Now that the off season is upon us, several of the Midwest guys have teamed up to build a new 944 racecar. We're not quite sure what we're going to do with it yet - might be a rental, could be FS, or could be a backup. It is definitely something to do in the long, cold winter.

Here's the "bones" of the project:


This is an 85.5 944 with 109K that was bought complete, with an LSD, extra short block and cam tower, + 16" "trash can" alloys for $1,600. It ran, but not well. The previous owner gave up on the "restoration", and left us with many new parts from a complete new wiring harness & fuel lines, to a stainless steel Borla exhaust, to rear stainless brake lines. Rust free, no accident car.

Our goal is to build a competitve, winning car for the minimum cost, with fresh mechanicals for cost-efficient long term running. We are going to have the local mechanic Jim Hartman (who has built us 3 trouble free cost-effective motors) do the motor, and go through the trans. We will get a Hanksville weld-in cage for the car. http://www.hanksvillehotrods.com/gui/content.asp?w=pages&r=220&pid=221 We will also be working with new Midwest 944 Spec Sponsor MotoDelta on a Spec Suspension Package, and motor reseal kit. http://www.Motodelta.com

Should be fun!

Here's the budget so far:

Expenses:
Car= $1,600
Fire system, & window net w/ mounting kit = $415 (minus $300 paid for by CDOC contingency money) Thanks CDOC! http://www.CDOC.com
Steering wheel: Used 350mm Momo found on Rennlist = $60
AC Delete bracket found used on Rennlist = $60
Steel A-arms (free from other parts car, market value maybe $30)
Mesh Window net kit - $100
Turbo front antiswaybar - $60 (to be resold now that we have weltmeister bars F&R - deleted from budget)
350 lb front springs $50 (used) (To be resold since we got springs with our used Konis & coilover - deleted from budget)
Aluminum to form into Dash & brackets $50
951 Oil cooler housing/adapter, not including cooler itself (salvaged from other project) market value - $100
Used set of front Koni inserts with Ground Control over kit, and 350 lb springs (used <10 races, bought from 944 Cup racer upgrading to high-end suspension) - $450
Misc. gaskets, seals, and rollers (most of a front end reseal & roller kit). Bought from a Pelican Parts forums post (never installed!) - $200
Bearings (rod, & main balance shaft), clutch throw out bearing & guide, a few other seals, fuel filter) - $400
Machine Shop bill for rebuilt head (shaved) - $312
Machine Shop bill for Polishing & cross-drilling crank, reconditioning rods, ARP rod bolts $415
Torsion bars $260 (new)
Weltmeister front a-arm bushings $152
Camber Plates $450

Weld-in Roll Cage from hanksvillehotrods.com:
Base cage, regular price: $1,274.93
Introductory pricing discount: -$318.73
Base cage, discounted price: $956.20
Additional bars as discussed (NASCAR-style door bars, both sides; dash bar, footwell connectors, both sides; rear brace diagonal): $276
Shipping, introductory half-price: $81.19
Roll Cage Total: $1,313.39


The following was purchased at an estate sale for $1650 total
-Welmeister antisway bars front & rear - new in box! (missing front droplinks, though)
-Several sets of Cookie Cutter wheels ( car came with late offset 16's, that we sold)
-Setrab oil cooler
-Longacre switch panels
-Multiple ancillary gauges
-Weltmeister front A-arm busings
- Rear Torsion tube - assembled with Delrin bushings, and powdercoated black - a little undercar bling! I don't yet know what size torsion bar is in there yet, though - I'll have to pull it out & see.
-Used straight-through stainless steel muffler
-New clutch friction disk
-Quick Release steering wheel hub
-Spare fuel ralis
-Front of Motor reseal Kit
-Head gasket kit

So we have $8,097 into the car so far, with $7,767 out of pocket (as of 01/11/09).


Income:
Carpet (was new), sold for $330 - $56 shipping = $274
Ratty sport seat, sold for $200 - 100 shipping = $100
Airbag Steering Wheel (installed by p.o. for reasons unknown) sold for $119- 20 shipping = $99
Blue power coated Intake manifold (replaced by regular one included with short block) - sold for $35- $15 shipping = $20
Instrument cluster - Sold for $100
Heater controls - sold for $75 - $10 shipping = $65
Stainless steel Borla exhaust - sold to myself for the street 944S - market value $300 (conservatively)
Center console - sold to myself for $20 (I got a bargian!)
16" Wheels - sold to Ray for his street car for $300 market value (conservatively)
Crank from extra short block traded to Ray to replace his "cheater" knife edged crank, which sold for $500 on Rennlist (market value of crank $100, at least)
Window motors, hatch release parts - $100
Porsche Center Caps - $50
Misc. switches, turn signal stalk, hatch release motor (separate from the hatch release arm above), etc. $150 (sold in bulk).

So we have $1,678 recouped so far, with stuff still up FS. This is not as good as the $2,400 we made out of our last parts car (bought with snapped timing belt for $900), but that car had a full leather dash and mint interior. This car is a good racecar base with the LSD & complete drivetrain.

If you guys have or find extra race parts - let us know. Our goal is to build the most cost-effective car possible, not a beater.

The wish list (updated 12/17/08 - getting pretty short!):

Weltmeister antiswaybar drop links for front bar
??? Spec legal 944 race parts.

We'll keep you posted!

Great job MW !

Here is an interesting challenge for you guys to take on as part of your build.

I have been thinking that we need a "complete" list of what is needed to build a spec car for all the new guys coming along. It seems to me that it is in two parts.

One could be the steps from starting with a street car through teardown and the rebuild. This intention of this part would be to include every possible step someone might want to do. Once you guys get the topic started, others would add ideas that could go into the proper place in sequence. This would become THE definitive guide to building a spec car. Of course, there can be more than one way to accomplish portions of the build and this topic could lay out more than one way so a new builder can decide for themselves which way they want to proceed since there is no one way to go.

The second step could be a complete list (perhaps in some order of when parts are needed for the build) of parts, pieces that are needed to do a 100% build. In this area it would be very specific to include eash and every bushing, hose, fitting etc that we as a group can think of that someone might want to do. As another facet of this, everyone could then suggest specific manufactures (with part numbers and sources) for each of the items needed for the build. Suspension packages could be listed with clear listings of the differences between packages (if any).

This could be a work in progress with everyone contributing to it. As it develops, it would become the definitive guide for our series in much the same way that Joe P's list of spares for the track has become.

What say you, gentlemen. Will you start these topics? If you do, I believe everyone will jump in to contribute their knowledge and expertise. It will be a great tool for the new guys coming in.

Big Dog

Big Dog wrote:I have been thinking that we need a "complete" list of what is needed to build a spec car for all the new guys coming along. It seems to me that it is in two parts.[/quote]

I think the basic build list is easy. In fact Tim Comeau used to have a nice PDF version of a build document on his website. That's what I used for my build.

What's tough is all of the things you might want to do. I know it all the little things that really add up.

-bj

Well, lets start with Tim's list, so as not to reinvent the wheel, and then we can add/modify from there.

BJ has a good build thread on NASA forums (and more complete yet on the BMW forums, if I remember correctly) that maybe we could import over here as well.

OK, sounds good to me to start with the Timmy list and build from there or to import something else.

I agree that there are lots of "little" things that do make a difference and we should try to find a way to show those in their sequence if someone wants to do them. How do we show the "required" stuff versus the "little" stuff?

Someone needs to be the "moderator" or leader to decide where things should go (if there are differing ideas) on the list and for which are required and which are optional, so to speak.

As it gets going, it should be a sticky so it is easy to find for the new guys.

I think this will turn out to be a GREAT resource for 944 Spec, gentlemen.

Big Dog