944S vs. Turbo

Hey all, my dad is looking to upgrade our shared '87 944S to an '86 Turbo. The Turbo is owned by a family friend and has been very well cared for. Our S is in good shape but has some issues that need sorting (wonky clutch slave, A/C doesn't work, etc.) Mileage is similar. After selling the S we'd probably be paying about $2000-$3000 more for the Turbo.

So, are there any drawbacks to the earlier model year? Any major first-year issues to watch out for on the Turbo?

Also, we scored a rather nice set of wheels for the S a while ago. Can we use these on an early offset car with spacers or will Bad Things Happen?

Not sure about the wheel question, but I owned an '86 for a couple of years. Obviously the later year turbo's are faster, but there is nothing really wrong with the early years other than hp.

Also, all 944 issues also apply. Be sure it is up to date on maintenance. Some repairs are more difficult, and check the condition of the turbo. And it's a bit more cluttered under the hood.

I've also owned an '89 2.7 944, and there is no comparison, the turbo is a much better car. Congrats and of course we need pictures!

ALWAYS go for the turbo!

AFAIK, the wheels should work fine with spacers. Check out H&R for spacers, they have about 30 kinds of spacers for your application.

I have an '86 turbo beater that I'm slowly fixing up. It's sooo much faster/better than the couple of NA versions I drove that the turbo would seem to be a no-brainer, if everything is in good condition and you can do it for "only" $2-3k more than what you can sell the S for.

I don't think there are any "first year" gotchas on the '86 951 other than the wheel offset being different due to the later cars having ABS - this is easily fixed with spacers if you want to run later wheels. See here for info on the correct spacers to use with later wheels.

How about the turbo vs. the S2? Same story? I only ask because the turbo's maintenance scares me (30K timing belts?). The S2 seemed like the best of the NA breed, and not too far off the early turbo numbers (208 vs 220hp, or something like that). However, I realize that numbers don't tell the whole story.

In reply to Matt B:

You don't get a free pass on NA timing belts either. They are the same interval, I think.

The S2 is a tad slower overall, but is far better off the line. Of course, turbos rule if you want to tune it a bit.

I thought the Turbo was a non-interference engine? (Yes, I know that doesn't mean you don't have to replace the belt, it just makes failures a lot less expensive...)

Otto_Maddox wrote: In reply to Matt B: You don't get a free pass on NA timing belts either. They are the same interval, I think.

Ah, I thought it was a turbo-only maintenance thing. How hard are they to change? Do you have to pull the engine? Have the hands of a 10 year old? My only point of reference are Japanese inline-4's.

They are not only a turbo thing, but all 944's. The turbo's will fare better if the belt breaks, but all will not be good. Mine broke a week or so after I bought it, at idle, right at 30k miles. I think it was 32k but don't hold me to that. The 30k rule is not a suggestion.

While the head wasn't junk, it did create a bit of damage.

You do not have to pull the engine, but removing the radiator is a must, at least for me. You'll also want to replace the water pump, rollers and seals while you are there for cheap insurance. And a Porsche tension tool seems to help. Having too much tension on the belt can cause premature wear. If you hear one that sounds like a supercharger, it is most likely due to too much belt tension.

It's not the easiest timing belt to change, but it is not the hardest by a long way. My old MR2 Turbo was a nightmare compared to the 944 Turbo.

Otto_Maddox wrote: In reply to Matt B: You don't get a free pass on NA timing belts either. They are the same interval, I think. The S2 is a tad slower overall, but is far better off the line. Of course, turbos rule if you want to tune it a bit.

Not to mention that IIRC the turbos were 8V engines, weren't they? At least initially?

That would get you around the 'interesting' S2 belt/chain arrangement.

I think the 86 951 has the early offset wheels. Could be wrong about this though.

dean1484 wrote: I think the 86 951 has the early offset wheels. Could be wrong about this though.

That's correct. Took me a long time to find 2 replacement front wheels for the bent ones that came on my car that weren't $150+ each.