RE: Porsche 944 Turbo: PH Heroes

[blade7]

Kawasicki said:

blade7 said:

Kawasicki said:

Mine was the same, including colour, just without your upgrades. In January `05 I drove the car at top speed on a very windy night, when heading directly into the wind the feeling of lift from the front axle was interesting.

Were the front undertrays fitted ?

Yes, everything. It was solid as a rock normally, I often drove at top speed. It was a very windy night.

Between changing the belts and checking 500 miles later I left the undertrays off, near to flat out was something I only did once A front splitter is in my plans, and maybe some small bonnet vents.

[Leins]

iguana said:

Pretty much bang on same power, BMW under-quoted by a fair margin on 328s, I've dyno'd 3 of mine & all were 210bhp bog stock with big miles on, 230bhp with the inlet swap & map to suit. Have also had pretty much all the 944 variants Lux, S2, 220T & 250T running over 300, & fair few M3s too, both the bimmers & the 944s have their strengths, 944 steering feel is ace, no BMs can touch that not even e46 CSL etc overall I do prefer the BMs tho.

TBF steering feel in a CSL isn't great. An E30 is a different matter

[Lowtimer]

I found the undertrays helped mine quite a bit in three digit territory (they were missing when I bought it). I've never been to anything like top speed but up around the top of fourth gear the car seems extremely stable aerodynamically. I was out at the weekend in the Storm Katy crosswinds and it was pleasingly undramatic. The front stagnation point of the airflow is still fairly high though and I can well imagine that a splitter can take it another step forward.

[Lowtimer]

iguana said:

Pretty much bang on same power, BMW under-quoted by a fair margin on 328s, I've dyno'd 3 of mine & all were 210bhp bog stock with big miles on, 230bhp with the inlet swap & map to suit.

That "192 hp" of the standard M52B28 / M52TUB28 was some sort of notional regulatory or tax limit for the German domestic market at one point, wasn't it? Something like the universal agreement of a certain era in Japanese manufacture that "276 hp" was all you should have, when in many cases it was obviously more.

[s m]

Richair said:

Another 951 owner here... My first Porsche, bought from a fellow PH'er a couple of years back as a 30th birthday present to myself and I'm smitten. Normally I don't keep cars very long but I honestly don't know what I'd replace it with. Had a couple of wobbles and considered changing to either an e36 M3 or a 996 C2, but after driving both they both left me feeling very cold

I recognise that business park Rich!

A quiet place to take pics on a Sunday

[blade7]

iguana said:

Have also had pretty much all the 944 variants Lux, S2, 220T & 250T running over 300, & fair few M3s too, both the bimmers & the 944s have their strengths, 944 steering feel is ace, no BMs can touch that not even e46 CSL etc overall I do prefer the BMs tho.

If I could only run one car it would probably be an M3. The 944T is a great open road car, but I'd fall out of love with it in every day slow traffic.

[PSH]

blade7 said:

If I could only run one car it would probably be an M3. The 944T is a great open road car, but I'd fall out of love with it in every day slow traffic.

oh I don't know Paul, I get as much fun stuck in traffic as I do on the open road. Reason being that no matter where I am people hear the burble as I cruise down the road or the whoosh as I change up and heads just turn....as my wife keeps reminding me 'everyone looks at this car' even if it's sitting quietly in a car park....

Pete

[blade7]

PSH said:

oh I don't know Paul, I get as much fun stuck in traffic as I do on the open road. Reason being that no matter where I am people hear the burble as I cruise down the road or the whoosh as I change up and heads just turn....as my wife keeps reminding me 'everyone looks at this car' even if it's sitting quietly in a car park....

Pete

You old poseur Pete . TBH I don't care much for the attention or the Porsche envy some idiots demonstrate.

[333pg333]

V8RX7 said:

Also true of most modernish "sports cars" I've seen Supras, RX7s and even MX5s all over supercars on track - sometimes it's the driver, sometimes it's because they are stripped out racers but mostly it's because the vast majority of supercars really aren't that "super" any more.

Here is a great clip - an almost standard MX5 overtaking GT3 at the Ring - the best money most could spend, is on driving lessons.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ3x462rlmg&fe...

Yes, well said. However I would contend that it would be a little more difficult to make an MX5 as rapid as an equally modified 944t. Supras can be made stupidly powerful but they're a bit cumbersome on track. RX's are closer to the 944 (engines notwithstanding) but bring your earplugs!

[333pg333]

blade7 said:

Ha, the S2 has it's place, as an engine donor . Are you running a 16v turbo yet Patrick ?

Getting closer but not quite yet dammit! Should be a good thing though. :-)

[V8RX7]

333pg333 said:

V8RX7 said:

Also true of most modernish "sports cars" I've seen Supras, RX7s and even MX5s all over supercars on track - sometimes it's the driver, sometimes it's because they are stripped out racers but mostly it's because the vast majority of supercars really aren't that "super" any more.

Here is a great clip - an almost standard MX5 overtaking GT3 at the Ring - the best money most could spend, is on driving lessons.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ3x462rlmg&fe...

Yes, well said. However I would contend that it would be a little more difficult to make an MX5 as rapid as an equally modified 944t. Supras can be made stupidly powerful but they're a bit cumbersome on track. RX's are closer to the 944 (engines notwithstanding) but bring your earplugs!

It would cost more to do but when an MX5 can be bought for £1k (or a Mk3 for £3k) and 944T seem to start at £15k that leaves £14k for Mods which would cover a 6.0 420bhp LS2 swop. A good turbo kit and mapping is circa £5k and will give 270bhp in a car weighing 1050kg.

[PSH]

the 944T's that raced in the Porsche cup late 90's weighed around 1000kg, these were standard engines, stripped of all unnecessary weight, up rated suspension running on slicks....the standard 86 220 is only 1280kg, alas each year after they just kept getting heavier, up to around 100kg more than the early cars by models end.

Pete

[Ozzie Osmond]

V8RX7 said:

It would cost more to do but when an MX5 can be bought for £1k (or a Mk3 for £3k) and 944T seem to start at £15k that leaves £14k for Mods which would cover a 6.0 420bhp LS2 swop. A good turbo kit and mapping is circa £5k and will give 270bhp in a car weighing 1050kg.

Not everyone wants to drive an MX5 which has been thrown together in a garden shed...

[V8RX7]

Ozzie Osmond said:

V8RX7 said:

It would cost more to do but when an MX5 can be bought for £1k (or a Mk3 for £3k) and 944T seem to start at £15k that leaves £14k for Mods which would cover a 6.0 420bhp LS2 swop. A good turbo kit and mapping is circa £5k and will give 270bhp in a car weighing 1050kg.

Not everyone wants to drive an MX5 which has been thrown together in a garden shed...

Yes there are a lot of ignorant pricks about more worried about interior plastics, image and resale than pure driving pleasure.

[hairykrishna]

Ozzie Osmond said:

V8RX7 said:

It would cost more to do but when an MX5 can be bought for £1k (or a Mk3 for £3k) and 944T seem to start at £15k that leaves £14k for Mods which would cover a 6.0 420bhp LS2 swop. A good turbo kit and mapping is circa £5k and will give 270bhp in a car weighing 1050kg.

Not everyone wants to drive an MX5 which has been thrown together in a garden shed...

He's stretching it a bit but the point's in there. Would I rather have a lightly fettled MX5 or a 944T? Obviously the 944. Unfortunately the question the advertised price asks in this case is more like would you rather have a 10 year old DB9 (for example) and 10 grand...or a 944T?

[blade7]

hairykrishna said:

Would I rather have a lightly fettled MX5 or a 944T? Obviously the 944. Unfortunately the question the advertised price asks in this case is more like would you rather have a 10 year old DB9 (for example) and 10 grand...or a 944T?

Get a thorough inspection by one of the indy workshops that knows 944 turbos inside out and £15-25k should get you into a decent 944 turbo. I'm talking about something under 100k miles or that has had a substantial suspension/brake/clutch/top end overhaul. Not polished turds rolled in glitter. And be very,very careful buying north of the border.

[k-ink]

V8RX7 said:

It would cost more to do but when an MX5 can be bought for £1k (or a Mk3 for £3k) and 944T seem to start at £15k that leaves £14k for Mods which would cover a 6.0 420bhp LS2 swop. A good turbo kit and mapping is circa £5k and will give 270bhp in a car weighing 1050kg.

Those conversions keep coming up on my radar. I think the battle would be finding a rust free MX5 (imports might be ok?), then finding a UK garage to do the conversion (without taking the piss on the cost). If you know of any garages doing this I am all ears...

[sim16v]

Here's mine just about to head out for another lap...



I have to say, I think the prices being asked are a little bit crazy, but i'm not complaining!

[xxxscimitarxxx]

I had an early 944 in white which was an overall hoot to drive for not much money (initially not much money) ....

Fat rubber on staggered porsche cup wheels, Porsche monogrammed bucket seat cloth, and a useful trunk to top it off

With near 50/50 balancing provided by having the gear box in the rear gave this front engined car a real mid engine feel to it

Unfortunately the model was Rust prone..everywhere..the whole thing was a rust trap from not much after new and any used one will have some crusty bits, which is what you get with any cheap 944...when they were cheap...Yes there are still some cheapies out there but if you can be bothered to get into the fixes for rust, ensuring the cam and balancing belts are changed when they should be, and being a bit brave for a clutch change then these cars 'are' classic Porsches

[Richair]

xxxscimitarxxx said:

I had an early 944 in white which was an overall hoot to drive for not much money (initially not much money) ....

Fat rubber on staggered porsche cup wheels, Porsche monogrammed bucket seat cloth, and a useful trunk to top it off

With near 50/50 balancing provided by having the gear box in the rear gave this front engined car a real mid engine feel to it

Unfortunately the model was Rust prone..everywhere..the whole thing was a rust trap from not much after new and any used one will have some crusty bits, which is what you get with any cheap 944...when they were cheap...Yes there are still some cheapies out there but if you can be bothered to get into the fixes for rust, ensuring the cam and balancing belts are changed when they should be, and being a bit brave for a clutch change then these cars 'are' classic Porsches

Sounds like you were unlucky with the rust; some just seem to be worse than others... Maybe its the way they've been stored or possibly something was going on with manufacturing processes. But 'generally' early cars do seem to fare better than late ones. Fortunately my 1986 car seems to be one of the good ones!