Graufuchs

I had a 944 for 5 years before "stepping up" to a 911. Everyone here is dead on correct....
Porsche actually filed a lawsuit against mazda in the early 80's, which they lost obviously.
I always loved the 944's and always will but the 911 is a totally different beast...and a beast it is.

Both are great cars on and of the track but the 944 will be a bit more suited for a daily driver than a 911 and a bit less expensive to fix.

WitchDoctor

'Morning Gents,

Thank you for all your helpful thoughts, comparisons, experiences. I really think it might be in my best interests to drive a 911 or two. The driving experiences you are all describing sound more like what I'm interested in. Well, to a point. I don't want the feeling of pushing the car to the limits where it resembles driving on a skating rink.

Oh, and speaking of winter activities, how do they do in the snow? I live in Calgary.

(Ok, JOKE, JOKE, JOKE. I would NEVER....)

-Brent

1986951

If you want 944 handling and 911 acceleration, drive a 968 and see what you think...

And you can even do a clutch swap yourself in under four hours on the 968!

And your A/C can even be made to work!!! Not that you need it much in Calgary!

Peter Zimmermann

'86951: What a great point! The first time that I drove a 968 I thought, "Whoa, this car is cool!" Porsche finally got the 944 family right, really right! I bought a 944 new in '83, and in later years owned an '84 and an '86. Cheap thrills, but very mechanic dependent. When the engine in the '86 blew I donated the car to charity, made more with the tax write-off than I could have sold the car for. Anyway, back to 968s. How, I wonder, would you find a good one? Bakersfield and its surrounding towns is now just under half a million population; I have never seen a 968 here, nor have I seen one in the Classifieds. By the way, while owning those 944s (each for less than two years), I always also had a 911 - absolutely could never be without one!

WitchDoctor

Ok, my 911 lust is really growing here.

If I can broaden my initial question a bit, I'm understanding that the routine annual care and feeding of a 944 should be in the 1500 to 3k ball park. I read from this forum that a 911 is generally more. Thoughts?

By the way, my intended use is fair weather only driving, May thru Oct, maybe to and from work a couple days a week, but mostly evening/weekend driving for the enjoyment of driving. 2 or 3 trips per summer to the West coast, 1200 miles round trip.

-Brent

jester911

If you are not driving it everyday a 911 will serve your purposes very well. Cost wise should not be any more than 1500 a year assuming you get a solid car to begin with.
The more diy stuff you can do the less the cost will be. Don't buy a car without a pre-purchase inspection. Be prepared to look at and drive as many cars as you can.
Try not to fall in love with the first car you see. If you take your time you can do well and your ownership will be much more rewarding.
Good luck.

WitchDoctor

Jerry,

Good tips. Thanks for the estimate. That helps. Also the ability to do a certain amount of my own work is a good point. The 944 engine is a pretty tight squeeze, but I'd always assumed access to the 911 motor was at least as difficult, if not more so.

-Brent

KC911

Buy a well sorted 80s 911, and UNLESS something out of the ordinary happens, I think those figures are WAY high for a 911. Caveat, I'm talking about normal maintenance that you HAVE to do, not the stuff that many of us CHOOSE to do once we've been bitten by the bug . If you consider that an 80s 911 will not depreciate significantly, I find that annual costs (depreciation and maintenance) are actually lower than almost anything new that you buy. I'd venture that on a well sorted 80s 911, the annual maintenance would average less that a grand per year. Caveat: while ongoing costs are relatively low, you MUST be prepared for big ticket item if/when they occur, PARTICULARLY if you're paying a pro to do it for you. One other thing...I'd never really worked on cars (other than changing oil) before purchasing my 911, but since then, I've performed all maintenance (and a LOT more with the help of these boards) and haven't needed a pro (yet). Good luck, and the search is part of the fun!

Keith
'88 CE coupe

UberXY

I've had five rear engined Porsches - 3 911s and 2 356s. I have to say that every once in awhile I have seen a nice wide bodied 944 that has caught my eye, but I have never had any interest in owning or driving one.

On the other hand, I figure there will be a 928 GTS in my future as soon as I accept that the Panamera is priced beyond my comfort zone...

Steve
84 Carrera
62 356C
02 G500
00 M5

nineoneone

I have both a 84 944 and an 87 911, So, I have the best of both worlds. The 44 is a good driver with easy to operate controls and A/C, well balanced and you can tell it. But the ricers will fly by you and that's not a good feeling. The 911 is my daily driver and has been for 3 yrs, The 944 sits in yard I do crank it and drive it around the hood and to the store sometime but not often. It is in need of a set of tires or I would propbable drive it more often. I still like the look of the 944. My daughter wants it real bad but not sure if that's a good idea, yet. The Carrera is so good in zippy traffic, I live 35 miles east of Atlanta and drive to Buckhead daily. The 100 degree days of Now are no fun in Atl traffic with no a/c but, I grew up with out a/c in our home until what mid-70's. Take the advice to drive both and a 968 or 951 and you understand more than you think. Good luck with your search.

srf506

They are both good cars. I owned an 83 944 and it was a blast to drive. Very easy compared to the 911 to drive consistently quick right out of the box. The 911 has more HP and is a completely different animal, but its more of a handful to drive near the limit. Both have quirks and both take maintenance. Neither is what I'd call cheap to operate, but the 944 may have a slight advantage on the 911 there.

My advice is always buy the best your budget can afford. If you can get a really nice 944 vs a "rougher" 911 for the same money I'd say get the 944, unless of course your want to make a hobby project out of the 911.

I don't think you can go wrong with either decision. Good luck and let us know what you decide.

rentadate

Jumping in here. I drive a 911 as a daily driver. A 75 with an 83SC engine. Lets just say it has a "statement" about it. I drive it for the stares as well as the thrill. The heater sucks *** in the winter, but who cares? I look cool. (no pun intended) As long as you have snow tires at least on the rear your car will work very well in the snow. obviously you can't push it really hard around corners or brake that easily in the snow. Caution is always a must in the snow.

I just got mine restored and repainted. I pick it up today after 2 months of being stripped and built from the ground up.

old man neri

I would have to disagree with this, either get 4 winter tires or get none, don't get two. It will lead to unpredictable handling as half the car grips and the other does not. Anyways, if you are going to get winter tires and wheels, why go half way?



This I agree with.

Of course the best solution is to get a 'winter beater' so you don't have to worry about salt and rust, also makes a good 2nd car in case the P-car is down for maintenance. Just my $0.02

Giantman

I have a 911SC and a 944 Turbo. Love them both but the one I am thinking about selling is the 944. It's the better car in most every way, modern handling, plenty of storage, more refined etc and that exactly it's problem. Without the character of the 911 modern cars like the Honda Civic Type R, WRX, EVO etc do what the 944 does but a whole lot better and without all the headaches that older cars bring to the table.

You may drive a 911 and think it's a clunker. Agricultural is a word you hear a lot to descrbe the early ones. But once you read and learn about them and drive them more and more they get under your skin in a big way, and stay there!

Good luck

rentadate

I had odd sized tires, so having the snows on the rear with the wide track it makes all the difference. In his case living in Canada he would benefit from having a set of 4. Seeing here as it only snows every so often in the Metro Area in Denver, it didn't make sense. The front tires were skinny enough to go through small snow storms. I got mine through the blizzard last year with no problems.