Okay, I have had 1985 944 non turbo for a while now. I bought it with TONS of problems. I have fixed a few of them (overheating etc...). But, I just purchased a newer engine (the stock one) off of ebay with only 60k miles on it and while I have everything out and taken apart I was thinking of maybe adding a turbocharger to my car. I have googled it to death and cannot find any turbo kits for it. And I do not wish to convert it to the factory turbo model because of all the other things involved. This is just a weekend car and I simply want to bolt on a turbocharger. If anyone knows of where I could purchase a kit or a turbocharger that could be made to work on my car without too much money I would greatly appreciate it. Also, I have found 2 supercharger kits for it, but they were outrageously high. I know superchargers are generally cheaper than turbos but I thought I would keep looking anyway. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Not going to happen for under 3k (minimum) on the 944 engine. This has been beaten to death. If you want a turbo, buy one a 951, otherwise enjoy what you have.

 

the quickest, easiest way to do it is buy a 951, only option

 

To elaborate on the above replies...^^^^^^^

There is not a simple bolt on conversion for the 944. The amount of money it would take to do it properly would exceed the cost difference of your 944 and the 944 turbo(951). Not to mention that the 951 would give the advantage of a factory setup, better suspensions and more importantly...better brakes! However, there are people out there who have spent anywhere from 2.5K to 4K on supercharger kits. The biggest thing to remember is that your tranny is a weak point in the car. There are plenty of folks who break the r&p with just 150 hp. Imagine the consequence of adding an additional 80- 100 horses to the equation. Thus...you should factor in the cost of a new S2 or 951 tranny. So, you can see how the costs just build and build.

However, that's not to say you can't do it. There are people that have home brewed thier own kits and some that are in the process. But with anything you do on your own. Results may vary!
Best advice is to beef up your 944 with suspension mods. Learn to drive it to it's maximum performance, then sell it and buy a 951. Then you can exploit the extra horsepower more easily!

Good Luck!
~Clint

 

When supercharging a 944, the thing that NO ONE ever mentions is the massive oil leaks that happen shortly after boosting that engine. I personally know several folks that have taken the supercharging route on a 944, and all of them suffered gasket/seal failures that require some serious attention not long afterwards. The NA engine is not designed for boosted intake pressures, and you definitely need to avoid pressurizing the crankcase (blowby at the rings seems to be a common curse here when supercharging).

Tim at Speed Force Racing might be able to add some additional details on what is required to properly supercharge a 944, as he has looked into this extensively in the past, and he may still offer some kits. You need to start with a fresh rebuild on your engine if you are going to go this route, in my opinion. Just one more reason why buying a 951 is the easier/cheaper road to take.

If you have a 944NA, I'd really suggest that you get it running properly first, and then give the suspension some attention and then drive the heck out of it for a couple of months before you worry about going after hp gains. You will most likely find that you won't need additional hp with this car to have a blast with it, once you do. And for what its worth, if I could only keep one of my Porsches and had to get rid of the rest, I'd keep my '84 944. Overall, its been the most fun to drive and own off all the Porsches I have owned, including multiple turbos.

Regards, ...Scott