952 Recondition and Setup

[ESR]

Hey Guys..

I thought I start a thread here as I'm fairly new to PFA so thought this will be a good way to get involved in the community here by sharing the project I'm doing and my passions for Porsches in general. 

There is so much knowledge on this forum and it's a mainly positive community here so hope I can contribute. 

I've just recently purchased a 1989" 944 Turbo and I am going over the entire car to restore/recondition it to mint condition, even though it's already quite an original example, being a 32 years old, over the years and many previous hands over the car it's ageing and things need to be done all over to bring it back to a clean car.

It's a good time to start documenting the work I'm doing early on so I can capture it all as i go, the project is going to be slow and probably take me a couple of years but i'll try to collate some useful info here.

I'm sure there will be some 952 gurus who will be interested in what I'm doing here and many will be able to provide insight on the stuff I'm working on.

So much development and knowledge has been accumulated over the last 30+ years on these cars that can be learned from and it's amazing that most parts are still being  manufactured and are available from Porsche which makes keeping these older cars running even possible.

As 952's are becoming increasingly rare in excellent condition I want to preserve and enjoy this example. Any modifications will be as stealth as possible and an inventory of reversible original parts will be kept should they ever be needed, I will be very slowly placing attention over every nut and bolt on the car.

My goal is a street / club use car to enjoy driving and wrenching on and always keep as one of my favourites, I've always wanted a late model 944 Turbo.

Feel free to add comments and suggestions as any input will be welcomed and appreciated.

[tomo]

Pictures or it did not happen

[ESR]

Here are images of the work being done, I will post more as I progress

Album of Photos

[ESR]

On 02/05/2021 at 15:56, _A_ said:

Here is an album of the work being done to the car I will post pics here of the project here..

Album of Photos

There not perfectly laid out pictures but I'm snapping as I go of stuff I'm doing and there has been lots more work that I have done and not added, when I get to the more interesting stuff I'll be sure to post plenty of images.

So far...

I've started with the interior refresh firstly as lots of rattles, broken plastic parts from stereo install, worn switches and buttons needed repair and was a good place to start, as I work my way over the entire car, section by section and still be able to drive it in between.

Currently awaiting parts to arrive from Porsche before reassembly, everything ready to be put back together now when parts arrive next few weeks from o.s.

Removed botched stereo install, sub and amp cabling, door speakers etc through car 
Rewired battery and clean hatch, remove / replace broken antenna
Remove all broken and worn switches from dash, seats etc, clean or replace
Replacement all interior / dash globes with new OEM to replace faded old ones
Dismantled door regulator and lock mechanisms clean and regrease, reinstall and readjust 
Recondition or replace all door and window seals where required

I decided to try 18"s on the car for street use and retain the 16"s for fun track and club days

I have a set of Porsche hollow spoke twists 18x7.5 50ET @ 8.6kg / 18x10 65ET @ 10.6kg with Michelin PS4 225/40ZR18 / 275/35ZR18. These rims weights are heavier by .5kg front / 1kg rear.

968 caster blocks and bolts will be installed along with strut rebuild and fresh bushings next and before rims are fitted. Porsche do not recommend rims above 17" be used on this car due to suspension components can become overstressed from increased weight of larger wheel mass and harder low profile tyres, so regular inspection of all suspension components will be done.

The scrub radius will be altered with the rim offsets on the M030 axles so this will change the suspension geometry and will have a negative impact on the perfectly balanced OEM setup. i may add spacers to the front rims to correct the offset on the front axles and see how that works. I will reverting back to the Fuchs 16" OEM for any track or club driving.

Some good wheel information here on rims and tyre sizes:
http://www.944racing.de/felgengewichte.php
https://www.alloywheelsdirect.net/information/fitting_chart/porsche
https://dirtyoldcars.com/porsche-hollow-spoke-wheel-technology

I am currently awaiting loads of OEM parts, full set of silicone vacuum and water hoses, VEMS stealth kit with electronic ignition module, throttle body rebuild kit.

Will post more as parts arrive and time permits

On 02/05/2021 at 15:46, tomo said:

Pictures or it did not happen

Hey mate, certainly have taken pics.. Have added an album link below that I'll post to as I go and I'll add some comments too when images are posted.. Cheers.

[Buchanan Automotive]

The front offset on the hollow spokes is incorrect for the M030 turbo and she will tram track. The stock offset is 65mm as it has different stub axles to the non M030 which is 55mm. 

any reason to run a VEMS? unless you are good at tuning and are familiar with it then i would stick with what your tuner recommends for the best outcome. 

Regards

Sean

[9er]

With respect, "cosmetic freshen up" might be a better title.

[ESR]

On 03/05/2021 at 12:18, Buchanan Automotive said:

The front offset on the hollow spokes is incorrect for the M030 turbo and she will tram track. The stock offset is 65mm as it has different stub axles to the non M030 which is 55mm. 

any reason to run a VEMS? unless you are good at tuning and are familiar with it then i would stick with what your tuner recommends for the best outcome. 

Regards

Sean

Hey Sean, 

Are spacers on the front axles a viable option for correcting the difference? 

+14mm SR Fronts / -9mm SR Rears

[ESR]

VEMS... my car came with a faulty AFM and randomly stops so good reason to invest the funds in more modern management solution with MAP/MAF and with the WBo2 sensor for auto tune.

The base map peep provides along with autotune I should be able to get a decent tune dialled in with some cold start and few other manual settings. There will a steep learning curve and I will have a tuner check over once it's setup plus I have peep to provide support. 

I'm currently doing a throttle body rebuild and full reseal of all vacuum hoses before it goes in along with dual port EBC to go with pipe, turbo, wg, hpfp etc.. Running low boost on the stock engine and will do a an engine build when the time comes. 

I expect a linear torque curve and a more usable power band 

On 03/05/2021 at 12:18, Buchanan Automotive said:

The front offset on the hollow spokes is incorrect for the M030 turbo and she will tram track. The stock offset is 65mm as it has different stub axles to the non M030 which is 55mm. 

any reason to run a VEMS? unless you are good at tuning and are familiar with it then i would stick with what your tuner recommends for the best outcome. 

Regards

Sean

 

[cyberpunky]

I'm running VEMS on mine and just relied on autotune and she purrs. Im about to add a different turbo so will be getting it dynotuned then.

If you have any questions let me know as 10 years into mine now and have a bit of experience and am up on best options for most stuff.

If you replace the instrument cluster globes go for Sylvania 158 globes as factory are 2w and dull, the 158 are 3.3w and make a huge difference. A lot of people go LED but I prefer the warm light of globes and so prefer just upping the wattage a little. Any more like 5w will melt the holders I'm told so these are a good option

What Dual port did you go with?

[ESR]

19 hours ago, cyberpunky said:

I'm running VEMS on mine and just relied on autotune and she purrs. Im about to add a different turbo so will be getting it dynotuned then.

If you have any questions let me know as 10 years into mine now and have a bit of experience and am up on best options for most stuff.

If you replace the instrument cluster globes go for Sylvania 158 globes as factory are 2w and dull, the 158 are 3.3w and make a huge difference. A lot of people go LED but I prefer the warm light of globes and so prefer just upping the wattage a little. Any more like 5w will melt the holders I'm told so these are a good option

What Dual port did you go with?

Thanks for the offer, I'll pm you my number, I'd definitely like to chat with you about it all and pick your brain.. I was hoping someone with vems knowledge would reach out, highly appreciated mate! Still a while to wait for everything to arrive.

I went with the Mac 3 port solenoid to go along with a Tial F46.

I also have a full 3" to 4" exhaust being made from Albert @ Broadfoot racing, I know he takes his time and it's pricey but the quality of that system will be worth it for this car.

While I have the exhaust out I'm shipping my turbo to Charlie @ Evergreen for rebuild and upgrade to a lightweight K27/8. I'll be running fairly low boost on the stock motor and just want to get it all running smoothly.

I'll need a HPFP and adjustible fuel reg and some injectors but keep the boost right down and monitor the injectors along with the overboost control to keep things safe till then. The previous owner had a new head gasket fitted no so long ago so too which is nice. 

I have ordered all 2w replacement globes as I also wanted the factory warm halogen style too and keep I factory look.. Halogen globes lose brightness over time so I wanted to go with 2w and see how the fresh ones look.. I was a bit worried I'd cook the dash instruments with higher wattage too, ill swap them for 3.3w if they are not bright enough, nice touch! Have you checked the instruments since changing them for any sign of discolouration or heat marks etc..?

[cyberpunky]

I did the refurb on dash not long after getting car so been fine for nearly 10 years. Ive had cluster out but didn't  notice any issues but wasn't really looking for it TBH. 'I'm using the LR high flow fuel pump and had no issues with a 3 bar FPR. Not sure adjustable is needed. I use 80# injectors. Only heard good things about Charlies turbos but I am upgrading to an ultrspool at the moment. Just waiting on downpipe. I'll be changing HG to a vulcan ring HG and new raceware studs. This will allow me to run higher boost if desired without worrying about head lift as will be torquing head to 90ft lbs. I will be running lower boost normally though. Are you going to use VEMS to control boost? I have a turbosmart eboost street for mine.

[Stepo]

15 hours ago, _A_ said:

I have ordered all 2w replacement globes as I also wanted the factory warm halogen style too and keep I factory look.. Halogen globes lose brightness over time so I wanted to go with 2w and see how the fresh ones look.. I was a bit worried I'd cook the dash instruments with higher wattage too, ill swap them for 3.3w if they are not bright enough, nice touch! Have you checked the instruments since changing them for any sign of discolouration or heat marks etc..?

I replaced with 3W over a year ago and no issues, big improvement.