Trojan Man

OK everyone,

I am thinking of finally buying a house . However, in order to do that, I have to get rid of my $1600/mo car payment (the Turbo) and reduce that to a more reasonable $350-$400/mo car payment . I want a sports car for sure, and I had considered leasing a Cooper S, but my current thinking is that I want to have an older used Porsche, since I already have a sedan.

My goals for the vehicle are (not in any particular order):

1. Daily Drivability
2. Agile Handling
3. More than sufficient power (compared to turbo)
4. Total investment $25K or under including all mods

So I was thinking possibly of a cherry 944 and putting every mod known to man, or perhaps a late 80's / early 90's 911 and bolting on a supercharger.

If you all had $25K to spend on a Porsche that is street driveable, what would you get? I would very much appreciate as much detail as possible, since I am very UNfamiliar with pre-99 Porsches.

Thanks very much!!

Last930

In the past I had an '89 944 Turbo that I drove year round as an everyday driver. I had 2 sets of wheels - for summer tires, and a set of Blizzaks for snow. It was a great car - fast, good handling and a blast to drive in the snow with snow tires/limited slip diff. Good heat and A/C - all around a great daily driver.

aka 951

944s are great, I've had 7 in the past few years. The 944 Turbo is the model to have with easy upgradability to 300 rwhp. While not a 996TT, it is a very quick car that handles great and gets excellent mpg on the highway. 88s and 89s are the best (make sure 88 is a Turbo "S") as they have an entire assortment of upgrades over the standard Turbos, including a better turbo, koni yellows all around, stiffer chassis, forged lightweight wheels, power seats, stiffer springs, stronger hubs, strengthened tranny, LSD, etc. In 88 and 89 they were quicker and better handling than the 911 Turbos. Look at spending around 14-18k for a nice one and DEFINITELY have a PPI. A good resource for these cars is on the 951 board here at rennlist. Best of luck!

Trojan Man

OK so 2 people have recommended 944 turbos, and I want to play devil's advocate.

Why would I choose a 14-15 year old 4-banger Porsche over a 2003 Mini Cooper S or a 1998-99 Corvette?

Other than the "it's a Porsche" argument, it seems like for the same money that the cooper S and Corvette are both superior vehicles.

Someone try to convince me otherwise - or maybe not??!!

CAA

$1600 / month car payment???? Holy S***!!! If you don't mind my asking, what is your insurance premium like? My first 911 was an '89 cab. For 25k I think you could get a really nice 3.2 Carrera with lower milage (88 or 89). I'm just not sure if you would be let down by going from the 996 Turbo to an 89. However I'm pretty sure there isn't much out there at 25k that will compare. Good luck with your search!

Jim Lamb

Considered a Mitsu Lancer Evolution? It's a heck of a lot of car for the money.

PN

Or a STI scooby ?

PCinDC

Here's a reson - that 15 year old 4 banger Porsche with $3000 in mods can be made to walk upon either of the above mentioned cars with ease.
There's a certain amount of pride in knowing that your 4 banger Porsche can smoke a car 15 years younger with twice the displacement, all the while leaving you enough money in your budget for track wheels, tires, and DE entry fees.

Drive one.

You might also consider a 968.

TTRob

Going to a C5 Corvette will probably keep the Turbo withdrawal symptoms to a minimum. Besides offering a lot of performance for the buck, they drive nicely and are definitely an improvement over the older cars. They're pretty damn fast, too!

sharkster

an evo would handle real nicely.. drove that and an STi... If you can deal with that wing tho

Good luck!

Trojan Man

nonono....I would never get a Lancer or STI or any Japanese car. I am not interested in EVER becoming a part of the rice rocket world, but thanks anyway.

I am intrigued now about the 944. Most of the ones on the street are junkers - in fact the only nice ones i've seen are in pictures.

Assuming I go with a 1989 944 Turbo - what do I have to look for as far as miles, condition, etc... And then what mods specifically do I perform in order to make it a wicked car?

Also, why wouldn't I consider a late 80's 911? I will have less $ left over for mods, but wouldn't I be starting out with a much nicer car? That being said, if I do consider a late 80's 911, what year/model configuration would you recommend?

aka 951

I have a 79 SC and frankly, even before I modded it, it was a bear to drive everyday. The AC was poor, the shifter was worse (G15?), seating position, etc., etc. As a weekend toy the older 911s are fun (and I wouldn't trade my 300hp, lightweight beast for the world), but as a daily driver there are much better rides available such as the 928, 944, Boxster and 968. As I mentioned above, you should visit the 951 board. You should also check out 968.net and the rennlist 928 board. By getting an earlier car you should remember that the maintenance can be VERY high, especially on a Porsche.

If you're not into wrenching on weekends, best bet is to get something newer and simpler, such as the Cooper S, a newer Vette or a Boxster, or a myraid of other vehicles. I haven't driven the Cooper, but I have driven the Vette (Z06 and standard) and it is hard to compare to a Porsche. You'll get the performance, but don't expect too much more, IMHO. Boxsters are great cars too, so maybe that would be a good choice for you, given that its a Porsche with low maintenance, a waranty, affordable and contemporary.

Under PSI

If you want to spend about $25-30k you could buy a 91 or 92 Acura NSX. All aluminum, 24 valve VTEC V-6, 270hp, mid-engine, 20-25mpg, great daily driver and as reliable as an accord. I'm likely to get flamed for this but I've driven several late 80s 944s, 911s and they just don't compare. My opinion though, I'm sure others will disagree. Flame away.

KPV

MCS......more fun than a barrel of monkeys

Bill S.

How about a 95 or 96 BMW M3 with a Dinan supercharger? That should be better than the 944T in almost every way.