I need advice. I am 16 years old (this will not be my first car) and have been into porsche's for awhile. im looking to get a 944 turbo but dont really know where to start. My question is what should i be looking for as of a deal and what should i be checking on the car before i buy it. any advice will be helpful. thanks

 

I posted most of this elsewhere:

I'm new the this forum but have owned 2 944s. I like the 1985.5 models much better that the earlier 944s - I think the interiors look and feel nicer. By 1987 the engines got noticeably stronger. The earlier cars are generally cheaper. I would look at the maintenance records. I would also have the car checked over by a mechanic. Look for any obvious impact damage - one easy way is to check wheel wells (they are plastic) - if they are broken or missing ask why. If you get the car do all of the required maintenance. ESPECIALLY the timing belt. If it breaks you have just double the price of the car. Hope that helps. I would avoid cars priced less than $3500. A poorly maintained 944 is going to fall apart on you. Also consider the very last few years of the 924 (924s?). They are basically 944 engines in the lighter 924 body. I don't think that they don't look as nice but they are quicker than a standard 944 and pretty cheap. Any used sports car is going to cost a few grand in maintenance the first year and a grand or so after that. I do most of the work on my car myself but still spend a lot in minor repairs and maintenance - for things that take special tools like alignments, belt tensioning and etc I go to one specific shop. There is always at least one good shop in town - you pay more per hour but your car actually runs when they are done.

Look around the web there is tons of info on these cars. You should also buy the Haynes Workshop Manual. I've used that book to make repairs that I wasn't sure that I could do.

Hope that helps.

 

x2

It’s impossible to stress that enough! While I like to brag my $2500 ebay find, I was also well aware of what I was getting myself into. The print out was well in excess of 13 pages, and that was pictures alone. The rest was more than 2 pages typed of just descriptions of the vehicle. Needless to say this is anything but the typical sale. I would start with Porsche only dealerships that specify dealings with preowned vehicles; these are always great leads but from the stopping point. These guys will more than likely charge you IN EXCESS of the Kelly Blue Book (or NASD) value, but you are guaranteed a great condition vehicle for your money. Secondly from there search LOCAL magazines such as Auto Trader, and even pimp word of mouth as highly as possible. Especially in the specialized and high dollar car market (Porsche, Lotus, Lamborghini, Ferrari, McLaurn, etc...) word of mouth is extremely powerful and travels fast. And always be patient. As a last resort only look into online sources, but always be sure to get adequate descriptions, and if at al possible meet with the subject and vehicle prior to final judgment.

 

I just noticed that you were looking for a 944 turbo - you are going to spend a lot more than $3500. Don't buy a cheap turbo! Turbo engines endure much more heat and stress. They are built to take it but do require a rebuild (at least the turbo, pipes & etc.) every so often. 944s often get driven like 911s but maintained like Honda Civics. I agree with Mr Pilkington buy from a trusted seller and have a dealer/specialist look it over very closely.

BTW - My first car was an old 914 2.0.

 

DOnt bother with the Hayes 944 manuals. You will need the Porsche workshop manuals ( volumes 1 thru 6) plus a recent PET program. The Hayes manauls as a couple hundred pages while the Porshce workshop manuals are almost 2,000 pages.

 

I have to disagree with you. The worksop manuals and the PET software are WAY more complete, but I've used the Hayes Guide to fix all sorts of things. I will say that it doesn't cover everything. Generally speaking when something is left out the author(s) let you know - often telling you why. When the book does fail me I generally check out clarks-garage.com (they have an great online shop manual) or I ask a mechanic.

 

First, Pilkington; Well put, great advice. Thank you.

Yes, what they all said, "There is nothing more expensive than a cheap Porsche."-anon.

For a well maintained turbo, you are going to spend upwards of $10K. Still the best value for a fun car.

If your budget is more in the $5000 neighborhood, look for n/a's.

 

I sort of disagree with some of the advice in this thread, but I really think that is more because my perspective is different, not because the advice was bad. In general, the more you pay *should* be an indicator of the quality of the vehicle, but in practice, I really haven't found a strong correlation between price and condition. For 944's (and I suspect Porsches in general) the important factors seems to be a PPI first, documented maintenance history second, and ownership by an enthusiast of the model third. There's really no telling what you are getting unless you do a thorough pre purchase inspection with someone who knows the model.

I would strongly suggest that at the age of 16, a 951 is the worng car for you to own (and yeah, I know what I would have done with that sort of advice when I was 16, too... lol). They are maintenance pigs, and can get you into trouble WAY beyond your years when the boost hits. The main thing is just the cost of maintaining it, tho, plan on a minimum of $2000 per year just to keep it running. That does not include upgrades. You would be MUCH MUCH MUCH better off getting an early model 944 and learning about these cars and then decide if you really like them. In my opinion, the early 944 is a lot more fun to drive and own than a 951, if its properly sorted out and is a lot less expensive.

The guys that said decent 951's cost $10k were right.

Regards,

 

Having owned an 83 944, an 86 951, and an 87 924S - I'd have to say the 924S was the best bang for the buck I have ever seen. Excellent examples are available for under $5k and they handle and stop with incredible percision. The 924S would likely take the Turbo off the line (of course it would be way over after the boost cuts in), but the point is they are very fun to drive. My 944 Turbo (also referred to as a 951) is a maintenance ***** that I prefer NOT to drive due to the "risk" of something breaking. Not a good way to go if this is going to be an everyday or only driver.

 

Yeah the 924s with the 944 engine are pretty slick. I've posted that before but no one ever seems to agree. Like I said, I'm not too hip on the body style but the performance is excellent. They are about as close as you can get to a factory 944 club sport. I've driven an 84 944 off and on for about 10 years as well as a few other early models. they handle well but always feel a little sluggish after 3rd gear. My friends 86 feels worse. My 87 (late) had, and my 88 has the higher compression engine with a little extra HP. I really notice the difference. After chipping the car is actually rather quick off the line but with the typical chip trade off... Power out of a turn is much better too. I wouldn't have chipped a 944 but the car came with... nice surprise. My friend's chips didn't seem to do anything for his car.

By far the best 944 I've ever driven was a 944 TurboS. Amazing car. Fast, great handling. As good as any 911 from the era (well almost any). That is NOT a car for a 16 year old.