flipo

I wouldn't race another 951 or 968 without dry sump oiling system ! i know it's expensive but oiling isues are very common on these engines and blowinging up a well preped 968 engine will cost more than a dry sump.don't ask me how i know.

ckkrause

Flipo-

What else had you done to the motor? How much hp were you running when you had your "problem"? Just trying to gauge risk as I'll be running slightly less than stock hp....

Thanks!

-Chuck

flipo

I blew the engine on my 951 S due to oil starvation in a long righthand turn .That engine had 310rwhp @ 1bar

Joel8005

Yes, put the old girl on a diet and take several hundered pounds off of her and drag her to the track. The 968 is a great track car and with some minor mods will out proform many other cars with more HP. I just might be a little bias.......

ckkrause

Joel-

I really love those wheels on #68!!!

93 FireHawk 968

Just my 2 cents but I strongly suggest buying a fully race prepped 968. You'll spend upwards of $25k to build it to a competitive level. Cage, fire system, suspension updates, wheels, as sorted safety requirements, seats and the list goes on. The 146k mile engine will certainly reveal it's age when driven on the track hard. I've spent that plus, after starting with a fully vetted track car.

Good luck!

ckkrause

Firehawk- Thanks for your experienced response! It's my concern for the reliabi
lit of the motor that really pushed me to start this thread... Unlike some, I have a specific budget that doesn't include a major rebuilt... I may have to rethink this...

-Chuck

Ps- By the way, g

richard glickel

Chuck says he already races a BMW, so I assumed that he's familiar with the costs associated with building and campaigning a "low budget" race car. It ain't cheap. A proper build on a Boxster spec car is now running in the $40k-55k range!

mikew968

l bought mine in 2002 and progressed it to a full blown race car. i just got back from Mid Ohio and ran a 1.38.5 on the pro course. I also need a new fender and bumper cover as a result of a pretty heavy accident where the other car an S2 rolled about 4 times. So, start with something you are not afraid to ball up. where are you from?

mikew968

968 engines with routine maintenance are bullet proof. They don't seem to have the same #2 bearing issues as the 944. Dry is not an issue or requirement in my experience of 5 years of racing and other that I know of as well. I progressed mine slowly and made a lot of compromises I would not make today like gutting the interior and such.

ckkrause

MikeW-

I'm from the SF Bay Area and I was thinking of using this car because I wouldn't be afraid to ball it up!!! (Whoops....sorry, I don't really mean it!!!...Ahh... Ahhh, I really love the car!!)

-Chuck

odurandina

you might be down 15 hp from what you'd have with new motor, other than that, seems if you change the rod bearings and add the larger connecting rods — you should be ok. you might benefit from a valve job later on, but in the meantime, from novice to seasoned weekend racer just enjoy the engine until it's tired. if the idea of using an engine (built to go 300~400 K miles) during it's middle age doesn't grab you, Gary (Esprit) has a pristine motor w/ 48 k miles for only $3 k. luck will be on your side with the abundance of used 968 engines out there. rebuilds will seriously kill you just before blowing up (i'm yet to discover any evidence that a 968 engine is anything more than 'quasi rebuildable,' lol)... double the amount of money you think you'll be spending — and you should be closer to a realistic number of what you'll spend for every hour enjoyed on the track.

Jim Child

I'll echo the comments that the 968 engine is bullet proof. My car has around 90 thousand miles, half of which have been on the track. Still running strong on the original motor with no rebuilds, although we have done the rod bearings several times, and done a couple of valve jobs.

You need to dyno the car on a Dynojet before you do anything else. If you're still running the stock intake and exhaust then I think you'll already be right around 200 rwhp. I don't think you'll need to do anything to limit the revs to achieve your weight target.

It is definitely cheaper to buy a built race car, but if building it is part of the fun for you then go for it!

richard glickel.

BTW, if Jim Child says these engines are really strong, you can believe him. Jim's a terrific driver who certainly hasn't "babied" his black beauty over the years while holding numerous class records at Mid-O.

mikew968

Chuck:

I will be happy to discuss anything specific you would want to know.