944 S2 what are the best mods?
Discussion
Adding lightness is the cheapest way forward. Its also worth making sure that the car is in the rudest health that it can be, if the timing is out on them it can rob you of horses...
Have a chat with EMC in Birmingham... they have been building championship winning S2 race cars for years.
Have a chat with EMC in Birmingham... they have been building championship winning S2 race cars for years.
I have a 968 engine in mine amongst other things which helps on the speed front, but my view would be to first work with what you have in the engine bay and:
1. Fit decent adjustable suspension
2. Invest in good brake set up
3. Ditch weight (back seats out, lightweight buckets, replace rear window with polycarb etc)
Really well balanced package with a few tweaks.
Cheers
Slodge
1. Fit decent adjustable suspension
2. Invest in good brake set up
3. Ditch weight (back seats out, lightweight buckets, replace rear window with polycarb etc)
Really well balanced package with a few tweaks.
Cheers
Slodge
Why would you want to make it go faster? An S2 goes faster than you can drive legally in the UK, and is at least as much fun as you'll ever need at legal speeds.
Is it a well-sorted S2 though? Even a good service, new leads, dizzy cap and rotor arm etc. can help. Is the suspension knackered, are the tyres right, has it had a geo from someone who knows what they're doing? Are the brakes working as they should, most aren't after 20-plus years.
About the only thing aside from a supercharger would be a good decat and chip package like the Promax one. Losing weight helps, of course, but if you're not careful you lose the car's point as a comfortable GT on the road.
Is it a well-sorted S2 though? Even a good service, new leads, dizzy cap and rotor arm etc. can help. Is the suspension knackered, are the tyres right, has it had a geo from someone who knows what they're doing? Are the brakes working as they should, most aren't after 20-plus years.
About the only thing aside from a supercharger would be a good decat and chip package like the Promax one. Losing weight helps, of course, but if you're not careful you lose the car's point as a comfortable GT on the road.
blade7 said:
You always say this PJ, are you actually 90 years old 
.
In attitude, nearly. Yes. .
I just think we get too obsessed with figures regarding power and speed, at the risk of forgetting fun. The whole ethos behind cars like the original MX5 or the GT86 is that you can have more fun in a car that's exciting at "reasonable" speeds, the way a properly-sorted 924S is such a hoot. There's no point having something that you can only drive at 2/10ths unless you want to lose your license. IMO, it's better to have something that's useable at 9/10ths all the time. Would you rather have a decent hot hatch or a Veyron as a daily driver?
Excluding track cars, I think that spending money on trying to make an S2 more powerful is the last thing to do after everything else is perfect. There's no point adding 20BHP if the brakes are sticking and head gasket's about to go, the suspension is original, or it's not been set up for years and isn't handling right. To me the S2, with a decat and chip, is hard to improve on for road use.
My only criticism is the same as was made when it was launched; it's over-tyred. That takes away the nimble-ness of the the earlier 944s, which is one of the best things about them.
Best way to achieve that is via the suspension and 'added' lightness already discussed. Case in point I love driving my race car now I finally got the suspension and setup sorted, its a beautifully balanced car, sharp and grippy as hell with the right mods. My 968 tiptronic OTOH is to me now a very boring car, nothing wrong with its capabilities or drive which is superb, especially on long cross country runs, its just a totally different feel and experience.
1. Decent tyres
2. Fit coilovers
3. Brake overhaul
4. Driver tuition
In all honesty there isn't much that can be done beyond a Promax chip and k&n filter without spending lots of money. The chip is certainly worthwhile adding about 20% increase in torque and smoothing out a mid range flat spot. A stainless steel exhaust system and decat may also help. You should see it more as restoring lost ponies over the years than adding any extra bhp.
Supercharging at $6000 for the parts is an awful lot for little gain (100 BHP) and why you get most saying buy a turbo instead. The only other viable option would be to add nitrous such as Wizards of NOS kit for about 1700, but would suggest a top end rebuild and head gasket replacement first. Would give you forced induction when you want it, but still smooth 3.0L when you don't.
968 engine is also a possibility but perhaps a lot of money for only extra 30 bhp, perhaps only an option if your engine blows and needs replacing.
What I would be inclined to do is fit a promax chip and then forget the engine and concentrate on the chassis, this is the route I have gone. These cars with new or upgraded suspension and decent geo are pretty impressive on road and track. Add decent tyres, overhaul to the brakes, decent pads and it will stop very well too.
If car is track car lightening is worthwhile, otherwise on road it can be a compromise too far, bucket seats will lose you 35kg, only other real gains would be fiberglass bonnet, front wings and PC rear hatch, however not exactly cheap either.
I think what Paul is saying is that adding loads more power isn't really what these cars are about, (buy a turbo if you want to spend money and do that), if your not a power freak the S2 is plenty quick enough as a 25 year old car needs to be, investing money into the chassis can improve the driving experience across the board and not just when in straight lines, and who drives in straight lines?
2. Fit coilovers
3. Brake overhaul
4. Driver tuition
In all honesty there isn't much that can be done beyond a Promax chip and k&n filter without spending lots of money. The chip is certainly worthwhile adding about 20% increase in torque and smoothing out a mid range flat spot. A stainless steel exhaust system and decat may also help. You should see it more as restoring lost ponies over the years than adding any extra bhp.
Supercharging at $6000 for the parts is an awful lot for little gain (100 BHP) and why you get most saying buy a turbo instead. The only other viable option would be to add nitrous such as Wizards of NOS kit for about 1700, but would suggest a top end rebuild and head gasket replacement first. Would give you forced induction when you want it, but still smooth 3.0L when you don't.
968 engine is also a possibility but perhaps a lot of money for only extra 30 bhp, perhaps only an option if your engine blows and needs replacing.
What I would be inclined to do is fit a promax chip and then forget the engine and concentrate on the chassis, this is the route I have gone. These cars with new or upgraded suspension and decent geo are pretty impressive on road and track. Add decent tyres, overhaul to the brakes, decent pads and it will stop very well too.
If car is track car lightening is worthwhile, otherwise on road it can be a compromise too far, bucket seats will lose you 35kg, only other real gains would be fiberglass bonnet, front wings and PC rear hatch, however not exactly cheap either.
I think what Paul is saying is that adding loads more power isn't really what these cars are about, (buy a turbo if you want to spend money and do that), if your not a power freak the S2 is plenty quick enough as a 25 year old car needs to be, investing money into the chassis can improve the driving experience across the board and not just when in straight lines, and who drives in straight lines?
NJH said:
My 968 tiptronic OTOH is to me now a very boring car,
thats the trouble with any race car. everything else is boring. i would have to spend a fortune on a gt3 or similar to get anywhere near as much fun on the road as either the 964 944 or 964 turbo race cars. Although i have just test driven an s2 elise and think it may be the race car for the road i'm looking for. best thing to do to an s2 is adjustable coilovers. bigger ARB. and get it on rollers to see if its making quoted power. give the brakes an overhaul, standard brakes are plenty good enough with flesh fluid and fresh pads.
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