Essential Spares: 944 Spec

How do you know what racing spares to bring with you for a car that was built when Ronald Reagan was president and the Sony Walkman was the must-have accessory? Kind of a jarring question when you put it that way, isn’t it? The answer varies with whom you ask, but most of the drivers who race them are pretty well stocked when they show up at the track.

The cars themselves have proven to be robust and durable given their age. As old as the cars and the class are, 944 Spec is growing in many NASA regions. As a result, the Championships are always hotly contested, and the camaraderie among competitors in individual regions is first rate. With “half a V8” from the Porsche 928 in the front and a transaxle in the rear, the cars are exceptionally well balanced. They’re also reasonably light at 2,600 pounds, so they’re easy on tires and brakes. If you investigate a little, you’ll find it is less expensive to race a Porsche than you might think.

We reached out to racers across the country to find out what they bring with them to ensure they keep racing all weekend long. We would have reached out to two-time national champions Marcelo Vine and Charlie Buzzetti, but those guys arrive and drive, so we reached out to 7’s Only, the shop that preps their cars for them. Here’s what they had to say.

Name: Tim Comeau
Region: NASA SoCal
Car: 1988 Porsche 924S
Years Racing: 19

Spares List
DME relay
DME computer
Air flow meter
Crank sensors
Radiator hoses
Radiator
Distributor cap and rotor
Spark plugs
Spark plug wires
Fuel pump
Fuel filter
Sway bar parts
Brake pads
Axles
A good selection of hardware
Maybe a transmission?
Racing oil
Gear lube
Brake cleaner
Axle grease
Wheel bearing grease
Relays, fuses, test leads, electrical tape, multimeter, etc.

Q: How do you determine what spares you need to bring with you?

A: The spares you bring to the track are determined by whether you can make a meaningful difference in someone’s weekend if you bring them. When a 944 Spec car goes down, we, as a class, swarm on it and work to get it back on the grid. That’s part of our culture. Bring an engine? Typically not, though we did change an engine overnight at the Championships at Miller in 2008 or 2009 because someone had brought one! The benefactor of that particular swap used it to beat me. That’s pretty poor form if you ask me. At the Western States Championships at Laguna Seca, we R & R’d a clutch, but only because a class member had a stacker trailer that made it possible. More commonly, spares are going to consist of smaller parts that are easy to pack and more likely to be needed.

Q: What is one spare part you have needed at the track, but didn’t have with you?

A: If you bring it, you probably won’t need it, right? If you don’t bring it, that’s the part you’re going to need! This is one of the reasons you always see the 944’s parked together in the paddock. Sharing of resources. If I don’t have it, my 944 Spec brother does and he’s parked just feet away. Time is always a factor in making it to the next track session. Teamwork is key because the race party will take place whether you’re there or not. More drivers on the grid means more fun during the race.

Q: How have you built up your supply of spare parts?

A: I remember one time when absolutely no one had a crank sensor. We were done for the weekend because you’re not going to find that Porsche part at the local O’Reilly’s store. But when in need of spares, keep in mind that some parts cross over between brands of cars. The BMW crank sensors are the same part except they have a longer cable. Sometimes it’s a VW or Audi part that will fit the bill and get our 944’s back racing. Know your crossovers, cast your net wide, and think outside the box. If a street 944 owner shows up to watch the races, they might find their car temporarily cannibalized for parts!

After years of bringing parts that never seem to get used, you figure out which parts to leave behind. Commit the space to parts that are more likely to be needed. This can take some time, but the learning curve can be shortened by leaning on the more experienced guys in your class. Ask them. Should you bring a spare 944 cam timing belt to the track? No, because if that broke, you’re going to have bent valves and need a cylinder head rebuild.

Q: How many times have you provided a part to competitors so they can get their car back on track? Please explain.

A: Because I own a 944 only shop, I have tons of parts that are not new, but still serviceable enough to be a “weekend saver.” It doesn’t cost anything to keep those on hand and bring them to the track. It could mean the world to a racer vying for a year-end championship. Spares are the difference between going home early and getting to the finish line. Personally, I want to beat my competitors on the track, not in the paddock. It’s the intensity of the racing dice that I crave. More cars on the track make that more likely. Bring spares. The weekend you save could be mine.

Name: Matt Giuffre
Region: Great Lakes
Car: 1986 Porsche 944
Years Racing: 3

Spares List
ECU
Mass air flow meter
Throttle position sensor
Alternator
Fuel pump
Distributor cap and rotor
Engine speed sensors
Brake pads
Bumper impact absorber

Q: How do you determine what spares you need to bring with you?

A: I asked around when I first joined the class, then adjusted as needed. For example, most people don’t carry a spare TPS, but I chased air/fuel ratio issues for quite a while before figuring out that mine was bad, so now I carry another one just in case.

Q: What is one spare part you have needed at the track, but didn’t have with you?

A: A left-front spindle. Mine sheared in half entering GingerMan’s T11 during qualifying. It’s a relatively well-known issue on the early 944’s which have hollow LF spindles to accommodate the speedometer cable. Luckily, the group knew someone who lived nearby with a few parts cars, so I went and borrowed one from him, scrambled to get the car back together in time for the race, and finished P3.

Q: What have you always had on hand, but never had a need for?

A: A clutch. I’ve carried a full replacement kit including the pressure plate around for years but have never used it and hope to never have to.

Q: How have you built up your supply of spare parts?

A: When I first started racing, I didn’t carry any spare parts whatsoever. I spent all of my money on track time and thought of spares as a “nice-to-have.” Once I inevitably started breaking stuff, the 944 Spec group was right there offering parts and a helping hand. Since then, I’ve found that buying entire parts cars is cheaper in the long run assuming you’ve got sufficient space.

Q: How many times have you provided a part to competitors so they can get their car back on track? Please explain.

A: One weekend, again at Gingerman, while I was still working my way up the HPDE ladder, Dan Piña was asking around the paddock for spare front brake rotors. None of the competitors had any, so we decided to jack my car up immediately after my HPDE session, remove the front brake rotors for him, and reinstall them after the race — just in time for my next HPDE session.

Name: Tom Dragoun, 7’s Only Racing
Region: SoCal
Car: 944Spec
Years Racing: 27

Spares List
Brake pads
Ignition Coil
Ignition Rotor
Crank position sensor/speed sensor
Transmission
Oil, fuel, air filters

Q: How do you determine what spares you need to bring with you?

A: It’s a bit different for me because we pretty much have everything on hand regardless of the track. The average competitor should look around at the races and note what tends to break or need replacement.

Q: What is one spare part you have needed at the track, but didn’t have with you?

A: Rear hatch glass.

Q: How have you built up your supply of spare parts?

A: Through our vendors and stripping cars bought at auction.

Q: How many times have you provided a part to competitors so they can get their car back on track? Please explain.

A: Because of the nature of our business, we have provided parts countless times. The nice thing about road racing is that the competitors are always willing to help get someone back on track if it’s at all possible.

Name: Derrek Morehead
Region: NASA Great Lakes
Car: 944 Spec
Years Racing: 4

Spares List
Cylinder head and cam housing with associated gaskets to do the swap DME
Cap and rotor
Spare wires
Spark plugs
Reference sensors
Alternator
Starter
Radiator and hoses
Fuel rail and injectors
Axle

Q: How do you determine what spares you need to bring with you?

A: As time goes on, items fail with your car or someone else’s. You add it to the list. Some things fail more repetitively than others.

Q: What is one spare part you have needed at the track, but didn’t have with you?

A: A motor mount. I hit the wall pretty hard one time and had a motor mount failure.

Q: What have you always had on hand, but never had a need for?

A: A cylinder head. I personally have never needed one, but I have loaned one out on numerous occasions for people that have over-revved their engines and bent valves.

Q: How have you built up your supply of spare parts?

A: Over the last number of years I’ve collected parts by purchasing spare parts cars and stocking up on the inventory.

Q: How many times have you provided a part to competitors so they can get their car back on track? Please explain.

A: All the time, actually. In this group, it really is about the camaraderie of racing together. I would give my fiercest competitor my last spare so we could go out on the track and dice it up and have some fun. Let’s face it, these cars are a bit older than most, and your local auto parts store is not going to have very many options for you on hand. We all pitch in to keep everyone on track.

Name: Tim Pruitt
Region: NASA Southeast
Car: 1987 944 Spec
Years Racing: 18

Spares List
Oil cooler lines with AN 12 female fittings
Various AN 12 fittings
Timing belt cover
Timing belt cover
Radiator hose
Upper radiator hose
Lower radiator hose from thermostat housing
Radiator hose
Alternator belt 6pk 720
Belt 6pk 1000
Gas tank cap
Gas tank hose to fuel pump
Oil filler cap
Fuel pressure regulator (3 bar)
Fuel pressure regulator (2.5 bar) new Delphi
Fuel pressure regulator (2.5 bar) used
Thermostat & circlip ring
Thermostat
Radiator plug (blue plastic)
Small radiator clamps
Radiator square rubber mounting
Radiator mounting brackets upper
Oil dipstick seal (o-ring)
Shifter coned screws
Shifter bottom socket bearing
Shifter rod (new)
Shifter rod (used, for emergency)
Shifter knob and boot
Short shifter and parts
Half-shaft boot kit
Cone screw for shifter (large – front)
Short miscellaneous radiator hoses
Water wetter 12oz
2 1/8 ” to 3″ ss hose clamp
Rubber sleeved hose clamp
Shifter rubber cover
Exhaust hanging hardware and rubber hangers
Alternator adjustment rod
Alternator adjustment rod with both ends
Left tie rod
Right tie rod
Tie rod rubber boot
Tie rod end
Wheel hub cover
Steel lug nuts
Ball joint
Brake master cylinder
Brake pads rear DTC-60
Brake pads front DTC-70
Shaft sleeve screw 10 x 45 hex
Cheese head screw for half shaft
Front eccentric bolt and washer
Brake caliper bleed valve
Caliper rebuild kit
Rear wheel bearing
Throttle position sensor
Front brake pads used emergency set
Clutch rod
19 mm rear sway bar solid mount kit
Miscellaneous front sway bar rubber bushings
Delrin bushings for front sway bar
Clutch slave cylinder (used)
Ignition coil (used)
Reference sensor (new)
Reference sensor (used)
Reference sensor harness to DME (used)
Ignition wire set (new)
Used ignition wire set
Kill switch and resistor
Kill switch without resistor
Rotor threaded for screw (new)
Rotor threaded for screw (used)
Rotor bolt
Rotor (press on)
Distributor cap (new)
Distributor cap (used)
Toggle switch
Push start switch
Tail light bulb
DME
Air flow meter
Spark plugs
Reference sensor bracket
Injector harness
Exhaust manifold nuts
Exhaust manifold gaskets
J-boot
Description
951 oil filter housing
Geared starter (emergency)
Windshield wiper motor
Oil filter
Fuel pump
Tie rod ends
Fuel injector seals
2.5 l Bosch fuel injectors (fresh)
Vacuum hose elbow
Fuel tank screen
TRW tie rod ends
Tie rod boots
Mahle fuel filter
Radiator cap (used)
Front strut top nut and lock washers
Bosch spark plugs (new)
Spark plugs used
Throttle return springs
Half-shaft bolts
Rear brake pads
Brake caliper pins with cotter pins
Camera mount hardware
Front spindle hardware
Air flow meter
AFM gasket and bolts
Radiator
Transaxle
Head
Head gasket kit
Oil dipstick
Alternator
Starter

Q: How do you determine what spares you need to bring with you?

A: In the beginning, I took the basic hoses, belts, ECU, distributor cap and rotor, DME relay when my car had one. As the years have passed, every time something broke I would buy two. One to use and one for spares. All of my current spares are listed in my spreadsheet and the containers stay in my trailer. If someone borrows a part, I open spreadsheet find part location and retrieve it, I record their name in my spreadsheet and just ask them to replace it or if it’s a large part we agree on a price and I collect before the weekend is over.

Q: What is one spare part you have needed at the track, but didn’t have with you?

A: At this point I typically I have everything, but at NASA Nationals I fouled my spare set of plugs and had to borrow a set from another racer. When I got home I restored my spares with two sets of plugs.

Q: What have you always had on hand, but never had a need for?

A: Spare head and head gasket set.

Q: How have you built up your supply of spare parts?

A: As the years have passed, every time something broke on my car or another racer would break something I would make notes at the track and add to my spare parts supply accordingly. I cannot help myself, I’m a mechanical engineer who has been in the medical device business for over 30 years. Organization and attention to detail is embedded in my DNA now.

Q: How many times have you provided a part to competitors so they can get their car back on track?

A: Numerous. More than I can remember. Belts, hoses, distributor cap and rotor, rotor bolt, shift linkage parts, front control arm, bearings, gas cap, radiator cap, oil filler cap, speed and reference sensors, spark plug wires, etc.

For the 2021 NASA Championships at Daytona International Raceway, I’m in my paddock and two guys walk up. We introduce ourselves. It was Tom Dragoun of 7’s Only Racing and Marcelo Vine, National Champion. Tom says, “I hear you are the 944 Spec spare parts guy in the Southeast.”

“I have a few parts. What do you need?” I said.

“It’s a long shot, but we need a manual steering rack. One of the guys from Colorado just bent one”

“Today is your lucky day. As I was loading up my trailer for the weekend, I saw the manual rack in my garage and threw it in my trailer.”

We walked to my trailer, opened the door, I went straight to the rack and I gave it to them. The 7’s Only crew installed it for the Colorado racer and his race weekend did not end early. The next day I got hit in the right rear quarter and the 7’s Only crew helped me get my car repaired and I made it to the Championship race on Sunday and finished fourth. What comes around, goes around.

Name: Michael Cooper
Region: NASA Great Lakes
Car: 944 Spec
Years Racing: 8

Spares List
Axles
Fuel Rail
Alternator
Fuel Pump
DME
Pick-up Sensors
Front brake pads

Q: How do you determine what spares you need to bring with you?

A: Based on what seems to wear and tear the most, and which items seem to be hard to find in stores. I also don’t like to bring too many big heavy parts that take up a bunch of space. A transmission is a big expensive item that could be a great spare to have, but I’d only bring to a big event like Nationals.

Q: What is one spare part you have needed at the track, but didn’t have with you?

A: A header. The tubular original ones are somewhat fragile and seem to crack and weren’t standard on many 944s. It’s good to know someone with a welder at the track!

Also, cam tower. Last year I had a lifter randomly collapse. To access them, you have to remove the cam tower (which is essentially splitting the cylinder head into two halves, upper and lower) Luckily we were at a track that was 20 minutes from a 944 guy’s house and he was able to fetch one for me and bring it to the track just in time for us to replace it and get me back on track.

Q: What have you always had on hand, but never had a need for?

A: Tail lights!

Q: How have you built up your supply of spare parts?

A: I’ve learned to only bring the odd bits that fail that I can’t find at most stores. Axles seem to be the most typical point of failure, mostly because when we lower the cars, the geometry of the CV is a bit more aggressive than the CV likes. This, plus curbs and tire drops is hard on these old axles.

Q: How many times have you provided a part to competitors so they can get their car back on track? Please explain.

A: Fairly often. You can’t race cars this old without a community of parts sharers. In 2021, Cooper saved my butt by loaning me some new brake pads. At Mid-Ohio, two competitors pitched in to give me eight quarts of oil after a loose oil cooler drained itself on the track. At nationals in Daytona, Derrek Morehead was saved by racing buddy Stu Jones who gave him the rarest of all spares — a windshield — after Derrek’s hood pin broke and the windshield was smashed by the hood flying up.

I’ve loaned and traded a ton of parts at the track, from axles, to alternators, fuel pumps, even windshield wiper transmissions! Whatever it is you may bring, chances are someone will have a need for it at some point.

Name: Chuck Sharp
Region: NASA SoCal
Car: 1986 Porsche 944 Spec
Years Racing: 15

Our car has over 1,000 track hours on it and always has at least two drivers per event, so it needs more parts and has worn out more parts than most.
I also carry some of the spares simply to have them available to other 944 drivers at events.

Spares List
Must Haves:
Collection of 944 nuts and bolts!
Spark plugs, cap and rotor
Fuel Rail and associated fuel hoses
Fuel pressure regulator and fuel damper
DME relay
DME
Reference Sensors
Radiator cap and both radiator hoses ‘
Assorted hose clamps
Alternator belt (very important if you have A/C delete) and tensioner
Air, oil and fuel filter
Exhaust Y Pipe (collector)
Radiator
Alternator
Cooling fan relay and variety of fuses
Lower control arm, right and left with ball joints
Tie rod
Strut housing
Set of shocks
Spare wheel with tire
Brake pads and SS lines
Wheel bearings and grease
Brake rotors, front and rear
Oil drain plug
Extra oil
Fuel pump
Lug nuts
Front wheel hub cap, special washer and nut, grease seal
Hood lock pins
Sway bar drop link
CV Axle – complete with joints ready to install
Extra CV bolts
Front spindle
AN Joiner – to bypass oil cooler

Nice to Have:
Spark plug and coil wires
Gas cap
Thermostat
Coolant bleed screw
Complete spare head and gasket
Spare AN fittings
Clutch
Brake calipers
Oil cap
Spare transmission
Front wheel hub
Shifter and shift parts on trans
Ball joint kit

If you have space:
Starter
Motor mounts
Rod bearings
Timing and balance shaft belts

Q: How do you determine what spares you need to bring with you?

A: Our initial determination was other racers suggestions, but I added parts anytime I ever needed them at a track or any of our 944 track cars needed a part. I also have a theory that if you have a spare, you won’t need it. Conversely, if you don’t have a spare, it will break. So, I carry as many spares as possible!

Q: What is one spare part you have needed at the track, but didn’t have with you?

A: I broke a front strut housing at Willow Springs and had not put in a spare. My wife drove nearly 380 miles round trip to go get one so we could get back on track!

Q: What have you always had on hand, but never had a need for?

A: The fuel pressure regulator and damper. They were on a list of parts I was told to have, so I have, but have yet to ever need them.

Q: How have you built up your supply of spare parts?

A: A combination of new spares and used parts. I once parted out a car and used many of the parts as spares to bring to the track. The huge box of 944 nuts and bolts has saved the weekend for us as well as at least a dozen of our 944 competitors! Also, as mentioned earlier, if I break something, I buy a replacement as well as a spare and then bring it to the track so I won’t break any more!

Q: How many times have you provided a part to competitors so they can get their car back on track? Please explain.

A: A lot! I consider it a part of being in the 944 Spec class. I even bring spares at times of parts that are not even for my car, but in case someone else needs them. At one time or another, I have probably provided a part to well over half of our competitors. We also loan our time and skills in getting the cars repaired and back on track. “Paying it forward” is part of the class. Just last race, I broke a transmission and all the guys pitched in to help put in the spare. The whole job was done and my wife was back on track in less than two hours with all of the help!