RE: Spotted: Porsche 944
Discussion
blade7 said:
How much do you think a good turbo will cost ?.
I'd like to spend under £5k for one that needs a little bit of tidying, and I have seen a few that seem to be ok for around that.I am guessing the one at Malton is going to be more like £15k.
Edited by kingston12 on Tuesday 16th October 16:51
blade7 said:
Define "a little bit of tidying" and what you think that will cost ?.
I'd like one mechanically sound with the sills ok or re-done. I am not expecting a 20 year old car to be perfect so would probably spend £2k or so on wheels, bodywork and minor engine stuff to get it looking good and running well.Does that sound realistic? There seem to be a few on the market at £7-8k, but these look like they still need a little bit spent on them and the top end like the Malton car look great, but are a bit too much to spend on a second car for me.
fivetenben said:
White 944 2.5 lux with turbo valance, pinstripe interior and teledials? That takes me back! I ran a similar car for 5 years and 70,000 miles, often as my daily driver.
I bought the '944 back in 2002 for £4k, with 135,000 miles on the clock, and in the following 5 years it proved itself to be a truly great all-round car, dealing with everything from driving to work in the snow at 4am to lapping the 'ring with a boot full of camping gear and duty free, while touring Europe.
Predictably, it generated a few bills - a clutch change at 140,000 cost £800, head gasket at 175,000 was £700, a rusty will was patched up for £250 and corroded brake lines cost a bit to put right, and then there was £350 every 36,000 miles for a cambelt change. However, given the car was approaching 200,000 miles, I think these costs were, frankly, more than acceptable. It also provided tolerable fuel economy, being able to stretch into the mid-30s on a long run, and let me down 3 times during its life as a daily: A dead battery, a broken clutch and a snapped driveshaft (all issues which could have been skirted with preventative maintenance if I'd not stubbornly ignored the signs...).
After 5 years of ownership and 205,000 miles on the clock, I'd become so attached to my 944 that I still didn't want to sell it, and so I decided to drive it 15,000 miles across 26 countries, from the UK to Cape Town. Obviously, this trip revealed a few weaknesses in the '944s solidarity (and an oil pump failure writing off its engine 17 days before we left didn't exactly help our relationship); however I can't think of another vehicle which would have coped with the trip so well, in terms of both general toughness, and day-to-day comfort and practicality.
Off topic, but there's more on the trip here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/activityandadven...
Since the trip, I've defected to the plastic world of TVR. However I miss the 944's aloof feeling of solidarity, and will definitely have another one day...
Ben, that is just amazing and inspiring. I've driven my 89 turbo from Lisbon to Nordkapp in 2008 and it was epic, but I can't even imagine how amazing that would have been. Good work!I bought the '944 back in 2002 for £4k, with 135,000 miles on the clock, and in the following 5 years it proved itself to be a truly great all-round car, dealing with everything from driving to work in the snow at 4am to lapping the 'ring with a boot full of camping gear and duty free, while touring Europe.
Predictably, it generated a few bills - a clutch change at 140,000 cost £800, head gasket at 175,000 was £700, a rusty will was patched up for £250 and corroded brake lines cost a bit to put right, and then there was £350 every 36,000 miles for a cambelt change. However, given the car was approaching 200,000 miles, I think these costs were, frankly, more than acceptable. It also provided tolerable fuel economy, being able to stretch into the mid-30s on a long run, and let me down 3 times during its life as a daily: A dead battery, a broken clutch and a snapped driveshaft (all issues which could have been skirted with preventative maintenance if I'd not stubbornly ignored the signs...).
After 5 years of ownership and 205,000 miles on the clock, I'd become so attached to my 944 that I still didn't want to sell it, and so I decided to drive it 15,000 miles across 26 countries, from the UK to Cape Town. Obviously, this trip revealed a few weaknesses in the '944s solidarity (and an oil pump failure writing off its engine 17 days before we left didn't exactly help our relationship); however I can't think of another vehicle which would have coped with the trip so well, in terms of both general toughness, and day-to-day comfort and practicality.
Off topic, but there's more on the trip here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/activityandadven...
Since the trip, I've defected to the plastic world of TVR. However I miss the 944's aloof feeling of solidarity, and will definitely have another one day...
And I still dream to take it to Vladivostok one day.
kingston12 said:
Does that sound realistic? There seem to be a few on the market at £7-8k, but these look like they still need a little bit spent on them and the top end like the Malton car look great, but are a bit too much to spend on a second car for me.
All seems entirely fair. In my experience, spending £1k on fettling after buying a ‘good’ 944 of any model is about normal. £2k post-purchase should see you with an above-average car.raftom said:
Ben, that is just amazing and inspiring. I've driven my 89 turbo from Lisbon to Nordkapp in 2008 and it was epic, but I can't even imagine how amazing that would have been. Good work!
And I still dream to take it to Vladivostok one day.
Hi Tom, guessing you headed up Norway's Arctic Highway - good effort! That would have been an amazing drive in a 944 turbo, just a shame about all the speed cameras. A summer trip to Nordkapp in something GT-esque is still firmly on my to-do list...And I still dream to take it to Vladivostok one day.
As for driving it to Vladivostock, go for it! There's not that much paperwork to take a car into Russia, and the road conditions aren't as bad as you'd imagine they'd be - the 944 should cope just fine.
kingston12 said:
I'd like one mechanically sound with the sills ok or re-done. I am not expecting a 20 year old car to be perfect so would probably spend £2k or so on wheels, bodywork and minor engine stuff to get it looking good and running well.
Does that sound realistic? There seem to be a few on the market at £7-8k, but these look like they still need a little bit spent on them and the top end like the Malton car look great, but are a bit too much to spend on a second car for me.
It's a bit of a minefield TBH, £5k could get you what you're looking for or it may be a big moneypit. Ideally find someone that knows the cars to give a prospective purchase the once over, and buy them a drink for their advice maybe.Does that sound realistic? There seem to be a few on the market at £7-8k, but these look like they still need a little bit spent on them and the top end like the Malton car look great, but are a bit too much to spend on a second car for me.
blade7 said:
It's a bit of a minefield TBH, £5k could get you what you're looking for or it may be a big moneypit. Ideally find someone that knows the cars to give a prospective purchase the once over, and buy them a drink for their advice maybe.
Thanks. I will definitely try to do that.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff