spedracer18

hello

i purchased a 1983 porsche n/a recently and have begun restoring it. Dont get me wrong, i am no mechanic, actually im studying to be an engineer, but a friend is helping me with the mechanics side of things. the car was in bad shape when first bought. it wouldnt start and the interior is torn to hell. so far we have gotten it started on several occasions (seems to be a problem with the ignition switch? nothing happens when the key is turned...currently we start it by jump starting the solenoid). we are in the process of wiring a push button ignition in it. compression test showed low end compression but nothing below 145 (anyone know normal values?). new disb. cap, rotor, plugs, and magnecor wires. currently have Mann oil, fuel filters, a K&N air filter with adapter, auto tranny filter, water pump, thermo, cam and balance shaft belts, weltmeister throttle response. ready to do oil change to mobil 1 5w-30 super-syn (mn winter) and raidator, brake system flush.

my questions lie in the following:
should pulleys be replaced with belts?
what kind of suspension upgrades are there for the 83 944 na?
what kind of brake up grades are there?
where would i find body upgrades like body kits and such?
what governs priority first?
is it possible to run a mild or performance cam in this model? if so where do i find one?
my sunroof/moonroof is manual, is it possible to upgrade to automatic?
do they make a performance chip for this model? i have seen them for the 86 and ups but not for this model.
any rim suggestions? other model porsche rims that fit 83 944?
anyone convert to dual exhaust? mechanic friend says they did half the work for you by having the exhaust manifold the way they do.
what other maintence should be done prior to driving.

i just found this site and have only looked around a little. i will browse previous theads to look for answers but any answers/suggestions are greatly appreciated. thanks

james

livewirevoodoo

pulleys - not neccesarily... usually belts are enough

suspension - from what i read, the adjustable koni's are great. i cant justify the $$ tho

brake upgrade - a 83 NA shouldnt necc. need an upgrade (i.e. turbo brakes).. new parts should do just fine

body kits - dunno.. ebay maybe

first priority - as in, what do you need to do first? *timing belt*

chip - people swear by Wilk's PowerProm... looking to become a customer myself

rims - i have late offset phonedials... love the look of the technology rims tho

dual exhaust - subject came up a while back on pelican's board. from what i understand the reduction in pressure would reduce the (already low) low end torque

other maint - oil change, coolant flush n fill, fuel filter, auto trans fluid and differential fluid (auto, right?).. definitely timing belt though.. depending on prior maintenance, records, etc, you can juggle the rest

924martinirossi

Livewirevoodoo wrote:

"chip - people swear by Wilk's PowerProm... looking to become a customer myself"

I installed his chip in my 84 (didn't need the adapter board) and the car kicks a&* over my 85.5 track car!

Credit_Card_Guy

Where do I find out more info on this chip and how to get one? I put it in google and got several reviews, but no link to a site detailing or selling the product. Please help.

924martinirossi

FRWilk.com

Daniel Dudley

Replacing the waterpump with the timing belt is a good idea. check the rollers carefully, esp on a neglected car. if they are good, a drop of synthetic oil can be worked past the bearing seal to remind the grease that it is grease. Blowing a timing belt is good bye top end. I won't drive a car unless I know the belt is good or I have replaced it myself, And I have gotten several free cars over the years with blown belts. It can happen the first time you go through the gears, or even at start up. Since you are in there, the water pump is right there. An old one will usually go within 3K, just when you are an hour from home. Have fun and good luck. These are great cars for engineers.

livewirevoodoo

Interesting Dan... Either here or Pelican or Clarks Garage, I asked a while back about water pumps.. mainly new vs. rebuilt questions. The general consensus was if the pump isnt groaning, leave it be and keep $500 in your pocket. I can't argue with your logic though, it definitely is due diligence, especially with a 15+ year old car that may/not have a history. But very true.. Cheaper to do the belts & waterpump in one shot, labor $ wise.

Credit Card Guy - Wilk is (was?) a regular on the Pelican board until maybe a month ago. Up and vanished His site looks like it is in a state of disrepair (not the norm).. there has been many a discussion as to how to get a chip in his absense, from looking on ebay to buying a eprom burner, duplicating an existing chip and sending him a royalty check. Until he resurfaces, I'm holding my breath.

spedracer18

hey guys thanks for the tips. as for the water pump/belts, i am the type of guy that is "better safe than sorry" when it comes to issues such as these. I have a reman pump, thermo, and a couple of belts (cam and balance) and plan on putting them on in the coming weeks (dont worry im not driving the car at all until this is done). Priority is going to the rollers next, as they sound like they could be replaced. as for the wilk powerprom, it sounds awesome and i want it very much. where do i come across one? how much are they typically? My friend (the REAL mechanic) is very excited about the car and wants to drop the engine. we plan on taking it out so i can repaint/finish the engine compartment, we can test the head, re-silicon lap the cylinders, replace the camshaft with a better one. i also want to paint the valve cover but niether of us know anything about that kind of stuff. i believe it needs powder-coating, but not sure. we also are going to replace the radiator and exhaust. I do have further questions if you wish to answer them:

where/how much is the wilk's powerprom chip? i tried FRWilk and surfed a little but no beans...

what upgrades are there for the camshaft? lighter? forged or cast?

my sunroof/moonroof is manual, is it possible to upgrade to automatic?

any info on repainting a car? professional or d-i-y? ways of striping without taking galvanization?

where would i find body upgrades like body kits and such? i have heard of an upgrade to a turbo valence? dont know if this works though.

ideas on the koni adjustables? run these with coil-overs?

anyone tried the weltmeister springs?

any more info on rims? which technology rims look best on a early 944? 911 rims-->do they fit?

anything else you guys suggest for upgrades? id like to go performance on this one and buy a 944 turbo later on and go stock on that.

are there any certainties with the 944 (such as the timing belt failures, etc.)? anything that typically goes out?

I appreciate all of your replies thus far...

thanks again

james

livewirevoodoo

the valve cover can be powdercoated. i've also seen high-temp engine paint used on the cover as well as headers. my mechanic did that with mine as a bonus after steam cleaning the engine. that was before realizing there was a hairline crack in the valve cover around the back bolt near the "P" in porsche, and had to junk the purty newly painted one. such is life.

Wilk chip is a mere $200. Earlier cars, I believe need a daughter-board added to the DME or something. Someting about the # of pins there. or something. Wilk himself is still "MIA" I want a chip myself. Still holding my breath.

hmmm, manual/auto sunroof swap... havent heard of it done, but i guess its possible. my auto sunroof has a motor or two in the roof, toward the rear of the sunroof. the motors can be purchased through your preferred porsche supplier. not sure if you'd also have to swap out any interior roof trim. i know there are two slight bulges where the motors are in my car. wiring runs into the center console infront of the shifter. this is an '87. not sure where placement would be on an earlier model. you'd have to look at wiring diagrams and possible the porsche PET cataloge for all the little part #s needed.

repainting... $1500 is not unreasonable. for a quality job i'd stick with professional (and not maaco professional). try to get some leads on shops by asking a PCA member in your area. they would have a good idea. the more prep work you do removing trim items, etc., the cheaper the cost.

one problem that creeps up alot (mine included) is battery tray leakage. old battery + rainwater = battery acid eating through the bottom of the battery tray, leaking into the passenger footwell. Bad on later models because thats where the DME is housed. Rust converter and seam sealer did the trick nicely for me. In fact, I still need to paint that over.

you might want to look into an IceShark kit, which is a wiring harness upgrade. you can spend hours at a time chasing down electrical gremlins. I'm guessing 23 year old wiring isnt any better than my 18 year old wiring.

performance mods abound. I've kept my 944 stock to this point, but you can get as crazy with it as your wallet allows. go to the performance products website (automotion.com) and order a free cataloge. a good as any place to start. if i recall, they do offer the turbo valance and some body kits.

Helstrm

If you drop the engine then at least replace the lower bearings. All that is in the way is the oilpan and the #2 bearing has a well deserved bad rep. Save you the nightmare of rebulding a blown motor. New lower bearings. Front seals, belts, waterpump... You can enjoy some worry free driving for a while.

spedracer18

very nice replies...i thank you kindly

unfortunately the wallet doesnt run too deep but the important things will be done for sure, then the less important. thanks for the tip on the lower bearings... i wouldnt have known

ill check out the automotion website, and order a catologue. any others that are good for a 944 owner.

i thank you again, input is appreciated.

james

livewirevoodoo

keep us updated on your progress. based on what you're planning it sounds like you'll have one sweet and FUN ride once everything is said and done.

spedracer18

well...just realized today that the air cleaner is just missing mysteriously. i went down to a parts store and bought an adapter and a K&N cone filter to replace, but there is no support so it just kind of hangs there. hoping to find some sort of pipe to get the cone further from the engine so it gives a colder intake temp. but no luck so far (couple hours of web browsing...any suggestions?). i did the radiator flush and pulled off the overflow reservoir. it is pretty nasty dirty so i am going to clean it. any ideas on what to clean it with? i think im going to try just some generic household cleaners and then try bleaching it to get it closer to the opaque plastic it should normally be. i am going to need a new brake fluid reservoir cause the threading is cracked. brake system flushed today as well. interior lights (gauge) mysteriously dont work either. have to figure that out another day. thanks livewirevoodoo for all your help.

one more important question:

i am running the auto tranny but plan on a chip, and some other performance based modifications. at what point am i straining the tranny too much considering it wasnt made to handle some of the pressure it will enevitable endure? i have heard before of having to upgrade to turbo trannies, but at what point is that necessary? i would like to avoid that at all costs...

thanks again

james