£25,000 ONO

email to jcmesq@outlook.com

It is a unique vehicle, perhaps not for the purist, that attracts a large amount of positive comments at shows and so interest is likely to be high. It has already won prizes at two seperate events in 2023.
It is in the Porsche Club GB and the Classic Corvette Club UK and is liked by members of both clubs.

The restoration and modifications include:

Engine
A complete and professionally rebuilt Chevrolet Corvette 5.7 litre V8 LT1 engine. The engine came from a 1995 C4 Corvette and was in working order when purchased. I also have the VIN of the donor car.

The rebuild included new internals, skimmed heads and a rebore. Also a new clutch and flywheel and all the parts necessary to match the engine to the Porsche. Most of the parts were imported from a company called Renegade Hybrids who are well known in USA (Las Vegas) for producing kits to enable the conversion of various Porsche models to Chevrolet V8 power. The engine conversion fitting was done by Pro-9 of Redditch and the engine rebuild by Midland Speedshop of Kidderminster. Mileage since rebuild is 4,000 miles.
The engine has made no difference to the original 50:50 weight distribution and the car still weighs 1374Kg.
The rocker covers are simialr to small block chevy design and are mated to the Corvette heads via adapter plates.

Exhaust
A complete Stainless Steel 3.5″ system mated to block hugger headers and a straight through silencer at the rear all go to produce the desired power output and the most amazing exhaust note you ever heard. The headers have been ceramic coated externally and resin coated internally.

Engine Management
In order to get the best out of the engine the decision was made to scrap the distributor (Optispark) and fit Omex 710 electronic engine management. This made a huge difference in terms of power and torque. The engine mapping was done by Dan Page (Page Motorsport) of Inkberrow.

Radiator
Also the Radiator is a custom aluminium unit with a large single fan. The water pump, alternator and starter motor were new at the build date.

Power Steering
The power steering rack was completely refurbished and an electro-hydraulic power steering pump fitted in 2023. The 951 rack is a quick rack and most corners can be navigated without moving your hands around the steering wheel.

Brakes
The car has new Brembo rotors and pads fitted in 2023. When the engine was fitted it was necessary to remove the brake servo. However to ensure adequate braking two servos were fitted in the glove box area; one for the rear and one for the front. The Porsche 944 Turbo originally came with upgraded brakes anyway so no further modification was necessary.

Transmission
My Porsche 944 Turbo was fitted, as standard, with an upgraded transaxle (gearbox and differential combined) at the rear. This includes an LSD (limited slip diff) strengthened gears and an oil cooler. This has worked faultlessly and needed no upgrade. The gear ratios are entirely suitable for the power output of the Chevrolet LT1 engine.

Suspension
The car originally came with the optional M030 suspension which is a fully adjustable Koni system.
The rear shock absorbers are new and the front ones have been completely refurbished and painted. The car has been lowered by approx 1″ so that the wheels fill the arches for improved aesthetics. The springs and roll bars needed no change.

Bodywork
The body will have been completely repaired and any rust cut out and replaced with good metal. There wasn’t much rust but I wanted it to be the best it could be. The body will also have been completely repainted in Guards Red, the original colour. The, now fibreglass, bonnet is the only modified body part. It had to have a bulge at the front edge in order to clear the intake manifold. The advantage is that it allows cold air to pass directly into the intake cone filter.
A replacement steel bonnet is included in case the new owner should want to remodel the inlet bulge.
Behind the lower front grille is a fabricated aluminium duct that directs incoming cold air directly into the radiator. Also there are two small ducts that channel air onto the front disc rotors for cooling purposes.

Wheels and Tyres
The wheels are 17” from a Porsche Boxster and fit without modification. The linkages in the suspension and arms have had a small upgrade to cope with the larger 17″ wheels as recommended by Porsche. Tyres are Toyo Proxes Sport and were fitted in 2023, front 205/50/ZR17 and rear 255/40/ZR17

Interior
Both front electric sports style seats have had their leather replaced to the same pattern as the originals but with red top stitching and the PORSCHE logo stitched into the head restraint to match the Guards red exterior. They are extremely comfortable and hold you in as they should. The radio cavity is now fitted with a clock, engine oil temperature and engine coolant temperature gauges. The glove box contains the two brake servos, a tacho signal converter and a connection to the Omex unit. The split rear seats fold down individually as required and there is a new rear luggage cover. All carpets and door cards are good for their age. There is no sag in the roof lining and the sunroof panel lifts out and goes into its storage bag in the boot for the sunny days.

Specifications:

Power: 330 hp @ 5,900rpm (30hp more than the donor Corvette)
Torque: 325 Ft-Lbs @ 3,400
Transaxle: 5 speed manual through LSD. Includes strengthened gears and oil cooler

Length: 166.54 in / 4,230 mm
Wheelbase: 94.49 in / 2,400 mm
Width: 68.31 in / 1,735 mm
Track Front: 58.15 in / 1,477 mm
Track Rear: 57.13in / 1,451mm
Weight: 1374kg (132Kg lighter than the Donor Corvette)
Tyre Size Front: 205/50/ZR17
Tyre Size Rear: 255/40/ZR17