1989 Porsche 944 S2 - Now with another Heart

[ChasR]

Well, the MGB has moved onto new pastures where the new owner is now enjoying it. Here is its replacement:










So far it's been great. It's not perfect but it's tidy enough and pretty solid. Handling and performance wise it's a right laugh .

[hoopsontoast]

Looking great, love the shot with the of the jag!

[luckygti]

That is sweet. Love 944's such a good looking car. Take it you got rid of the white MG not the Sebring?

[ChasR]

I did indeed get rid of the white MGB, the Sebring is still here. Just hoping that I can break the Mondeo swiftly and move on with the Sebring. Originally the Mondeo was going to be my daily until it decided to munch its diff up.

[waveman1500]

Very cool car, will be much more fun than the Mondeo as a daily I'm sure. Looks fantastic, I never really think of 944s as being so modern, this one really does look like a proper late 80s/early 90s car with all of the bodykit and stuff on it. I'm more used to the earlier 944s. Enjoy!

[ChasR]

She's a bit dirty in those shots. I need to clean the inside a little more but will do that when I get more time on my hands. Here are some cleaner shots of her:







So far it's had a new wishbone and had the dashboard connections cleaned up and it is munching up the miles.

However, it's in need of another engine a bit of a bummer. However, I'm fairly sure after checking the gearbox out that it has an LSD .

[ChasR]

Well after a few monies and some new bits I now have another engine!


Being an S2 the engine was not exactly what one would call cheap (even compared to Turbo blocks) thanks to them now being in high demand (Turbo owners are now taking 2.7 and 3.0 (S2) blocks (they are both the same crankcase) since a Turbo can go from being a 2.5 to a 2.8, 3.0 or a 3.2.

In addition to getting the engine I also changed both the balance belt, cambelt and idlers (around 5 tensioners in total). Since the engine was also out, the clutch was also changed (this would work out to cost as much as the clutch and cambelt parts!)

However, the new engine has had the cams timed whilst the cambelts were being done and now it really flies. But more to the point I can now hear myself think.

Here's the last I saw of the engine. And yes I really hate cream rocker Covers LOL:


And what she sounded like before it had the engine swap. Bear in mind the engine was fully warmed up and when cold it was louder:


My car came with a crackle effect rocker cover which I kept on the new engine and refitted it with new top end gaskets (Rocker cover, little doughnuts here and there etc.

[Speedle]

awesome! I'm serious tempted to pick one of these bad boys up! they go for peanuts considering how awesome they are! ultimate track toy!

[Ray Singh]

Good work Chas. Nice to see that you are getting your hands dirty.

Car looks awesome in the shots and in the flesh.

Ive got a mate who might be selling a set of Linen leather sport front seats with the high side bolsters if your interested?

[andypandy]

great porsche dude i can only dream of a 944 av you got any pics of the engine change mate as i might change the engine in my 924 to somthing a bit more fun?

[ChasR]

Nov 5, 2009 13:26:06 GMT Ray Singh said:

Good work Chas. Nice to see that you are getting your hands dirty.

Car looks awesome in the shots and in the flesh.

Ive got a mate who might be selling a set of Linen leather sport front seats with the high side bolsters if your interested?

Noooo Rav, I was hoping to get the suspension like new so that it can go even better than it already does around corners. Soooo, how much would your friend want for them and what condition are they in?

I'll see if I can get pics, but I do have a video of an engine being removed from a 944 if that helps .

[ChasR]

Well, it's finally gone but I may as well update this thread and give it some closure.

After the engine was changed, the garage warned me that I could do with a new radiator and heater hoses, and that whilst it would get me through winter, Spring time might not have me so lucky. I thought I would hold it off for some time. Besides that the car was given a clean bill of health.

One day I travelled to work to be faced with steam coming from the floor. Initially I thought something was burning, untill I looked to the floor and saw and smelt the undeniable look and stench of antifreeze. Fine I thought, I'd go to work with the heater off. At that point, the matrix emptied itself on the floor and no more coolant loss after that. Journeys in that car in February time were fun when I had to take it out and dare I say it, my old Beetle was warmer inside!

So I took it upon myself to overhaul the cooling system much sooner than I anticipated. I swiftly bought another rad from Euro Car Parts, got the pipes etc. partly from ECP (it shares some pipes with a Golf Mk2), and Berlyn Services. Smaller bits (Thermostat (the Pattern ones I didn't really trust (the gauge wondered like mad in town but the rad might have affected that), and a thermoswitch) were obtained from Porsche for reasonable money. It was the radiator that was the priciest thing by far. Matrix I obtained from Porsh-Apart.



Not always the case, but I believe this rad is the same as what you get from a dealer... I wonder where the Porsche logo went:



The rad isn't an original S2 item (no so commonly available) but instead a rad from a 944 250 Turbo which I guess has been done for economies of scale. Still, it should keep it's cool a bit better than it did from the factory I guess.

At the time I'm not sure if I agreed with my garage. Would you have changed this rad? Discuss Note the larger tanks on the Turbo rad:




And so the dash stripdown begins...:



I sort of forgot to take pictures after this but I'll be brief. I basically took the entire dash out and moved the heater box in order to move the matrix. I was shocked at how the coolant seemed to got in a few strange places (I guess thats condensation for you). Judging by the state of the matrix, it had been leaking for quite some time.

I also took the opportunity to sort out the radio wires. These had Bullet connectors all round and a large excess of wire. I soldered all of the wires and got them an acceptable length. Much tidier behind the dash not to mention easier to put a Stereo into. Oddly enough, the speakers don't seem to crackle anymore either.

These clips however did provide much amusement (or rather cursing for me) when I came to reassemble but I did get the clips on in the end on the matrix connections.



The rad partway through installation (cooling fans left to install, and new hoses installed):



To think I had a properly sorted Porsche at this point, ready for the summer... Nice thoughts.

Unfortunately, my daily threw up a few hurdles in front of me. So away it went for a backup daily (The Porsche is too old to be used (I needed a car less than 5 years old to be used)).

Nevermind. Hopefully one day again. Now which other projects do I need shifting out of the way?

[DavidB]

Great car!

[dickdasterdley]

Can't believe you sold it chas...that was such a sweet car when I saw it down at the lowlife meet...

[ChasR]

Tell me about it. I came very close to telling the buyer that it was no longer for sale.

To say that I'm not best pleased with my daily (a 2004 Mondeo V6 Auto (shared)) is an understatement. But I guess a car that does 1,000 miles a week will take its toll on it.

[dickdasterdley]

1000 miles a week? blimey!

[hoopsontoast]

it was an epic car, pulled like a train, and the car was not too bad either

[ChasR]

In other news this car came back onto the market :

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1989-PORSCHE-944-S2-BLUE-3-0L-MANUAL-TAX-AND-TESTED-/200965176165?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D286%26meid%3D1684733655086043212%26pid%3D100005%26prg%3D1048%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D5%26sd%3D111004809190%26&rt=nc&nma=true&si=cdRBSwReyBQzNCFOD%252FJmEJhDuDE%253D&orig_cvip=true

I was quite tempted at £3k even if it would have stretched me a little at the time, but in all honesty a few peeps did say never to go back .