually have flat pricing depending on the part you want so you can usually pick up a trans for real cheap if you're willing to crawl around in the dirt to pull it out.

Otherwise I would say to just live with the auto for a bit and save every penny to sell it and buy the 951 that you're really wanting. I wouldn't pump any money into the car if your intentions are to trade up eventually anyway.

951Dreams

Well, this is my learner Porsche! LOL I bought it real cheap (ruff) with the full intention of doing a full (Good/Excellent condition, not perfect) restore. I wanted to learn these things inside and out before I dropped the hammer on a 951. But I'm honestly planning on keeping it long term, it'll be my daily, and the 951 would be my "fun/weekend/sometimes" car.

But if I can do it cheap(ish), while I have it apart, looking for anything that could make it more "fun".

I think coming from the building world of American V8, I'm just expecting too much from this 4.

Anyone put different rear end gears in these? I haven't seen any threads about it before.....

V2Rocket

A torque-monster engine would be cool...or do a turbo engine swap.
Floor it, what for the turbo and no-lift shifting

odonnell

Not including Tiptronic 968s, has anyone installed a significantly more powerful motor into an auto 944 and documented the results? Wondering how that would be with the 3 speed. (I know OP doesn't care to do an engine swap, just asking out of curiosity.)

KVDR

Is it really a 3 speed auto in 1987?

I can imagine doing gears, torque converter, and a shift kit (do any of these mods exist for this transmission?) and still not being happy with the end result.

The reasonable thing to do is leave the auto as-is or swap in a 5 speed.

...and since you got this car for cheap, and it's a project, a 5-speed swap is the best bang to increase the performance and value.

lart951

Best mod for performance for any 944 is weight reduction

lart951

this should be your goal

951Dreams

Well.... that WOULD do it Lart..... but wow......just..... wow......

As far as kits/torque converts etc... there is NOTHING I can find anywhere for this auto. And yes, for some reason, even in 87, it was still a 70's style 3 speed.

I honestly don't want to swap out the tranny for several reasons.

#1 being, I can buy a whole new 5 speed car for about what I'd have into a swap anyway, once you count the time. I lucked into this car, only reason I have an auto to start with. I didn't WANT one, just couldn't pass it up.

#2 NO ONE has ANY love for the autos. I mean none, auto's are the pariah of the Porsche world, PDK aside. They were rare to begin with, and will only become more so I think, as people do swaps and what not, and they die and don't get brought back. I'm going to keep this one as the factory made it (mostly) just for the history aspect of it. I don't know the numbers, but I can't see them having made more than 10% in autos. No one wanted them. So that's like only 800 in the US for 87 to begin with. I bet there are already not many left (compared).

I don't think it will ever be WORTH much, being an auto. But I DO see it being really rare in 15-20 years.

#3 I'm determined this can be made to be (more) fun. I don't think it'll ever compare to a 5 speed, but no one even tries on these really, I want to see what can be done with the STOCK auto. If it dies, I think I'll try and fab a tiptronic into it.

The road less taken, that's what I'm doing.

Jay Wellwood

I like your thinking...it may be a long journey though.

Think low cost build (yeah, like that is possible with a P-Car). PDK type shifting...now that would be awesome.

Would a 968 transmission fit or even be possible as a next evolution option?

jmflo

In some point I do agree with this, If I were you, I'll do the 5speed swap and just check what do next to make the performance better.

951Dreams

I think so, I've seen it kicked around, but not found a thread yet of it being done. The computer I think is the hardest part, unless I also swap in the 968 engine (that of course HAS been done). I'm thinking if I ever have to do that route, I'll find someone who can play with the brain and make it a fully manual automatic...if you know what I mean. Then all I have to do it have a way to tell it to shift up and down. Paddles, or a rachet shifter, or a 968 shifter just stuck on the manual side forever.... Reversed so down shifts up, and up shifts down, like a good manualmatic should be.

But that's not anytime soon, (I hope)... heck... think I can get my hands on a PDK???? LOL They are becoming more common (the duel clutch setup of a PDK, not PDK's themselves per say) in both german and american cars. Since this P-car already has a Audi tranny, I wouldn't feel to bad replacing it with something else if I could get it to fit.

951Dreams

To that point, I did kick around picking up a 3.0L crank, and doing a 2.8L stroker. But in the end, I'm not sure the stock 3 speed is up for all that anyway. I know the American side 3 speeds are tough as nails. Like the TH350, TH400, C4, C6 etc. But I'm betting Audi wasn't putting any V8's in front of their 3 speeds, so while I have no solid proof of this, I'm just guessing that it wouldn't take that much abuse.

Not that the 2.8L is a torque-monster per say, but in 4 banger land, and 2.5L terms, it is!

jeffrsmith

Do a search over on the 944 hybrids forum, you will see where guys are putting 400hp into the 944 Auto and not causing any harm - apparently they hold up quite well.

951Dreams

Color me surprised! That's good to know however!