Nice 944T from Sweden

[barks944]

http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/944-turbo-and-turbo-s-forum/349341-corleones-new-engine-is-running.html

Based around a sleeved 3.0 litre 9:1 CR block with modified 8v head. Torque curve is nice producing around 500nm (Flywheel) from 3200rpm to the redline. Quite an interesting thread to read, he posts some interesting info on his tuning experience with the 944 engine.

 

[333pg333]

One of the best, if not the best modified 944 turbo out there. 563hp at the wheels!! 43 readers and nobody can remark on this car?? Why doesn't this surprise me....

 

[mike220]

I would've replied Patrick, but I went off and ended up reading the whole thread on Rennlist (not been there for a while) and forgot to come back here before I turned the computer off. Some serious thought and effort gone into the build for sure, I think I actually quite like those front lights but can't really seem to find out what the light units are and where they're from. I know they're Hella, but from what ? (hence why I got distracted on Rennlist and got lost in there for an age last night-lots of info on fixed lights, but couldn't find info on one's the same as those). Think with some nice CF buckets in there and the new badge panel I'm trying to cook up (in a very limited timeframe) it's going toward the look I want for mine.

Mike

 

[bennyboy]

Patrick, I think quite a few of us over here are familiar with the wide variety of quite stunning machines on rennlist, so this car might not be something new to a lot of us. It's certainly an impressive build - I think I might prefer Duke's green monster though?!

 

[poprock]

ORIGINAL: mike220

I actually quite like those front lights but can't really seem to find out what the light units are and where they're from. I know they're Hella, but from what ?

They're similar (but not identical) to the Deutsche Nine ones: Link

 

[DavidL]

Certainly a well developed car that has had alot of time and money invested in it.
I rather see these things as an academic exercise - it shows it can be done but I want something I would be happy to use everyday regardless of the conditions. If I had put that much effort into it then I would be reluctant to do that for the fear of damaging it one way or another.
I'd dearly like a 355 gts but a 996 turbo is far more suitable for me because of its usability. I may go there in due course.
Horses for courses I suppose.

 

[sawood12]

I've not read the whole thread, simply haven't got the time. It is amazing to me that anyone has the time and money to lavish on such a project, I can barely find time to put windscreen washer fluid in my cars! Just goes to show what can be done to a 944 engine and it is a testament to the guy's tenacity and determination to see something like this to the end. I think if I wanted a 944 with similar levels of power i'd probably just go for the v8 conversion - or just cut my losses and go for a 996TT!

 

[homesea]

Thats what I was thinking, why not just buy a 996tt. But I guess thats not the point, a lot of time and money has gone into it.
It's guys like this that push what the 944 can do, so maybe further down the line it save people like me money because you know how far you can go before things go pop.
I would love to see a 944 with a modern type turbo, like a variable vane type anyone know of any such cars?

 

[333pg333]

Well it was late when I made that comment. I guess I find at times on this site that people seem more concerned with replacing their wiperblades or "What's the best way to clean my rear carpet" type of question...That's of course a generalisation, but when I've made some posts in the past about people's modified cars or something along those lines I have found not many people seem to respond or that it's not very interesting for most readers. I think Corleone's car is amazing and he's discovered some faults along the way that he's had to remedy. This car would absolutely destroy a stock 996tt so it would have to be a modified one to make a fair comparison with. Then what sort of extra costs would be incurred bringing it up to speed? Not sure but it would be fun to see what wins out against the $$ invested. Quite possibly the modded 996tt as they seem to have come down in price in many markets, although with Corleone promising 600whp later this year I'm thinking this will approach Hypercar performance power to weight wise. Guess we'll have to see. I think he could need a different transmission at some stage. I have my own plans for my next car.

 

[pauljmcnulty]

I guess I find at times on this site that people seem more concerned with replacing their wiperblades or "What's the best way to clean my rear carpet" type of question...That's of course a generalisation, but when I've made some posts in the past about people's modified cars or something along those lines I have found not many people seem to respond or that it's not very interesting for most readers.

I think you're absolutely right there, Patrick. I have no knowledge about this sort of thing other than a quick read, most people do find it something they can't comment on as it's beyond their wildest plans with their 944.

We all, however, need the day-to-day, boring things like wiper blades and rear carpet cleaning. So, it's far more relevant to the bulk of the 1000 or so 944 forum members. Not to say don't post the more unusual stuff, just that the highly-modified cars are a very small minority and that most of us don't have anything to contribute back. We just love to read about them, or even better see them in the flesh. [8D][8D]

 

[poprock]

For me, this sort of thing sits right beside a Ruf CTR-3 in my lottery win fantasy garage. It's not something I can realistically hope to achieve with my car but it's fascinating reading. My limits are probably somewhere around the Promax or John Mitchell Garage level of tuning and even then I'm looking ten years into the future before I can afford it.

I love the fact that some people find ways to get this much power out of a 944. I'm equally interested in the other ways to modify though, like the sort of weight saving that Peter Empson is getting into and the suspension magic that Centre Gravity can achieve.

I really, really like the fact that the 944 is old enough to be interesting but new enough to not look silly when you modify it. The perfect balance between classic and performance car, especially in Turbo form.

 

[Neil Haughey]

Spending your money on this sort of thing makes more sense then a 996TT if its a car that is going to be used on track a lot IMHO. The recent thread from Steve Rance over on Pistonheads about his 993RSR recreation build illustrates an important point, keeping the weight down and using simpler more old fashioned robust mechanicals results in much lower running costs.

 

[sawood12]

Well Pat, the problem in this country is that if you modify cars to this extent the government and insurance companies like to give you a financial pounding. This is not a cheap country to live especially, god forbid, you want to do something a bit out of the ordinary.

As to stripped out race cars - well on the basis i'm not racing i'd much prefer my cars to not present you with an obstacle course to get in and out of them and I like my luxuries whilst having the performance as well - maybe i'm getting old or lazy. To this end you'd be hard pressed to find anything that could fit the bill better than a 996TT if you've got a £25k budget. They give you all the performance you could ever want and the luxury.

 

[TTM]

In the 8 years I have been reading the rennlist forum Corleone's car remains my pinnacle.
Each time I browse through his build I feel miserable with my stock-ish 3.0
I wonder what his 563hp would equate in American money... perhaps 1000hp ? [][]

 

[barks944]

ORIGINAL: TTM

In the 8 years I have been reading the rennlist forum Corleone's car remains my pinnacle.
Each time I browse through his build I feel miserable with my stock-ish 3.0
I wonder what his 563hp would equate in American money... perhaps 1000hp ? [][]

Aww only 3 litres []. Some of us only have 2.5 you know! Have you solved your lean spike yet?

 

[333pg333]

I realise that for most of us these sort of cars are out of reach. Also that in many countries just the cost of living makes projects like this just a dream. However I still need to dream.
I still plan to have a car that will rival or even surpass Corleone's but I love what he's done and only wish he'd post more about it plus get some film and pics. I still think this is a street based car rather than a stripped out racer so hopefully given the chance to ride in it Scott you won't have to perform page 54 out of the Yoga manual just to sit down. []
His 563whp was also done on a Rototest dyno thingy which is meant to be very accurate. Numbers are interesting to a point but performance and driveability are the bottom line...well, along with reliability. []

 

[Hilux]

Numbers are interesting to a point but performance and driveability are the bottom line...well, along with reliability.

Agree entirely. I`m not saying its this car but on Rennlist there`s a degree of willy waving if the wallet will allow it. I posted on it once and the crass replies I got meant I never bothered with it again.

Its great to see innovation and its a great car but I can never understand the cost of all this for its like F1, each second or hp costs incrementally more.

Thanks to very nice mate I drive on occasion a 993TT 4wd with the 450bhp option and the (rare) full carbon pack and it is a jet fighter on wheels with simply awesome cornering and although I hate with a passion the offset cramped pedals, I would deffo go down that route and have an appreciating asset.

 

[Neil Haughey]

Well what you say Paul is the nub of it for me. I decided some time ago that highly modified street cars are a waste of time both for the reasons you give and the fact that you can't even really stretch a lux on UK roads these days. When I was much younger it was pretty clear to me that a big factor in why some guys where spending so much on tuning cossies or jap cars was to go Porsche or Ferrari bating on public roads, pretty childish really.

ISTR that Scandinavian countries have massive taxes on new cars hence why so many tune up old cars? Very different to here where it rarely makes economic sense to tune a car except perhaps suspension and stage 1 stuff on turbo cars.

 

[TTM]

ORIGINAL: barks944
Aww only 3 litres [].

Corleone's engine is a 3.0 as well, and it stuns me he gets so much power with boost as low as 18psi.

 

[barks944]

I guess his head/cams work pretty well, does he have higher CR than your engine? He seems to think ignition is a big factor, certainly seems to prefer less boost and more ignition. Is this something you have played with? I guess his monster IC will help keep the intake temps down and berylium valve seats are supposed to conduct heat from the exhaust valves well. This combination might be helping him to run a lot of ignition advance without getting knock.