LPG conversion - chicken and egg runaround

The V8 was, IIRC, mentioned recently on Austin-Rover megasite AROnline as something which a correspondent had seen. Unless it was on Jalopnik.

And yeah. I know there are lots of different cars. I've owned a small, but relatively large, selection of them, and I'm somewhat obsessed. I'm going to take the piss if people try to make a joke and get it wrong ;)

Next you'll be referring to Robin Reliants!

Richard

Well to be fair, the 924 in any form isn't exactly fast. Weren't the base ones only endowed with 125bhp or something? And the last of the line S's had, was it 163bhp? But most S's only had 150bhp? I remember reading a lot about them when someone around here picked one up for about a grand with no history, and it turned out to have a mostly new engine heh! Theres a Turbo too iirc, available in 2 guises, 170bhp unreliable phase 1, or 177bhp more reliable phase 2? They all weighed around or above 1100kg iirc too.

I could have all those numbers wrong, as it's been ages since I looked them up (I was going to Google them, but I thought it was most fun just to post 'what might be right' and tout it as fact hehe) - but even if I'm only close - it explains why they'd be woeful at the traffic light grand prix heh. I'd expect to be able to hand it to any of them in my Clio ffs, except possibly the Turbo, which would even then only be close if it managed to get any traction through it's ancient rear setup and super narrow wheels hehe. I don't think it's 'right' for Porsche to try and sell a low power, low spec model that is cheap and affordable to the masses - they should stick to the more high end markets IMHO :-) No real basis for that other than, I think they should heh!

This doesn't surprise me, they're quite slow. A bit better point to point, though - I've knocked a few things off from the lights in a 2.8TD Mitsubishi Delica, it's not really a barometer of much.

The model I had was a 150bhp one, and the "better" 924S LeMans was

160bhp, lowered. Turbos are a different and more... worrying kettle of fish.

Part of the problem with the S was the relatively wide wheels; was awful in the wet. But I thought my Scirocco 1.8 GT-S was quicker, and not just from the lights either.

It's unfair to suggest the 924S/944 is crude, though. They're very capable cars - they just needed a faster revving, more powerful engine than the NA 2.5 in the original 944 and 924S, and they got it in the later 944 and 968s.

Well, it was intended to be an Audi originally - but FWIW, Porsche have always offered a lower-spec car - the 914, the 912... I consider it paying for the build quality and styling but accepting that in real-world driving, you don't NEED all the power of a "proper" Porsche.

Relatively speaking the 924S wasn't that cheap a car, either.

Richard

I've just wiki'd it - was a bit pricey really! I'm quite proud that I managed to remember all those numbers though hehe!

Already the research for a "vegetable" oil is proven. In the 70's when there was a fuel crisis, the US gov did loads of research, then shelved it because oil became cheap and plentiful again. It became public knowledge and a few upstarts are working on it.

An acre of the right kind of Algae can produce 20,000 litres of "crude" oil a year, can grow in salt water, can clean waste water, can absorb co2 from power plants, and sunlight and doesn't even need agricultural land, it can be grown in tanks and tubes, to quote the companies "it can even be grown in death valley".

As a commercially viable process?

But they didn't return to the research when their oil security became so threatened that they had to invade Iraq to secure supplies? Doesn't that suggest that perhaps it's not so easy after all?

Well I wouldn't hold your breath.

Yup, perfect isn't it? And what I said above never happened.

Reliant Robins thankyou!

A lot better than you think.

My mum had a Rialto before she took her car test

Mine was 115bhp and 900kg, the 2.2 was silly money but was tunable to over

200bhp

People who take the mickey out of 924s would also love a 928 but settle for a 968

Ah, you kinda missed the joke there. Nevermind.

That would depend on how good I think they are, surely.

My dad had a Supervan III. Actually, he had two, apparently the wheel fell off one and a Policeman wheeled it off the road by picking the front end up. His story goes that this Policeman was Geoff Capes.

Which would sort of tie up in era, but not location, since I'm sure he said it was on the Hyde Park roundabout, which is a bit far from Cambridgeshire.

Richard (usenet access again, whoo - I need to sort this for when I'm in Birmingham).

I'm not sure about that; the two are a bit different in focus. Original

944 and 928, yeah, they're both being GTs of a sort, but one isn't quite so grand. The 968 was a touch harder edged, and whilst the marketing is the main difference, the 968 was revised and updated such that it's a very different drive.

People that take the mickey out of 924s (and 944s) really just think all Porsches should be 911s. If you showed them a 914-6 they'd have a fit, yet they seem quite happy to run about in Boxsters.

Richard

I've never seen the appeal of the 924. The 944 doesn't do anything for me either, but seems to drive ok. Boxsters drive much better than they look but I can't be bothered with those. 928s have something special about them, but every time I've driven one I've got out thinking "nice car, glad it didn't break".

911s for me, every time. :-)

I've driven a 914-6, by the way. Not bad.

The badge. That's the lot.

924S = 944 non Turbo. But still, the 924S and 944 were more "the last RWD coupes you could buy", the 924 was more like a Manta or Capri alternative and these continuations of the breed existed after the mainstream stuff had died off.

It's more the fact that they're EVERYWHERE. I'd swear they're more common than TT convertibles. I prefer the Cayman.

Why there isn't a 928 in my history ;)

I've prodded a 914-4, but I preferred my X1/9 and for the money for a good 914, I'd probably prefer a Karmann-Ghia.

Richard

Pffff, people who own a Porsche, that's not a 911, can't afford a 911 ;-) People who own a 911, that's not a Turbo, can't afford a 911 Turbo. Except those who have the GT2 or GT3(RS). Saw a few brand new 997 GT3 RSs at The Ring - they're incredible to look at in the flesh. The hotel owner let us have a good poke around his brand new one, in black, with orange detailing/wheels. Then he opened the garage next door, which housed one that was, aside from it's spoiler, the black ones inverted brother! Bright orange, with black detailing/wheels. The spoilers however both had a carbon fibre wing heh. The orange one apparently 'belonged to his russian friend...'. We also saw bright green with black detailing, white with red detailing, and white with light blue detailing (my least favorite). So we saw all the colours it was available in! 2 of the orange one heh. Apparently white costs a few thousand euros extra.

I don't think it's true that people that own 911s can't afford Carrera GTs though - cos they're not really a good everyday car like the 911. So it might be that they can't afford Veyrons...

928 was my favourite

Boxster - now they - hmmmm

I had a Boxster driver take the piss out of my last car - which was off to have a towbar fitted, I told him his car had a little engine, all light hearted

That reasoning gives the carnutter the opportunity to beat for fun and few money the crap out most (to all) 911's.

Follow the recipe.

7000 UKP for a mint 944 Turbo (250 Hp) 2000 UKP for new bigger turbo on ball bearings, biggest fittable intercooler, included are all new hoses. 1000 UKP for new high flow (Ford -money is thight ;-)) injectors and some dyno-time to adjust the ECU. 2000 UKP stainless freeflowing turbo-inlet and open exhaust, no cats on this baby. 1000 UKP for uprated clutch and drivetrain 1500 UKP for 17 inch rims and decent rubber (might nick this for less from a 928) 3000 UKP for the best 944-suspension (including roll bars) money can buy 2000 UKP For welded-in cage and trim fitted) While you're at it: a bucket seat (20 kg spared) and a 4 points harness which will gripp you tightly. Security is no top priority: if at speed you mess up, most likely you won't tell it to anybody (we won't either) 1500 UKP for 928 GTS Front disks while the 944 fronts move to the rear, haggle for a driver adjustable brake balancer.

Ok... that's 21 kUKP spent.

You could just buy a decent 911 (NA type 964, 250 Hp) for that money. It results in a close to 650 Hp-944 with few exterior give-away's for its performance. The rims and tires are a bit bigger and mre filled, at idle it growls a bit... Stay at least 15 m behind it when it downshifts: it might spit some flames.

Then... get your ass to the Ring and go beat up *any* 911 Turbo while the 911 GT3 RS will need all his sweat, skill and guts to try and follow it. Think out doing burnouts at speeds over 200 kph if you are not paying attention.

Yeah: the 944 (and the other front-engined) Porsches aren't real Porsche's. That may be true but as I pointed recently to a shocked gentleman (driving a brand new 911 Turbo and could follow a slightly imporved 928) the logo on the front is the same. Any car with around 500 HP at the wheels, with a Stuttgart badge (also a prancing horse on that one) commands respect to its sisters/cousins.

Personnaly the fact that a 21 kUPD car put to shame -literally- the so- called best sportscar in the world on its own soil, is a tribute that the watercooled 944/968/928 are in fact not so bad. Not so bad as in bloody good, not so bad as in far superior to 95% of all 911's...

Like it or loath it :-)

Tom De Moor

Well I was kinda joking :-)

I like it :-D I imagine that 944 would be an exciting drive...

Well yeah, but I bet the MPG is crap and driving it in a traffic jam isn't much fun...

This place is really losing it's exciting side.