do you solo / AX your 944?

itsa914 · 04-17-2007, 08:15 PM

It is possible that my 914 won't be back in time from the body shop for me to put it back together before my first autocross of the season May 12th. If that is the case I will have to call my new 88 944 NA to duty.

My 944 is bone stock except for a Guru chip the PO installed. Any pointers you can give me? I'm use to a car with No power steering, sitting about 4 inches off the ground with a stiff suspension setup and a few less HP (95 vs 151). The HP is not a issue, it will be getting use to the feel of a 944 during a AX run.

Just looking for some pointers. Thanks.

Eldorado · 04-17-2007, 09:16 PM

how/why did you dumb the horsepower down to 95? :S

DMRK · 04-17-2007, 09:59 PM

I think the 95 HP refers to the 914. I believe 80 is about stock for a 914.

Eldorado · 04-18-2007, 12:05 AM

ahhh... after reading it again, it all makes sense...

damn... 95hp? how much does a 914 weigh?

Techno Duck · Techno Duck's Garage

Its about all i do in my 944. I cant remember much about the car on stock suspension. I can say you will probably be surprised at how much body roll the car will have, yet it grips very well considering.

I would not launch the car hard, the ring and pinion will not like it.

itsa914 · 04-18-2007, 04:20 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Eldorado
ahhh... after reading it again, it all makes sense...

damn... 95hp? how much does a 914 weigh?

Mine is just at 2200 lbs. It is not blinding fast in a straight line, but throw in some curves and it kicks butt. Nothing like beating the 911 / subie AWD / boxter crowds.

The engine a 2.0L flat four, only mods to my motor is euro pistons & cylinders. You can throttle steer my 914 all day long on a AX course, I hardly ever need to brake for a turn unless it is a sharp 90 degree.

Quote:

Its about all i do in my 944. I cant remember much about the car on stock suspension. I can say you will probably be surprised at how much body roll the car will have, yet it grips very well considering.

I would not launch the car hard, the ring and pinion will not like it.

I will keep that in mind thanks.

My AX weapon ( My Go Kart)

Jsilverman · 04-18-2007, 04:47 AM

I havent autocrossed my 924 yet, but I have done 5 track days in it. Its stock except for a gutted interior and bilstein HD shocks. There is a lot of body roll, but like Techno said the car still grips when it rolls. It took me a while to get used to but now it feels great! The car is just so well balanced, its tought to get yourself into trouble. The only thing I dont like is not havign an LSD. There are times when I should be ful throttle but I cant because it will light up the inside rear wheel.

Dave L · 04-18-2007, 06:56 AM

I AutoXed mine last year on a 100% stock suspension. It rolled like you wouldnt belive but as others have said the car did stick (on Ra1's no less!)

I will also autoX it this year but hope to put in Konis, new springs and sway bars to help tame some of the roll.

JustinL · 04-18-2007, 07:01 AM

I took a stock 924S out for a couple laps around the autocross last year. It was a different experience compared to my 951S or my stiffened 944.

It will roll and pitch a ton. Be ready for it and let it settle in. I also found I had to start my turns much earlier to give more time for the weight to transfer. Also depending on the rear setup you may find that you're smoking up the inside rear wheel without a LSD. I tend to unwind the wheel a bit to get some weight back to the tire instead of lifting off the throttle.

YMMV

Justin

Techno Duck · Techno Duck's Garage

Those are good points i didnt bring up, the lack of LSD i would say on more than 85% of the n/a 944's just means you just need to be easy on the throttle on tight corner exits.

Something cheap you can do for your 944 is to upgrade the sway bars. It will help reduce body roll, but short of new struts, shocks and springs it will always be present. You can get the larger turbo sway bars for pretty cheap now days.

Dantilla · 04-18-2007, 07:41 AM

A 944 is very easy to autocross, as it has no evil habits, and offers fairly neutral handling.

Your learning curve will increase by leaps and bounds on every run.

If you go the conservative route, and try to bump up the speed a bit on every run, you will probably find that you left some room out there after your last run.

Be fairly aggressive on your first run, and if you loose it anywhere, you will see where you need to back off a bit.

Schumi · 04-18-2007, 08:07 AM

I want a 914 for a litre bike engine project. Strip it down a lot and throw in a 13000 rpm screamer...

But for autocrossing a 944 I don't know of many stock vehicles that are better up to the challenge than 924's and 944's.

ERAU944 · ERAU944's Garage

my miata was a BLAST to autox. i have also autox'd the 944, both are very fun, but the 944 will feel like a big heavy pig compared to a miata/914. maybe i don't even know the extent, due to the differences in polar moment of inertia on the miata vs. the 914.

you'll have fun, but like they said, turn in a little earlier, and prepare for the body roll.

nynor · 04-18-2007, 09:32 AM

i autocross mine. its a blast. the only competition i get is from 914's in F class.

AaronM · 04-18-2007, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DMRK
I think the 95 HP refers to the 914. I believe 80 is about stock for a 914.

95hp is stock for a 2.0
80hp is stock for a 1.7
75hp is stock for a 1.8

That's if I'm remembering correctly. The 914/6 had 110 hp stock and a massaged 2.0 914/4 can approach or equal that.

The 914 is definitely not a straight-line screamer but it can corner like it's glued to the road.

I've got a 'teener and a 951 and the 951 is a more "dignified" handler. The 914 is kind of like riding one of those "Wild Mouse" roller coasters, it changes direction RIGHT NOW. Even though the 951 is faster, it requires a little more pre-planning on the driver's part and you want to think more about being set up for the next corner while planning your line into the corner you're at. The 944 should be similar to the 951.

pinetreeporsche · 04-19-2007, 07:01 AM

Aaron is about right on the hp numbers. Overlooked is that some moderate rebuilds on the type IV 2.0 get close to 125hp, and the more careful radical rebuilds, esp. those from Jake Raby, can get well over 200 hp from a slightly stretched type IV-- around 2300cc. [Jake claims he can approach 300 with low-boost turbo on a below 2.5 liter motor! -google him to see his "kits".] Plus, the 914 can be weight-reduced to below 1800lb in street- legal form, or under 1500 lb in race configuration. These figures explain why every year the winner of the AX at the Porsche Parade week is a 914--by huge margins.
I've had a 914, fairly stock, and begun a-xing. Even pretty stock, it's very flat and fairly responsive. Although I only have a few miles in the drivers seat of my "new" 944, it clearly is less nimble except in a straight line and requires a different set of driver inputs. It may not be an aircraft carrier (maybe a destroyer?), but its not the PT boat that is the 914! On the other hand, my 944 has dual air bags, which makes me feel more secure when on the road.