1st Tail of The Dragon

[PSU_Crash]

Spent last weekend in Pigeon Forge TN with another car club group. Since my Starion is still down for paint, I brought the ol 944 out to show off. As usual it did not dissapoint! Lots of comments about it being a funny looking Starion/Conquest but all in jest. Most of us have known each other 20+ years.

Anyways, since we are all like minded fools, a few of us decided to hit the Tail of The Dragon. I've drove it in other cars and really wanted to see how the 944 performs. With car buddies at my side, I fear breaking a little less. I had the pleasure of following my friend in his Challenger Redeye on semi slick 315s. Another friend in his 87 Conquest that carried him as well as his wife and 2 kids. The little 944 carved corners to keep up just fine.


The run through to Robbinsville NC went great! ... then the sky opened up so it was time to grab lunch at Tapoco Lodge.

After that one of the guys wanted to see Fontana dam so off we went and I found a friend


He was here for the Appalachian Hill Climb event over near Cherohala skyway and missed out on racing saturday due to a bad alternator. Instead he was out cruising around. Friendly guy and I said thanks for parking with us! He says I'm sure as heck not parking by the Ferrari! Then this guy came in and we had a chuckle as he purposely parked away and made sure not to get close enough that we might talk to him. He's definitely not a CarPokean.


By this point things were dried up and it was time to head back through the dragon... with a little extra confidence.
Eventually I had to slow down because my lady said "unless you want vomit in here, you had better SLOW THE $%^# DOWN!" Much to my dismay, I did slow down.

A couple of momentos from the trip


So I learned a few things on this little afternoon ride.
#1 I am absolutely floored by how well this thing takes the corners I mean, that's what Porsche's do, but I was not expecting it to be SO good with my definitely squishy bushings and a lot of unknowns. I threw it into a couple corners slightly harder than anticipated and it just tracked. Truly impressive.
#2 Speaking of bushings, it is 100% clear that my engine mounts are completely shot. I bet that cleans up the vibration at idle too.
#3 I enjoy this car a little more everytime I drive it. From the chats with strangers to just pushing it for all it can do and everything in between. This was my first encouter with one of the "other" Porsche owners while I had the 944 out. Thanks for letting me into the "cool kids" forums


Lastly, any suggestions on a full suspension bushing kit? I've always run poly in the other spirited drivers, but it can sometimes be a little rough for street use. I see they are available, but I'm not finding a full kit.

[blueline]

Good story and a fun read - glad all went well. Sounds as though you had a rewarding day with your fun Porsche! Onward and upward!

[PSU_Crash]

Good story and a fun read - glad all went well. Sounds as though you had a rewarding day with your fun Porsche! Onward and upward!

Thanks Blueline, it was a fantastic day!

[Black944 turbo]

Been on the tail many times with my 951. This is the environment that they come to life. Truly fantastic in the tight twisty bits, beautifully balanced, and composed. Glad you had a great time and were able to enjoy it for what it is truly built for.

[944m3]

I totally understand what you mean by being surprised at the handling. I drove at VIR and the car made me feel like a pro. I’ve owned the car for a few years now (sadly some of that time on stands) but got out and told a friend the exact same thing, I was shocked by how well it cornered.

I need to make it out to that part of the country.

[BennSport]

Spent last weekend in Pigeon Forge TN with another car club group. Since my Starion is still down for paint, I brought the ol 944 out to show off. As usual it did not dissapoint! Lots of comments about it being a funny looking Starion/Conquest but all in jest. Most of us have known each other 20+ years.

Anyways, since we are all like minded fools, a few of us decided to hit the Tail of The Dragon. I've drove it in other cars and really wanted to see how the 944 performs. With car buddies at my side, I fear breaking a little less. I had the pleasure of following my friend in his Challenger Redeye on semi slick 315s. Another friend in his 87 Conquest that carried him as well as his wife and 2 kids. The little 944 carved corners to keep up just fine.


The run through to Robbinsville NC went great! ... then the sky opened up so it was time to grab lunch at Tapoco Lodge.

After that one of the guys wanted to see Fontana dam so off we went and I found a friend


He was here for the Appalachian Hill Climb event over near Cherohala skyway and missed out on racing saturday due to a bad alternator. Instead he was out cruising around. Friendly guy and I said thanks for parking with us! He says I'm sure as heck not parking by the Ferrari! Then this guy came in and we had a chuckle as he purposely parked away and made sure not to get close enough that we might talk to him. He's definitely not a CarPokean.


By this point things were dried up and it was time to head back through the dragon... with a little extra confidence.
Eventually I had to slow down because my lady said "unless you want vomit in here, you had better SLOW THE $%^# DOWN!" Much to my dismay, I did slow down.

A couple of momentos from the trip


So I learned a few things on this little afternoon ride.
#1 I am absolutely floored by how well this thing takes the corners I mean, that's what Porsche's do, but I was not expecting it to be SO good with my definitely squishy bushings and a lot of unknowns. I threw it into a couple corners slightly harder than anticipated and it just tracked. Truly impressive.
#2 Speaking of bushings, it is 100% clear that my engine mounts are completely shot. I bet that cleans up the vibration at idle too.
#3 I enjoy this car a little more everytime I drive it. From the chats with strangers to just pushing it for all it can do and everything in between. This was my first encouter with one of the "other" Porsche owners while I had the 944 out. Thanks for letting me into the "cool kids" forums


Lastly, any suggestions on a full suspension bushing kit? I've always run poly in the other spirited drivers, but it can sometimes be a little rough for street use. I see they are available, but I'm not finding a full kit.

I’ve slowly been replacing my bushings with the Powerflex poly street line and I have been very happy so far. Cannot recommend them enough

[944er]

Honestly, this is no surprise.

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/co ... omparison/

These cars out handle nearly everything from that era. Including contemporary 911s, and the venerable Lotus Esprit.

Mine easily kept up with the 911 (sorry, they are indistinguishable to me) blocking me on a PCA tour of the Devil's highway in Eastern AZ. Yes, it could accelerate faster, but I could easily catch back up in the corners. Driver probably not as proficient though. I will admit the recent 911 GT3 with a good driver was long gone. The 944 is an exceptionally well balanced car, with a somewhat larger than average polar moment of inertia that favors non-F1 level drivers. What a great car for the vast majority of us Walter Mitty types.

[River19]

Cool story, sounds like a fun drive.

I have always heard the 944s are a very balanced car from a handling standpoint. By today's power standards they would probably be lumped into the "momentum car" bucket and perhaps that is a little unfair. I can imagine ripping through 3rd and 4th on twisty roads is a rewarding experience......

[Black944 turbo]

@River19 they really are incredibly balanced. You should try to find someone local to experience one. Very analogue but still refined enough to not be annoying to use.

Na cars are certainly not fast but are also not slow. They love to rev and are so much fun to push. 14x hp on the low end doesn't sound like much today but the way they put the power down makes them feel much quicker than they should be. I miss my Na very much.

[River19]

@River19 they really are incredibly balanced. You should try to find someone local to experience one. Very analogue but still refined enough to not be annoying to use.

Na cars are certainly not fast but are also not slow. They love to rev and are so much fun to push. 14x hp on the low end doesn't sound like much today but the way they put the power down makes them feel much quicker than they should be. I miss my Na very much.

As I mentioned in a thread in the Porsche general section the other day, I am enamored with the "slow car fast" enjoyment of the older analog cars as I love that connection and handling dynamics more than pure HP and straight line speed. I vacillate between wanting an NA 944, a 914, a Boxster or a MB SL on the 107 platform.

My High School "daily" was my father's 1984 MKII Supra which at the time I was in HS the Supra was only 7-8 years old (don't ask me how I talked my father into that arrangement but it stoked a fire). That MKII was a contemporary of the 944 and some may argue a cheaper, heavier alternative. But that car rocked only 160HP from the 2.8L V6 but it made great sounds, handled well for a heavy car and "only" came in with a. 8.5 to 8.7 0-60 time but once up and rolling second through 3rd gear was plenty fast, plenty of torque to have a great time. I would imagine a NA 944 would feel like a 10-20% better version of that car, lighter and a little more agile. The MKII was more of a "GT" type car competing with the 300Z at the time which was quicker and sportier.

I would love me a NA 944 if parts and wrenching on them isn't too crazy.........

EDIT: For clarity, I need to be thoughtful with any additional purchase as my wife has a nasty horse habit and has 2 that she competes with and they make classic Porsches seem reasonably priced. For example.....today her new saddle comes in....last I heard it was somewhere in the $5-8K range.......I find it is better not to ask too many questions lol