Porsche 944: Actually there is a substitute

[sparkydog]

OK I sucked it up today. I've got a firewall now and I cut out the metal tubing that has been inside the cab for several months. It probably still looks like a train wreck to most of you guys but there's a lot of detailed progress buried within.

Edit: and a shot of the interior tube bracing I put in before starting all of the cutting. (Mid October of last year.)

[sparkydog]

Some random pics of the details.

[NONHOG]

Originally Posted by sparkydog

It probably still looks like a train wreck to most of you guys

Looks pretty cool to me. I love watching the details of this build!

[sparkydog]

Originally Posted by hgs_notes

Doing a hell of a job. Really looks good.

Originally Posted by NONHOG

Looks pretty cool to me. I love watching the details of this build!

Thanks guys!

Today I had to step away from the 944. I was tired of the shriek of the cutting disk, the flapper wheel and the smell of burning seam sealer. But that didn't mean I couldn't fart around with it a little.

The first picture shows what the goal is - more room in the engine bay. I put the hood on the 944 and from below you can see where the 944's stock firewall sealed off against the hood (yellow arrows). And now the Sparkydog firewall (green arrows).

And in the 2nd photo I find it kinda cool that the Mustang firewall and the 944's OG firewall location were almost exactly the same. I did not choose the position of the Mustang sub-frame based on this. I was only looking at front axle location. But when it was tack welded in place this is what you get. Nearly identical firewall locations. (944 yellow & Mustang green.) I guess basic ergonomics and design trade-offs are same-same in many situations...

[hgs_notes]

Doing a hell of a job. Really looks good.

[hgs_notes]

Junkyards can be a great source of inspiration.

[sparkydog]

The 944 hasn't seen much love this summer - I've been too busy having fun with the family and some biz trips. Here's a final shot of the Mustang carcass on the day I hauled it off to the scrap metal yard. I think I got a whopping $30 or so for the metal.

I also removed the cracked 944 windshield (also burned from my little welding fire mishap) using DIY razor knife. The 944 is back on the ground for a short while as I replace the blue tarp awning and tidy up the work area a bit.

That's about it - I'm waiting to pull the trigger on a donor car for the motor - then I'll be back in the fray on this project. I'm not going to be able to afford an LSX motor so Plan B is to use an L67 (3.8L V6 w/Supercharger). I'm bidding on a car this Tuesday - keep your fingers crossed for me!

[sparkydog]

Looky what followed me home from 50% off day at the wrecking yard.

It's an L67 out of a 2002 Buick Regal GS. Several months ago I came to realize that I could not afford an LSX motor on my build budget. After a brief period where I considered Northstars, LT1's and L67's as alternatives I settled in on the L67 and have been bidding (and losing) on a few cars equipped with L67's on Copart.

Then Mother Nature up and decided to let some rain fall here in SoCal and suddenly I got an email from the local wrecking yard announcing they were doing a 50% off sale this weekend (due to the rain). So yesterday after work I scouted the yard and there ya go. Depending on what I find when I dig into this motor a bit - it will either serve as THE MOTOR for the 944 or as a parts donor.

[cAlvis165]

What kind of transmission are you thinking?

[sparkydog]

Originally Posted by cAlvis165

What kind of transmission are you thinking?

I'd like to run a T56 but I might consider a T5.

After work tonight I thought I would let the soon-to-be-weds spend some time together. Note in the 1st pic the L67 is bone stock - this will be the last time the A/C compressor lives down low and to the left. First stab into the engine bay isn't really worth showing. The A/C compressor came out and it was on to round 2. This is where I left things for the night. I'll let the pics do most of the talking. I love & hate this aspect of a build. It's exciting watching the interplay of all the variables involved in locating an engine. But even after 15 minutes of reflection it's pretty obvious that:

a) the 944's HVAC unit is getting in the way of my supercharger and I know who is going to lose the debate (especially if I want to stay CARB legal).

b) plenty of room up front in the fore/aft direction but the SC's snout and pulley have to either come down 5 or so more inches and/or slide aft while dropping.

c) the only way to go more aft is (again) to lose the Porsche HVAC unit and get out the sawzall.

d) don't want to jinx anything but I might be the first ever motor swap where I don't have a steering box/exhaust problem... but then again the stock L67 passenger side single collector/dump is pointing right into the strut tower and frame.

e) oh yeah and the oil pan will need to get modified or swapped to whatever they used on RWD L67 applications.

[TexasLS1]

Don't know how I missed this thread, but I'll be watching. My first car was a 914 in shambles, so I have a fondness for Porsches. Awesome work and will be a fun car!

[FRENCHBLUE72]

Any updates?

[sparkydog]

Thanks for checking in French. No progress but not dead is about all I can say. When I do get back on it I'll work on the IRS stuff. Trying to mate the Ford diff with the 944 swing arms. I'll also be trying to gather more info about the CARB rules here in California and whether I can realistically make it to approval if I modify the intake and exhaust as much as I would like to. If not then I have two other options. 1) "sell" the car to an Oregon relative and then buy it back and bring in as an out of state car that can pass emissions. 2) Rig it with L36 RWD stock components, get the CARB sticker and then swap in the L67 gear. I want the car to be legit as far as polluting goes - just don't understand why it's bad to change plumbing as long as it still passes emissions.

[made2drag]

Wow... amazing work man....love it!

[sparkydog]

Back on it!

I lay claim to be the first guy to ever hang a Ford 8.8 diff and drive line up inside a Porsche 944. (Can't prove it but what are the odds, eh?)

[sparkydog]

I'll have to do a little research but I'm thinking the 8.8 diff is not going to work because for the drive line to clear the 944 swing arm torsion bar housing it puts the CL of the diff about 3.5" higher than the CL of the wheels while at approx ride height.

I doubt the axles would like running with that much offset all the time. Does anyone have advice?

I think that I either have to see if there is a way to mod the center of the 944 torsion bar housing so that I can run the drive line right through it, or - scrap the 944 suspension altogether and stuff the Mustang straight axle setup in.

[sparkydog]

Originally Posted by sparkydog

I doubt the axles would like running with that much offset all the time.

Maybe I will be OK on this. I did a rough calc and it looks like the axles would be at about a 10-11* angle with the diff up where it is in the pictures above. From what I can tell off the internet this amount of angle is OK for a CV joint.

[sparkydog]

There it is boys and girls! A Ford TBrid IRS hub, axle and 8.8 diff mocked up inside a Porsche 944. The stock TBird axles are a little too long for the track of the 944 so to achieve these photos I just slid the diff over to the side until I could get everything to fit. This allows me to get an idea of how much I would need to shorten the axles (or maybe find something OEM with about the right length). The pics also illustrate the 10-11* axle angle I would have to run.

[sparkydog]

I shaved more off of the Mustang frame section and did my 1st stuff up under the 944. Then I stared at it for awhile and made notes on what to do next. The upper shock mount pockets are going to come off. They may go back in after the graft surgery or I may do a slight mod on where the shocks route. And now I have a rough idea of about how much of the 944 frame has to get sectioned/removed. I need to prep the 944 for surgery so that nothing moves on me while I cut up it's rear frame horns.

[sparkydog]

...and 6 months later there's the chunk-o-mustang fully grafted and with primer. Now for some seam sealer on all the white areas both front and rear.

And then it will be time to start on fun things like motor, trans, fuel system and so on.

[TexasLS1]

Looks like a lot of work done this weekend. Good to see the updates on this!

[firethorn]

very interesting build

[sparkydog]

I realized that I needed to get some kind of reference datums going before I got too carried away with stuffing the Ford sheet metal up inside the 944. So I assembled the axle and linkages back onto the sheet metal and then set it up at the correct angle. (When this stuff was still in the Mustang long ago - I had recorded that the lower arm sat at a 2* angle.) With the lower swing arm at 2* down I then made marks on the sheet metal where the CL of the axle is. Then removed the heavy axle and linkage so that I can wrestle with the structural metal more easily up under the car. Next I'm going to add some temp bracing and then whittle a little more of the excess metal off this thing.

[sparkydog]

I also came to realize/remember that the input to the Ford rear diff is shifted about 5/8" off to the passenger side of the car - the drive shaft isn't on the CL of the car. The Porsche is symmetrical und vee know zee Germans like zee perfection, ja?! So the 944 drive line tunnel is centered and that will be an issue I have to contend with and solve somehow. Can anyone confirm what the exact amount is? Any Ford rear end experts lurking around here?

[sparkydog]

It was a rough week at work so I gave myself a little fun time this morning. I decided to do some more prep work to the Mustang structural metal while it was easier to work on. So... the axle went back on again, then some more conduit bracing. Then the axle came off again. Then I marked up where I wanted to improve upon the Ford factory spot welding. And then it was stitch-o-rama for an hour or so until I ran low on shield gas.