944 Advice

[PorschePlayboy928]

The 944 is much better looking than the 928 if it was faster, (sorry PorschePlayboy, but thats my opinion.

no harm done, every one has their own opnion. I like the 944 but I think they are way underpowered and unless you get a post '88 (i think) they look too much like a 924.

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Hallo burnet,

 

kennst du schon 944 Advice (Anzeige)? Dort ist vieles zu finden.

 

Porsche 944 / 968 Ersatzteile (Anzeige) | Porsche 944 / 968 Tuning (Anzeige) | Porsche 944 / 968 Uhren (Anzeige)

[UrbanFuturistic]

the 944 was the every man's porsche of it's day, and it deserves respect for being a good little performance car that felt porsche without the price. You could see the same logo as the guy with the 911 on your steering wheel, that was good enough. As a car though, i don't think 944 did the porsche name justice.

Uh, yeah. Is that why it outperformed the 911 in 951 trim?

Well, maybe not as much as the average Porsche-lover would have wanted. It was a great car. I'm looking to buy one, in fact. the only complaint I have is that it looks a bit too much like an old Mazda RX-7. That's about it. It's the only complaint I have. The price can't be beat, if you want a Porsche.

Could that also be because Mazda copied the 944's look on the FC3S RX-7? They caught much flak for it when they debuted the FC3S.

[UrbanFuturistic]

As for the 944, they weren't balanced very well, were they?

No, not at all. They only had the closest any car has ever come to a 50/50 weight distribution...EVAR!

[UrbanFuturistic]

Hi, I am thinking to buy a 944 2.5 (not turbo) from 1987. The engine of the car has been changed 3 times in its life. On the clock the car got 151K miles, but in 2001 the engine was change for a used one. the problem is that the owner doens't know how many miles the engine got now.

I would apreciate your advice.

Regards

As a matter of fact, Ill give you some advice. Save for the handling characteristics of this car, save your money. It would be better spent on something else. Something that doesnt cost as much to maintain, something that you can possibly work on yourself without worrying too much.

There are much better cars to be had. 240SX(Swap in an SR20DET/RB20DET, do some suspension and be on your way...). If that isnt your deal, 280Z(raw sex on wheels) or a 300ZX(see 280Z). Ever look at a MA-70/JZA-70 Supra? What about an SW20 MR2? RX-7 anyone? Hell, a Camaro for chrissakes.

If I had it all to do over again, Id either A) still be shopping for a 944 or Id have bought something else.

[PorschePlayboy928]

If I had it all to do over again, Id either A) still be shopping for a 944 or Id have bought something else.

So you have a 944?

[UrbanFuturistic]

So you have a 944?

Yes sir, I do. 1985.5.

[PorschePlayboy928]

btw, welcome to the forum.

[UrbanFuturistic]

Thank you.

[jterp]

To each his own, but i think a 928 looks a hell of a lot better than a 944. And do you have any data to support your claim of "closest any car has ever come to a 50/50 weight distribution...EVAR!"?????

That doesn't sound right to me, but i oculd be wrong.

[LateNightCable]

I think thats' probably false. It was probably a BMW or something with a mid-engine to come closest to perfect 50/50, not a 944.

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Hallo burnet,

 

schau doch mal hier zum Thema Porsche 944 / 968 (Anzeige)? Eventuell gibt es dort etwas Passendes.

 

Der V16 Motor zum Selberbauen (Anzeige) ist auch genial.

[kleinefisch]

A little piece from www.germansportscars.co.uk

"The 944 is a high performance road car with predictable understeer due to the front engined, rear transaxle layout giving a near perfect 50/50 weight distribution so understeer can be transformed into oversteer progressively with accurate throttle control, thus making this one of the best and most predictable handling cars available."

[PorschePlayboy928]

The 928 is like that too! I will scan in a pic of the caption if you want

[LateNightCable]

The thing about 50/50 weight distribution is that, some of that is spoiled a little the minute the driver sits down inside the car, and adds his or her 100 pounds or more of body weight. Also you have 140 pounds or more of fuel shifting around in there with a full tank.

[kleinefisch]

250 lbs shouldn't throw the weight distribution on a car that weighs over 3000 lbs off enough for any true difference to be made.

[LateNightCable]

Unless you yourself weigh a lot more than 100 pounds, or you bring your fatso 300 pound friend along for the ride.

[jterp]

Well i do weigh 450....

"Close to 50/50" is not "the closest any car has come to perfect 50/50"... The adds for sports cars all say "close to 50/50"...

[PorschePlayboy928]

The thing about 50/50 weight distribution is that, some of that is spoiled a little the minute the driver sits down inside the car, and adds his or her 100 pounds or more of body weight. Also you have 140 pounds or more of fuel shifting around in there with a full tank.

That makes mine ever better, I am 163lbs!!

[UrbanFuturistic]

250 lbs shouldn't throw the weight distribution on a car that weighs over 3000 lbs off enough for any true difference to be made.

The 944 does not weigh over 3000lbs.

And sue me, I exaggerated a little on the 50/50 weight distribution. I was wrong. 51/49. :roll:

[thepolarfoxqx]

actually , some 944s do, and 250lbs can upset weight distro by a lot.

[jterp]

I wouldn't sue you... but you jumped on my back when i said it wasn't balanced very well.. which it is not compared to cars like the 928 and newer cars today like the c5 and the m3.

[thepolarfoxqx]

i'll agree with jterp here, it may have been balanced for it's day, but more than weight distrobution is the centers of polar inirtias which give cars like C5 and M3 huge advantages in weight.

[kleinefisch]

C5's and M3's are modern sports cars that will set you back around 50 grand, and upward. The 944 is a great little sports car from the 80's that looks nice, handles superbly, and doesn't burn hole in your pocket as long as you don't beat on it, but then that will cost you on any car. The car weighs just about 2800 and the weight distribution is somewhere around 51/49. Both of these measures were taken including full full, oil, two 150 lb passengers, and a small amount of luggage (pick up a manual if you donn't believe me). Also, the fact that the car isn't that powerful and that the wheels are wrapped with Pirelli's says that the weight distribution isn't that important because you don't get the tail out very often, and thats where the distribution matters most. So back to the original question, burnet, I would recomend this car if you don't want to spend too much money. As the the particular car you are looking at, 151,000 miles and 3 engine overhauls isn't a great choice. There are plenty of fair priced 944's whose owners have babied them. Go with one of those, you'll be happier in the end.

[jterp]

...or buy a 928 and get more power and better handling for not that much more money.

[thepolarfoxqx]

i'm going to again go with J here, the 928 is a much faster, more capable, sturdy car. The 944s aren't worthy of the porshce crest. I beat two of them in the past year with my tuned 318i, once through a set of curves after straight line racing. My car, an E30 is of the same era, my 318i, with the battery relocated to the trunk, has been weighed and tested to 49/51 distrobution, and with some slightly more aggresive springs, shocks, and sway bars, as well as 15" rims with pirelli's on them, it handles plenty tight. I'd be willing to say my 318i is less expensive and more reliable than a 944, and so long as it isn't a 944 turbo or S2, i go faster.

so 944 doesn't impress me much.

[PorschePlayboy928]

to take up for the 944, which I know little about, what about if you "tuned" it with the same as your BMW. Would it handle better or the same?