Thinking of adding a 944 to the stable... got a few questions

dasMafia · 09-04-2002, 08:40 PM

Hello all (yeah, my first post...blah blah blah)

I was pointed here by a fellow BMW enthusiast (yeah, I know, shoot me now!). Basically, I am thinking of picking up a reasonable 944 to use as a driver (5000-8000 miles a year) and want to know if the car is up to it and what to look for (standard "newbie questions").

I have found a nice '87 944S with about 80K on the clock, but have been told that the 16V motor is a mess and that I would be BETTER OFF with a turbo (951 IIRC).

just looking for more opinions as I have a good general knowledge but am severely lacking on specifics...

thanks in advance and please don't shoot the bimmerphile!

ae1969 · 09-04-2002, 09:49 PM

Welcome to the board...........

Preventative maintenance on any of the 944 series cars is the bottom line. They all have the capabilities to bleed your bank account dry. Even if your PPI comes back positive be prepared to spend another 2,000 in the first couple of years.....
944 owners tend to obsess on every little oil leak and coolant leak on their cars and rightly so.

It all comes down to whether you want to pay now or pay later....

The 944S has a few inherant problems that do not make it the best buy (search the board). If you were to find a mint specimen of any of the following models.... this is how I would rate them.

IMO

If you are looking for a daily driver... 944
If you are looking for a daily driver/ weekend autocrosser ... 944S2
If you are looking for a daily driver/ and to have the ability to blow away any vehicle between 80-130 mph in your commute to work get the 951

The 944S falls in there somewhere.......... just not sure where it falls..........

(let the S bashing begin!) Just kidding

09-04-2002, 11:36 PM

Welcome, too. Alex pretty well hit it on the head. If you're looking to upgrade performance the the turbo is the way to go.

They're all maintenance whores, but the exhileration and driving experience can't be matched for the $$. If you do your own wrenching the expenses can be minimized.

If the PPI is good, and you've got maintenance records, buy it. Just be religious with the recommended services, have some money set aside for the inevitable parts/repairs, and drive the hell out of it.

Good luck, Rob

RPM'S S2 · 09-05-2002, 12:16 PM

Don't believe all you read about the 944S. It is as reliable a daily driver as any other 944 series car. It is a rocketship once the revs get up - the model just needed more torque.. a problem solved with the S2. The most important issues with any 944 are, as already stated, PPI and maintenance history. These are now 10-15 year old cars. They break and they are expensive to fix.
Having said that, my S2 has over 130k, gets driven daily and in DE events. It is going strong.
A good link:
944 FAQ
Good Luck. Welcome to the real German sportscar

dasMafia · 09-05-2002, 04:03 PM

thanks a bunch guys, FYI the S is gone... but I found a 944 with a bad trans in jersey..... can anyone here verify whether of not 1300 for a new trans is reasonable and what the )(*^&%(^% "his mechanic" called "rack and pinion" failure withing the trans could mean???

I'm guessing "ring and pinion" but wanted an experts opinion....

thanks in advance and GREAT info guys. (that FAQ is amazing too, a little bit of overkill, but not bad!)

PS, I feel a little like this guy right now.....

951carter · 09-05-2002, 09:26 PM

You are correct.....it is ring. You could find a used tranny for $500 easily. Lots cheaper than repairing the old one and about 2 hours labor if you do it yourself.

I STRONGLY urge you to drive a turbo before buying anything. They may look alot alike but i assure you it is a totally different car in all respects. After i bought my turbo i couldn't stand the thought of driving my 944 n/a.........and this is a 944 with $10k in performance mods! Yes, the turbos are that good. They are also extremely upgradeable to become the baddest car on the block, relatively cheaply.

Z-man · Z-man's Garage

dasMafia:
Take your time in finding the right 944 for yourself. There are many, many bad examples out there. The 944 in Jersey sounds more trouble than it's worth. Reminds me of a 944 I ALMOST bought for $3k, until after the PPI I was told it would take another $4k to fix all the problems!

And there's nothing wrong with BMW! If I weren't such a Porsche nut, I'd probably be looking for a early 90's 3-series...

Regards,
-Zoltan.

dasMafia · 09-07-2002, 07:42 AM

thanks guys, the idea of getting the NA and not the turbo is to curb my "upgrade" budget and not get in too much trouble...

so, basically, NO TURBO. (not that it makes me happy to say that).

I'm having a hard time finding good BMWs at reasonable prices, so many have been hacked up and they just don't handle like the 944s unless they are nowhere near stock, or they are an M3 and both of those put them out of my immediate budget.

The car in jersey seems like it might be OK, I'm trying to find someone to go look at it for me to give me an experts opinion.... any takers?

todd951 · 09-07-2002, 01:48 PM

I've got a '93 325is that I'm thinking about selling. It's completely stock and in excellent condition. Let me know if you're interested.

dasMafia · 09-07-2002, 08:46 PM

I'm surely interested, but am limited budget wise at the moment (money is limited up front, but there is good cash flow to fix things, and lots of free garage space/tools to do the work).. the wife just wants the "initial dollar figure" to be low, and she can do that since she just put me through school!

what do you need out of the car, dollar wise?