'80's Porsche 944 Daily Driver?

[landtoy80]

Test drove a 86 944 and was wanting to know if a 944 would make a good 130 m/day commuter?

 

[Dave-T]

I love those. Parts and service will be expensive.

 

[sirenmoses]

buy it, if you fit, unless it's red, or you can't keep your foot off the gas.

then learn how to wrench it yrself.

 

[hudyhue]

as an owner of a 75 914 2.0 ,who has wrench on air cooled vws all my lifeservice is still exspinsive... fun cars though...

 

[Martin White]

Yes. If you enjoy breakdowns, calling for tows while sitting at the side of the highway, and waiting for expensive parts.

 

[landtoy80]

Looked at a red and gray one.
I do fit and I have a wife that will pick me up when I brake down

 

[JRFJ4-]

Blah

I had a 84 944. Non turbo.

It gave trouble all the time, it was about 1992 when I got it. Chewed a bunch of teeth off 3rd gear one time. I think that was about 2,000 bucks to get fixed. Expensive clutch one time, had numerous fuel pumps on it and they were high.

The turbo car would have been fine, but mine didn't run out that good. Just a 4 banger.

I'd look for something else as a dd. It would be cool to have the car though.

JR

 

[themoe89]

my best friend has one, I know first hand that they arnt that hard to wrench on, its just a built up mental thing i think. as for parts if you look around they arnt that bad and if you do regular mantinence its once again not that bad

 

[Trunk Monkey]

My Dad had (and has since gladly sold) an 86. He liked the Porsche image, hated the car. It regularly left him stranded and getting parts was a hassle and if you think your Cruiser parts are expensive - try getting parts straight from Germany . . .

 

[Martin White]

Aren't that bad...compared to a Fiat? A Yugo? That's optimism....I know people who have owned these cars...they are great looking but if you want a DD I would get something else.

 

[jerseyfzj80]

Driving a porsche 130 m a day as a commutter, I have a Porsche shop in nj and I would not get a 944 unless itr was absolutely perfect low mileage car I would also have a pre purchasre inspection done. The clutch can be an absolute BITCH and Very $$$$$$$ to do in Labor. The car is mostly and Audi in terms of mechanicals just rearranged by the wizards over @ Porsche Timing belts and clutch's are the big important things also the oil coolers on the early cars could be trouble some causing the old chocolate milk shake mix withe coolant and oil. My advice if you really want a porsche plan to spend 15-20k and by a mid eighties 3.2liter carrera I have a couiple of active customers with around 200k on the carrera motors. and 911's are very simple cars (they were all built by hand till the mid ninteys so you can physically get you hands in every were to work on them (some times tight but can be done) plus there is a phenomenon called 944 syndrome- lots of folks could afford to buy a new 944 they caost about the same as a new BMW 3 series @ the time but then the first repair bills came in and they are on par with the big porsches of the time 911s-928's so people stopped servicing them @ dealers and then they went to the after market and most private shops can hack there way thru a porsche with the emphasis on HACK so most cheap porsches running around are cheap cause they are butchered. Good Luck
cheap and fun look @ a Miata plus its will kill the 944 under just about any performance category and get better mileage plus its a drop top and simple to wrench on.

 

[brownbear]

advice from a Porsche shop......very interesting.

130 mile commute sounds like a killer. I used to DD a 75 vette. That was a lot of fun. But I didn't have to do those miles. More like 25 a day round trip. I used to earn 7 buck an hour when I owned this car, would drive to work in another town, work two hours and then drive back. I was in a deficit with my gas cost to earnings. LOL. I could not help not taking the longer routes or having a blast kicking in the 4 barrels....

Ah to be 18 again.