1986 Porsche 944 project.
Discussion
After the wife run off, and I'd stopped crying over spilt milk, I thought f'k it always wanted a sports car.
Then thought f'k sports cars are expensive and impractical things.
So thought, what the cheapest, rear wheel drive sports car that can carry 3 people, dog and shopping......... one one I could think of = Porsche 944.
Then thought what is the cheapest 944 I can get.......... I know a non-subtle coloured MOT failure one.
5 months ago, my rusty, multi-faulted, bright orange, ebay find turned up.........
more to follow.
Then thought f'k sports cars are expensive and impractical things.
So thought, what the cheapest, rear wheel drive sports car that can carry 3 people, dog and shopping......... one one I could think of = Porsche 944.
Then thought what is the cheapest 944 I can get.......... I know a non-subtle coloured MOT failure one.
5 months ago, my rusty, multi-faulted, bright orange, ebay find turned up.........
more to follow.
Ohhh blimey, don't get too excited guys.
It's just me trying to get one of the least valued porsches back on the road.
I've found that with porsche dealer prices. Sometimes cheaper (and obviously OME) than ebay copies.
Parts people have been very helpful but showroom and sales obviously think my hi-viz, steel toecaps and truck on their premises, isn't quite the look their PR people want. Lol.
Having got it home, i soon realised, (as is often the case) that maybe I'd paid too much.
Will work out how to post pics tomorrow.
It's just me trying to get one of the least valued porsches back on the road.
I've found that with porsche dealer prices. Sometimes cheaper (and obviously OME) than ebay copies.
Parts people have been very helpful but showroom and sales obviously think my hi-viz, steel toecaps and truck on their premises, isn't quite the look their PR people want. Lol.
Having got it home, i soon realised, (as is often the case) that maybe I'd paid too much.
Will work out how to post pics tomorrow.
Nice cars. I always liked them.
Slightly off topic, this thread has got me thinking about performance, and our changing expectations of it. The Toyota GT86, a similar configuration, has been criticized for its apparently slightly lacking performance. Autocar magazine recorded 0-60 times of coincidentally 7.4 seconds for both the 86 and the 944, about 30 years apart. I remember, as a child, reading car magazine road tests of the 944, and not once did they ever accuse it of being too slow. Never even a suggestion of it. In fact, new owners of the 944 around 1982/3 were probably chuffed to bits with it.
What happened? Now, we're lamenting the way fast cars are becoming increasingly heavy, inert, less tactile and isolating the driver from the action. Never mind that middle of the range diesels are now as quick as a 944/GT86, or that hot hatches can do 0-60 in sub 5 seconds. The 944 and 968 have frequently been described as the most fun front engined cars of all time. Will we ever see their like again???
Slightly off topic, this thread has got me thinking about performance, and our changing expectations of it. The Toyota GT86, a similar configuration, has been criticized for its apparently slightly lacking performance. Autocar magazine recorded 0-60 times of coincidentally 7.4 seconds for both the 86 and the 944, about 30 years apart. I remember, as a child, reading car magazine road tests of the 944, and not once did they ever accuse it of being too slow. Never even a suggestion of it. In fact, new owners of the 944 around 1982/3 were probably chuffed to bits with it.
What happened? Now, we're lamenting the way fast cars are becoming increasingly heavy, inert, less tactile and isolating the driver from the action. Never mind that middle of the range diesels are now as quick as a 944/GT86, or that hot hatches can do 0-60 in sub 5 seconds. The 944 and 968 have frequently been described as the most fun front engined cars of all time. Will we ever see their like again???
I have been a long time lurker of this particular section of piston heads for many years and I have been encouraged by various threads to register, the Bi-Turbo Boxster, the mega mileage 996 and the home brewed concoction to name a few, however I've felt I have nothing particularly worthwhile or constructive to contribute, which may also be the case here.
I have been an avid Porsche fan for many years however I've never bitten the bullet and bought that 911 I have always wanted. I was however offered a 1982 944 a few years ago, probably in a similar state to yours and I feel I can sympathise with some of the issues you may have gone through.
I like to think I'm conservative with money, others can apparently hear me squeak when I walk. That said I am often reluctant to pay some of the extortionate prices asked for something because it has a Porsche badge on it and I am all to keen to shop around. I have found during my Porsche ownership that a lot of the parts on our 944 are available off of other models of similar vintage, golf, corrado, BMW E30 325, I'm sure one part was even off of an Audi 100. However as said above, OPC have in some instances provided cheaper prices on OEM parts than some competitors are asking for OE equivalents, plus you get a fancy Porsche bag, so don't dismiss them just yet.
In my time lurking on this forum I have seen mention of the 944 numerous times, mostly with people referring back to when they had them a number of years ago so they seemed to have been a popular choice.
I will follow your thread here with great interest. It has got me thinking about my very own 944 so thanks for that. I look forward to seeing some photos.
I have been an avid Porsche fan for many years however I've never bitten the bullet and bought that 911 I have always wanted. I was however offered a 1982 944 a few years ago, probably in a similar state to yours and I feel I can sympathise with some of the issues you may have gone through.
I like to think I'm conservative with money, others can apparently hear me squeak when I walk. That said I am often reluctant to pay some of the extortionate prices asked for something because it has a Porsche badge on it and I am all to keen to shop around. I have found during my Porsche ownership that a lot of the parts on our 944 are available off of other models of similar vintage, golf, corrado, BMW E30 325, I'm sure one part was even off of an Audi 100. However as said above, OPC have in some instances provided cheaper prices on OEM parts than some competitors are asking for OE equivalents, plus you get a fancy Porsche bag, so don't dismiss them just yet.
In my time lurking on this forum I have seen mention of the 944 numerous times, mostly with people referring back to when they had them a number of years ago so they seemed to have been a popular choice.
I will follow your thread here with great interest. It has got me thinking about my very own 944 so thanks for that. I look forward to seeing some photos.
These really have improved with age/rose tinted eye wear. Long gone are the days where aspiring Yuppies had one instead of the 911 that they couldn’t afford and are now owned by enthusiasts who appreciate them for what they are rather than just the badge.
I thought about buying one about 10 years ago as a daily driver, then reality kicked in and I accepted that with the mileage I was doing it was likely to be financial suicide.
Good luck with this, I shall be following with interest.
I thought about buying one about 10 years ago as a daily driver, then reality kicked in and I accepted that with the mileage I was doing it was likely to be financial suicide.
Good luck with this, I shall be following with interest.
LewG said:
cracking cars, the front engined Porsches have always been the only ones that've interested me
That's was my thinking. , sure the early 911s are cool but as a usable classic I think (and hope lol) the 944 is totally underrated. Of course the turbo is the real race car but with sorted examples now in the mid/late teens, they are too rich for me.
However the N/A cars are much more reasonable. They can have the same sport spec, 50/50 weight distribution, upto 211bhp.
Anyhow, back to reality. ........
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff