Hello!

[924Srr27l]

No track days for me for the foreseeable - long story short(ish), it has had low oil pressure for ages (well before the SC was fitted, as I though it would make more sense to grenade a worn engine than a fresh one). Not sure if it's rings or scoring but possibly both (although compression was pretty good last time it was checked).

I had been running the engine on treacle to keep oil consumption reasonable without problem but then due to poor communication my garage they put the normal stuff in. I thought it'd be ok, but in about 10 minutes on track the oil had run seriously low and the top end became noisy (which was recent and of very good quality). Shortly after the headgasket started to leak slightly - this was my fault I suspect, I was never happy with the transition between on and off throttle of the mapping, but given my DIY efforts I got a lot more track days out of it than I expected.

So I have to decide what to do next. A few years back a build of a new engine was started, but due to circumstances beyond my control I had to divert funds elsewhere. I plan to resume this one day, it'd be lower compression so we could increase the boost, with a dry sump and so on. For the time being a stock S2 lump may just be dropped in, it's a bit of a waste of money long term, but would get it mobile more quickly.

I'm at that slightly difficult point where a lot needs doing to recommission it properly for track use: engine build/swap, possible calipers refurb, tyres, professional remap (possibly with a move away from the Scivision MAF to something more accurate), geo setup and so on, so I'll aim to nibble away at them as I can. If it can be on the track next summer I will be very happy, it'd be a nice way to celebrate its 30th year (what's left of it anyway!).

Yes mine's 30 years young next year too.....

Oh blimey, I don't relish the rebuild situation having had my car off the road for 3.5 years whilst the project escalated from one thing to another and a lot of the items
you've mentioned were also the reason for this huge delay! What started with fitting 2 kevlar race seats, then became lexan replacing glass, fibre replacing steel panels and then the chunky stuff popped in my head and the engine and box was out! then the whole rear suspension, then the front etc..etc..it was virtually down to a shell.

Now it's done and being well used and abused it's a bizarre feeling not having to think about finishing a big project, however it's just starting to reveal to me today after 2 hours of intense driving it really is a waste on the road and I should consider caging it and having a crack at Circuit racing, only because it wouldn't take much but also as the diversity of cars and talent is very wide looking at the CSCC series.

However it would be a shame to take it off the road again ! As I would then probably never be a road car again, but set it up as a full race car and I would trailer it, I don't fancy driving a half hearted effort to events and back..

I've only done 2 Trackdays (944 @ Brands & 928 Silverstone GP) and I didn't enjoy them much due to both cars not handling good enough for me, as they were both my daily's and on soft road suspension.


R

 

[Diver944]

Great to see you back Peter and I hope you get the white beasty back on the road soonish. Along with MarkK's old Turbo racecar yours is one of the most visceral and focussed 944 I have ever been in [8D]

 

[Frenchy]

Hello Pete, I am still part of the furniture !

 

[Peter Empson]

Hi Paul and James! Great that you're here and still owning proper cars [] Hope the business is going well, Paul. Is MarkK still racing? I'm so out of touch!

I've not got much done since the previous post. I found another seller of the indicators that actually had stock, so just got to try to fit them over the next couple of days. The MOT garage who initially seemed keen to do the wheel bearing suddenly got very busy, so the plan is now to get RPM to fit them on Tuesday (they've quoted 3 hours labour, which seemed a lot, but I'm sure they must be right). Irritatingly the 14 day MOT retest has lapsed so I will have to fork out for another one. Shame all round really as I've wasted most of the month, at this rate I will tax it for a couple of weeks and then SORN it again till the salt has gone in Spring.

It's going to be an expensive month for cars, my E61 is going in to have its air bag suspension looked at on Wednesday, it keeps deflating at the most inopportune moment. Useless thing.

Anyway, back to proper cars. If I think the headgasket isn't too bad I might try to go to the Pistonheads track event next Sunday (not to run, just to get out and about and have a nose around the car park). Tempted also by the Ace cafe on the 31st, but if the car is going to let me down then I'd rather not let it happen in London on a Monday night!

Is the Rutland meet the next 944 gathering? Very doubtful I'll be able to bring it as it's a bit of a trek, but would like to make it along anyway. I wll never forget the last one I made it to, the journey home was a bit of a disaster - I'm sure Paul McNulty will recall it limping home on little more than tick over after the oily MAF got a thorough soaking. That really wasn't much fun, but hey, it was memorable!

 

[Peter Empson]

My mot saga is still on going. RPM took it to another tester (more local) after doing the wheel bearing and he's failed my addition. Not happy that it's on the inside of the glass due to condensation possibly masking it (fair enough, I did think that was a possible issue) but the location isn't right either apparently - something about it not being visible from all angles even if it were on the outside, but I am struggling to understand this view point, as I am sure it is. To be honest I was half expecting the height to be raised as an issue instead. Shame, as mounting them to plastic windows would be a nice easy solution all round and enable me to give an excuse to change the windows sooner rather than later...

So not sure what to do now, might try to speak to the original MOT tester tomorrow and see if they agree (although that would be 3 test I would have paid for). If not, sod it, it'll go back into storage and I'll try to come up with a solution next year.

Least I got to drive it to the garage and back I suppose!

 

[edh]

I'm sure Rutland will be happening next year - we avoided the snow by being a bit later in the year this time...

Plenty of time to sort those indicators out..

 

[Peter Empson]

Some good-ish news, didn't fail a second MOT as it was never submitted - was turned away before they got that far, so that's some money saved. Spoke to original MOT tester and can see a way forward, whether I will try again this year or next I'm not so sure at the moment.

Every cloud has a silver lining and all that cobblers, RPM are going to wax the insides of the sills (I never got around to it) and spotted a patch of underseal that was coming adrift (thankfully before any rust got in), so that will be sorted, and all for an hours labour and the materials, which sounds pretty reasonable to me.

Just have to work out what to do to get the paint work back up to being completely rust free again. As it's all at the back (well the front doesn't have much metal left...). I am half considering a two tone design - I've always liked the Mobil 1 Blue and White colour scheme seen on a 964 race car, if this was reversed so that the blue was at the rear then this might work and save a full respray, just not sure I want to reproduce a race car livery just for a track day and road car (it's bad enough with my unsubtle Porsche on the sunstrip and logo'd spoiler). Anyway plenty of time to think about that over the winter I suppose.