Whats better '87 944 or a '88 rx7 for an LS1?
 

Hi guys, I have a great oppurtunity to buy a 88 rx7 with 44k miles on it, black on black or a 87 944 porshe black & tan both for 3k. Im just curious which would you guys go for? I know the pros and cons of both but Im torn between the two. I know that the rx7 will allow me to use a T56 with the LS1 while the 944 cant. The build quality of the porshe is far more superior but that also means the parts cost more to get. The interior of the 944 blows the rx7s away but the exterior remains constant while you can change the rx7 to whatever you want thanks to the huge aftermarket.

My ultimate goal would be to get a FD but a decent roller is hard to find and I def dont have 12+ grand to spend on a winter project car. Chime in with opinions and try to keep them unbiased eventhough this is a rx7 forum :icon_tup:

hard choice, I mysef like both. I have had three fc's though

no such thing as an unbiased opinion. :-)

I would go for the RX7. Both cars are likely to require around the same amount of maintenance...and parts for the porsche will likely be more expensive (at least there is usually an aftermarket alternative for the rex).

Is the 'build quality' difference really that noticeable? It's not like the rx7 feels chinsy. They both have similar exteriors...imho the rx7 has aged as badly.

Haha...the FC inerior is pretty shitty, in my opinion.

I haven't been in a 944 yet but I wouldn't go that route due to the cost but it should be a great platform to work with if you have the extra cash to spend. It would suck to lose the the T56, though.

Everything for the 944 will be more expensive, both OEM and aftermarket, and that doesn't mean that they're better parts. Also, parts will be harder to get for the 944, more places are likely to have RX-7 stuff than 944 stuff. I wouldn't care to say which would be more troublesome, they probably both should be about equal when it comes to maintenance and broken parts frequency.

They're both good cars with fairly similiar performance and performance potential. Go for whichever one you like best.

IIRC the 944 had a rearmounted transmission....let me go look.

yep. transmission is mounted in the rear as a part of the differential so you either need to see if you can run the method on connecting the driveshaft to the LS1 or make a new rearend and suspension.

I've seen a few V8 944's, but it's not nearly as laid out as a V8 RX-7 swap. IMO, the Porsche feels MUCH more comfortable and complete, but the handling is fairly equal. The 944 obviously has it's weight spread out towards the ends of the car with it's rear-mounted tranny.

The 944 engine is an interference design and timing belt changes are costly. The torque tube and rear tranny design isn't trouble-free and is a big source of costly problems. '87 was the first year Porsche used an auto-tensioner on the timing belt and they sometimes develop problems.

944's have always had the "cheap Porsche" reputation and a lot of them have been neglected. Proper maintenance is critical to the car and WILL cost a lot more than the RX-7.

To me, the RX-7 with the Kouki tail lights has better styling than the 944. Though I love the 944, I've never really grown into the whole rubber spoiler thing and hatch design is just better IMO on the RX-7 (the 944 is known for losing adhesive on the rear window, which is attached to the underside of the frame, and thus the window can fall out). But the 944 has a much nicer interior and would probably feel a lot nicer behind the wheel.

The 944 just isn't a car to own if cost is a concern, and it usually isn't the best car if you want the fastest straight-line acceleration, but it's supremely rewarding on twisty roads.

Ya the biggest problem is that you cant use a T56 with a 944 because of the transaxle. You can use a 951 tranny with an LS1 but then again those arent the best either to handle alot of torque and a tranny costs as much as a LS1. The weight balance with a ls1 in a 944 is still 50/50 so the handling isnt thrown off at all.

Ill be honest the rx7 when all done up with a nice body kit makes for a stunning car, and it would be way cheaper to do a ls1/t56 swap on. I agree that the rubber spoiler on a 944 is really awful looking but as a whole the car has some nice lines even for today. I guess Ill just look for either a rolling FD or a decent FC for a swap car.

Actually, I read in Excellence once that one of the best mods you could do to a 951 was swapping in the 968 6-speed. Porsches have always been geared high, so I'm sure the extra gear would help. I don't even want to think how hard to source or how expensive the 968 tranny would be, and if you broke it... ack.

Yeah, the 944, even with the rubber spoiler, looks great. I always smile and get giddy when I see one. I love them. But I think I'd have to choose the RX-7 for it's practicality. Maybe one day I'll be able to own both. :D

get creative and swap a whole corvette drivetrain into the porsche, its got the rearmounted tranny as well, so it should be TOTALLY EASY!!!

For me I would definately take the 7. Not because I am biased towards them, but because I just think the 944 is just plain ugly. It took someone giving me an FC for me to start liking them. I had always preferred the FB and FD. I still don't like the looks of a plain jane FC, but that is just me. It handles great and I like the convertable so there you go.

As far as how well the 944 handles and holds up, I can't say. It just seems that every one that I have seen is pretty ragged, with an exception here and there.


Now if you were talking 928s or 932 Ruff, well then, it would be bye bye seven..... :D , especially if I could get one at the same price.... ;)

Later,
Bill

I have owned both cars,
Mazda and Porshce, turbos and non turbos, the Porsche is a very well built car, great on the track, not much performance mods for the n/a 944, but still a great handling car, and more brakes than you will ever need. It just costs 2 to 3 times as much to upgrade, than a Mazda. As far as a V8 swap, I would think, much easier and cheaper to do the Mazda, but I would love to see a 944 with a LSI in it, if you can afford it go for it.
If you decide not to buy the Porsche, PM me with the info, I might be interested.

LOL, that's awesome.

It's unfortunate that so many owners have neglected their 944's, they look awesome when they're well-kept.

my buddies uncle is working on a LS1 911...

anywho. as NOPR stated, how about that rear mounted corvette "t56"

my buddy just got a '89 944 Turbo and i think its ugly and slow....they look too much like a rolling doorstop with that ugly a$$ rubber wing. But hey at least its got an @$$ like J-LO

just my $.02

A rear mounted corvette t56 should work in theory but I dont think anyone has done that yet, plus Im sure it would cost an arm and a leg.

There's actually a company that specializes in V8 Porsche swaps... primarily the 911. I don't know how well it works, but strangely enough ( :uhh: ) there are Porsche purists who vehemently object to the desecration of the sacred 911.

Now, in all reality, I would prefer my Porsche (if I had one) to retain it's Porsche DNA. I'd rather have a well-tuned Porsche engine making decent power than a throbbing V8 grunting out twice the amount. But engine swaps are just a way to mix things up. If people want to swap V8's into 911's, then great. That's more 911 engines available for the rest of us.

Us being people who can actually afford them, which doesn't include me (yet).

Its too expensive to maintain/upgrade a porshe motor. If you mix the build quality of the porshe with the reliability and power of a chevy motor then you get the best of both worlds.

hahaha

Well, I'm perfectly within the realm of OWNING a 944 Turbo, but as far as upgrading and maintaining said vehicle... I doubt I could keep up with it without screwing myself on the mortgage payment. :)

That's Renegade Hybrids for the record. They sell a pretty comprehensive LS1 944 conversion kit.

And another vote here for the RX-7. If you don't have the money for an LS1 FD, the 944 could pose some equally expensive problems.

Yeah. That 944 kit is tempting, except it uses the stock tranny. To me, you might as well just get a 944 Turbo, put a couple grand into the engine, and call it a day. If I'm swapping in an LS1, I want a T56 behind it. Best reason to swap to it, IMO.