unidraz

Hey.

I am looking at buying a 944, been reading up on what to check for when buying one and everything, but I still have a few questions...

What, exactly are the differences between pre and post '85.5 944's? Which are the most economic (if there is any difference), which are the most reliable (if there is any difference), and which look the best?

Thanks.

livewirevoodoo

IMO the turbos look the best because of the differences between the NA's and the turbo's front body stylings, otherwise the model didn't really change much (exterior) from year to year. Interior layout was changed from early 85 to late 85, mostly the guage layout/dash area. Reliability is a toss-up. Thats gonna come down to maintenance records. When was the last time timing belt was done? Clutch? Water pump? I guess the conventional wisdom is pay a little more for a good specimen with maintenance records upfront as opposed to sinking $$ in after the purcahse (I've learned from experience). By economic do you mean gas-milage or maintenance? As far as gas milage goes, once I changed my fuel filter I think the 944 is pretty decent, definitely not a gas guzzler. The economics of maintenance however is a completely different topic. You'll save a nice chunk of change if you're comfortable working on your own car. Parts are readily available, but its a porsche, and you're still paying a premium for OEM stuff..

Just my 2cents on my way out the door to work.

tifosiman

I might add that pre-87 cars had "early offset" wheels, meaning that they have the ability to use Fuchs, early phonedials, or cookie cutter wheels. The pre-87 cars also can utilize "late offset" wheels with the use of spacers. "Late offset" cars (87-on) car limited to late offset wheels, but have the added advantage of being able to use a lot of factory porsche wheels from later cars/models without the need for spacers.

85.5 and 86 cars are a weird combination of early offset specification and late dash/interior/suspension(alu a-arms and trailing arms). These cars are fairly common and there are a lot of parts out there for the taking should something break.

If you are interested in a more "raw" driving experience, any car from 83-86 is a good bet as they are fairly light weight and low-specification, plus have the added benifit of being able to use lightweight Fuchs wheels.

If you want more refinement and a little more "oomph", the 89 cars (last of the breed) are a good buy since they are normally fairly high specification and have the added bonus of a 2.7 litre motor. Having driven both 2.5's and 2.7's, the 2.7's feel like they have a little more low end grunt.

Also, 88 and 89 cars have more robust transmissions. The pinion/ring gears are harder, less prone to becoming metal confetti.

Hope that helps, good luck!

unidraz

Hey, thanks a lot.

What kind of gas-mileage do you get with these cars? Does the interior of post '85 cars look much better, and is it overall worth the extra money?

Thanks again.

924martinirossi

I would say that the styiling to the post 85 interiors are much nicer. However, if you like the "cockpit" look of the pre 85's, by all means go for it!

Zero10

The post-85.5 cars have more of a japanese feel to the interior, it flows better, but it just doesn't feel all that 'european'. The pre-85.5 cars are much more mechanical in their interior styling, gives a rather different effect.

If I wanted the early interior, I would go buy a 931. I much prefer the post-85.5 styling.

I get 600km's to the tank city, over 1000km's to the tank on the highway. Keep in mind, mine's an 86, so it has an 80 litre tank. The pre 85.5's only have a 60 litre tank. I would expect maybe 450km to the tank city, and 800 highway? That is, if you don't drive it too hard =)

unidraz

Hmmmm... all of a sudden the post 85.5's look a lot more appealing...

I have been told that in post 85.5's the electrics tend to go wrong, as well as the power steering. Is this true or is it another one of those "good maintenance, no problems" deals?

livewirevoodoo

I havent had problems with either the power steering, or the electrics (mostly). When I bought mine in july I had a few electrical issues, but they were relatively simple to diagnose and pretty cheap to fix.

Horn didnt work. Horn had power, relay was good, problem was the wiring from the fuse box to the horn. $2 in wire and now I can express my road rage with the best of them.

Oil Pressure Guage on dashboard was pegged high (stuck about the 5 bar). Dirty contacts on the oil pressure sender contacts near the oil filter. Some WD40 and a few paper towels later and its good as new.

Passenger power window switch didnt work (although driver side passenger switch did). Again, the problem was dirty contacts in the window switch.

The only annoyance I havent dealt with yet is the seatbelt light on the dash flcikering on and off. My understanding is it has to do with a contact/switch in the seatbelt/seat wiring.

Thats my experience with the electrical wiring. Nothing too nerve racking, hope this helps somehow.

tifosiman

83 was the only US model (besides cup/firestone cars) that had manual steering. The rest had power steering as standard. Sometimes the power racks do develop leaks in the seals/lines/reservoir, but this is nothing unusual for such old cars (keep in mind that the newest US-spec 944 is now almost 16 years old).

As far as electrics go, they are no worse on late verses early cars. It is probably a given that the older the car is, the more likely the grounds terminals will become corroded and could use a little upkeep. Based on the fuse box type and position alone, I prefer the post 85 cars. The fuse box (and relays) are located in the engine compartment for easy access and use modern fuses.

wjk_glynn

You can find additional FAQs and Buyer's Guides at the following link:

http://www.weissach.net/924-944-968_...formation.html

Karl.

GAVMAN

Good morning, or atleast it is morning here in New Zealand.
I bought my first 944 4 months ago. It is a 1986 N/A in copenhagen blue. Here is a list of what it needed doing to it.

- Rear window wiper motor assembly
- Electric window switch
- Drivers side Electric rear view mirrow assembly. (Check that these are working properly. The drive assembly breaks if someone tries to adjust them by hand)
- Both front bottom ball joints. (To check these jack the front wheels off the ground, force the wheel from side to side and see if there is any side movement in them. It is easiest to jack the car up from the sides directly in the middle of the car. Perfect 50/50 weight distribution.
- Cambelt and balance shaft belts. The service history I got with the car wasn't clear when they were done.

Personally I like the post 85.5 cars. Worth the extra money.

GAVMAN

Also I had to replace the gas struts on bonnet and rear hatch. They wouldn't hold themselves up.

Gav.

unidraz

Hey... I happen to be in New Zealand too...

If you dont mind me asking, Gavman, how much did you buy your 944 for?

GAVMAN

I don't mind you asking what I paid for my car. I can tell you that by the time I have finished the necessary repairs. It would have cost me about what they are being advertised for in NZ. That is with me doing most of the work. Remember they are a 1986 car so they do require maintenance what ever you decide to buy.

What part of NZ are you in?

unidraz

Auckland City. How about yourself?

I'm not very mechanically inclined, so I can see me paying a fair amount for one of these... Maybe I will just stick with my rusty rattly fumy 924 for a while...

But the 944's are so beautiful!

Thanks for all the help, y'all.