Why a 944?

[944Turbo]

After all this talk of our manic posting on the 944 forum, I was wondering why others chose a 944?

I will start!

I bought my first one because I was looking for an affordable RWD car. I didn't fancy a BMW because of the image, however I appreciate the near 50/50 weight balance is a plus. Lotus and TVR seemed a bit risky for the high mileages I tend to cover. Cossies were a Ford so they were out (sorry Rick []) A Scooby or evo were tempting but V plasticky and also they do almost everything for you.

I found a 944 lux that was immaculate despite a relatively high mileage. It wasn't long before I got my hands dirty, new shocks and a faulty headlamp washer and I was impressed by how it came apart and went back togetether despite being 14 years old. I was not really bothered by it being a Porsche buying it despite it was one rather than because it was one.However I was impressed with the way 14 year old nut and bolts still worked. I loved the way it drove and could be balanced on the power, especially in the wet. It always felt like it could easily handle more power though. I also had a yearning to do some trackdays. I couldn't take this one out on the track it was too pretty and I would be very upset if I broke it so I decided to look for a turbo - preferably without perfect paintwork so it could be driven hard without me feeling guilty!
I Think I have since come to appreciate 'Porscheness' a bit more, the engineering in some aspects is impressive (not all, have you ever changed a number plate light? - nasty!). The continual reasoned development - even the quality of the workshop manuals.

Anyway, I found a turbo that went well, with sports seats in a colour I liked but the better brakes and suspension still made it feel like it could handle more power. Fortunately the Turbo has potential [][]

Now I have a very quick beautifully balanced car, on trackdays it can (and has) easily passed much more expensive machinery. It is unique.

I sometimes wonder what I would replace it with, and I think I would struggle with even 6 times the budget. So I have no plans to sell her for now - further development is too tempting.

Tony

 

[Fen]

In almost complete contrast I grew up wanting a 911. I bought a 3.2 Carrera Sport coupe about 10 years ago and loved it but after a year or so I met my now wife and started travelling the length of the country every 2 weeks and after a total of 18 months it had to go. I decided to replace it with a 944 Lux as I could get an oval dash for sensible money. I went to look at some and "accidentally" bought a 220 Turbo. I hated that car because it wasn't a 911 and I had taken finance as it had blown my budget so I sold it to my mate's Dad within months. About 9 months later I was missing having a Porsche so I bought another 911 (a Carrera 3.0 Targa). It wasn't a practical everyday car even in comparison to the 3.2 Sport so I sold it after a year or so and bought a 944 Turbo from auction unseen. It was a nail but I learned a lot about the car from it and made a whole £50 profit on it. I then bought a 944 S2 as a Porsche that I could use everyday. I got to like that on the basis it was a Porsche so better than an "ordinary" car but not as compromised as the 911s I could afford would be. It didn't have air-con and couldn't be tuned so I sold up and bought my current Turbo after 10 months and 27,000 miles, about 5 of them as my company car replacement. I used the Turbo for about 5 months, blew the head gasket, spent as much as I paid for it getting it fixed and lighly modified and then ran over some debris on the road 3 weeks after getting it back and broke it. I put it in the garage then and forgot I owned it for a couple of years then started to rebuild it. During that time I had a Scooby (awful, awful car) a modern diesel hatch and a 944 S2 Cab which I kept for almost 2 years and 50,000 miles. I get bored of cars quickly so it says something that I have had 5 944s and that 2 of them have been the longest I've had a car ever. That said I doubt I'll have another and if I could get even 2/3 of what I have spent on my Turbo back by selling it I would, in a heartbeat. I guess I'm a lifetime owner now though because I could never bring myself to sell it for what I'd get for it. I'm less and less of a Porsche enthusiast all the time now. I have very little respect for anything made since the 993 and I try to avoid telling people my track car is a Porsche. I have always hated having to answer with the P-word when asked what I drive. I might buy a 964 or a 993 in the future but I don't feel any brand loyalty and it would be purely for the car, not the "Porscheness". Unlike Tony I think there are lots of cars I could replace the 944 with. I'm not a big Jap fan but most are from the East; for the money my Turbo has cost to build I could have a far more impressive Skyline or perhaps a Supra TT or a 300ZX. I'd probably go with a Skyline though. Alternatively I'd like to try an M5 or an Audi RS of some flavour. I think I might well buy an early MX5 this winter and I have an inkling that even one of them might be able to fill the Turbo's boots in 90% of ways.

 

[Guest]

I bought mine after a work colleague put me on to them. he owns a black 944T that hardly saw the light of day (we were working overseas afterall!), and after we got chatting about how bored I was with my Nissan 200 (then my latest "sports" car), we went on a jolly, scouring the car yards of Stuttgart to get a test in one to see what I thought. After a few days (we had a quiet time at work, honest!), we came across a garage that we must have walked past a good few time on the way back from the pub, which specialised in used Porches. He came across as a bit of a "dooer-upper" of damaged cars, but he had a bright red 944T that seemed worthy of a drive.

I think it took about 2 minutes in it to realise that this was actually a proper sports car, and not some re-styled sports saloon, and I was sold. Great handling, seat of the pants scary in a straight line (especially when compared to a Nissan!), and the best part, he only wanted £3500 for it! Sure, it had had a reasonably bad front end respray (and no obvious front end damage thank god), and the red gearlever gaiter had to go!, but for that money I couldn't say no. Anyway, I got it, imported it (was much easier that way as I moved around Europe a lot, so keeping it German registered would have been a pain), and took it for a OPC service to check out if i'd made a mistake. Well, an alarm, full service, brake disk/pads, and a new turbo later (oh, and another £3K!) later, it was ready.

I've done probably 100k miles in it in the 5 years i've owned it, and it's never missed a beat. Sure it's been off the road (especially when some toerag in Sweden broke into it!, oh, and when I forgot to fill her up with oil after a few tinkerings and blew through cylinder1... oops!), and I've played with it a hell of a lot, but it is without a doubt, one of the best all-round sports car i've ever driven. I love just tootling around the corner in it, and I loved the non-stop (apart from fuel of course) trip I did from Gothenburg down to Madrid!. it was a hell of a trip, but it got me there, feeling fresh as a daisy! Compare that to a trip from the UK to Munich I did in a VW corrado and needed to stand up for two days after to stretch my legs! This car will drive in the snow, You have a semi-convertible in Summer, it'll take 4 suitcases across Europe and sit at 120MPH all day. What more can you ask for?

The engineering is incredible. My experience tinkering with cars has been limited in the past to minis, Vauxhalls, minor servicing on my other motors, and mega stereo installs in other nasty cars my dad usually drives (he likes to change his mind every 6 months, and can't change a plug!), and yet I felt no qualms in ripping out engines, doing clutch changes, suspension upgrades or whatever in this car. It looks complicated, but the layout, and ease of understanding this car is amazing. The manuals definately give you confidence, and once you've done something in this car, you can get your head around why it was done that way, and it makes it so much easier to do other things.Damn, I can do a head gasket change in about 2 hours! And I could do it that quick the second time I did one!

One last impressive thing about the car, is the backup the OPC's will give you. Although you would expect Porsche garages to be qute snobby, and offish to a young(ISH!) guy who turns up to one in oily jeans and T-shirt (which is usally how I go, as I'm in the middle of changing something!), the people in the OPC's i've dealt with are friendly, and usually willing to help. I've been to more snobby Ford dealerships than that! And all that for a 16 year old car. Most other dealers woudn't even bother with any shade of backup on that age of motor.

I love my 944, and even if it blew up again, I'd have no hesitation in sticking it in the garage to fix up again. My dad reckons I should sell it and buy a "decent car" (this from a Laguna owner!), but I don't think I ever would.

 

[TTM]

Interesting experiences, thank you for sharing.

Back in 2001 I was looking for a car that was uncommon but discreet, fast and reliable. As I have lived and worked in Paris where public transports are quite efficient I have never needed a runaround car, and the car I needed had first to be able to take me back to my hometown near the German border with minimal drama and in any season, meaning I could reasonably consider something different from a Eurobox .
Following my father's passion for British sports cars (he's had many since the 60s) I first thought of a TVR 3000 M but when I took notice of the more modern 944 the TVR stood little comparison, at least on paper, and I did not bother anymore with the TVR. Perhaps I should have gone further ?
I then knew virtually nothing about Porsches, except they were winning at Le Mans every year back in the 80s. I had vague souvenirs of a bright yellow '73 2.7 RS my father was lent for a week when I was very young but I can't remember much about it except I thought it was the worst-looking car I had ever seen him in. He was impressed by the car as a pure performance tool but it badly lacked in character. He was more than happy to give it back to his friend and return to the joys of greasy and oily hands, sorry arms, with British classics.
Anyway, I bought the main 944 books for minimal education (Morgan, Cotton, etc) and settled on the S2. It appeared less complex and pricey to maintain than the turbo and better to drive (still does today !). Then I went to see several S2s in local shops. They were all dodgy, overpriced and red or black but it helped me making sure this was the car that would best suit my needs. Although I was not too impressed during the first test drives I felt a properly looked-after car was going to feel much better. Having done my homework I then expanded my search to Germany and after several weeks of browsing the Internet I spotted a silver, low mileage, first owner S2 with interesting specs (AC, targa, heating seats) for sale near Köln. I phoned the seller on a Tuesday, he said the car was not yet ready as it was having the windshield replaced for some German reason I failed to verstehen. Anyway I told him I was very interested and I was there the following Monday morning. I arrived very early, in fact before the shop opened, only to find out the 944 was not in the showroom. Instead there was a Diablo GT, an F40, a BMW 507 and other upmarket bits of machinery.
Later on the main salesman turned up and opened the roll-up door at the other end of the building. There was the S2, sitting beside a 996 GT1, a pair of 911 3.2 Speedster and a Beetle cab with a 3.2 flat six. "We put 'ere ze cars that are rezerved".
The S2 felt right, clean upside down with a clean service history and we made the deal. He added "I think you are buying a good car because we got 10 phone calls for this car this week ; you were the first to call after we put up the ad. FYI we took this car back from the previous owner who bought us an Audi S8". I think they were looking for a quick sale as it was not the kind of cars they were willing to put in their showroom.
So I drove back home troublefree, but I did not enjoy the drive much as I was of course lacking confidence in driving a car I had no experience with.
After several 10k of miles and fettling the suspension it feels much better !

Looking back I don't regret one bit and like Tony I hardly see what it could be replaced with.
Perhaps it would even be foolish to think of looking for a car having in mind the qualities of the 944 (performance, handling, reliability, parts availability, practicality, ease of maintenance when you know the procedures), as there is probably no other car that offers as/so many qualities.

I would probably buy an Alpine GTA V6 Turbo if I were looking for another car. They are made of plastic and fall apart but parts are very cheap, the performance is still good by today's standards and they are a an authentic sports car while the 944 was born as a GT. And when you drive by people don't stare at you with jealous eyes and the gendarmes are quite more laissez-faire speed-wise when you do not drive a Porsche ("the badge syndrom").
Anyway in my case it will take a radically different car to forget all that many things the 944 excels at.

 

[Fen]

I hope more people will add to this thread and thanks Tony for sarting it, it's really interesting to read why people are where they are. What strikes me so far is that 3 of 4 owners were never Porsche enthusiasts and none of the owners really wanted a 944 until for some reason they were drawn toward one. I think that is about right as the 944 always seems to have hidden its light under a bushel. I vividly remember a Performance Car feature (I will still have it somewhere) when the 968 was launched detailing what was new and thinking what was the 944 then? I am more surprised (as might be some non 944 people reading this []) that nobody barring my own now passing one has the slightest interest in the 911 which would seem to blow the "poor man's Porsche" theory away. Keep 'em coming...

 

[steve 944t]

I bought my 944 Turbo after 4 years of Impreza ownership. Unlike Fen, I did really like the Imprezas, particularly the second one - a limited edition RB5 with the Prodrive engine upgrade (same as you I think Fen?). I did however get a bit bored as the driving experience was a bit dull, unless driving at silly speeds. I also found myself feeling a bit of a "tit" as the exhaust was rather loud. Getting old I guess [8|] The real clincher was the shocking depreciation. I decided that my next car would be one that didnt lose so much money.
I have always been a Porsche fan. I remember years ago sitting in a traffic jam next to a black 944 turbo cabriolet with huge BBS-style alloys. It was the sexiest car I had ever seen. But I have to say that what I really wanted was a 911. Yes, I was one of those "the only true Porsche is a 911" ignoramuses. [] The 944 was a bit of a compromise - dipping my toe into the murky waters of Porsche-dom. As an only car the 911 wouldnt be practical for me, whereas the 944 seemed to offer everything I needed in one car - fairly solid residuals, cheap servicing (compared to the scoobies), hatchback practicality, discreet to the point of being invisible to the undersirable yoofs who used to be queueing up to bash me over the head and steal the scoobie, while being sufficiently respected to raise a knowing nod from the motoring cognoscenti. (Phew, apologies to anyone who has run out of breath after reading that mammoth sentence [])
So, having owned the 944 for 2 years, has it lived up to expectations? Well, a resounding yes. Apart from one area. It has failed be the stepping stone to 911-ness that I was intending. Even though I am about to buy a cheap runaround, I can see no point in replacing the 944 with a 3.2 Carrera (which is the shape I love). It just wouldnt be sufficiently better. The only Porsche I really have in my sights is a Carrera Club Sport. To me it is the epitome of '80s styling. If I could afford the c£25k buying price (and could find one for sale), then the 944 would become a fond memory. But I cant, so it wont []

 

[lali]

I used to have a Caterham 7 as my "toy car2 but after my Osteopath pointed at it and said "you can carryon trying to climb in and out of that thing for another couple of years and then have your discs fused together or buy something sensible" So the 7 was sold and I was left with a pocket full of cash and a desire to seek out my next track car... the firts choice of a 911 was quickly rethought after I rememebred how much my brothers used to cost him in tyres and servicing, then I had a venture down the japcrap route and was almost sold on a Honda Integra type R... then one rainy night on a drive down from Newcastel I got a call about a 944S2 that was for sale just down the road from me... so at 10:30pm i went to see the car and it looked ok in teh cold dark and wet... so I made him an offer and he refused so i left it then decided to double team him with a friend and by the time I actually handed over the cash it was a LOT less than he was asking for.
A quick trip to Donnington on an RMA trackday left me with a feeling of "what have i done!" then I spoke to a few people and the shopping list started... so far we have...

Full Bolt in Cage
Race prep Engine by EMC
Carbon fibre Seats and 5 point harness
FULL M030 suspension inc ARB's
Turbo Gearbox with LSD
4 sets of wheels
...new wishbones ( en route )

Im now having superb fun on track in the car and there a nothing that can make me smile more than giving a 964 a good pasting around Spa!

The only down side is that now its gone full tracktool spec I cant take the kids to school in it anymore!... Oh well

 

[Fen]

Stop! OT yes I had an RB5 but it was not the WRSport Pordrive one. It had a Scoobysport exhaust and Tek2 though so it was on a par. Carry on...

 

[sawood12]

I also got onto my 944 Turbo from a mate at work. I've never really been into the Jap thing - although I respect them for their raw pace and performance I just hate them, so i'm more of a German car person although I detest BMW's (apart from the Z3M Coupe). I've always fancied a fast Audi - ideally an original short wheelbase Quattro (proper Quattro - but too rare and would be big big cash for a good one) or an RS2/4 but thought i'd do the rear wheel drive sports car thing. I've always loved 911's but after my mate put me onto 944's it seemed like the obvious 1st (less risky) step into Porsche ownership. The more I read up on them the more I got to like the idea, especially since all the more modern and much more expensive hot hatches/sportscars are all so refined and boring to drive in comparison to the more raw experiance of a 944. So after pondering for a good 18 months I decided to take the plunge. I assumed it would take a good 6 months to find one but I ended up buying the 1st one I saw - it was so good I thought what's the point on passing it up. I've never looked back. I had originally planned to keep it for a year or so to get the 'Porsche' thing out of my system but i'm enjoying it so much i've decided to keep it and get a boring, cheap Mondeo estate as my second run-around/workhorse car to save the Porker from the worst of the winter grime and daily grind. In theory I would like a 911 at some stage (964 or 993) but the more I get into my 944 the more I worry I would be dissapointed by both the 964 and 993's raw pace and handling (on the basis a Turbo would not be on the cards due to the astronomical cost of ownership of a 911 Turbo).

My main problem is as much as I love cars generally I think they are an absolute and utter waste of money and cannot get my head around spending alot to buy a car, so the 944 suits me fine. A proper genuine sportscar that could see off a hell of alot of the more modern stuff without paying a premium for both the initial purchase cost or maintenance. Though now I can't see what my next future Porsche might be in however many years time. Certainly not a Boxter (maybe the new S at an absolute push), the Caymen is shaping up nice but I will probably bite the bullet and go for either a 964C4 or a 993 Targa.

But for now i'm simply enjoying the 944. Not since I passed my driving test have I ever just gone out for a drive just for the sheer hell of it. I've got the afternoon off today so i'm about to pop out and bed in those new brake disks and pads before the rush hour!!

 

[TTM]

ORIGINAL: sawood12
My main problem is as much as I love cars generally I think they are an absolute and utter waste of money and cannot get my head around spending alot to buy a car, so the 944 suits me fine.

I fit there as well, perhaps because I know through my family and relatives how the passion for cars can seriously alter the good balance of some people's life.
Today I could buy a nice 944 Cup car if I wished but I feel my hard-earned cash is worth more than something as simple as a car. The owner of said 944 Cup who first was a "car friend" and has since become a "genuine friend" refused a 968 Turbo S last year for the same reason.

 

[mik_ok]

Why a 944? Fen said he'd remove my kneecaps if I didn't. [&:] []

Unlike some I've fancied a 944 for years. Peter Dron ran a lux as a long termer for Fast Lane mag when I was a spotty teenager and I often lapsed into daydreams where I would demonstrate godlike car control as I pored over his verbage.

When my driving career started (ignoring the absolute bangers I ran to get to uni) long commutes and notalotta spare cash kept my dreams at bay. Arrival of sprog number one pushed them further away. []

Years march on, and circumstances have just come together to make it possible. Not doing big mileage on either car, and decided it would be nice to get something more interesting that wouldn't break the bank to buy or run.

If you want 2+2 seats, RWD, low depreciation and a level of reliability...... there isn't really that much out there to choose from. And it's nice to fulfil a childhood dream. [8D]

 

[Fen]

I said I'd remove your kneecaps if you didn't get a 944 Turbo. That's your problem, you just don't listen...

 

[chrisr]

After owning a number of practical but really dull cars eg Nissan Primera's [] and the wife deciding it was time to do a runner with the milkman my time had come for a pre mid life crisis , I wanted something with a fair bit of grunt for in and around £10k but had one eye on insurance costs still being relatively young [] ( who am I trying to kid ) and my search started with me trawling through every mag known to man !! ..

I really fancied a Skyline R33 ( 34 in my dreams ) but the styling was just to Jap for my liking , then an old M5 took my fancy but the running costs seemed to high and then I nearly bought a Supra TT on a K for £9k but the only thing that stopped me was the £2200 insurance quote so I bottled it and the search continued , thought about Nissan 300 ZX, Lexus GS300 and then a work collegue who in his time owned 2 944's ( a black Turbo which he bought brand new and an S2 ) suggested I try the Porsche , to be honest I knew little about the cars but the more I read , the more I liked.., he suggested Hartech as a good place to start - they had just the one in and I went on a Friday just to have a look... as soon as I had driven the thing 1 mile , with those wheel arches in the mirror and the whole feel , I knew I was bolloxed. Bought the car straight away and frankly have never looked back , I have no doubt that the £9.5 that I spent has in my eyes been value for money..

Over the last couple of months I have had a real desire for a 993 but until the market settles down I simply could not part with the S2 and another £20k regardless of how good the car is , mine has just passed the 140,000 mark and feels tight and more than capable of doing the job it was designed to do, daily driven and to be given a bit in the right circumstance.

I honestly believe that £ for £ the 944 is the one of the best Porsche's to buy at present - great handling, low prices, great build quality and cheapish to maintain ( Porsche standards ), my next car I think will be a Porsche but what Im not as to sure , if 993's are achievable for £20k ( not a LHD shed ) then that may be my choice, maybe a nice 964 but more of a poss is a 944 Turbo that has already been modified for weekend fun and keep using the old girl as my daily driver...

The car still puts a smile on my face after 2 years of ownership and isn't draining my wallet to heavily at present so I know I bought the right Porsche to start with.

Chris

 

[carlmthompson]

Good thread, so here goes.....

First of all, I'm a 911 fan. 993 backwards please, none of the new stuff.

Previous to thinking about Posrsche, I had many "reasonably" quick cars - a couple spring to mind - Austin Metro (crashed it into a metal lampost - going too fast as a teenager), E36 328i (Still one of the smoothest engines about - I tried to start it a few times when it was already started!), E30 M3 (Great Handling, but god, did that engine need some Revs to bring it alive!) - I've always been a BM fan, and don't get the negative image thing. I run one now as my main car (325TDS - 180bhp and 270lb/Ft, and more importantly 45mpg!)

I thought about buying a Porsche about 4 years ago. I had sold the M3 and 328i (I had them at the same time), due to moving out of the arms of my parents, and moving in with my (now) wife. I thought about buying something interesting before the sprogs came along. I had changed the BM's for a Peugeot 406 1.9TD & a mortgage, and my wife didn't have a car at the time, so fun was minimal on the auto front. Especially when the Peugeot threw piston no. 3 on the motorway, and cost half the value of the car to get back on the road.....oh the memories of the peasant wagon to work[:'(].

Anyways, I swapped the Peugeot for an Audi A4, which was a lovely car - bought with 102K on - I ran it for a year and 25k, and it never missed a beat. Only problem being it was completely bland! So I part-ex'd it for a Passat 1.8T......which was blanderer - except it was ultra reliable. I then supplemented the Passat with a... Citroen ZX 1.9D. My second of the same model, this one was special - it had electric windows and a sunroof- my wife now had a car!!

Time's were changing, so I thought if I don't do it now, I never will, so I got a loan to "pave the front garden". To be fair I think my lovely wife had already realised that the garden wasn't going to cost £14 grand, but that it was a good excuse to have two cars on the driveway, while having a spare garage..... so the search started. I started with my 325TDS - a car I new my way around, could service myself, and still be fun on a B road heading from the North East to the North West. The Passat went the week following.

Then the Porsche search started... I thought about a 911, and really hankered after a 2.7 - my father and I always owned a classic MG, and the thought of another classic really appealed - I hate cars that just don't need any work that you can do yourself! Problem being, that I thought the 911 would cost simply too much to run, and need too much work. So I started looking harder. And then realised that the 944 would be a good bet - especially as my first Porsche! So I turned my search to find either the best 944 Turbo I could buy, or a "reasonable" 968. The 968 at the time was still a bit expensive, and the Turbo was faster, sooooooo, a few dogs later, I looked at my current car in a place called Little Malvern. It all added up - 10K of bills back to the first owner, and all MOT's etc. It also had a couple of dings here and there - nothing serious, and much more my preference, as the car had no paintwork done anywhere, so wore it's age with pride.

Would I change? Well, after the saga since January, when I authorised repairs following the accident (the repair bill was £10400 incase anybodies interested!) I've got to say, I think I would.

My agreed value was £11k, and looking back, I still hanker for the driveable 911 2.7 that needs some work to occupy the weekends! Still ,the cars' now back and fantastic to drive - better now than when I bought it. It's still too fast for me - although every now and again I think that's it's not giving it's full power (probably a combination of waistgate, and driving a Diesel - one car's finished at 3k Revs, the other one starts!!) I still feel special when I take it out of the garage, but because it's now in such good condition, I'm scared of parking it anywhere (it now has no dint's as they were all done by the accident - the worst fault is a chip on the headlight cover!) and driving it fast scares the pants off me.

Will I keep it? At least for the next two years yet - the next arrival due in April will be far more costly than the Porsche to keep, take more time to look after, and won't be part-exable. And nothing will make me part with that when it comes along[]

 

[944Turbo]

Excellent, keep them coming!
Tony

 

[millisland]

I sometimes wonder what I would replace it with, and I think I would struggle with even 6 times the budget. So I have no plans to sell her for now

This is exactly how I feel about my 944 Turbo and with only 39k on the clock how could I replace her???[][][]
Harriet

 

[iangrant]

I only recently (5 months ago) bought my 944 S, also my first car. I borrowed a friend's Escort for a month while she was away, and got used to the convenience of a car (even though I walk to work), so when she came back I thought about buying one (she still claims responsibility for 'introducing' me to Porsche...). I thought about what I could spend and thought I wanted something reasonably 'cool', I stumbled across the price of second-hand 924s, 944s, etc. and couldn't believe it.
I read as much as I could about 924s, 944s, 968s and 928s. In the end it had to be a 944, mostly for balance of cost and insurance. I love the 80s imagery, and the flared wings.
These days I find myself pronouncing it 'Porsch-e' and planning when I'm going to buy that black-cream-leather-250bhp-late-rear-spoiler Turbo...

 

[chrisr]

One of the best threads Ive read for ages , keep em coming..

Good post Tony

 

[Guest]

I was looking for a Peugeot estate in a paper called Friday Ad, being a very sensible chap I wanted a sensible diesel estate. But...what follows Peugeot alphabetically in the car ads...Porsche of course. And there was SCZ advertised, I went for a look out of curiosity, and the rest is history. Looked for a Peugeot, bought a Porsche! Absolutely true story.
Regards

 

[NeilW]

I've been a Porsche fan for as long as I can remember. From being a small boy it was always an event to see a Porsche while out and about. Growing up I spent a significant amount of time in the lake district, a place where there seem to be more Porsches than average. At that time ( late 70's / early 80's) it was probably mostly 911s. During the 80's when I was a teenager my bedroom wall was adorned with posters of all types of Porsche. I actually came across a photo of my bedroom wall from this time a few weeks ago and I can confirm that 911/924/928/944 models were there in equal numbers.

I passed my driving test and for years drove fairly modest cars, progressing then to hot hatches. Marriage, children, house purchases all made a Porsche any time soon very unlikely, though I never stopped dreaming. One day, while looking for a car for my wife, I happened to spot a 944 for sale. I couldn't believe how little it was being offered for. Was this really the same car that I had aspired to as a teenager? Anyway, cutting along story short, I researched the model range, went to see a few, the insurance was no more than my then current Astra GTE, and I ended up buying my current 88S model.

I'm still drawn to 911s, particularly the 3.2 Carreras that featured on my bedroom wall as a youth. But. Having compared them with my 944 it's hard to justify the extra outlay. I know the 911 is the most recognisable shape but I honestly find the bulbous, squat, wide looks of the 944 just as appealing. Add to that the chassis layout, which somehow seems so right. A nice 964 Carrera 4 would be an option though when I start looking around next year. Equally, so would a mint S2. It would be hard to say goodbye to the 944 though. Yes, I know it cost me it's own purchase price in maintenance during the first two years, but that was my fault for not buying a better example. I've got the satisfaction of knowing that it's in far better condition now than it was then.