924s and 944s are the same basic shell right? wrong...

tref · Jul 1, 2009

I continue to be astounded by the level of detail differences between a 924 Turbo and early dash 944 shell. As if it wasn't bad enough that the heater is mounted 20mm further forward on a 944, I find the passenger side bulkhead is a different profile too. The 924 Turbo has a kind of "ledge" behind the fusebox, the 944 doesn't - the 944 slopes up gradually - more legroom in a 944 in other words. I would be interested (for no particular reason) to know if this is an age related or model related thing... and what did Porsche do on the 924S? Anyone know what I'm on about?

944 man · Jul 2, 2009

My recollection is that the 924S is a series one 944 with a 924 style body. There are differences of course: the car uses 52.3mm offset wheels and it has alloy rear trailing arms similar to a series two, but if you see it as a series one '44 then you wont go far wrong.

Fred Hindle · Jul 2, 2009

Apart from the obvious body styling and engine output differences I have never found anything different between the two. Many times I have swapped things over especially when the 924S goes wrong. The new part(s) if practicable, are put on the 944 and the 944 part(s) used on the 924S. I never have had to strip the cars down as far as Tref has had to. What's is the betting that the next bit to go wrong will be different.
The online car parts places all seem to list the same number for both cars.

Cheers,

924nutter · Jul 2, 2009

I'll check the PET list ot see if the heater in a 44 is different to the series two turbo. The series one, and that is all 924s with the sliding fan speed control have a different heater in the first place, so it is bound to be different; then you have to take into account the way the heater has to connect to the 2.5 litre lump, so it is not just change for change sake. The gentle slope is there because underneath that piece of sloping PLYWOOD is the ECU and the original floor profile, or so I have always believed.

tref · Jul 2, 2009

I'll be interested to see what the PET says about the heater... But it precludes the fitment of early 944 air-con into a 924 Turbo. Well at least a factory standard install anyway.
The heater "box" will swap over, how-ever, the 944 fan won't fit... this isn't because the hole isn't the right shape - I took a rubbing and compared - it is because the hole is 20mm further back on a 924... I presume it is further back on a 924 to allow the fuel lines to pass in front of it, further forward on a 944 to allow and updated fan to fit!

As for the floor pan, uh-uh... No plywood on an early 944 - I believe that was reserved for the S2s and Turbos... One other option is that the bulkhead is different for air-con fitted cars... I don't have another early dash 944 to compare it with (terrible of me I know) but I don't think so.

924nutter · Jul 3, 2009

Yes must admit that my 944S was oval dash vintage, way back in the mists of time before even my 928 S4. Come to think of it it was the newest Porsche I ever bought, at only five years old.

944 man · Jul 3, 2009

The ECU is only mounted in the NS passenger well on series two 944s (September 1985> 1986 model year). In series one cars and 924Ss its mounted under the dashboard close to the steering column.

tref · Jul 6, 2009

I had a close look at an '86 924S yesterday, and it has a 924 style heater/fan/cover, and 924 style "shelf" behind the fusebox on the bulkhead. I now need to doublecheck on an early 944 and ensure that the bulkhead/footwell aren't just different on air-conditioned 944s.

So... a 924S is not just a narrow-bodied 944! I now consider it bares more simularity to the 924 than 944...

I meant to look at teh anti-roll bar mounts, but the chassis rails appear to be of the 944 type, and it appears to use teh 944 allow crossmember.