Flipping through the last issue (available to me) of Exc911ence (yes, it's that much 911-focused) I noticed that lo and behold, there's a 944 article! "How not to buy a 944."

The long and the short of it is, that the author gives away our secret about how much bang for your buck 944 cars are. After owning a 914 for 17 years, he's like amazed at the handling of the 87NA in medium to poor condition he's picked up at his local mechanic for such little money, although not without some up front investment in maintenance updates for not getting a better example to begin with. He first apologizes for considering the 944 to be the bottome on the P-car totem pole, and then openly compliments it's superior handling and build quality.

Um, don't even bother trying out a 951. We don't want the "real Porsche" crowd hearing about how much you're going to like that one!

 

Haha!

 

porsche makes 944s? and whats all this 914 talk? i thought they only made 911s!

 

To be fair that magazine has published some of the best 944 maintenance articles ever printed.

 

Geez, must have been those months I didn't browse it, then!

Cheetah Chrome, you've got the idea!

 

yea, i saw that article last week. interesting read. the car had some significant suspension improvements - i think a set of weltmeister sway bars and stiffer springs.

it seems more and more people are finding out what a steal the 944s are.

 

I wouldn't be posting about this if the author hadn't actually gone and said: "$3,500 will buy you a decent 944NA. This is not much money, folks!"

Yeah, we know. I guess we're all just a bunch of cheapskates for favoring these bottom feeder P-cars!

 

So I'm reading this article in the hotel room at Lime Rock a week and a half ago, day one of the DE was a blast in therain and I have the weather channel on while I catch up on Exc911ence to see if the weather will improve. Anywho, I'm reading the article and thinking that the car looks kinda familiar, could be that I've seen it around as the author and I can't live more than an hour apart (maybe a lot less than an hour). I finish the article and turn out the light.
Wake up call is at 5:15, Zoltan has me working the tech line with him, and the in room coffee sucks. The snack bar isn't open yet and I'm a little foggy as I'm checking the torque on a the wheel lugs of a GT3, as I walk to the back of the line I notice the license plate frame on the 944 that's next in line.

The owner/auther turns out to be a longtime NNJR member (I had suspected that) and very skilled driver, and a he seemed to be a nice guy during a short conversation later in the day.

The seats have been changed.

 

The subtitle was "our man discovers pleasure (and pain) when he buys a used 944". I thought oh here we go, timing belt failure. Instead it was some thermostat installed incorrectly and some over heating. Dang, I wish that was all that happend to me! I should write them a letter about the real pain of new valves on a 16V head! My disaster could have been prevented if I had followed what they advise on 10 things to do before buying but a bad thermostat???

 

He didn't go into much detail but it was a lot more than just the thermostat. The shop replaced a good portion of the cooling system (at no cost to him) and even offered to buy the car back.

I didn't tell him the AMW story, think it would have made him feel better?

 

sadface. My subscription must be up. I think my membership here is up too. I also owe a lot of money on a lot of things.
I need a job with some work.

 

Yeah Dave, I guess your story did make me feel a little better, but it might have scared him off! Good thing he has a good shop working with him.

 

I read the artical while flipping through it at the bookstore. I liked the part where he took it for its first ride...something like shot brakes and suspension, didnt even get to open it up and still loved the ride. Great article i think .