Anyone know this one?

[Suffolk944]

ORIGINAL: Hairyarse

Fair comments, thanks Pixie and all. Frustratingly not sure how soon I can get to see it but seeing two more local tomorrow. A gold square dash and Andrew's old GR S2, it's only a few miles up the road from the gold one so seemed daft not to take a look!

Andrews S2 is a very nice car - clearly he took leave of his senses when he sold it ! []

 

[Hairyarse]

I think he must have done Jon, bet he misses it

 

[andrew_churcher]

I do miss it! The beetle fills some of the void []. I also have fond memories of a passenger ride in a 320BHP 944 turbo.......thats an itch i wouldnt mind scratching at some pt in the future.

 

[Northern924]

Good luck with the search, now is certainly the time to buy a 944, the market is at its lowest point ever especially for an early one, that eBay one is certasinly worth thinking about especially if you alble to see it before hand.
I've never been one to worry about milage, mine has 174k on and is running like a car with half that milage, doesn't burn any more oil than it would have from new and is just as quite as a car I know with less than half that milage.

 

[Hairyarse]

Ok so I knew it would be dangerous to go and see Andrew's old S2 - I think I'm in love!!! [8D] Put simply, it looks stunning, was a dream to drive, can't really fault it. So now my dilemma really starts, still liking the square dash and have a hankering for one but Andrew's old S2 just feels right. Think I'll still go and see the red square dash as it's pretty sorted and see where I stand then.

The gold one I saw first thing today - http://pistonheads.co.uk/sales/2453832.htm - to be fair is a straight, honest car. It's as advertised, its cheap, ok it's a bit tatty in places and the sills will need sorting at some point but for the money you could just get in it and use it and tidy it as you go. I think it's had paint at some point as a few pin holes but the photos don't do it justice, it does shine up quite nicely. We even passed a dark blue 944 on the test drive! []

 

[Diver944]

Keep up with the search Andy, it will be worth it in the end []

I'm glad you had a drive of Andrews old car, I hope it illustrated the world of difference between a truly good car (that is priced to match) and an old worn out example that is at the cheaper end of the market [:'(]

 

[Hairyarse]

Yup, big difference but that said, the gold one still had a lot of charm to it - I think it was it's honesty if you know what I mean, nothing hidden, you could see it for what it was

 

[pixie*porsche]

Are you back to looking out for an S2 now, then? []

Glad you're search is going well, hope you find the right one soon.

 

[Hairyarse]

Don't know Pixie tbh. I'm still loving the square dash but the S2 was just such a nice car. I'll look at the GR square dash as planned and see how I feel - hopefully it wont be confused like I am now! []

 

[colin944]

have you seen this one ? looks ok. nice colour. oh and 16 inch fuchs. owner says 17inch but he has gone on outside of rim instead of inside where the tyre sits.http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Bargain-No-seriously-1984-Porsche-944-/260731988416?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item3cb4d669c0

 

[Hairyarse]

Cheers Colin, did see it the other day. Gave up reading the description though - became hard work!

 

[colin944]

I know what you mean . It's very long winded.Looks like an interesting car though.Even although I have an S2 I still love the square dash models.An early car in a nice colour with fuchs is hard to beat.But when I bought my car I simply set a budget and went out to buy the best one I could find regardless of which model it was.I happened to buy an S2 because it was advertised wrongly and priced at about half of what it was worth by the owner who didn't know what he had.He just thought it was an old 944 and sold it at a price he was happy to get for it . I was just lucky. The truth is any good 944 regardless of what model it is will be a great car to own and drive.Don't worry about age or what anyone says just buy the best you can get for your budget.

 

[pixie*porsche]

It's all very well and good saying buy the best one you can but having owned and driven cars across the whole 944 range, there is a MASSIVE difference between the first of the line square dash (which is a bit like a gokart with pop up lights) more suited to enthusiastic driving around B-roads to the last of the line S2s (which is closer to a soft and wallowy almost pudding like motorway cruiser.)

You have to bear in mind when the dash changed to the end of production the 944 is practically a different car, broadly the newer they get the softer they became. If you wanted an MGB Roadster buy the best you can afford still applies, however you would have narrowed your choice of model down to your requirements. You probably wouldn't be looking at everything from an early pull handle to the last of the line LE and everything in between.

I currently have in my stable an '84 square dash and a '85 oval dash, if you are too far away I would be willing to take you out for a quick spin in both cars. Just because they both say 944 on the back and are made only one year apart doesn't make them anything like one and other to drive!

 

[Suffolk944]

ORIGINAL: pixie*porsche

last of the line S2s (which is closer to a soft and wallowy almost pudding like motorway cruiser.)

[]

 

[Hairyarse]

Well, I've just got back from seeing the GR square dash and I'm in love with that too!! I totally get what you're saying Pixie, the S2 I saw yesterday was truly stunning and drove faultlessly but it drives like a new car. The SD model is like a classic car. I was driving back think just what you said, both say 944 on the back but they are completely different cars IMH (and inexperience) O!

Real dilemma now for sure. I think I'm leaning back towards the square dash though, it is after all what I was truly after, the 944 I yearned for as a kid and a classic motor. It was a lovely example too, it's done classic racing (road, not track) so in my mind it's been used as intended - lovingly raced, rather than boy raced! It has been well cared for.

I'm going to sleep on this one, then pending getting the £££ finally sorted this week I'd like to think I could be the owner of a guards red (is that the fastest colour?[]) 944 next weekend. Both cars are definitely worth owning. If it all falls in to place I'll let you guess which one I end up with! lol

Cheers
Andy

 

[Hairyarse]

some advice needed.... (forgot to ask on last post!)

Advisories on MOT were 3 wheel bearings have slight play. This was on the previous MOT too. I understand these are adjustable? Is this much to worry about? Also it mentioned (and I should have noted down exactly what it said, doh!) steering rack drop bar bush has play/worn or something similar

Overall though, very tidy and very original. Has the little leather (?) flap over the petrol filler cap to fold down when filling up and protect your paintwork, not seen one of those before!!

 

[jasonp]

ORIGINAL: Suffolk944

ORIGINAL: pixie*porsche

last of the line S2s (which is closer to a soft and wallowy almost pudding like motorway cruiser.)

[ thats a bold statement pixie! my s2 certainly dont feel or drive like "motorway cruiser", s2 driving like a lexus or 5 series? i dont think so..[] regards jason p

 

[pixie*porsche]

ORIGINAL: Hairyarse

Well, I've just got back from seeing the GR square dash and I'm in love with that too!! I totally get what you're saying Pixie, the S2 I saw yesterday was truly stunning and drove faultlessly but it drives like a new car. The SD model is like a classic car. I was driving back think just what you said, both say 944 on the back but they are completely different cars IMH (and inexperience) O!

Real dilemma now for sure. I think I'm leaning back towards the square dash though, it is after all what I was truly after, the 944 I yearned for as a kid and a classic motor. It was a lovely example too, it's done classic racing (road, not track) so in my mind it's been used as intended - lovingly raced, rather than boy raced! It has been well cared for.

I'm going to sleep on this one, then pending getting the £££ finally sorted this week I'd like to think I could be the owner of a guards red (is that the fastest colour?[]) 944 next weekend. Both cars are definitely worth owning. If it all falls in to place I'll let you guess which one I end up with! lol

Cheers
Andy

Andy,

If you're having trouble deciding between the two - and you've now seen for yourself just what a massive difference there is. The question you really need to ask yourself is this; do you want a car which feels very much like the average daily driver, in which case go for the S2 or do you want to perhaps throw yourself out of the comfort zone and buy what is for all intents and purposes a "classic car", in which case the square dash is the one for you.

By the sounds of it you have found a pair of cars which are equally good in their own right so the big decision has nothing to do with colour / toys etc. it's simply do you want a classic car or a modern car?

I decided I wanted both, sometimes I want to go out and drive a turn on a sixpence go kart and other days I like to drive a big, fat, lazy lump! Whatever you decide to do there isn't a wrong decision: they both have the right crest on the nose and the right badge on the back!

 

[Mike_Pollock]

Front wheel bearings are adjustable but the rear aren't.

Steering comment is probably the intermediate steering shaft, they have a bearing right next to the exhaust on the R/H drive cars! - Approx £100

Good luck (mines an '83!)

 

[Hairyarse]

ORIGINAL: pixie*porsche
I decided I wanted both

I want both too!!! If I was after a daily it would be the S2, no question. I'm already thinking about owning the square dash - it's a classic I want and this would be more like driving my MK1 Golf GTI than the S2 would ever be. That said I keep thinking about what a stunning example the S2 I saw was and it was just such a nice car. No doubt I'll make the right decision []