"Thanks, guys - all of that info helps a lot. $6K is not including maintenance, and I may be able to bump it up a bit. We'll see. Time to do more research... "
Yeah, for about $5-7K you can pick up a decent '86 944 Turbo (the most common model-year, more than all the rest combined). Add in $1-2k in misc. maintenance to ensure it's up to spec. and you're set! In stock trim, it'll do:
0-60: 6.1s
1/4-mile: 14.2-14.4s @ 91mph
60-0: 123ft
skidpad: 0.88-0.91
most importantly.. 155mph top-speed
With just a basic $300 chip-kit upgrade, you're looking at TurboS performance:
0-60: 5.5s
1/4-mile: 13.6-13.9s @ 97-103mph
top-speed: 162-165mph
Add another $975 for a MAP/MAF upgrade and you're in supercar territory:
0-60: 4.7-5.1s
1/4-mile: 13.2-13.5s @ 101-107mph
top-speed: 169-175mph
There's a reason the '87+ cars came with a higher 180mph speedo compared to the 160mph one in the '86 cars...
too many warrantee repairs to fix bent speedo needles..