Porsche straying eye

[Hard-Deck]

I've had blinders on all my life; only being interested in 911 and 912s. Recently I started seeing beauty in 944s. So, I was looking around the classifieds and now I have a question. It seems 944s that seem to be in good condition are had on the cheap. Is this because they're not 911s or is it because they are a POS? I really don't know. Enlighten me please.

[Joe Ricard]

Some are truely POS. as can the 928.
Engines are near bullet proof. but all the supporting widgets will drive you crazy. and poor.
Other 944 can be wonderful if maintained through out thier life. Be mindfull these are now old cars.

Best advice I ever heard was buy the best car you can afford. and I'll add " and hope you can afford enough.

[Hard-Deck]

Thanks, can I ask for feedback on 944 and 928; I'm learnin'.

[Tishabet]

Come to the dark side... mwahahahahaha!

In answer to your question, the 944 (and especially the 944 Turbo aka 951) is a lot of bang for the buck. However, expenses for maintenance and general upkeep are on par with other P-cars of the era. This has led to a number of 944s bought "cheap" followed by deferred or poor maintenance. That's not to say there aren't top-condition cars out there for little money, but you should make sure to get a PPI, receipts, etc. and as Joe pointed out, buy the best one you can afford.

[tobster1911]

They are very fun cars. Just MAKE SURE that the timing belt has been recently changed. That is the only "big" thing to worry about right away. Most every thing else is easy.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

944s are excellent cars - highly underrated.

But as has been said, there's lots of "little stuff" that can drive you nuts. There's a litany of stuff to have checked on the 944 forum, but for starters I'd find a specimen that either has complete service records or has been checked over. Things to look for include cracked dashes, torn seats, non-working air conditioning, de-laminating rear hatch, worn clutch and/or timing belts & water pumps needing replacement. Ball joints & suspension parts (like springs) too.

The engines are very stout. My dearly-departed 951 had close to 200k on the original, un-opened engine with perfect spec compression in every cylinder and went like a raped ape. I know of at least one 350,000 mile+ 944 out there on the original, unopened engine.

A nice 944 will bring a smile to your face. A problematic one (especially a turbo) will send you into fits of enraged cursing and throwing tools. Have fun.

[legion]

I happen to know of a well-maintained 951 that is for sale.

http://home.comcast.net/~cdcihak/ForSale.html

[Tidybuoy]

I love my 944. It's an '88 with about 37k miles on it. It consistantly out handles the 911's on our local pca road trips thru the foothills and keeps up with the boxters easily. It's definately not as quick as a 911 or boxter but it handles like a dream and is a very comfortable car. The engine is in front but the transaxle sits right over the rear wheels so it has perfect 50/50 weight ratio.

There are 2 generations of 944's; pre 85.5 and post. The later cars have a more modern interier. In fact, most people think my car is new. The primary maintenance issue is the timing belt. It needs to be changed every 30k miles. If it breaks, it can do serious engine damage as this is an "interferance" engine - meaning no valve clearance due to high compression. The belt requires a specialized tool to change so if you don't have this tool, it's about a $1200 repair at a good shop.

You could also get a 968. It's basically the same car with suspension improvements and a much more powerful engine (without the turbo issues). Of course, some people don't like the 968 styling where they rounded everything.

Here's mine

[sand_man]

Would deffinitley be on my "short" list of cars to try, if I ever reach the point of no longer being able to afford the 930; not that there's such a thing as a "cheap" Porsche. The 951 and 968 are right there with it, too. I always thought that if I ever got into racing or DE events, a 944 would make a damn fine track car.

[Christien]

As Tidybouy said, watch for the differences in interiors. IMO, the early interiors are very dated and, frankly, ugly. The newer interiors look much more like a modern car.

I'll add another opinion that 944s are a hell of a bang for the buck, and to just watch out and have a PPI done. I bought mine without a PPI and kind of got lucky. There was a recent invoice for all the big stuff (timing belt, water pump, etc) which set my mind at ease, but there were several little things that came up that a PPI would've shown: leaky sunroof, flaky window switches, stuff like that. You could spend an eternity chasing electrical demons. But in the end, it's still a great car for the price.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Contrasting opinion - I actually prefer the early (pre-'85.5) cars. The interiors look a little bit older (having been largely borrowed from the late-1970s designed 924s) but there's beauty in the simplicity. I don't care if it looks "modern". It's not. It's a 20-year-old German sports car.

Oh, and the early cars are lighter too. And the DMEs are mounted in a logical location not prone to ending up underwater when the battery box fills up with water. Oh, and the fuel hoses aren't routed directly over the glowing hot exhaust headers as they are in the later cars. I know a thing or two about that. Legion does too.

[Hard-Deck]

Originally Posted by legion

I happen to know of a well-maintained 951 that is for sale.

http://home.comcast.net/~cdcihak/ForSale.html

Seems very nice legion. I'm not in the buying mode just yet. I'm just at the curious stage.

Nobody's chimed in on 928s yet...that'll be intriguing.

[Porsche_monkey]

Geez Legion, if that car were a bit cleaner, with a bit more documentation I'd be all over it.

Very nice.

[RWebb]

They have xlnt balance. They cost a lot to maintain and don't have the vlaue retention of a 911.

They aren't that great looking or powerful except.... the 968. I wouldn't mind having one of those at all.

[azasadny]

I really love all Porsches, I just happen to love 911's the most. I'm looking forward to driving a 944 to see what they are like.

[Rick V]

I bought an 87S that the owner had money shifted, $100. I rebuilt the head and used it as my daily driver. I sold the car, and I am looking for another one kinda. It wasn't overly impressive but it was very subtle, and I didn't realize just how much fun the car was until it was gone. Like all the recomendations before, buy a good one and you will love it.

[m21sniper]

Originally Posted by Snapper33

Thanks, can I ask for feedback on 944 and 928; I'm learnin'.

I love my 928S, but it's a hell of a lot faster than a stock unit.

[Mule]

Bingo. Step up dude. 928S4 or newer. It wasn't Dr. Porsche's favorite by accident. V8 torque, timeless styling.

[DMRK]

I feel the 944 series cars are one of the most under rated Porsches. They have stout mechanicals when properly maintained and are great drivers. Perfect for daily drivers, even in the winter. I find the watercooled Porsches have better heat. For those who have never driven one I highly recommend it. Better yet drive a slightly modded 951. My bet is you'll get hooked. I cant decide on what my next P-car will be, a 911 or a 951. I will have both some day but I need more garage first.

As for the 928...always wanted one since the movie Risky Bussiness came out. The maintenance on these seem to be on par with the 944's from what I've read. They are heavier than the 944 and dont have a lot of power until you get to the S4 or GTS. Plus alot of them are automatics, It is hard to find a good 5-speed one. I do really like the interiors in them. But it is a Porsche and as with every Porsche I have driven I bet it is alot of fun to drive. How about a twin turbo 928, I like to drive that

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Originally Posted by DMRK

I feel the 944 series cars are one of the most under rated Porsches. They have stout mechanicals when properly maintained and are great drivers. Perfect for daily drivers, even in the winter. I find the watercooled Porsches have better heat. For those who have never driven one I highly recommend it. Better yet drive a slightly modded 951. My bet is you'll get hooked. I cant decide on what my next P-car will be, a 911 or a 951. I will have both some day but I need more garage first.

As for the 928...always wanted one since the movie Risky Bussiness came out. The maintenance on these seem to be on par with the 944's from what I've read. They are heavier than the 944 and dont have a lot of power until you get to the S4 or GTS. Plus alot of them are automatics, It is hard to find a good 5-speed one. I do really like the interiors in them. But it is a Porsche and as with every Porsche I have driven I bet it is alot of fun to drive. How about a twin turbo 928, I like to drive that

Reeves Callaway made I think four of those back in the 1980s. It was essentially the same setup as the Callaway Turbo 944 with an IHI-6B turbocharger & "fifth injector" setup for extra fuel metering & Saab microfueler controller - just two of them (one for each bank) on the 928s. They are very uncommon.

I've owned one of the Callaway 944 conversions in my days; I'd love to experience one of his 928s sometime in my life. Or I suppose someone with a lot more free time and money than me could adapt a modern twin-turbo setup to a 928 engine with modern standalone, programmable EMS on it. Mother, that'd be something. . .

There are a few supercharged sharks running around - some of them have frightfully large HP/TQ numbers.