Frank W

I'm relatively new to Porsche and have dipped my toe in with the 964 C4 since April this year. Just this week I drove a 993 Carerra S (C2 wide body). It looked 'rude' and regrettably also drove just like a heavy old Merc... Yes the exhaust note had been engineered and the gear change was slick and the braking beyond belief (literally an on/off button) and the cabin interior was all touchy/feely.

But gone, was the go-kart handling; gone was the sense of drive & speed and ultimately gone, was the sports car (IMO).

I'm now thinking about staying eith the 964 and bolting on a supercharger - anyone got experience of this upgrade?

FW

PeterH

Frank,
Like you, I started recently in a 964. Was thinking that next step would be a 993 and particularly liked the look of the WB. Was it really that different/bad? Anyone else with the same kind of experience?

Peter

Pete in DC

I'm also in this quandary (have an 89 C4) but 'cause I like the aggressive appearance of the C4S WB and the blockbusting brakes, among others. Frank, how about the 993 C4? I was in one last week and - yes, it's refined - but the on-the-rails handling is all there.

Randall G.

Hi Frank,

Check the 993 board. A guy name Cecil was reporting on a supercharger he had put on his '97 993. A 993 Varioram application should be pretty similar to a 964 application.

Oh, and you weren't looking to move to a 993 for greater performance, were you? A Varioram (96+) 993 is only marginally faster than a 964--0.2s faster from 0-60 mph. A '95 993 is only 0.1s faster from 0-60. Suppose the handling is refined a bit, but we're talking pretty subtle stuff now.

Hope this helps.

Randall G.

Just opened my latest copy of Excellence, and it contains an article on a supercharged 993.

[ 07-08-2001: Message edited by: Randall Granaas ]

Andrew Wright

What does the Excellence article say - I dont see the mag in the UK. There is an independant specialist which offers supercharging & I did wonder whether it would be better than, say, going the 3.8l route.

Beetos

I was also convinced that the 993 was the car for me. I have owned an 88 Carrera that I rebuilt with cams, mass air, header etc that I traded for a mint 90 C2. I have lowered the 964 and added a chip, 3.5" mass air conversion, catbypass, primary bypass and get about 275-280hp. This car is the perfect sports car for me, reminds me of raw 88 but has a very solid engineering feel to it. I saved money to PX for a 993, but after driving a few, I realized I was not missing much, I drove 95's, and 97's and my 964 felt far sharper, faster, if not a little harsher.

I have decided that with the money I was holding for the 993 trade up, I will but a TPC Eaton90 Supercharger conversion. Placed my order yesterday. I got the complete kit for $6200 and had to pay another $333 for a throttle body and boot because the kit needs to bolt on boddies that the post 90 cars used. This kit has the digital electronics module for timing retard and 7th injector driver and can be removed and fitted to a 993 in the future without additional electronics. All I would need is a different crank pully and a few brackets. Looking forward to 380-ish horsepower! Will let you all know how the install goes.

MelissaM

Beetos,

Definitely, definitely keep us posted on the installation and post installation.

If you haven't already done so, you might get a dyno so the before and after results can be looked at.

It will also be interesting to see how the engine holds up after the supercharger is installed.

Hope all goes well!

-- Melissa

George Stevens

Autofarm, a UK specialist recently had a 964RS with a bolt on eaton supercharger and fully programmable MoTech engine management system.

They claimed 360bhp (with 1250 kgs WOW!!!!!!!)

The bottom end of the 964 will comfortably take circa 400 bhp it is essentially the same bottom end as used on the 996 GT3 and 996 Turbo.

As a precaution it would probably be wise to fit stronger head studs.

Personally I would rather go down the larger capacity route with a Roock normally aspirated 3.8 conversion

Adrian

In my book I have a very nice story about a Supercharged RS America. However be warned, this is not just a bolt on job. If you have a tired engine the costs are even higher. Regardless of what you read in the sales and marketing brochures you will need to budget between 10 and 20 thousand US dollars. Your engine and transmission condition is paramount and yes there are stories out there of people who bolted high performance additives like superchargers and turbochargers onto tired engines and they do not last long and the initial benefits are also less,
Ciao,
Adrian
911C4

Christer

Just to add to Adrian's comment - this is not a bolt on job also because you need to lower the compression of the engine. This is usually done by using Turbo pistons. This is essential for reasonable gains and for the safety of the engine.