putting a 968 engine in a 944 porsche.?

Question

has anyone done this,will the engine fit?what are the cost and what mods will be needed. any helpful advice will be appreciated. thnx

Answer 1

It is very possible, and a friend of mine even has the conversion done to one of his cars. He has quite a collection, with a few coupes, a cabriolet, and his 968 powered 944.

The conversion would need the engine (obviously), and all things therein. You do not even need the transmission as the 968 is still a 944 chasis. Although, the earlier 944 transmissions were not meant for that much power, so a common replacement for 968 transmissions is a turbo or S2 tranny (as they are cheaper than the 968 6 speeds).

Answer 2

Absolutely possible. Given enough time and money the sky's the limit. The newer the 944, the easier this will be to do, as the differences from the 944S2 to the 968 were not that many. Going from an '85 944 though could present quite a few challenges. And in the end, the question will be, why?

If you happen to have just stumbled upon a very inexpensive 968 engine that you know is in great shape, or maybe you own a 968 that has just been savagely rear ended and totaled, leaving a find engine in a mangled car, then perhaps a project like this looks possible. The real problem is, that if you are sitting there with an older 944 and trying to figure out how to make it faster, you are opening a can of worms that will very quickly cost you more than a newer 944, and likely very close to the cost of a 968.

Your best bet would be to take the money planned for this and look at later 944s (like the S2), the 951, or a 968. The other alternative would be to persue other means to getting more performance from the 944 you have, which would probably involve spending some time and money on driver's ed (nothing will make your car perform better than upgrading the driver, it is the biggest bang for the buck upgrade you can make), better tires, improved suspension. In the end, you'll get more by improving the car's strengths than to go looking for alot more power.

Answer 3

Porsche 968 Engine

Answer 4

If they can put a 3.8 liter Carrera S engine into a Cayman S body, or a Buick V8 into a 914, just about anything is possible if you're willing to pay for it.

But the real question is, "why?" To have a "sleeper" 944 that's faster than other (normally aspirated) 944s? The 968 is a better car for more reasons than just the engine. Granted, it's a little more refined, a little less visceral; but I don't see the motivation for taking a better, more complicated engine and putting it in the body of an older, less technologically capable car, especially when the donor and recipient cars combined are probably worth less than the procedure would cost.

Answer 5

It's very possible. I've seen the conversion performed on 944s and 924s.

The 968 is based on the 944 block, so it physically fits. I am unsure on what parts you need in terms of clutch/pressure plate/flywheel/torque tube, although I believe you will need an S2 flywheel. An S2 or 968 transaxle will be needed, and corresponding CVs as well.

You will need the 968 engine computer, wiring harness, intake, and everything relating to the engine. If you have someone who can reliably provide you these parts with the engine, or if you have a wrecked 968 with usable powertrain, you'll have these parts.

Total cost could be worth more than the 944 is worth, but you'll gain the ultimate 4-cylinder Porsche engine, with as much power as many of today's V6s.

Answer 6

Please feel free to Join my 944only Yahoo Group to get your question answered better than I could answer it. http://autosgroups.yahoo.com/group/Porsche944only

Personally I would buy the tubro or the 968 instead. Cheaper and faster with less headache.

Michael/mrPORSHA
Porsche owner since 1976

Answer 7

If you'd ever looked at both cars, you would see why this is not possible

Answer 8

WILL NOT WORK