Buying my first 944 guidance please

[mik_e_b]

Hi guys and gals ...... my name is mike and I'm a recent member of pcgb and live in the West Midlands Area 9. I wish to by a 944 s2 wondered if there are any owners out there that would give me some time to show me over their car (good and bad ). Maybe someone who was more hands on in getting their vehicle up to scratch .
I am no mechanic ..... or body work guy but have read bits on this matter ..... but thre is nothing like chewing it over and taking a physical look with someone who has lived it.
I live near Solihull and happy to travel ...... today..... tomorrow or a day in the week
My tel is 07792 665993
Hope you out there can help

Thanks mike

 

[marojojoem]

Mike,
I'm not too close to you (Gloucs) and mine's a turbo but if you would find it useful to chat over some "war stories" based on my experiences over 8 years since buying my ebay gamble I'd be pleased to help.
Cheers
Mark

 

[944Scott]

How big is your drive? maybe we could arrange a mini meet at yours?

 

[marojojoem]

Sure no problem I will text you

 

[marojojoem]

How big is your drive? maybe we could arrange a mini meet at yours?

you are very welcome the current plan is Wed pm to be confirmed

 

[mik_e_b]

Hi Scott
..... Thanks for coming back with a fab suggestion ....... what a great idea .... I could quite easily get around 4 - 5 cars parked up at mine.
I assume a Saturday or Sunday when its dry would be best so I can stay flexible on the weekends to suit. I have a couple of cars earmarked for consideration ..... I've been in touch with the sellers but until I have a built up more knowledge Im not prepared to go view them...... truth is I've never even been out in ... or driven one. just loved the shape of them ever since the early 80's when I was a pup.
So if poss next week end is the first opportunity for me to be around 11th or 12th ...... happy to supply a few bacon butty's tea and coffee.

Great support

Thanks

 

[944Scott]

I'd struggle with that weekend, I have plans on the 11th that mean I will still be shabby on the 12th [&:]

 

[mik_e_b]

Hi Scott

No worries there ...... and thanks for coming to my aid .
How does the weekend after sit with you 18 / 19th.

Mike

 

[Frenchy]

ATB on the hunt, pay as much as you can, go by condition not mileage, sounds as though you need someone knowledgable with you to view.
S2 is a great car, Turbo even better []
I have owned a few variations so do know what I am talking about, horses for courses, S2 a great all rounder, ultimate grunt and grin......Turbo, forget the BS about issues a well sorted and cared for Turbo is epic.

 

[mik_e_b]

Hi Frenchy ....

Thanks for your input ...... and yes you hit the nail on the head. Are you local are to me that we could hook up sometime

Mike

 

[mik_e_b]

Hi Frenchy ....

Thanks for your input ...... and yes you hit the nail on the head. Are you local are to me that we could hook up sometime

Mike

 

[John Sims]

Welcome to the exciting world of Classic Cars. You can make a small fortune. ..assuming you start with a large one

Condition, condition, condition. Mechanical issues can be fixed, body cancer is whole different case.

 

[944Scott]

I can't do that weekend either as I'm on call, I've not been much help really have I and now feel like a bit of a plumb lol do you have any links for the adverts for the cars you are looking at? maybe we can start by giving you some advice on line.

 

[blade7]

What does a straight S2 sell for these days, £10-15k? Obviously we don't all like the same thing but a Cayman makes more sense to me.

 

[jonnyporsche]

I can't do that weekend either as I'm on call, I've not been much help really have I and now feel like a bit of a plumb lol do you have any links for the adverts for the cars you are looking at? maybe we can start by giving you some advice on line.

You would be surprised at the amount of knowledge some of the users of this forum have and so able to give plenty of advise from sale adverts, someone might even know the actual car(s) you are looking at.

 

[924Srr27l]

What does a straight S2 sell for these days, £10-15k? TBH I've never been a fan, always seen them as a watered down version of the turbo. Obviously we don't all like the same thing but a Cayman makes more sense to me.

944 Turbo owners always have a bit if a negative thing about the Normally aspirated cars, but as you say some people like them and I'm sure if Mike wanted a Cayman as opposed to a classic car which was
designed decades later he'd of not decided to buy a S2 944.

The numbers of turbo's and 3.0S2's sold are very similar even though the turbo was made for 7 years and the S2 for 3 years excluding the USA the numbers are approx.
(turbo 12,000 and (S2 11,000)

The first upgraded 2.5 Engine the (16V) produced only 30bhp less than the mk1 (forced induction) turbo motor but it needed to be over 4000rpm before it really got going,
hence why Porsche after trying the bigger bore (105mm) 2.7 8v decided to increase the capacity further to for better low range torque and keep the twin cams for better higher
rpm breathing hence the S2 which Porsche sold twice the amount of compared to the Turbo in it's first year (1989)

So the S2 is the highest upgraded N/A Porsche Transaxle made, and nothing you could call a watered down version, even the 944 S3 (968) Porsche decided to keep the same
3.0 S2 motor bore and stroke, but enhance the head, exhaust system and use Variable Valve timing for more power.

R

 

[Frenchy]

Mike B, miles away in the frozen north of beautiful Cumbria, not sure of your budget but I know of a Red 87 model 944 Turbo that will be on the market soon no body issues which were minimal when the buyer bought the car and has been sorted correctly 14 k might buy it but don't quote me !
Mechanically sound and well looked after it was down your way at one time.
If you spot anything up this way let me know and I can take a gander, a colleague has recently sold a 944 lux which was presentable but needed some tidy up work very cheaply.
If I was down your neck I would call and take you out in a Turbo and laugh at you as you grip the seats when boost comes on []
That said if you are looking for something that does not slacken your eye sockets and a good all rounder with which can still gallop along an S2 is not a bad choice 3 litre twin cam 16 valve ain't too shabby.

 

[944Scott]

I did initially start by looking for an S2 and whilst doing the rounds a couple of turbo's popped up within my search area (which was quite large as I was happy to travel) I drove a nice S2 in London and then a turbo in Chelmsford and from there I was hooked. Next I travelled to Wakefield to look at a turbo (also Baltic blue) at an independent specialist which turned out to be a complete donkey and back down to Hatfield to look at a turbo S (black) which also was a waste of time, a very tired ex track car which showed signs of a roll cage being hacked out and when you knelt on the floor and looked back up the body panels its was wavy and full of filler. Coincidently on the same day another popped up on flea bay 15 miles down the road, it looked nothing special in the pictures but upon turning up to view it immediately it was obvious it was in better condition than all the other cars I had been to view with the bonus being it was half the price.

Be prepared to travel, feel free to post potential candidates on here and don't let your need rule your heart, gut feeling will tell you the right car when it comes along wherever in the country it may be.

Please don't be afraid to ask what might seem to be stupid questions as there is always somebody wondering the same but not prepared to ask, we are all here to help so post away and lets see if we can't sort you out with a sweet ride [8D][]

PS the car Frenchy is talking about sounds interesting.

 

[blade7]

Porsche after trying the bigger bore (105mm)

R

104mm.

 

[matthewwood]

Hi Mike,

I bought my 2.7 Lux on a whim, did a bit of reading up about the pitfalls and the rust i could see i was sure could be sorted at a reasonable price. What i didn't know was that the car was rather rotten on the inside sills, and that the rot had spread to wider areas of the floor pan.

My advice would be don't be afraid to have a bloody good poke around the car, take up the carpets if you can to check for signs of rust and ideally get it up on a four poster if you can ( hard to do i know but if you can great ). Mine looks mint from the outside but the reality is a rusty MOT failure.

I'm into the car for about £5.5k at the moment ( purchase plus engine and bodywork done ) and around £7k away from having it sorted

Being able to take an expert could possibly save you big bills down the line. Agree with comments above, forget the mileage its condition and how much has been spent on it over the years.

Despite all the pain, i love the car , how it drives and the positive attention it got when on the road. I'll get it back on the road one day!

An expensive sorted 944 is a lot cheaper than a cheap 944 that will need sorting out!

Good luck with the search, if you want a chat about my experience just DM me. Oh and if you want to check out what a smart from the outside but rusty on the inside 944 looks like give me a shout! I'm based in Kidderminster and the car is stored just outside Evesham, so not a million miles away.

All the best

Matt