Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

Hi, picked up my first road going 944 last week, a 89 2.7 LUX, high mileage but just been MOT'd no advisory's, and has TAX until Jan 15.





I have two other 944's a early non sunroof 2.5 Lux with no rot whatsoever and a Damage Turbo, the plan is to build a totally track focussed 944 turbo out of the two, along with all the right safety, brakes and suspension.





No Pictures of the Turbo....

Then I realised I had never actually driven a 944 properly!!!!

Enter the 2.7, plan for the 2.7 is to re-bush the suspension, replace the tired shocks, up grade the roll bars to M030, some decent brake pads and some Toyo 888's, proper alignment, then do a couple of track days to find how I get along with a 944.

I realise the 2.7 will not be quick in a straight line, however this build is to discover how they go round corners before committing some big £££ on a build only to find i'm not armoured with the 944 handling characteristics.

Anyhow that's the plan....what do people think????

Strange really I love track days and have been since the 70's but I have never put the 2.5 944 lux on track.
I know it wont be the fastest in a straight line but the combination of all its strengths it would be quick enough to be fun.
I have observed that the 924-968 all handle and corner well especially if its wet, however I doubt that I will bother because I have other toys better suited.

What are the other toy's?????

this was one of mine, sold it 2 month ago -

Had a bit drive out in the car today and was not convinced the front alignment was correct, the front end felt very vague,

Also I had noticed in one of the pictures I posted above (second one down) the front passenger wheel looks like it has positive camber on.

Quick measure up and sure enough + 1.5degrees

When I took the wheel off to check looks like someone had put the camber washer in set to full positive.

anyhow now have both fronts with -1.5 degrees, car feels so much more positive turning into corners and traveling in a straight line its does not wander around quite as much as it did...

The R33 GTR looks a right peach! A fella around the corner from me has one, my fave of the modern Skyline's/GTR's. How did you get on with it?

You'll be bored with a lux on track if you're used to that! But if you can prep it cheaply just to sample one then go for it, it will be a lot of fun on a wet track especially. The 951 with an LSD is a bit of a step up and capable of being built up to a proper weapon so I doubt you'll be disappointed...

What are the other toy's?????

this was one of mine, sold it 2 month ago -

Nice it looks immaculate, I have done a drifting session in one as a passenger and was impressed by the girl driver! blonde and fast.

The kit car is a special I built powered by an MX5, HSK turbo and Aquamist water injection, the chassis was meant for a Cyana but I made it a 7 instead. 650kg and 180 bhp cheap and fast.
The car in the right corner is a Quantum 2+2 powered by a tuned RS turbo lump, 800 kg with 160 bhp.
So as you see the poor old 944 is very nice to drive but the other two are more fun on track.

I am not keen on spending huge sums or polishing as long as they go.

The GTR was a nice car very quick A to B but it did to much for you, I prefer something I have to actually drive......

Pink Piggy, I always fancied building a seven type car just not gotten round to it, totally with you on the drive it not just polish it. I was into drifting a few years ago built my self a nice Nissan 200sx (s13) with SR engine, proper suspension and diff was great fun.

Great cars those Nissans.
Like the pictures.
My daughter had one a few years ago and she bought it in Bath area and I drove it back to Hants not knowing that its brakes were missing pads.......but still stopped????
That had a welded diff too and was the car we went drifting in.

Building the seven was fine ish but the IVA test and DVLC losing the registration cheque was a total ball ache.

Cloning would be the answer but finding a suitable candidate was not possible.
However it does not need an MOT for 3 years, so thats a saving on the ££££ to get it legal.

I found the first trip of 25 miles to Southampton on a frosty morning in April for its very first run to the IVA centre (to see if its fit to be on the roads) totally nerve wracking.

It's the IVA test which has put me off the most from building a kit/special....

Track day booked for 6th Oct, late afternoon evening at Teesside Autodrome.

Its a small track but its cheap and local....best start bolting suspension parts on soon.....

With the first track day looming I have been collecting some parts to uprate the suspension.

I bought some good second hand M030 Koni's, M030 front roll bar and18mm rear bar, a full set of powerflex bushes, and a set of Toyo888.

Seeing as time is short for the first track day, I am going to bolt on the Koni's along with the roll bars and have the tyres fitted, one the 6th Oct is out the way I will pull the rear beam and fit the bigger torsion bars along with all the suspension bushes.

I had the roll bars and brackets blasted and coated, luckily my mate owns Specialised Blastings and Coatings -



also bought some seats -



I fitted the rear shocks and roll bar yesterday, was really surprises a 25 year old car came apart so easily....should get the front struts and roll bar fitted mid week/next Sat....then its off to the track.

Front shock absorbers fitted today along with the 26mm hollow front roll bar, also fitted some triangulation brackets to the front roll bar mounts.....Tyre's fitted, uprated brake pads and brakes bled through with fresh brake fluid, also fitted the Only944 quick shifter

I only had time for a quick drive up the road, the car is totally transformed, much more solid and planted on the road, with very little body roll and responds well to steering input...brakes will need a bit bedding in, but I can at least lock the brakes now!!!

Still have the 25.5mm torsion bars to fit, bushes for the front bottom arms and the rear axle mount/swing arms.
Then strip some weight out and fit the seats, but that can wait until later, looking forward to Monday's track day now....

Just back from track day, the conditions weren’t quite ideal, a wet greasy track that would not dry….First impressions are, car is a lot more capable than I was expecting, very balanced and easy to adjust with the throttle.

There were a lot of Clio 182’s and other a hot hatch stuff which I expected to be moving over for a lot…not so the 944 was every bit as quick down the straits, had more traction out of the tight corners and could carry more speed into corners…There was also a Nissan 200sx (s13) running 300bhp with coilover suspension, Quaif atb diff, decent brackes, down the straight he could pull 6-7 car lengths but round the twisties the 944 reeled it all back in….

Couple of little niggles, the brake pedal is long, (think it’s the master cylinder tired).
The oil gauge now reads permanently over 5 bar(faulty sender).
It over heated, think this was due to the system not being fully bled through, as after the car cooled down it took nearly 5 litres of water, drove home no problems, temp gauge just above the quarter, no water in the oil etc.

Not bad for a 25year old car with 284k miles....

So before the next track day the plan is to fix the above, fit the 25.5mm rear torsion bars, rear axle mount/swing arm bushes, front caster bush and front arm bush, lower ride height by about an inch all round and buy a pair of rear wheels to fit to the front with the same size tyre all round and if I get time fit the Sabelt seats and harnesses….

Sounds like you had fun.
As I said the car has a combined strength and balance is its strong suit.

If you carry an extra 5 mph into a corner you have it all down the next straight. People think you need oodles of power but its not so.

Mind you once you explore the car to its limits you will always want more power

Had the 2.7 on the track again on Monday, since the last outing I had refurbed the front bottom arm's fitting uprated bushes (front and rear) and fitted a proper seat.

I had intended to fit the bigger torsion bars and uprated bushes to the rear beam however due to several bolts being seized in the alloy mount decided to put off until and just refurb the beam I have in the Turbo.

I had also done a compression check, checked all hoses looking for why the car had over heated last time out, also gave the car a run up and down a local dual carriage way, in 3rd gear to try and replicate some high revs track driving, could not get the temp to budge over half.

Needles to say within the first 15 mins on track the temp gauge was heading above the 3/4 mark!!!!
After cooling it took nearly 3 ltrs of water, there is no evidence of a leak anywhere, even in the footwell's.

Went out again and managed about 20 mins before the temp gauge started heading north again, so decided better to retreat while I was still able to drive the car home.

Car drove home no problems temp gauge steady at 1/3. Once back at the workshop I pulled the plugs, number 1 was a light brown colour, the remaining 3 looked like they had just been dropped in, no deposits what so ever, my conclusion is the head gasket.

quick pic of on track -