Help! Miata vs 944...

[wayner]

I asked my engine guy how many miatas it would cost to rebuild my 911 engine

The answer was from two to four depending on engine specs

[smokintr6]

I daily drove a Miata for 4+ years. It was a really fun car on the street, and every now and then I miss it... but not often. I reached my lifetime limit of buzzy 4500 RPM highway trips, wind noise, and leaks. In general I don't get excited about convertibles, so that could be coloring my opinion. That being said if I HAD to choose between a miata and a 944 as my main mode of "reliable" transportation, I would go miata. Dont get me wrong, I love tinkering with old German cars, I just dont enjoy being FORCED to tinker to get to work.

[djnolan]

Name a car that is 30 years old in design that doesn't need constant tinkering and repairs. Early to mid 80's was the first of the fuel efficient and emission controlled car era. 10 years in design makes a significant difference. In that time OBD2, better materials, seals especially, serpentine belts, and more, make quite a difference in reliability when everything is added up. Why does my 1998 190hp 4000lb ford explorer have equal if not more pep than my 1987 190hp 2800lb 944S?

[jadewombat]

This topic has been covered...several times before.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-autocross-track-racing/887128-boxer-944-track-car-2.html#post8848801

[Rasta Monsta]

Therefore?

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[GoKart]

Awesome responses so far, thanks guys!!!

A couple points:

- Not going to get rid of my 964.
- Not going to get rid of my E30 M3.
- I love German cars... I think I "want" the 944S more, but I don't want to end up spending as much $$$ to take care of it as my 964 ($350+ for a set of ignition wires) because I will be racking up the miles at a rate of ~7,000 per year on an already-100,000 mile car.
- I would like the A/C to work, as it's either pretty hot or very hot in the car when I leave work every day in the summer.
- The car will have to sit outside for 8 hours a day when I'm at work --- not sure if that old Guards Red paint will oxidize quickly in the sun here, but I suspect it will
- The Miata would get a factory hard top, slightly lowered, minimal modifications. The 944S would get some gas put in it, and maybe some Cup wheels.
- I don't have much use for the Miata's convertible top.
- I do zero highway driving when I commute - it is all single-lane mountain/canyon back roads.
- I get to go faster downhill because there is typically less traffic in the mornings. I have to go much slower uphill because there are usually summer tourists wandering their way up the canyon in the afternoons. Thus, power is not a significant factor.
- I know the 944 will feel better at high speed, more solid, etc. But my average speed on these roads is maybe 45mph. I don't think I get about 60mph, and that's only for a short distance.

[smokintr6]

Originally Posted by djnolan

Name a car that is 30 years old in design that doesn't need constant tinkering and repairs. Early to mid 80's was the first of the fuel efficient and emission controlled car era. 10 years in design makes a significant difference. In that time OBD2, better materials, seals especially, serpentine belts, and more, make quite a difference in reliability when everything is added up. Why does my 1998 190hp 4000lb ford explorer have equal if not more pep than my 1987 190hp 2800lb 944S?

Physics says that you're wrong about the explorer, or your 944 is broken. Outside of that there are lots of factors that effect how you interpret the "pep" of your car... Low end torque of a gutless old V6 will probably still have better drive off torque that the 944, especially an S. Also, gear ratios are probably playing a part here too. But the bottom line is horsepower is a measure of how quickly you can turn gasoline into kinetic energy, so there's no way the explorer is quicker all things being as they left the factory, assuming the weights and power you listed are correct.

Sounds like as far as the miata goes, the OP should just drive both and buy whichever one seem like more fun. If the 944 is too much of a pain you can always sell it... Also there are lots of breakers out there, so you can keep a 944 running with used parts as well. It's like putting money back in the bank

[petrolhead611]

They are both sportscars by the definition from the vintage years: a sportscar is one which it not possible to walk through whilst wearing a top hat.(Cecil Clutton)

[wayner]

This was covered in an article in Christopherous in 1973

[Jordanarendt]

Originally Posted by flash968

it's hard for a lot of people, especially people under 30, to imagine what a true sports car feels like, as they really aren't being made much anymore. they have all ballooned up to sports exotics, sports sedans, and sports coupes.

by definition, a sports car is a 2 seat convertible, with no intrinsic value beyond fun. it can't have a big trunk, be able to carry the kids to school, or anything like that. it is purely for sport. it really has noting to do with performance figures, or anything tangible. it is more an esoteric issue, and how the car makes you feel.

a 944, while a good platform for a GT, is not a sports car. even in convertible form, it still has a back seat, and is way too big and heavy.

that being said, it is a good GT, which for most people, is the better choice. it has storage capability, ample room, and reasonable enough handling and power to be fun for most people. after 40 years of driving mostly sports cars, i have now chosen a GT for those same reasons. i could still have a sports car, and would enjoy driving it, but i would rarely get a chance to truly enjoy it. more often than not, i have to sit in traffic, or carry more than a sports car can carry.

that being said, a supercharged 968 cabriolet can be a bit of both. with 300hp, it is plenty fast, and the trunk is surprisingly large, with even more room in the back seats. i know somebody selling a really clean one, if you are interested.

my issue with the 944 is that it is technologically limited, the design is old looking, and they are getting long in the tooth, making reliability an issue. that being said, they are probably easier to get into, and do carry with it the porsche mystique. no miata will ever do that.

very personal choice

Wow, who knew my 911 C4 wasn't a sports car? Learn something new everyday, I guess.

I disagree with your definition of "sports car".

All that being said, unless the people you are putting in the back seat of the 944, or 911 for that matter, are under 10, I would still classify them as sports cars.


Jordan

[flash968]

the 911 is a sports exotic, and a GT. it is not a sportscar.

the same is said of my new targa GTS. not a sportscar.

my ego is not hurt because it is not a sportscar.

[rickharrison]

lol...this thread is still going.

It's sporty and a car = sportscar?

Discuss.

[flash968]

lol - i don't really see the big deal. we classify everything. stuff fits one category or another. i don't understand why people get so butt hurt that their car isn't a sportscar. in my mind, that can actually be a good thing. as a rule, if it's not a sportscar, insurance rates are lower. frequency of perception of being a grown up is higher. resale is easier. repairs are less expensive.

i get that having a sportscar can be an ego bump for some. that's something between them and their bartender though. i have had and loved sportscars. but i need a more useful car now. i need a back seat, not for seating, but for storage room. that puts me in GT territory. i want something really sporty and fast, with a look that shows that off. that puts me in sports exotic territory. so, i bought one that crosses over a bit between them, though arguably it isn't even really a sports exotic, because it has a back seat. that's fine. i'm not butt hurt over it.

[petrolhead611]

Ah yes, but Flash can you walk through your car when wearing a top hat?

[flash968]

lol - actually, yes, but not without getting laughed at for the hat.

[rickharrison]

Just try and crawl across a 944 stick shift...you might get butt hurt if you're not careful! lol

[v2rocket_aka944]

Originally Posted by djnolan

Why does my 1998 190hp 4000lb ford explorer have equal if not more pep than my 1987 190hp 2800lb 944S?

because it has 90 more cubic inches with which to work...

[v2rocket_aka944]

Bob...guess that makes a 914 the last "sports car" Porsche made?

I agree the 944 is more "GT-style"

[flash968]

nope - the boxster qualifies. completely useless car, except for the fun of driving it.

[petrolhead611]

Whilst crawling through a 944 the real danger is that your top hat make become dislodged by the parking brake, thus qualifying it as a true sportscar