Hi all. My name is Landon. Brand new to the forum. I've loved Porsches for many years, but never had the opportunity to have one. Well the time has come...

There are two 944's I've got my eye on. Here's the info.

1. 1983 944, 45K original miles , Red/5 speed/ removable sunroof/ Leather/ Alloy rims, and if I remember right from a previous posting, it just had $3k of work done to it. They're asking $5500. I intend to check into what work was just done, but don't know at the moment.

2. 1985 Porsche 944 w/mid year '86 model changes (i.e. 1985.5 model), 98k miles, original owner, only driver, never wrecked, always garaged , documented maintenance, asking $4,800

Thoughts? I love the low miles of No. 1, but everything I read says the 85.5 and later cars are the ones to buy. These sources often point to the nicer interior of the 85.5-and-later cars.

Being that many of you own or have owned 944s, which would you reccomend? What's the better deal here?

Thanks in advance for the advice!

Landon

 

I've had both. At this age, the mileage won't stop the corrosion and deterioration of rubber parts (like seals). I'd go with the 85.5. I've had an 84, an 85.5, and currently an 88.

 

+1 on the 85.5, but I'd really want to see a receipt for a new clutch and recent timing/balance belt service.

 

The low miles might be a plus, but only if the car was properly maintained. I'd take a well maintained 150,000 944 over a 45,000 garage queen that's been maintained under the "fix-it-when-breaks" program.

The later interior versus earlier is a matter of taste. Neither will look particularly impressive compared to a modern car.

 

85.5. The interior is much nicer, the driver position is much more comfortable, the 85.5 is also a bit more refined than the early. You still have the early offset so you can fit some sweet-huge wheels on there, too!

 

Welcome to rennlist, and welcome to the 944 addiction. Funny, but your intro sounds like it came out of an AA meeting. "Hi, my name is Jack. I'm a 944-aholic"
5-digit odometer, so it could easily be 145k. You wouldn't be able to tell from the condition, necessarily. OTOH, it it looks that nice, it probably has been well maintained. However, you don't mention documentation of work with this one. It could have 245,000 miles with a lot of stuff replaced and the paint detailed.

I guess that's lesson 1 about the 944. If you take a $5k 944, put $4k of work into it, you have a 944 that's worth about $5k
This car is cheaper, newer, and has documented maintenance

 

Buy both, give me one.

 

944/2 +1.... get the car inspected the investment will save you money in the long run

 

I think that's the key. As a newer owner (bought an 84 in January) I'm glad I got something well-documented. Plan for everything not documented to need fixing.

I thought it was just hyperbole and good-natured ribbing when a few people told me the above, as well as "every little plastic part will break on you". No, it was actually sound advice.

things not recently documented when I got the car:
starter motor
A/C
fuel pump
various relays
brakes & rotors

things that needed fixing:
starter motor
A/C
fuel pump
various relays
brakes & rotors

If you have no documentation, you have a much more difficult starting point if you run into a problem.

 

is the 85 a manual? automatics are worth a lot less than manuals.

 

Yeah, nothing personal, but I can't imagine buying a 944 that would be an automatic. It seems to me, the whole reason why you would buy a 944 over say, a Crown Victoria or a Cadillac Devilla would be for spirited driving, and that would necessitate a manual transmision.

 

I'll be the first to say it, look for a turbo or never drive one no matter which one you get.

Honestly i'd go with the 85 but its all personal preference!

 

More anti-automatic snobbery. How freaking tiresome.

 

Three major advantages of the 83:

High probability of manual steering. 3 PS 944s have been in my extended family (2 still are), and my 83 is the joy of the bunch to wrench on, at least for front of-engine work. No leaks, no mess in front of the belts.

Manual sunroof. Fewer adjustments, almost no adjustment needed once you have everything all set.

Control arms and balljoints are $40 a side. A basic rebuild kit for aluminum arms will run you double that, and you'll have to have it installed. If you can turn a couple bolts, you're cleared to install balljoints on steel arms.

 

+1 on the control arms, but you can swap in brand new early style arms on an 85.5 or an 86 (early offset) at an attractive cost.