944 turbo S cabriolet
#16
Hey y'all, lets chill. All the info here is good.
Luis, whom I have known for a good long time and I consider to be a friend, owns a rare car and can give us a perspective of a car that most of us will never have the chance to see, much less own. He's responding to the thread from that point of view, and rightfully so, as I believe the 951 cab was reinforced differently than the S2 cab (different x-brace mounting points and some lateral reinforcement too, from what I've been told altho I have never confirmed this). By the way, between the S2 cabs that I have driven and the 968 cab that I own, plus others that I have driven, I found some pretty big differences, so I can imagine that the factory 951 could be a breed of its own.
The other perspectives are equally valid since the original poster was thinking about a conversion. The experiences of S2 and 968 cab owners can be beneficial to his project, since he's highly unlikely to find a factory 951 cab to purchase. My own experience leads me to believe that 968 cabs would be a better platform to turbocharge, as I believe it to be a stiffer chassis. It was designed originally to be a cab, and isn't a coupe body that was refitted. That certainly doesn't make the S2 cab "bad" by any stretch of the imagination, in my book, and quite frankly, adding a caster block brace, a strut tower brace and a decent backseat roll bar to an S2 cab would make it as stiff as anything in the 944/968 line.
There... can we agree that we ALL win now?
Regards,
Luis, whom I have known for a good long time and I consider to be a friend, owns a rare car and can give us a perspective of a car that most of us will never have the chance to see, much less own. He's responding to the thread from that point of view, and rightfully so, as I believe the 951 cab was reinforced differently than the S2 cab (different x-brace mounting points and some lateral reinforcement too, from what I've been told altho I have never confirmed this). By the way, between the S2 cabs that I have driven and the 968 cab that I own, plus others that I have driven, I found some pretty big differences, so I can imagine that the factory 951 could be a breed of its own.
The other perspectives are equally valid since the original poster was thinking about a conversion. The experiences of S2 and 968 cab owners can be beneficial to his project, since he's highly unlikely to find a factory 951 cab to purchase. My own experience leads me to believe that 968 cabs would be a better platform to turbocharge, as I believe it to be a stiffer chassis. It was designed originally to be a cab, and isn't a coupe body that was refitted. That certainly doesn't make the S2 cab "bad" by any stretch of the imagination, in my book, and quite frankly, adding a caster block brace, a strut tower brace and a decent backseat roll bar to an S2 cab would make it as stiff as anything in the 944/968 line.
There... can we agree that we ALL win now?
Regards,
#17
rop3, i don't know what's out there in the s2 cab world, but i know a guy that makes a great back seat roll bar for the 968 cab that would probably fit an s2. he doesn't post on rennlist, but i can talk to him and find out if it will work on your car if you want. Scott, you might know who i'm talking about.
#21
Point taken Luis, thanks.
#22
I read the first post asking about 944 turbo cab's and then I have to read posts about lot's of other stuff besides 944 turbo cab
My dad has an original 944 turbo cab -91 with about 30000 km's on it.
It's still like a brand new car. I love it!
But you can certainly feel the less torsionally stiff body compared to a coupé.
But it does the job perfectly out on winding country roads as well as the motorway in 200 km/h as well as crusing down the boulevard...
My dad has an original 944 turbo cab -91 with about 30000 km's on it.
It's still like a brand new car. I love it!
But you can certainly feel the less torsionally stiff body compared to a coupé.
But it does the job perfectly out on winding country roads as well as the motorway in 200 km/h as well as crusing down the boulevard...
#23
Well, thanks for all the info. controversy is a good thing at least we are all talking about 944 turbo cabs, a real limited car and not much written about it at least here in the US.
I would like to find out somehow if the reinforcments are different, I have two old issues of Excellence mag one talking about the secondary floor pan for the S2 not much mentioned about the turbo cab chassis.
I would like to find out somehow if the reinforcments are different, I have two old issues of Excellence mag one talking about the secondary floor pan for the S2 not much mentioned about the turbo cab chassis.
#24
I used to see a guy at DE events with a 968 cab roll bar etc. also witnessed a few 914's roll over at Limerock with the top off and the wrists tethered. So the cabrio will strictly be a street car not to extreme expecting maybe 350 hp after engine rebuild.
I have a 951 S coupe that I track. So the cabrio will strictly be a street car not to extreme expecting maybe 350 hp after engine rebuild.
I have a 951 S coupe that I track. So the cabrio will strictly be a street car not to extreme expecting maybe 350 hp after engine rebuild.
rop3, i don't know what's out there in the s2 cab world, but i know a guy that makes a great back seat roll bar for the 968 cab that would probably fit an s2. he doesn't post on rennlist, but i can talk to him and find out if it will work on your car if you want. Scott, you might know who i'm talking about.
#25
Well, thanks for all the info. controversy is a good thing at least we are all talking about 944 turbo cabs, a real limited car and not much written about it at least here in the US.
I would like to find out somehow if the reinforcments are different, I have two old issues of Excellence mag one talking about the secondary floor pan for the S2 not much mentioned about the turbo cab chassis.
I would like to find out somehow if the reinforcments are different, I have two old issues of Excellence mag one talking about the secondary floor pan for the S2 not much mentioned about the turbo cab chassis.
The factory did its homework on the Cab conversion - there is an enhanced frame rail section at the front bulkhead, double floor section 'sandwich', front strut tower structural supports from the turbo S and body vibration dampner. I have never heard of any frame variance between the Turbo and NA Cab versions - this doesn't make sense given the low production numbers at the time, Porsche financial hardships and management changes during the time that killed the 944/968 series.
Only an engineered and/or welded aftermarket roll cage will do anything for chassis rigidity, Coupe or Cab.
In its' day, Road & Track noted how little cowl shake the 944S2 Cab had compared to it's contemporaries and voted it the most likely to be around in twenty years time - nuf said!
John
#26
Well, based on my knowledge gained from cutting apart a salvage 1992 968 Cab and being all over my 1991 944S2 Cab for its' Turbo S conversion, I can say there is no difference that I can see between the two chassis. Remember, production was changed from an Audi plant to a Porsche plant when the 968 was introduced. If anything, I see some lower quality issues in at least the 1992 Cab chassis I saw. Subjectively, I feel there is a much tighter feel and less cowl shake on my 944 Cab TS clone over my 1990 S2 Cab - the only difference is in the standard spring rates, both having adjustable Konis.
The factory did its homework on the Cab conversion - there is an enhanced frame rail section at the front bulkhead, double floor section 'sandwich', front strut tower structural supports from the turbo S and body vibration dampner. I have never heard of any frame variance between the Turbo and NA Cab versions - this doesn't make sense given the low production numbers at the time, Porsche financial hardships and management changes during the time that killed the 944/968 series.
Only an engineered and/or welded aftermarket roll cage will do anything for chassis rigidity, Coupe or Cab.
In its' day, Road & Track noted how little cowl shake the 944S2 Cab had compared to it's contemporaries and voted it the most likely to be around in twenty years time - nuf said!
John
The factory did its homework on the Cab conversion - there is an enhanced frame rail section at the front bulkhead, double floor section 'sandwich', front strut tower structural supports from the turbo S and body vibration dampner. I have never heard of any frame variance between the Turbo and NA Cab versions - this doesn't make sense given the low production numbers at the time, Porsche financial hardships and management changes during the time that killed the 944/968 series.
Only an engineered and/or welded aftermarket roll cage will do anything for chassis rigidity, Coupe or Cab.
In its' day, Road & Track noted how little cowl shake the 944S2 Cab had compared to it's contemporaries and voted it the most likely to be around in twenty years time - nuf said!
John
#27
Here is a pic from the Ventura Porsche Show last
september.
I'm also thinking of having a tech session at my house in Napa on November 24th, anyone interested? I would show my Rothman Turbo Cup, the 944TS Cab clone, and Boostfeen would show his 968RS clone.
John
#28
Thanks for posting the pic. Here's one of my car when it still had the M030 Design 90 wheels. BTW, you might find it interesting that the Turbo Cabs were fitted with hood insulation, unlike the S2 cabs.
#29
John,
You mean your converted car has less shake due to spring rates over the S2 cab. Any reccomendations on what to use?
Road & Track was correct my parents bought a new cadillac allante in those years, the windshield shook worse than a shopping cart, I also had an 86 vette convertable (first year). After driving the S2 i was impressed.
You mean your converted car has less shake due to spring rates over the S2 cab. Any reccomendations on what to use?
Road & Track was correct my parents bought a new cadillac allante in those years, the windshield shook worse than a shopping cart, I also had an 86 vette convertable (first year). After driving the S2 i was impressed.
Well, based on my knowledge gained from cutting apart a salvage 1992 968 Cab and being all over my 1991 944S2 Cab for its' Turbo S conversion, I can say there is no difference that I can see between the two chassis. Remember, production was changed from an Audi plant to a Porsche plant when the 968 was introduced. If anything, I see some lower quality issues in at least the 1992 Cab chassis I saw. Subjectively, I feel there is a much tighter feel and less cowl shake on my 944 Cab TS clone over my 1990 S2 Cab - the only difference is in the standard spring rates, both having adjustable Konis.
The factory did its homework on the Cab conversion - there is an enhanced frame rail section at the front bulkhead, double floor section 'sandwich', front strut tower structural supports from the turbo S and body vibration dampner. I have never heard of any frame variance between the Turbo and NA Cab versions - this doesn't make sense given the low production numbers at the time, Porsche financial hardships and management changes during the time that killed the 944/968 series.
Only an engineered and/or welded aftermarket roll cage will do anything for chassis rigidity, Coupe or Cab.
In its' day, Road & Track noted how little cowl shake the 944S2 Cab had compared to it's contemporaries and voted it the most likely to be around in twenty years time - nuf said!
John
The factory did its homework on the Cab conversion - there is an enhanced frame rail section at the front bulkhead, double floor section 'sandwich', front strut tower structural supports from the turbo S and body vibration dampner. I have never heard of any frame variance between the Turbo and NA Cab versions - this doesn't make sense given the low production numbers at the time, Porsche financial hardships and management changes during the time that killed the 944/968 series.
Only an engineered and/or welded aftermarket roll cage will do anything for chassis rigidity, Coupe or Cab.
In its' day, Road & Track noted how little cowl shake the 944S2 Cab had compared to it's contemporaries and voted it the most likely to be around in twenty years time - nuf said!
John
#30
John,
If you hear of any shows in early 08 I may be interested.
Thanks
If you hear of any shows in early 08 I may be interested.
Thanks