When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
And the earlier variant of a FUCHS 15 inch wheel as seen on a '73 911S. ( a photo of a friend's Concours winning Sepia colored, low mile, one owner car. As shown at the Road America Brian Redman or HAWK weekend at Elkhart Lake, WI - July of 2015 )
Notice how the early 911 ( FUCHS wheels were first an option on '67 S cars ) known as a 'longhood' , had a different shape and style to them with a completely different offset and width. THESE are the expensive wheels and the one's on the '73 RS even more rare and elevated in value. Maybe what you saw advertised for the nearly 5 figure mark you mentioned earlier.
The very early ones had a heart shaped opening between the paddles which contained the valve stem.
And none of these will be right, nor fit on any of our 944s.
CTK
On Scott's '89 M030- 951, the car was purchased this way by him used, and has not been a track competition car as long as he has owned it. Which has been for over 20 years. Scott, if you are on here, please chime in and fill us in on the exact details.
He has shown it and has concour awards as to the merits of it's greatness. It's virtually a pristine 951, but does have a mounted cage, a fire extinguisher, and strut bar installed. Other than that it's all original. I think the previous owner set it up but didn't use it except to compete at one Porsche Parade with it in an autocross.
These photos were taken at BIR this past summer where we met to lend support. We go back many years when he and I were driving N/A 944s in high speed d.e. events put on by PCA. This weekend he was running his track prepped Scirroco with a GTI engine in it and giving his friend a hand with the RS 60. This shot is from the timing tower looking down on his 951 and my Slate colored Corolla.
I included this photo as a reference point to sizing. Once in my mind I thought the 944 as a fairly large sports car, maybe as in comparing it to MGs, Triumphs, or even it's older and rear engine brother the 911.
And I thought the Corolla a 'tiny' car. Well, this photo shot certainly puts THAT into perspective. Granted the passage of time has changed perspectives and the Corolla WAS a small car back in the early 70s and 80s. It has grown up and become larger and more accommodating; performance more enhanced while mpg rating has increased. Along with safety.
The 944 is a tremendous performance oriented and brilliantly performing sports car with light weight ( around 2700 lbs ) , around 145 hp, and delivering mpg around the 30 mark. Dynamic braking and flat handling.
The Corolla has become larger in size, more comfortable, mpg rating around 37 and the same weight, but with 8 airbags and nearly the same horsepower: 137 made possible by variable valve timing..... something Porsche kind of pioneered with the S and S2 - 16 valves 944s.
I really love BOTH cars; each for what they bring to the table. One is a brilliant performing utilitarian vehicle, the other a brilliant performing sport vehicle which has an ardent following all it's own. I thought this image addresses how far the world has come in 35 years; how thought and perspective changed. I would have nothing to do with driving a 1984 Corolla back in the day, but after careful research and many 'rental' test drives and comparisons were made, not only did I buy one new but found it ( especially with the option and model concerned ) to be a performer very sporting and involving in many ways similar to a modern sports car would be. ( Note: NO CVT ) It helps that it also weighs around 2700 pounds. And now wears a 26.5 TRD stabilizer bar on the rear installed by me.
I Love the offerings from Porsche, but find the new ones very complicated , heavy, and thus push my involvement into the vintage arena, pre-991. 997 GT3s and 993s as well as early Carreras are really all that interest me as much as the variations of the 944.
Or the 937 Carrera and early 911s and 914s. After all size DOES matter, and the less weight one has to haul around, the more the sporting intent demonstrated from car to driver.
Last edited by mrgreenjeans; 01-21-2016 at 01:28 PM.
And the earlier variant of a FUCHS 15 inch wheel as seen on a '73 911S. ( a photo of a friend's Concours winning Sepia colored, low mile, one owner car. As shown at the Road America Brian Redman or HAWK weekend at Elkhart Lake, WI - July of 2015 )
Notice how the early 911 ( FUCHS wheels were first an option on '67 S cars ) known as a 'longhood' , had a different shape and style to them with a completely different offset and width. THESE are the expensive wheels and the one's on the '73 RS even more rare and elevated in value. Maybe what you saw advertised for the nearly 5 figure mark you mentioned earlier.
The very early ones had a heart shaped opening between the paddles which contained the valve stem.
And none of these will be right, nor fit on any of our 944s.
And those use a 3 prong hub.
Originally Posted by mrgreenjeans
Byron,
am pretty sure if you had been able to check the date codes on those FUCHS, you would have seen a different and later date from the year of manufacture to your car.
They may have also been take offs from a 911.
All you have to do is check the owner's manuals or the door jamb stickers to '82 and '83 cars and one will see what is listed there. The staggers came later in the model series and may have been available as early as June or July of '83, but they would have been fitted to an '84 car. Check for build code options on the white tag, under rear carpet, fitted to the body panel near the left rear tail light for #347 or #395 denoting a 7x16 light forged alloy ( FUCHS ) in an '82/'83 - 944 as opposed to # 401 denoting a light forged alloy or FUCHS denoting the staggered 7 and 8 x 15 inch as on the '84 and '85.1 cars. ATS cast wheels didn't show a # code because they were the standard fitment and not the optional available wheel as an upgrade at extra expense.
I tried to order my first 944 out with wider wheels, but was told they were N/A at that time for an early '83. My first 944 finally came in to the dealer after a year and a half wait, and it WAS fitted with the 7 and 8 x15s.
But the car came in so far down the list, it was an '84 model. And everything came in correct except the seats, which were ordered as Grey Beige Sport Seats, but came as regular seats. ( Porsche replied they were having issues with Recaro supplying the sport seats because of the volume ordered with them. ) It is an H52 package, Weissach prepped unit with M456 suspension, LSD, Koni shocks, sport springs, hd bars, etc. I still own it after all these years and have added more like it to the group, some with a slight variety of options such as sunroof delete or stereo delete, etc. Of those cars, every '84 has the 7 and 8 inch by 15 staggers in FUCHS, but the '82 and '83 cars have the 7x16 inch wheels all around, made that way by Porsche on the day they were hammered together. These are by the way, all low mileage, mostly 1 and two owner cars with complete histories denoting nearly every thing ever done by their owners or the dealerships and have their Monroney stickers and original books and build codes to back them up.
I actually still have them, I bought the car in 86, a friend of mines Mother was the original, might even still have the window sticker buried somewhere.
Course wouldn't be the 1st time Porsche did something odd, a friend bought a 71 911, brand new (his brother owned a Porsche dealership) and the fuchs were a few months apart, Deep 6s on the rear, Flat 6s on the front.
A real Club Sport 968 and 997 GT3 at the track at Brainerd, this past October. ( my buddies Scott and James ahead of the cars )
Note those wheels on the C/S. Blacked out Cups. And note both cars are sunroof deletes.
AND the rear wing on the C/S. Kind of a higher, modified version of the bridge spoiler usually seen on some very late turbos, Stuttgart built 968s, and the final 944S2 built there as well. There is a bridge spoiler as well on my black M030 - 951, but not this extreme.
All the rest of our cars were built in Neckarsulm @ the Audi plant with some final assembly and testing with set up done at Weissach (competition cars ) OR by ASC ( cabriolets ) at a plant not far away in Germany from the Neckarsulm plant
Last edited by mrgreenjeans; 01-21-2016 at 01:34 AM.
I wanted to show a variety of wheels and options, deletes, and special variations to our cars to kind of delineate the progression of a car which grew boxed flares mimicking the 937 it most closely resembled, and had it's origins within the 924 before breaking rank and getting it's own smooth Porsche brand engine. Becoming the 944 and later the 968.
Turning this thread back to you so it isn't appearing I am taking over your posts..... BUT, I have to ask about the gentleman who you bought this car from.
What drew him to buy this model in the first place ? Was it his first Porsche ?
Did he not ever have an interest in it past those first 3 years ?
What was it about the car which he lost favor in ? Wasn't it fast enough ? Did he feel it didn't fit his family or business life any longer ?
How old was he when he bought the car and did he have any regrets that he gave it up ?
And tell us more about that day when you made the initial call to him and asked about it still stored in the garage ? Was he shocked to hear of an interest ?
I wanted to show a variety of wheels and options, deletes, and special variations to our cars to kind of delineate the progression of a car which grew boxed flares mimicking the 937 it most closely resembled, and had it's origins within the 924 before breaking rank and getting it's own smooth Porsche brand engine. Becoming the 944 and later the 968.
Turning this thread back to you so it isn't appearing I am taking over your posts..... BUT, I have to ask about the gentleman who you bought this car from.
What drew him to buy this model in the first place ? Was it his first Porsche ?
Did he not ever have an interest in it past those first 3 years ?
What was it about the car which he lost favor in ? Wasn't it fast enough ? Did he feel it didn't fit his family or business life any longer ?
How old was he when he bought the car and did he have any regrets that he gave it up ?
And tell us more about that day when you made the initial call to him and asked about it still stored in the garage ? Was he shocked to hear of an interest ?
I would like to know too, that car is way to nice to track or change, keep all original except for the tires, buy new tires.
I wanted to show a variety of wheels and options, deletes, and special variations to our cars to kind of delineate the progression of a car which grew boxed flares mimicking the 937 it most closely resembled, and had it's origins within the 924 before breaking rank and getting it's own smooth Porsche brand engine. Becoming the 944 and later the 968.
Turning this thread back to you so it isn't appearing I am taking over your posts..... BUT, I have to ask about the gentleman who you bought this car from.
What drew him to buy this model in the first place ? Was it his first Porsche ?
Did he not ever have an interest in it past those first 3 years ?
What was it about the car which he lost favor in ? Wasn't it fast enough ? Did he feel it didn't fit his family or business life any longer ?
How old was he when he bought the car and did he have any regrets that he gave it up ?
And tell us more about that day when you made the initial call to him and asked about it still stored in the garage ? Was he shocked to hear of an interest ?
MGJ:
This thread belongs to all RL users, not just me. So, you are free to take it over. I thank you for all of your insight and appreciate you sharing your vast knowledge of these cars. It has been wonderful to check in and learn from all that have contributed to this thread.
Regarding the prior owner, its my understanding that he worked for Audi or VW/Audi and purchased the car as an employee under an employee discount. As I stated previously, I believe that life takes turns for all of us and once the car sat for a while, it just sat for even longer. I hope to meet up with the original owner this spring/summer and learn more about what attracted him to the car and why it was his only Porsche.
I also want to look through his garage for that tire inflator! The window sticker lists a tire inflator, but one was not included with the car.
According to my mechanic, it appears that the driver's side front tire was replaced at some point as the anti seize paste on that wheel was a different color than the other wheels. So maybe he had a flat and somehow the tire inflator was used and not returned to the car.
I have been searching for a correct tire inflator in a "cardboard box" (as described in this thread) online without success. If you find one that is period correct, please send me a PM. I appreciate your help.
I have been searching for a correct tire inflator in a "cardboard box" (as described in this thread) online without success. If you find one that is period correct, please send me a PM. I appreciate your help.
Doug has one that's mint, from a late 944. Thing is, it's inop (probably never used).
What to do with 14 gallons of 30 year old gasoline that appears perfectly normal and free of sediment?
Put it in our workhorse 2004 325xi shop car is what.
What happened? ....nothing, the car ran fine for the rest of that tank full and many after. I was almost disappointed the BMW ran with this gas and didn't break down, almost. lol.
Now here's something I found interesting. When draining the tank of this 944, I kept thinking of when I was a kid playing with go cart engines, dirt bikes, while my dad worked on the Porsche's he raced. Then I realized, it's the smell. The gas that came out of this car smelled like 1984 gas. Not good in any way but not quite as harsh as today's fuels. Distinctly different, sweet.
What to do with 14 gallons of 30 year old gasoline that appears perfectly normal and free of sediment? Put it in our workhorse 2004 325xi shop car is what. What happened? ....nothing, the car ran fine for the rest of that tank full and many after. I was almost disappointed the BMW ran with this gas and didn't break down, almost. lol. Now here's something I found interesting. When draining the tank of this 944, I kept thinking of when I was a kid playing with go cart engines, dirt bikes, while my dad worked on the Porsche's he raced. Then I realized, it's the smell. The gas that came out of this car smelled like 1984 gas. Not good in any way but not quite as harsh as today's fuels. Distinctly different, sweet.
Eniac,
That's awesome, I didn't know your BMW was the beneficiary of the 1986 fuel. Better than going in a drain.
Thank you again for your awesome handy work on my car. I will circle back and pick up the remaining bits from your shop and contact you in the spring when I bring the car out to detail it.
The crew wondering what all the big news about an old Porsche is about ~
they tell me they will help sniff out an original Air compressor for you. It may take a while, but something is bound to turn up. Have faith. Look how long it took to get the car back from your childhood dreams ....... {;-/
I temporarily put the fuel in race cans but had no way to dispose of fuel. We have a 250 tank which oil, trans fluid, brake fluid, coolant, all can go in but no fuels. My curiosity arose after seeing an episode of "Last Man on Earth" where 3 year old gas turned to jello. The fuel from your car looked fresh out of the pump, slightly more tan than normal but otherwise perfect. My first though was to test it the RV which runs on nearly anything but I really didn't want that breaking down on the side of the road. Motorhome towing is not cheap. I certainly was not going to test it in any of the race cars here so that left the little shop bimmer.
Fuel will last a very long time in a enclosed low oxygen environment. If it had been an american car from 1983, I am certain the fuel, fuel tank, and entire fuel system would have been destroyed. Huge credit to Porsche for a well made, entirely closed fuel system.
Originally Posted by CTK
Eniac,
That's awesome, I didn't know your BMW was the beneficiary of the 1986 fuel. Better than going in a drain.
Thank you again for your awesome handy work on my car. I will circle back and pick up the remaining bits from your shop and contact you in the spring when I bring the car out to detail it.
This is how some with 23 mm e/t in 8x16 have gotten on the early cars, which were originally fit to 911 and '86 - 944s.
Incorrect.
8"x16" et23 Fuchs were never fitted to any 911 from the factory. 911 Carreras were originally fitted with 6" et35 [front] and 7" et23 [rear] 16" Fuchs. Somewhere in the MY88/MY89 run, the factory fitted an 8" et10 x 16" to the rear.
And the only 944-chassis fitted with an 8"x16" et23 Fuchs by the factory was the '86 944 turbo.
01-20-2016, 09:45 PM
