I am in the process of trying to purchase a 1987 turbo for my first car. I had been looking for a E30 M3 but they were a little out of my price range. Then a found a really good deal on this 87 turbo which I’m hoping I get. What I wanted to here from you guys is how do you guys like your 944 turbo? How much hp can the stock engine handle before I would need to think about forged internals? I don’t plan on doing anything to the car performance wise right away as I know its more then fast enough to get me in trouble but for the future I want to know what kind of potential they have. Also I want to find out what are the "weak links" in the car other then a 17 year old driver. [sm=smiley4.gif]

 

I have been around the block a time or two with 951's... lol Yeah, there is a LOT of upside potential with a 951. With a stock shortblock in good shape, you can get a bolt on package from Vitesse that can put you at 400rwhp. At that point, you will be driving something that can smoke just about anything you are likely to encounter. 400rwhp is also too much for the suspension and brakes, so plan on doing some work there as well.

If you want to know specifics, ask...

Regards,

 

This car im looking at has been well taken care of but does have 170,000 miles. So seeing as the turbo will probably need a rebuild some time in the near future should I just buy a newer more modern aftermarket turbo?

 

With those kind of miles on it, it is an absolute "MUST DO" to get a leakdown test (not a compression test) done on it before you buy it. That will tell you what shape the internals are in. A compression test only tell part of the story, the leakdown will get you the whole story.

Yeah, I'd be replacing the turbo, rather than rebuilding it. You can occasionally find decent shape replacement K26/6 turbos pretty cheap ($around $150 or so) but any cheaper than that and you are usually just swapping problems. To get a K26/6 rebuilt costs around $450 from Majestic, to upgrade to a k26/7 costs around $650 or so, and gives a lot more upside potential. You have to carefully match your chips and other components, tho.

If you want the quick and dirty way to have fun with your car, follow this plan (assuming everything is up to date, maintenance-wise):

1) Replace the wastegate with either a Tial 38mm (requires adapter plates) or a Lindsey 2-stage (bolts right in). $350

2) Lindsey 3" mild steel exhaust system. Make sure you get the ceramic coating for it. $800

3) Vitesse chips set up for your stock AFM/injectors $350

4) Do the vacuum line/venturi and cycling valve delete update (Lindsey sells a kit, or you can do it easily enough yourself by rumaging through the parts bin at your local parts store) $80

5) Manual boost controller (I like the Accuboost unit myself) $60

6) Replace the CBV with a fresh unit,($40) or upgrade to a Forge CBV ($120)

With those mods, you'll smoke most folks you encounter. If you do more mods than that before you learn how to really drive (and don't give me the bs that you are Schumaker Jr, noone is until they have at least a couple of years of track experience, and by then, they will realize how good Schumaker really is), then you'll learn bad habits from letting your car compensate for you lack of skill. You'll also realize that suspension mods are a lot more fun than engine mods on these cars.

Regards,

 

overboost, with 170,000 miles i recommend a rebuild before doing any kind of performance upgrades. do check compression and leakdown first though. the 951 engine i'm in the process of acquiring has 149,000 on the clock and i'll be busy for many many months rebuilding it the way i like it. so we shall see...

 

How much does a 951 motor usually cost? To buy a used one.

 

I sold a fairly recently rebuilt 951 engine, fairly complete, for $1500. I sold it WAY too cheap, in my opinion, but needed to get it out of the garage. A 951 with 170k miles on it isn't necessarily in need of being rebuilt, but I wouldn't try to hotrod it... I know for a fact that the 944/951 engines are very sturdy, I have 300k on my '84 with the original engine in it.

Regards,

 

I ask because if I dont get this 951 im trying to get, which is a steal for $3200 and the only reason why I wouldnt get it is if this other buyer beats me. Then I wont be able to afford a 951 (im in high school) so I will probably buy a 944 and just swap in a turbo motor.

 

i bought an 89 n/a 2.7L in high school. currently i'm a freshman in college in the middle of a turbo conversion project. trust me man, by no means is a conversion cheap. first and foremost, turbo brakes are a must. that means all the calipers, the front pair of hubs and spindles, the rotors, the lines, and the bias valve. then you need some kind of aftermarket front end if not the actual turbo front end to fit the intercooler. then of course you need the engine itself complete with intercooler and what not. then the tranny, dme, klr. it's a LOT of work, and trust me, it's EXPENSIVE. i have disposable income and i love to wrench. i rebuilt my 2.7 over the summer and will be selling it soon after i finish this rebuild. but trust me, if you can't afford to buy a turbo, you can't afford a conversion.

oh yeah even the radiators are different, you'll need all the coolant hoses, the expansion tank, even the master cylinder heat shield to protect it. then the 951 throttle cable, and even the turbo clutch and flywheel setup.

but also be prepared if you buy that 951. there's nothing more expensive than a cheap porsche. 951 maintenance is expensive...and if you can't do it all yourself, be prepared to sell an arm and a leg if not all of them. good luck with your decision....

 

oh yes and also, the engine i bought was only $500 plus shipping. it was a STEAL that NEVER happens. a sort of once in a lifetime thing. the engine does need a rebuild though but i would've done it anyway....