Hi all,
There is a 944 that has been collecting dust in storage for many years at my friends dyno shop and I have been seriously considering buying it to eventually race. It is an 86' chassis with an 88' 944 NA motor, full roll cage, kirkey seats, harnesses etc. I was able to throw a new battery in the car and it cranked right up without issue, although the lifters were making a lot of chatter. My only question is, what should I expect to do and to spend to get this car track ready and competitive? I'm 21 years old from Cumming, GA and race offroad professionally out west (WORCS, SCORE, Terracross), so all of this is foreign to me but I feel this will be a cost effective way to get my feet wet in road racing.

mickeyt223 wrote:


It's hard to say, Mickey- it sounds like you have most of the big, expensive stuff already done, though.

I would expect to replace:

Timing and balance shaft belts (about $20 & $30 respectively).

Rod bearings unless the previous owner replaced them (about $70 for the bearings and $40 for the oil pan gasket).

Baffle the pan if not done already ($60 plus the labor to weld it in).

Change the oil and water in the radiator and you will probably be good to go.

This assumes you do the work yourself but none of the above is particularly difficult, we do it all the time at the shack and could set up a build party.

Before you race you would have to make sure your belts were up to date but starting off in HPDE you won't need to worry about it.

Where in Cumming are you? I would be glad to stop by, check out your car and let you know if anything else would be needed.

Brian

Mickey,

You should look into making it out to Barber Motorsports Park this week end if you are free. We are racing both Saturday and Sunday and should have 10 plus 944 Spec race cars there. Its about a 2 hour drive down I20 and is a beutiful facility.

If thats too far away, we do have one race left this season at Road Atlanta right in town. Its the first week end of December and is called the Toy Run. Bring a toy out to the track to donate on Saturday and get in free!

Either way, getting out to a race should give you some insight into what were all about and what the cars can do. Its a bunch of fun and we try to work together as a group as much as possible to help each other out.

Brian,
It would be awesome if I could get a second opinion on the car to make sure there are no unforeseen costs and to make sure the car would pass tech for the 944 spec class since no one knows exactly what has been done to the car. The car is currently at a shop in Marietta but I could possibly trailer it depending on where you are located. Also, is there a race shop in the area that works on 944 spec cars? Thank you!

AgRacer wrote:


I actually have a race this upcoming weekend, but was already planning on making the Road Atlanta event to check it out.

mickeyt223 wrote:


Where in Marietta? I live in Roswell so it may be close by.

The closest shop that builds 944-Specs is Barber Raceworks in Greenville- there are many Porsche shops around here but all seem to be much more interested in the spendy GTS 944's or 911's.

We do almost all our own work at the community "Chicken Shack" in Cumming- we have 2 lifts, a paint booth, frame straightener, and tons of tools and spares there. The work I mentioned on your car above could be done in less than a day at the Shack for some beer and burgers.