RE: SOTW: Porsche 944

Author
Discussion

rallycross

12,747 posts

236 months

Monday 23rd May 2011
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No reason why it should be risky to buy as long as you check it over carefully due to it's age.

Parts are quite cheap for them and are relatively simple to work on.

It's nonsense about needing sills and it costing £1200'per side this is hugely wide of the mark, like any old car it might need some welding just take it to a someone who does lots of welding jobs for a sensible price. You should be able to check quite easily how much rust by looking underneath and having a poke around.

KM666

1,757 posts

182 months

Monday 23rd May 2011
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St John Smythe said:
ESOG said:
meadowhog said:
I can remember driving around town in a 944Turbo with some subtle mods. 0-60 in 3.5 changing up to top gear at 187mph on the M4, flames out the exhaust. Good Times.
Im sorry but I cant believe that story. No way a 944 is hitting 0-60 in 3.5 with subtle modifications. And it certainly isnt topping out at 187mph!

Please tell you werent serious when you posted that, were you? because most posts where people are joking usually follow up some silly claim with a roll of the eyes. rolleyes

With 14 posts under your belt, I am almost leaning towards troll. But look, maybe your a young kid, maybe your a dissillusioned adult, maaaybbeee your a pathological liar, I dont know and I dont bother too much to find out either, but if I may, a word of advice for you young fella. If your new to a forum and want to 'get in good' with its community, I may suggest not making such ludicrous claims. Please dont take my post too offensively, just throwing out a few words of wisdom. Take 'em or leave 'em.

And, welcome to PH! smile

Edited by ESOG on Saturday 21st May 01:01
I'm sorry but I have to agree, are you really suggesting that your modified 944 turbo accelerated as quickly as a McLaren SLR?
Not impossible, my mates R33 GTs-T(i think, its not a GTR, next 2wd down in pecking order) was on youtube with a 3.8 second 0-60, or thereabouts, below 4 definately, sadly he removed the video i think because of something to do with it being able to identigy the car and him as driver combined with the other clips he had up. We also timed it at 8 seconds 20-120mph but that was never on film. At the time i think it was running 430brake, although how reliable speedos are under heavy acceleration is a point up for debate.

Fuelbrother DC

84 posts

163 months

Monday 23rd May 2011
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Strawman said:
The turbo 944 is a match for the turbo Esprit though, I also don't agree that the 911 is more like an Esprit than the 944, OK you have front engined, mid engined and rear engined. But the 944 turbo was a performance match for the 911SC of it's day (slower fractionally to 60 but higher top speed), and cost the same new as the 911SC well(IIRC). The driving position in a 944 is similar to a Esprit, much more like it than a 911 anyway.

Edited by Strawman on Monday 23 May 11:31
I agree to some extent and see your point. Moreover I appreciate your taste concerning cars which can be seen browsing your garage. But have you ever experienced the performance and handling of a well cared for Esprit?

Comparing a 944 to an Esprit is a bit unfair for the 944. It may be slightly simililar in details, but it aint right doing so.

They both play their game very well, but in different leagues.

Fuelbrother DC

84 posts

163 months

Monday 23rd May 2011
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double post

Edited by Fuelbrother DC on Monday 23 May 22:21

Google [bot]

6,682 posts

180 months

Monday 23rd May 2011
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Why is everyone talking about Esprits when the 944 was head to head with the Excel?

Strawman

6,463 posts

206 months

Monday 23rd May 2011
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Fuelbrother DC said:
But have you ever experienced the performance and handling of a well cared for Esprit?
No sadly I haven't, and I agree they were aiming for a different market, more specialist sports car less practical etc.

buster1984

68 posts

155 months

Tuesday 24th May 2011
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Great shed!! my favourite porsche of all time. shame its not the turbo. turn these into track cars with a roll cage uprated suspension, brakes e.t.c then they fetch a bit more cash. would be a good little project.

Rarefied Brains

847 posts

204 months

Wednesday 25th May 2011
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rallycross said:
No reason why it should be risky to buy as long as you check it over carefully due to it's age.

Parts are quite cheap for them and are relatively simple to work on.

It's nonsense about needing sills and it costing £1200'per side this is hugely wide of the mark, like any old car it might need some welding just take it to a someone who does lots of welding jobs for a sensible price. You should be able to check quite easily how much rust by looking underneath and having a poke around.
That's the price for the official (galvnised) Porsche replacement parts. If you want to keep it as 'standard' as possible this is the reality of running one of these. Parts like those are not re-manufactured in large enough volume to bring the cost down. Likewise the front lower valance is something like £650 + VAT..

rallycross

12,747 posts

236 months

Wednesday 25th May 2011
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Sills are £150 each From Porsche

Rarefied Brains

847 posts

204 months

Wednesday 25th May 2011
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Is that price from PET? I was fairly certain they were 1200? Maybe things have come down lately?

Edited by Rarefied Brains on Wednesday 25th May 15:00

jenpot

472 posts

186 months

Wednesday 25th May 2011
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rallycross said:
Sills are £150 each From Porsche
Ah, but that won't include removing the old ones, welding the new ones, painting them et.c.

We've been there, its not that cheap.

This shed looks just like our first 944, bought for £995, run for 6 months, sold for a grand. No bad!

poprock

1,984 posts

200 months

Wednesday 25th May 2011
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I’m coming to this shed thread very late, but my wife’s been bugging me to come join in for ages …

(*Edit: And I typed so slowly that she got in ahead. Hi Jen.)

My first car was a 1985 944 shed, very similar to the one in the article. Silver, brown interior, leaky petrol tank, bit of wood for propping up the bonnet because the struts had gone … a proper shed. I bought it for £995 and sold it a few months later for £1,000. By that point I was completely hooked on the 944 and just wanted a better one.

My point is that a 944 shed can be done. Just don’t expect the best of the breed. Do expect to fall in love with the handling and end up buying more of the buggers.

On the ‘GF can’t drive it’ point … my wife doesn’t like driving my ’89 Turbo. It’s because short folk can’t see out of them properly, or reach the pedals comfortably, without lifting the seat up on blocks. And I’m not doing that because it’s my car and I’m quite tall. On the other hand, the first time she did drive it on her own was on the Aston Martin/Jaguar test track at Gaydon and she managed to top 130mph first time out.

911motorsport

7,251 posts

232 months

Thursday 26th May 2011
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130mph first time out! Top bombing clap

carinaman

21,224 posts

171 months

Friday 27th May 2011
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I'm not getting the 944 Esprit comparisons.

Thinking back to the day, CAR Magazine featured an Esprit Turbo against a Ferrari 308GTB, and did a Giant Test featuring an Esprit, 911, Quattro and possibly something else.

CAR Giant Tested a 944 against an Excel and possibly a Starion.

The Esprit is a VARI bodied wedge on a separate chassis. The 944 is the development of 924, a car Porsche designed for VW. They're not comparable.

The Esprit has 2 seats. Kids can fit in the 944 and it has a hatchback with folding rear seats.

The 944 has 1/2 a 928 V8 just as the Audi V8 version of the Audi 100 C3 had a V8 made from two Golf 16V motors. The Audi V8 was a competitor to the S Class Merc. and 7 series BMW? Or it was an Audi 100 with a V8?

The Esprit is comparable to a 944?

Can you get an Esprit that runs with an MoT for £1k?


Short people can't see out of them? Reminds me of the Georg Kacher piece in CAR where he was hurtling around Germany in a 924 Turbo (I'll guess it was the later tweaked one - but could be wrong) to go to see Pink Floyd play in concert. Kacher's what? 6' 6''?

jenpot

472 posts

186 months

Saturday 28th May 2011
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carinaman said:
Short people can't see out of them? Reminds me of the Georg Kacher piece in CAR where he was hurtling around Germany in a 924 Turbo (I'll guess it was the later tweaked one - but could be wrong) to go to see Pink Floyd play in concert. Kacher's what? 6' 6''?
It's just that changing gear has me at the absolute limit of my reach and as I don't drive it much I'm not that confident about visibility. I'm happiest on motorways, the heavy long clutch is a bugger in town!

pixieporsche

5,993 posts

214 months

Saturday 28th May 2011
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poprock said:
It’s because short folk can’t see out of them properly, or reach the pedals comfortably, without lifting the seat up on blocks.
Utter codswallop! I'm 5'2" (well not quite that) had three 944's (2 oval dash, 1 square dash) can see out of them fine, don't have the seat anywhere near the most forward position and can reach all pedals.

Despite being short, I don't sit like a window licker.

MadRob6

3,594 posts

219 months

Saturday 28th May 2011
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A previous owner of my square dash car had fitted little aluminium blocks to the drivers seat to cure the low driving position.

However since I'm a little over 6' it meant my legs were wedged against the steering wheel. Removed them and the driving position is great now, better than my MR2 where if I go over a bump I smack my head on the roof!

pixieporsche

5,993 posts

214 months

Saturday 28th May 2011
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MadRob6 said:
A previous owner of my square dash car had fitted little aluminium blocks to the drivers seat to cure the low driving position.

However since I'm a little over 6' it meant my legs were wedged against the steering wheel. Removed them and the driving position is great now, better than my MR2 where if I go over a bump I smack my head on the roof!
Takes alsorts! It's meant to be a low driving position - it's a large sports car / small GT for goodness sake!

carlingofblack

363 posts

163 months

Saturday 28th May 2011
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Spot on. Driving position is ace. There's also electric seat adjustment for heaven's sake...! My S2 944 is very comfortable and was also a bargain. Incredibly tough and still 'modern' feeling classic. Love it.

pixieporsche

5,993 posts

214 months

Saturday 28th May 2011
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carlingofblack said:
Spot on. Driving position is ace. There's also electric seat adjustment for heaven's sake...! My S2 944 is very comfortable and was also a bargain. Incredibly tough and still 'modern' feeling classic. Love it.
Square dash doesn't have electronic seat adjustment. smile The difference between driving a later car (oval dash) and early car (square dash) is incredible! If you like modern cars you'll prefer the oval dash models if you like classics you will prefer the square dash. smile