944 turbo Advice on a couple of listed 944 Turbos?

Hi all, Potential future financial member here if I don’t let myself get scared off the idea of buying a car! I’ve been in the market a long time for something entirely different but I suppose similar in spirit: a good clean Datsun 240Z or 260Z. Sadly, those have absolutely skyrocketed in price if it’s not a rusty or tired project car, which I’m trying to avoid. Easily upwards of 70k for a clean 2seat manual, if you can find one, and I’m not into the 2+2. So I got to thinking... I’ve always loved the look of the 944. The wide body is right up my alley, and the ‘80s aesthetic is every bit as cool to me as the properly classic Z. So I went hunting, and there aren’t many – at least not on Vic, and I’d prefer to buy one I can go drive first. These two came up, and both are of interest to me. A lot of care and work is described in both ads, but the fact is I know very little about Porsches and I’m not the most mechanical guy around – although I’d like to change that. One has much lower kays on it (but still high) and the other has nearly half a mil kays on it, but it sounds well loved and the dark silver body over black interior is more up my alley than the burgundy over cream. https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/1986-porsche-944-turbo-manual/SSE-AD-6066808 https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/1986-porsche-944-turbo-manual/SSE-AD-6591238 If I could trouble y’all for the benefit of your wisdom and experience, I would most appreciate it! I’m keen to be a part of this community, it seems like a great home. Incidentally, I was reading @sim84 ’S enquiry thread here – does anybody know if he went ahead with a buy? https://porscheforum.com.au/topic/13941-924944-running-and-maintenance-costs/

Just my 2c worth. Both cars are exceptional considering the Km's however the silver car doesn't mention if the turbo has been replaced. If it hasn't I'd be very surprised. Both are Aus delivered. I've not owned a 944 ( did have a 924 and loved that car ) but have driven a few and I would like one in my garage one day. I have owned a 930 and the turbo had to be replaced at 125k km's. If it hasn't been replaced it can't be far away. The red car has had an engine rebuild so that's a bonus and it has the original steering wheel ( no great problem but it's something you don't have to look for ). If I had to chose it would be the red car. As always get a PPI first on any Porsche you are looking at to buy. There are a couple of 944 Turbo owners on this forum who can give you far better feedback than me. I'm sure they will chime in. Welcome to the forum. We are a good bunch, well most of us

@slamdanke - I think your best bet is to go and view each car, see how they drive, and assess how much looks worn out e.g. brittle fuel lines, suspension bushes etc. The 944s are fantastic cars and the engines etc last a long time so long as they've been cared for. Ask the owners what oil they've been using - you're looking for a good 20w50 with high ZDDP to prevent wear to the engines. Both of those 86 Turbos seem to have good history and records for major engine restoration which is a big $ plus. These cars get expensive fast if things are neglected. Make sure the timing belt, water pump etc service has been done in the last 4 years. Clutch jobs are intensive on these cars so make sure it engages smoothly and has no funny noises. Also worth checking if performance is standard or whether they've had a boost controller/ECU upgrade. The slate grey car has some history on this forum and seems to have been cared for. I don't have any background on the garnet? red one but it would possibly be my initial preference. It also has the rare sports seats, but I'm not sure what value you'd place on them. Do you plan on keeping the car stock and just enjoying or upgrading to modernise it a bit? You'll definately want to put some money away for routine maintenance if you won't be turning a spanner yourself, but also have a think about what you want from the car. The handling is amazing on these cars with a few upgrades and the engine performance is plenty for the road with some basic upgrades to improve turbo lag.

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Thanks for the reply mate, and the warm welcome – I bet there's a good story behind your username, haha. Thanks also for the tip on the turbo, I've shot a message to the owner of the grey one to see what he knows. The fact it had a full engine rebuild 100,000km ago feels encouraging to me – you'd think that would include a new turbo, non? But I guess we'll see. Surely it would be noteworthy when writing an ad... If he doesn't know, I might require him to check with the previous owner before I decide. It's also clear from the list that it's had quite a bit of recent work in terms of mileage, so I think that's encouraging. He's admitted though that the belts might need doing soon, from a time perspective (not so much from the mileage), so that's something I'll need to keep in mind. I've also learned he has two other 944s, although neither are a Turbo. Thanks Justin, I really appreciate your insights here. I'm keen to check out both, although I must admit the lure of the grey car's colour combo is messing with my rational brain, haha. I'm a graphic designer, so nailing the aesthetics is probably more of a priority for me than it should be! Do you fellows have any insight on what the timing belt and water pump cost to replace if done by a Porsche dealer or indie? I thought I might make some calls on Tuesday (public holiday here on Monday) to get an indication, but if you have a rough idea... As for my intended use, it'd purely be a weekend cruiser with the occasional visit to the office or random errand. I mostly work from home these days and the bulk of my driving is in the family wagon with the toddies in back. There are some nice hills near me that I enjoy carving, but I'm not a maniac hoon. Well, not much of one... not these days, anyway!

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I probably appreciate where you're coming from re the aesthetics more than most. I was dead set on a guards red 944 Turbo and hunted for over a year with no luck so ended up purchasing a stone grey car. If you value a particular colour then I think it's worth holding out for (within reason)! Re pricing for the major belt service - I did some of that work myself alongside a generous friend and any other work at my local indie was done alongside other jobs so a bit hard to say. Places like BWA Auto will be able to sell your the front engine seal kit, belts and water pump kit for a good price. For labour, your best bet will be to make a few calls/emails to recommended workshops. Off the top of my head for Melbourne are - Hartech, NineAuto and Harrisons RRR. Good luck and keep us posted on your ownership search.

Looks like the grey one sold

Welcome aboard. I got mine 10 years ago and absolutely love my car. The turbos are the best kept secret in the Porsche family in my opinion. Here's an article I wrote for new owners https://kewlhunter.com/2019/06/22/so-you-bought-a-944/

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Great article. If any new owner follows that advice I agree they’ll be on the right track.

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Thanks again Justin, much appreciated! The burgundy one hasn't had its belt done in a few years, so that's something I'll have to take care of (or bargain with the seller, I guess). I'm definitely interested in this one, so I might organise an inspection this week. (Which I see can also be flippin' expensive , but it looks like there are some well-regarded affordable options out there.) Alas, yes. I made him an offer which he initially accepted, but I didn't want to leave a deposit on it (I wasn't desperate to have that one), and he got a better offer that I didn't want to match. C'est la vie! That is a hell of an article, thanks CP! It's almost a bit off-putting, hahaha, but it's good to know what I'm in for. I'm not a mechanical guy, which I know can be a recipe for disaster and/or big ongoing costs, but I'm hoping to treat all of this as inspiration to get my hands dirty.

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Flippin’ expensive is a relative term ... That was a “flippin’ expensive” repair cause after I bought the car, I realised that head gasket was blown. Wish I had of gotten a PPI and found it before I bought it! 😡 😡 😡 or ... That would have been a “flippin’ expensive” repair .. glad the PPI caught that and I negotiated it into the buying price ... 😀 😀 😀 Now, I’m not saying you necessarily need a PPI .. I have, and many others on here have bought cars sight unseen and without getting it checked out .. you need to buy the owner as well as the car. It’s generally easy to tell an owner that loves his car more than his kids ... and that’s a good start. If you’re not sure, think of it as an insurance policy .. might not have needed it but sure glad you got it!

Absolutely right, @Dreamr ! I'm not stoked that the timing belt is overdue – although it's more on time passed than on mileage iirc, I need to confirm the exact numbers – but it otherwise feels like a good thing and I get a good vibe from the seller.

Juuuuust a bit of an update here... I put a deposit down on a 944 Turbo last night and I'll hopefully be travelling to collect it next week. THIS IS HAPPENING! Pray for me 🤣

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Post some pics and details on the car when you’re able. 😃

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Just got home! I flew up to Brisbane on Wednesday night, the PO picked me up from the airport, we spent some time going over the car, and I drove off a happy man. Two full days of driving and I got home in outer eastern Melbourne at about 5pm tonight (Friday), haha. In short, it's great. I'm new to Porsches as you know, and not mechanically inclined, but after two days of driving I feel I can safely say it feels very tight. Mechanically no issues that I could feel or see - admittedly I didn't do a PPI, I'll book an inspection next week. I posted the journey on my insta , and I'll share some more detailed pics here over the weekend! Thank you everyone for the great advice. 👍

Well done, nothing like getting to know your new car like the long drive home, look forward to seeing pics

Congratulations on your new ride and welcome to the Porsche family. The forum gives you access to many people with a wealth of knowledge. Enjoy!

Where’s the photos and all the details? May need a video with motor noises.

Haha, give a guy a minute. Spending today with my kids. I'll upload some pics and video tomorrow.

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We don’t give a guy anything here until he does what he’s told and posts pics! ..

Well, snap, turns out I forgot to post pics. Introducing RAD944!

@slamdanke New car? Looks nice. tell us the story please.

@slamdanke - Nice purchase! Slate Grey Metallic? Some colour as my old 944 S2 if so. Enjoy it. Rad!

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Fantastic looking car mate and I think a great choice. The Datsun 240Z is one of the most beautiful cars ever made, and I loved looking at mine. It is a pity it was really not great to drive, which is ultimately why I sold it. Although I haven't had the chance to drive a 944 as yet, by all accounts they drive as good or better than they look.

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😳

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Mmmm...Non turbo, depends who you ask 😅 Am told the Turbo is a lot of fun though

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Interesting - what’s not great about driving them?  Performance? Handling? agree id have a 944 over a 240 any day

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The performance was fine. Mine had an L28 with triple OER carbs, and a cam. It wasn't fast, but that wasn't really the issue. It just felt like a very primitive old car. Compared to my 74 911, they are night and day. The 911 is so much more refined and civilised. The Z just felt rickety.

Wow interesting that the Garnet Red turbo the OP linked to carsales in the first post only finally sold 2 weeks ago!

Aaah, I saw a garnet red 952 had sold in the 944 Turbo Australia group on Facebook but I didn't realise it was the same one. Wow, that's quite a long sale time! Mind you... I looked on Carsales not long ago and I don't remember seeing that one listed... hmm! I ended up buying one in Brisbane. This is mine here:

Yeah, it was definitely the same one - I considered it but the vin wasn’t showing up on Vic roads or the PPSR do i left it - glad i did. cheers