Jamz3k

Been looking for something quirky and cheap to replace my knackered Alfa with and keep looking back at Porsche 944's (and BMW Z3's). What would a 944 be like as a daily driver? what are parts pricing and serving like?


Reliability is important but I live beside the train station so I can live with the odd breakdown.

Worlasshasansti

I would think a 944 would make a decent daily if you like the cars themselves, my bro has had a few classic porches and had a 2.7 iirc 944 on a F plate they aren't fast by any means but his was really reliable, easy to work on and parts were reasonably cheap and easy to get hold of, a lot of the parts can be had from scrap yards from old VW's etc.

The 2.5 lux cars are common and can be had cheap, as with most classics rust is a problem with them now, it took wor kid a while to find a decent solid car.

Mick

tubbytommy

iTrader: (20)

at least his front door is always dry

Worlasshasansti

Just built a porch for him aswell as it happens!

Mick

GC8

The highlighted part is innacurate but well-intentioned. Which parts are 'old VW'?

OP, Id be extremely careful. Cheap 944s are seldom maintained properly and many buy them and run them without spending the money required, then sell at MOT/service time. Many have sill corrosion and even more need services which will cost twice what the car cost to buy.

A good car will probably be cheaper, but a good car will cost thousands, not hundred.


Simon

Worlasshasansti

Can't remember off the top of my head but some of the parts defo cross over, I'm sure he fitted door handle off an Audi or something, his 944 was immaculate and he could only get 2k for it, I would say that's a really cheap car?

They are slow as ****e, anything else? Oh they are easy to work on and parts were plentiful he was never stuck for anything.

Is the OP gonna read one post by someone he doesn't know and who has stated that he himself has not actually owned one of these cars and go and buy one based on that alone?

Wind your neck in you jockey.

Worlasshasansti

Actually the handles might have been for his 924.... I'll get me coat

GC8

He didnt fit a VAG handle to a 924 or a 944. The casting is similar - made to look like a VW part, but the movement is completely different.

There are interchangeable parts, even on a 968, but theyre limited to courtesy lights and sun visor clips. Series one 944s and 924s add Golf wishbones and the odd bearing or seal, but dont be taken in by nonsense that youve heard about VW van engines and other similar cliches.

My 944 Turbo is a good deal faster than my Impreza, and it is just getting into its stride when the Impreza is running out of steam.

muddifordinn

I used to have a 944 16valve ventiler quite rare its not up to scooby speed but topped out at 147mph not bad for a 23year old car plus only 157pounds fully comp classisc insurance,the wife loved it so practical with the rear boot opening waist level for shopping looked great,dont use porsche garages any mechanic can work on it.As someone else said rust an issue even though galvanised i still had to replace sills.

GC8

Do you mean me? Does the 944 in my profile picture and the other two on my profile not suggest that I have an idea what Im talking about?

How about the twenty Frontrunners that Ive owned since 1992 including a Turbo S and a 968 Clubsport or the fact that I made my living from them for five years?

Lets leave the OP to decide if I know what Im taking about or not.

Worlasshasansti

Tbh I bit because you highlighted most of my post as being "rubbish" but when you read what you have written it would seem that everything I wrote was actually correct?

I'm still not convinced on the handles either as I'm fairly sure I have seen mk2 golfs with Porsche script handles on in the past which would suggest they are interchangeable.

I don't know about van engines fitting into Porsches etc as I'm not into Porsches or VW's lol wor kids 964 is lovely but it's way out of my budget.

Obviously a 944 turbo is going to be quick with around 250bhp from the factory but I doubt the op is looking to spend 5-6k on a turbo daily driver so its not really relevant. I would never suggest you don't know what your talking about as I don't know you, your car history or what you've done for a living and I no I hadn't checked you profile as I don't know how and I had no reason to do so.

If I had a garage and a couple of k lying around I wouldn't be worried about using a well maintained 944 as a daily driver from what I seen when my brother owned his it was really reliable.

Mick

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Ok, the 8 valves arent that quick but they still do sixty in about 8 seconds, maybe a bit less, people still rate Capri 2.8i's as a quick-ish older car, the 944 was more powerful and drove better, the Capri's have got expensive, the Porsches are creeping up now for decent early cars, you can still get an old ruin for a grand.

The 2.5 is probably better as a daily that doesnt get much attention, the Sixteen valve cars and the Turbo tend to need more care, hence why my S2 is going in for £300 - £500 quids worth of cambelt and other bits on Monday.

The Turbo, when mapped, like GC8 says is still a very quick car, the fact they are quite raw by modern standards means that to say a modern BMW/Audi driver they will feel quick, even the S2, I could buy faster cars but even having driven faster stuff it still doesnt feel lacking, another FOrd comparison is the Sierra Cosworth, any series 2 944 had more power than a Cossie.

Parts wise, like the man says, it isnt a sporty Beetle or MK1 Golf, some similar bits were used, there is some interchangability, but you cant even interchange a lot of bits between early and late 944's

As a daily, they are pretty tough and reliable if you keep on top of things.

GC8

I rush Mick - all of my posts sound arsey.

Script handles are a big shiny-shiny to Golf owners, arent they? There was a time when broken 944 handles couldnt be repaired and I tried every permutation of VAG handle that I could to utilise them, but the part that broke (which you can now buy a repair kit for) was the part that differed. In order to fit them they either cannibalise the handle or alter their car.

I have seen one Golf Mkii handle fitted to a series one 944, but he swapped over the crucial parts and did it for a new looking handle.

A 2.7l car should be ideal, but theyre really suffering from sill corrosion now. This has made them cheap and that accelerates their decline. I always used to suggest a good solid early car (82-83) then buying new seats from a series two car as theyre far more durable. Series one cars (1982-1985 model years) values are rising quickly now though, for anything that isnt junk, so maybe the smart money will go on an S2 (3.0l 16v) with dodgy sills and everything else good. Spend <£1,000 making it right, which is easily achievable, and you could have a top car for well under £2,500.

A friend and fellow SNer bought a 1990MY S2 last Summer for £2,250 and it wasnt bad at all. It had some jobs that it needed but it shows that reasonable cars can be bought relatively cheaply. Lots of people are all looking for the same cars though, so you need to be lucky and quick.

No doubt that James' car has been re-sold by now for £4,000...


Simon

GC8

Mark, your S2 is a series two, but the S2 name actually means Super. The first S was the 2.5l 16v and it wasnt super enough, so they tried again with the S2.

Where are you having the belts done?


Simon

Worlasshasansti

You're definitely right about them feeling faster with them being raw, my brothers 964 isn't massively quick but it feels like you're really shifting as its like sitting in an empty bean tin an inch off the floor haha

Mick

Jamz3k

Cheers guys, will keep all in mind. Summer is looming and they are getting mighty tempting looking daily. Just need to keep putting the pennies away from another month or two and then decide.

bioforger

iTrader: (1)

is that like a wizard's sleeve?

daddyscoob

What insurance company was that with ?

muddifordinn

adrian flux but forgot to mention has to be a second car and limited to 8000 miles a year classic insurance