odurandina

got a similar discussion going on on the 928 forums.


some very interesting points of view being offered over there...


https://rennlist.com/forums/928-foru...ght-think.html

safulop

I'm afraid I'm guilty of letting go. I've kept a 1985 going for 11 years, and I just bought a 928. The old beast just got covered in hail damage, and is pushing 200K miles, and is suffering from the "leaky hatch blues" and other stuff, so I got too tired to keep going.

I was one of the fools who bought my 944 thinking it would be "budget Porsche," then found out you need a "budget for your Porsche." But hey, it was love. There's nothing quite like bouncing a 944 8-valve off the limiter in 3rd going 80 mph. . . but now I get to fall in love all over again with my new "shark".

Congrats on your Turbo, derekc23, you will never regret it, even when it costs $$ per year. I picked up extra work just to pay the 944 bills without hurting family finances! My wife just shakes her head.

stogie25

I am 43. I have had my 944 for almost two years. I originally bought it for a gas mileage commuter car to keep the expense of driving a highly modified Jeep down. It took a couple of weeks to fall in love with her. My plan worked well for gas and tires but love costs...

I have done most of my own work on the Jeep for fourteen years, and do the same with the 944. I did not know exactly what I was getting into, but I knew that a 20 year old car was going to be as much of a project to keep reliable as it has turned out to be. I really like driving a cherry vintage sports car. I have thought they were cool since they were new. It is nice to have the disposable income, garage, tools, knowledgeable friends, and love of the car to enjoy this hobby. It is also nice that it is not my only car (I say that about the Jeep too).

It is actually not a horrible car to work on. Fortunately we have a tight network in the Denver area of 944/951 owners who are always willing to help each other. I have taken this car from a decent 944 to an immaculate 944 with a nicely modified suspension. I have of course done the regular maintenance from the timing belt to the oil.

The hardest, and only significant repair has been the oil cooler seals. The parts were cheap but the access was hard, and I still think of it as the hardest repair I have ever done for being the easiest repair I have ever done.

Compared to modifying the Jeep, I find most of the parts very reasonable for the 944. It is only when buying aftermarket performance parts that it gets expensive.

James Chimney

"no one drives a Porsche because they have to" I will say this for ever, the reasons we own are as different as all of us are, I bought my first 85.5 944 na this May and have put over 5000 mile's, 3 Auto Cross's and few PCA coffee runs, my own weekend drives on her and love it, this is my first sports car and first Porsche, it will take work to keep her fresh but I do not hesitate to jump in and go.
Why this Porsche? why did I choose my wife? just a feeling I had and still have, I can't stop looking at her (and my wife but that is an other tread) I get compliments all the time on her and I feel great when driving ok ok I got beat by a civic from a light but then again it is 25 years old (I want the 968 3.0L).
list of stuff I want to do...well lets just say a Porsche is never done, I come from a 25 year back round in sport bikes and my current bike 1997 Suzuki Bandit 1200 has well over $15,000 +, $7000 I paid for her new, I am selling it (heath reasons) but still love this bike after having it for almost 14 years and I still have stuff I would have done to it if I was keeping it.
So lets just say we drive these cars for our selfs, and what ever that means to each of us pride comes in many different forms
DRIVE FAST

sweetskillsrk

I'm 20 and I've had my 944 for a couple years now, I got it just before my 18th. I originally wanted a 944 because of its handling and because, even though there are tons of them still around, its a unique car. One of my friends many times warned me not to get one because they were a hassle and they were expensive. I chose to ignore this piece of advice and get one anyway. I decided it was worth it. I bought the car for $3900 but since then have put $3000 into it. I've had moments when I've contemplated selling it but knew I could never give her up.

I could never imagine driving a car like that. But its true, cars now are so covered up and electronic they're almost impossible to work on or really even do anything on. There's something so real about an old car like the 944. Its hard to explain and might sound a little weird but yall know what I'm talking about. Anyway, most of the work thats been done on my 944 has been done by a shop but within the next few years I hope to be able to do most, if not all, the work myself. Now I have definitely done some work myself but for the most part I don't have the experience or the tools to complete alot of the jobs. I enjoy working on cars though and have done a fair amount of work on other people's cars (a 20 year old Porsche very different from a 20 year old Ford or Honda). Anyway, I always hope to have a 944 in the stable and be able to do the car repairs myself. So for my part, I'll be around a while.

odurandina

when you kids can do it, find an old beater, chop her down to the bone and keep the parts around. it'll pay in spades.

stogie25

20 years old. You have restored my faith in youth. Thank you.

CorsePerVita

+1 that was a great read. Made me happy to see a young owner who will care for it. Granted I'm not insanely older than him, I'm still considered "young" but it is indeed good to read that from him.

FRporscheman

100% agree. What I do to mitigate this problem is offer my services of repair and maintenance at a huge discount.

I met this one guy (early 20s) when he bought a pair of nice seats for his 944. A month later he texts me saying his clutch is dead. I tell him a dealer will charge north of $1500, and I will do it for $850 (I wish I asked for more). He freaks out and I don't hear from him again. I figured he would either sell it (which, if he doesn't like a clutch job quote of $850, he SHOULD), or he would come around, which he did, and now I am keeping a 944 alive.


Forget whales and condors, I fight for the survival of 944s.

odurandina

surely. and there's a lot of good guys in VA and MD.

90Carat

You think this crowd might be getting older? Try the 356 folks. Those numbers don't thin out b/c they are selling the cars.

Oh, and I think these cars do fall into the right hands. Enthusiasts by them, salvage the ones they can, and part out the ones they can't. That tends to happen with rarer cars. I bought my 944S from a Rover guy. Maintenance, what is that? My car will be right, someday. Until then, I get to "enjoy" the Pyle speakers.

rude944

It's estimated that less than 40% of the original cars remain, but with every passing year, they become a little more "cult". I started back at 16 in 1995 with a 924s, pair of 83's and then got the turbo bug. Had to do a 968 at one point, but went back to turbos. It's the best combination of elements in car I know of.

It has taken me places I never knew I would go, from a magazine article I read in shop class to a career that got me through college. I would say that we are a subculture of gearhead that is somewhat refined, precision, and ambitious... look at all the heavily modded 944 mods out there... it's price point makes it graspable for the average guy but there is a certain affinity to self sufficiency to it.

At some point, I just realized that my knowledge of the transaxle line would allow me to realize a benefit greater that I would get from the next logical choice. I even tried a new WRX with a warranty. Nothing else offers the right mix for me, I'll never grow out of it. So I guess I owe Porsche my arrested development.