Baron009

Hello, I'm new here and would like to get as much information about the Porsche 944 as I can before I decide to go out and purchase one. Lets get to the point:
I am a 20 year old university student with a reasonable amount of money that I have earned through many long hours at work and by chance of inheritance. I have gasoline for blood, and have loved cars since
before I could even speak. Right now I drive a newer American car
(Olds Alero) and I'm looking to get a sportier, reliable and more
prestigous car (not from the asian market). I would like some
feedback on whether or not the 944 is a car suited for me, and what
sort of maitenance costs I would expect. I have heard mixed opinions
about the cost and reliability of the 944. Any information about what
I should be wary about when looking at used 944's would also be
appreciated. I have looked at a 1986 944 so far and I have mixed feelings about it. Its has 300 000+kms, 3 owners, the leather is cracked (expected), guage needles on a few guages jump around, and there is some discolouration on the right front panel that leads me to believe it was in an accident. On the other hand it runs well, the clutch was replaced recently as was the timing belt, tires and I just love that purr. :P

Oh, and is anyone selling any 944's in the Ontario, Canada region?

SoCal Driver

Expect to put from 2,000 to 4,000 into a 944 over the cost of buying it. Just in necessary maintenance. Things like front bushings, ball joints, tie rod ends and rebuilding the power steering. Rear CV joints and axle bearings.

Maybe the oil pan needs to be resealed along with the front cam, crank and balance shaft seals. While in there might as well replace the water pump.

Still there is nothing like the handling of the 944. Not a dragster but once you are up to speed it is a joy!

'86 944 turbo

I just sold my 85.5 NA with 130,000 KM in perfect condion about 3 months ago. If i were u go for a NA. Then after move up to a Turbo or S2 these get very expensive. When looking for a 944 make sure the belts, waterpump and clutch are changed.

Kurt

The reliability of these cars (at the newest are 13 years-old) is always a question of whether or not the owners have kept up with the necessary maintenance. If this has been done over the years, they are extremely reliable cars, but if not...they could be trouble.

I found a really nice 944 NA and paid a little more than the usual lot because of its condition (ended up selling it for a good price too, cause I'm looking for a turbo). For once I'll be the first to recommend the 944 FAQ: http://www.connact.com/~kgross/FAQ/944faq.html

And before you buy one, remember to get a PPI (pre-purchase inspection)

Baron009

Thanks.
I definitly won't be considering a turbo for the time being mainly because of insurance costs. The 944 na is car enough for me anyways. I have a reasonable budget (~15 000 CAD), and I think that should cover the car, initial repair expenses, and then any difference in insurance off the start. I do plan to keep the 944 for 6+ years/80 000+ kms. Is that reasonable? What sort of additional expensives would I expect in the future if I were to keep it that long?

Scootin159

I'd expect to pay about $1k/year in maintenance if you've got a good car.
A car in poor condition could run ya much higher in maintenance.

In my own experience it's been like $2k in the last year with a car that had "moderate" maintenance. $1500 of that was in a major timing belt/waterpump/seals job that was all-inclusive due to some obvious neglect in that area from the previous owner. That job should be good for about 30k miles though (and even then it will only be about $500 to do again next time).

"Major" problem areas:
Timing belt - will last about 45k miles, replace @ 30k miles. About $500 to replace @ a good shop if done in time, if not done in time about a $1000+ engine rebuild will be needed.

Clutch - The clutch itsself is strong (with a good driver will last 100k+ miles), but the rubber center has a habit of not lasting quite as long. Abuse will shorten lifespan considerably. Due to drivetrain design a clutch job is a lot of labor and look to spend about $1500k to replace.

Ring & Pinion - (i.e. gear around the rear differential) Don't drag with this car! If you do, expect to strip this gear over time and eventually find yourself buying a new transmission. Will last plenty long if you don't dump the clutch at every stoplight (i.e. wait until 2nd gear to floor it).

Spun #2 bearing - If you drive this car at high RPM's (6000+) for long periods of time, through heavy cornering, with low oil you will eventually spin the #2 bearing ($$$$$ damage to engine). Isn't really a problem on street cars, and even most track cars. I wouldn't really worry about it.

Main thing to remember is that these aren't drag racers. You won't win, and it's bad for the car. At road tracks and down twisty back roads these cars are a dream though. There's very few modern cars with the handling of these cars. They have their quirk (such as the "hidden" trip odometer reset), but you'll just learn to love even more because of it.

I love the car, but it's not for everyone. Just take your time and wait for a car that's in good condition, and even then take it to a mechanic who knows Porsche's (not just any "imports" mechanic, but one who has 944's lined up to go into the shop) take a look at it before you buy it and you should be more than happy with it.

Peckster

With 300,000 ks, I'd want to see a thick stack of shop receipts. You can always find 944s in the Toronto area, so look at a few before you buy.

Like I say, few things are more expensive than a cheap Porsche.

And get a pre-purchase inspection by a mechanic who really knows these cars or you could be very sorry.

Kurt

well said, well said!

Blue S2

As far as maintenance, if you are going to drive it daily look to put about $3000 each year into the car if not more. I think its that way with all Porsches though. The more miles you put, the quicker the service intervals come, and they arent cheap. Average is 10,000 miles a year for a daily driver. Thats about 3-4 oil changes, a brake fluid change, and just shy of the 15k mile service. If you plan on doing any track or autocross, add more oil changes and brakes. Then for a car this old, you always have to have some money aside for that unexpected failure. As long as you know a good mechanic to check the car over, and you keep it up, you shouldn't have problems though. Just my experience.

Blue S2

Oh the other thing i noticed once i bought a modern car as a daily driver...these cars may not be for everyone. They are nice, but not "easy" like new cars with smooth transmissions, e-gas, computer crap, etc... BUT the moment you sit in the seat you will realize you are sitting in perfection. The ultimate driving seat set-up! You have to accept the car for what it is. Cars like these have their own attitudes. Haha, my girlfriend always thought it was so strange that on the highway in the winter when i would open the throttle the air would get cooler coming in! Wouldnt have a chance to warm up as much! OH! One more thing about the 944...if you are cold, you wont be in a 944! Nothing including our fireplace generates as much heat in the cabin as these cars! Even with the heat off! Ive never been able to turn the heat up past 1 or 2 out of 4 even in weather as cold as 20-30 degrees F. Its too hot!!!!

Baron009

Can you guys be more specific as to what currency you're referring to? Ie. USD/CAD. It makes a huge difference. Thanks.

Kurt

Not sure about that $3000 being USD.

That money spent per year is a direct by-product of your car's condition in such an old car, depending ALOT on the previous owners. If one purchases a mechanically-sound car with regular maintenance done throughout its lifetime, I'm going to second the notion of about $1,000 USD a year.

kwh29

Also remember that some of these estimates are from people who do all their maintenance themselves; some are from people who have a shop do everything.

Most self-maintainers I've talked to estimate $1k (USD) per year, including a set of tires, if they bought a good car to begin with.

Enjoy!
--Kevin H.

adie

They can be drag cars, there's plenty that are, you'll have to scearch the archives to find them. there heavy and wear out after 20 years, considering new cars have a life span of about 5 you can't realy go wrong, just look for the cleanest example you can, i just picked up a superb 944 that the owner came home to find someone had dented the badge pannel, he owned the car for 11 years and everything was as good as new, even the windows slid perfectly, aircon working and the handbrake still working like a dream, he just lost interest in it after seeing it with a big dent, the selling price $2000 CAD, there's another one to add to the list, I think I may have to start getting rid of some. unfortunatly as I have just moved to Toronto I will have to start building up an international collection. Now all I need is a Chevy to donate it's engine.........................

Brian McCoy

To everyone who says it'll cost you $1000 or more Each year to keep up the car ~ that's not necessarily true. To everyone who says that you'll put more into maintenance on a cheaper car - also not necessarily true. And to all those who condem cars without full history, autobiographys of each owner and a seal of approval from Porsche of NA, you need to know there ARE good ones out there.

I paid WAY less than market price for my car, have spent about $500 in the last year on maintenance items (with $360 in shop fees for something I didn't want to do) and my car came with ZERO history. You can take a look at it and see that it's a beautiful car, it's never let me down and proven to be quite the car. So long as you know what you're looking for (read the archives here for 3 months, all the FAQs and Buyers Guides), look at LOTS of cars to get a feel for what's good, what's not so good and what's BAD and finally, have a capable mechanic do a through PPI ~ you can come up with a good car, that doesn't require a lot of maintenance up front for less than 'market' price. I "spent" time doing research, other's use their time to make money and spend the money.

Now, Baron - what are you going to use the car for? Mostly intown driving, some autocrosses (possibly), a roadtrip now and then? I think an S2 (3.0l engine) is the Best option out there. Gets off the line better than a Turbo, has a little more 'umpfh' than the 2.5l engine, newest of the series (excluding the 968) and the Turbo good looks (which is subjective). If you're into tuning and have HP fever, then you just need to get a Turbo. $200 in Turbo upgrades will give you more aditional HP than thousands spent on a N/A...

Anyway, this is all in my experience, USD, your mileage may vary... Good luck finding the 'right' car, it feels good once you do (and you'll know it right away too).