hilux Posted February 27, 2005 Posted February 27, 2005 Hi y`all Got the drop on a mint 944 turbo FSH blah, blah Anyone on here owned and run one, I seem to recall a chap that trashed his on track All concensus `seems` to be reliable (subject to maintenance), frugal on fuel etc tec All info on web I`ve seen are from sunday only enthusiasts but I wondered if anyone had owned and driven one long term Cheers Paul Quote
jonlewis Posted February 27, 2005 Posted February 27, 2005 I did... A white one, but back when they were new, so not really much help. FWIR, it was great on fuel, but like most cars of that nature, a little attention on a regular basis is often is the way to keep it reliable. The handling should be superb. I do remember that any minor inperfections in track, tyre pressures etc had a huge effect, so make sure that stuff is sorted. Quote
JohnCh Posted February 27, 2005 Posted February 27, 2005 I've had one for about 9 years. I bought a BMW M Coupe 2 years ago to replace the Porsche as my daily driver, but after 10 months sold the BMW because for me, the Porsche -- even with 130k miles on the clock -- was a better car. It is very easy to get big power out of these engines and the handling and brakes are fantastic. They are also immensely practical (they hold a lot of gear) and other than high road noise, they are very comfortable on a long trip. Clutch replacement is a nightmare though (16-20 hours book rate depending on model year) so look for one that already had this done. The water pump is also a pain, so if this is recently replaced, consider it a bonus. The cars are very reliable, but will bite you if not maintained properly, so look for a car with records. Feel free to contact me off list if you have any follow-up questions. Cheers, John Quote
Blatman Posted February 28, 2005 Posted February 28, 2005 Clutch replacement is a nightmare though (16-20 hours book rate depending on model year) so look for one that already had this done. Emphatically seconded. If it's got a recent new clutch, then good. If the clutch needs doing then it really is a 3 day job, and that's for a pro with the right tools... Quote
Buzz Billsberry Posted February 28, 2005 Posted February 28, 2005 Bananaman has a black one .Its a nice car. It was used as our support truck on last years Le-mans trip!! Buzz Quote
jonlewis Posted February 28, 2005 Posted February 28, 2005 Apparently got crap brakes though... forgot about Nana's car. Quote
JohnCh Posted February 28, 2005 Posted February 28, 2005 Apparently got crap brakes though I have to disagree with that. The brakes are one of the car's strong points and are known for standing up quite well to track use. When I bought the M Coupe I have to confess that by comparison I thought the 944 turbo brakes were on the weak side, but I later discovered that my rotors were glazed. I replaced them and the pads (Pagids) and the roles were reversed. Similar to slightly better stopping power, but much better feel in the Porsche. BTW if the brakes aren't enough for you, both the Big Reds from the 911 turbo and the Big Blacks from the 928 GTS are bolt on swaps. -John Quote
jonlewis Posted February 28, 2005 Posted February 28, 2005 Sorry, I was refering to Nana's 944 specifically... the 944 range as a whole had good brakes... Quote
JohnCh Posted February 28, 2005 Posted February 28, 2005 My bad, I thought you may have read my website where I compare the cars and pointed out that the M Coupe had better brakes. I don't think I ever updated that comment after the brake fix. Cheers, John Quote
Bananaman Posted February 28, 2005 Posted February 28, 2005 Mine's not a Turbo it's a 944S2 although i belive that the breaks are the same The breaks are good, just not upto Trackday use or trying to keep up with a bunch of phyco Westfield drivers racing back from Le-mans..... Running costs are all down to what mainenance needs doing so makesure you get a car thats had the major jobs done (unlike me... ) There is much debate about S2 v Turbo & from what i can gather the S2 is a better daily car, as the power delivery is less on/off than that of a turbo & running costs are about 10-15% cheaper. Having said that I'd love to have a try of a 250bhp turbo Where you based hilux I use Hartec http://www.hartech.org.uk/ for my servicing etc they are pretty good & specilise in 944's & 968's. A new clutch recently cost me £800 fitted which is very reasonable. P.S. Buzzzzzzzzzzzz, Jon.. Just got my disc's skimmed apparently they were 2thou out which is within porsche tolerences BUT they feel much better now.... Hilux e-mail me & i'd send you some info on buying these cars. Andy Quote
Bare Posted March 1, 2005 Posted March 1, 2005 I've always had a liking for the appearance of those 944 cars.. But in my Part of the World (Pacific Northwest) 944's and 968's have errr.. limited Resale..IF you can actually sell one off. What few that still run are eventually selling for V little $$ indeed.. Didn't know abouit the Horrors of Clutches.. here it's almost universally Failed Oil Pumps . Although the Beetle originated suspension has added volumes to the noteriety. If yrs is Good.. enjoy/luxuriate ,.. cuz Many have not. Quote
hilux Posted March 1, 2005 Author Posted March 1, 2005 Emphatically seconded. If it's got a recent new clutch, then good. If the clutch needs doing then it really is a 3 day job, and that's for a pro with the right tools... Its a quite rare mint `silver rose` spec 250 bhp turbo with the mo30 (968) fully adjustable suspension and with care I have read that up to 300 bhp can be coaxed out of them reliably. Its at the top end of the market pricewise (he`s looking for 10K) but with full documented porsche dealer/specialist history, all mot`s etc etc (and just had a new clutch fitted which is why I havent seen it yet) Anyway, I`ll probably take it apart to see how it works anyway................. I have seen a number of cheaper ones around but consider that in this case its better to buy the best available (cheaper in the long run) although I`ve been reading tales of what bargains the cheap (non turbos) are. I`ve also been impressed with the praise generally for their reliability if serviced/pampered and the superb neutral handling and frugal use of fuel Some are so cheap however, I`m tempted even though they are a lot less powerful ie strip out/roll cage etc and track it to death etc There is much debate about S2 v Turbo & from what i can gather the S2 is a better daily car, as the power delivery is less on/off than that of a turbo & running costs are about 10-15% cheaper. Having said that I'd love to have a try of a 250bhp turbo Where you based hilux Hi Nanas Turbo delivery can be tempered/smoothed with a clever bit of kit but the turbo`s do not have the belt/tensioner issues as on the 16valvers Concensus seems to be that the 16v is great but has to be revved a lot. Have sent you a PM Cheers Paul Quote
Buzz Billsberry Posted March 1, 2005 Posted March 1, 2005 What ever you buy lets a have some picky's displayed Buzz Quote
JohnCh Posted March 1, 2005 Posted March 1, 2005 ts a quite rare mint `silver rose` spec 250 bhp turbo with the mo30 (968) fully adjustable suspension and with care I have read that up to 300 bhp can be coaxed out of them reliably. It sounds like a 1988 S -- very nice car with a number of improvements over the standard cars (hardened 1st & 2nd gears, larger turbo, slightly higher boost, standard M030 suspension, LSD, reinforced chassis points). Did the owner tell you that it has the M030 suspension or the M030 suspension from the 968? They are not the same. The 968 M030 differs from the 944 turbo M030 in several areas: rear coil overs with helper springs that supplement the torsion bars, thicker front anti-roll bar, 3-way adjustable rear bar, and bigger front brakes. As for 300hp, there are a number of guys here in the States that are getting a very reliable 320-350hp at the rear wheels (check out Rennlist). As was typical with Porsche back in those days, most things are over engineered. -John Quote
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