Tim Comeau

If you have an 83-88 944 or 924S and want to race it, the 944 spec class welcomes you! (I don't own this class, I just love it!)
Near stock, equal cars means close, exciting racing in reliable cars. I drive my car to the events! This class is up and running in all major sanctioning bodies- NASA, POC, SCCA, and now PCA Club Racing! It's available everywhere in the US now!

See the rules at www.944spec.com.

If you like the rules, start a 944 spec group where you race. I'll help you get started. You might even consider entering your 944 spec car in the NASA Nationals in Sept at Mid Ohio.

Here's the rules in a nutshell:
You can't be outspent! No titanium this or carbon fiber that....
Everyone has the same chassis, same stock engine, same stock transaxle, same weight (2600 lbs) including driver, same stock 7 x 15 wheels, same TOYO Proxes RA-1 tires. Limited suspension mods.
Just strip the interior,heating, A/C, radio, yada yada, bolt in a cage, racing seat, and harness. You should feel how a 944 flies after you remove several hundred lbs of weight!
Check out the above website and see all the pictures of the 80 or so guys and girls who are already racing in this 944 class. You can either BE fast, or BUY fast. This class separates the two quite well!
Have fun with your 944 and......CHEERS!


Tim Comeau
Comeau Racing Enterprises, Inc.
San Diego,CA
www.comeauracing.com (short, but cool 944 racing video, just click under my picture.)
_________________
944 spec #22
1987 924S

Rich Sandor

We need some 944 spec racing to get started up here in BC.

Bill L Seifert

Tim

I looked up that web site, and under rules, it said the rules are the same for 2006 that they were for 2005, but no 2005 rules.

Bill Seifert

944 Race Car

M758

I am the webmaster for the 944 spec website.

Here is a direct link to the 944 spec rules for 2006.

http://www.nasaproracing.com/rules/944-Spec-Rules.pdf

It is in a PDF file so you will need acrobat reader to view the rules.

Bill L Seifert

Joe

Thanks

Bill

Bill L Seifert

Joe

By the way, is your car down to 2600, with you in it? I can't see me getting mine that light, legally. SCCA has gone to 2575 with driver, I guess you could get that light by dipping to get rid of the undercoating, but I sure ain't going to strip my car to the bare hull.

Bill

Matt Marks

Is there a release from PCA club racing with details? Didn't see anything on the PCA site.

tconn

How much can one expect to spend to build a car if one does the work themselves ?

Bill L Seifert

Of course it depends on what you build.. In order to be competitive you will need an '88 motor and '88 trans, or 87-88 924S trans. 88 was the only year for the 10.2 Copression ration engine, (Euro motors have it but they are rare) and the 87-88 924S or 88 944 trans has the .83 fifth gear. Barber is the only track in the mid part of the country that you don't use fifth gear. Maybe Putnam, I'm not sure. You lose a lot using the .73 fifth gear.

So basically you need an 88 car, which cuts down on number of cars you can buy. Of course you can get any car and put an 88 motor or the above trans, but the motor will cost around $1,000 plus belts, water pump etc. The right trans is $300-$600. LSD is nice, but costs money.

Then suspension is around $3,000, seat- $300, belts $150, transponder $200, kill switch, $50, cage $750-$1,000. misc stuff, $500, extra wheels $500. Tires- $160 apiece, minimum. Car- $2,500-$4,000. I would guess around $10,000, total. The fast guys are going to use a Milledge type engine $5,000 (Build yourself), or $15,000 up, from him.

Carefull shopping will lower that, but don't count on it. Then again, Of course, Hurley Haywood in a crap car is going to beat me in a $35,000 Milledge car. If you want to know specifics on parts PM me.

Good luck, and it is a fun car, I've had my 83 since 1989, and have raced it from day one.

Bill Seifert

Going back to 83 944 Race Car for 944 Cup

tconn

Aren't the 83-84 944's lighter than the late model cars? If so does this not offset the extra hp that the later cars have?

I thought the engine had be stock for the 944spec series. Wouldn't a Milledge
prepared motor be out side the rules?

Thanks for the info.

M758

Not really... It is LIGHTER!

I run with 40 lbs of ballast in passenger front footwell (legal per the rules) and still have powerwindows, a full size battery, and run with a racing passenger's seat.

The car still has all the undercoating and much of interior undercoating.

M758

In 944 spec to be competitive you will need following.

83-88 944 or 924S.

Despite what bill says there are many strong class winning 944 spec cars using 9.5:1 motors any year chassis 944 or 924S. Euro motors are not legal in 944 spec nor is much of anything from milledge. Most cars run 128 to 135 rwhp and the expectation is cars will remain at these power levels. The series directors work hard to maintain the low cost equal nature of the class.

Here is what you NEED to be successfull in class

1) Car
2) Engine that runs fine.. junkyard motors are fine, but ideally you will have a stock valve job and flat cut. Nothing fancy $200 or so if you bring the head into. Don't cut the head to increase compression. Power gains are next to nothing a few folks have had relablity issues.
3) Fresh rod bearings. Not for performance, but for engine longevity. Figure $150 if you do it yourself.
4) Strip car to make weight 2600lbs is min, but you are fine at 2650lbs an can still win plenty of races at that weight
5) Suspension package. Figure about $2k for a full boat 944 spec suspenion package. Koni yellows or bilstiens are all that are allowed. Rear t-bars at 28 to 30 mm and front springs 250 to 400 lbs. Camberplates in front and adjustable sway bars.
6) Wheels/Tires 2 or 3 sets of 15x7 phone dials or cookie cutters at about $200 per set. 225-50 R15 Toyo RA-1's at about 125 per tire. Ideally you have two sets of tires in a rotation. shave then to 4/32 then wear them in for a 5 heat cycles and they are ready to race on for the next 30 heat cycles.
7) Tranny.. .829 5th gear is key to speed at some tracks. Most cars came with a .730 5th. The 924S and 88 944 came with the .829 5th. This gear set can also be taken out of 951 gearboxes and is a realtivly easy change. LSD is nice, but have run very well for many years without one.
8) Aligment/corner balance.
9) Brakes.. I run stock rotors and hawk blue pads. They work nice.
10) LEARN TO DRIVE

Of all of the items on the list #10 is the MOST important. Doing a backyards build on 944 spec will cost you $6000 to $8000 (includong donor) depending on how much you spend and the condition of the donor car and how fancy you want to be. I know of on guy who spend 15-18k on his 944 spec. That was with work done by a shop who did EVERYTHING and replaced lots of semi worn parts and put a nice paint/graphics job. Used completed cars go for 6k to 12k depending on details and spares.

Running costs consist of 20 gallons of pump gas per event and entry fees.
Per season 2 sets of tires,1 set of front brake pads, and 3-5 oil changes.

Pretty cheap for lots of fun in a very raw feeling car.

tconn

I'm going to have to look into this some more. Sounds like a great inexpensive way to get into real racing.

What driving experience is needed?
I've taken the Skip Barber 3 day comp school, some formula ford, lots of Auto-x
some DE's.

Bill L Seifert

Tim

You and Joe are right about the late Milledge motors, because they use aftermarket pistons. I understand some of the early ones he built used Mahle pistons, which were 10.2 cr probably were legal. I've never seen the inside of one of his engines, so I am just going by hearsay.

Joe, the 9.5 may be competitive at some tracks, but the only time I ran against the Cuppers was at Rennsport II at Daytona, and if you did not have the 10.2's you were seriously lacking in top speed. The .83 5th at Daytone was night and day. I picked up 6 seconds (Yes 6, not .6) just by going to .83 5th. Top speed moved from 123 to 141 on the banking. The darn thing just won't go through the air with the .73 5th gear.

Also, I guess I have a whole lot of stripping to do on my car. I'm not below 2700, and the only thing I still have in my car, that I can take out is the door stuff, and heater, AC stuff in the dash. I'll probably have to leave the doors stock, because I still run SCCA and the right door is not allowed to be stripped in ITS. Of course, I'm kinda heavy (205 with race gear)

Joe, one more question. The rules say, I think, stock type front springs, and spring weight open. I use AFCoils on the front, they are 450 lb springs, but are about 3 inches in diameter, not the 4-5" that the stock ones are. They fit in the stock spring plates. Are those ok? I use Koni yellows, so I know those are legal.

Also, your number 10 on the list is the most important, Learn how to drive.

Bill

BBailey

It'll be interesting to see when much of what has been learned by guys racing in the Spec Miata series gets applied to Spec 944. Building a car that has real advantages over most of the competition in this class isn't as hard as some might make it out to be. And the time will come when a professionally built motor will be required to be competitive with the front runners in the class.

1. Balanced and Blueprinted engine using all stock (non-machined) parts will add horsepower and cannot be ruled illegal. It's still a bone stock engine. It's just built perfectly to Porsche's own specs.
2. Maximize all tolerances.
3. Custom suspension bushings (non-metallic)
4. Reduce friction in the drivetrain
5. etc, etc, etc

It doesn't take much in a spec series to create a very real advantage. In a class of cars where everyone is making roughly the same horsepower, finding an extra 5 or 10 at the wheels will make a HUGE difference.

Will be interesting to see what happens when this class goes National and people really start focusing on it and spending $$$$ to maximize the development of their cars.