Is a 944 the best buy???

[Guest]

I have started to advertise my Boxster for sale due to the purchase of my first house!

I will be looking for a replacement, which Ideally I would like another Porsche, (I have considered Elises etc but at the end of the day they're not Porsches and thats where my passion lies!)

Once my Boxster is gone and I have paid off my loan (or Majority of it) I reckon I will be left looking to spend upto 8k, I may have a bit of a loan remaining but the monthly repayment will be considerably less!

So my question is - is the 944 the best buy for this sort of money or should I look for something else (I think I know the answer!), also what is the best one to go for? 2.5, Turbo or S2? I want something that is not going to cost a fortune to run but will provide the fun required from a 2nd car.

 

[Guest]

Given the recent weather, you'll probably want aircon? If so, then a turbo or an S2 cabriolet are your best buys, since they both generally have aircon (I think it was standard), but good examples of either will be right on your price limit, even from private sellers. If you want an S2 coupe with aircon, you're in for a long search, though they do come up from time to time, same for the 2.5 and 2.7.

If aircon isn't important, then a good S2 coupe can be had for around £6k, and is probably the best all rounder.

Tom

 

[Guest]

Here's one

Apparently makes kids say 'hey Dad look at that car' and not the possibly more expected 'look at the state of that bl00dy thing'.

More sensibly speaking though, if you're looking for RHD I think the later Turbo or late low mile S2's are the best buys with a Porsche badge on the bonnet at the minute.

 

[Fen]

With £8k to spend you're looking at S2 or Turbo. Do a search but basically if you want to modify it the Turbo is the one and if not then buy an S2.

All Turbos have air con (if it works) and later ones have leather and LSD, bigger brakes etc. They are starting to get out of your price range for a really nice one though. I think air in an S2 cab is as rare as in coupes although more have leather.

If you buy an S2 then expect to spend £2k on it to replace the cams right away unless it has receipts to show it has had some or the tensioner and chain have been checked by someone reputable recently. If you don't need to replace them when you get them checked then that's a bonus but don't assume it will be OK.

Cabs are surprisingly flexible compared to coupes.

Whatever you buy you won;t have to worry about the RMS as Porsches of this vintage were put together properly []

 

[chrisr]

Whilst Im ever so slightly biased towards the 944 [] I pound for pound would not swap my S2 at the moment , which is a bit more smoother throught the rev range without the umph of a turbo. Both are horses for coarses and for your money a nice S2/Cab should be yours easily for that kind of money - the turbo will IMO be a harder find for a mint example at 8k.

They have the badge, superb handling and one with a full service history ( almost regardless of miles ( as they are capable of 200k ) ) and condition will get you a dam good Porsche

Chris

 

[Guest]

ORIGINAL: Fen
I think air in an S2 cab is as rare as in coupes although more have leather.

From what I've seen on autotrader, etc., there are always 4-5 A/C equipped cabs for sale, and typically only 0-1 coupes, but not a huge difference. However, autotrader currently has a private sale 100000 mile coupe with A/C and leather on for £9K, which seems expensive for an S2 - that's turbo money.

 

[Guest]

Question is, what else could you get for £8k? RX7 or similar maybe. I would hunt around for the best example S2 or Turbo you can get. The Turbo will be slightly higher on running costs (worse fuel economy, and drinks more oil), but apart from that, the kick will give you a bigger grin!

 

[Fen]

I guess there might be more air-con cabs than S2 coupes but I still think it's very much the minority that have air - certainly was when I bought mine anyway.

 

[Guest]

ORIGINAL: pikey7

Question is, what else could you get for £8k? RX7 or similar maybe. I would hunt around for the best example S2 or Turbo you can get. The Turbo will be slightly higher on running costs (worse fuel economy, and drinks more oil), but apart from that, the kick will give you a bigger grin!

I have thought about the alternatives for £8k, but I think a little bit more and they're not what I want, two of the biggest alternatives I am thinking of are a MK2 Golf or an old Beetle, Sounds a bit odd I know but I'm just looking for a second car to have some fun with Saying that I would also consider a 924!

 

[millisland]

Tony has an S2 cab and I have a 250bhp Turbo, and we each love our own one to bits. I think you may be more likely to get a good S2 for the price. Really good Turbos are hard to find as they have been shall we say "enjoyed" and they can still fetch a good price if in good order.

 

[Guest]

Fuel costs cheaper on 944 than 924. With my heavy foot was averaging 16mpg on 924 and 29/30 on 944.

 

[Guest]

Why not try something like an old classic. TR6 or TVR Griffith or similar? Believe me, if the car is in good nick, they will not cost you a lot to run as a "toy". The costs start coming if they aren't in good nick..... They of course won't be out and out performance cars as the 944T is, but they'll still provide a lot of fun!

 

[Fen]

If you just want fun transport and you're prepared to consider a Mk2 Golf then I'd suggest a good 205 GTI would be better in the fun stakes, as would a 306 GTI-6 (I have had 2 Mk2 Golfs but I don't have one now []) or a Clio 172 Cup for your budget. All of them would be cheaper to run than a 944.

 

[Diver944]

Be prepared for bigger maintenance costs than with your Boxster. These are older cars and things will be wearing out after 15 years of useage. I would budget £1k a year if you are doing approx 10k miles, even for a good one. The upside is you will get hardly any depreciation, and once replaced the parts will last another 15 years []

Coming from a Boxster I would say that an S2 Cab would be a perfect buy for you, but you are at the top of your budget for a good one. Straight line performance will be on a par with a 2.5 or 2.7 Boxster but the corners will be less taut if the shocks are getting on a bit.

I had a 924Sas a courtesy car recently andit was a real blast to drive. OK the interior will seem very old fashioned compared to your current car, but they are such a 'chuckable' car. I am dying to have a go in a 924 Turbo

 

[Guest]

Hi tjdixon911,

Lots of good advice already. An S2 definitely seems like the best for your budget.

Alternatively... Why not save yourself £5,000 and buy a plain old Lux. You can still have plenty of fun in one (I have over the last few years). Prices are so low at the moment they're virtually disposable, which is a shame as it's a great car (and definitely a real Posrche). Nevertheless there are plenty of bargains available. But do be careful: as Diver pointed out they are all getting on a bit now - make sure of the history and it'd be nice to see lots of recent bills for replacement of costly things like clutches...

You won't get many of the creature comforts you're used too but they still handle well and do all (IMHO) of the things you want for a fun 2nd car. A second or so slower than your boxster but you could still lose your licence easily... And at current prices you'll have a few bob in the piggy bank to put towards the next boxster, and won't take a significant hit when you decide to ship it on.

By err... Sheer coincidence [8D] I have just decided to sell my own (see 'members for sale'). It also lives in Suffolk, so if you wanted to try out a 2.5 Lux to see if one would suit send me an email and you can take it for a "no strings attached" spin.

Good luck.

 

[John Sims]

Not wishing to put a damper on things, but any 15 year old car is liable to be a money pit. Old Porsche are better built than most but they are still a Porsche and parts aren't cheap. It is not unknown for owners on a budget to have to sell their repaired car just to pay for the repairs.

New cars, and nearly new cars, are so cheap these days, have very high specs and cost next to nothing to maintain. So why don't I sell Beaky? Once you get bitten, and drawn into the 944 brigade, it is difficult to contemplate another car. So don't get a 944, and get snared, get a modern car.

If you must have a 944, then get a Lux. You can't spend much on upgrading them; at safe speeds the power delivery is better than the Turbo; they are simpler than an S2, so there is less to go wrong and it will be cheaper when it does.

 

[colin129]

I think some people are talking a lot of nonsense, and other a lot of sense.

Of course I am biased, being an S2 owner for over 8 years, and having just completed 100K miles in that time (total of 160K on the clock). I love it dearly and still feel special every time I get in it.

Just returned from Le Mans where she performed beautifully on the convoy drive which included 2 Speedsters, 2 964RS and a 928. My rear engined companions were more than surprised at my ability to keep up (note the 928 only managed to keep up by using satnav to plot routes around the traffic jams we were stuck in caused by pointless traffic lights). You will probably find it a little faster than your Boxster 2.5 in a straight line, and don't forget the S2 won the 1989 Autocar handling test (though the Boxster will be the better handling car, as you would expect with the extra 10 years of chassis development).

Yes, you do need to budget around £1K (or more) for the annual service but you will be well rewarded for this.

Do yourself a favour and get an S2, buy well and you won't regret it. Of course, buy badly and watch out! (my first service cost me over £3K, all those years ago, though I think Porsche Centre Chiswick were a bit pissed off because I brought from a specialist and not them!!)

 

[Fen]

I've just read every post in this thread again and there isn't anyone talking nonsense I can see. I disagree that most S2 cabs have air-con (and I said so) based on my experience of looking for one a couple of years ago and I disagree that an S2 is on a par with a 2.5 or 2.7 Boxster based on experience of the difference on the road between my S2 cab and a Boxster S (it was quicker but not hugely so) and how much slower a 2.7 felt to drive than an S when I drove them back to back - I'd suggest the S2 would be quicker. Neither of those are major points and other than that the advice is all pretty close to spot on IMO.

 

[Guest]

I am surprised no one has suggested a 928. There are a number around, admittedly you can get a better example of a 944 than a 928 at that price. I note also above the suggestion that a 928 would have trouble keeping up with an S2, a couple of speedsters and a 964. I will draw attention to the comment but can't be bothered to laugh.

Good luck. The 944 is a great car.

(p.s. Please refrain from the usual suggestion of cost to run the 928. When you get one you realise it's one of many a myth surrounding the 928.)

 

[Guest]

Thanks for all the comments guys, I have thought of most of the alternatives suggested, I am open to all suggestions although to be honest I am a big Porsche and VW fan, hence the cars I suggest, appart from a £500 BMW I have never bought anything out of the VAG or Porsche group.

I have also thought of the 356 speedster replicas, I think there pretty good but are too expensive for a decent 1.

I've toyed with the idea of getting rid of the Golf aswell and buying something that is a good all rounder, I know some of you will say sell the Golf and use the Boxster everyday, but thats not pratical in what I do!

I may look at a complete classic, a 914 or 912 or something like that, I think they can be had for reasonable money but then its the running costs! Old cars always seem to appeal to me more than modern ones! I'll probably find myself enjoying the ownership more than I have with the Boxster - if thats possible!