I bought an 86 944 the week between Christmas and New Years and love it. I've owned BMW's, Audis, VW's, and even a Mercedes but I love my Porsche a lot more. It's a lot of fun to drive. Is there any 944 clubs in this country?
Hi, Everyone. Greetings from Athens, OH. I'm thinking about buying a 944, found several with under 100K in my region, including an 88 with 65K. Would be my daily drive car, between 400-600 miles per month. Need to know safety factor - people drive BADLY here, how is it in snow, and $ to insure. Also, following repair posts, how much of this could I do myself with limited tech skill and tools? Trading my 03 Nissan Maxima SE, 6 speed. Thanks!
Hi Athens: My advice, buy the nicest 944 you can afford. I tell people I have $9,000 in to my car and I can get $2,000 all day. The point is that mechanics if you are not handy are always expensive. In my area I find really clean 944's for say $5,000, It does not make sense buying one for $3,000 to get in. Knowing what I know, I would buy one for $7,000. You can substitute your own numbers. Jon
I completely concur... I bought a $1,500 dollar Porsche 944, blew literally $7,500 into it, completely replaced the ENTIRE interior (dash, seats, carpet, etc... even the buttons). Re-did the entire engine compartment, fuel pump, fuel lines, seals... even removed the quarter windows, replaced the seals, and re-installed them.
I sold my Porsche 944 for $2,018 after my daughter was born.
Spend the most you can up front to get the best one you can. If maintenance is not really your thing, get an 85.5+ so you don't have to worry about belt tensioning (as much).
Honestly, they're not good daily drivers unless you know how to work on cars. A single screw costs like $5 bucks... a simple crank sensor (of which there are two) will cost you $175 a piece...
Thanks for the quck responses. I'm not very mechanically inclined - though I can learn - but I'm STILL interested in the 944, but also looking at a Mazda 6 Touring Plus 4 cyl. If I buy the Porsche, I'll post it! Cogito, ergo zoom!
Yeah, the 944 is an amazing car... I had TONS of fun with mine. But it's not a car for someone who isn't already knowledgeable about cars. Unless of course it's a secondary car... but definitely not as your primary daily driver. The car is simply too old. Even a 10k mile survivor garage queen is going to have issues come up.
I would stick with the Mazda...
Either that, or you can get a good used late 90s Porsche Boxster... they're dirt cheap. I see them going all day for like $5,000 with less than 70k miles on them.
THANKS! Good advvice. Whatever I buy has to sit outside all day and winters [as well as summers] are not easy on cars. here. I'll check the Boxter as well.
That's just what ended in the past week. I haven't honestly looked in over a year, but I see them quite frequently sell for (realistically) around $6,500-$7,500 bucks for the mid to late 90s ones...
Hi, Everyone. I posted a few days ago about an 88 944 I was considering and got great advice from several folks on this list. The sales manager at the dealership and I have been in regular Email contact - I received this from him this evening, an HONEST assessment of what's wrong with the car BEFORE I bought it:
"Hi again Michael. I just received the information from my Service Department. Here are the details.
Turn signal does not cancel Power Steering has a small leak Both lower ball joints are loose Sway bar bushing is loose Drivers side window washer nozzle does not operate Rear wiper does not operate"
AMAZING, they told me the truth. I'm not buying the car as I can't get all of this work done here, but this dude made a friend: White Automotive Group in Dayton. Thanks again. Maybe someday a Porsche for me. . . .
I just bought a 1984 porsche 944 from a used car lot. The car drove good for a week and then bam. I was pulling out of the drive way and started down the road, I made it through 2nd gear and pushed the clutch in to go into 3rd and the car back fired twice and shut off. I have not been able to crank it since then. It is getting fire to the wires and I looked through the peep hole and the timing belt is on still. How do i check the car further to get her running again.
My cabin fan stops working every now and then. No speeds work, so don't think it is the resistor problem. Seems more like a short or loose wire. Seems to occur on hot days after driving the car and the engine compartment gets hot, too. I have had it happen only once that I can remember in the winter or cooler months. Sometimes going over a bump will cause it to come on slightly, then go off again. Leave the car in the garage over night and the fan works fine in the AM. I'm so far stumped. Any ideas of where to look for the problem. I called my old mechanic (we moved from OH to NC). He told me the blower motor might have an open short. I asked if there was a way to test the motor and he said, "No. You'll have to wait until it fails." Living in NC in 100 degree heat with out a/c is not an option. Can anyone help?
Hi- I have a 1986 with 59K miles. I recently had the clutch slave replaced. Car ran just fine for about 5 days. Then last nite while stopped at a light idling in neutral, when the lite turned green... put it into 1st and the car would not move. it was like I was still in neutral. That was the same for any gear....
Well, considering that you JUST had the clutch-slave cyl replaced, I would suspect that as possibly being the culprit. What is the fluid level like in the reservoir?
The clutch has a spring on the pedal for immediate return, so pedal feel wouldn't be too noticeable. Can you tell however if there feels like you're not really pushing anything? Most of the effort would be from the clutch master cyl though, so it might feel the same.
Check for any leaks near the slave cyl.. I would suspect this is likely the case.
Thank-you very much for your reply. You are correct it is hard to tell if any different. Although there might have been a slight differnt feel. I had the car towed to my mechanic, who currently is out of town on personal business. I may take a ride there to check the fluid level. The level should be low whenchecking the master cylinder, correct?
My son bought a 1984 Porsche 944 in December and about March a spring snapped off under his clutch pedal. We thought it was the clutch needing replaced but just found out from mechanic it is the slave cyl and the master cyl that are the culprits. He said its about $800 cheaper for the parts. Does anyone know about how much labor time is normally involved in these repairs?
Hello, I have been searching all over internet and this thread seems to be exactly what the problem I am having with my 85 944 and would be blessed if you could tell me what fixed your issue? I have put a brand new clutch system in car 2 years ago and now am having exact same issue as your thread describes? Thanks in advance for your response all is appreciated...
Looks like you're replying to a post that's 5 years old and the member may not be here to read it. Can you talk a little more about the problems you're having? One of the members here may have some ideas for you.
If it's a quick question, you might want to ask in our Answers section, where some of our members hang out to answer quick questions: http://answers.edmunds.com After you post your question, you can check for responses by clicking the "my answers profile" link near the top of the page.
Hello Todd82ta, you mentioned a eurospec bumper??? As in the ROW front bumper? With the fog lights and tiny bumperettes? What color, and have you sold it?? I'd be interested if its in decent shape :surprise:
Hi 944 guy... so... I've done a bit more research on this bumper since I last posted. The bumper is neither a European spec, OR an American spec. It is a special Middle-East spec bumper that I think was ONLY sold in Abu Dhabi, and Kuwait (or something like that). Essentially, it is a normal US spec bumper (made out of aluminum). It has the slots for the headlight washers, but instead of the large American bumper pads, it has smaller bumper pads, and has the fog-lamps built into the bumper like the European one does. It looks EXACTLY like a US one, but has European fog-lamps built in. I've confirmed this on several sites, Rennlist, and the owner of 944 Online. Somehow, one of those cars made it to the US, and I saw it in the junkyard. I've actually since sold my Porsche 944. My daughter was born, and I needed to get rid of some stuff. But I did still keep the bumper. It's sitting in my attic, and I plan to use it on my next 944 that I restore.
Comments
I sold my Porsche 944 for $2,018 after my daughter was born.
Spend the most you can up front to get the best one you can. If maintenance is not really your thing, get an 85.5+ so you don't have to worry about belt tensioning (as much).
Honestly, they're not good daily drivers unless you know how to work on cars. A single screw costs like $5 bucks... a simple crank sensor (of which there are two) will cost you $175 a piece...
I would stick with the Mazda...
Either that, or you can get a good used late 90s Porsche Boxster... they're dirt cheap. I see them going all day for like $5,000 with less than 70k miles on them.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/97-PORSHE-BOXTER-LOADED-92K-LOW-RESERVE-/11054847- 7045?cmd=ViewItem&pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item19bd33e475
Here's a 2000 that sold for $7,500 (90k miles)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2000-Porsche-Boxster-Guard-Red-w-Beige-Interior-/- 200488810038?cmd=ViewItem&pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item2eae107636
Here's a 1997 that sold for $8,000 (70k miles)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1997-PORSCHE-BOXSTER-986-SOFT-TOP-CONVERT-NO-RESE- RVE-/270600139774?cmd=ViewItem&pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item3f010673fe
Here's a 1998 that sold for $8,900 (98k miles)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Boxster-Convertible-5-Speed-California-Nice-car-/- 300442796880?cmd=ViewItem&pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item45f3c94350
That's just what ended in the past week. I haven't honestly looked in over a year, but I see them quite frequently sell for (realistically) around $6,500-$7,500 bucks for the mid to late 90s ones...
"Hi again Michael. I just received the information from my Service Department. Here are the details.
Turn signal does not cancel
Power Steering has a small leak
Both lower ball joints are loose
Sway bar bushing is loose
Drivers side window washer nozzle does not
operate
Rear wiper does not operate"
AMAZING, they told me the truth. I'm not buying the car as I can't get all of this work done here, but this dude made a friend: White Automotive Group in Dayton.
Thanks again. Maybe someday a Porsche for me. . . .
Thanks
The clutch has a spring on the pedal for immediate return, so pedal feel wouldn't be too noticeable. Can you tell however if there feels like you're not really pushing anything? Most of the effort would be from the clutch master cyl though, so it might feel the same.
Check for any leaks near the slave cyl.. I would suspect this is likely the case.
Thanks
Thanks
Dan
Looks like you're replying to a post that's 5 years old and the member may not be here to read it. Can you talk a little more about the problems you're having? One of the members here may have some ideas for you.
If it's a quick question, you might want to ask in our Answers section, where some of our members hang out to answer quick questions:
http://answers.edmunds.com
After you post your question, you can check for responses by clicking the "my answers profile" link near the top of the page.
ClaireS, Host
Automotive News & Views | Coupes & Convertibles
MODERATOR
Need help getting around? claires@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
Tell everyone about your buying experience: Write a Dealer Review