Well after seeing the 944 vs 240SX thread, it got me thinking...

I'm a noob looking for a 944 N/A, and for everyone that posted in my earlier thread, no I didn't buy the 'Clean water pump' 944

Well my dad and I are being patient and looking for a good 944 that I can have for a while.

Problem is my current daily (Accord with 260,000 miles ) is having some real problems and I'm loathe to dump more $/hours into a vehicle I have little interest in. Sadly my plan was to pick up a 944 and keep the beater Accord and replace it with a fun daily down the road, so now I'm looking into alternatives that won't destroy my 944 fund.

From some reading it sounds like several of you have a 240SX as a back up car, and find it to be a decent and cheap '944 inspired' car.

I'm also considering a BMW E30, but feel I might be too tempted to mod it like crazy and spend too much money on getting it into decent condition.

I'm worried about getting too carried away and missing the perfect- for me- 944. But I need a decent, but sportier, daily. In your experience, what would be a good option to later compliment a 944?

Sorry if this is way off topic, but in all my lurking I've found members here tend to be smarter and more helpful per capita.

Unless of course someone happens to have a great Guards Red N/A with Fuchs and a black interior in the DFW area, in which case I'll meet you at the bank!

Also more 944 related I've started a little side project to learn automotive related fabrication skills. I really want to start fabricating composites for the 944, so I've started making a 3D model, and will be checking out a 944 parts car to try and nab a cheap dash to start sculpting a personal, more modern take on the 944's dash that will eventually be a master for a mold and one day produce a carbon fiber dash but that's a totally different thread for a day when I have my current car troubles sorted.

 

Check CL...there are a few out there.
87 944S
87 944

 

mk2 golf gti 16v

 

Probably something fast in a straight line. Maybe an old turd gen or mustank

I get more of a thrill from cornering hard and pushing myself to the limit than pushing a pedal to the floor and pretending I'm special, so I got a miata to compliment the 944

 

I was thinking the exact same thing. I have owned 3 of them .
Loved them all and sold all of them for the same if not more than I paid.

 

you are going to find out that both MKII VW GTi and BMW E30 are going to be in pretty much the same price range as 240sx/rx-7/944

you would still have to make sure that you buy a car that was well kept

if it was me, I'd stay with Germans though

 

from OP: "Well my dad and I are being patient and looking for a good 944 that I can have for a while...."



i thought this was a really good thread about the "thinking of picking up a 944" context.


some great advice on here.


https://rennlist.com/forums/924-931-...-all-time.html

 

Don't get a 240 unless you'd like to be part of an owners group that thinks neon zip ties, missing bumpers, and crappy looking spray paint looks cool.

Once drifting hit it big in the usa, the 240 became the new honda civic. Now it's cooler to have a fwd honda than it is to have a rwd nissan.

 

very much agreed, plus the prices on the FC's and any 240's have pretty much skyrocketed

around here, shells w/o engine/transmission, with rust, are selling for $2k+

IMHO, I would stay away

I would rather you buy another 944 to daily drive, and a shell 944 (there were a few 951 SHELLS WITH CAGES for under $1k) for a project/track/weekend/race car

makes much more sense

even prices on MK I / II GTi's and BMW E30 325's have gone up, but they are also a good daily driving material - watch out for rust though!

 

The ae86 has the same fate as the 240sx too, sadly. The prices on them went up way more than 240s or FCs. It's ridiculous, and it's a damn shame if you ask me.

 

$$ window for the 944?

Also location..

 

I agree, you can buy a pristine 944 for the price of a beat on ae86, or 240. I've seen some decent deals on them, but the inflation is a bit ridiculous. I'll still take a rwd nissan over a fwd honda anyday

 

From a former 240 owner, decent cars, bad scene. Drift tax on the 240sx has inflated the price to more than they are worth and most are riced out/ beat to hell. On the track I still feel there's no comparison, the 944 is just a much more solid well balanced car. There are a couple 240sx in SU (super unlimited) in our region, they have some 400whp and much more expensive suspensions/tires, yet we still eat them up in the technical portions of the track. I miss the crazy speed my 240 had (turbo KA motor, 300hp) but I don't miss all the unwanted attention and light back end that came with it.

Well, I'm about to sell a mechanically perfect 87 944 for cheap in the denver area, but that's a long ways from DFW.

 

These are the beaters I (or a friend/relative) have had:

mercedes 300e ('86 to '95), overall it's the best built car I've ever seen. For cost, stick with the 3.0 SOHC, even though it has CIS, they're reliable. The 300E 2.6 is a DOG. You could also look at the 190E, mine was a 5-speed 2.6, my 300E was auto, I liked both but recommend the auto over stick. Parts are usually easy to find, varying price. Fuel economy low to mid 20s.

VW gti mkII, these are cheap, hella fun, modable, and actually share a lot of parts (or the parts are very similar) to a 944. From my experience, some can be reliable, some are not! Shop carefully, and there's a lot of different engines so read and find out what you prefer. Parts are cheap and easy to find. Fuel economy mid 20s.

Audi "90" (1992-1995), or any audi made from the mid 80s to the mid 90s, but the older ones don't really look good. The first generation v6 is reliable, but there are no power mods. Still, 174hp ain't bad. Available in FWD or AWD, stick or auto, coupe, sedan, or wagon! Parts are getting easier to find, prices not too bad. Audi build quality is very good, a lot of things about it remind me of the 944 (944s were built in the audi plant after all). Sexy car. Fuel economy low 20s.

944 (as a beater!), yes, for a while the 944 was my treasure, but I sold it for a 968, and now I drive my mom's old 944 as a DD. I enjoy the 944 more though. 944s are such good cars, I mean really amazing. I don't care about 911s or the whole "real porsche" BS. The 944 is legendary. I get 25mpg, parts are easy to find and usually cheap (mine is an "early" car).

My first car was a honda civic, I think it was an '88, sedan. Dude, I got the car for free from my cousin, it was sitting in his driveway for years. We topped off the oil and it started. I drove it for a year with no problems. I sold it to a friend for $1500 LOL and he used it for a couple of years, then the motor seized because he let the oil get too low. Flimsy car but reliable and cheap, and it handled great.



For you, I'd recommend either another honda, or the vw. Honestly though, if you get a good 944 you can use it as a DD and your problem is solved. My first 944 was a DD I took to school and I felt like a million bucks every day I pulled up to campus.

 

I have a 99 4runner as a DD. I don't know what this whole "I need to have two cars" thing is all about. Why have two vehicles that do the same thing? Have two different vehicles for two different purposes. When I get tired of driving the twisties, I take to the dirt in the 4runner. Not to mention it's great for hauling car parts (and the occasional car when it inevitably breaks down).

Of course an 18mpg DD is a bit questionable But it's reliable as is any other Toyota without um.. acceleration issues. I've gotten it airborne a few times in the desert, driven it through rivers until water poured in through the windows and it just keeps on going..