Wow, good thread. I fell in love with the 944 back in '83 when they came out. I was 23 and working a low wage job and there was no way I could even think about buying one. I never gave it much thought for years after that. Fast forward to 1995. I bought a moderately crapped out '68 VW bug to get back and forth to work. Well as a died in the wool car guy, I started dumping money into it and in a couple years it ended up with a nice paint job, new wheels and tires, all new suspension bits, and a very strong 1915cc, dual carbed engine with about 150hp. This thing would blow away 5.0 Mustangs and most Camaros and Firebirds. I had it about 75% done from the way I wanted it and ended up getting married. The car sat untouched for a couple years and it drove me nuts seeing it unfinished and knowing it probably would never be done so I started to think about selling it to get something that was not so high strung, had heat, and air cond. I saw a 944 on a local lot and saw the price (around $6000) and thought I could sell the bug for that amount and get a car I always wanted without any additional cash. So one day I had the bug at a car show with a for sale sign on it and some Japanese guy who could barely speak english bought it on the spot for $4600.00. ( He couldn't even drive a stick!) After a few months of looking, I found a nice 944 for sale about 200 miles from me for $6500. The seller swore it was in great condition. I told the seller that if the car was as solid as he said I would drive up and buy it for $4500 cash. He needed to buy a ring for his girlfriend and needed the cash so he agreed. The rest is history.

 

Went to test drive a Mercedes 380 SL. It was sold before I got to the lot...ummm...what's that pretty looking little car sitting over yonder, a 944? One test drive sold me. About two weeks later I found the right one.

 

Porsche is the sport car you can use everyday.

Plus, boy's dream of owning such a beauty... wide a-- fenders, the sound of that air cooled engine, and a leather smell that was a lot better than my fathers 1968 VW beetle.

Also, all the references to "German Engineering".

Porsche was a name associated to winning races, speed, reliable race-ready cars you could use on a daily basis...

The design - there is nothing like it...

 

my porsche infatuation started when i was about 6, and they made the 959. Fast forward to high school when i really started reading the car mags, and as reviewers were consistantly impressed with porsches so was i. but i always thought they were somewhat out of reach.
so when i went shopping for a sports car i went to the autonation & drove a trans am. coming from a ford taurus i was amazed by the power & decided right then & there that i needed a sportscar.
as im flipping thru the classifieds looking for pontiac, i was in the import section & saw porsche. i had no idea i could get one that cheap, (i also had no idea at the time how much they cost to keep running).
it took me a year of fun and not so fun searching, during which time my budget doubled. i looked at 951s, a 968, and 928s. i bought a 928 s4, but thats a diffrent story altogether. I really enjoy the 951 ive got now and will definately give porsche first consideration when i look for a new sports car, which if things go right wont be anytime soon.

 

I first wanted a Porsche after I saw my brothers 1969 Porsche 912,it was in perfect shape and my brother made it nicer with big bore kit,weber carbs,koni shocks all around,well you get the picture.I then took a 1973 911S out for a test drive with the salesman sitting in the passenger seat and I was hooked.I am now 44 years old and have been lucky enough to own a 1974-911S that I owned for about 2 years and now my 1987-944S,which I enjoy very much.In the future I hope to own either a 968 or a Boxster.I enjoy reading about Porsches and the racing history,and I try to watch all the American Lemans races,Grand Am and anything else with a Porsche in it. <img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />

 

I wanted to impress valets.

 

I've been busy the last 18 years or so raising a family on a blue collar income, and now that the bills have gotten smaller as a percentage of my pay, I find I have what I've heard is "disposable income",,,,,kind of an oxymoron, but fun. So I go to my ol' lady with my bottom lip pushed out in my best mistreated boy pose and say ",,,honey,,everybody at work has some toys,,but I don't,," to which she replies "don't gimme the mistreated boy lip crap,,,go buy something,," So now we're rollin'. But what to buy ? My budget is still limited, and I definitely want something that rolls,,,something cool,,,something quick,,,A 911!! Oops,,there's that damned limited budget thing again. OK, one of my all time favorite cars to drive A 914!! So I find one, in my price range and I go to see it. It's a little rough, but with LOTS of potential. Fuchs wheels, front and rear bumper upgrade kits, full roll cage, 2.0,,,but the woman previously mentioned had one look and said " I ain't ridin in THAT! It's UGLY ". Well,, the 944 wasn't my first choice, or even my second, but it's mine and I like it(although honestly, had I known I was gonna' get into this autocross stuff, I would have gone with the 914, and told the woman to get over it,,,in a nice way of course). And maybe some day after the kids are gone and my "disposable income" has grown to a larger percentage I'll get the 911,,,or the 914,,,or hell, both of 'em. But whatever toy is in my garage, you can bet it'll say PORSCHE. <img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />

 

Well I have always been a multi car guy. Family vehicle, pickup for the home stuff, and my toy. I was in the market for a new toy and this guy whom I hired to work on my 2cnd shift had a 944. I knew the history of the cars mechanicals and the interior was and still is mint. The body needed work. A hard hit to the center of the rear bumper and the passenger door and fender were loaded with bondo. I spent about a month going back and forth over the price and he finally broke down. $2000 What I got was a car that had new belts, waterpump, clutch, rebuilt tranny, rebuilt head and all reciepts. I was left to do some minor electical, brakes and exhaust, $3000 in body work/paint. I must admit I had no prior love for the 944. 928 was in my eyes a few times but not the 944. The 944 was there and the price was right. Boy am I glad I bought this car. It looks awesome, runs excellent and handles incredible. No regretts.

nh3

 

When I decided to buy a sportscar, I spent about a year doing research. I looked at every make and every model, even those I could never afford. In the end, I figured that, for the money, I could acquire no better handling/accelerating vehicle. That was the rational side. Then there was a non-rational element, too... well, y'all understand..

I might've bought a Nissan Skyline and built the crap out of the motor but you can't get them here. And they don't have nearly the panache as the Porsche.

There's just something about these cars!

Thaddeus

 

Always loved Porsche. Thought the 928 was the sexiest design ever made.
Anyway, I was able to nab my 944 for $4K. I thought it was a bargain and went for it. Never looked back.

 

Because there is no substitute....

 

Because, it is the the wrong car for so very many people.

 

Quality in the door slam. and it is sooooo tight in a corner.. 50 MPH no lean and it feels like it is time to accelerate. My favorite feeling when making a left.. no stop and no oncomming traffic.. rare but does happen.. Need to find somewhere to do some track time.

 

Quality in the door slam? Obviously you haven't experienced the inevitable broken window track yet.

 

I've always been in love with Porsches. Lamborghini is nice, Ferrari is incredible (got to sit in a friends '99 F355 Coupe...almost had to clean his seat), but they just don't come close to the design of Porsche. We have around 5 Ferrari's in town and they still don't turn as many heads as much as the Boxsters, 911 Turbos, 928's, or 944's do. The Porsches aren't plentiful here, they just seem misplaced, and that makes you look. In a world full of Town Cars, Corvettes, Firebirds, and Mustangs, Porsche still makes you take a tiple take. I love my car, wouldn't trade it for the world...maybe. Oh yeah, I'm having the window track problem too.