ddemento

Hey everyone. Looking to be a proud 944 owner real soon....been looking for over 2 years straight and can't wait to finally own one. I think I've found the right car but I'm on the fence between 2 of them. A base 1986 944 and a 1989 s2.

Here is a quick deal on each:

1986 944
Black on black
150k miles (US car) = ~250k km
No history available from owner since he is recent buyer himself and only selling since he just got a turbo instead.
Overall condition is great...interior 8/10, exterior 9/10, mechanical (first impression) 8/10. Owner had a porsche certified mechanic check it all out and was told all is in great condition but timing would have to be done since its unknown.
No apparent rust and generally seems to have been well cared for previously. Very clean!

1989 944 S2
White on black
150k km
Very little history, owner had car for 2 years. Replaced timing, oil, tires but little else. Mostly in storage.
Overal condition is ok...interior 6/10, exterior 6/10, mechanical(first impression) 7/10. In general, somwhat well cared for.
Missing rear left valance due to road hazard. Seat rails we're butchered by a local mechanic who was trying to un-seize them due to rust (will need replacing), electrical controls on sunroof and windows are glitchy. Somewhat of a rough idle. Owner says he had some power steering leak during first start-up after this winter storage, took it to mechanic who said it was probably some loose clamps. Fluid level is ok right now and not leaking.

Both cars are going for the same asking price and I can bargain them both down a few thousand. So price is not the issue. So here is my dilemma. The S2 will need some obvious work as mentioned above (maybe even a new power steering) and right now seems like it will cost me alot more in repairs off the bat than the black 944. However the black 944 has little to do but it worries me over the higher mileage (almost 100k more than the s2) and of course whatever repair costs that will bring on in the future. I would much prefer an S2 over the base simply because it is an S2! You know the drill.

Basically can u guys tell me if the S2 is worth the higher costs (short term and long term) over the base 944? I talking about pure enjoyment here! And ofcourse reliability....I won't be enjoying it much if its always in for repairs. Should I even be concerned about the higher mileage base 944 or is it just me? My plan with either car is to keep it stock (no mods) and use it occassionally over weekends for a "tase of life's little pleasures".

Thanks for yor help.

951and944S

What's your intended purpose for the car...?

Eventual nice street car or track...? Interior won't be important at all if for track, for example.

Personally, I never go for early offset cars (the 86).

Why not a 944S...?

+30hp more than the 86 944 and 50-100lbs lighter than the S2.

T

ddemento

thanks for reply. My purpose would just be occassional weekend use. No racing. In general, a 944 in good condition is hard to come by around here and I'm not the type to buy a car online without ever seeing it or driving it. So my options are somewhat limited to what i can find within a few hours drive. I've been looking for a while and these are the best examples so far.

Just curious, what's your reasons for staying away from the early offsets?

PaulD_944S2

"IF" you can work most of the issues on the 944 by yourself without taking it to a mechanic, then the S2 will return the most value and driving fun.

ried

Second that. The S2 is the final naturally aspirated car and better in almost every way. If you're willing to work on it yourself as a labor of love, that's the one to get.

neunfünfeins

Yes the S2 is worth the additional investment. Tell me which of these two scenarios you find more likely:

1) Driving the black 944 and regretting that you didn't upgrade to the more pulse-pounding and exclusive S2 when you had the chance.
2) Driving the white S2 and regretting that you didn't settle for the pedestrian, garden-variety 944 when you had the chance.

Whichever one you pick, there's your answer.
"I wish I had less horsepower" said no one, ever.

Aside from that...
White and black are both reasonably common, but me personally, I absolutely LOVE these cars in white. White w/black interior is a bonus.

ddemento

Yes ofcourse that puts it all into context. The car with more excitement always wins and the the same argument would hold true if we we're comparing it to turbo. I guess what is keeping me from jumping on it is that the S2 will need very obvious work right off the bat. I'm not a mechanic but i am a handy man and I don't mind the challenge of learnign to repair things myself. Its more of a question of finding time and if the s2 (at least the one I'm looking at) will be in constant repair, then its no fun!

Anyways, thanks for your help everyone. I have some deep thinking to do. I may just keep looking for an s2 in better condition.

On a side note, I saw a sale of a 944 with a turbo swap and its had lots of parts replaced as a consequence....bigger brakes, clutch, shocks, etc, etc. Should I even be considering something like that given that it would be my first 944?

Thanks again.

Pharos

i would prefer 1986 944

Mr. Toasty

Based on my own thoughts during my research and buying process, I would say go for the car in the best condition you can find within your budget, and be patient. There's plenty of fun to be had in any 944, but some prefer to have a bit more power (or a lot more). Look around at various parts sources to get a better idea of options, availability and price, and that might help you determine how important the year of manufacture is to you. As for buying one with modifications already done, ask yourself if you would be disappointed to not have the opportunity to make those changes yourself. Of course, you can always make changes!

neunfünfeins

Especially since you said your first 944, I wouldn't give this any consideration. There are enough 'real' Turbos out there to not have to settle for someone else's potential Frankenstein monster.
Good chance that it will complicate maintenance, as without prior experience/comparison, you might have to guess a lot at which car you need to buy parts for.
Besides that nagging thought of wondering how much of it was done correctly vs. hack job.

ddemento

Good point. I much prefer later model years which all of these are.

As for overall condition, the black 944NA seems best BUT it has the highest mileage which scares me as far as repairs go. It used to belong to a PCA member, but current owner also has zero history besides that....not good

The S2 looks good but needs the most work overall and possible unknown power steering leak (may be a big problem $$). But mileage is low.


Another good point as well. This will sound crazy but mechanically, the swapped turbo seems best out of the 3 since most parts have been replaced and professionally done by a mechanic. It was his personal car which he sold 8 years ago to current owner. For now it would only need a tb/wp replacement right now and a repaint in the future. Yes I know it will mean headaches for maintenance especially for me but the engine has very low mileage 60k and the rest of the car is in good shape. Just wondering how value would be affected for this car in the future....i doubt it would be worth anything more than now.

So I'm sure u guys understand why I'm on the fence here.....

love the black 944NA because of good looks and overall great condition,
love the S2 because its an S2,
and love the turbo swap because of great condition mechanics and of course because its a turbo

....now which do I choose?

Thanks again guys.

Mr. Toasty

Mileage: I wouldn't be too concerned about 150k miles. It'll need an engine rebuild sooner than one that has fewer miles, of course, but there are many that have gone to and past 300k with caring owners. Porsches are meant to be driven, and are built accordingly. You may have done this already, but a spreadsheet with parts, prices, and a timeline for replacement might help you see the big picture more clearly and decide whether it's worth it.

Value: as with other 30-year-old Porsches, stock with nice factory options and original parts is king. If you plan to drive it for a while and then sell, it's worth keeping resale in the equation. If you plan to drive it until gasoline is no longer available, forget resale and just drive the snot out of it while you can.

Which one to get: oh boy. It depends on price, budget, and your comfort level with replacing and repairing things. My gut instinct is to stay away from the S2 unless you just absolutely must have an S2 (which is how I feel about the S). Between the other two, I'd be tempted by the turbo swap because of its history. If you can get a complete build sheet, that would make a huge difference for future maintenance. The main issues I can think of with that one would be future value and knowing which parts to buy. The NA is tempting because it's clean and parts are easy to find, although 87+ seems even easier. If the price is right, you could replace a good number of long-term wear items and still stay within a reasonable budget. Plus then you'd know the car a lot better.

ddemento

All good points. Now I have even more to contemplate. lol. Thanks for the advice.