I've always loved the 944's but it was always and impractial car for me. Now that I'm a little older and have a little bit more money I started looking into the 944's. Thing is I dont want to jump at one because its pretty and not know anything about it. So I have a couple easy questions for you all. Btw I did search your forum and found some answer to some of my questions these are just some of the leftover questions.

89 Turbo vs the newer 3.0 N/A? Which do some of you prefer and why?...I'm not trying to start a war just which do some of you guys PREFER...oh and which is faster?

Which years do you think should be avoided or what would I want to replace on certain years after a purchaseto be on the safe side?

If I were to buy one I'd like to rebuild the engine myself since this isnt going to be a daily driver. Is rebuilding one of these more difficult then any other car?..Obviously parts will be more expensvie but will they be crazy expensive?

anything else you guys think I should know?...maybe a good place to find a good 944?

Thanks in advance...

Nice forum btw....

-Ryan

 

Turbo - much easier to upgrade power wise. S2 - no turbo lag.
I'd prefer the S2 if you were going to be driving in traffic often, although the rush of the Turbo is hard to beat
There aren't really any years to avoid per say, but for the 16V engines - make sure the cam tensioner parts have been replaced recently (usually along w/ timing belts/etc).

Rebuilding them isn't much different than anything else I'd assume (these are the only engines I've ever opened).

If you find something good, its a REALLY good idea to get a PPI done - lets you know if anything ugly is hiding. Belts have to be replaced every 30-45K miles (based on who you ask) so make sure they aren't overdue. Bad things happen when belts break/slip.

Any of them will be a good choice - drive them both, and don't settle.

 

Ryan, many things to consider. If you are looking for the most fully developed car in this line, go for the 968 produced from 90-96? Anyway, its got the largest motor, 3.0, and the best brakes and suspension components. You really should be able to find one, in good condition, for around 14-16K. Best part of the country is the west coast. Only problem with that is one, most Porsches are sold east of the Mississippi, and some of those, are subject to winter. Read, road salt.

With any of these cars, you will need to make sure that the maintenance is current. If not, be ready to spend some money on updating that. All of these cars have a timing belt that needs to be serviced every 30K miles, and a rubber center clutch disk that will fail. Two suggestions, 1. Find the best example you can afford, and 2. Have a pre-purchase inspection done by a mechanic who KNOWS these cars, read pre-purchase again, as in before you write the check.

Feel free to email me with specific questions. kevin.-baker@sbcglobal.net

 

I have found some great referances for new and future 944 owners here is a list of sites:

http://www.cannell.co.uk/944%20Reference.htm
http://www.connact.com/~kgross/FAQ/944faq.html
http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/1760/
http://944-world.com/buying.html (this one is very good for new buyer)

Let us know which one you buy.
BTW mine is an 84 944 NA,
Most fun I have had in a car in a while including the 2004 and 2005 vettes I sell.

 

I agree with Me944 get a 968 if you can. The cars really did improve upon the (even then) aging 944. The body styling is only slightly different from the 944. The headlights look cool. I would also look at the 1888 944 Turbo S or the 1989 944 Turbo. Great cars - They are built along the same lines as the Turbo Cup race car. As for NA models go with 87-89 models. The 89 models have A 2.7 liter motor. DON'T BUY AN AUTOMATIC. They are slow and lame and just don't do it. Seriously. The 944 S model cars are great but maintenance is even more of an issue than with the standard 944. And it is a big deal with them as well. Both have interference engines and will be severely damaged by a broken timing belt. The 944 S will suffer even more sever damage due to the design of it's 16v head.

Me944 is also right about the clutch and timing belt. Just go ahead and get the belts, pulleys and water pump changed. Spend a few hundred bucks and don't worry about a potential catastrophe. Oil seals can be a problem. Don't let these cars run low on oil. I also listed some obvious things to look for in another post.

There are tons upgrades for any model 944. In one of my earlier posts I listed some of the ones I've completed or am still working on. If you get a chance DYNO the car before you start messing with it. My 1988 944 NA needed some work to get it back to stock HP.

 

Bump... just burying a worthless thread. It would be nice to focus on content here...

 

If I had to choose between the 944Turbo, the 944S2, and the 968, in their original configurations, I would pick the 944S2.

Keep in mind that this is a personal preference choice, based on driving all 3 cars and eing somewhat finnicky and somewhat biased against turbo lag.

The turbo cars do have explosive performance and can be modified somewhat easily to become serious HP monsters. However, I really prefer moderate power with a broader power band (ie: N/A power). If I was a high HP junkie I would be looking toward larger displacement V8 cars like the 928 or 911TT cars.

The S2 has a more "raw" feel verses the 968 due to the fact the cars are lighter and are less-optioned. They were also aimed at a lower demographic than the 968 cars, hence the lower specification.

That's not to say that I don't think that the 968 3.0 motor is not the better of the two engines.

My perfect transaxle car would be one with the 944S2 body style, equipped minimally and low-optioned, with the 968 3.0 motor mated to the 944S2 transmission/gearbox. Of course, Porsche never made that so I am on my own here......

 

Hey Jeremy, can we add a turbo to that car and make it the "perfect" 944?

Regards,

 

Maybe!

In addition to that, I think it needs a 968TurboRS rear wing, a front splitter ala the 1990 Turbo Cup series, and very low option specification (no A/C, no P/S, Manual Windows and Manual Locks). Then, it will be "perfect". Of course, perfection is all in the eye of the driver. Or is that "beholder"? hmmmm. I dunno.

I think my sickness related to pursuing perfection has skewed my take on reality. Anyone know a 12 step program?

 

I'm pretty sure its "beauty is in the eye of the beerholder".... lol Lets delete the sound deadening and seam weld it while we are at it!

Regards,