s.i.s944

As my grad. present my parents are willing to go 50/50 with me on the car of my choice. I love the 89 951 and the 89 S2 but i cant pick one over the over. Please keep in mind i already have a 944 as a daily driver. So the 951 or S2 will be "lightly" driven . I know the turbo req. more maintenance and the clutch is easier on the s2 however ive done some research and lindsey racing makes a cut off pipe for the 951 so it makes the clutch easier to change for the next time. The the only big thing im really uneasy about on the 951. Any other little details that i should beware of.? Me and my dad will be doing all the maintenance our selfs. Opinions.? Comments.?

-Saul

knfeparty

depends on if you want to do organized racing or not. A turbo would be fun because you can get so much power out of mods, but then you would be in a tough class.
If it is just going to be for-fun driven, I think an S2 would be nicer. since it is more "driveable" throttle-wise.

Auto_Werks 3.6

Saul,

Go for the turbo! Once you consider the added maintenance and risk regarding keeping the timing chain on the 16v engine in working condition, Maintenance is almost a wash. Doing a clutch on theses cars is not fun weather there is a wastegate there or not! If you buy a nice well maintained car, you will never notice extra maintenance on the turbo. Even if they are a little more work to keep on the road, boost is addicting!! I have driven my turbo as a semi daily driver for 11k miles, with no turbo specific problems. (knocking on wood)

xsboost90

late cars have the updated crossover anyways.

bluedevil

Well since you have a 944 you might as well go Turbo. So much is out there for the Turbo cars then the NA models so make this your hobby car and enjoy. The only reason I would say the S2 is if you going to race in that group.

Tom R.

tough choice. even tougher choice is deciding which car to drive when there is a set up 951 in the garage, and a stock S2 in the driveway.

i leaned towards the S2 most days. I leaned towards the 951 when i was going to the track. when it came time to make a decision on which to keep i put both up for sale. the 951 went, and the S2 is getting set up for DE.

the suspension is the same, the interior is the same, the S2 has ABS while it is an option on a 88 951.

When I drive the S2 I dont miss the turbo lag, i do miss the kick of the turbo. when i drove the turbo i missed the low end grunt.

Bottom line, since the suspenison is the same, if it is mostly street S2, mostly track 951. The S2 is a much better driver with the low end torque, but i know i will be sucking 951 exhaust coming out of turns on the track.

Giantviper

Personally if I only had 1 944 I would probably go with the S2 becuase it is the best of both worlds. Reliability of the N/A with the power of a turbo. But since it will be the weekend drive / garage queen I think you should go with the turbo for 2 reasons. Number one boost can jsut be so much fun and number 2 the mod possibilites for the turbo are endless compared to the S2.

82-T/A

Man... your parents are willing to pay for half your car, any car, and you go for an old 80s vehicle? Why not get something a bit more modern that you can use and won't have to worry about constantly buying parts for? Old cars are great, but they WILL break if it's your daily driver. Unless you've immediately landed a great job, or plan on living at home... I'd get something a bit newer. You don't exactly have to set your sights for a Bugatti Veyron, but maybe a nice Pontiac G6, or a Nissan Maxima, or whatever suites your needs.

Just a word of advice...

V2Rocket

either way buy Tom R's car :]

s.i.s944

I was leaning toward the turbo as well but i wasnt too sure how well the car held up. How bad is the lag on the turbo.? I've always prefered an NA because of the quick snap of the throttle but the turbos at high rpms are amazing. How big is the difference in the power between the 951 and the s2.? I dont think i'll do organized racing, its a little to expensive for me. Ill just stick to a weekend drive out in the wine country. the reason why i picked a car from the 80s is because new cars almost never break down. So i wont have anything to do when i get home from work.

xsboost90

turbo all the way- if you maintain them they are pretty reliable.

judd944

Get a Boxster S!

s.i.s944

Boxters are out of my price range and to be honest i prefer the 951 they are a little less comenly seen. Now is any one planning on selling thier 951 in the near future? What are the biggest things to look.? I know maintenance records is a must, and a CA car would be great. Do these cars have smog problems.? i would want to get one in good shape but with a little work needed so i can add my touch to it.

Keithr726

I had a 83NA for two years and it was reliable. I now I've had a 951 for a year, its now used as a weekend car but I did use it as a daily driver for 3 months and it was great. What are you guys talking about no low end?? I sure don't think so, even before I added the LBE I still had good low end.

The only thing with the 951 is the up keep. Frequent oil changes are a must and parts cost a lot more than a normal 944. If you were going to use it as a daily driver you'd need to look for a well kept car and be ready to shell out a lot of money for parts. You might want to consider a 968 since they have similar power to a 951 but the reliability of a NA.

Hope that helps and I look forward to meeting you around sometime.