@@studio-flash - Corvette? Lol, I don't know why you're comparing it to the Corvette. Makes no sense. Anyway, I'd take it over a Corvette any day. Corvettes are ugly and made with cheap with plastic.
because they brought out the Porsche 968 - i owned this car (as well as 944 in the past) and the 968 was fantastic - much better than the 944 but similar shape.
@@speedbird737 - Good point. But now Porsche doesn't offer either the 944 or the 968. Maybe sales for both cars were on the decline and so Porsche decided to axe them. I heard that nearly happened to the 911 in the 1980s.
People seem to forget that the 944 platform was tested at the crucible of Lemans after it's mundane beginnings. A properly tuned 944 is a track weapon. Think about this, out of a gigantic field of cars the 924 GTS race cars finished 12th overall at Lemans, not in their class, but overall against GT1, GT2, GT3, LMP, Prototypes! Astonishing. The 944 platform is criminally underated and that's now changing with their value beginning to rocket for well kept examples. About time! Respect!
it takes my breath away every time I hit the back roads, even after owning it for a year. she's so insanely nimble and quick, nothing will really ever replace her
Nice video and well constructed! I picked up my 1983 944 in Arizona from the second owner, who had it for only two years. The first owner lovingly cared for it. It’s true they need to be maintained and it’s not cheap, but the aftermarket is good for parts. After I put new engine mounts, slave cylinder and hoses, mine has been dependable and sheer fun in corners. It’s slow compared to the muscle cars I’ve owned, but the momentum in corners and rowing through the gears is equally as fun as all the V-8 powered pony cars I’ve owned. I feel the gravity of the LS swap pulling me in that direction but for now, the original engine and suspension upgrades will keep me busy and a smile on my face. I got into my 944 for a mere $3,100 and a motorcycle trailer I wasn’t using! I like that you grabbed good footage of other sources, like the guy being interviewed from South Carolina (?) who has lots of parts cars. I learned about him Edredas on RU-vid and Patreon. Thanks for making this video. I hope the secret doesn’t get out that these cars are the cats meow, for us enthusiasts and prices are driven too high, like the 912’s have skyrocketed. Cheers!
Excellent! I have bought my 1986 944 with damaged engine year ago with the LS swap in mind. I still want to do it, because with a high quality swap, you will get yourself a rocket with an excellent handling and reliability of the new engine. (You should check out the new video from Renegade Hybrids, they did an incredible job with 1983 944 to LS swap) In the meantime I have bought another 1987 944 engine in a good running condition. It will make for a good summer project with my two teenage boys. I am also curious how these 944's drive when left in original condition.
@@roberthaviar8243 I think the 944’s are generally slow but they are real momentum cars and fun in the corners. Plus the 80’s nostalgia just does it for me! Excited to hear how your adventure goes. Sounds like you’re off to a great start with the car and a spare engine to play with. I had to get new motor mounts right off the bat, they were shot and I could feel the vibrations in the steering wheel big time and it was just rough. Thanks for tip on the LS swap by Renegade. I’ll check it out!
@@desertduck4177 Thank you Man! Let's stay in touch. I have bought the spare engine from the guy who did the LS swap. Probably the only one in my city. He told me that he had to pull the engine in and out 10 times to make it fit perfectly. He did it himself and he used the other kit than Renegade hybrids.( I can't remember the name of the company) I looks like the engine swap is not a small task.
@@roberthaviar8243 yeah, it’s legit degree of difficulty from all I’ve read. Wouldn’t be bad to have a friend who’s familiar with LS 3 engines, as well as an engineer friend. I’m Not super detail oriented and this project would be best tackled with at least one friend helping out, plus it goes quicker. Time for me to put it on paper, make a plan and tackle it over time. I’m going to start with bigger wheels/tires, then brakes. Do have an order to what you’ll do and when?
@@desertduck4177 That sounds like a really good plan. Little by little you make it the way you want it. Then you can truly enjoy every little improvement. I live in Edmonton, Canada , so it is a true winter here. My garage is not heated, so nothing till the April, May. I have put a bigger wheels on it .16-in Porsche cup wheels ,but we have to get the proper spacers. I will order directly from h&r in Germany. Making the best spacers for Porsche made out of aluminum alloy. Next is to get the spare engine checked and then pull the damaged engine out.That would keep us busy for a while...
Yes totally agree.....it has been a pin up of mine since I was a young man and now lucky enough to have one in my garage. Not many 30 year old cars that look or drive like that still can't get my head around how reasonably priced they still are....grab one while you can.!
I remember looking out the window of math class in high school in the late 80s to see if I could catch a glance of the 944. A guy who lived across from the school owned a red one and it was such a rarity in rural Idaho. I would scribble pictures of Porsches on my desk and dream.
I went from a relatively new TR6 to a brand new 944. Wow, what a fun, balanced car. I recently purchased a new C7 Corvette M7. It reminded me of that 944 but dialed up to 13. Great memories in that 944!
Great video thank you! I have had the fortune to own several Porsches from a 924,911 sc,991,987,and finally a perfect 944 NA guards red 1987 with 16 inch tele dials and will never ever sell.Perfect from every angle.Its a concourse 944 that also drive and will last forever if well taking care.All best from Ontario Canada.
Awesome video Doc. I have an 88 NA that I have had for 8 years. It is a daily driver in the none winter months. My teenager drives it as often as possible. It wont break any land speed records but a ton of fun and very dependable! Imagine that. Best
Man I remember being I love with that car back in the 80s! I was in my early 20s and I couldn’t afford one! But I used to buy the magazines and collect the posters and put them on my wall. I also bought the Tamiya 1/24 scale of that car that I still have till this day sitting on my shelf! A Red 944 turbo. I’m still in love with that car today! I’m pretty sure I could get a good taken cared one today! But it’s got to be mechanically sound! But the 944 turbo didn’t arrive until 1986!
I own an 84 944.... loved it from the first time I drove it.... always said it was a race car in street clothes.... once you dirve a 944... you will never have this wonderful experience.... with anythng else....
Great homage to the 944. My first car was an 86 na (wish it was a 951 turbo) but what a great car. Little expensive to maintain, but what a joy to own.
You’re not lying when you say a 944 is a king of curves. I smoked a Corvette. The thing couldn’t handle curves. My 944 hugs the road, craves those curves! A Corvette is impressive in a straight line but not on curves haha.
I had an 87 944S that was a blast to drive every day as my daily driver in San Diego. I now live in the SF bay area and drive a 370Z but I will always have a love for Porsches.
in my opinion the 944S was the best of the bunch; still the old bumpers but finally good power, and loved to ref !! was fun hitting the cam at 5000 rpm I had an 88
Excellent video ! I recently learned about the Porsche 944 and have been looking for a comprehensive video on it for a while. This one gave me all the information I was searching for. Thank you !
Currently own a 86 944 had it repainted a few years ago and now I’m stripping it to be a track car . The 50/50 weight distribution makes these cars a blast even with a small power output
There's nothing else that compares to seeing your dream car on posters and on the big screen when you were a teen. Now owning two of them finally making your dream a reality. # THE CLASSICS ARE TIMELESS.
I love the Porsche 944 more than any 911 from the 80s and that's my opinion, yeah the 911 was a amazing car don't get me wrong I'd kill for a 87 911 all original but the 1983 944 4 cyl to me is the perfect definition of FUN. Not too fast not slow, handles corners LIKE A DREAM and the style is just iconic. Also a very easy to work on and reliable car and as far as Porsches go parts are affordable also. I've had a Moss Green 83 944 for a year now and I've only driven it a few times because I never have time to fix it (basic bad wiring from previous owner) but when I hop behind the wheel I smile from ear to ear no matter what speed I'm at one of the best experiences any car guy can have. A 944 on a nice mountain road is the definition of fun
Really well done - I had no idea the Gremlin and the 924 shared an engine. As to the "perfect 50/50 weight distribution," this is a common misconception - even in the 944 community. 50/50 will result in neutral-to-slight understeer, while rearward bias will present manageable oversteer, making for a better cornering car when in the hands of a competent driver. But yes, the average driver will be faster in a 944.
Nicely put together story with both new and historic footage. 👍 Prices hit bottom around the early 2000’s, but have been mostly on an upward swing over the past 5 years with a nice tick up the second half of 2021. The market is seeing fewer and fewer nice examples offered up for sale.
Thx for the comment NC944er. We were sorry to hear about your recent deer encounter. Your videos are so well done and have helped us with many of our repair & maintenance efforts, even with the obvious differences in the NA & S2. We look forward to seeing yours back on the road!
I bought my turbo in Sept 2000 ! If I didn't buy it then there's no chance I would have it now !! At the time it was basically worthless. Nobody wanted a 2.5 petrol 2+2 and Left hand drive! Roll on 22 years and its vintage tax, classic insurance and quadruple the price i paid - there is no way I would ever sell mine now !!
I agree with the maintenance part, found one for 500 and we still didn't find out the problem to turn it on. It's been dead for 7 years maybe more since there's no record on the previous owner and the last one left it outside for 6 years.
All true however some very important points were omitted. 1. It out performed the 911 turbo up to about 120, and ate all NA 911's for lunch. High mtc. in later years, yes, but no worse than the 911. As mentioned it was not indented to be a 1/4 mile car, however once rolling ant at the 3K+ RPM on boost, it was a terror of the day and for years after.
Great video! Loved my 86 944 that when it died i revived it with an LS1 sadly that car too was stolen and destoryed. and I honestly couldnt live without one but my newly wed wife not hearing a peep outta me about it snuck off and bought a MINT 47k mile 1987 S 16 valve sadly no motor. BUT! I still had the swap parts for the previous car! Just a but of elbow grease and some love. A WISE friend said make it 100% bolt on no cutting and sure enough made a fine heat and A/C looks and feels all original even almost sounds too quiet and smooth! But holy hell the drunk nordic vikings of the north pin you in the seat when that gas pedal is pressed with a 606whp 4 seater sleeper. Holy fak 90%of things that sneeze at this lil ole 944 have not a clue what to do with it when she blows thier doors off at a light or at a roll!
I drove my 944S2 with Turbo Look from 1997 to 2008. It is the one car a sorely miss. But now we live in 2022. Gas prices are out of this world. However I just watched a RU-vidr convert a 944S2 into an EV and beautifully done with a Tesla system. He made sure the weight distribution is at 50/50. Now I may have to reconsider getting a 944S2 EV...
Hi Polar Moment. I miss mine. Mars Red! Even better than Guards Red. I traded it on a new Volvo 750 and have since acquired 2 911SCs. However, I'm going to pick up another 944 before they start going up. Look at what they're asking for 914s and they're barely faster than a 411 wagon.
I owned in the past the 924, 944, 944 Turbo, 968, Boxster. Then I went TVR Tuscan then Audi R8. Such a shame the US ruined the looks of the 944 with the stupid rear bump/fender change and stupid side lights - thankfully we didn't have those in the UK and Europe. Also I loved the 928 in Tom Cruise movie Risky Business. Also the 924 was designed by Porsche for VW sell (with a VW badge) but the fuel crisis in 73 (caused by the US!!!) meant VW cancelled the project but Porsche had spent so much time and money on it that they sold it themselves. The 968 was such a better car than the 944 - the 944 turbo was awesome apart from the turbo lag.
If you are young and want to try to restore one of these to road worthiness, DON'T! Parts for these cars are hard to get-not like going to Autozone or Advanced Auto. Parts are also pricey when you find them. To say these cars are German engineered is an understatement. Twelve bolts to hold something together that would take six. Hex bolts all over these cars and if you don't have your Allen key in correctly you just stripped out the bolts holding the seats in, have fun getting those out. One final thought is that the interiors of 944's are fairly bland-they are after all, all antiques. Clutch replacement requires the entire rear transaxle to be removed or the engine pulled. 😁😁
Actually, the first one was built by his son while he was imprisoned in France for war crimes. The French locked him due to some of his designs of starters, alternator/generators that would be used on German tanks and other military vehicles. Ferry Porsche sold the car to an Italian industrialist to earn enough money to bail out Ferdinand. Subsequently, Ferdinand was so impressed with his son's design and engineering features that went into this car that they went into business together. Ferdinand passed away before the 911 was released for sale to the public and he never got to see what became of the iconic car.
This missed the 928. the 911 and definitely the 944 is the poor man's 928. the 928 won "Car" of the year - no other sports car has ever won "Car" of the year. the 928 has two production car land speed records(1986 and 2020). the 928 is the biggest bang for the buck in exotic cars as well as the entire Porsche line up.
I love 944's but how on earth the 968's haven't rocketed in value even more? That is amazing looking car and it looks a bit like 993 from the front (when the headlights aren't popped up). That can't be a bad thing.
Geez, your facts are way off. The 914 was marketed in Germany as a Volkswagen. It was only a "Porsche" in the United States, until the 914/6 was developed. Volkswagen and Porsche didn't decide to develop a car together; VW asked Porsche to make a new flagship sports car--Porsche is an engineering company first and foremost--then backed out, and created the Scirocco from the Golf. Porsche bought the IP back from VW, contracted with Audi for engines, and introduced the 924. But Porsche didn't "make" the 924; it was built in Neckarsulm by Audi.
