Porsche 944 S2 - Page 3 - Porsche General - PistonHeads UK

Hello, welcome to the board. I have the privilege to own one of these jewels, so if there are anything particular you would like to know about them, please ask me. The first thing you should look for when looking at a car is the service history. Flee away from cars which look good but which service history isn't quite clear. Why? As rather inexpensive cars many of them have been owned by people who might not have been in the financial position to decently take care of them. If the service history is fine, make sure the timing belts and the tensioning belts have been replaced every 45,000 miles. If they haven't forget the car. Why? If they break your engine will be history. This is the most important thing to look for. If you need more information please do ask me.

I have owned a 944S2 cabriolet and a 944 Turbo. I'd look out for the obvious used car things, plus: - the timing belt (replaced at correct interval) - the camshaft balancer belt (correctly positioned as vibration at certain revs can indicate it's a tooth or two out) - the power steering pump - it mustn't groan or it's on its way out - dropping doors - the hinges can't always take the strain of the heavy doors, so see if they shut cleanly - accident damage, especially the rear wings - these flare out a lot and can be whacked by mistake - look for non-factory seam work (open the boot and remove the carpet to check the rears) They are generally pretty sound and solid vehicles. Only my turbo caused me trouble - all the S2 had in a year or so of ownership was a seized gearchange (because the joint near the shift lever got dry), an incorrectly positioned balancer belt and the power steering pump was starting to go. Not much really. Go for a coupe, they are more practical if a bit uglier, and they handle better. The S2 isn't that quick, but the turbo is. It is a good choice of car though, expect to pay around 6-7k, maybe 8-9k will get you a minter. Rgds Domster >> Edited by domster on Friday 24th May 15:42 >> Edited by domster on Friday 24th May 15:43

Hi - thanks very much for the replies! I have noticed that the cars to consider are those with a full service history and being the owner of a diesel, I know about the cam belt problem if they break (ie - time for a new engine). Believe me, the S2 is plenty fast enough for me (being the owner of a diesel) and I would only consider a coupe anyway. The turbo would have too much potential for expensive problems and i've heard they can suffer from turbo lag anyway. I saw a car in the Autotrader the other day for £6750 - it has fsh, new belts, discs, pads, tyres etc 113,000 miles. Would this be a good buy? The only trouble is that its white, and i'd prefer dark blue, black or silver Oh yes - and how much are a new set of tyres? I'm thinking they're about £100 each or can you get them cheaper? >> Edited by AJLintern on Saturday 25th May 22:26

Bit pricey for 113k, I wouldn't give him a penny over 6 for it, no matter how well maintained. White is cr@p for resale as he's finding out, and you'll find out if you buy it. I'd keep looking in the classifieds, especially on the chpublications website for Porsche and 911 World. Budget between 80 and 120 quid per corner on your tyres, depending on what brand you go for. You could probably go cheaper if you went for the Rainbow remoulds!

Do they run on unleaded? should you use super unleaded or is the normal stuff ok? I assume the newer models do but how about the older ones - do they need LRP? Currently thinking of getting a standard 944 as they are cheaper to buy, insure and I imagine are less expensive to fix if they go wrong.

The S2s run on normal unleaded. You don't need fancy fuel, although most cars will benefit from Optimax. I wouldn't go for a 944 earlier the S2 - they had sorted out small faults and design flaws by the S2, it looks better and are really quite good value, available from 5 grand upwards. Believe me, if you can't afford 5 or 6 grand on a car, you should think carefully about running a Porsche. Even the cheap ones can cost much more than you think to run... it may only take one official Porsche part to screw your financial month! And if you go older than an S2, you're talking over 10 years old, when things go wrong more often. It is a fallacy that older Porsches are much cheaper to run. If your 924 needs an official part, they will charge you the going rate for it. The may charge more as demand is now less for the part. Some 996 parts are very good value, some aren't. What you will find is that there may be more factor parts available, and more second hand ones in breakers. But there are so many 996s around these days, you could get most factor and s/h parts for these now, anyway. The golden rule with any car is often 'buy the newest you can afford' although I would say for a Porsche 'buy the newest evolution you can afford'. The S2 shares many bits with the 2.5 and 2.7, but the bits they don't share are the crappy bits they improved... As for insurance and purchase costs, well, you will find that the concourse condition 2.5s and 2.7s are as much as 'normal' S2s anyway, and they are 'less of a car' in many respects. If you pick up a cheap 2.5 or 2.7 for 4k, not 6k for an S2, yes, the insurance will be lower. But not much - it is still a high insurance group sports car. Look at the overall running costs, including depreciation, maintenance, servicing, and insurance, over the period you want to keep it. NOT the purchase cost. There is no point in spending 4k on a ropey 2.7, only to spend 3k in the first year getting it running right. A good S2 may cost a lot less than half that amount to run, which will counter the extra purchase costs and insurance. Don't mean to dishearten, but the S2 is a good idea. Just research and search carefully - get that 113k miler for 5500 GBP and it may be the best thing you do. Rgds Domster >> Edited by domster on Thursday 30th May 09:44 >> Edited by domster on Thursday 30th May 09:50

I suppose any Porsche you get will be expensive if it goes wrong - but a decent late model 944 Lux for £3-4k would leave me more money to fix potential problems than a poorer condition, higher mileage S2 that costs £6-7k. I just want to play it safe really - with any second hand car you don't really know how its been treated. I'd prefer to get a bargain that goes wrong than spend a lot more on one that might still go wrong. I expect its funny to read someone worrying about spending this small sum of money when so many people here don't think much of paying £50k + for a car!

I think you'll be surprised just how cheap a 944 S2 is to keep on the road, seriously, as long as you don't buy a dog it should cost no more than any 'normal' car. There are so many cheap aftermarket places like Euro Car Parts, German and Swedish etc that you can get almost any part for the same money as a Golf or Audi. Go for the later car IMO and it'll break less and cost no more if it does.

If you get a 3-4k Lux, you will need to be very careful you are getting a good one. I once thought I could buy at the bottom of the market and 'use the money I saved to pay for repairs'. Therefore, with a 15k budget, I bought a Lotus Carlton for 10k in Germany, and imported it with a 5k saving. By the end of two years ownership, I had spent 8k on running costs. Now, I'm not saying Lotus Carltons are any more or less reliable than old 944s, but be wary of buying at the bottom of the market. Even a 2.0 litre 924 could cost you between 2k and 3k a year maintenance-wise. The S2 is far less likely to go wrong, given similar condition to a Lux. If you are going to keep the car for more than a year, I would strongly advise finding the extra cash (beg/borrow/steal/sell gran) and getting the car with cheaper long term running costs.

Thanks for all the good advice - Sounds like I'll be getting an S2 then I mean I can afford it and its probably more likely to hold its value - and if I keep it long enough maybe it'll become a classic (ok - so it is already ) Oh yes - while I'm thinking about it, has anyone tried nitrous oxide injection with their 944?!?

If you are near Oxon/Bucks/berk, Scottster or I will help you check over potential purchases. We have owned an S2, a 944 Turbo and a 968 Cabriolet between us. And Scottster's dad had a 924 for years before getting an S2. I wouldn't pursue nitrous. If you want performance, get a 944 Turbo. Scottster's LHD one cost 5500 GBP about five years ago. These cost a lot more to run and maintain than an S2, so be careful. I will keep a look out in the classifieds for you. I would also suggest viewing the white one, and if well looked after, make a low offer. He'll probably bite. Rgds Domster

Nitrous Oxide - Best kept for sniffing mate, not the preffered tuning option IMO. Unless of course you're going to take the car to Santa Pod and slay some Ford Pops up the strip?

I've been mainly looking in the Autotrader and a few dealer websites. I am in Oxfordshire actually so there should be quite a few nearby being fairly close to London. Hehe - I thought that might be the reaction i'd get if I mentioned nitrous

AJ, I work just off the Peartree roundabout in Oxford, and live in High Wycombe (neighbours with Scottster). Let us know if you want a second opinion on a prospective purchase. I will keep an eye out for suitable cars.

Domster's your top man for car purchase opinions, he picks his cars so carefully he's managed to require a full engine rebuild on the last five of his - now that's a man with an eye the details!!

It's just the way I drive 'em I nearly destroyed Scottster's 964C2 by doing one of my famous racing starts up a 1:4 hill to impress some local youths

"944S2 COUPE, 1989, Guards Red, 118,000 miles, full documented Porsche service history, LHD, a/c, new clutch and braking system, family owned 7 years, no expense spared, regular Running Reports car, immaculate condition, regretful sale due only to Boxster arrival, £6250. Tel: Simon, 07968 834601 or 01428 725248." I'd look at this car, then maybe chip him down to 5500-5750.

Thanks again for all the advice Thats the sort of spec car i'd be looking for (except it'd have to be right hand drive and a different colour). Do you know of any good insurance companies that would give me a reasonable quote? I'm 25 with 2 years no-claims (or 35%) and a clean licence (although that could change once I get a Porsche - only joking!)

I used Nowell and Richards when I was 24 on a 944 S2 cabrio. Their number was/is 01785 715115. I was paying 1300 quid a year fully comp, 2 years NCB. You will pay about 1.5-2k more for a RHD 944S2, I would guess. If you had to choose between a LHD 944S2 and a RHD 944 Lux I would recommend the left hooker wiithout a doubt. Do not write off left hookers. I own a LHD and RHD car, and have had plenty of LHD Porsches. They are often extremely good value, and you get used to LHD very quickly. The disadvantage of LHD certainly doesn't justfify the gulf in prices between LHD/RHD.

I've owned six Porsches now and NONE have been RHD. Domster's right, well worth looking into. I smile when I see people who have a car in RHD that on paper is worth far more than mine, but mines a far newer/better model in LHD - what's the point?

Because when I see a LHD car I think 'tight er'

Mate, you may mock but it's how God intended them to be made (well, Dr Porsche anyway). We could obviously all afford to buy overpriced RHD motors but prefer the purity..... ( :snigger as if anyone fell for that crap: ) Anyway, back to more important points Mr UV, I'm not the proud owner of some 993 RS splits - come round for a cry sometime!!

LHD worth it if you can save £5k + - ie a 911. but a 944 - you might save £1.5k to buy but come selling time forget it! For some real 944 "anorak advice" try the 944 forum on www.titanic.co.uk - but be careful as they all think their cars are worth double their value!! Try www.findit.co.uk & "exchange & mart" - prices are falling so bargains are to be found!

If your 'not' the owner why are you so happy

LHD Porkers aus Vaterland: www.mobile.de

how about... www.findit.co.uk/cars/porsche/291217.htm

Adee - the car in those findit pics sure doesn't look like an S2 - weird. Also, I suspect it's 150000 miles not 15000 miles! Scottster meant 'now' rather than 'not'. He has some v shiny RS split rims, that polished up a treat. That said, he can't take the piss out of UV's probe wheels any more, so I dunno where he was going with that thread... As for LHD, it is the only choice for a 964RS - they put girly underseal and power steering on the RHD ones. Anyone who thinks LHD is massively inconvenient compared to RHD on english roads hasn't lived with a LHD car. At a 1500 difference then RHD is worth saving for, but Scottster saved 15k on his 993 by buying LHD privately rather than RHD from a dealer - I kid you not. Rgds Domster PS AJ - if you can stretch to 8k you are talking LHD 968 money, and they are even better than the S2... >> Edited by domster on Thursday 30th May 16:29

To be honest I hadn't properly considered a LHD car, but I still think it'd be worth getting a RHD one for resale value and because of safety reasons (ok so I could get used to it probably but I don't want to comprimise my driving experience just to save money). Anyway the ultimate Porsche (917) was actually RHD so there :P I've seen that 944 on the findit site and think it must be just a sample picture of probably some old american version. Here is a nice clip http://boerger.golden-tech.com/images/S2%20going%20Past.mpg

This one doesn't look too bad - http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/ www/CARS_popup.asp?modelexact=1&make=PORSCHE&min_pr=&POSTCODE=sn7 +8jb&source=0&model=944&max_pr=&sort=3&variant=&mileage=&miles=1500&keywords=&agerange=&max_records=200&search.x=17&search.y=4&start=1&distance=52&adcategory=CARS&channel=CARS&id=200221032150548 (sorry you'll have to cut and paste the link) >> Edited by AJLintern on Thursday 30th May 20:50

That Autotrader one below looks v good. Well worth taking a look. Rgds Domster PS LHD is much safer if you are ever unlucky enough to be involved in a head-on collision - you are further away from the oncoming car. Although your passenger won't be too happy...

Hi. New one to the forum here. I've run an '88 944S for 2 years and 25k miles as a daily driver. Car had FSH with 80% main dealer and 20% known specialist all of which checked out. It's cost me about 4k (value of car) to run excl petrol/ins with the only major thing being the head gasket. 100-130k miles seems to be the time when major things need doing on 944s. Read up on the cam chain and tensioner which needs looking at around 100k and can lead to major cost. Mine had been done before I bought it but had to have chain, tensioner and cams replaced at a cost of about £1500. If you are buying at this kind of mileage make sure that the chain and tensioner have been looked at and bear in mind that the clutch (700ish), water pump (400ish) and head gasket (600ish) could all be looming if not done already. Check out www.rennlist.com. An american site but full of people who know these cars well. The car has been fun to have. It can carry 2 people, 2 mountain bikes and enough stuff for a weekend, perform adequately and return 30 mpg, and I know the S2 is a lot quicker. I am now looking to swap to a Tuscan though as I have decided the Porsche running costs are not nearly enough.

So you say Porsche running costs are too low?? Thats the sort of thing I want to hear I have read about the chain tensioner replacement on a website so I'm aware of the potential problems that could cause. You can fit 2 mountain bikes in? Thats good as its my other hobby

They are extremely practicle quickish cars and pretty well screwed together. They don't seem to rot like the 911s either. Costs are a funny mixture. A new front strut is £50, but a handbrake cable is £80. They are pretty easy to work on if you want to do your own stuff. I've done things like struts, CVs and wheel bearings on mine which has helped keep the costs down a bit.

This one looks ok - fairly high miles but a low price. (Cut and paste link) http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/ www/CARS_popup.asp?modelexact=1&make=PORSCHE&min_pr=&POSTCODE=SN7 +8JB&source=0&sort=4&model=944&max_pr=&variant=&mileage=&miles=1500&keywords=&agerange=&max_records=200&search.x=28&search.y=3&start=9&distance=39&adcategory=CARS&channel=CARS&id=200222032904230 What do you think?

Well, it's damn cheap. Good value if money's been spent on the right stuff. Condition will be crucial. Domster

It's priced because of the huge mileage, fsh is interesting. Beware of the white leather: light colours do not wear out very well...

Hi - I've just bought this: www.pistonheads.com/ads/displayAd.asp?advertId=4071 What a great car

Nice one AJ. I'm sure you'll enjoy it - looks well looked after. Cheers Domster

Well done AJ - pleased so far no doubt? Why not join the Wycombe convoy on Sunday for our blast?

YES I am very pleased with it I think I'll need a while to get used to it before joining you chaps for a blast though - its such a different motoring dimension to what I'm used to! >> Edited by AJLintern on Monday 29th July 10:27

AJLintern, mine's for sale and you can have a look at here: www.porsche4sale.biz Cheers Rod

Sorry AJ, when I say "come for a blast" it's not a full on test of your driving abilities, more of a comfy curise to show off and hopefully enjoy some of our current good weather with a pub lunch chucked in for good measure. We always look for new owners to natter with.

Sorry Rod, too late - I've just bought one Scottster, maybe I'll join you chaps one day then - not sure what the weather is like this weekend, I don't think it looked too promising though

Rod Smith, whereabouts in Kent are you?.

Congratulations AJ! From one new Porsche owner to another - I got my first Porsche three weeks ago and haven't stopped smiling yet! Enjoy!

I'm seriously thinking of getting a 944 S2. Does anyone here have any experience with them and is there anything I should look for? It will be my first real car having been driving a Peugeot 309 diesel I wanted something stylish and fast enough to cut it in todays busy traffic (I just don't bother overtaking in the Peugeot, it stays on the wrong side of the road too long so you need a really good gap in the traffic and there are few safe places anyway)