Porsche 944?

"Bryce H(Wants an M coupe)" (brycehimelrick)
01/19/2016 at 10:03 • Filed to: None

I was curious about a 944, I know a few oppos have them and would like to know about reliability, maintenance, practicality and daily drivability. Is it an overall good car? Also, turbo or non turbo?

Baltic blue would have to be the color I go for.

DISCUSSION (13)

KatzManDu > Bryce H(Wants an M coupe)
01/19/2016 at 10:06

I asked this not so long ago and got some great answers.

Fantastic cars, they all have quirks, and always go for the turbo if you have the cash because more horsepowers.

Party-vi > Bryce H(Wants an M coupe)
01/19/2016 at 10:09

If you enjoy working on cars that are 1) old, 2) built to a price point, 3) German, than I think you’ll like a 944.

Brian Silvestro > Bryce H(Wants an M coupe)
01/19/2016 at 10:11

http://thegarage.jalopnik.com/what-does-it-r…

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > Bryce H(Wants an M coupe)
01/19/2016 at 10:11

I think the consensus generally is that they are fun, economical, not too expensive to repair, and a good value...until a timing belt breaks

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Bryce H(Wants an M coupe)
01/19/2016 at 10:15

From what I’ve read... it’s a car with somewhat expensive operating/repair costs... but not Ferrari-expensive. Expect it to be similarly expensive to BMW/Mercedes.

And you can mitigate some of that by doing your own wrenching.

Also the non-turbo ones are cheaper to buy/operate than the turbo ones. But you get a lot more performance for that extra cost.

The definitely can be daily drivers... you just have to be prepared to spend the money dealing with issues and doing some research on preventative maintenance/measures to help ensure a good reliability experience. And that’s something you have to do with any 20+ year old car that you want to daily-drive.

If it was me, I would budget at least $300/month or $3500 to $4000/year just for repairs/maintenance for a non-turbo daily driven 944. And maybe an extra $100/month for a turbo one. You might not spend all that, but it’s good to be prepared.

Also, look up what Stef Schrader has to say about her experiences with her 944.

EDIT: This is a good one to read:

http://jalopnik.com/the-most-usefu…

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
01/19/2016 at 10:33

“not too expensive to repair,”

That all depends on what a person is used to. If the person is coming from a Ferrari, yeah, it’s cheap to repair by comparison.

But if the person is coming out of years of owning a Toyota Yaris or a Corolla, then it will look expensive.

For old Euro cars, setting aside a budget of at least $300/month for repairs/maintenance/preventative maintenance is a good idea.

If someone can’t afford to set that amount aside along with all the other costs of owning a car (gas/insurance/registration), then they shouldn’t buy one.

My bird IS the word > Bryce H(Wants an M coupe)
01/19/2016 at 10:34

Had one. Nothing major broke on mine when I owned it, but the timing belt issue with these cars is prohibitive. They are recommended changed every 35,000 miles. Factor in at least $1,000 if you do it yourself the first time( buying the timing tool,flywheel lock) or 2-3k if you get someone else. They are a quality drive, but I can’t help but recommend its peers, the first gen 300zx or a late 80s (better engines) trans am. If you bite, get the turbo,the n/a was just not fast enough. But it was still fun owning my n/a. they make ls1 swap kits and the turbos have stronger trannys.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
01/19/2016 at 10:36

Yea that’s pretty much what I meant by that. It’s not cheap, but it’s not terrible either. Though if you’ve only ever owned Toyotas it might seem terrible.

My bird IS the word > My bird IS the word
01/19/2016 at 10:37

Also I forgot to mention good tires. I snap over steered mine into a tree at 35 mph :’( seriously wtf

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > Bryce H(Wants an M coupe)
01/19/2016 at 10:43

From a maintenance standpoint, they’re not old enough to be simple and not new enough to be reliable. Expect frequent nickle and dime repairs.

Master Cylinder > Bryce H(Wants an M coupe)
01/19/2016 at 10:53

I’ve had two. I think they’re great cars for someone who is mechanically capable.

That isn’t to say they are unreliable, though. My 944S has over 200,000 miles on it and it’s never broken down on me. They do need more car than some other cars, though. That said, they are simple to work on and there aren’t too many jobs that are hellacious (clutch change and torsion bar indexing come to mind)

They are higher build quality than your average 80s car (and higher than many modern cars) but most are 30 years old or older now, so age has taken its toll on a lot of interiors and paint jobs.

They’re probably one of the most practical sports cars ever made, too. Mine is a daily driver, and short of hauling lumber or furniture, I’ve never run out of space. A bicycle fits easily in the hatch with the (useless) rear seat folded.

I honestly wouldn’t go for a turbo due to the higher complexity and maintenance requirements. I would find a nicely-cared for S2 or maybe even a 968 (although that’s a big price jump). $10-12 grand should find you a nice one. If going fast in a straight line isn’t what you’re after, the regular N/A 8-valver is still a great car. And the S has a little extra oomph if you can find one.

The Turbos are by far the fastest if you’re going to mod, though. 300+ hp is not hard to achieve.

Master Cylinder > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
01/19/2016 at 10:58

Yeah, that’s a fair figure, at least at first. Mine hasn’t needed anything out of the ordinary, but bringing all the maintenance up to date and refreshing all the rubber bits wasn’t exactly pocket change. Once that was done, though, I have had many months with $0 in maintenance costs. Still a good idea to budget for disaster, though. If your repair fund gets too big, you can always spend the excess on mods!

E92M3 > Bryce H(Wants an M coupe)
01/19/2016 at 13:35

I would recommend you also drive an E36 M3. A lot cheaper to keep running.