general use of a 944

[John Sims]

ORIGINAL: sc0tty

....... and they all require lots of TLC and maintenance and they are not cheap cars to run. .......

Probably because you aren't using yours as a daily driver. [8|] []

I am with the majority on this. Expect a few steep bills in the first few years getting the car completely sorted and then use it every day. It will be more than happy and so will you. Mine only ever has "issues" when he is ignored and then often cures himself when he gets driven.

Get one and enjoy it. They are that cheap you don't have to be precious about it. Just have fun.

 

[Suffolk944]

I dont use mine as an everyday machine but would have no qualms in doing so and happily use it to travel all over this sceptred isle of ours as well maintained and used examples are very reliable machines, whatever variant they happen to be as well as being stonkingly good cars.

Would say that everyone on here is a true Porsche (or at least 944) enthusiast from the most extreme modifier to the most obsessive concourse widget polisher. We are a broad church and long may it continue that way. [][]

 

[zcacogp]

ORIGINAL: Suffolk944
Would say that everyone on here is a true Porsche (or at least 944) enthusiast from the most extreme modifier to the most obsessive concourse widget polisher. We are a broad church and long may it continue that way. [][]

Well said that man. Please don't see my comment above as trying to be divisive ...


Oli.

 

[xenon]

ORIGINAL: zcacogp

Scotty,

I hear what you say, but I can't really disagree more! The best way to keep equipment in good condition is to use it, and regularly. As I have said on this forum several times, my S2 used to be used about three times every two weeks, for a short journey every time. About two years ago circumstances changed and it is now used for about 12-14k miles a year, driven 40 or so miles every day, come rain or shine. It has changed from being sluggish, reluctant to start and thirsty to enthusiastic, starting on the button every time, lively and significantly less thirsty. Machinery which is not used will deteriorate, and the way around that is to start it up often, get it good and warm and drive it. (Ever heard of the phrase "Italian tune-up"?) 944's were built to be used, and used hard, and doing so will do them no harm whatsoever.

Rust is a fair point, but damp is the enemy here. Air circulating through and 'round the car will ensure everything is dry and keep the tin-worm at bay. Yes, winter road salt is an issue but as Peter has said, preventative measures are very effective.

Economy? I pay less than £500 for fully-comp insurance for my S2, aged 34, left on the streets in East London. Sure, I could pay the tax, depreciation and insurance on something modern that does 35mpg and drive it each week, but I'll bet that will work out significantly more expensive than suffering the 7mpg drop by using the S2. (Maths: Difference between 27mpg and 35mpg for 13k miles/year is £550, with fuel at £5/gallon. That £550 will rapidly disappear with the road tax (£180), MOT (£50), insurance (£350 perhaps?), etc you'd have to pay on a second car. Throw in the cost of buying it, some depreciation and a bit of maintenance and you'll be a LONG way out of pocket.)

And what's the point of owning a decent car if you don't drive it?


Oli.

I agree entirely. I used mine as a daily driver and I sure do miss it.

 

[Guest]

I lay mine up over the winter months.. I tax it for 6 months from April to September (€518 to Brian "the highwayman" Lenihan []). The car takes a few hundred miles to loosen up and get back in the swing. The more I drive it the better it gets. Its really sounding and going superb.


This year I am driving it as much as possible. My work has transferred me from Galway to Letterkenny to assist in machine/line transfers. Guess how some of the pieces of equipment are transported....?

Well if its really fragile and expensive equipment it has to travel first class.......! You want to see the looks of people here as I pull up to the loading dock among Transits and Scanias in the '44

When the seats are down there is a load of room.. You can store stuff under the seat back and there are the pockets in the boot as wel

I had to take the Health and Safety rep from here - you know the sort - and she said she never found the 155 mile journey and was very suprised how good the car was to be a passenger in.



Mpg isnt too bad for a 22 yearold 2.5 turbo. Its mostly long journeys now and its doing 25-28mpg.

I have mine 9 years and its only in the last maybe 3 that I have used it ... I just cant stay out of it .. The more I drive it the more I want to drive it...... I never tire of it ......!

 

[appletonn]

ORIGINAL: sc0tty

I am not saying I don't use my car, I drive it every weekend all year round, unless it is snowing or raining, but even then I turn the engine over and let the oil warm up and circulate. All I am saying is there are two distinct and seperate camps in any kind of classic car ownership. One is those who use the cars everyday, and then there is the other side of the coin, people who keep the cars as weekend toys to be pampered and cherished, the so-called 'garage queens' if you like.

No disrespect to any daily users, but I prefer to keep my car in A1 condition, and you can only do this by not using it every day (as much as I would love to!)

I have to say also that I seem to be one of the few 944 owners that feels this way (based on forum users). The forum does not seem to reflect my experience of the porsche club at all, by that what I mean is that all you guys seem to mess about with your cars, modifying them seems the norm, and I don't think the forum represents people like me, real porsche enthusiasts who enjoy concours cars and true classic cars that are in time warp condition.
It seems a sad thing but I don't ever see anyone on this forum encourage or welcome 944s that are cherished, mint condition concours examples. (sorry, I am going off the point here!)

Scotty, if you want a concours garage queen, then I'm happy for you but please can we stop this looking down noses at the "modders" (as per your other post in the 968 forum, here: http://www.porscheclubgbforum.com/tm.asp?m=454206 ) who want to keep their cars in tip top mechanical condition, albeit with slight enhancements over the standard cars - in this broad church everyone is welcome, whether concours addict or "modder", I frankly don't care but the more of the cars that are used as their maker intended the better IMHO.

I love the looks of my car as it came out of the factory, hence why, barring the clear front indicator lenses, it is as stock, well apart from those wheels, and the exhaust...[8|]

I salute the people on here who use their cars as a daily driver because I currently do not - perhaps if I did much less work mileage, I would consider it, but 30,000pa would be a no go!

Each to their own, but we are part of a dwindling group of 944 owners, as there seem to be more and more written off each week - just look at the Douglas Valley Salvage website for proof!

Now, when's the next trackday...?![]

 

[stjohnsmythe]

I think it comes down to a few things (imho of course)

1) 944s are not likely to appreciate in value.
2) They are still around in large numbers (especially considering it's a 'classic' car).
3) They don't cost very much to purchase.

Taking into account all of the above I can totally see why the majority would use one as a daily driver. My Lux is a weekend and soon to be trackday car but I'd have no issues with using it everyday if I had to. They are lovely old cars but will never be held in the same regard as say a 70s 911.

 

[John Sims]

ORIGINAL: sc0tty

..... The forum does not seem to reflect my experience of the porsche club at all, by that what I mean is that all you guys seem to mess about with your cars, modifying them seems the norm......

I rather feel The Club has evolved (if your assessment is indicative of Porsche Club of years gone by). Obviously, as a Club we support and applaud those who wish to maintain their cars in pristine condition. We all enjoy seeing cars as they left the factory how ever many years ago that was. But, we also enjoy the company, and exploits, of those who are happy to bring older cars up to modern standards and beyond.

One of the reasons Porsche has been so popular in Motorsport at all levels, for so many years, is the interchangeability of parts. Parts from the top end Porsches are often a straight swap on to lesser models. Equally, parts from later cars will often bolt straight on to earlier cars. We "Modders" are doing exactly what the hard core Porsche fraturnity have done since the 356.

As far as the attitude of The Club, with both Barry Smith and I having non original parts on our Porsches the evil of modding is rife at all levels of Club life. []

 

[RJones]

Currently I drive a Peugeot 206 which I have had for about 3 years. I want a new car but can't afford anything like a Audi or BMW etc, and thought what's the point of buy a boring Astra, Focus etc when the 206 will do the same job. Therefore, I decided I wanted something exciting that I will enjoy driving! Always wanted a Porsche and love the old classics, so did a bit of research and loved the 944 so decided I wanted one.

How old does a car have to be to qualify as a 'classic', and will this mean the insurance and tax will be cheaper?!

 

[appletonn]

ORIGINAL: RJones

Currently I drive a Peugeot 206 which I have had for about 3 years. I want a new car but can't afford anything like a Audi or BMW etc, and thought what's the point of buy a boring Astra, Focus etc when the 206 will do the same job. Therefore, I decided I wanted something exciting that I will enjoy driving! Always wanted a Porsche and love the old classics, so did a bit of research and loved the 944 so decided I wanted one.

How old does a car have to be to qualify as a 'classic', and will this mean the insurance and tax will be cheaper?!

My '91 944 Turbo is insured with AON on an agreed value classic policy, with a limted annual mileage limit - mine is on 5000 pa but you can choose more and pay more!

Go for it![]

 

[jasonp]

hiya becky, i live in the east london/essex area, drive the car daily even short trips to waitrose,i have a s2 and totally agree with ollie in that you need a good local specialist and as long as the cars provenance is rock solid and all important jobs done on time, yes she is wide and her size is deceiving but a great drive,reliable,powerful when needed and still feels quick and yes controls are heavi er and you will notice 944 power steering to that in a modern car but you will have a car with masses of personality and [imho] will always bring a smile to your face, good luck jason p

 

[CVN187Y]

I use my 924S (De-tuned 944 engine) everyday and covered 20,000 miles in the last year, when the weather is good I cycle to work. Try to[].
I'm about to take it to Germany to the new Porsche Museum and then to the Stelvio pass between Switzerland and Italy at the end of June 2009. It has to be the most enjoyable car that I have owned. Needs a liitle more tlc than a modern car, but that doesn't bother me. Cheaper to run than a Honda sports car that I owned prior to having my 924S. Loads more many reasons why I like using my car. I think the more you use it the better it gets, it seems to reward you in a strange way.

 

[pauljmcnulty]

I have to say also that I seem to be one of the few 944 owners that feels this way (based on forum users). The forum does not seem to reflect my experience of the porsche club at all, by that what I mean is that all you guys seem to mess about with your cars, modifying them seems the norm, and I don't think the forum represents people like me, real porsche enthusiasts who enjoy concours cars and true classic cars that are in time warp condition.
It seems a sad thing but I don't ever see anyone on this forum encourage or welcome 944s that are cherished, mint condition concours examples. (sorry, I am going off the point here!)

Blimey, James! Are you trying to wind everone up here?? [&:]

I've been banging on for 5 years 3 of them as the 944 RS, that there's nothing wrong with keeping a car original.

See my posts on the relative merits of clear lenses. Fine if it floats your boat, and I'm happy to send you to the best place to buy them, but personally I hate them and think they ruin a period design. Would I run someone down for fitting them? No, because I appreciate that everyone has different ideas of what is aesthetically pleasing.

Look back over the years and you'll see why I have a slight problem with the accessibility of concours. It does require a level of commitment that is prohibitive to people who don't want to go down a single route. There's nothing wrong with turning your 944 into a stripped-out track car, or wanting to clean it until it squeaks. Personally I, and most of us here, just want a car that can be driven at minimum cost and maximum fun. That does tend to leave the modified turbo owners going off to Rennlist and the concours people going to the concours forum. I can't see why that's a problem, as we have a concours forum set up specifically for people who want to enter concours.

This forum is for 944 owners, along with 924S, 968, past and prospective 944 owners to get a general insight into the cars. Then, to learn how to buy and maintain one at minimum cost and AA recovery time. Many of the people who join this forum become good friends, long after they've sold the cars.

I couldn't agree with you more that we don't want to have a forum that could be accused of "I don't ever see anyone on this forum encourage or welcome 944s that are cherished, mint condition concours examples". Look at it another way, I'm currently looking at a car that fits this description perfectly. Already I've found a couple of areas that are not "mint", it'll never be concours because I don't have the time to do that, and it won't be original as I'll change the armrest for a 968 tray as I prefer them. As far as I'm concerned, the owner of the car you are describing would be very welcome here, it's just that they are extremely rare nowdays. Tony and Harriet's cars, John Barnatt's turbo cab, Tref and Claire's Turbo, Cavan's 1982 pre-production car - that's about it as far as totally original concourse cars goes as far as I can remember. Sorry if I've missed someone else! That's 5 cars out of over 1000 in the Club, and probably 3000 on the various forums. It's a minority interest. Not any less valuable for that, but it has to be put in context IMO.

 

[Mike_Pollock]

Hi
I was looking for a hobby car as a weekend toy, bought a basic 944 (1983 not even power steering!) and use it at least 4 times a week - I drive a van for work, 35 000 miles a year - and drive the 944 down to the supermarket 2 miles away it is just so much fun!

Mine is not great, it was cheap and maintain it myself, but it lives outside and has only failed to start once and a new battery cured that.

They can be practical cheap and fun cars - 6' 4" and 5' 11" mates in the back 6' 5" and me 5' 10" in the front was fun (but only a couple of miles) as was watching the smokers outside the pub when we arrived!

Steering is heavy, even with power, by modern standards and the other controls can be on the heavy side too.

When this one expires I will be getting another!

Mike

 

[sawood12]

Definitely. A good 944 makes for a fine daily driver. Of course if you use any machine it will wear out and require attention occasionally, but what's the point in owning anything if you don't use it and use it to the full? I read a quote from Ferry Porsche himself which went along the lines of "My cars are meant for driving - not polishing". That say's it all for me. I just wish I lived a bit further away from work so I could have a longer drive. Modern cars may have come along way over the last 20yrs and be just a quick, more economical and come with enough gadgets to keep James Bond occupied, but they don't put a smile on your face on a drizzly Monday morning like a 944 can. And stepping into work on a Monday morning feeling reasonably cheerful instead of suicidal makes the occasional repair of worn out parts or respray of stone-chipped bonnets more than worthwhile.

By the way Nick - check your AON modern classics policy. Yes, the standard policy is 5k miles a year, but my policy has waived that and I have unlimited milage due to the age of the car.

 

[zcacogp]

ORIGINAL: poprock

I disagree with Oli's opinion on visibility"”I find the visibility much, much better than in all the modern cars I drive (Subaru, Mini, Mitsubishi pickup).

Having come worryingly close to scrunching my Mk5 Golf courtesy car on a bollard this evening, I may just about consider taking back my earlier statement ... too many slabby sides, to much rear headrest, pathetic mirrors ... how can VW have slipped so far from the brilliance of the Mk1 and Mk2 GTi's to this!

In case anyone hasn't noticed, I am really looking forward to getting my S2 back tomorrow. (There Becky. That's how attached you can get to a 944. My wife comes back from Edinburgh tomorrow, and I get my 944 back from the bodyshop tomorrow. Both of them went away on Wednesday. Which one am I looking forward to seeing the most? I don't want to answer that one ... [&:] )


Oli.

 

[Ephraim]

I use my lux as my only car (doing about 12k per year), and love it, and wouldn't change it for the world. But I can't say that it's been reliable. It's a 21 year old motor, and I seem to have drawn the short straw. In the 10 months that I've had it, it's broken down 3 times, and ended up costing me the best part of £4000 to fix. I've been without it for 3 weeks or so, over that time, but the costs alone have been enough to try my patience.

Still, I keep getting it fixed. I keep finding excuses to drive it. And I keep arriving at work with a massive grin on my face. So much fun to drive, so pretty to look at, it makes it all worth it. I have the option of using the missus' Impreza any time I want, and I'd always choose the 944.

 

[appletonn]

ORIGINAL: sawood12


By the way Nick - check your AON modern classics policy. Yes, the standard policy is 5k miles a year, but my policy has waived that and I have unlimited milage due to the age of the car.

Interesting, thanks for that Scott, I'll give them a call.

 

[vitesse]

When appletonn got too big for the back of our MGB GT with the seat slab out,I bought a Porsche 924 Lux,both cars being used as daily drivers by my wife.10 yrs later he told us about an exceptionally nice 924S in a garage in Bolton which we bought in 1991 and still have with 84000 miles on the clock.Now it shares life with the 964 as a wife's daily driver doing 8000+ miles pa between them & if they aren't broke,I don't mend them.They make fantastic 2nd cars,even better 1st cars (when the BMW has been out of sorts) and as many contributors mention,improve with driving.Quite frankly,I have better things to do than try & keep them immaculate but I do have a good go for R18 Woodvale rally & they scrub up well.In between,well I do things that crop up as I see them,like cleaning out the drainage holes in the 924S spoiler or touching up a paint chip.However,I do admire those enthusiasts who somehow find the time to keep their cars near immaculate-its a bit like the front door at no 10-is yours that shiny?-apparently they have 2 doors and swop them over when necessary-me thinks a little like our useage of our 2 Porkers.

 

[poprock]

ORIGINAL: zcacogp

Having come worryingly close to scrunching my Mk5 Golf courtesy car on a bollard this evening, I may just about consider taking back my earlier statement ... too many slabby sides, to much rear headrest, pathetic mirrors ... how can VW have slipped so far from the brilliance of the Mk1 and Mk2 GTi's to this!
[/quote]

I suspect there's something in modern safety standards. If not then it's just a fashion thing. Pillars between windows, especially at the rear of a car, are massively wide compared to older motors like our 944s. In my wife's Mini especially, those rear pillars are enormous and leave zero visibility at a three-quarter angle out the back. It makes for "˜interesting' times reversing into our garage.