What would you improve in the 944
- Thread starter peanut
- Start date
George Elliott
New member
Interesting reading every-ones thoughts.
Mine would include moving the Handbrake to the Centre tunnel, (like an MX5[>:]). The reasons are its up and in the way when you have to get in & out, its impossible to co-ordinate on T-Junctions or in a Yard with a bit of Drifting potential[
], and when you get in, its Key in the ignition(Right Hand) /Handbrake release(Left Hand) Belt on (Left Hand), except this routine is messed up with the Handbrake where it is.
I like the Pop-up Lamps, they are good for positioning the Car on Minor Roads. Car's like the Toyota GT4 were rallied with the lamps up and lights off for this reason. Also useful for parking I find. Plus I like the fact we have them when some Bureaucrat has deceided they are unsafe - prats.
I often thought the handle on the A-Pillar on a Honda was useful for getting out, but never thought it would suit a Porsche, so perhaps not?
The Rev Counter should be in the Centre of the display, the Water Temp should be visable.
More space for the left foot in the tunnel.
The Gear Lever should be moved 40mm to the Right, (the Tunnel seems to be optimised for Left hand drive)
The Sunroof should have been like a 1990 Honda CRX, up and out - slide back, or deleted[8D]. (But in 1989 for £43k I suppose it had to be there[])
A standard equipment Laser Jamming device perhaps[8|] - the stealth approach. Call it Hazardtronic, a safety feature to warn of danger.
I love the Engine Note, but the Turbo should have been bigger, the Flywheel slightly lighter, and the Cars should have been 350bhp in std trim.
The Doors / Bonnet / Torque Tube should have been aluminuim, or lightweight Alloy, leaving the Car at 1200kg. A 951RS version with a Cage, no AirCon, no underseal, no Sound-proofing, 1 sunvisor, no clock[], Seam Welded, Recaro's, - at 1050kg, with a 2.7 eight valve and a bigger intercooler with 380bhp? Maybe a few Vents in the alloy bonnet / nose-cone?
If only they had remained committed to the Model, what a Car the 2.7RS would have been, - and i'm not thinking '73.
KW suspension[], PCCB[], Carbon Rims[]
The 911 has loads of replicas, & re-creations. If some-one did the same for a 951 - what a car could emerge.
George
944T
964rs
Mine would include moving the Handbrake to the Centre tunnel, (like an MX5[>:]). The reasons are its up and in the way when you have to get in & out, its impossible to co-ordinate on T-Junctions or in a Yard with a bit of Drifting potential[
], and when you get in, its Key in the ignition(Right Hand) /Handbrake release(Left Hand) Belt on (Left Hand), except this routine is messed up with the Handbrake where it is.I like the Pop-up Lamps, they are good for positioning the Car on Minor Roads. Car's like the Toyota GT4 were rallied with the lamps up and lights off for this reason. Also useful for parking I find. Plus I like the fact we have them when some Bureaucrat has deceided they are unsafe - prats.
I often thought the handle on the A-Pillar on a Honda was useful for getting out, but never thought it would suit a Porsche, so perhaps not?
The Rev Counter should be in the Centre of the display, the Water Temp should be visable.
More space for the left foot in the tunnel.
The Gear Lever should be moved 40mm to the Right, (the Tunnel seems to be optimised for Left hand drive)
The Sunroof should have been like a 1990 Honda CRX, up and out - slide back, or deleted[8D]. (But in 1989 for £43k I suppose it had to be there[
])A standard equipment Laser Jamming device perhaps[8|] - the stealth approach. Call it Hazardtronic, a safety feature to warn of danger.
I love the Engine Note, but the Turbo should have been bigger, the Flywheel slightly lighter, and the Cars should have been 350bhp in std trim.
The Doors / Bonnet / Torque Tube should have been aluminuim, or lightweight Alloy, leaving the Car at 1200kg. A 951RS version with a Cage, no AirCon, no underseal, no Sound-proofing, 1 sunvisor, no clock[
], Seam Welded, Recaro's, - at 1050kg, with a 2.7 eight valve and a bigger intercooler with 380bhp? Maybe a few Vents in the alloy bonnet / nose-cone?If only they had remained committed to the Model, what a Car the 2.7RS would have been, - and i'm not thinking '73.
KW suspension[
], PCCB[], Carbon Rims[]The 911 has loads of replicas, & re-creations. If some-one did the same for a 951 - what a car could emerge.
George
944T
964rs
There is a crazy car being built right now in the U.S. that will blow your sock's off. It is being modled on the 944gtr but stay tuned. For those that look on Rennlist the owner goes under the name of Guns951. (Yes I know) Anyway it will be something special and more $$$$ are being spent on it than any other 944 in history.
Oh and +1 for the handbrake. For those that find that you really have to stretch the left leg out to fully activate the clutch, I had my clutch pedal built up a little or brought forward in effect. It has helped.
Oh and +1 for the handbrake. For those that find that you really have to stretch the left leg out to fully activate the clutch, I had my clutch pedal built up a little or brought forward in effect. It has helped.
One thing I am surprised no one has mentioned is the whole tailgate and release mechanism thing.
The release mechanism is, frankley, rubbish and whoever designed it should have known better.
The tailgate itself is too big and wobbley and prone to separate from its frame, but I guess we win on practicality, so its a trade off....
The release mechanism is, frankley, rubbish and whoever designed it should have known better.
The tailgate itself is too big and wobbley and prone to separate from its frame, but I guess we win on practicality, so its a trade off....
peanut
Active member
blimey John that's amazing . More like a fighter cockpit than a car [] ah that would be the area that a pilot sits in an aircraft lol
Iwould agree with the comment abouit the rear hatch except it does work really well if it gets some attention and re-setting occasionaly. I sorted my old Lux out because it was a nightmare to open If I was on my own. (It was months before I noticed it had a key lock on the outside !?)
Eventually I had it set so wel, that it would open by itself with one touch of the button . Looked super cool when it opens just as you are pulling up like `Back to the Future'[]
] ah that would be the area that a pilot sits in an aircraft lolIwould agree with the comment abouit the rear hatch except it does work really well if it gets some attention and re-setting occasionaly. I sorted my old Lux out because it was a nightmare to open If I was on my own. (It was months before I noticed it had a key lock on the outside !?)
Eventually I had it set so wel, that it would open by itself with one touch of the button . Looked super cool when it opens just as you are pulling up like `Back to the Future'[
]
924nutter
PCGB Member
ORIGINAL: geoff ives
OK so mine is a lightweight/slimline 944 but my comments will also be the same in most of the common models.[
..... Shame about the body work on the wide (midle age spread) cars.[
Best to have middle aged spread on the outside where it was designed to be, than......
Diver944
Active member
I have to disagree about the tailgate, it's one of the best design bits about the car (along with the pop-ups and the massive removeable sunroof)
There is something so satisfying to pressing the button and have the whole tailgate majestically rise by itself for you to unload whatever is in there (shopping, wheels, tip rubbish etc) []
There is something so satisfying to pressing the button and have the whole tailgate majestically rise by itself for you to unload whatever is in there (shopping, wheels, tip rubbish etc) [
]
ORIGINAL: Diver944
I have to disagree about the tailgate, it's one of the best design bits about the car (along with the pop-ups and the massive removeable sunroof)
There is something so satisfying to pressing the button and have the whole tailgate majestically rise by itself for you to unload whatever is in there (shopping, wheels, tip rubbish etc) [
Mine has only ever done the opening on its own thing once during my 10 year ownership. This was followed by it opening on its own every time I went over a hole in the road (which is often), so I had to tighten it up.
I know you can fiddle about with it all weekend (and probably every weekend) to get it working better, but if it needs all that messing about I call it bad design. Good design are simple things that work, like.......legs?
Alright, alright.....but I just can not agree, the tailgate is just a pain in the behind.
sawood12
New member
The thing about the tailgate is that the majority of our mechanisms will have worn. A couple of PP's ago there was an article about replacing the mechanism and pins with new and the report was that it almost eliminated the hatch rattle. Having said that I've read that the Caymen also suffers from hatch rattle!
I would have like to have seen double wishbone suspension all round on the 944. The 928 got it and the 911 from the 993 onwards got double wishbones at the rear. Six gears would be nice and a stiffer bodyshell and of course all the usal toys and electronic gadgetry that you get on cars these days.
I would have like to have seen double wishbone suspension all round on the 944. The 928 got it and the 911 from the 993 onwards got double wishbones at the rear. Six gears would be nice and a stiffer bodyshell and of course all the usal toys and electronic gadgetry that you get on cars these days.
Suffolk944
Moderator
I honestly did nt realise that the tailgate was supposed to open fully on its own [&o] My sometimes unlocks when using the interior release but thats as far as it gets. Something else to sort out now [:'(]
ORIGINAL: 924nutter
ORIGINAL: geoff ives
OK so mine is a lightweight/slimline 944 but my comments will also be the same in most of the common models.[
..... Shame about the body work on the wide (midle age spread) cars.[
Best to have middle aged spread on the outside where it was designed to be, than......
Something about Pots, kettles and the colour black..[
]
sawood12
New member
I refreshed my gas strut with new and the hatch opened on its own for about 4 months or so and it was pretty cool. However now it will only open on its own now once I get out and close the door shut, also if i'm on a downward slope!! The weight of the tailgate must be finely balanced against the strut pressure when on the level. It would be especially nice if you had a remote alarm that could activate the tailgate so as you approach the car in the supermarket carpark you could pop the hatch open.
Neil Haughey
New member
Good suggestions and agree about the pointless rear seats. Just have a shelf ala 968 CS and make the wheelbase a few inches shorter for sharper handling. I would also expect a modern 944 to have multilink rear suspension mounted in a sub frame for much lower NVH, and anti-squat. Oh a decent LSD on all cars over 200 Bhp would have to be in there but knowing Porsche it would be an option along with the many other things that should be standard on 40K cars. The V6 engine from the Cayenne would have to power it of course, so the sound should be nice, and probably better weight distribution since I imagine that V6 is likely shorter then our I4 lumps. Personally I would like light units like the ones Honda did on the last NSX and the Fiat coupe but designed to flow with a more modern 944 front end.
George Elliott
New member
Couple of thoughts, apart from have you ever considered car design Neil?, - have Nissan come close to making that car....[8|].
Also, if Porsche were keen to make a lightweight 350hp sportscar, (as opposed to an extortionate priced v8 whale) complete with Weissach axle, why did a 3.0L turbo 4 cyl 928 not emerge. It had all the ali panels as standard, and loads of potential. 928RS perhaps.
One day when I get bored, and a manual 928 appears at the right money.....
George
944t
964rs
Also, if Porsche were keen to make a lightweight 350hp sportscar, (as opposed to an extortionate priced v8 whale) complete with Weissach axle, why did a 3.0L turbo 4 cyl 928 not emerge. It had all the ali panels as standard, and loads of potential. 928RS perhaps.
One day when I get bored, and a manual 928 appears at the right money.....
George
944t
964rs
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