1st 944 Purchase

[Guest]

Hi,

I'm looking to purchase my first Porsche in the very near future and have always loved the 944. So, time to ask for some proffesional advice before I take the plunge - there seems to be a vast wealth of knowledge on this forum so any help will be much appreciated. I want the S2 or a Turbo.

• What can I expect for £5 - £7,000.
• Is the mileage anything to worry about once it nears or tops 100k ? (I wont buy anything without a very comprehensive history).
• How reliable is the Turbo model or are they to be avoided giving the complexity & age of them now.
• I live close to Durham (North East), are there any independant Porsche specialists in the area (not JCT600)?

Many Thanks in advance for any replies and apologies if this topic has been bled to death.

 

[sawood12]

Eric,
If you use the search function you will find enough reading on this subject to keep you busy for days, but to kick things off:-
1. For £5k - £7k you should be able to get yourself a very good S2 or early turbo '86/'87 model. Or even a mint lux or S and have a stash in the bank to cover maintenance.
2. 100k miles is nothing on a 944 and is a low risk purchase providing you can establish that the car has been looked after, regularly serviced and not thrashed too much. In fact a low milage model might give you trouble and cost you initially since my experience is the more you drive these cars the less niggly problems you get. Cars that have been lying around for years covering few miles here and there can oftern have a whole world of problems despite their apparent good condition. Having said that you should be buying the cars on condition irrespective of milage (within the realms of common sense).
3. Turbo's are no more expensive to own than S2's - in fact in many ways there are more things to worry about with the 16v head but again if you buy a good S2 there is no need to worry. The bulk of the turbo engine is an 8v engine therefore is quite simple and the boost levels delivered by the turbo are relatively low. The turbo's themselves are pretty bulletproof and are easily good for 150k miles+. Just bear in mind that the servce interval of the a turbo is 6k miles/6 months whereas the N/A cars is 12k miles/12months (not sure about the S2 though). The only costly element of owning a turbo is that they are quite intoxicating and can tempt you into tinkering. From there they can get very expensive! The necessary maintenance i've carried out on my car has been on items that are common to all 944 models e.g. oil leaks, radiator temp sensor, clutch master cylinder, alternator. I've had no turbo related problems at all.
4. Sorry, can't advise on specialists in the North East. You could try the regional forum if you don't get any joy from this one.

Happy hunting!!

 

[mik_ok]

What can I expect for £5 - £7,000.

A good solid example of either S2 or Turbo (at upper and lower ends of your range respectively). Look at Pistonheads classifieds (online) or one of the Porsche mags for private ads.

Is the mileage anything to worry about once it nears or tops 100k ?
Cam chain on the S2 isn't on the Porsche service interval, but will need attention around this time. Before preferably. This is £300-odds at best for new chain and pads, and more like £2K if you are unlucky and the mating teeth on the cams are worn (means new cams too). With only 8valves, the turbo doesn't suffer this issue.......

How reliable is the Turbo model
Don't have one, but I don't believe they are less reliable by any significant margin (?). High mileage 944's of all type are far from unusual.

I live close to Durham (North East)
Although I was there today, i can't help you. []

 

[NeilW]

I use Tom Ferguson in Newcastle. He knows the 944 series of cars very well, including racing them.

www.tomfergusonmotorengineers.com

 

[Guest]

Another option, although a bit of a trek from Durham is Redline Racing at Thornaby. Their number is 01642 751911. Happy hunting.
Cheers,

Graham

 

[georgethackray]

Hi Tom,

I just bought my first 944 a few weeks ago. Althought I bought mine from a place near Oxford, I kept checking out Hartech - http://www.hartech.org.uk/

After I bought my car, I took it in to them to book a service, and to ask about a slight noise from the back wheels. I was very impressed with them. One of the staff came out in my car to check the noise for me and put my mind at rest.

They must be very popular - I took the car in at the end of May and the earliest service I can get is 6th July!

They do a maintenance plan - http://www.hartech.org.uk/lifeplan.html and they also produce a buyers guide - http://www.hartech.org.uk/buyers.html

They've sold out of cars at the moment, but keep checking....

Good hunting.