£7000. What should I buy? 944?
£7000. What should I buy? 944?
Author
Discussion

speed.deman

Original Poster:

2,278 posts

258 months

Thursday 5th May 2005
quotequote all
I have about 7 grand to spend at a push. I want to get something sweet for the money. I am thinking around a Porsche 944. Anyone else got any suggestions? Reliability, grin factor and performance a must! Offers, advice, free cars and songs in praise are all welcome!

danww

6,914 posts

257 months

Friday 6th May 2005
quotequote all
speed.deman said:
I have about 7 grand to spend at a push. I want to get something sweet for the money. I am thinking around a Porsche 944. Anyone else got any suggestions? Reliability, grin factor and performance a must!

Offers, advice, free cars and songs in praise are all welcome!


7K for a Porsche? 944 all the way. Get a decent S2 or (at a push) Turbo for that. Hewn from granite and bulletproof. Mine has been anyway

Great fun and really more than acceptably fast.

markmullen

15,877 posts

261 months

Friday 6th May 2005
quotequote all
speed.deman said:
Reliability, grin factor and performance a must!


928, £7k will get you a nice older model or a reasonable S4, reliable if cared for (based on my reading before I bought mine)

Grin factor - big V8, near timeless looks and RWD with good weight distribution

Performance - pretty good for a £7k motor!

bob944

164 posts

270 months

Friday 6th May 2005
quotequote all
Agree 100% with Daniel. 928 lovelly but likely another £7K on maintainance I understand. S2 most fun for money ever. Turbo's more expensive, likely to have been more 'used' rather than loved. S2 best toy I've ever bought!

RNP1

18 posts

265 months

Friday 6th May 2005
quotequote all
944 s2 - an amazing car for the price. Mine cost about the same and apart from one or two niggles it has been fantastic, seriously you will not stop smiling!

slim_boy_fat

735 posts

266 months

Friday 6th May 2005
quotequote all
bob944 said:
likely to have been more 'used' rather than loved.


Disagree with that totally i would defiantly say the opposite.

As for £7k, forget a 928.

944 turbo, you would probably get one that was a bit scruffy but decent runner, but would probably require £2k spent on it pretty soon.

944S2 range from £4k to £7k for coupes. My advice would be to buy the cheapest decent one you can find and expect to have to spend £1000 on it right away, but at least then you will know what has been done and not relying on someone telling you what has been done.

Buy one for £5k tops, that will leave you with a float.

The S2 is a great car, doesn’t have the rush of a turbo and is significantly slower than a tweaked turbo but on the road that hardly matters (well except when guys in 996 Carreras try and get passed)

speed.deman

Original Poster:

2,278 posts

258 months

Friday 6th May 2005
quotequote all
Hmmm... looks like its the 944 then. I think that a 928 would drink too much, be too high on insurance and the maintenance might cause me some pain.

So its back to the same old!!

S2 or 951. What I SO want is a Turbo, just for that whine and the push into the seat... But don't know. Is the S2 the smarter option?

Also, I have seen a fair few Turbo's floating around for 6k. What do you think there?

verysideways

10,268 posts

299 months

Friday 6th May 2005
quotequote all
Turbo is the nice solid 8 valve engine and is robust and reliable - plus plenty of scope for tuning in the future.

S2 is known to suffer the same problems as the 968 regarding cams, but apart from that is also a robust and reliable machine without the cost of the turbo to worry about.

Mind you, a recon turbo is much cheaper than a pair of new cams...

VS

bob944

164 posts

270 months

Friday 6th May 2005
quotequote all
We've all been here before. You'll just have to try both 944's to see which suits you sir.
Or have one of each like diver944!

slim_boy_fat

735 posts

266 months

Friday 6th May 2005
quotequote all
bob944 said:
We've all been here before. You'll just have to try both 944's to see which suits you sir.
Or have one of each like diver944!


Very true

slim_boy_fat

735 posts

266 months

Friday 6th May 2005
quotequote all
speed.deman said:
Hmmm... looks like its the 944 then. I think that a 928 would drink too much, be too high on insurance and the maintenance might cause me some pain.

So its back to the same old!!

S2 or 951. What I SO want is a Turbo, just for that whine and the push into the seat... But don't know. Is the S2 the smarter option?

Also, I have seen a fair few Turbo's floating around for 6k. What do you think there?


Shame there is not more money in the bank for my turbo, now sadly for sale.

softinthehead

1,550 posts

266 months

Friday 6th May 2005
quotequote all
speed.deman said:
. Is the S2 the smarter option?

yes, it is. in the price and youve chosen youre far more likely to pick up a decent S2 than a turbo.
and as for the 928, nice car granted but 7K - no way

verysideways

10,268 posts

299 months

Friday 6th May 2005
quotequote all
there's a clean looking 86 turbo in the classifieds
for £6k
and a similar mileage 89 S2 for £6k

iguana

7,325 posts

287 months

Friday 6th May 2005
quotequote all
£7k area would see you in my sweet 944T SE, brand new Mo30 suspension, 311bhp/360Lbft, proper SE wheels, burgandy, fsh 114k etc etc. yadda yadda.

Should be in classifieds in a couple a weeks, or PM me for info.

speed.deman

Original Poster:

2,278 posts

258 months

Friday 6th May 2005
quotequote all
I'll keep an eye out for it...

Not looking to buy just yet though. Going to wait a couple of months, since I am off travelling in a little while, for a while!

Yup, you guys are totally right. No point flogging a dead horse. I need to get out there and drive both? Anyone offering test drives near the Canada Water area of London?

944Tman

74 posts

270 months

Monday 9th May 2005
quotequote all
Best to buy the best S2 than the cheapest Turbo - I've had both, both cars at the end of the run of teh model run so well sorted. There is only 9bhp between the 951 and S2 so the S2 is overall faster ie easier to manage without watching the boost gauge, plus S2 doesnt attract the loonies..
sportscarguides.com do inspections so if you find a car you like they sort it for you.

DRK

Original Poster:

2,278 posts

258 months

Tuesday 10th May 2005
quotequote all
I am very tempted by the thought of an S2. Any idea about whether chipping the car would make it more of a cracker?

What money would buy a top S2? Is low mileage a must?

slim_boy_fat

735 posts

266 months

Tuesday 10th May 2005
quotequote all
944Tman said:
Best to buy the best S2 than the cheapest Turbo - I've had both, both cars at the end of the run of teh model run so well sorted. There is only 9bhp between the 951 and S2 so the S2 is overall faster ie easier to manage without watching the boost gauge, plus S2 doesnt attract the loonies..
sportscarguides.com do inspections so if you find a car you like they sort it for you.


Agreed, buy the best S2 rather than a poor turbo, 211bhp for the S2 220 bhp for the early turbo and 250 for the later models. Chiiping adds about 60bhp to the old turbo and about 80-90bhp to the later models.

At the end of the day if you want very fast then it has to be a turbo, if you need nice, brisk but dont try it on with a Clio Cup then go S2



steve rance

5,453 posts

258 months

Tuesday 10th May 2005
quotequote all
No. Get a LHD 968 club sport

iguana

7,325 posts

287 months

Tuesday 10th May 2005
quotequote all
Dont get too hung up on the power figs, these are old cars now & very often the turbos with weak wastegate springs are down on power. Tho well maintained S2s (unlike 968s)seem to be good for what it says on the tin.

Also altho a chipped & then properly set up 250 car like mine for example is about 100bhp & 150Lbft up on an S2, which is a very significant 1/3rd more power its not at all delivered in the same way- its quite a big hit that comes in- similar in respects to an older 930 & not a nice smooth curve in delivery & on the twisty type of b roads I like best, I kinda think an S2 with the same MO30 suspension would be as quick & perhaps quicker & defo far less of a handful.

Open road or open track obviously a different story & fast A road overtakes are an absoulte breeze & a genuine 160+mph is in reach.

The 220 cars even chipped have less of a big hit & a less on/off type delivery with the smaller turbo.