? on 87 944 automatic transmission

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Hi All,

I've got a chance to pick up a nice 87 944 that has AT problems for short $. Car needs to be towed according to owner.

Question: how difficult is it to swap in a good trans? How difficult is it to convert to a 5-speed.

I work on the 911's with no job too big, just trying to gauge if this is a 1 day, $500 job or a 3 day $1500 job.

Thanks for your help.

Shaun

[livewirevoodoo]

Never did it myself, but have read up on the subject in case that eventful day ever comes.

From what I gather, a tranny swap (auto to auto) should be closer to the $500 mark (good tranny from ebay or dismantler, doing work yourself).

Conversion to 5-speed, I couldnt' say, tho it definitely has been done. Besides the slush box itself, there are a bunch of automatic specific parts that *may* need to be swapped (radiator, for instance, comes to mind (unless you can just plug the auto trans cooling line hoses).

What kind of AT problems does the car have? I suppose a damper plate could be considered a tranny problem. Thats a $700+ part and 20+ hrs work for which there isnt any quick fix.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Thanks for the reply. Owner says torque converter is bad. Car moves, but barely and only under high rev.

[Razorback1980]

I think livewirevoodoo nailed it pretty well. If you just swap auto to auto, then it's really not that bad of a job. If you switch to 5 speed, you might get by with radiator, but I know the speedometers are different, so you would have to change that among other things within the driveline and interior to accomodate putting a clutch in. If you are wanting a five speed, it's definitely easier to start with that.


Good Luck

[bryanthompson]

aw geez, go back to OT where ya belong. There's no reason for you to buy a 944, you'll hate it.

seriously, i'm entirely kidding.

auto to manual swap isn't that difficult... there are several threads about it. I picked up a good used 5-speed (from another pelican) for $350, I think. It's been awhile.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally posted by bryanthompson
aw geez, go back to OT where ya belong. There's no reason for you to buy a 944, you'll hate it.

seriously, i'm entirely kidding.

auto to manual swap isn't that difficult... there are several threads about it. I picked up a good used 5-speed (from another pelican) for $350, I think. It's been awhile.

LOL! was waiting for you to show up Bryan. I'm looking at the car tomorrow, off to NY today.

Thanks everyone for your help, I'll post what I find.

[seaboltman]

if you decide to go with another auto trans, i've got a parts car with one that i'll sell ya.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally posted by seaboltman
if you decide to go with another auto trans, i've got a parts car with one that i'll sell ya.

Thanks. I'm going to look at the car today. If I pick it up, will troubleshoot (owner knows nothing other than where the key goes) and let you know what I need.

Conversion to 5-speed is tempting!

Shaun

[VaSteve]

Short list of parts needed when I considered this a year ago. I just bought a "roughed up" 5 speed 3 weeks ago and got it legal yesterday.

Auto to Manual Conversion - Possible?

Unless you get it for dirt cheap and get a manual car to sit side by side while stripping parts, I don't think it would be a worthwhile investment in time. It all depends on your perspective however.

[legion]

Jeez Shaun. You can't leave us to our own little sanctuary? (JK )

Besides having to change the speedo and install all of the clutch plumbing, another consideration is that the stub axles between an automatic and manual are different. IIRC, the driver's side stub axle is shorter than the passenger side on an automatic, but the axles are the same length on a manual.

Do you have to pull the torque tube to get to all of the shifter linkages or can that be done from the top?

Next Shaun will be asking us how to turbocharge his new toy...

[VaSteve]

Originally posted by legion


Next Shaun will be asking us how to turbocharge his new toy...

ajajajjjajajajjajaja!!!

[bryanthompson]

He could turn it into the "g9 mobile." Paint it white, stick the G9 logo on it, but way oversized, so it takes up all of the side of the car, up onto the hood... Maybe some flowers along the bumpers, and it could pull streamers from the antenna

Then if you enter it into some parades, I think there's opportunity to make it a tax write-off... or at least some of it. My previous boss did this (minus the girly-ification) with an old pickup.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

going to look at the car now.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

OK, here's the official scoop on the car:

The bad:
Car rolls but only starting at 4K RPM
Passenger door bad dent, could be pulled.
4 shades of guards red, needs total paint
front tires bald, needs alignment
dash cracked
both outside door handles sticky
seats lightly split, otherwise interior decent
928 dish wheels curbed

The really bad:
fluid leaking steadily from transmission

Is this anything but a parts car?

I offered him $300. He wants $500.

Thoughts?

[legion]

For most people, it is a parts car. Your offer is spot on.

However, if the money isn't so important and you are looking for an interesting new project to test your skills, this would be the car.

If you could find an otherwise mechanically sound 944 that has frame damage from a major accident (would cost about as much), you could use that car's internals in this car's frame.

[VaSteve]

Sounds like a real cream puff. The nice part about that car...if your f* up repairing it, you can't break the broken!

[924RACR]

Originally posted by legion
Besides having to change the speedo and install all of the clutch plumbing, another consideration is that the stub axles between an automatic and manual are different. IIRC, the driver's side stub axle is shorter than the passenger side on an automatic, but the axles are the same length on a manual.

Don't you mean the half-shafts (aka drive axles), not the stub axles? In my glossary (not to say I'm right, just explaining my terms), the half-shafts or drive shafts are the parts with the CV's on them, bringing power from the diff to the wheel ends. They bolt to the stub axles, which are mounted in the bearings in the trailing arms. The hubs spline on to the outer end of the stub axles. Not trying to be picky, just trying to get the terms straight; per my accounting, the half-shafts do have to be replaced, but the stub axles are the same (when making the conversion).

I'm lining up to get started on my conversion now, on an '87 924S auto (which was immaculate and bought cheap). Doesn't sound like there's anything great about the one you're looking at, except for parting. Are manual 944's that hard to find in your area?

[legion]

You are correct. I used the wrong term.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

I surf Craig's List for generally unwanted things and this came up. I thought it would be nice to drive in the winter. the 911s are in storage and while the Jeep is great when it snows, I go to NY way too much in it. A 944 would be perfect. If this one had just few less flaws, I'd really consider it at $500.

here's something I really wish I had the spare cash for, if only to put a proper Turbo front end on. Caution, blindness may ensue.

http://boston.craigslist.org/car/120921418.html

[livewirevoodoo]

Tires, dash, paint, tranny (either AT swap or 5spd conversion). Those sound like the big bullets.

Not including purchase price, I'd venture a guess at about $2500 worth of parts and paint, and that is keeping it an automatic.

And that is before you get a chance to get it on the road and get a feel for how solid the engine is. Did you give it a once over or do a top to bottom inspection w/ engine compression #s, etc..

For $300 it sounds like a decent parts car, but a b*tch of a project. The $ you spend to get it on the road might be better off spent upfront on something driveable. Just my 2cents.