single seat 944 race cars

[colin944]

I heard some where that a few years ago there was an atempt to create a single seat championship using 944 engines mid mounted in an f3 style chassis.Any body ever heard of this or even got any info on the cars? How did they connect the engine to the gearbox etc?

 

[GlennS]

Never heard of it but it would seem an odd thing to do. If you wanted an engine producing 160-200 horsepower to stick in your single seat race car I can't imagine a Porsche lump was the most economic choice...

 

[Neil Haughey]

Equally it don't make much sense to me either, especially not when one can get a crated Ford 2L for less than the cost of a basic rebuild on a 944 engine.

There is a similar concept though using MX-5 running gear in a spaceframe kit car type thing.

 

[colin944]

I'm sure it was in 911 and porsche world mag. it was a few years ago though. I will have to go and find it now.

 

[Hilux]

How did they connect the engine to the gearbox etc?

Do away with the torque tube []

 

[colin944]

Yes you could do away with the torque tube.But the gearbox has no provision for a starter or even a clutch.

 

[zcacogp]

ORIGINAL: Neil Haughey
There is a similar concept though using MX-5 running gear in a spaceframe kit car type thing.

If you are referring to the Mazda-based Westfield, I thought they were more for road use. (And meant to be a bit rubbish).

As others have said, a 944-engined F3-based single seater sounds like an odd idea. A bit of a mess, most likely.


Oli.

 

[GlennS]

ORIGINAL: colin944

Yes you could do away with the torque tube.But the gearbox has no provision for a starter or even a clutch.

Purely speculative, as I still think the idea is silly (see above), it is unlikely that they'd have used a 944 gearbox even if they used the 944 engine. More likely is they'd have followed normal single-seater practice and mated it to a specialist racing gearbox.

 

[Neil Haughey]

ORIGINAL: zcacogp

ORIGINAL: Neil Haughey
There is a similar concept though using MX-5 running gear in a spaceframe kit car type thing.

If you are referring to the Mazda-based Westfield, I thought they were more for road use. (And meant to be a bit rubbish).

As others have said, a 944-engined F3-based single seater sounds like an odd idea. A bit of a mess, most likely.


Oli.

No I agree the Westy does look a little limp, I was thinking of this thing
http://www.mevltd.co.uk/mx150r_raceseries.htm

...they started racing them alongside the MX-5s which they seem to do rather well against. Not to sure on them myself but its the sort of club race car that makes massive sense if done right.

 

[Neil Haughey]

I was going to say that for me this idea with the 944 is the wrong way round. There are loads of body shells around that are not that bad and can be turned into a fantastic basis for a race car. Honestly the one thing that has impressed me the most about the 944 during the build up of my race car is the body shell. Just walk around any paddock on race day and have a good look at all the other cars out there, very very few have a shell as strong and safely designed as the 944. Just look for example at the huge crashes racers have had in recent years in our club championship, the last one at Oulton said to be one of the worst in club racing for the last 30 years. Both guys walked away with only minor injuries.

Really it would be better to bin all the axles, engine, suspension, brakes and replace with more maintainable mainstream components that will have a lower cost now and going forward. Radical idea perhaps but much more sensible.

 

[Hilux]

ORIGINAL: colin944

Yes you could do away with the torque tube.But the gearbox has no provision for a starter or even a clutch.

There`s plenty of people can make bell housings or adapters and use a hydraulic centre release bearing off the original clutch m/c and I believe Audi gearboxes can be made to fit

 

[944 man]

ORIGINAL: Neil Haughey

I was going to say that for me this idea with the 944 is the wrong way round. There are loads of body shells around that are not that bad and can be turned into a fantastic basis for a race car. Honestly the one thing that has impressed me the most about the 944 during the build up of my race car is the body shell. Just walk around any paddock on race day and have a good look at all the other cars out there, very very few have a shell as strong and safely designed as the 944. Just look for example at the huge crashes racers have had in recent years in our club championship, the last one at Oulton said to be one of the worst in club racing for the last 30 years. Both guys walked away with only minor injuries.

Really it would be better to bin all the axles, engine, suspension, brakes and replace with more maintainable mainstream components that will have a lower cost now and going forward. Radical idea perhaps but much more sensible.

Was that the boasty rent-a-drive racer - posted on PH?

 

[Neil Haughey]

Marcus did post his footage over on PH yes. Huge crash, talk to Kevin about it Simon as Pete's car was more or less completely destroyed. Was pretty much a replay of the infamous Hunter Abbott smash but without the flames.