[sparkydog]

For about a year now I have been thinking I would do another build. One day I was surfing Autotrader looking for ideas on what was out there that was cheap and unique. My search uncovered the Porsche 944. I’ve always thought the body was nice but didn’t know much else. They feature a 5spd rear transaxle which gives them 50/50 weight and therefore good handling. After a few weeks of surfing the net I’d basically determined that they are a nice body with woefully underpowered motors that break easily. And if you re-power them then the brakes and transaxles go next. And if the tranny doesn’t break then you never use 1st and wish you had a 6th because the ratios are setup for a little 2.5L high rev not a V8. There are stronger Porsche components that can be used but they come off the turbo models and are therefore rare and more expensive.

So I’m just going to toss the motor, the suspension, the brakes and the transaxle and put stuff in there that will hold up to V8 power, stay reliable and if it breaks cost nothing to repair. An LSX motor is a given. While I’d like to keep a rear transaxle there isn’t anything (that I can find) that meets my three criteria – affordable, 300hp stock, 68-ish wide. A Corvette rear is the obvious 1st choice but it’s out of my budget and too wide without modifications. BMW M3’s rear IRS can take 300hp but are costly also. So along the way I figured I’d bag the rear transaxle and just go conventional motor/trans in the front. There’s the Ford Explorer/Stang IRS but again – a little too rare and costly for my tastes.

If anyone has a suggestion I didn’t consider please let me know! For now I am thinking I will use the front and rear spindles/axle/brakes/suspension etc out of a Mustang GT (late 90’s or younger). I’ll get an aftermarket K member because there are a bunch of Mustangs with LSX conversions and there are bolt on solutions. So bear in mind when I say this I mean I am going to surgically remove the structural metal out of the donor Mustang as well as the suspension, then cut big holes in the poor little Porsche and graft all that s*** right in.

All that should take a couple of weekends (joking) and then on to the hard part – equipping the engine bay with a CARB legal LSX. This means cramming the unmodified GM factory motor, air intake system, vapor canister, headers, cats, and rumor has it – even the same fuel tank. I’m still a noob on learning all the stuff I need to know about the CARB angle but there are a few 944 LSX owners who have already done it. I am hoping that by grafting a different front end into the 944 (like off a Mustang or Z28) that the resulting interior dimensions of the engine bay will be more willing to let me stab an LSX with stock headers.

My 944 is an 86, red, sunroof, 2 owner, Carfax clean with no reported accidents. Mostly garaged. Broke motor. I pick it up in 2 weekends. First I have to buy a tow dolly. I’m going to be lugging 2 or maybe 3 cars home in the near future and I’m tired of renting tow dollys.