Project Car

I'm thinking of doing a restoration of an older 924 or 944, probably thinking around the $5K mark for the initial purchace but just wondering about a couple of things: 1 Is this a realistic budget or would I be bying more trouble than its worth? 2 Which would be the better of the two cars to restore 3 What are the pit falls of restoring either of these cars. I have don't have extensive skills restoring cars, welding and electrics are still dark arts to me but fairly happy with having a go at most other things. Cheers

I'd suggest a 85.5(later model) 944, simply because they have much better AC and layout, and are more common(cheaper? parts). These cars are one of the best handling cars made and so a tun of fun to drive. The non turbo (NA) models dont have a lot of power but are said to be still a great point to point car. I have a turbo so power isnt an issue for me, but I can attest to how good the handling is Pitfalls are it is a Porsche, so parts and servicing can be expensive. They can need specialist or less common tools to work on. Get a PPI(pre-purchase inspection) so you know what you are in for. Cheap cars can cost a lot more to fix than good examples but good examples may not command much more to buy. The Interference motors used in these cars means the timing/BS belts need to be replaced regularly(every 3 to 8 years depending on who you talk to), as failure can result in major expense.  The motors/cars are reliable and can go for years when serviced properly peace Cyberpunky

PS avoid any with serious body damage, as that can be very expensive to fix.

944 owners come up with cool number plates... sorry that is sooo off topic, but anyways. Nice car!

Thanks Cyberpunky, Outright power and speed aren't a big issue for me, I'm really after a car that handles well and is happy bumbling through the twisty roads so the non turbo would be fine. Are there any particular spots to be wary of where rust can come through? Looks like I might have to budget for a cool plate as well

944 every day of the week. One of the Buchanans will be along shortly with more detail but the basic plot is this: Buying a tired Porsche and restoring it will end up costing you more than the car is worth.  You may want to do it anyway for the fun of it but the economics will be against you.  If you tackle this with a 944, the financial aspects will depress you. If you tackle this with a 924 the financial aspects will make you suicidal.  924's are worth peanuts, many parts are NLA and many of those that are available are not cheaper than their 944 equivalents. James

I love the 944 and if you are going to use it to have fun on twisty roads I'm sure you will too, they just handle brilliantly. Definitely later is better, as late as you can afford. They kept improving the car all the time so the later models are better. Dash boards can be hard to source and very expensive. All parts are pretty expensive compared to a Commodore, Skyline, GT etc. But they will last a long time once you've replaced something. I've driven the 2.5 litre 944 and it is a nice car to drive, still pretty torquey. The turbo has good power when it comes on boost, gives you a great rush, but I still opted for the 3.0 litre NA. It doesn't suffer for power or torque, it's a very useable car, particularly on tight roads. To give you an idea: Power    torque 2.5 litre             163 hp     151 ft lbs 2.5 litre Turbo   220 hp    243 ft lbs 3.0 litre             212 hp     207ft lbs Brand new the 2.5 litre could do 0 - 100 kph in 7.4 seconds so it still goes fast enough to have fun. With regard to rust they have a galvanised shell so it isn't quite as bad, check around the battery tray and on the corresponding panel on the other side of the engine bay, check around the drain hole flaps in the engine bay, the seals if it has a sunroof, the rear hatch. There are masses of information on the net about the 944 and I bought a couple of books when I was buying mine just for some extra knowledge. Good luck with the search. Cheers, Mark

Great handling cars! http://www.clarks-garage.com/ Audi based 924 engine won't destruct if the timing belt breaks . $8 part. Fuel accumulator to fix common hot start problem =$330 +P&H , you get the idea? Turbos go OK but $$$ compared to the unloved n/a cars. 944 - common , lots of knowledge as they are loved cars. Lots of parts , used (ebay) , OEM and aftermarket. Never an investment , just well made fun cars to drive and fix up. A clutch job is $$$ , PITA to do yourself. Bargaining point at point of sale. Rust is the least of the issues. Good luck!

The 944 battery is in the boot, not the engine bay Sorry about that, was working on a mates Monaro all weekend and naturally put engine bay instead of boot for the battery, just realised..

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No BS around here!!! Well said James. as it should be said!

Don't buy an unfinished project, particularly one missing parts. Much like I did.... ) Don't buy a 944S.... Like I did as an unfinished project... ( I will build it, it's being usefull as a spares car, but I probably shouldn't have brought it). Meh! $3000 error. Buy the best you can, consider increasing your budget. I have an S2 which is fantastic, albeit with a few minor issues I need to sort (idle control, starter). I test drove a turbo, but found it less fun (well legally) than the S2. It was a case of: on boost, oops speed limit gone! 85.5 onwards cars have a better seating/steering position to give a little more room. Pelican and 944online for spares. Everything (almost) is available in terms of OEM, but after market is less well served, in comparison to a 911 except for the turbos. Read with interest the "how to get power from a NA 944" threads. ) Cheers Greg

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LHD 944's have the battery in the engine bay. Irrelevant however an interesting fact all the same.

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RHD S1 944s have it there also

+1 on going for the later model 944. I drove an '84 and a couple of '86 models when I was looking at a 944 and enjoyed the '86 driving experience much better and the interior layout. Definately get the PPI which I did with Hamiltons. It could save you huge $$$ down the track.

Thanks for the advice everyone, time to start looking around. Can anyone recommend a mechanic for the PPI in Brisbane? Really looking for a car with a bit of work to be done to it (to me that's half the fun) but at the same time don't want a money pit so looks like I'll up the budget a bit. Again thanks for all the useful tips

While on the subject, letting you all know I have many 944 parts avail so feel free to drop me a PM with what you are after and will see if I can help. (includes starter motor if needed - Greg). Cheers,Mark.

Just to add. The later model turbos came with 250bhp. With a few dollars that can be raised quite a lot too. A super under appreciated car.

Yeah I'd highly recommend the 944 turbos, they are quick to begin with and it is relatively easy to make them go considerably faster once you are addicted.

+1 The boost is highly addictive