944 + LS1 = Heaven!
944 + LS1 = Heaven!
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Discussion

ihatesissycars

Original Poster:

951 posts

233 months

Friday 27th July 2007
quotequote all
Hi guys, I have a 944 n/a 2.5.

Its luuuurvly and despite the lack of grunt the engine is still a peach but I have a tinkering bug which I struggle to satisfy.

Up until now I've had a mk3 capri which I've done everything too culminating in a 4.0 v8 with ALOt of trick bits on it.

It'd wipe the floor with the 944 and is atleast on par with in terms with corner speed and so on although the porsche feels alot nicer.

Now, I've gotten pi**ed off with playing with the rover v8 and am mid way thru gflogging all my rover related bits so that I can raise enough money to buy an ls1 engine and box from the states to put in it. . . . . . . . but I keep get the inkling and niggling twitch to do it to the porker instead so I google 944 and ls1 and came up with this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dsPe40C__A&mod...

which led me to these guys

http://www.renegadehybrids.com/indexx.html#

Does anyone on here know of anyone thats done this conversion over here in the uk?

The more I think about it the more sense it makes to put it in the 944. No rust, niecr chassis feel with more potential, a better base for big power and handling and of course, its a porsche!

Your views please!

domster

8,431 posts

301 months

Friday 27th July 2007
quotequote all
Why not put the tuned Rover V8 in it? Lighter weight than the SBC and has been done before - iguana knows of a 944 that was fettled in such a way, here in the UK.

ihatesissycars

Original Poster:

951 posts

233 months

Friday 27th July 2007
quotequote all
The LS1 is all ally and very very close in weight to the porker 4 pot, within a few pounds so weight isn't an issue and I've had a belly full of rover v8's now.

An ls1 can be had for peanuts, makes 350 hp in poverty spec and is very very easily upgraded past 400hp and has the huge benefit of modern day management so economy, driveability, warm up etc etc would be massively ahead of the rover.

If its going to be a v8 then it has to be the ls1 thanks to the above and the conversion kit in the above link making it a bolt in job with minimal fabrication.

hairykrishna

14,536 posts

234 months

Friday 27th July 2007
quotequote all
I dream of doing this to my 944. If you do it, please put up a build diary website that way I can convince myself that it will be a good idea

ph123

1,841 posts

249 months

Friday 27th July 2007
quotequote all
Why bother? They made something called a 944 Turbo which has things like big brakes and sorted LSD chassis. Big performer all round, blow the doors off any home made concoction.


Peter123

1,328 posts

243 months

Friday 27th July 2007
quotequote all
I`ve put an LS1 into my Astra Coupe ...




With Vaux Omega rear axle and LSD .....




Chrispy Porker

17,742 posts

259 months

Friday 27th July 2007
quotequote all
why not just get a 928?

Riverside

319 posts

249 months

Friday 27th July 2007
quotequote all
If you're seriously considering it have a chat with these chaps

ihatesissycars

Original Poster:

951 posts

233 months

Friday 27th July 2007
quotequote all
Hi pete, you're ont he v8 forum too aren't you!

I really don't like 928's plus their engine hasn't got the potential that the ls1 has anywhere near as cheaply.

Peter123

1,328 posts

243 months

Friday 27th July 2007
quotequote all
ihatesissycars said:
Hi pete, you're ont he v8 forum too aren't you!
Yes mate, but not a lot of action on there rolleyes


Edited by Peter123 on Friday 27th July 20:32

Boosted LS1

21,200 posts

291 months

Friday 27th July 2007
quotequote all
ph123 said:
Why bother? They made something called a 944 Turbo which has things like big brakes and sorted LSD chassis. Big performer all round, blow the doors off any home made concoction.

944T engine wouldn't compete with an lsx derivitive, that said the body and brakes etc would be a good donar vehicle. This conversion must have been done in the UK by now. I had a chap from Scotland asking me to do it for him a year ago but I was busy and a tad apprehensive.

Boosted.

ihatesissycars

Original Poster:

951 posts

233 months

Friday 27th July 2007
quotequote all
I did think about getting a turbo and be done with it but I want a v8 still and I want to experiance an ls and with my new found love of 944's it seems like a good idea to combine the too especially as someone makes a bolt in conversion kit.

But I'm sat here thinking of an easy life, turn key no hassle fun, a T could give me that but it wouldn't have 400 hp though eh!!!

Hmmmmmm.

Ranger 6

7,731 posts

280 months

Friday 27th July 2007
quotequote all
Peter123 said:
I`ve put an LS1 into my Astra Coupe ...
I'm not a Vauxhall enthusiast, but that looks superb - have you got a build thread we can look at?

ihatesissycars

Original Poster:

951 posts

233 months

Wednesday 8th August 2007
quotequote all
Might be a change of plan ref this. Although there is a kit to fit an ls1 into a 944 there will be problems with the exhaust manifolds.

The kit is for a left hooker and the r/h/d cars steering shaft would interfere with the manifold which isn't designed to clear that on a r/h/d car.

I have however found a place in the states which makes supercharger kits for 8 and 16 valve 944's and 968's which would prodiuce more power than a turbo motor and is a bolt on jobbie.

Cost is about 3k for the kit + shipping and maybe import fee's.

Fitting would obviously be extra however it looks to be a straight forward install so I'd be doing it myself.

I'll be upgrading the brakes and suspension first though!

willdew

2,138 posts

295 months

Wednesday 8th August 2007
quotequote all
ihatesissycars said:
Might be a change of plan ref this. Although there is a kit to fit an ls1 into a 944 there will be problems with the exhaust manifolds.

The kit is for a left hooker and the r/h/d cars steering shaft would interfere with the manifold which isn't designed to clear that on a r/h/d car.

I have however found a place in the states which makes supercharger kits for 8 and 16 valve 944's and 968's which would prodiuce more power than a turbo motor and is a bolt on jobbie.

Cost is about 3k for the kit + shipping and maybe import fee's.

Fitting would obviously be extra however it looks to be a straight forward install so I'd be doing it myself.

I'll be upgrading the brakes and suspension first though!
This (or a similar) kit has been brought across by Ninemeister and fine-tuned to the UK.

Some info on it here:
http://www.porsche968uk.co.uk/supercharged-968-nin...

For a 968, it's about £6k for the 350bhp version, fully fitted, including VAT. More power costs more money.

ihatesissycars

Original Poster:

951 posts

233 months

Wednesday 8th August 2007
quotequote all
Yes the kit I'm on about comes from the same place. Its $5995 which works out at just over £3k, I'd fit the bugger myself though as its within my abilities and because I'm tight!!!

Mapping if needed I can also do but I would have it checked by way of RR sessions.

Tempting!

willdew

2,138 posts

295 months

Wednesday 8th August 2007
quotequote all
ihatesissycars said:
Yes the kit I'm on about comes from the same place. Its $5995 which works out at just over £3k, I'd fit the bugger myself though as its within my abilities and because I'm tight!!!

Mapping if needed I can also do but I would have it checked by way of RR sessions.

Tempting!
There's be another 25% on top of that by the time you've paid the import duty and VAT, so it would be c. £3,750.

From what I understand, 9m made some significant improvements over the US system as it comes. I think you'd have to be confident of ftting it and getting it running smoothly for less than another grand to make it worth doing yourself, rather than getting Colin to do it.

Although I preferred your first idea. I think a LS1 engined car would be superb.

ihatesissycars

Original Poster:

951 posts

233 months

Wednesday 8th August 2007
quotequote all
Yeah I do too, an ls 944 would be awesome but I'm thinking of of the work requried to get it in there, making manifolds is a right pain, I can do it but I'm not a specialist so wouldn't know if what I built would present big restrictions to the engine. Very tempting.

An ls1 I can get for about £1500 now I think and the kit would work out about £2 - 2.5 k (very approx).

This requires thought.

There's one big risk with the ls option, MORE POWER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Would I get greedy, strap a charger on the ls, get 600hp and kill myself!!

Penguinracer

1,773 posts

237 months

Wednesday 8th August 2007
quotequote all
The 944 turbo will make 400 bhp - it's just a matter of dosh! Jon Mitchell is talking about 500 bhp & 500 lb/ft from his 3.2 turbo but it won't be as cheap as an LS1 but it will be totally thoroughbred Porsche if that's important to you!

ihatesissycars

Original Poster:

951 posts

233 months

Wednesday 8th August 2007
quotequote all
It would but Insurance on a turbo for me is stupid and its cheaper to change or mod the engine on mine for the insurance than buy one with a turbo already, stupid I know!

500hp is alot out of one of those and I'd question if it could handle that as well as an ls.

450 hp can be had from a 5.7 with a cam and inlet change, no mods to the ecu required or even better the 6.0 ls1 can pump out 500hp with just a cam change (£250 for parts if you do it yourself).

Cheap power and a v8 soundtrack!