Drivers Diaries

With updates on Peter’s Allard, Will’s Morris Minor van, Martyn’s Porsche and Davrian and Mike’s Triumph Stag.

Having recently treated the 944 Turbo’s transaxle to fresh oil, I decided that it would be sensible to change the engine oil as well. It’s only done about 2000 miles since the last change, but some 15 months or so have elapsed. Plus, since changing the airflow meter (which has transformed the driveability), I’m using the car a lot more, rain or shine.

I did contemplate buying six litres of synthetic oil (specially developed for the 944 apparently), but I have concerns about the suitability of using synthetic oil in an engine that was designed about four decades ago. Keen to allay my fears, I contacted Porsche for technical information, but failed to elicit anything other than generic responses.

So I decided to abandon this idea and called an oil supplier instead. Following a long and informative chat with a technical advisor there, I settled upon Multivis Semi-Synthetic 10/40. He assured me that this oil was ideally suited to the 944’s engine as it worked well in classic engines, yet was significantly better than the oils that were available in period.

So I bought seven litres. Naturally I changed the oil filter too, having previously purchased a genuine Porsche item from Frazerparts. Interestingly, although the handbook states that my engine needs 6.5-litres, I discovered that the actual capacity on a change is nearer 5.5-litres, and that includes filling the new filter.

Another item on my 944 ‘to do’ list is improving the headlights. Two recent runs at night have highlighted that even with uprated bulbs, the headlights are well below the performance of the car. First though, I needed to check that the headlights were getting enough current. My multimeter revealed 13 volts at the bulbs, which is pretty good and which

is why I’m now going to trial some LED bulbs.

The Davrian has come in for some attention too. Unwittingly, I had previously fitted a battery cut- off switch that didn’t have the requisite number of terminals and so wasn’t able to be wired in such a way as to cut power to the engine. Needing to remedy this situation, I purchased another switch, one with the correct number of terminals, and my good friend Nick Cleak helped wire this in. It works perfectly, although I had to bin the original mounting bracket and make a new one, one that also allows much easier access to the actual wiring.

Curiously, although we didn’t touch any other wiring, the wipers have stopped working. This is rather a pain, as the wiper motor is buried deep in the dash and looks to be inaccessible. I do hope that it’s an easy wiring fix rather than a motor out job. Anyhow, having made and fitted the cut- off switch bracket and having re-fitted the bonnet, one of the Dzus fasteners took it upon itself to snap and make a bid for freedom. Merlin Motorsport supplied me with a replacement and this has since been fitted.

I mentioned last time that I need to look at the Davrian’s driver’s seat, as I wasn’t completely happy with its location. It’s fine now though, as I’ve moved it a tad and I’ve also reinforced the mountings. One bonus of this is that I’ve garnered a bit more headroom. I even managed to reposition the harness shoulder straps which now sit as they should.

In addition to helping me with the wiring, Nick was keen to try out his new laser tracking equipment. We’d previously tracked the car using axle stands and string, and whilst the car feels good to drive, we felt it would be wise to get an accurate reading. The laser tracking equipment is a doddle to use, and nicely made. What surprised us was that the tracking was spot- on, so we’d obviously dialled in the tracking correctly using the string method. Out of interest, we checked the rear alignment too. I was a little apprehensive about what we’d find, as making any changes to the rear suspension set-up is a convoluted and complex process. Fortunately, the rear proved to be spot- on too!

The Stiletto has had some attention as well, as it was recently inspected by an excellent restorer I know. The inspection was an interesting process, as he went to great lengths to explain just how the bodyshell was made, and how it would be restored. The price quoted was in line with what I was expecting, and all things considered very reasonable. I certainly wouldn’t take the Stiletto anywhere else, but I don’t quite have the funds required at present. Consequently, the Stiletto is back in hibernation, and I’m considering how to fund its renaissance.

ABOVE and RIGHT: Although the 944 Turbo hasn’t done a huge mileage since the last oil change, Martyn still thought that it would be a good idea to do a fluid and filter change. The dyno tape on the filter records the mileage and date when this work was carried out. The cushion in the photograph, upon which Martyn rests his head when working beneath the car(s), has become a workshop essential!

Checking the tracking using high-tech laser equipment revealed that they had previously done a good job using the more low-tech string and axle stand method!

The Davrian needed a new master cut- out switch because the previous one did not have enough terminals. Squeezing the wires through a rather small aperture and then attaching them to the new switch proved a rather awkward task!

Martyn was worried that the headlights weren’t getting enough voltage, but the multimeter showed that they are getting a decent 13 volts. LED bulbs are going to be trialled.

The new switch required the fabrication of a new mounting bracket, as the old one wasn’t suitable and was looking rather secondhand. Martyn was pleased at how the new one turned out.