MeMickey

I'm in the market for an 84-89 944, and I'm going to buy one either way, but I was just wondering how fast the base model is. Whats the avg. 0-60? and stuff like that. Because I read that the 0-60 was appx. 6.6 seconds.... now my dads Hyundai Elantra GT is pullin that and it can't even make large hills with the air on. So tell it to me straight, should I start my application for NASCAR?

PorscheDoc

These are not stoplight to stoplight street racers, a minivan can take a 944 N/A light to light....they excel on the highway at higher speeds. One you hit 3rd, the car pulls. Trust me, out on the interstate they go up and over hills and want to keep going.

Dark Lightning

What he said. It's all about cornering ability and highway cruising.

M758

83-85 944 have 9.5:1 Compression ratio and rate to 143 hp, 85.5-87 cars are rated to 147 hp.

The 1988 motor came with 10.2:1 Compression and was factory rated for 158 hp at the flywheel. Given a fresh rebuild you have as much power and most any 8 valve 944.
The 944 S 16 valve car has more (188) and the 89 944 2.7L car has slightly more power at 162.

All of these are flywheel HP numbers.

Locally I race in 944-spec and our cars typically run 130 to 135 hp at the rear wheels. We are allowed some minor engine mods, but not many. I'd expect your car to be in that power range at the wheels.

Simply put there are few simple power increasers for any non-turbo 944. There are chips, exhausts and alot of other bolt ons. If you are lucky you can gain 5-10 hp from them. That is at BEST. If you start digging into the motor you can maybe get more. On the east coast Jon Milledge does advertise ITS 944 motors at 185 flywheel hp. SCCA ITS racing is pretty restrictive, but within the rules I assume he maximized the engine within stock tolerances and gets a few more hp.

This process is very expensive and only valuable if you need to follow ITS rules. If you really want power from an NA motor is is possible, but there only two options. Forced induction (turbo or superchager) or larger displacement. I do know of some 3L 8v motor and shop that does that work. However even these cars with a "race" set-up are pushing maybe 210-230 at the rear wheels.

My stock 944 Turbo S way dynoed to 230 at the rear wheels. So given the cost which is in 3k to 5k range it makes little sense to spend that money for 220 wheel hp when Turbo's can do almost that stock and for another $300 you can easily get 250+ wheel hp.

So this why power increases to NA motors are not cost effective.

The best way to improve 0-60 times are to remove weight. My 944 is down to about 2450 lbs and even with its modest hp is pretty quick. Cost to do that was zero from my pocket, but this car is not really street able since all the interior has been stripped out of it. It is pretty fast on the track and is faster than stock 944 turbos. In fact my last runs at PIR showed me this car was just only a bit slower than stock motored race prepped 951's racing at approx full weight.

Really the best thing to do is to forget about 0-60 times. Acceleration is not really the strong suit to an 8v 944 NA. These cars are just not fast in straight line. They can be quite fast and rewarding in turns however. So focus less on straights and more on corners and you will enjoy the 944 much more. Autocross is really great place to learn the potential of the 944 NA. I drive a stock 83 944 at most PCA autocrosses. The car is very well balanced and inspite of its low power, age, soft suspension it still was fasts car on street tires. It beat out boxster's, 996's, 993, and lots of others. Granted alot of that speed came from driver, but my point is that most folks don't get anywhere near the potential from their cars that they could. So just by working on driver skills you can make the car appear much faster than simply by adding 15 hp. Plus in my mind it is much more rewarding to beat folks with skill rather than power.

Hey anybody can go fast in straight line. It takes skill to be fast in the corners.

PorscheDoc

exactly...have you ever seen a minivan take a corner fast

Tony K

Manufacturers like to post good 0-60 and 1/4 mile times so people can read those benchmarks in Motor Trend and be impressed with how fast a certain car is. Lousy car maker gear their vehicles or adjust their torque curves to make these numbers look good, despite how lacking their engines alone may be in every other way and at every other speed. Just because a car has a good looking 0-60 time doesn't mean that it will be able to pass on the freeway, or breathe well in a particular gear at 45mph, or pull smoothly in any gear. I have driven so many cars that people talked about being fast that definitely snapped my neck backward at a launch and ran hard off the line . . . but, like the Hyundai, don't really seem to have anything, no matter what gear you are in, when you are doing 70-75 mph and need to climb a 5% grade. The 944, as unimpressive as it may be in stoplight drag racing, I have never found inadequate at any reasonable speed in any situation.

Like everyone above said, if you want 0-60, get something else. If you want a competent car, 944 is a good choice.

Cheers,

Canuck

If you like to drive on challenging roads, as opposed to drag race, you should love the 944. It has great balance, and with a very inexpensive strut tower brace and larger torsion bars, will corner with just about anything (assuming good tyres). I say that, having owned a Healey Sebring, two Lotus, an E-Jag (Mk. I), a Gulstrand 'Vette, several other 'Vettes, and a fleet of Mercedes SL's, not to mention lesser vehicles.

Also, in 3rd gear, a 944 is a real rush. As you can handle the tighest on-ramps (of I-5) at about 50 MPH and accelerate from there, it is a kick getting on the freeway. Also, on curvey, up & down narrow two-lane river-bank roads with intermittant short straights (like the one I live on), not much will leave or pass you short of an F-1 car, if you know the road and know how to drive.

I LOVE my 944 and am currently sinking upwards of $14 large (est. total) to put a Turbo tranny/rear end and an LT-1 engine in it, just because I'd rather do that than have any other new sporty car that retails for under $55-large...including the Boxer.

My opinion, and I'm stuck with it, but there it is.

Canuck

MeMickey

thanks everyone

pcarfan944

Unless your in fifth gear, then it actually loses speed when you go up hills Seriously, maybe my car is unique, and I’ve wondered about this, but unless I’m going at least 75 in fifth, I really get no acceleration at highway speeds...now if I drop it down a gear or two at the same speed, it's a different story.

To the original poster: If your buying a car for 0-60 alone I don't think you'll be long term happy with a 944 NA, perhaps you should look for a 928, 951 or 911. I would call my 86 944 "entertainingly quick" but nothing more than that. The engine likes to take off about 4000 rpm, but below that you’re a sitting duck.

seanbrowning

No, not weird. 5th gear is like an overdrive, now if you start really pushing it, you have to shift, but around 50-80 don't try to accel in 5th, just a waste of gas(if you're really looking for accel that is.) Just drop it to 4th and punch it, and feel it go.

Also what car can you think of that has a built in gas gage that in unreadable for anything useful?! I mean sure my car says i am getting 60mpg but am I a human computer? I can't factor that in with the 2mpg that I get when I accelerate. Everytime I look at that gas gage I just kinda smile. I have thought about whipping out the old calculator and going to work, but decided I could figure it out easier by just useing my next gas bill!

Yabo

I think the probable purpose of teh MPG gauge was not for actual average mileage. If your cruising at highway speeds, you can pay attention to it and be in the gear and pedal position/speed that will be the best for your gas mileage. If your making a few hour trip, its useful. Of course, I'd rather get on it and just work more to afford more gas.

dualblade

lol, not like an overdrive; it is an overdrive. overdrive just means that the gear ratio is less than 1 (tranny output is faster than tranny input)