RE: SOTW: Porsche 944 track car

[Ftumpch]

Honestly, learn to type!!

[iain a]

I enjoy my 944 tarmac rally car.. It is a 1985 shell with properly uprated suspension and brakes.. and the benefit of a 3 Litre S2 engine and a Quaife LSD. They can be great fun, and not that hard to work on.

[NJH]

As much as I have loved these cars over the past 12 years that is a great photo for showing the cars biggest design flaw, prehistoric semi trailing arm suspension and torsion bars borrowed from the old 911 way of thinking. A point worth baring in mind for anyone new to tracking these cars, the design causes the rear to toe out under braking and toe in under acceleration, thus trade understeer on the throttle or really lively when braking depending on just how much static toe in you settle on. Still though such challenges give an added dimension to driving the cars you don't get with modern stuff, its really amazing how much these cars move around and yet still stay on the track capable of pulling 1.4g on the Michelin cups. The introduction of the boxster and 996 into our club championship is a different kettle of fish though, those modern things look they are on rails or just seem to suddenly spin off.

[UK952]

carinaman said:

I'm not sure why anyone would want to put a V8 into this when it's soon be crushed before being recycled in China. Some say the 2.7 Twin Turbo Audi V6 mates to the bell housing that allows retention of the rear mounted transaxle and the weight distribution and handling benefits that provides.

Believe you need the 924 torque tube for the Audi v6, I was considering this first until I had a chat with an rs4 owning friend and the issues they may have. I am after a reliable 420 ish bhp that will be good for many thousands of road miles and the odd trackday. My turbo was running up to 350 and I did over 80,000 miles I. It tuned, towards the higher states of tune it was fragile and I prefer driving to tinkering. I wouldn't bother with an LS engine in a heap its not a cheap conversion and you want the turbo box, turbo brakes and suspension etc. The LS will maintain the transaxle and the weight difference is marginal between it and the turbo lump with all the plumbing.

[carinaman]

Thanks for the heads up UK952.

[Sicob]

Possibly better economy and more fun in a cheap seven. Westy / Sylva of some sort for 3/4k

[brucie286]

Brilliant car! Great weight balance and a right hoot on track!

[GC8]

Yes but we arent talking about all 924/944/968s, we are talking about that heap on the news page. I doubt that theres much fun to be had on knackered old suspension, and renewing it will take the best part of £1,000, no matter what you do.