Road and Track 944

[MrMoots]

After a couple of big spins in my 964 on track I decided enough was enough and brought a 944s2 in November mainly for track but the occasional road trim.

It had already been prepared for track and just needed a few bits doing for my own personal taste. Buying ready done, providing its been done well is by for the most economic way forward.

I have now done two track days in the 944 and I am really impressed. It's never going to win any straight line race with more modern machines, but the way it hangs on in the corners and the balance and control you have is very impressive.

I had considered a 968 cs, but given the costs I could not justify double the money for an almost identical car.

My car is very low with kw suspension, 968 bars etc and the on road comfort is really good. Having the half cage replaced with a full cage next week and have already stripped out the sunroof clips and trims to give me a bit more headroom with a helmet on.

Ross

 

[edh]

Is that the one from RPM?
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C420734#

Looks very nice

A full cage in a road car worries me though - how are you going to pad the bars that are right by your head?

 

[Masher]

Ross - sounds like you're looking for more headroom.... how tall are you?

With Recaro pole positions fitted to my 944 (with sunroof) I fit in fine with a crash helmet at 6'3" tall.

I agree with Edh regarding protecting your head with a full cage. take care.

Cheers
Mick

 

[DavidHolden]

Thanks for all the advice and responses. Some fantastic looking cars out there and it's great to see that there are plenty of true enthusiasts driving these properly.

I would have thought a half-cage would be sufficient for me. I am just over 6foot although my problem is often getting the pedal/wheel adjustments right as I have relatively long legs to a fairly short body. I've only been a passenger in a 944 at Bruntingthorpe and to me it felt quite roomy but I didn't check out the driving position.

Thanks to the kind offers of chats and looking over cars. I am certainly grateful for these and will send a couple of PMs when I have a moment.

Seems like the idea is not such a bad one after all!

Cheers
Steve

 

[944 man]

The driving position will be improved no end by the use of steering wheel boss spacers. One, or probably two, will see the steering wheel in a sensible position even when your legs are comfortably extended.

Another benefit is that this can put your head in a better position in relation to the main hoop, although this depends on your body/leg/arm lengths.

I havent fitted my Safety Devices cage into my car yet because I have been concerned about headroom and clearance, so I was interested to read that Mick had ample room in a sunroof car at 6'3" too. Of course, there is a good deal more to it than height and one 6'+ fellow may fit easily into a car that another 6'+ fellow struggles to get comfortable in.

 

[andrew_churcher]

what i like about my s2 is that even with the sunroof and being 6'4-6'5 (195 cms) I can fit in with helmet and no adjustment to my driving position (I literally have to drive my 964 from the rear seats as need to tilt the seat back to fit and can just reach the gear lever!)..........you should fit easily.....you are quite short [8D]

 

[MrMoots]

Yes that's the car. It's a nice clean example.

Looking at where the side and front bars will run I should still have some clearance even with them padded. I will almost certainly have to remove the side padding though when I am on track with a helmet but the front looks fine.

My drivers seat is currently on runners, but that will be removed so that will give me 20mm or so more.

If you see a cage for sale next week you will knowledge that plan failed!

 

[andrew_churcher]

There is a white 944 for sale at gt classics that might be worth a look .....no affiliation ......£5995.....

http://www.gtclassics.co.uk/NEW%20Car%20Sales.htm

 

[Masher]

ORIGINAL: andrew_churcher

There is a white 944 for sale at gt classics that might be worth a look .....no affiliation ......£5995.....

http://www.gtclassics.co.uk/NEW%20Car%20Sales.htm

Lovely 930 turbo too. If I win the lottery this looks like a good place to go shopping []

Cheers
Mick

 

[edh]

ORIGINAL: andrew_churcher

There is a white 944 for sale at gt classics that might be worth a look .....no affiliation ......£5995.....

http://www.gtclassics.co.uk/NEW%20Car%20Sales.htm

Looks very interesting - I wonder how much truth there is in this..
"With period history this car will be legible for historic events in the future, and represents a really cheap opportunity."

I'm assuming it's an S2 but I have no idea if I'm right.

 

[Andy97]

That depends on what they mean by "historic events". Porsche only homologated the 220 944T so FIA events for period race cars won't allow this in. As an example a chap I know well has a Marcos 3000gt but can't race it in "proper" historic events because it was not homologated in period (he races it in CSCC club events and the like).

 

[Eldavo]

It's a funny one for sure, S2/turbo front end but no rear under spoiler. Decent cage in it by the looks of things and stripped and track prepared. Front looks lowered (lowering springs?) but the rear looks untouched - who's going to drop them a line and get more info?

Could be a great car for what Steve is looking for depending upon what they come back with.

 

[944Turbo]

Obviously not a porsche cup car in 98 99 2000, but the porsche club championship used to be Pirelli sponsored so I am guessing that was where it was raced, I think there were Turbo and s2's in various classes guessing at that price its an s2 and the allowed mods were fewer? Wasn't that around the time Andrew Sweetenham was racing, he might remember it? but then if you ask him he might buy it
Tony

 

[944 man]

ORIGINAL: Andy97

That depends on what they mean by "historic events". Porsche only homologated the 220 944T so FIA events for period race cars won't allow this in. As an example a chap I know well has a Marcos 3000gt but can't race it in "proper" historic events because it was not homologated in period (he races it in CSCC club events and the like).

They were Group B weren't they? I was always surprised by that.

 

[Andy97]

Correct, the 220 944T was homologated as a Group B car, but remember that lots of cars were, as the original plan was that there would be a Group B race series as well as rallying. Cars such as the Ferrari 308 and Porsche 911 SCRS and 959 were in Group B as they were intended as race cars.

 

[944 man]

Yes, but the 951 isn't in the same mould as the other cars that you have mentioned which were designed from the ground up as Gp.B cars. The 944 Turbo was also built in sufficient quantities to have been homologated in Gp.A by FISA had Porsche filled in the forms (NA could've been homologated in Gp.1 & Gp.2 in 1982, too). That they didn't, or more particularly why they didn't, intrigues me.

 

[Andy97]

Maybe I didn't give great examples, although the 308 certainly was not a homologation special, but some more "ordinary" cars were homologated in Group B such as the Citroen Visa, Skoda 130, Dhaihatsu Charade and Talbot Sunbeam. Agreed it is intriguing as to why Porsche didn't homologate the 944 - shades of 911 blindness perhaps. Same now, they won't homologate the Cayman in case it's a better car!