Campbelljj

I wish I had something of substance to add to this thread, but; I don't. We all know and agree these are amazing cars. Most of us probably already knew some of the information posted here, but; certainly not all. After reading every post, I am amazed and proud to own one of these cars. I am not WORTHY!!

ditch68

You are worthy - you bought one, and you maintain it and put up with the few issues and idiosyncracies these cars have.

I do not think I will ever understand the "not a real Porsche" snobbery, lower valuation, etc. etc. we see all the time. Definitely in the same class as any other Porsche. In the late 80's, these cars were every bit on the same tier as 911 cars (in my biased opinion).

Even the 914 has a pretty stunning race pedigree. If it wasn't a Porsche, it wouldn't have a badge that says so.


Jeff

dmcampbell

Although I did buy new and foolishly sold a 1995 968 030 which was replaced by a succesion of several N/A and turbo 911's, I too am proud to own my current '88 944 Turbo S. I started tracking this car shortly after buying it and can honestly say that I have enjoyed this car more than any other car I have previously owned. I am amazed that I can drive a nearly 25 year old car to Sebring to thrash it for several days and then turn around and drive it home. It is a testament to the car's design, engineering and build quality. Nearly 20 track days this year and counting! Mike

FRporscheman

Cool thread!

The transmission comes from an Audi front-wheel-drive, not quattro. I think it's the Audi 5000. If it was from a quattro there would be another output flange (coming out of the rear).

That Andial 951 race car is amazing! I wonder how much that car actually has in common with a regular 951. I bet it feels absolutely nothing like a street 951 to drive.

One nice thing about the 944 and 968 is since they're based on a 924 chassis but have flared fenders to update the look, you have a ton of room for wide wheels and tires.

With headlights down (on both cars), a 951 has a lower Cd than a 968. With the headlights up (on both cars), the 968 has a lower Cd than a 951.

A 968 brochure I have from '93 or '94 shows an interior shot of the 968, and you can see that the clock is at 10:08... which is 9:68.

The 944 turbo Cup car was the first Porsche Cup car.

A 931 can make it from SF to LA on one tank due to its great fuel economy. A 968 can make the same trip on one tank due to its enormous fuel tank!

The 968's trunk is larger than the 944's because the hump in the carpet for the spare tire is much smaller (because the new rear bumper gives the spare more room to sit deeper in).

Cole

The transmissions Audi uses are usually not "Quattro specific" designs but rather Adaptations of 2wd transmissions. Depends on the specific application but many just have a different trail section/transfer case set up to make a Quattro transmission. Also consider that Audi makes (made in the 80s) lots of front wheel drive versions of their cars.

FRporscheman

I'm not talking about the design, I'm talking about the actual part. AWD transmissions are different than FWD ones - you can't put a 5000q tranny in a 5000. They may share a case and internal parts but the one from the quattro is definitely quattro specific.

Cole

With most of them you can, simply remove the tail section and put the 2wd part in place. Or disable the transfer case function.

Lots of Audi guys do 2wd conversions for one reason or another all the time.

odurandina

last year, i made it from Pecan Park, Florida, a few miles north of Jacksonville to Stafford, Virginia (630 miles) before the car began sputtering (out of gas) as i pulled in to get gas.

ZR8ED

When someone say's to me "Oh you have a poor man's Porsche", I always respond with "Oh?! What Porsche do you drive?" (said with total innocence) Then go on my way, as that usually stops the conversation, or else they back peddle an apology.

This thread has been a fun read! I've gained new respect for the "little Porsche that could" now that I have experienced it myself. The others are just missing out.

CVDH

This. I can't tell you how many times it's worked for me.

On my '96 Cobra:
"Oh, the supercharged cars are a lot faster, aren't they?"
"Yeah, go home and get your blown Cobra and we'll see who's faster."

On my RX-7:
"Too bad it isn't a turbo, those things are much cooler."
"Yeah, next time we're out, show me all the clean, rust free Turbo IIs you've been seeing."

On the 944:
"Cam, that isn't a real Porsche."
"Tell you what, go home and get your 930 turbo out of the garage and we'll see who has the real Porsche!"

The only bad thing is that the same friends have now taken it up and started using it against me when I try to dog their cars...

FRporscheman

OK... so you're saying Porsche bought thousands of 5000q transaxles and converted them to 2wd??

All I'm saying is they used the same trans as a fwd car (5000) and not a quattro. If you go around telling people it's the same as a quattro (and as a side note, it's the 2wd variant), people might think the 944 drivetrain is quattro or built around quattro design, but it isn't. That would just be confusing.

Cole

No. Nevermind, let the thread stay on course.


Okay...edit......if you are confusing people into thinking the car is Quattro based on the transmission then you are doing a very poor job or talking to people that don't understand cars at all. Chevy, Ford, Dodge, Toyota, Jeep, and many others have used the same transmission in both 2wd and 4wd vehicles. It's insanely common place. Probably the most universally moved around part in a car other than the battery. I can think of an easy half a dozen transmissions off the top of my head that were used in both 2wd and 4wd configurations in both cars and trucks.

odurandina

good thread if there are any newbs lurking.

VirginiaF1

I'd resisted adding to this sublime thread until someone re-kindled it..

Tell me why our 944/968 late models (now nearing 20-25 years old) routinely sell for as much or more as these more modern [by model year] Germans:

Most non-M BMW's built prior to 2003.. 3series, 7series especially.
Most MBenz sedan models built before 2000.
Many 996 & 986 from late 90's.. just the IMS Bearing fears?

Simply Supply/Demand and Longevity/Reliability/Appeal?

jhowell371

Base price on my 89S2 was $45,000 in 1989 dollars, how the hell was that a poor man's car?