eldavo69 Posted March 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2015 Painting that inlet manifold red must have given you, what, an extra 14bhp? Nah it's powdercoated so I'm going for a conservative 17.4bhp 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewNiceMrMe Posted March 26, 2015 Report Share Posted March 26, 2015 Won't the additional paint have added weight and actually slowed the car down......? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eldavo69 Posted March 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2015 Nah - thermal insulation innit, plus everyone knows that red is the fastest colour. I can always increase the power by another 5bhp per sticker. And given that the driver is 2 1/2 stone lighter than the beginning of the year I can probably afford to paint most surfaces Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted March 26, 2015 Report Share Posted March 26, 2015 Nah - thermal insulation innit, plus everyone knows that red is the fastest colour. I can always increase the power by another 5bhp per sticker. And given that the driver is 2 1/2 stone lighter than the beginning of the year I can probably afford to paint most surfaces So when are you going to stick a Red GTi motor in it instead? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eldavo69 Posted March 27, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2015 Calm down dear! I don't want to rip a hole in the space time continuum. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eldavo69 Posted April 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2015 944 headlights are crap - there's no getting away from it despite the universal truth that "popups are cool." This is due to several factors; people forget to clean them when they're retracted and the car is washed, 20+ years of movement causes the wiring to break up (and in some cases completely snap) and the fact that te headlight wiring goes on what can best be described as a "Camel Trek" - wending it's way from the battery in the rear arch, through the car, under the dash, to the headlight switch, back under the dash, through the firewall, down to the first headlight, across the car and to the second headlight. Needless to say, you don't get 14.4v there anymore. Step in this: Nifty new headlight loom that takes a 12v feed from the back of the alternator (itself connected directly to the battery) and uses the original connector to switch a couple of relays feeding the bulbs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-bmw Posted April 1, 2015 Report Share Posted April 1, 2015 Although not pop-ups, the Senator B had the same issue & replacement looms doing exactly the same were a common item in the day, they helped greatly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eldavo69 Posted April 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2015 Danger, Danger - High Voltage! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eldavo69 Posted April 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2015 (edited) New billet fuel rail isn't thin pressed and braised steel like the original so will stand up to all I can throw at it: The fuel feed is at the end rather than halfway along so knocked up a little extension bit of fuel pipe: And then a breeze to install it: I then jumpered the fuel pump to pressurise the system to check for any leaks (none) and to set the adjustable regulator to the right fuel pressure. As I had a boost pipe blow off at Cadwell I fitted some beefier red silicon connectors - they're over twice the length of the original rubber items so these should stay put: I also dropped the original badge panel off so it could be analysed with a spectrum analyser by the paintshop. This means they can replicate the colour exactly to as it is now so that the new paint will match the original paint perfectly. Rather than take the badge from the original panel or buy a new one for the Fibreglass panel I figured I'd use a Porsche Crest sticker the same as they do on the GT2 RS. A quick trip to Porsche and I've ordered the exact same one as used on the GT2 RS for the princely sum of £1.66!!! Edited April 1, 2015 by eldavo69 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eldavo69 Posted April 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2015 With changing the air filter I wanted to increase the airflow to that area and I had a vented badge panel I bought sometime ago. The previous owner hadn't bothered painting it to match his car and had instead vinyl wrapped it - removing this took some of the black paint off but nothing major: I've removed the mesh grille too as it was a bit crap and isn't necessary: Due to a comment from a friend I have seen you can get a Knight Rider led strip for £8 off eBay. I can see where he's coming from with it being black but once painted hopefully such ridiculous thoughts will be banished from my brain! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eldavo69 Posted September 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 Some very overdue updates: Vented badge panel painted and fitted, not sure whether this one is surprisingly light as it's fibreglass or that the original steel panel is surprisingly heavy. And back on track: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eldavo69 Posted September 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 As the Motorpunk 18-30s track day write up said, my car "ejaculated it's coolant" (Dr Octane's words not mine) - at the Bluton Park trackday. It was rather spectacular as around 9 litres of coolant got pumped out onto the hot exhaust. Unfortunately it also closed the track for an hour - oops. Red faces all round (ok, just me then) as I was unceremoniously towed back to the pits. I kept my helmet on partly because racecar and partly to hide my shame. The heating system is all vacuum controlled and uses the hot coolant to fill the heater matrix for the hot air blowers in the cabin - the vacuum valve at the back of the block had snapped. I bypassed it over lunch, refilled and bled the system and put in more laps - happy days! (What, you *don't* carry 5 litres of neat coolant with you???) Porsche wanted £60 for a new valve, Mercedes wanted £17 for the same part. The new AMG GT in the showroom was almost as satisfying as the saving. Old part of shame, new part of joy: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eldavo69 Posted September 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 Persistent issues with this car have been vibration at idle, power steering parts falling off and fuel rails cracking - this combined with the oil pickup pipe cracking last year all led me to think the engine mounts were knackered. The weather got warmer and I hid in the garage to find out. Lots of car had to fall off before I could even get to the crossmember: All the more fun when you don't have a lift and are working on your back, thank god for the flooring: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eldavo69 Posted September 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 Crossmember and mounts removed: Leaving this mess: Supported on a jack and bits of wood (it's more secure than it looks - honest): Old mount vs new mount - yup, that'll be the problem then: Assembly is the reverse, and woohoo - no more trips to the dentist and after 2 more trackdays nothing has fallen off or come loose (well, a passenger nearly vomited inside a helmet but that's nothing new - *cough* garcon *cough*) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eldavo69 Posted September 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 Friday night and Saturday night are "drinking" nights so it's always fun playing parcel roulette a week or so later. Ordered this machined aluminium ashtray replacement cubby hole as somewhere to prop my phone when using it for nav/music/as an actual phone. And since my car came with an aftermarket OMP wheel it isn't offset like the original, this meant that any speed between 40 - 120mph is a bit of a guesstimate and apparently that's not valid in a court of law: Luckily the Americans have the answer and a lovely offset adaptor was waiting for me when I got back from holiday: No excuses now: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eldavo69 Posted September 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 (edited) Realised I could probably do with some slightly more British weather suitable tyres and was about to buy a set of AD08Rs for £550 until I got offered a set of almost new Avons for £350: I couldn't say no as they came on wheels Currently off for a refurb in black. Edited September 16, 2015 by eldavo69 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eldavo69 Posted September 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 Despite fitting the new headlight loom the lights at dipped beam were still crap - the car's so low that with the lights set to be MOT compliant there just isn't enough throw to really see where you're going. At full beam it's passable as the lower bumper lights come on too - it's these that flash if you pull the stalk to save the pods having to open and close every time a la Honda Prelude. Standard Halogens are about 900 lumens, HIDs are about 2200 but somebody pointed me to these LED units - 2000lms dipped, 4000lms main beam: Fitting was pretty straightforward and the results are just wow. Went out into the countryside after dark and they were amazing, the beam cutoff is still MOT compliant and nobody has flashed me yet: The best part is just how white they are - not chavvy blue (unlike my sidelights which now need changing to match). Comparison to halogen bulb, child gives seal of approval: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eldavo69 Posted September 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 Dipped beam: Main Beam: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eldavo69 Posted September 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 (edited) And a little thing that cheered me up was that there was a slight weep from the gearbox oil cooler. I'd replaced the seals but the bracket that held the cooler in was allowing some movement and a slight seeping of fluid over time. I'd priced up a conversion kit to an external oil cooler radiator but in the end a tap on the bracket with a hammer to tighten it up and then a tap with a screwdriver to seat it in place and it's rock solid. Gave the area a quick wipe over and no more seepage after use so I'm happy with that. A couple of pics that will mean nothing unless you're familiar with the underside of a 944 gearbox: Edited September 16, 2015 by eldavo69 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eldavo69 Posted September 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 The observant will notice that a sunstrip has appeared too. The sun visors were pretty ineffective given how low the seating position now is and trying to flip them down when wearing a helmet wasn't the easiest thing ever so I ordered one that was cut and shaped for the car: And then decided it looked too subtle so added the Porsche script sticker just for NNMM, it also means I can remove the script if I change my mind: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewNiceMrMe Posted September 16, 2015 Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 You've added another fecking sticker? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eldavo69 Posted September 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 +5bhp bro' 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torino101 Posted September 16, 2015 Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 Thanks for detailing all this, really enjoying this thread. Have always loved the 944 and 968. This has been an epic amount of work and love. You still maintaining that the car's silver though?... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eldavo69 Posted September 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 It's called Zermatt Silver but the paint code does have starburst yellow and brown in it too. Blood, sweat, tears and significant financial investment pays off in the end though: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimdiesel Posted September 16, 2015 Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 Car is looking great. Will you bring it to Scotland in Nov now you have more suitable rubber? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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