What would you do if you had your time again?

[333pg333]

Ok this is a chance to at least put down on paper (as it were) what you would do differently if you had your chance again. What I am getting at is what sort of modifications would you do or not do? What have you done that was a waste of money and time? Is there a product that you wish you had never bought or conversly had bought first time around instead of going down a different path? This is a chance to vent frustrations or be glowing in praise of someone/something.
I'll start with the fact that I naively thought that I could make a good track car out of my 944 turbo for about $6-$8k Aussie. It's cost me $25k so far! I bought a Tial wastegate that jammed shut on the track and I got over 2.1 bar boost! Very lucky my engine didn't detonate like Fen's. I now have a Lindsey dpwg. I also bought a Greddy boost controller. I now have an Apexi. I bought a racing seat that was really for rallying so no lateral vision. Lost more $$$. You know what I mean.
Now it's all your turns. Go for it!!!

 

[Fen]

As we have discussed on email the TiAL is pretty well thought of on here - better than the Lindsey to be honest, and I am happy with mine.

Stuff I did that I wouldn't do again is (probably) bother with the 4 cylinder engine at all. More specifically in terms of components I don't think I bought anything that I regret on the engine, though maybe I'd buy a different piece next time for specific components. Once it comes apart we might know what failed first, but certainly the standard pistons and (later, non-forged) rods are probably not smething I would use if I were to build another. Most Lindsey bits nearly fit, but don't quite, which is annoying but not enough so to make me think twice about buying from them again if they have something I want.

I wouldn't go with the Powerflex bushes again after all the hassle I have had (but others have been fine so it was just my car for some reason) and would (will) buy billet front arms with Rose joints instead. Similarly at the back I'd go for Elephant Racing roller bearings rather than the Weltmeister poly graphite squeaky ones I have.

The 968 side skirts were absolutely not worth the trouble involved in fitting them and are the single modification I just wouldn't bother with again.

In terms of good stuff the KW suspension, Weltmeister anti-roll bars and "Big Blacks" with Performance Friction 97 pads are all fantastic bits of kit and I'm really pleased I fitted all of them.

 

[John Sims]

I think I would not have rushed in to getting a cheap earlier Turbo but waited and spent more on a late M030 equipped car....perhaps.

Not had black, the worst colour to keep clean possible - although it does hide rust and chips.

Perhaps bought a 968 rather than a 951. I think the 968 looks 10 years younger and I crave linear power delivery for driving around corners. Big boost is fun on the straights but not so much when it arrives mid bend. You could say "Why not an S2 then?" but the Turbo must be the ultimate 944. They didn't do a 968 Turbo (well not that you or I could afford) so there is no "If only" possibility. Please note that I haven't driven a 968 so might consider it a gutless dog were I to do so.

Not bought (now dead) Maxxis tyres for the rear.
Not put -2º camber on the rear, even if it did kill the tyres I didn't like. -2º at the back is too much anyway as it overwhelms the front when running matched tyres.

Not modified the car at all, at least it would be easy to insure. Back to a 968 Sport then.

 

[Hilux]

I looked at track day/ex racing 944`s and decided to do my own. Bought a cheap 951 and its actually very very good so I got a bargain. Trouble is its too good to strip and track.

The upgradeitis is now well under way but in stealth mode rather than balls out mode but I really should have bought one already done so I could tweak it rather than build it. Cheaper too.

Apart from that I absolutely love it to bits (and I`ve owned/tracked Westfield/Ginetta etc etc)

 

[Diver944]

I wish I had sold my Turbo about a week before the turbocharger died and had bought one of the several 944 race cars I have seen for sale around the 10-12k mark since last July. Ultimately I really want to live out a childhood dream of being a race car driver [8|] but thought it was out of my budget for another five years or so.

Funny how life suddenly changes and I don't need a 3rd road vehicle but the amount I am spending on it could have set me up for a few years racing (probably)

 

[333pg333]

Gee I would have thought I opened a can of worms but only 4 out of over 100 has any regrets. What a lucky bunch!

 

[Guest]

no regrets so far... apart from not haggling harder with Slim to get a lower initial purchase price []

 

[Peter Empson]

There's not much I regret either to be honest. Probably the thing that irritated the most was when I was having oil pressure concerns on the old engine, my garage didn't seem that convinced and almost grudingly agreed to inspect the oil pick up pipe but before I could get it to them it broke...[]
But even this had a silver lining as it forced me to change the engine and (apart from seeing the bill for 45 hours labour) I haven't regretted it.

 

[wizard]

Bought one sooner before the baby arrived. []
Bought one sooner before I moved closer to work so I could drive it every day.[]

 

[eastendr]

Kept my RS500 [] [] []

 

[John Sims]

Kept my Westfield.

Kept my Lux.

Bought a oil burning Discovery rather than a V8 (might still have it now) but then I wouldn't have bought Jasper.

 

[John Sims]

Not got tied up with such a nice bunch of people all related to Porsches and 944's. That way I could sell the car and move on.......but to what? Second hand XJR's are damn good value per bhp these days. [8|]

 

[eastendr]

Yummy !

 

[lali]

Remained patient and bought at GT3!

 

[944Turbo]

The LHD glovebox hinge and clutch flexi pipe I added to a paragon order where a bit of a silly error.
If I was buying a turbo now it would be a fancy ball race job, but they were hard to find when my turbo was upgraded - my K27/8 does ok though.
I could have skipped the guru chips for afm and gone straight for the Vitesse MAF, but that wasn't around back then.
Boost enhancer and reliaboost are dumped in favour of each other and now EBC.
Techart springs on new standard shocks have been replaced (by leda) but only after the shocks were tired again 50K + miles.
Welmeister front suspension arm bushes - they lasted about 4,000 miles but i dont think they make them any more.
rear weltmeister bushes - after the fronts died didn't feel like fitting the rears - was waiting to see how Fens lasted
944 M030 caster mounts - would go for the 968 ones.
Boost leaks - think I still have one.


Good stuff,
Vitesse maf kit
Uprated fuel pump
3bar FPR
Injectors 55lb (but probably would have gone bigger if getting with the MAF)
Tial
ESS exhaust
968 M030 ARBs
Big Blacks = discs
EBC Yellow (so far only 3k miles on them so still early to assess wear)
Dunlop SP9000
(9xx chips were best I had prior to AFM delete)
KLA, ARB reinforcement brackets, strut tops and Strut brace
Greddy profec B specI except when it was leaking and giving me 30+PSI
Refurbed head - thanks Simon!
Leda though probably KW would be an option I would seriously consider now.
9xx bosch high pressure fuel pump that is a direct swap for the original.

16" track wheels are a bit surplus to my needs now with the big front brakes.

Think thats it, but probably missed loads

Tony

 

[333pg333]

I have the MO30 setup w the S4 brakes and have often wondered if the big brake upgrades are really worth it as mine are very good 4 pot Brembo's. It obviously adds to the unsprung weight but with the power upgrades is it justifiably noticeable?

 

[Fen]

I'd say for you (based on my understanding you use the car in anger for short sprints) it is not worth it. You don't get any extra braking performance with bigger brakes, the gain is all around how long the performance lasts in the face of repeated usage and high temperatures. My reasons for fitting them were that my car is for track days where a session could be 10, 15 or 20 minutes, or even open pit lane where I might want to staout for even longer if I'm having fun. I've done a track day before in a car with failing brakes (a 911 as it happened) and there is very little that ruins the fun more than not having confidence in the brakes. I did about 25 minutes straight at Oulton Park last time out last year and the brakes felt rock solid. Would that have been the case with the stock brakes? Maybe, but Oulton is quite hard on brakes and I had the combination of a car that could gain speed quite well with a driver who is perhaps not as smooth or good at carrying it as I might be, so giving them an even harder time.

 

[944Turbo]

ORIGINAL: 333pg333

I have the MO30 setup w the S4 brakes and have often wondered if the big brake upgrades are really worth it as mine are very good 4 pot Brembo's. It obviously adds to the unsprung weight but with the power upgrades is it justifiably noticeable?

My originals were as yours but very tired, I am very impressed with the big blacks but not sure how they would compare with perfect standard ones, it is at least 50k miles since I last had the slider plates out of my old ones. I expect it to make the most difference from high speeds 120mph + to a standstill where the originals would start to feel a little week,
Tony

 

[333pg333]

Thanks guys, good answers. I keep thinking of the Big Blacks but advice and common sense not to mention the cost keep the stock ones where they are. I've upgraded to braided steel lines recently and did many laps of Eastern Creek without fade, it's just when watching the GT3's (inc Cup racers) , Boxters, and a Cayman seemingly just touch the brakes when I had to stand on them got me thinking, but I guess they're mostly on bigger rubber and have better suspension also almost 20 years of technology behind them which doesn't make me feel so bad. I will just have to keep spending money. I'm getting very good at that.

 

[944Turbo]

I was looking for new calipers, I had plate lift (again), damaged dust seals, maybe needed new pistons so was looking for new calipers, I found Big blacks were cheaper than the standard M030 calipers through some pricing anomolies, and then some came up even cheaper so it was silly not too . The discs and pads are more expensive but you cant win all the time.
Tony