raleighBahn

What I like in old p-cars is that they are machine and not computer. They smell like oil and leather (and crankcase vapors at times, not so good). The 951s began getting computer mgmt that was pretty sophisticated for the time, but the earlier were pure machine.

Today's cars have all sorts of nanny systems to keep the car on the road. Our p-cars were engineered with an awesome weight distribution and stance to do it the old fashioned way. Being out on the track again at 944fest, i never fail to be impressed by how solid these cars feel and how much feedback they transfer.

dmjames

^^^^ THIS ^^^^

I can't drive more than 5 minutes in the 944 without getting a smile on my face, and feeling like I'm actually operating a machine (in a good way). It's part of why I'm actually finding that I like the early interior, and manual steering, and manual sunroofs, etc.

The power of the 951 or 968 is hard to argue with, but there's a simplicity to the older NAs that's tough to beat.

odurandina

i think the 968 offers very much the same, only without the dog-with-fleas computer of the 944.

if i was buying either one, i'd really have to call that one difference - the deal breaker for me.

the 968 seems to offer so many of those elements, but, then you discover it's an effing monster.

do a rear seat delete, toss the airbags.... swap to light, CS wheel, lighter front seats....

lose the heavy, clunky, power-robbing exhaust...

btw, to drop even a more few pounds, maybe lose the expandable spare tire.... and just use it on longer trips.

in 130 k-miles in the 968, only once did i require to use it.

it was in the middle of a long trip, with a totally dead, bald Dunlop.....

the flat happened only about 1/10th of a mile from a rest area entrance.

Humboldtgrin

I would have to say I fell in love with these cars when I was 8 yrs old. That's when the turbo came out in 85.5. When I was in the army at Ft good I seen a black 86 951 for sale on the lemon lot. It was a lemon, it sucked in one of the bolts from the inside of the air the first week I had it. That started my hands on experience with these cars. That was in 2000. I've owned 8 944/51 since then. I even have one to my best friend for welding on the quarter panel on my current 951. If you like these cars then you like them, if you have a family then you'll probably start to regret these cars as they will take food off the table. No family here, just a dog for me so my cars are like my girlfriends. They all take my cash and give me a little ride. I would like to say they don't talk back but when the engine starts leaking oil then I consider that talking back, or any other issue that pops up. But the turbo I have is soooo soooo fast it's worth what I have done to get the car to that point to me.

odurandina

Lart posted a thread roasting my finished build AND INCOMPLETE DYNO that had resulted over the builder's and

my failure to recognize the necessity of upgrading the fuel pump....

i took it in stride. i didn't go to pieces over it.

this isn't the GT3 forum. our cars are never done.

i think a fair number of people realize this state of affairs is inherant with the cars we've chosen to drive.

if you buy a lemon. be prepared to deal with it.

some of our cars turn into lemons. my 968 had reached this stage.

sometimes the expertise required in getting the job done the way you want it done

requires hiring other people to turn the wrenches.

*to that end i'll strive to do my level best to ensure that threshold continues to be lowered.

sometimes you get f_cked, and the result is a new lemon.

looks can be deceiving.... early on, it seemed my car was destined to turn out that way.

turns out, it was more or less just needing Doug Bray, or someone with good skills to peel away the film that Eric had left over the car,

to finally reveal what lied beneath....

i've had a few bad days with this car over the years.... but far more good ones than i can count.

this thing seems to have finally turned around.

people ask tough questions. when they do, and you can't deal with it.... then what should you call it?

i got my hands dirty doing body mods. not turning wrenches. i'm over turning wrenches.

but i'm a great study.

i can state with joy, this car lacks the complexity of the former engine regime.

i'll have fun keeping up with changing the fluids.... swapping out the spark plugs every 5 years, etc....

timing belts. europeans. they're still building stupid engines. anyone been following the news?

you can't program all the stupid out of these cars.

YOU CAN'T GO WRONG WITH A PUSHROD MOTOR + A TIMING CHAIN.

i'll stop telling the truth about the German garbage when you stop telling lies about our American whoopass.

take a hard days drive in a Ferrari?? at the end of the day that engine is f_cking DONE.

some people dish out all this hard-nosed snotty, **** engine doctrine.

then they can't take it when you ask a couple of HONEST questions requesting sober answers.

sometimes there's no easy way to ask a tough question.

because deliberating over answering it invokes too much pain.

sorry.

odurandina

944 vs a bunch of other crap and a Ferrari.....

http://www.caranddriver.com/comparis...ved-comparison

Voith

Yes you can. 944 OHC/DOHC is modern stuff compared to pushrod which is prehistoric in engneering terms.

Ferrari is an engineering art & orgasms, comparing it to the most generic v8 on planet earth is blasphemy in my little **** book.

What and how you modify or rape your car is your thing and I have nothing against it.

What really gets on my nerve is your v8 BS preaching all the time about this being the best thing since sliced bread. It is not.

You always say how you dont wrench, how the F do you come to all that stupid engine conclusions then? I wrench on cars and there is absolutely nothing wrong with 944 engine its all bull*hit you come up with because of an inevitable fact that unloved cars tend to die and break down after 30 years.

You get more bang for buck from street artist than from Pablo Picasso, but that is old news, some - believe it or not - prefer Picasso.

mrgreenjeans

^^^^^

THIS very article came out the same month I took delivery of my new 944/ M456 with LSD and Sport Suspension.

I was on 3 different dealerships lists with money down , waiting for 1 1/2 years for the first car to hit the shores. When the call came in I remember I had just gotten this issue in the mail and re-read it before I drove the 200 miles to pick it up, trading in a new, very low mileage Rabbit 'E' mode sedan with stick and carbureted (!) engine on it.

Gotta tell you: the enthusiasm was real and vibrant that summer !

And over the next decade or so, I went on a search for more like it, gathering up another half dozen more in various colors. Most wearing FUCHS and Sport Seats, LSD.

Amazing how few folks regard these cars in the real light they shine. ON the Track, autocross course, or Driver's Education day event......
In my mind they will go down in history as one of the finest sports cars ever produced. And this comes from a guy who owns other Porsches ( 911s and 914 ), several British sports cars, some from our country, as well as that funny little Mediterranean one shaped like a boot

BoulderGeek

I would like to welcome this thread into 2016 and it's 5th birthday! If this thread were human, it would be pushing Matchbox models of our cars on the floor and making flat six and inline four noises.

I'm not even one year into my 944 ownership, and I think about selling it every week. Several cars have come across my vision in the last nine months, which I might have acquired had I not made investment into my 944. I really don't want to know how little I will have to accept in order to sell it off, even though it is better than it was when I bought it.

And, then I drive a nice car that I would like to own, and compare it back to back with my 944, and say "My current 944 has 80% of the handling and driver's experience, at 1/5th the cost." I grin every time I bring it to work. Motorcycle and car drivers give me thumbs ups and smiles to see one of their icons still being driven a bit above the speed limit.

I do question the reliability. But, truthfully, it has yet to let me down, and I have upgraded lots of dead plastic and rubber parts, refurbed what I could and ensured that it is fluid tight and replenished with the best in lubricants. I have a constant running dialogue in my head, arguing "I really want a modern Cayman S." Then the counterpoint angel says, "Isn't it great to have a fun Porsche without payments or serious complexity?"

dmjames

Honestly, depending on what the itch is, you might look into a 951 or 968. Lots more power to be had, some price increase, but nowhere near a Cayman, and you still get a lot of the simplicity you're talking about.

When I bought my current '84, I wasn't sure if I'd feel the desire for another Turbo, but now, 4 months in, I'm definitely thinking about it... Now I just have to hope the prices don't climb too fast for my wallet!

odonnell

I get the same feeling when my buddy and I are out and about in his Cayman S. But then I laugh when I see the hoo-hah he has to deal with for basic things like oil changes, insurance, cargo space....

It'll spank a NA in practically every performance area, but a modified 951 would put it in it's place pretty quickly.

GL924s1988

I did some homework , when I saw Porsche 924s for 900 bucks , so I figured the hell with it and scooped it up. I have only driven it once before all my cooling issues, but id love my 3 colored Porsche driveway ornament it make me happy and makes my wife miserable , but as long as im happy right?

odurandina

great story.

jr10cross

What a wonderful post. I'm on my second 944 but am still relatively new to owning 944s. I find that you have to work on these cars yourself and be a very determined individual to keep repair costs down. Also, you have to know where to search for parts. If you're the guy that buys everything from Pelican Parts or AutoZone, things can get out of hand quickly. You have to search the internet for deals.

I've had plenty of Mercedes, Audi, Volvo, RX-8, among other things, but when I work on my Porsche my mindset is totally different then working on any other car I've owned. The logic seems very unique which makes repairs daunting. But persistence, patience, and thoroughness is key.

This car cannot be your only vehicle also. Many guys buy a 944 and think about daily'ing it which just isn't the best way to do it. Repairs done by yourself and the right way take time. You'll end up rushing a job or getting frustrated when you can't fix something in a few hours.

Commitment is the key. You have to wear a 944 shirt under your white dress shirt and tie going to work everyday. Like so people can see the faint 944 lettering through. Guys need to think about owning a 944 as a sport. Just like an athlete trains almost everyday, watching what he eats, going to sleep at 10 pm to ensure proper preparation. A 944 owner thinks about what his car needs next every time his finger initially graces a computer keyboard, constantly contemplates oil weights, and sits in the garage (beer or spirit in hand) gazing at her, letting the 944 know its priority in his life. If you train hard enough, you can enjoy a decorated career of ownership.

I recently bought parts from a gentleman on Craigslist who owned 3 running 944s. I was speechless. He saw the wobbliness of my knees as I approached and offered me a seat. I picked his brain and he delivered a wealth of knowledge. He said he would have 6 944s if he had the space. A white mustached hero in my book! Retired Tony Stark. I wish to be that man one day.

black944 turbo

Great post.