The Porsche 944 is a vehicle that, in terms of classic Porsches, was formerly regarded as a bit of a “underdog.” Over the past several years, it has had a significant recovery in popularity and is now one of the most sought-after vintage Porsches that is still available at an affordable price. Having said that, there are many things I’ve discovered about owning a 944 over the past few years that I wish I had known before making the purchase. In light of that, here are five things I wish I had known before purchasing a Porsche 944.
In This Article...
Beginning Classic
Although it might seem too good to be true, a Porsche 944 makes an excellent first vintage vehicle. strong construction and a good number of replacement component suppliers. Restoring an unloved vehicle to operation won’t present many difficulties.
Later 3.0-liter vehicles require more mechanical know-how, but earlier 2.5-liter automobiles are quite simple to repair on at home. Additionally, there are a ton of good used replacement parts on the internet. While thousands of forums provide a wealth of helpful information.
Porsche 944: the verdict from Classic & Sports Car
Despite a pretty substantial price increase over the previous ten years, the 944 is still a great deal today, whether you prefer the flexible, smooth power of a normally aspirated 944 or the supercar kick of a turbo.
A prize might become a source of anguish if it suffers through rust, clocking, or misuse. Additionally, a meticulous service record will pay off a tiny price premium tenfold over time.
The Porsche 944 is no longer a good value.
Is the 944 a cheap, exhilarating Porsche or just an expensive, difficult-to-fix four-cylinder? Depending on who you ask, yes.
It is, on the one hand, a well balanced transaxle sports vehicle with a genuine Porsche engine (unlike the buzzy Audi-sourced mill in the 924). It’s one of the most attractive automobiles to come out of the 1980s thanks to its sloping nose and bulging fender flares. On the other hand, the Porsche 944 is not the best vehicle for the money at the moment due to its low power in most configurations, pricey parts, and current prices.
Even while the 944 isn’t the best value for your money, it’s still a sporty and elegant sports vehicle with a premium badge that typically costs entry-level pricing thanks to the fact that prices have stabilized after several years of rise. Large changes appear unlikely in the near future given the lack of any significant developments in the Porsche market overall (at least in comparison to previous years).
The Porsche 944 is dependable.
I truly wish I had known this before purchasing the 944, though. This vehicle might not be for you if you’re searching for ridiculous power increases. The one problem I’ve encountered with the 944 is that getting the engine to produce more power is an extremely expensive endeavor that, in most situations, yields little in the way of benefits. Can the 944 engines be turbocharged and supercharged? Yes. Will the price be higher than the value? 100%.
The LS V8 swap is the most popular choice because it is the simplest way to generate a significant amount of power and because it weighs about the same as the stock engine, maintaining balance and weight distribution is not disrupted. Having said that, this car serves other purposes in addition to power. The 944 was created with the experience of the driver in mind and offers just the appropriate amount of power to allow you to have a great time without getting into any difficulty. Because the car is so predictable, you may enjoy testing both your own limits and those of the other drivers without much concern for risk.
That’s all, then! I realize that’s a lot of information, but the point of my article was to share what I wish someone had told me before I made the decision. However, despite my own 944 being a project for the past two years, I have never looked back, and whenever I drive it, it gives me a feeling that I haven’t been able to replicate. As long as you perform routine maintenance and don’t cut corners, these cars can and will be highly dependable. There has never been a better moment to purchase and enjoy yourself an affordable route into vintage Porsche ownership because the 944 has also increased in value extremely swiftly in recent years. Who doesn’t appreciate pop-up headlights, after all? Gratitude for reading! For more, follow us on Facebook and Twitter. If you have any recommendations that you believe we have overlooked, please post them in the comments box below, and we will review them.
A Porsche 944 is it quick?
In conjunction with Porsche, the US-Spec 944 turbocharged package was first made available in 1983 by American tuning business Callaway Cars. The basic 2.5 L inline-four engine’s 9.5:1 compression ratio and complicated Bosch Motronic engine management system made it susceptible to failure when subjected to forced induction, hence the engine was not appropriate for forced induction. By removing metal from the piston heads and chamber walls and increasing the volume of the engine’s combustion chambers, Callaway engineers were able to solve this issue. They also installed their own Microfueler unit and modified the Motronic system to ensure optimal fuel injection to the turbocharged engine. The complete engine had to be disassembled for this phase to work, which added significantly to the package’s cost. Although the compression ratio of the resulting engine was lower than that of the normal engine (8.0:1), linear power delivery was still guaranteed. Callaway installed a common internal waste gate and advised the use of 91-octane fuel to boost engine reliability in order to prevent any catastrophic engine failures. In addition, a new free flow exhaust system with a larger exhaust pipe was fitted, coupled with an IHI RHB6 turbocharger, on the right side of the engine for maximum performance. Because there was no turbo-lag, linear levels of boost were guaranteed. A boost control knob on the dashboard was optional, although the turbocharger produced 10 psi of boost. In comparison to the normal car’s 143 horsepower (107 kW) at 5,500 rpm, the modified engine produced 284 hp (212 kW) at 6,000 rpm and 312 Nm (230 lbft) at 4,000 rpm. With a 0-60 mph (0-97 km/h) acceleration time of 5.9 seconds and a top speed of 165 mph (266 km/h), performance surpassed that of the normal vehicle as well. According to Callaway, removing the rev limiter would result in even faster acceleration times. One of the rarest Porsche 944s ever made, only 20 vehicles were made.
How uncommon is the Porsche 944?
At the very end of the 944’s production run, only 528 specimens of the one-year-only 1991 Porsche 944 Turbo Cabriolet were ever produced, most of them by hand. The Porsche Museum in Germany sent this Maritime Blue 944 halfway around the world to be here in Hawaii, just like he had.
Are Porsches trustworthy?
In J.D. Power’s annual automotive survey, Porsche and Toyota tied for second place overall in terms of reliability, while the Porsche 911 sports car took home the first-ever prize for the most dependable car in the sector.
When was the Porsche 944 manufactured?
A fourth Porsche model line entered the market for the 1982 model year. The 944 filled the performance and pricing gap between the 911 SC and the 924.
Although the 944’s body was based on the 924, it had far more eye-catching curves. Porsche also designed a 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine for the 944. Customers therefore considered the 944 to be a “genuine” Porsche. Audi also made this transaxle type at Neckarsulm.
The 944 could be easily separated from the 924 thanks to a front spoiler painted in the outside color with square rubber buffers and broader, slightly angular wings. Initially producing 163 horsepower, the 2.5-liter engine was later upgraded to 150 horsepower with a catalytic converter starting with MY 86. In MY 1988, the catalytic converter-equipped engine was modified for unleaded fuel with 95 RON, increasing the power to 160 hp. The displacement was increased to 2.7 liters and the power to 165 horsepower for the final model year (1989).
944 S (MY 1987-88) In terms of equipment and body design, the 944 S and 944 were similar. The four-valve engine of this particular model, nevertheless, was a first and produced up to 190 horsepower. So, behind the flasher repeaters, there was an optional badge stamped with “16 Ventiler.”
944 S2 (1989-1991) The S2 variant took the place of the 944 S for model year 1989. It possessed the 944 Turbo’s rear wing, stronger body, and rear diffusor (as of MY 91). The 944 S2’s 3.0 liter, four-valve engine produced 211 horsepower, nearly matching the Turbo variant’s level of performance in the successor to the S model. From the beginning, a Cabriolet variant of the 944 S2 was also offered.
What is the Porsche 944’s horsepower?
The 944’s base engine produced approximately 143 horsepower (later base models would produce up to 163 horsepower), and the top-of-the-line Turbo S produced 247 horsepower from its 2.5-liter inline-four turbocharger.
What kind of engine powers a Porsche 944?
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Although the 944’s body was based on the 924, it had far more eye-catching curves. Porsche also designed a 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine for the 944. Customers therefore considered the 944 to be a “genuine” Porsche. Audi also made this transaxle type at Neckarsulm.
The 944 could be easily separated from the 924 thanks to a front spoiler painted in the outside color with square rubber buffers and broader, slightly angular wings. Initially producing 163 horsepower, the 2.5-liter engine was later upgraded to 150 horsepower with a catalytic converter starting with MY 86. In model year 1988, the catalytic converter-equipped engine was modified for unleaded fuel with 95 RON, increasing power to 160 hp. The displacement was increased to 2.7 liters and the power to 165 horsepower for the final model year (1989).
944 S (model year 1987-88) In terms of equipment and body design, the 944 S and 944 were similar. The four-valve engine of this particular model, nevertheless, was a first and produced up to 190 horsepower. So, behind the flasher repeaters, there was an optional badge stamped with “16 Ventiler.”
944 S2 (1989-1991) The S2 variant took the place of the 944 S for model year 1989. It possessed the 944 Turbo’s rear wing, stronger body, and rear diffusor (as of MY 91). The 944 S2’s 3.0-liter four-valve engine produced 211 horsepower, virtually matching the performance of the Turbo model in the successor of the S model. From the beginning, a Cabriolet variant of the 944 S2 was also offered.