bs951

I agree with the majority. I've owned a 951 and now a 944S. Both are weekend and drive to work on nice day cars. My DD is a 03 Subaru Outback. I also have a 73 Bronco for summer fun.

A Porsche for a DD will take the financial means to stay on top of maintenance and some experience in DIY wrenching. Good luck.

Dan Shea

My .02, YMMV

I got my 944 n/a for when I was 15 for $1,500, needed a new clutch and paint work. Over the 17yrs of ownership, it's been put into DD use out of necessity for some extended periods. I was always buying something else to get me from November to May in upstate NY. I'm on my second engine, about a 4 year lay-over where the car wouldn't start (I had other projects), and I've replaced almost everything on the car suspension wise. So it was a cheap buy in, but expensive hobby spaced out over time.

My suggestion, buy an early 2000s Honda/Toyota for DD, and when you have subsequent funds to have a toy, buy the toy and use it as such. You need something reliable to tot you back and forth to work/school. Most jobs don't accept "I'm late for work today because my DME relay quit and I had to fashion a jumper wire to get my car to start", or "I'm sorry I can't come in because it's raining and my $500 wiper motor quit working." They'd fire you and hire a person that made good life decisions.

Also, the 30+ year old 147hp 8v motor is probably going to be slower than said Honda, less enjoyable commuting back and forth in traffic, and won't be faster through the corners until you spend more money than the car on replacing old suspension pieces. 944 N/a is not a car that rewards you constantly with monster power on the street, it's a momentum car that rewards good cornering with faster exit speeds. Long, straight, stop-n-go traffic, is not the N/a 944s forte, and will get smoked by about 80% of modern cars on the road today.

Where this car excels is on the track. So the long winded response... invest in your future, and get a solid DD(air con, cruise, radio etc) as your first car. Save your money and buy the 944 as your second car for autocrosses, weekend adventures, sunny days, or a track toy and you will enjoy it that much more.

RJ80

Take it from me (someone who owned a project 914 in high school and a project 911 in college). Buy a good, reliable car first. Then start dipping your toes in project sports cars that are relatively easy and cheap to keep running (Fiats, MGs, etc). Basically, something that will give you a taste of the experience without bankrupting you.

It wasn't until I stepped down to a car that was less expensive to maintain in college ('76 Fiat X1/9) that I really began to enjoy sports car ownership.

I wouldn't recommend a 944 today unless you have another mode of transportation AND at least a couple grand in the bank at all times. A sports car should enhance your life, not turn it into a state of constant stress.

Tom R.

Bottom line, one big repair is more than the car is worth. What does a clutch job cost?

My buddy and I share a 944S. The PO replaced a lot of parts. This weekend we will know if it needs a clutch. If it does, even though it has a lot of new parts it wont be worth much period!

It isn't pretty, and it isn't ugly. My buddy may want the garage space back since he just picked up a 968. I may buy him out, evict one of my BMWs for the winter and try to replace the clutch, then give it to my daughter as her DD/my DE car. She who must be obeyed isn't fond of that idea, she doesn't want the kid's first car to be 30 years old.

I told the boss the rule would be AAA card in the car, and don't drive it more than a ten mile radius from the house (that gets her to downtown), and if she is driving farther than ten miles take the S80 (Not the M Roadster or the 128i).

If it is your only first car, I say no. 30 year old fuel lines, brake lines?

Voith

5-10 year old Hyundai is a good first car.