So... I hope to go look at a 944 turbo on the weekend. ~$5k, Reasonable (70k) miles, clean. Bad idea? The price seems right, and we've always liked them. Purpose would be weekend and auto-xer, something to tinker on. Very occasional commuting.
Thoughts?
I loved mine. Make sure it is up to date maintenance-wise as they can get expensive in a hurry. Mine was pretty cheap, but I spent a fortune getting it back right, even doing a lot of the work myself. The timing belt shouldn't be more than 2 years or 30k miles old. Mine broke right at 30k miles about a week after I bought it. Parts aren't that expensive to replace it, but it is pretty involved. Clutches are also a bit of a PITA and pricey.
My advice would be to take someone along that really knows these cars, they can be more expensive than a 911 if you choose poorly.
That said, mine was like a crack addiction. 
Short of the newer stuff, there's not a better all around Porsche in my opinion. Excuse me now, I've got to go hide from the 911 guys with the stake, firewood and matches... 
racerdave600 wrote: I loved mine. Make sure it is up to date maintenance-wise as they can get expensive in a hurry. Mine was pretty cheap, but I spent a fortune getting it back right, even doing a lot of the work myself. The timing belt shouldn't be more than 2 years or 30k miles old. Mine broke right at 30k miles about a week after I bought it. Parts aren't that expensive to replace it, but it is pretty involved. Clutches are also a bit of a PITA and pricey. My advice would be to take someone along that really knows these cars, they can be more expensive than a 911 if you choose poorly. That said, mine was like a crack addiction.
This is all great advice.
Generally a $5k 944 turbo needs at least that much put into it to bring it up to snuff mechanically. Make sure the clutch has been recently replaced, that the timing belt, all rollers/tensioners have been recently replaced and that the front oil seals and the oil pan gasket aren't leaking.
After that, make sure all the normal car stuff is working. Buy from an enthusiast who has spent the time and money to keep the car up. Run away from anyone else.
I currently have an 85 911 and 87 944 turbo. I love them and am actually trying to buy a track prepped one right now. That being said, they suck to work on (for me anyway), parts are usually expensive, and they aren't getting any younger.
What's cooler than asking a girl if they'd like a ride in your turbo Porsche?
njansenv wrote: So... I hope to go look at a 944 turbo on the weekend. ~$5k, Reasonable (70k) miles, clean. Bad idea? The price seems right, and we've always liked them. Purpose would be weekend and auto-xer, something to tinker on. Very occasional commuting. Thoughts?
Turbos are not good autocross cars since you never seem to get into the boost at an autocross. I have both a turbo and non turbo. I liked autocrossing my non-turbo car more due to power delivery. Of course on the road the turbo is much faster.
I currently have a 84 944 non turbo for racing and an 88 Turbo S for weekend street use. I have had my Turbo since 1997 and it is great car even at 144k miles.
the 951 is on my bucket list of cars... but I have always been afraid to pull the trigger
Update: while a 951 is on my bucket list, it won't be this one. The owner has no real knowledge of past maintenance, and I didn't get a very good vibe on this one: updated turbo, not sure about software etc.
On another note, a BMW 2002 that I've been chasing just turned up, nearly challenge priced:
That's a pretty 2002 -- room for the kids, too
e21 alpina rims? nice score
Well, we drove about 600kms today to have a good close look at it and to take it for a spin. I needs some work: a recent paint job may be covering some FeO2, with overspray on lots of other stuff, and there was signs of relatively heavy rust on one rocker (rusted through) and on the front inner fender. While its certainly salvageable, it's more work than I have time for right now. Mechanically: great. Completely rebuilt engine that sounds fantastic, smooth shifting trans etc. A leaking brake line was the only obvious repair needed immediately.
A pretty good buy, but not what I need right now.
I can put someone in touch with the seller if the are interested: the car is located near Rice Lake, Ontario. ($2500obo)
you can always put an lsx in when the motor craps out
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