Total Porsche Novice Looking for TurboS
 

I was steered in this direction by a friend. I was trying to decide between 944T and M3. Then I read about the TurboS. Now before I step in something I want some advice.(BTW I read the earlier post on pricing, where are those $9995.00 cars?)
What should I look for when I do the first look and drive? Are there weak points in the TurboS? I ask because I do some road racing and in certain Mazda models the trans / shifter is a weak spot. I have not seen or heard of many TurboS for sale in my area(TX), Buying from afar creates a problem. I have a local shop who can be trusted on an inspection of a prospective buy, but how do you make a decent buy on the left or right coast?
Thanks in advance for answering first timer questions.
Mac
Ft. Worth

It will be hard to find a TurboS. There weren't that many made in the first place.

If you are going to go and spend many thousands upgrading on suspension and engine then you don't need the TurboS, get a regular turbo. The weak points are the same as regular 944. Timing belt and water pump. More issues come up if boost has been raised above about 14.7 psi.

I have a low mileage TurboS, so have been watching prices with some interest. I think it is worth almost what I paid back in '91 and this $9,995 talk is old talk. They were quite a bit cheaper a couple years ago.

expect to pay 11K to 15K and it is worth having the S stuff like bigger wheels/tires/brakes, lsd, abs, and 285hp when chipped.

Turbo S is hard to find -- however, there's a very nice one currently on ebay, but asking $20K+...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cg...item=598053104

Thanks for the words of wisdom. SOOO.... if you have the patience, hang with me.
If you find a decent 944T what are the best and easiest performance upgrades to do to the car? With in reason to a car you spend $10K on in the first place. With a miata it never stops and you still have no power unless you spend about $5K-$6K, and Porsche sounds better. Opinions?

You can get huge amounts of power increases out of the 951. It will cost you the higher you go but you certainly get there. Then there is suspension and brake upgrades. This is one of the finest handling cars ever made but there are gains to be made.

Go to the 944 web ring and read up on what people are doing and associated cost. Take you time and find a good example ... there is a damn good reason the prices are going up and people shop want ads 1000s of miles away.

Mac,
I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but noone has mentioned it yet. Although '88 TurboS's are rare, '89 models are easier to find, and are identical. Porsche only dropped the "S" designation because they decided not to offer 2 turbo models after '88. I agree with Jerry about all the benifits of having an '88 "S" or '89 model. Big brakes, coilover Koni's, limited slip diff, abs, external tranny oil cooler, forged clubsport wheels with bigger tires, and a bigger turbo would all cost a fortune if you added them afterwards to an earlier car.

Thanks for the tip. I have been doing some research and hope to do more.