Skwerl

I'd also recommend getting a turbo...I got my S2 (for $11k, 78k miles) and wish often that I had gotten a turbo. They can be much faster, and bought much cheaper. I'd be surprised if you can get one for $8000, at least in a worthwhile condition. A good turbo can be had for that, though, or less, and then you could spend some $$ on upgrades and make it a rocket.

Need_an_S2

I don't plan on doing any mods what-so-ever. Whatever car I do purchase will remain as close to stock as possible for as long as I own it.

Need_an_S2

I'm still trying to get an idea of Total Cost of Ownership. Assuming that I find a car that has been well taken care of and has all maintenace up to date, what can I expect to spend per year on up-keep of these cars? I'm not talking about oil changes or gas, either.

Tom R.

First off you are kidding yourself if you say no mods whatsoever as long as you own it.

You can pay 300+ at the dealer for crappy front struts or 150 for Konis that were options on other 944s.

The radio sucks and the tape deck often doesnt work....

How bout those crapy lookin 16" wheels it came with. Oh yeah 17" Boxster take offs are shiny new....

K&N air filter fits where the old one went... Should we go into rubber vs spring centered clutch etc.

I've got 20K into the car as we speak. New clutch 1200, batttery 100, oil cooler seals 300, brakes 400, ss brake lines100, window repair200, 2x upper radiator hose300, alpine radio & 4 speakers 500, boxster rims & tires 1650, roller bearings 600, floor mat65, books 200, saratoga top 400, convert to r12 350, cam tensioner ramp 75, K&N 50, koni shocks 540 (parts), synthetic tranny fluid etc......

the above includes labor to a friend/wrench.

that was for a car with 56k, no paintwork ever, a very clean interior etc when I bought it sept '00.

RJP 951

I think the total production for 951's was about 25,000, with only 15,000 or so imported into the US.

Doug944s2

Hi Need_an_S2,

Here's a bit of info:

**Gas tank holds about 21.0 gallons (pretty big!).
**My best mpg (single tank) was 26.6, driving from TX to CA, averaging about 80 mph. A/C was on for the whole trip, as ambient temp never dropped below 100 degrees F!
**I average about 19 mpg around town, with medium-heavy throttle usage.

Maintenance costs won't be appreciably higher than other n/a cars. As mentioned before, it's critical to replace cam-chain tensioner at 100K miles. Air filter replacement takes a while (you have to take off the sheet-metal nose panel between the headlights for access). And plug wires are $$$$, though it's not like you have to do this at every oil change. The engine bay is very uncluttered compared to a Turbo's, so it's easier...uh, let's make that less difficult to work on. For instance, the timing belt is really easy to get to for those 15K-mile adjustments.

The S2 sounds perfect for you, as you don't want to modify the engine. I'm the same way...very content with 208 bhp (maybe more with my new underdrive pulleys) and no turbo lag.

Good luck in your search!