Suspension upgrades and settings are a big discussion topic anytime performance-oriented 944/924S people get together. How can I make my car handle better on the track? How can I tune my suspension to make it work better?
The third Monday of each month is Porsche Night at the ACE Cafe in downtown Orlando. For September there were a lot of nice cars there, and the 944 was well represented.
I mean, I like to drive, and that means that I control it all…and I want everyone else to be in control of their vehicles, too. While I don’t ever see myself consciously getting into an autonomous vehicle, the thought that there will be fleets of these things out there with me is a little troubling.
Sparky was parked next to the front door next to Nort Northam’s 1970 Dino 246L – yes, a “real” Dino. This one was built with an alloy body (instead of steel, hence the “L” designation for “Light”), the 2.4L 195HP V6 was fully restored in the past few years.
On April Fool’s Day, we posted a fake announcement that Porsche was bringing back the 944, and the response to that joke was off the scale. Stories are still circulating online with people reading that story, referred to us through online forums and social media – even today. It was by far our most popular story. Conclusion? People want a new 944.
Well, it may already be out there.
PCA membership is inexpensive, and these events are a lot of fun.
Nearly every early 944 has “The 944 Shudder.” When lifting off the throttle from any position, the revs drop below idle, and then the engine recovers.
So what’s that got to do with the surprising, unsettling, completely unprecedented mass deception event that is dieselgate? More than you might think.
“But I want to do all of it.”
This is where the 944 shines. This is why the 944 is the perfect enthusiast’s car.
On Saturday you can go to the PCA autocross, and embarrass a Boxster or two. Sunday morning, you can go to Cars and Coffee, and park your classic Porsche up front.
On Monday, you can drive your 944 to and from work, read some forums when you get home, and order that coil-over kit you’ve been looking at. Next weekend you’ll embarrass three Boxsters.
When – especially when – you want to do all of it, the 944 has you covered.
July 16 featured the front engine water cooled Porsches – 924, 944, 924S and 968. Owners and enthusiasts gathered at the Ace Cafe with their cars and filled the lot!
In the specifications page for the 944, the car was priced as tested at $21,000, comparable to the Corvette. Options included leather sport seats and a digital AM/FM Cassette radio. The engine showed 143 HP and 137 torques at 3,000 rpm – and the article mentions that with peak torque so low, you don’t have to push it to the redline.
The D-Production version of the 924 was a factory kit that made the 924 into an SCCA D-Production monster. Al Holbert, Doc Bundy and others campaigned these cars in the early 80’s at SCCA events all over the country.
Bugs get on your paint, glass, chrome, rubber, and whatever else faces the front of the car, depositing their dead, rotting carcasses and releasing all kinds of hellish chemicals. Here is a quick, easy, cheap solution.
Acknowledging that the 924 doesn’t get a lot of love from the Porsche purists, he also mentions that the early cars were not “especially powerful.”
Over 170 drivers and instructors registered to practice their skills at Sebring on the 3.74 mile seventeen-turn road course. Several 944’s showed up to navigate the same course that hosts the 12-hour IMSA race each March. The place bleeds motorsports history.
Will our cars ever get to the classic level that the 930 or 89 911 Speedster has attained? Probably not, but if you browse the national auction sites, you will find that these cars are bringing higher and higher prices on the block.
In 1980, Porsche declared their intention to go racing with a special version of the 931 called the 924 Carrera GT. With only 406 examples made for homologation, this rare Porsche had 210 horsepower, Fuchs wheels and a five-speed transaxle. The front fenders are the same as were used on the 944 when introduced in 1983 with flares on the outside of the rear fenders to accommodate wider track.