ive been looking for a project car for a while. it had to be small, light and rwd, and i wanted something you dont see everywhere. i had been through the datsun 510s, 70s celicas and corollas, almost bought a cortina, i ended up with an idea for something different and ran with it.





its a 1985.5 porsche 944 non turbo. i looked at a few of these cars and this was the best fit, clean car, drove nice and priced right. its a hell of a good handling car, just way underpowered for what it is.

so whats my plan? well, itll get some wheels, might do a flares, drop it a bit, oh and this


i built that engine in 2008 for a friends sunbird. well years later, and not that many miles the car has changed hands and is getting parted out, and im getting the engine back. its a 2.2l ecotec, wiseco pistons, eagle rods, ported head, balance shaft delete, and a bunch of other goodies. it ran off a megasquirt 2 ecm. i built it based off the gm build book for 400hp. the engine never really was pushed, the car couldnt take it at 10psi.

should be a heck of a fun car with 400hp.

 

Good luck, to be honest though it's almost a shame you got such a clean car to cut up. I love the factory wheels, any aftermarket replicas that are better sized?

 

looks like a good project and a very clean car. there are a few of those around here but non are that clean.

 

That car is going to move out with the new powertrain.
What are you going to use for a trans?
IIRC the 944 have the trans in the rear...

 

T56? Or solstice trans?

 

Haha my brother in law has the same exact car. He says it will blow the doors of an LNF.

 

Well it's a nice color

 

It wouldnt even be able to keep up with my LSJ let alone the LNF

 

I love it! Congrats!

 

once i read small and light i knew it would be a 944 Sweet project dude!

 

Its really clean for it being as old as me

 

Yes the trans is mounted in the rear of the car. I'll be using the stock trans and torque tube and making an adapter to bolt a solatice bellhousing up to the torque tube
It's sort of a shame to cut up, although I'm over it. Last night I had a huge fireball from underneath the car, lost oil pressure and had to coast off the road. The front of the motor is soaked in oil and I have no idea where it's coming from as of yet

 

I imagine you meant Sunfire, but the thought of that motor going in a Sunbird is just flippin sweet

 

I used to want one of these when I was a youngster. But now I'd rather a 911 turbo. Looks great though. Good luck with the swap.

 

ill take a 914/6 or a 944 over a 911 anyday...

I see too many 911s in Austin as it is. I'd rather see somebody's idea of a hot rodded 944, WITHOUT AN LS SWAP, any day.

 

no i meant a sunbird



it started life as a 90 sunbird turbo convertable, it got an 87 z24 cavalier front end and 92 cavalier tail lights. the main reason we built it was because everyone said its impossible to put an ecotec in a 1st or 2nd gen j-body. it was actually quite simple, however nobody has been able to replicate it.

 

That looks like an epic car I'd like to see more vids of it! But this ecotec powered Porsche should be crazy as hell can't wait to see how this turns out!

 

That is sweet!!!

 

the car was kinda cool in its day. its been neglected through the years and is in pretty rough shape.

 

Nice looking car... love the 944.

Some guy runs one of those with an LS engine in it at Putnam Park.

 

ls swaps in the 944 is actually quite common. quicktimes makes a bellhousing to bolt it direct to the torque tube, spec makes the clutch setup, and several companies make mount kits. kooks even makes a set of ls swap headers. about the only thing thats not so easy about it is there is no direct swap wiring harness as of yet. with an aluminum ls it doesnt change the weight of the front very much, the stock 4 cyl is 450lbs, almost the same as an ls.

that being said, im going to need to lighten the back of mine to keep the weight balance, the ecotec is significantly lighter.

 

you should swapp than autocross it

 

thats the plan

 

yey

 

So what broke?