CN

I am interested in a 944 or 951 for track use only. Should I be getting a 944NA or Turbo? Why? Witch would have better endurance? Why?

I'm sure my questions will result in more questions but I need to start somewhere.

Thanks

Ed 944T

Get the 951, better suspension, better transmission, more power. I have both and the 951 wins hands down.

xsboost90

cheapest, prob. most reliable way to go would be a late n/a 944 87-89. Sure an s2 is quicker but then theres the head stuff, the turbo is quicker than that but theres the turbo stuff. Personally, i like turbos, but if you want a car thats easy to find parts for and semi reliable if taken care of get an n/a.

944Fest (aka Dan P)

Track use only, Turbo. If you don't you'll always wish you did.

JayP

I went NA- the cheapest turbo worth fooling with was $2500 more than the best 944 NA I saw and that was close to showroom condition.

If you're planning on Spec944... then NA. If you want to learn to drive... then NA power (or lack of) will do it.

So yea- you created more questions than answers. What's your plans?

Either way is hard to go wrong. Just make sure the car has some history of maintenance!

MomentumGuy

Ahhh, one of the questions that ignites a holy war on the 944 board. If you want to really start something just go over to the Racing/DE forum and ask which is better between a 951 and 911.

If the question is reliability, then you need to take a close look at the maintenance records as JayP has recommended, and be sure you have your own mechanic look the car over.

Assuming a good mechanical condition and a stock setup, both models should prove to be very reliable. As the car is modified be sure to consider what might be impacted to reduce the reliability - it may not be immediately obvious. For example, the handling upgrades on my car caused oil starvation as I started taking corners much faster around the track and finished off a rod bearing.

The best thing you can do is drive the cars side by side. My guess is you'll want the 951.

Tom R.

short term NA, long term 951. problem is the 951 is a lot of car for a beginner.

944Fest (aka Dan P)

This sounds like a fun problem to have if you can afford it. Since you already have a 993 in the stable and this is a track toy, I'll assume a couple of grand extra isn't going to break the bank.

CN

Yes sir, about $15k +/- is about what I would like to spend this year to see if I like it. This will include breaks, tires & suspension. I can get an NA 944 to start with for about $10K in great shape. The rest will be for parts. All other costs of club racing will come out of my wifes credit card budget

944Fest (aka Dan P)

Club Racing? Yikes! How much track experience do you have?

CN

Only a bit of lapping. I will start very slowly as this will be a part time hobby. My brother-in-law is into solo1 and has invited me to come out with him to start. If I like it, I will dive in deeper.

V2Rocket

Shoot, if you choose a 944 for track-only duty, don't go for one that's a pristine condition one--if you've got that much money you can afford to get a beater and fix it up. The ones in good condition should be spared the fate of being stripped.

SamGrant951

Have you ever been to a club race? (Not DE) Many of the cars there are very low mileage, ie mostly track only from day one...why buy a beater so he can waste his time fixing it if he has a budget of 10-15k for a nice car from the beginning? Thats retarded.

ZPmadA

I had my 951 for slightly over 2 years and its just been tires, gas, oil, timing belt, dme relay, turn signal relay, clean air filter and many days spent waxing... same if I had a 944. Then again I purchased for around 10k and didn't buy a $2500 turbo. Mine was set up for the track prior to purchase too. The rule is pay now or pay later. You save more money paying now but it takes longer finding a car with everything done that you'd want.

Edit: Also make sure you don't pay 10k for a $2500 turbo. That would be a big mistake.

CN

Thanks for all the great responses!!! This is exactly what I was looking for and why I love Rennlist!!!