FDTT

Hello everyone. Im new here.

I have been reading on this site for over a year now. Just trying to learn as much as i can about the vehicles i love.

I have decided it is time to get a new car (mine is rusted to the point of no return and needs alot of work that i can not justify doing if she is all rusty.
SO i have decided to look into the wonderful and fun Porsche 944 Turbo.

I would like to know what sort of problems would i encounter with a 951? (common problems).
Also, what kind of money would i look at spending on parts to fix the car. I am quite mechanicaly inclined and do most to all the work on my cars. So labour costs are not really a factor with this.

Also what is the best year to get for a 951, im not totaly sure but does the 86 and earlier cars have trouble with finding aftermarket wheels?? I woudl like to get the newest or best condition car i possibly can.

I thank you all for your help in advance. And yes i did use the search function.

Thanks

emwporsche

I would recommend the turbo S
better everything except weight.

the 86's need spacers for most wheels.

it all depends on the condition of the car as to how much money you spend repairing it. You are always better off paying more in the beginning than WAY more down the road.

problems:
timing belt
water pump or is it coolant pump?
rear hatch seal

good luck!

FDTT

I dont want a Turbo S because i will be changing the brakes, suspension and all that so there will be no traces of the parts that made the Turbo S better than the turbo. So ya.

Im really having trouble deciding what i want to get right now. AHHHHH

944 Turbo
Nissan 300ZX TT
1998 Eagle Talon TSi
98-99 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX

Which to get. All of them are good cars. And i love them all. I just need to find one that suites me the best.

porshhhh951

Umm I will pretend you don't know anything about dsm's. The only year's I would ever consider for purchase are the 1st gen's. All of them have a horrible tendency to crank walk but, the first gen car's do it the least. Not to mention they are the lightest. The later gsx's,gst's,tsi's are a joke. They weigh anywhere from 200-300lbs heavier, and have severe problem's with relability. It's costs alot of money to make those motor's reliable at even a decent amount of hp. If you want a dsm buy a first gen and enjoy. I have many friends with all different year's. Those are the best one's for modding. If you are going to leave the car stock then the latter car's arent so bad. The Nissan300zx TT well I have owned three 300's one of them being a turbo. They can make stupid hp with very little bolt on's but, have tons of what I call "issues" a issue is something I don't think is bad it's just something that if you don't know about can cause many problems. Everything from seal's going out(really common) to turbo's going bad. The car is really good in my opinion. They drive well handle well and can be made very fast. Just make sure you have a serious ppi done and get the right car the first time otherwise you will be wishing you haden't bought it. I think the same pretty much go's for the 951 it seems like if you buy them right they can really last and make really decent hp. Although just from a personal standpoint I wouldn't put nissan in the same category as porsche but, hey to each their own. I have to say I loved my TT but, the porsche has been much more reliable in the long term with the mods so far. It seems to hold up better for some reason. Altough it's possible to have the same with the 300TT.

I can tell you 300's are a dime a dozen down here. 951's are considerably more rare. Therefore I went the route I did. I am judging by your name you are a 3rd gen fan. Rotaries are fun but, are about as good for modding as that 98' GSX you want is. Forget what you saw in the fast-n-furious.


This subject has been talked to death but, I think considering you want to do the work yourself and won't be needing the S model's because you wish to change everything anyways. The 87' is the way to go. You get the updated airbags along with out having to deal with wheel issues. Not to mention lot's of other more subtle differencies.


A nice 87' can be had for 7-8k maybe more if the miles are low.

DAR951

Try starting here:

http://www.connact.com/~kgross/FAQ/944faq05.html

pete944

There are quite a few 944/951 owners in your area. Seek them out for help and advice. Look for posts here from Rich Sandor. He can hook you you up with other 944 owners in your area.

Oh, welcome to Rennlist!

HoBoJoe

Well, i own a 95 tsi awd... it's actually for sale... sucker someone into letting you drive their 951... then go test drive the other vehicles... After driving my 951, i can't believe i ever thought my talon was a nice car, rattles, no top end, body roll, etc... the 2gens look nice, BUT like porshhhh951 said, they are not good for building... DSMs are good dragstrip cars, but on the highway you will get eaten up by a 951 like you wouldn't believe... But another thing to consider is what are you going to do with the car? Drive it every day, circuit track it, drag race? that's where your decideing factor comes in...

As far as what year, i always thought it was either the 86 or the 89... 86 have standard trans coolers, are lighter, and a few other things... Now they 87+ do have air bags, so if that's your thing go for it... No matter what, if you have the funds and can find a nice turbo S, even if you plan on changing things, go with a turbo S... They are a better base to start building from, since they have LSD trans, a sick suspension, and many other goodies... The turbo S is just an amazing car that's all there is to it... And even if you do change some of the suspension, you can ALWAYS sell your stock set up... because people look for those items....

As far as what to look for when your buying a 951... OIL LEAKS! oil leaks are common in these cars... Power steering racks tend to leak, any old car make sure you check the electrical system... rear shocks... and the clutch, as that is a rather large job... The absolute best thing to do is to take any car you are buying to a dealer, getting a list of problems, then showing it to the seller before purchasing...

Another thing to consider when choosing between these vehicles, as long as the 951 has been adult owned, most younger people, like myself (19) can not afford, or don't think they can afford something like a porsche... And the people who can tend to baby them, and take care of them well... With the import cars your looking at, they are VERY popular for young kids that beat the hell out of them... If you do decide to go the DSM route, msg me and i'll help you out... I devoted a good 2 years to those vehicles, it's a shame i'm getting out of them because of all the parts i have in my garage, and all the knowledge and experience i now have...

But all said and done, nothing i have driven feels as good as my 86 951... 18 years old and still like it better then driving a brand new Mitsu EVO....

Red1

I wouldn't shy away from an '86 based on wheel offsets. They built more '86s than subsequent years, so they're not rare. For later-style stock wheels you'll need spacers, but aftermarket wheels (Kinesis, Fikse, CCW) can be made for the offset no problem.

I'd be more concerned with overall condition.

Welcome to the board BTW.

Matt H

I dont want a Turbo S because i will be changing the brakes, suspension and all that so there will be no traces of the parts that made the Turbo S better than the turbo. So ya.

If you are going to do this then start with the 86, it is the lightest of the cars, you dont need to worry about the d*mn airbags and the only real loss is ABS, then again if you are going to go to Big Reds or the like, that is irrelevant.

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Sach951

Mine is for sale...

v944god

Sach has a nice 951 plus he just did a PPI on it.

Eyal 951

Not all 87's have abs... i like my 87 over the 86's but hey, thats just me. try and find an LSD car. Which will be hard considering its allready going to be hard finding a car in your area.
~Eyal

FDTT

I have had friends who have had DSM's (mainly 2g's) and they have had very few problems with them . The reason they crankwalk is because of mitsubishis mistake of overmachning of some of there crankshafts. Which caused the main bearings to wear fast and lead to alot of play in the crankshaft.

I would much rather get a MItsubishi Eclipse GSX than a Talon but in my area it is hard to find a good Eclipse that is GSX. I can find some GS-T's but i hate those cars. I do not want another FWD car.

I would love to get the Nissan but im conserned with cost. It is a V6 and twin turbo so it will use alot of gas and if it brakes it will cost alot to repair.

The 951 is not as bas as the nissan because it is a smaller engine but still. The parts are expensive.

Im 18 years old, 19 on September 11th :S. I know alot of you may be saying that one of these cars is not a good thing for such a young person. But let me give you a littel of my backround. My very first car was a 1982 BMW 320i. I bought the car for 2000$ CDN. I bought the car because it was cheap, ran and had no rust. The car started to show some signs of engie trouble so i took it off the road and bought an old Prelude. During the tiem i drove the prelude i had tiem to work on the BMW. I put together an intake manifold, fuel system, and a bunch of other odds and ends to make the car a turboed car. I used the crank con rods and pistons from a 79' 320i to make the car a true 2.0liter and then put the turbo kit on it.
I still drive the Prelude for most of the time. I take the BMW to boundry bay airport and do some autocross in it and i have done quite a few days at mission in it as well. I have also completted all of ICBC's driving courses pertaning to regular automobile driving. As well as some performance driving schools.

And now after doing all these things i would like to upgrade to something a little more capable than a 1988 Honda PRelude and i have always loved the 951. SO im considering gettig one as the funds become avaliable.

Peckster

If you have to save for one you probably can't afford it to maintain it. These cars can cost a lot of money in a short time.

I've heard about too many owners who couldn't afford them running good examples into the ground.

And too many people on this site who bought them, put a lot of money into them and lost it when they had to sell a year later.

rhesus

i'd keep the prelude as a back-up car... that way you will also have the time to work on your 951 yourself (which may be cheaper in the long run)