scottz

So I after doing a little research on used sports cars, I decided to test drive a 86 turbo 944. Now the turbo fever has set in. I am seriously looking for a nice clean 944 turbo for under 10K

You guys need to talk me out of this!!

My wife is reluctantly OK with it - I have to upgrade the minivan to a Jeep Grand Cherokee as part of the deal.
Financially I think I could manage. It may be a little tight if there were some major repairs needed, but routine stuff seems no problems.
It would be a weekend/spare car, so high dependability is not required.
I think I could do most of the maintenance (I am good with a big hammer).

My brains says this is stupid, I don't need another car (yet alone one with hight maintenance) but my heart is already compromised. Daily checking ebay, autotrader, rennlist classifieds, etc. Considering driving 300 miles this weekend to go see a car in Vegas. Reading articles all over the net on tweaking, repairs, etc. A Supra tweaker at work is already helping me plan intake/exhaust modifications.

I feel like the guy who tries cocaine once and has to have more. Is there any other cure than making a purchase????

Dwayne Williams

Nope - once you've tasted it you're hooked (well maybe a 993 TT would be okay). At least I was. I will warn you that these cars can end up costing a few $$. Maintenance isn't too bad, especially if you're handy - the problem is these cars are so easy to extract some serious performance from. That's where the $$ comes in. If you're like many of the folks on this board these cars become a serious hobby and you spend lots of time thinking about DEs, how to upgrade the suspension, brakes, turbo, etc... These cars drive and perform so well it's just amazing what they can do once you start modifying them a little. You start off with a few minor mods like a chip upgrade and pretty soon you're wondering what a full blow 3.0 motor would be like...

Anyway, I love my turbo and would definitely buy one again. Big smile factor from these cars. Oh yeah, it's worth it.

Diver944

Careful now, you're starting to get hooked

Make sure you do a lot of research first and don't end up buying a lemon that will cost $$$$. You really should see a few before you make up your mind, most of our cars will look shiny and perfect compared to other 15 year olds but it takes time to spot a bad one. A bad 944 Turbo will still be very very fast and it's not until you try a really good one that you realise you nearly bought a pup.

Good luck, you wont regret it (your wife might)

Russ Murphy

Just envision the big grin on your face when you're on the track out running cars that cost over ten times as much.

Dave951M

You're toast. There's no know cure for this. You can take away the car for whatever reason, but it still remains in the back of you brain, urging you to get another one. If you still have one, it talks to you from the garage in whispers- "come'on, let's go have a drive, you love horsepower big guy, let's go use some; hey, it's only gas, you know you like it; power is good, more power is better, lots of power is...." about that time, you come to your senses with keys in hand, headed out the door for the 3 hour drive to the corner store for a gallon of milk. Walter Mitty should have had it this good.

Tom M'Guinn

These cars are cheap to get in to, and you make them into Z06-eating monsters for very little money. They are 14-18 years old, however, so don't be surprised if you have to replace CV joints, ball joints, waterpumps, timing belts, fan and dme relays, fan sensors, vacuum hoses, a/c hoses, clutches, clutch hydraulics, steering racks, a/c switches, brakes, hatch glass surround, valves and guides, oil pan gaskets, cam seals, balance shaft seals, worn out wastegates, craked headers, collapsed exhaust pipes, rusted mufflers, sticky air flow meters, head gaskets, oil separators, arm-rest hinges, dim dash lights, turn signals stalks.....

I bought a 32k mile original owner car about 3 years ago, and ended up replacing many of the things listed above. If I did it over again, I'd look for a car that had as much of the above replaced as recently as possible, and I'd be much less concerned about the miles. The motors and trannies will last for many many miles, if cared for well. A lot of the other stuff I listed will need replacing after time, regardless of miles.

Don't worry though, replacement parts from Porsche are very cheap.

Oh, and of course, you cannot drive the car longer than a week before you want to add 60 horsepower with a $300 chip, then another 10 horsepower with a $200 test pipe, then another 25 with a $1200 tunable MAF kit, then Koni's, then a big turbo for $1500, then big wheels and tires, Big Red brakes, tial wastegate.....the insanity never ends.

Welcome aboard....you will love it, guaranteed.

scottz

Thanks for the info. You guys seem quite helpful. So where is the local chapter of the Porsche Anonymous Club located?

v944god

It's like a heroin addiction. It's going to be hard going cold turkey. Good luck, but you live once, have some fun.

Eyal 951

for 10 K, you should b e able to acheive a VERY nice example, keep that in mind when looking, got mine for 9.
~Eyal

Mike B

Yup, you're screwed. You're already on the pipe and you have yet to get the car!

Welcome to our insanity!

Luke

ok........ Dont .....dooooooo.........AHHHHHHHH I can't say it!

Ag951

Sure there is...Suicide, lobotomy, or go test drive a turbo 964 or later.

2+2

Word of advice, if your wife is "reluctant", spend no more than $9000 for your car. Save $1000 for unexpected repairs.....and DONT use that money for upgrades either!!

Stefan

You have to calculate your fun/cost ratio for the car and the wife, then decide where most of your money should go

I tried to find a cure, but had to buy it, rust and all. It didn't help me walk away when my said 'I NEED this car' when I took her for the test drive.

One word of advice which you already saw here ... DON'T BUY the FIRST ONE YOU DRIVE. It's tempting, but hold out, think rationally. It's easy to buy a car which needs lots of work.

NZ951

You are boned... good luck.