GloriaRedStang

Alot of the same experiences as others, but this pretty much says it all.

http://oncewerebachelors.blogspot.co...onths-ago.html

DLarsen

Went through my High School years in the mid to late '70s. Developed an interest in cars (most friends had muscle cars). My parents had purchased a NEW 1974 Opel Manta from a Buick dealership. Continued to college where I commuted while living at home. Commuting to college, my parents let me use this car (as they purchased a Honda Accord). They let me install some upgrades such as....replaced the steering wheel with a wooden one, replaced the Solex carb with a weber, installed headers with ansa exhaust, installed an electronic ignition system, repainted the stock steel rims.........fell in love with the german engineering. After college, I went in the US Marine Corps. My parents sold me the Opel for $5. After finishing flight school in NAS Pensacola, I decided to replace the Opel (now 10 yrs old with 160,000 miles) with a sports car (present to myself for making it through Marine corp basic training and flight school). Looked at Corvettes and Porsches (944). Loved the style of the 944 and after test driving one at a dealership, placed an order (fall of 1985 with Joe Coker Imports in Mobile, AL). I spec'd a 944 with minimal options (only cruise control and Graphite Metallic paint). Lots of options back then which drove the price up. I waited 5 months before taking ownership of the new '86. Still own it today with 275,000 miles and the joy to drive it hasn't diminished. Fun to work on. Hoping to pass down this car to my 14 year son in several years (maybe).

Van

LOL, I started with a '69 Chevy pickup with a 250 and "three on the tree." But it was a step-side, so it was minimally cool.

m73m95

I just liked it. I don't care that its a Porsche (though my wallet does).

I was cruising craigslist one night and came across a 944 in good shape, but with a blown headgasket.

I was 4 when my car was made, so I don't really ever remember seeing one before. The 911 has always been "Porsche" to me. I really liked how it looked, and when I went to see it, it was in fact in great shape, so I bought it. 1 headgasket and "while your in there" goodies later, and its a great car.

LOVE to drive it, tolerate working on it, and have spent 10x what I paid for it in parts/maint.... but who among us hasn't?

BlackOp

+1. I was thinking about an earlier post and it dawned on me... if it werent for the internet, I probably wouldnt be able to afford this car. Just looking back from the original receipts (which total around $9k), I was thinking poor suckers having to take it to the dealer for parts.

When it's all said and done I will have 9-10K invested...and mine was in fantastic shape with 74k when I bought it. Cheap to buy, expensive to own....but what else would I be doing with my money?

"If it's worth the going, it's worth the ride" - Tom Waits

wittsend

Hey Van, How about a 1974 Ford Pinto. Usually one is confronted with going from point A to B. I had that problem along with trying not to get rear ended and exploding into a fireball. Not cool.

GloriaRedStang

Great story. That's terrific that you still have the same vehicle.

sebastian944

once you realize it's a toy and not a car like the average folk believe it to be you realize you are a true Porsche fan. These cars are not about anything but passion..

blown 944

I had never considered a Porsche at all

I had sold my Nova and bought my house so I was toy less for a bit, and had been thinking about what I wanted next. Originally I was going to get a Supra (the house got bigger and my toy account got smaller). The only things I was looking at were lightweight RWD cars to do a SBC swap into. I was also thinking about Camaros,Firebirds, etc but they were too common .

Anyway, I went to an auction one Saturday and actually bought 7 cars. One of which ended up being an 83 944. It went across the block right after a white one that went for ~500. I went ahead and bid it out to 450 IIRC and won.

A month later I drove it down to Arizona to take my kid to a race and it got such great gas mileage that I was impressed (if I knew then what I know now I never would have chanced it). It has made it through being a DD and a SC little hotrod and now is on it's way to becoming a turbocharged speed demon. All along I have planned doing a swap, but I just keep having too much fun with these little 4 bangers. So much so that I now have 4 of them.

odurandina

These are great stories.
I was 16 looking for my first car. My dad knew i wanted a Trans Am,
knew it was a terrible idea, and mentioned i had said i wanted to learn to drive a stick.
The only nice one i found was an Audi Fox.
That car was insane. $1500 Bulletproof. Drove it all over Mass, to North Carolina,
Stones concerts in Philly, Syracuse, Hartford,
Spring Break to the combat zone in Ft Lauderdale.
took it from 65k miles to 180k miles before i slid off the road and bent up a fender.
a few years later in '89 an almost new '87 944S came up at a local auction....
i took a look inside and saw those VDO guages. Thing reminded my so much of my AUDI.
HELL IT WAS IN THE SAME FAMILY...... anyway, i got a friend
to bid and get me the car... never put a dime into that car no timing belts nothing..........drove it
99k miles until i ran out of oil after forgetting to check it for several weeks 180 mile daily commutes.
By that time i wanted a 968.

tempest411

I bought a 944, and later a 924S, to take up space in the garage. I pushed the 944 into the garage with the help of the tow driver that brought it to me. I only ever drove the 924S from the front of my home where another tow driver dropped it off into the garage. Now both are hopelessly ripped apart. They're great looking cars. I hear you can actually make them drive & stuff, but I do not believe that.

Voith

When I was about 10y old, my grandfather always took me to a walk past a house that had brand new 944 turbo. It was imprinted in my subconsciousness forever. Since we were at the time in somewhat elite part of the town, naibghours in the 80's had all kinds of exotics, lambos, ferraris, vipers, 911s etc. But for some reason 944 really hit my soft tissue hard and I lusted for it ever since.

curtisr

Chest pains.

ElRicardo

Jake Ryan hero car!

Actually my Dad had one when he worked for Porsche in the mid-80's in Reno, NV. He hated it. I loved it.

FrontPorsche87

Love this post, so honest you even admitted to running out of oil LOL
You could have been the model for the original 944 advertisement !