Porsche 944 turbo road to racecar.

[333pg333]

No disrespect taken. Sure, while this is a fair way along the evolutionary path from what came out of the factory all those years ago, it is still essentially a 944. There are a few other 944 / 968 based cars around the world that make mine look fairly tame but they are quite a long way removed from the original car. Mine still has factory floorpan / cabin. Factory located suspension running same old trailing arm rears and Mac strut front design. A Porsche i4 motor and H pattern gearbox. Plus whatever else I can't think of. While it might have been the quickest front engine Porsche going around for a year or so, there's a build in Sweden, a few in the US and of course the mad 968 here in Sydney that should beat us easily. I can only take some solace that mine is the most original (closest to factory) of that group.

[nuk1ear]

Go alloy body with the davies craig - very important!! I had one of the first ones they made and tested it. The plastic ones are great but under extreme heat (racing) they can deform slightly and leak from the o-ring seals. They are good guys though and their product development guys listened to us hence the alloy one!

Also be VERY careful with the orientation of the unit, they tend to capture pockets of air easily if at the wrong orientation, and be sure to run it via a PWM table in the M800 (think its labelled 'heat pump'").

[333pg333]

Thanks for that. All advice appreciated.

[XtaC]

Gah, still my favourite build!

You dont happen to have a couple of tins of enthusiasm laying around? In desperate need for my 944 project ☺

[helium3]

Mate I can not wait to see this run again this year. After rebuilding my engine again I can relate to what you're going through.

[333pg333]

Slow progress and financially crippling. Next motor will have to be the last no matter what. It's not far off and should be a big improvement. As for pumping up anyone's enthusiasm I'm not that guy anymore. It's all too hard and expensive and stupid. Just hope there is still a glimmer of fun to be had.

[lightyear]

It can become less fun if all you do is spend money. How many hours a year do you spend in the drivers seat? A normal track car on a normal day is about 1 hour of driving. It does seem that a lot of the quick cars do less laps than the slower cars at track days I go to.
Mechanical issues, or just the cost of running a fast car might mean 2-3 sessions is enough?

[Roy928tt]

Ah Motorsports, what is it good for, really.....

It is the pinnacle of willy waving, 'I've got a bigger one' 'I can go faster than you' generally it just means "I'm prepared to waste more money than you"

Following my banning from the local Dirt Circuit club, I've had plenty of time to reflect on motorsport. I also read a book on the Senna-Prost rivalry. it is all so pointless.

My poor little hillclimber is in the middle of upgrade work, but that work seems to be gradually getting slower and slower, perhaps as the realisation dawns that it is all so unnecessary. It will never be a front runner, it might as well have stayed a slow, fun, toy. Instead I pick an imaginary target time and spend time and money pursuing that?

Time and money, that on a cold and wet winters day, feels that it should have been spent having a mid winter break in Darwin....

Still, on a day when it all comes together on the track, there is nowhere you'd rather be....

That is life, and I'd rather do a Brock than a Winehouse...

[Guido]

Slow progress and financially crippling. Next motor will have to be the last no matter what. It's not far off and should be a big improvement. As for pumping up anyone's enthusiasm I'm not that guy anymore. It's all too hard and expensive and stupid. Just hope there is still a glimmer of fun to be had.

I know exactly what you mean Pat. In the three years + I have spent restoring this sports sedan to a level it should have been when it sold a lot has changed in my life and I just don't have the passion any more. First time I got it on the track and I find there's heaps of things I have to go back to the drawing board on.

I was having more fun tracking (regularly) a cool old street car that was much, much slower. I'd rather spend weekends with my son than pulling apart a car and I can't share the car with my son, not as if I can strap him into a passenger seat and go for a cruise to cars and coffee.

That is life, and I'd rather do a Brock than a Winehouse...

I guess we differ there. I prefer girls.

[SwitchIX]

Yeah i am one of many that can echo your sentiments. Bought my first IPRA car 2.5 years ago. Have done a handful of events and rebuilt the engine 3 times after a raft of failures. Have spent more on repairs than the purchase price of the car and still have only done about 5 meetings. Car has been stuffed since october last year and am finally getting close to going again but the enjoyment is getting rather thin.

[mph]

Slow progress and financially crippling. Next motor will have to be the last no matter what. It's not far off and should be a big improvement. As for pumping up anyone's enthusiasm I'm not that guy anymore. It's all too hard and expensive and stupid. Just hope there is still a glimmer of fun to be had.

I remember you running every Porsche Club supersprint, smiling and having a ball. I look forward to seeing YOU driving it.

[fatz]

Slow progress and financially crippling. Next motor will have to be the last no matter what. It's not far off and should be a big improvement. As for pumping up anyone's enthusiasm I'm not that guy anymore. It's all too hard and expensive and stupid. Just hope there is still a glimmer of fun to be had.

ken oath

thus why i now have a 2k r31

so much fun thrashing it and not braking shit

thrash gtr $$$$

thrash 2k r31= fun!

[MR 1JZ]

Slow progress and financially crippling. Next motor will have to be the last no matter what. It's not far off and should be a big improvement. As for pumping up anyone's enthusiasm I'm not that guy anymore. It's all too hard and expensive and stupid. Just hope there is still a glimmer of fun to be had.

Oh dude...I am in EXACTLY the same place as you right now from a mental standpoint

so many feels

[333pg333]

Thanks guys. You're all right too. I remember saying a few years ago how I enjoyed the previous days when you'd get the street car all ready for a club sprint and drive down to e.g. Wakey for the weekend. Simpler times just chasing your mates and tying to beat them and maybe, just maybe chase down one of the big guns in their 6 figure Racecar.

Since 2014 I have driven the car maybe twice and even then it's on tippy toes to make sure I don't bend it. The objective is obviously trying to win Open Class at WTAC but the whole thing has become a massive anchor around my neck. Could easily have bought a rental unit in it's place. But it is what it is and I'm busting a gut to get it there for 2016. The invoices for the new motor has smashed me on the head and I can only hope that it proves to be as good as it's cost. There will be many other cars that have had a lot of money spent on them and it's quite likely that our time may have passed us by. We coulda/shoulda won in 2014 if the then motor hadn't self destructed. Quite possibly too late now. We will have zero test time again which really hurts anyone's chances. We'll try and give it another crack.

[I'm DJ!]

I know exactly what you mean Pat. In the three years + I have spent restoring this sports sedan to a level it should have been when it sold a lot has changed in my life and I just don't have the passion any more. First time I got it on the track and I find there's heaps of things I have to go back to the drawing board on.

I was having more fun tracking (regularly) a cool old street car that was much, much slower. I'd rather spend weekends with my son than pulling apart a car and I can't share the car with my son, not as if I can strap him into a passenger seat and go for a cruise to cars and coffee.



I guess we differ there. I prefer girls.

I know what you're saying but if you don't get a $25 permit and drive that thing to cars and coffee one morning I am dis owning you!!