RE: Porsche 944 Turbo: PH Carpool

[smilo996]

I would just have that nagging feeling that I was driving a VW. Even though the original project was taken over by Porsche a lookin the cabin shows the extensive use of the VW parts and sub assembly bin right down to the VW Transpoerter and Polo door handles.
Fine in an Esprit but in what is supposed to be a Porsche not.

Having said that there was little else about likely to give the same level of performance and VW reliability at a reasonable price.

Like the low key colour and now clearly a bargain for the price. But would always look longingly at an Audi Quattro or better stil a real Porsche, the 928.

[dinkel]

Cabrio is even better!

[williamp]

Had a 944s then an 89 Turbo. Loved them both, and starting to look for another..possibly. I think the rare Turbo cab would be a great car for the future.

[IMI A]

Had a 944 Turbo SE, S2 and S2 Cab. Loved them all. Best sports car chassis from Porsche in the 80s.

[Pickled]

smilo996 said:

I would just have that nagging feeling that I was driving a VW. Even though the original project was taken over by Porsche a lookin the cabin shows the extensive use of the VW parts and sub assembly bin right down to the VW Transpoerter and Polo door handles.

Lot of the cabin switchgear and fittings look identical to the ones in my 928

[rallycross]

smilo996 said:

I would just have that nagging feeling that I was driving a VW. Even though the original project was taken over by Porsche a lookin the cabin shows the extensive use of the VW parts and sub assembly bin right down to the VW Transpoerter and Polo door handles.
Fine in an Esprit but in what is supposed to be a Porsche not.

Having said that there was little else about likely to give the same level of performance and VW reliability at a reasonable price.

Like the low key colour and now clearly a bargain for the price. But would always look longingly at an Audi Quattro or better stil a real Porsche, the 928.

There has or be one eejit comment - well done sir.

As a previous owner of 911's, a 928 S4, and several 944's I never once felt like I was in a vw when driving a 944 - but you wouldn't know that as you've never owned one.

[Richair]

blade7 said:

Richair said:

With a good driver at the helm though the 996 would make mincemeat of them both through the twisties, that is until I buy a set of V3's for mine.

If the geo and tyres are right on your turbo I wouldn't expect a 996 to corner faster.

Well let's just say I did a lot of waiting around that day... But then our driving abilities aren't the same and he had only had the 996 a few weeks. Mine is very well sorted bar the tired Koni's and soft rear bars, but is still a very quick bit of kit to pedal along though! Certainly fast enough for me, anything quicker on the road is just asking for trouble if you want to have some fun. This is all the sports car I need (or will be with sports car springs and dampers...).

[JackReacher]

J4CKO said:

350Z should be a match for a standard 944 turbo, very similar performance figures, is yours tuned, if so the 350Z doesn't stand a chance, no easy boost upgrades !

I went from a 944 S2 to a 350Z, I miss some things about the 944, but I do have my weekends to myself now, which is a bonus.

I've just sold my 350Z and considering a 944 S2 as a replacement, what is it you miss about the Porsche?

[5lab]

I had a 944 S2 and the one thing it wasn't was ergonomic inside. The seating position was great but the controls woeful - the wing mirror 'nipple' was (I think) by the mirror, but the switch to choose which window is which is by the gearstick! The wiper speed control was so hidden (behind the steering wheel) I didnt find it for 2 months, and the rear wash-wipe switch was by the gearstick, also no-where near the wiper stalk!

its a lovely car, I would say it felt a lot bigger and heavier than the MX5 - certainly quicker - but the controls had a lot more weight.



slippry out there

Edited by 5lab on Monday 8th December 22:44

[J4CKO]

JackReacher said:

J4CKO said:

350Z should be a match for a standard 944 turbo, very similar performance figures, is yours tuned, if so the 350Z doesn't stand a chance, no easy boost upgrades !

I went from a 944 S2 to a 350Z, I miss some things about the 944, but I do have my weekends to myself now, which is a bonus.

I've just sold my 350Z and considering a 944 S2 as a replacement, what is it you miss about the Porsche?

How special it felt really, the fact it looked great, the fact it was bright "Hunde Schwanz Rot" and the way it smelt, 944's smell awesome, not like a traditional nice smell, but like how your dog smells.

To be fair though it tended to be a pain in the arse, I had to deal with a lot of rust, it flattening its battery, hot starting issues and just cranky old car things, still have fond memories of it, dont regret one moment of it, well maybe those in -3 in January changing the gear linkage, not fun !

[J4CKO]

dinkel said:

Cabrio is even better!

Exactly the same as mine was, sometimes I prefer the coupe but the cab has a look all its own, you can go several years between spotting them, properly rare and people really respond well to them. Definitely a bit wobblier than the coupe though, pretty noticeable scuttle shake, especially with the roof down.

The performance always impressed me, the 211 German horses are more productive than the 296 Japanese ones in my 350Z, the 350Z is quicker but not 85 bhp quicker, 350Z is quite a bit heavier, think my S2 had a very fit engine, PO spent a fortune on a top end rebuild an compression was spot on, so not sure they are all quite as perky by now.

350Z demands very little, get in drive it, wash it, service it once a year where the 944 was a constant list of stuff I had to do, final straw was it stranding me in Knutsford Aldi !

[Court Jester]

Top choice as a first car. We bought a 944 1985 s1/2 oval dash changeover with 240k on the clock in the summer. Great little cars.

You can change the head unit pretty cheaply for something with bluetooth so long as you are confident wiring the existing stereo wires to a din harness (it is pretty easy to be honest). Ours now has handsfree and bluetooth stereo.

In relation to the dash lights try removing the instruments as here http://www.clarks-garage.com/shop-manual/elect-08....
You then just need to replace the worn out silver backing. I cleaned off the old paint with the non-acetatone??? Nail varnish remover. Best replacement was the sticky silver aluminium foil plumbers use - you can get a really easy nice tight fit with no light escaping. New(same voltage and wattage bulbs) and you won't believe the difference as to how much brighter the display is.

Hope that helps.

[German]

I had an '89 S2 in the same colour combo as my first car, and recently had to sell it to fund a move. I miss just about everything about it, maybe not the amount of blood I left all over the front of it doing both the belts and the water pump, but that's about it. Oh, and the air filter. It's under the front panel with the badge on an S2, so many bolts and screws and swearing to get to it lol.

When I have money for a toy (need to find some to buy a house, car, and motorbike first...) I'll be buying a ratty old one to restore. There would be one in my lottery win garage as well, I miss it that much.

Also echo the comments about getting original size rubber on it, much more fun at less stupid speeds, and much more sideways as well... It'll ride better too

[speedjockey]

Great cars. I've got an '86 I'm looking at buying currently (black on black w/ fuchs). Very excited! Should be my first car too!

Edited by speedjockey on Tuesday 9th December 00:13

[Huskyman]

A very nice car sir!
I had the pleasure of borrowing a 944s from my dad in my 20's and wow that was so much fun, so well balanced with a communicative chassis and easy to read responses it was a real joy to drive quickly. It was compact enough to enjoy on B roads as well. I still miss that car, and came close to buying it. The 951 itch is one I will have to scratch soon....

[tomcrowther]

Cotic said:

For two days, by any chance?

noo ours was red and we decided owning it from october to february would be the best time of the year for an old Porsche.

[AdvocatusD]

dinkel said:

Cabrio is even better!

Ha! Well spotted Albert. I miss that car. One of only 42 in the country. It was my first "proper" car back in 2005. It had absolutely no trouble keeping up with much more exotic and younger cars... I had Promax do a bit of work and it really did transform it.



1992 944 Turbo Cabriolet. I'd buy her back if I could track her down! Anyone here own this car?

Edited by AdvocatusD on Tuesday 9th December 10:40

[thewildblue]

Im coming up on 2 years in my 92 944S2. Love it, spent a bit of money on lower arms and otehr bits but its great and mine is solid with all the sills and lower wings being rust free and sorted by a previous owner. Took it from 164k to 179k. Mine is martime blue as well so very different.

Still fancy a drive a turbo to see how much quicker they are. Mine seems to be quite a quick one, Ive done decat and promax chip, my dad also has an S2 with chip and 3 up I can slowly reel him in through the gears if he gets the jump on me with him being alone.

[smilo996]

rallycross said:

There has or be one eejit comment - well done sir.

As a previous owner of 911's, a 928 S4, and several 944's I never once felt like I was in a vw when driving a 944 - but you wouldn't know that as you've never owned one.

And there is always one fanboy desperate to preserve the illusion that VW and Porsche are completely seperate and not joined at the hip. Fortuantely for Porsche, VW's input ensured more reliable and cheaper cars, not bad qualities for any sports cars. Those of a religious persuation can rarely by torn from their illogical beliefs. Have you ever owned a VW?
Oh and my boss had a 944 which he lent me for a couple of weeks, which although not ownership (I will never own a Porsche thanks) did confirm that it was great to drive but shared a great deal with the interiors of the Golf and Polo owned at the time. Confirmed when I got back into each afterwards.

Pickled: Your 928 comment.

Well given how it looked, the 928 with its 4.5L V8 was and felt very much less like a VW Porsche and much more like a Porsche. Innovative, unusual and rarer. So it could be better forgiven the odd raid on the VW parts bin and it felt nothing like a VW as I got back into my VW.

Anyway, top purchase at that price, great colour and perhaps not much else that would still be relatively reliable and fast, much like what I said first time before people brought aggressive religious belief into the discussion.

[whythem]

Absolutely love the shape of these, and know with a few mods you can get a seriously fast car. However for similar money you can get in an early Boxster S with the added benefit of 6 cylinders, top down motoring and a more modern suspension set up, with hopefully more reliability.

Very different cars for similar money and running cost's. I would have both if I could, but the Boxster just wins it for me.

Lucky man though having a 944T for your first car, I'd hate to think what the insurance would be for that over here, for a new driver.