944 a reliable daily driver/beater?

A buddy at work has an '87 with 60,000 miles that he is having to sell because he is moving to Japan and can't take it with him. The thing is in decent shape and he has had some work done to make sure it's all good (911 clutch, A/C serviced).

So I'm thinking that it could be a cheap and fun daily driver/beater...... what I don't know about it reliability of the 944? Am I crazy?

 

I have an 87 with 260K on the clock. Its reliable.

Go for it as long as you don't have to sink any money into major repairs.

 

As long as it's not a turbo, I don't see any reason why not.

Owned one back in the day and it WAS my DD.

Still want one, will probably get back into one someday.

D

 

Not worth much and I don't see that turning around. I see them going for a couple of grand but not sure condition as don't pay very close attention to them. If it runs good and the guy practically gives it to you than why not? Wouldn't hurt to have it checked regardless as it wouldn't take much to dump more than it's worth into it if problems.

 

It's not a turbo..... My buddy says it's solid and I think I'm gonna give it a good looking over.

 

I'm a 944 fan; in fact , I still own a race car version. 944s are great handling, can be very practical as a DD sports car, are reliable as long as maintenance is up to date. I have owned various Porsches and I think the 944s are more practical, much better handling, more economical, better ergonomically designed than the more prestigious air-cooled 911s.

If you like the looks and the car is is decent shape mechanically and cosmetically, I'd say go for it.

 

Mark.....

Don't let nice cosmetics fool you. The cars that are money pits will often look just as good as the mechanically sound cars. A poorly maintained example with deferred maintenance can easily set you back the equivalent of the purchase price of the car in shop repairs during the first year. Get a PPI from someone who knows the 924/944/968 series.......

Remember, many of the people who own these cars can afford to buy them because they are all normally $10K<.......but when repair time comes it's when you seperate the men from the boys........

I had a 944 and a 924 as daily all weather drivers and they are great fun.

 

I owned a Porsche 944S several years ago. Great car. Zero reliability problems but pricy to maintain. Make sure the timing/balance belts have been replaced recently. Oh no, not another timing belt thread I'd also check the water pump and motor mounts.

IMHO


Joe

 

My dad had one with when I was little.

He had it from 140k-244k miles and the major mechanicals (engine, gearbox, etc...) were still bulletproof (with no deferred service appointments). The things he did have problems with were out-width of standard servicing, such as some electrical items (the pop-up headlights were temperamental and sometimes needed encouraging out of the recess) and the interior started to look very rough.

Although, to be fair to Porsche, the interior was only deteriorating because my sister and I would climb all over everything whenever we were in it.

He sold it to an enthusiast who wanted a project car with reliable major mechanicals but needing some DIY refurb. Basically, it was exactly what the guy wanted. Sometimes I wonder if the same guy still has the car and how many miles it has on it now.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

Overall, if maintained, bulletproof. I used to service them at my shop regularly when they were newer. The trouble is they arent worth much anymore. You can easily spend more on repairs than the car is worth

 

Timing belts eh?

I will see what the service records are like and how maintained things look but it sounds like this thing could be a little more effort than I would like. I already have two cars and this seemed like an opportunity to pick up a sportier beater at a good price.

 

Worth is an interesting word, I have a lot more than I could sell it for in parts/labor - I now do my own work to cut the labor part. Thing is, the car is worth it to me. The 944 is the car that "fits" my life out of anything I've driven.

They are fairly well built, so I'd say they are "reliable", but being 20+ years old, some things will go simply due to age. When I started working on them myself, I made sure I had a second 944 so that I could to park one for maintenance until I got to it, instead of still driving a car that needs work. If you do it yourself - try to pick up a car without rusted fasteners!! I am VERY VERY lucky in this respect, but I've wrenched on other 944's that do have corrosion, its a real pain.

 

I'm a huge 944 fan. I've had 3 and a 968. All were reliable. I had one of mine for 4 years on my '86 and only a $181 idle control valve (or something like that). Almost 27,000 miles I put on it during my tenure. Great cars.

 

Like said, service and parts can be more than what car is worth. Clutch is most expencive because the transaxle, timing belts need special tool for correct fitment. Porsche pdc=there isnt great amount of wheels and they tend to be pricey.

 

I had a 944 turbo that i used as a DD for 9 years. I loved that car. I had a few issues with it, but nothing major. The main thing is make sure you do the timing belt as required.

 

a great daily driver, my old 84 was practical, i bought used (very) and did all the mechanical work myself, but caution if you get into the engine (audi) to fa needs a few special tools .....main items i encountered, was keep the timing belt + guides serviced (is an interference engine), rubber bushings in suspension + sways (likely worn by this age), the steering column under dash (can be loose, and wear), and the fuel tank filler hose
pelican parts .com is a good site for checking on this models various issues
good luck!

 

Good thing this thread is still going, as I'm thinking of what to do with my 944.

After I achieve my objective of vintage racing it i.e. Rennsport Reunion, I may put it in the market. If it doesn't sell at my minimum price, I'm thinking of adding carpet and quieter muffler so I can make it into a street driver. I have been driving it more on the street lately to get a feel for what it would be like. The suspension is not bad at all; it's just as stiff as my Cayman. The only thing is the noise which I'm hoping that proper carpeting/noise insulation and street muffler should address. The stickers and period-correct bolt-in cage would have to be taken off. Since we've literally gone through the whole car to make it track-worthy, it should be fairly reliable as a daily driver.

BTW, Hagerty Insurance's recently had an article in their magazine regarding the 924/944/928 increasing in values recently. I posted bits of it in one of the Porsche sites I frequent. If folks here are interested, I can post here as well.

 

Zxgarage, you should really have a Silver or Rossa subscription to FerrariChat in order to advertise your own car for sale. Once subscribed, the best way to do this is to create an advert in the FerrariAds section and then link to it in the forum. The red "subscriptions" link in my signature has more details on the other benefits of being a subscriber.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

Even high mileage 944's that have a service history are worth considering. They are fun to drive, corner wonderfully, but have very little HP and Torque. Around 145 (each). Nothing happens until you hit 4,000 RPM. New Honda Civic's can beat you off the line if you're not ready!

You need to see the maint. history and if the owner doesn't have anything, don't believe it. They all should have some history available and a paper trail.

Yes, I've got one, an 1987 (auto tensioner was the "big deal" in that year, plus you have the late offset "phonedial" rims). Some naturally aspirated 1987 944's were also equiped with air bags, although don't count on that early technology to actually deploy when you need it.

Frequent oil changes are always good. I purchased mine at 87,000KM and now it's got nearly 270,000 KM. No crud in the engine, no oil burn, no piston ring or valve seal problems.

Timing chain needs changing every 50,000 MILES. If it hasn't been changed expect to have a difficult time undoing the bolts. They can be very stubborn. You'll be into extra $$$. If it has been changed regularly, you shouldn't have any problems. Get the water pump changed at the same time. MUST DO.

If you're planning on driving this car in snow, you will need snow tires. Galvanized body should withstand salt and winter crud. I don't drive mine in the winter.

 

Agreed 100%


I've owned 8 or 9 944s since the 1990s, having driven them around 270k miles combined. Serviced dozens of them. Current daily driver is a 944S2. All things considered, any 944, but particularly the S2, is a magnificent car.

Regarding the comments about "it costs more to service than it's worth," etc.; really, what do people want?!? These cars were the world's standard in their day, and were $40k cars in the 1980s; they are precision, high performance cars engineered to what were the highest standards in the world at the time -- yes, they will cost more to maintain than a Chevy. To anyone thinking of a 944 as a $3000 car and complaining about the cost of maintenance, perhaps a 1990s Nissan of some sort, or one of the myriad other flimsy Japanese cars that attempted to imitate the 944, would be more suitable.

A 944 is intrinsically worth much more than its market value today; it should be viewed as an opportunity that one can have such a great car without having to tie up much money in it at all, or worry about depreciation; this is the other side of the "it's not worth what it cost to maintain" line. "Hey, I can have this awesome car, and between the expenses of purchase/depreciation and maintenance, I only have to pay the maintenance!"

But if you'd rather tie up $20k or $30k in a car, and maybe lose half of that in depreciation during ownership, just so you can feel better about paying $1500 for a T-belt & water pump or $2400 for a clutch, then hey, knock yourself out.

Cheers,

Tony

 

That's a refreshing way to look at car ownership Tony - thanks!

All the best,
Andrew.

 

The point of explaining ownership costs on older Porsches is that people commonly think the cheaper cars are inexpensive to run. Lots of people can also easily buy these cars, but cannot afford to keep them in the shape they should be when they break. Vette owners call it "Bubba Syndrome"..........so, I don't think anyone here disagrees with Tony.........or is *****ing about the repair costs......just pointing out the pitfalls that you have to be aware of if you are prone to going down this route.

For example, would I spend $15K in maintenance and repairs over the next 5-7 years driving a mid 80's Porsche 928 on a daily basis (or about 2/3 of that on a 944)........ummmm........no. But there are those who will, and as long as they know from day one what their risk exposure is, more power to them.

 

Thank you for articulating your excellent points. For daily (or even weekend) drivers, I find a flaw in the logic of not spending maintenance money over what the car is worth. It may make sense for restoration of collector/"investment" cars i.e. spending money on cars beyond what they're worth. But for cars that are used/driven, maintenance is usually less expensive than depreciation. There will always be a cost for using a vehicle and 944s can be fairly economical overall and less capital-intensive. Just do due diligence when picking one.

 

I'm a 14 year 944 owner. It was my daily driver for 6 years and just a fun car now.

Generally-speaking, they're reliable. Several things will get you into big trouble though:

- Not being religious and fanatical about the timing belt
- Ignoring signs of trouble
- Letting it be worked on by a hack
- Letting the car sit

The good news is, used parts are plentiful and cheap. New parts aren't that bad, either. The one trap you get into (and Ferrari owners now all about this) is that you'll find yourself doing many maintenance projects that aren't exactly "required" but will make the car a little more perfect. For example, my suspension doesn't clunk, but I'd imagine the rubber bushings are getting a little tired after 25 years so I'm about to embark on a complete re-bush of the front suspension.

 

You'd be much better off to buy a Boxster for the same money.

Dale