fourside

Nevermind guys. No more posts like this!

EdC

You don't have a clue of how expensive buying a "cheap" Porsche will be.

ivai

Werd.

nickg

well perhaps Porsche's are not for you...they kinda suck for drag racing. The N/A might make 13 seconds if it gets dropped from a low flying C147 or using a JATO

SD Porsche Fan

I would walk away from any 944 turbo for that money unless you are a skilled wrencher on these cars. You are only going to be in for a bunch of problems and big dollar updates and repairs. You might be able to find an NA for $3k that hasn't been neglected but it won't be concours either. You can improve handling with mods but you won't get much more power from the 2.5l NA with out massive/extreme/expensive upgrades. The general concensus here is to just get a turbo if you want more power.

Have you considered a 914? Inexpensive, easy and affordable to work on. A blast to drive and an excellent auto-x candidate.

IMO you may be looking for the wrong tool for the job if you want fast 1/4 times. Even a turbo isn't meant to be "launched". These are long legged, deep breathing cars. Designed for Autobahn rather than 0-60.

Auto_Werks 3.6

Joe,
there is almost zero chance of finding a turbo, (and probably an S) for 3k without it needing a ton of work to be usable. You might be ok with a 944 in your price range, but having a car like that as your only transportation will mean that you will probably need to be good with a wrench, or be willing to learn how to work on the car. There is quite a "porsche tax" for maintaining these cars. I hate to be as skeptical as I am because I am selling an 89 for just slightly above what you are looking to spend, and I would like to think it would still make a great daily driver, but my price is also low because I am in a little bit of a hurry to get it sold. If I was looking for a budget porsche to have as my only car, I would probably save a little longer and buy a 924 S. They have the same engine as a regular 2.5 944, but they are lighter, and would probably be a little more fun. Good luck, and don't buy something that you aren't sure about, just because you want a "porsche"

Giantviper

not to scare you away becuase these cars are amazing but Edc is very right

A car like one of these the maintncance and parts costs are very high comparitivly to others. Also 944s are not 1/4 mile or 0-60 time cars they were built for handling and driving on road courses. Not for drag racing. In other words they may not have the best 1/4 mile or 0-60 times but becuase of the engineering and handling charictaristics they are much faster then car with faster 0-60 and 1/4 mile times around a track. (called the best handling cars of the 1980s)

But these cars can be very rewarding to own. My advise would be find the best (meaning best maintained car) you can afford and make sure you have a porsche certified inspection before you buy it (the best 200 dollars you will ever spend and could save thousands in repairs later on) as it will tell you what is wrong with the car and how much you will need to do to get the car into top shape.

Both 944s and 928s are great cars to own and tons of fun to drive but you must understand what you are getting into. They are older cars that will requier some maintanance and upkeep costs. Especially right after you buy it to get it into good running condition do not expect to spend 3 grand and have a perfect car. These cars in great shape sell for 7-10 or more grand depending on the model. But if you treat them well they will be fun to drive, reliable, and fun to own.

As far as upgrades they can be done but to do them right they can get expensive to do correctly but they are there.

I hope this helps. Sorry for such a long post. And good luck in your search for a new car.

black944 turbo

You will spend 3k in repairs in one year without breaking a sweat. A 928 is even worse on repairs. Nice cars but all are old and all are GERMAN!!!!!!! They break and they break often. Just to give you an idea the timing belt needs to be changed every 40k and tensioned every 15 or so. That job is close to 1k, good luck. I would also say get something slower than a 928 or a Turbo for your first car. Then after a few years look back at a Porsche. You will be glad you waited.

black944 turbo

A decent car will normally be 8k and up.

Legoland951

8k to 11k depending on the specifics and year etc. A sub 14 second 1/4 mile car for $3k will probably include something like a 74 camaro with a 383 stroker. Only the 928 S4 5 speed will get you sub 14 in magazine times but in reality its still above 14.

Jfrahm

A realistic budget for getting a 944 Turbo is $8000. There are decent ones out there for $5500 (sold one for that myself which was a fine daily driver) but generally if you pay $5-6K you will be on the hook for several thousand in repairs and catch-up maintenance. Old turbos are pretty tough to live with on a budget and as an only car/daily driver.

If you are really wanting a 'fast' car on the 1/4 mile sense, there is no point in getting a 944 NA or 944S. They are great cars but not what you are looking for. Even a 928 for 2x your budget is not going to seem fast in a 1/4 mile. A 32V 928 or a Euro S is probably the minimum there, you might be able to buy a project for $4-$5k and be driving and enjoying it several thousand dollars later.
Since you threw back that bargain Euro S project the gods probably won't give you another deal like that anytime soon.

I recommend getting reliable transportation and taking a run at the P-car (as a second car / project car) when you are ready. If you are determined to spend to little on a carm drive it hard and try to keep it running, you might look for an old Saab 900 turbo. They are fun and quite fast with boost control and water injection. Not too hard to work on and lots of good used parts are available.

-Joel.

fourside

Alright thanks for the information. Actually I have no intention to drag race, that was just my way of translating speed :/

Alos

Even if you could find a turbo for 3k it would not be worth it. Sure you might save some money initially if you buy a Porsche for under 3k or at 3, however it will probably cost you at least that to fix all of the crap wrong with it. Buy a 944 for 3k. Clutch job 1400-1800 depending on where you go, belts up to about 1200, tires 400-600. It can get costly real fast. I have owned my 944 for 5 years and owned a Corvette before that and all I can say is that although a 944 might be a cheaper initial purchase, it can be a killer to have it fixed. Most sports cars are like that. It is much better to spend a few more thousand for a car with a good service history then to save initially and ending up having to fix the control arms or clutch or a blown transmission, shortly after you buy it. The 944 is one of my all time favorite cars, so don't get the wrong idea, I am just saying that if you have to buy a cheap one then you are probably in too much of a rush. Please just take some time save your money and buy a 944 that comes with a good service history.

Erzengal

I'd say go for a nice newer Toyota or VW for a first car. Good lower maintaince, and good resell value. If you want a nice turbo'd car, an older Supra Turbo are good buys, and similar to the 944.

If you really want a quality Porsche, try to spend at least 4.5-5k for a N/A 944. One with good records, and that has received regular maintaince. Also try to keep some cash in savings for any unexpected repairs.

You can get these cars for 2.5-3k, yes, however the chances that it will need another 3k in work is high with those. Belts, Clutch, and Water Pump can easily do that to you.

944 Turbo's require more maintaince, and while can be used as a daily driver, I wouldnt recommend it on that kind of budget.

aeronautica86

sounds like you need a DSM or 5.0 stang....