My 1984 swap

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Hello all

Car just got back from paint and I am almost done with this project.  It's been a long ride, but I am excited to see the end of the tunnel.

The car was originally purchased in Germany by my father.  Its a 1984 euro version that he imported to the U.S in 1990.

JW1970 wrote:[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Hello all

Car just got back from paint and I am almost done with this project.  It's been a long ride, but I am excited to see the end of the tunnel.

The car was originally purchased in Germany by my father.  Its a 1984 euro version that he imported to the U.S in 1990.

Car looks good .Wheels are perfect

Thanks, wheels came out of Canada.

What kind of transaxle are you using?

I'm thinking about doing it to my 1983 na 944. Is it worth it? Also is there any other transaxl other than the lsd one ?

Nice looking car!  Love the color.

Do I see a Momo steering wheel upgrade?  How do you like it?

...and yes, those wheels are a perfect match.

I'm using the 5 speed N/A transaxle.  Its hard mounted to the frame with aluminum fittings vs the old rubber bushings that use to be on the car.

If you're looking to add some power to your car, this is the way to go.  The initial cost for the swap can become a little pricey, but the everyday parts you may need for the motor afterwords are not.

I did upgrade the steering wheel to a momo.  My car did not come with power steering and adding it is not something I wanted to do so I tried to match dimensions of the original steering wheel with the one I replaced it with to make it less painful trying to turn the wheel at a stand still.  I do like the momo steering wheel as it feels solid and is flat at the bottom making it easier to get in and out of the car.

Hope this helps

Thanks JW...

I'm about ready to install my rebuilt LS-1, and moderator "948" also advised me to stiffen the TA mount by encasing it in polyurethane.  This is a tried and true method to prevent premature transaxle shaft failure due to high applied HP and excessive axle angles while cornering. The link to the process is now in my project thread, "Ray's 1987 LS1 Build and Swap."

The engine should be in over the weekend or early next week.

I'll be running a 5P '86 Turbo 5-speed TA with cooler but no LSD and I expect the motor to pump out around 450 HP based on a multitude of upgrades.  You are spot on about the engine costs....however, when you start doing internal upgrades the costs go up fast!!

The Momo upgrade is in the works.  They don't seem to sell products in brown leather and I'm not sure if a black steering wheel will look out of place.

JW... BTW, can you post more pics on how you routed your air intake directly out the front of the car?

I like that "Corvette Type" set up!!

Raymond P,

Looks like you're building quite the monster, it should be a lot of fun!

My air intake set ups took a lot of time to figure out since my car is a euro version and does not have the space in the front like the U.S. models do with the pushed out front bumper.

My nose panel was also not a removable one.  The 1984 euro versions came with the header panel welded in, so I had to cut the header panel and make it a removable one like yours.

The air intake is from Australia, its called a VCM OTR cold air intake and fit with little room to spare.

Here are some more pics[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Had to re-shoot the car................

Hopefully this is the last of it [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
pending wet sanding and buffing.

JW,

Looking great again!!  You didn't mention any problems with your new paint job... what happened???

BTW...thanks for the info and pics on your VCM-OTR air intake.  I need to look into that...right after I figure out how to get clearance for my hood to shut.   Seems my FAST Intake and 92mm Jantzer throttle body are a bit higher than the factory LS items.  I only need about 3/4" +/-.

I've seen on the forum that sometimes it's necessary to remove the sheet metal reinforcement under the hood to clear the throttle body.  

It's always something!!

Hello Raymond-P

Yep, it never ends........

After a closer look at the paint I discovered that the base coat was not sprayed evenly and that the car had dry spots on the doors and rocker panels and front clip. I took the car to the sister company down the road and they made it right.

Yes, you may need to modify the inside of the hood. I had the same issue with my install and had to cut out some of the sheet metal to make it work. It's a tight fit, but this might work for you as well.

If you want I can post some pics of the modification once I get the car back next week.

Nice job JW... that new intake looks nice. FAST makes some great products.

So tell us, how much extra "juice" do you think you picked up??

BTW, I'm mounting my throttle cable now and I'm hard pressed to find a cable end that matches the rubber "push-on" end that connects to the factory pedal.

What did you use??

Also, at the engine side, where did you find that nice aluminum throttle cable mount to the intake?

Thank you Raymond!

Well, I was running the Dorman LS3 intake on the car before and it did well compared to the LS1 intake I had initially started with.

My tuner recommended the FAST92mm LS intake with a 92mm throttle body and the car put down another 25hp at the wheels with the current set up.

Your accelerator pedal looks different than mine.............

My pedal does not have the "push on" end like yours. The accelerator pedal on mine has a hole that allows the U shaped end to slide over the pedal, and the aluminum pin to go thru it securing it with a Carter pin.

The aluminum throttle cable mount was purchased from Summit, it's a Lokar Throttle Cable Bracket TCB-40LS1.

I believe AMAZON and Ebay also have it for purchase.

Good luck with the throttle cable, hopefully someone can help solve your issue.

JW,  Thanks so much for the quick response.  

Picking up 25 WHP with a static bolt-on is definitely a WIN.  

Seeing your application, I'm reconsidering my plans to make a custom throttle cable mount for my FAST intake. The Lokar mount you used is now going for $60-65 on Amazon. I guess I'll have to see how my custom unit turns out before I make a decision on that. It's nice to have options!

Also, my search has come up empty for a replacement press-on rubber cable end.  The plan now is to remove the accelerator pedal so I can revise it to accept the clevis type connector that comes with the TPC cable.

Thanks again!!

Man I just saw this. Loving those wheels. Looking great.