jaibeiber

944=150 hp i think, 944S=188 hp, 951=217 hp, 944 turbo S= 240 roughly i think.

Deepice

You sound like some one who would like to have a rice killer but not break your piggy bank.


So I am going to recommend a 944 turbo.

You can get a good car at a reasonable price, drop a few thousand on Go fast stuff. plus they are more plentiful than the other cars

and have a great car.

MWymard

deepice, you said it perfectly...i want something that will take out most on the road (in the form of imports) yet not getting 20K to 25K deep into my pocket...the mustang i drive now is a friggin moneypit, i easily have 20 grand in it, itll smoke a lot of cars, but i just want something new and somewhat classy...so a Turbo S should be the route i go???

Deepice

Turbo S is going to be hard to find, and a good one is going to be some money.

You can buy a 944 turbo and spend a little money and bring it up to the level of a turbo s and even surpass quite easily.

The second thing you need to do is join Rennlist.

Pay the 17.95 it will give you good karma when you go to buy the car

MWymard

hey deepice...are there any good magazines that have info on 87+ 944s rather than just the typical magazine that talks about no Porsche's produced before 1999???

Deepice

Excellence it the bible around here

Doug944s2

A 944S (1997-1998) is a 2.5-liter, normally aspirated engine with a 16-valve head; makes 188 bhp and looks pretty much like a standard 944 from the outside (though I believe some had the rear under-bumper diffuser). Over-4000-rpm performance is improved from standard 944.

A 944S2 (1989-1991) has a 3.0-liter normally aspirated engine with a 16-valve head, makes 208 bhp. Has 944 Turbo bodywork and Turbo's 4-piston Brembo brakes. Difficult to get much more power out of them, but great low-end torque and no turbo lag makes them great auto-X cars. Came in Cabrio form (1990 and 1991, I think).

A 968 (1992-1995) has an engine quite similar to the S2's, but with the addition of VarioCam that varies the intake cam's timing, for a total of 236 bhp and an even sweeter powerband. Though the basic midsection is all 944, the nose is kind of a 993/928 hybrid, and the taillights seem to dip into the 928 gene pool as well. Also available in Cabrio form.

Sounds like you want to go the high-power route with modifications, so a Turbo is the way to go. I'd get a Turbo S with a limited slip, if you can find one.

Good luck!!

Dave

The Turbo S is the best bet if you are going to leave it stock, if you are going to mod it, a straight turbo is the best way to go. A Turbo S adds 30 hp or so by changing out a few parts. Those parts are the same ones that most people change out first, for instance, the turbo in the S is larger than in the regular 951 but if you want to go larger than that..... There's no point spending more for a car that has a few upgrades, if you are only going to replace those parts anyway.
The best car to modify is probably the '86 951. it is the lightest, as somebody already mentioned. It was the only year that came with forged rods, so it has the potential to be a bit stronger. The wheel offset issue changes depending on what you are looking for, the strongest and lightest wheels that fit our cars are forged, as opposed to cast. Among these is the Fuchs, there are few wheels that are as strong and as light, and most of the others will set you back alot more $$$. Fuchs were only made in the early offset. The newer styles only fit the '87 und up cars, but they will be heavier unless you are willing to spend.

Dave951M

Get an 86 turbo for about $6-8k in the best shape your can find. Don't be too put off by mileage, worry more about records and upkeep of the previous owner. These cars last a really long time if well cared for, so 100+k miles isn't really a problem. Then the fun starts, buy go fast parts, go faster. This IS NOT a drag car. Off the line, there are a whole lot of cars that can beat you, for a while. These cars shine on a twisty road, will go from 40 to 100 like a rocket, and still style with the best. Funniest part is, a kid in my son's school has over $14k in his hunduh, and at the end of the day, it's still a 1.8l hunduh, at more than twice what I have a Porsche for.

Dave

Deepice

What ever you do don't buy a 924 Automatic.

Dave951M

If you really want to get crazy, get a 931, 81 or 82 model. Nobody much knows what it is, it's cheap, easily modified to over 250hp. Strip it down to about 2k in weight, strap it, shut up and hang on. This car is really the Rodney Dangerfield of the Porsches. I just love the Q-ship concept. Blow the doors off even a Porsche with the 924, gotta love it.

MWymard

OK guys, you have some great information!! What is the bible around here? excellence? is that a magazine or book? i think im kinda stuck on the '86 Turbo...what is the horsepower ratings and other things stock? do they come with brembo brakes? whats the deal withthe wheels on these 86's? what wheels actually fit this car and which ones dont...anyway, i think i found a car i can finally look for! (do the 86's look like the 87's+...? dumb question, i know, but im a newbie!) thanks!!

Dave951M

Stock 86 951 has about 217hp, four piston calipers, the only funky thing is the wheel offsets. They look nearly identical from the outside to the later models, except for wheels. Don't be put off by the hp figure, that is easily brought up by chips and wastegate mods, to like in the 250 range. From there, only money limits how far you can go. There are some 951's running around rumored to have over 500hp. Check out Powerhaus' website, but hold on to your wallet. Good stuff, expensive though. Go drive one and enjoy!

adrial

Going by the book an 89 951 (same as 88 turbo S as mentioned) weighs 100lbs more than a 86 951. (951 = 944 turbo).

The book I'm speaking of is the manual that came with the car...

What Dave said is 100% correct regarding Turbo S vs. Turbo...If you're going to start upgrading (which you want to), start with a regular turbo and go from there. When you start upgrading stuff in a turbo S (or 89 turbo), you get rid of everything that makes it special (and more expensive).

If I wanted to go fast, I would go with an 86 and have a ball...
If you want a fast daily driver...I would go 87+ and get something with ABS at least...and airbags if you like.

--Adrial

Dave

Excellance is a magazine, some consider it a bible but it obviously can't be all things to all people.
All the turbos (including the S) and the S2, share the same body. All of them also have the 4 piston Brembo brakes, IIRC piston sizes varied a little from year to year, but there were no big changes.
Wheel offsets changed for the 944/951 models in the beginning of '87, the early cars had 23.3 mm offset, the later cars got 53.3mm. The most common wheels, "phonedials", were made in both offsets. Fuchs were made only in the early offset and were forged so they are very light and strong. These are the only factory wheels that will bolt up to an '86 951. Newer wheels are all 53.3mm offset and will bolt up to the '87-'89 951, or can be installed on an '86 with either spacers or by swapping a handful of suspension parts. Aftermarket wheels are available for either offset, but there are very few aftermarket wheels made for Porsches compared to what you are used to and decent quality starts at $500/wheel (and goes up fast)