It seems that Porche 944’s can frequently be found when looking through the local car listings. But it’s not often you’ll find a 944 Turbo…. especially for only $4,500! Listed here on Craigslist in Tulsa, Oklahoma, this 1986 944 Turbo looks to be in decent shape. There is only one catch though – the engine has low oil pressure.
The individual who has the car listed for sale says that they are a Porsche mechanic and that their client is the actual seller. If true, the mechanic’s recommendation for replacing rod bearings (or more) is probably right. They also state that the clear coat is peeling, an indication that more money will be spent to bring this car back to better condition.
With a factory quarter mile time in the sub-15 second range and 0 to 60 under six seconds these Turbo 944’s were no slouch. While the 944 certainly wouldn’t handle as nice as the rear-engined 911’s, the handling capability of the 944 would still be desirable.
Looking through some other listings will reveal that many of these cars are for sale in the $14k to $20k price range. This makes the $4500 price tag of this one very intriguing. Can the needed work be done and keep it within the price range of what others are listed for? Or does it make more sense to just buy one that doesn’t need any work?
I would be teying to pay less since it is going to need a complete engine rebuild But a good way for someone with some free time on their hands to get into a nice car cheaply and then own it with a good sense of satisfaction having been completely through it themselves
I had the same issue with my same car the low oil pressure also destroyed the turbocharger whole repair cost $10,469 good luck.
A lot of people would opine that these cars handle better than a 911, at least for your driver of average skill level.
Agree, the 924/944 platform is almost balanced 50:50.
In the early 70’s the Italian sport car engineers found out that the perfect balance is around 60% on the rear axle. It adds predictability under hard driving that the 50-50% lacks. This is also the reason that the 911’s are the preferred basis for Porsche racing drivers for half a century.
My first Porsche was a new Black/Black ’86 951 (94 Turbo). I bought it in December of ’85 and drove it until December of ’86. I traded it for a new Guards Red ’86 911. I kept that one for 30 years and still wish I had kept it.
As for driving each of them, the 951 was faster, better handling and state of the art back then. The 911 was basically an updated ’65. In fact, it still had ceramic fuses and some parts with the 901 prefix. That said, there is nothing like driving an air-cooled 911.
At the risk of sounding snooty…..I own a 911, and regardless of the model, why own a Porsche and remain an “average” driver? Lots of clubs with lots of access to tracks to learn. I cut my teeth at Mid Ohio.
The 911is light in the front and heavy in the rear. I have never driven a 911at it’s limits so I can’t really comment on which handles better first hand but common sense would seem to say the 944 is better balanced
There’s nothing more expensive than a cheap Porsche
Typically 944 parts are actually cheap and they are very reliable cars with bullet-proof mechanicals. IMO, get a normally aspirated 944S and stay away from the turbo even though they are really fun… You’re wallet will thank you.
Also, 944s do handle better than 911s and don’t have that classic rear-engine death slide.
I own a 944 Turbo and have had no trouble with the turbo also I had previously owned a 944 Turbo with 205,000 miles on it and I had no trouble with it either
Except maybe a Mercedes
When you say this “Looking through some other listings will reveal that many of these cars are for sale in the $14k to $20k price range.” you have to realize those are asking prices.
I doubt any of them will get anywhere near that.
There is one of these, although older, here in Mexico and he is asking around $500,000 pesos which is about $25,000 USD.
Every day I see his ad it has a different price. He has gone down to $450,000 then $400,000 then back up to $500,000
I just can’t get over the fact that it is basically a VW rabbit.
If you have ever driven one of these, the sense of disappointment doesn’t go away quickly.
you’re thinking of the Porsche 924 that had the Volkswagen engine the 944 is totally different
Wow. This is one of the most ignorant comments I’ve ever seen on this site. 1986 is the first year of the 951 so how could you see an ad for an earlier one? This car has virtually nothing in common with the VW Rabbit. The Rabbit is a transverse engine with front-wheel drive. The 944 Turbo has a longitudinal engine, torque tube and rear drive transaxle. As others have others have posted it features nearly 50/50 weight distribution. This one seems a little tired, but these are incredible cars to drive and own. And values are on the rise.
What is ignorant about my comment. Please be specific.
When I drove the first 924, it drove and had the power of a cheap VW. The rabbit was out at the time but it could have been a Dasher or whatever.
Add a turbo and it goes a little faster, but it is by no means a screamer.
Here is the ad for the car. It is a 9247 Turbo from 1981
https://auto.mercadolibre.com.mx/MLM-630336760-porsche-911-_JM
Today he lowered his price to $380,000.
The non-turbo 924 was introduced with a 2.0 Audi engine, right down to the 4-circles cast into the engine block and an Audi 3-spd automatic. Later Porsche used their own engine-MUCH more expensive and less reliable. The 924 was an Audi 100 in wolf’s clothing. But a sporty economical reliable Porsche – pretty much an anomaly for them.
Since you asked,
1. Your invalid comparison to an early 924 and
2. Invalid comparison to a VW Rabbit and
3. Lack of knowledge of the 951 market.
These cars out performed 911s of the same era.
“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt.”
Here’s a link that includes recent sale results.
https://bringatrailer.com/porsche/944-turbo/
I knew it….more predictable than the freakin sun coming up. I saw the Porsche in the email and before clicking I knew some ignorant fool was going to once again for the umpteenth time claim a Porsche is just a fancy VW. I’d load you up with more insults, but it’s pointless. You’ve also mixed up models between the 944 and 924…..but hey! Why not? Remember your Corvette is just a fancy Buick….after all, they’re both GM right? (Shakes head ruefully and walks away)
911’s do not handle well. In fact it is interesting to see just how far they took a really bad design. They just kept trying to fix the snap oversteer with bigger back rubber and suspension tweaks but as the car got faster and faster over the years it was always a battle of catch up. But for some odd reason purists like that weird little car so Porsche kept pouring money into it instead of developing the 944 and 928.
They made them AWD.
A water cooled Carrera 4 or 4S is much different than an air cooled 911. I like them immensely.
That is certainly a strange statement to make, “911’s do not handle well. In fact it is interesting to see just how far they took a really bad design.” Over the last 55 to 60 years that has been consistently proven wrong. My personal experience with Porsches , Corvettes and other American and Euro cars have consistently found the 911s to be far superior in various models. 912s not so much primarily due to engine performance, 914s better overall primarily due to better handling, 911s,sc,turbo all a much better experience than Ferraris, Lamborginis, Maseratis or the majority of American cars.
As I said, they have done a very good job of compensating for its defeciencies. It is obviously a very fast car that can corner quickly in the right hands. But cornering and handling are not the same thing. If the ideal is a car with low and central center of mass and 50 50 weight distribution then hanging a very powerful motor out behind the back wheels does not seem to be the ideal way to go.
Martin, it is interesting that the engine hanging out the back not being the ideal way to go. For the last 55+ years that same basic design has cleaned the clocks of an infinite variety of other race cars. In fact the classic Porsche and the Corvette have been penalized with having to carry excess dead weight in their cars because they were not fair to the other cars. Because of those penalties, both Porsche and Corvette racers left the regular races and created very successful Challenge Cup races for the single brands of Porsches and Corvettes. No other brands are allowed. So I guess the claim of a bad design is a fallacy. BTW they were even in different classes than the 924/944 racers, So I guess the SCCA also determined they were not equal.
Porsche in fact developed the 928 as successor to the 911, but the demand for the 911 kept being steady even after the 928 was released! It’s exactly the DIFFERENT concept that 911 fans always favoured.
Yes, we wanted a canyon Carver not a luxury Auobahn/highway cruiser. Those were for posers.
“911’s do not handle well.”
Yeah, probably the winningest all-time race car ever. Terrible.
You guys can research handling vs cornering on your own time. You can also reread my posts and try to find where I said it was not a high performance car. And there are lots of ways to make a poor handling car go fast, even a nose heavy vette or a tail heavy Porsche. But I do not see F1 cars, or other track only cars with that configuration.
Unless you have owned 911s from early 70s to 993 and turbos which I have and raced them built them up and was king of Mulholland drive 5 years in a row please keep your comments about how they handle to yourself ! they are the best handling machine under any power if you have the cajones to do it ! but as soon as you freak you better watch out because the hammer will get you :) and I’ve seen a couple go off the canyon trying to keep up so go to racing school first then drive a legend ! the 951s are a blast also but not a 911.
I would like a 944. Satisfaction would ooze from my poooores…
Once again I say I have never pushed a 911 to its limits but I do own one and have driven a few. I know some people would probably be very insulted by this but a 911 feels to me like a beetle on steroids. That being said they are really fun to drive. I like that light feeling in the front end (no power steering) and I love the sound of an air cooled engine ! And they are light and responsive !!!!!! Oh yeah and cool looking !
Isn’t that what the 901, 911 was designed to be, a Beetle on steroids?
Don’t ever say that to those who did the early design. They are not trying to follow in the Peoples car path ,unfortunately we Allies, and rightly so, bombed any manufacturing into oblivion. The only parts left were Volkswagen. Even Mercedes, BMW and Audi were forced to use those parts.
What was the original 911 supposed to be then, Balstic?
Actually the ‘first’ 911 was the successor to the variety of 356s which were the ones that used Peoples car parts. In fact the majority of German made cars had their suspension and brake components made by VW until the mid sixties. Just because an auto was 2 door and had an air cooled engine does not make them a VW. Mercedes, BMW and Audi had air cooled engines prior to Porsche being made. The whole environment in the automotive industry in Germany was much different than the US. They had many three wheeled vehicles for the decade after the war. Your purported statement is like saying that a Fiat of that era is what a Lancia was at that time.
I can’t disagree ! I too have been interested in getting a 944 one of these days.
LOL… only one catch, low oil pressure… riiiggghhhttt.
Lol. Just a slight problem !! But given the choice of a reason for a below market car I personally would rather have to deal with a mechanical problem than rust or paint and upholstery work.
Never owned a 944 but have had 4 x 924 N/As , one 924 Turbo and a 928 …I have driven a few 944s but not a Turbo. The 924s all drove like go karts … very hard to unsettle them on the road, the 928 was a grunty beast but weighed almost two tons and the one I had was a bit like driving the Queen Mary (tho’ it had XLNT brakes ….. thank God) 5 of those cars were in the UK and the red 924 was (like the MGB) in New Zealand. I still have the MG … Eaton M45 blower, EFi , Megasquirt and 3.07 rear end and I would buy the red one back in an instant but the present owner won’t sell. He has had it stored in a warm garage for almost ten years now … damn shame!!
I have owned a 911 and currently a 928s. The 928 is a much better handling a more comfortable than the 911 was. I also have way less money tied up in it also.
you’re thinking of the Porsche 924 that had the Volkswagen engine the 944 is totally different
Absolutely correct ….. however, the 944 was the ‘fat assed’ version and did NOT handle as well as the 924 … the changes were not all cosmetic. 944 is still a nice car but not as true to the original Porsche ethos ………… IMHO ….
and also, the 944 was tough on cam belts (and wallets if they failed!)
I have never heard any reports that they 944 did not handle as well as a 924 I think that is BS and I have not had any more trouble with timing belts than any other car I’ve owned
With 20 comments and counting a lot of folks like to talk about Porsche’s . I watched “Wheeler Dealers” a while back to watch the them resurrect a Porsche 924. They had a problem selling it after it’s completion. $4500 doesn’t sound like a bad deal for someone who works on their own Porsche’s.
it’s a 944 Turbo for sale for $4,500 not a 924
Yep, and I agree it sounds like a great buy …. however these cars come into the same area as second hand Beemers ………….. if you can’t afford to buy a new one, you CERTAINLY can’t afford to RUN a second hand one …….…….. servicing costs are horrific and parts prices are moonbeams or phone numbers!
However, I repeat my earlier comment, ……’ I would buy back the RED one (924) in an instant’ …… it would be nowhere near as quick as my MGB but even with the suspension mods etc on the “b’ the 924 would be a much nicer drive.
You must not have really driven either one of them. The 928 outweighs the 911 by alot, is an Autobahn /highway cruiser not a canyon Carver as the 911 is. The 928 was/is Porsche’s answer to customer needs for a luxury car. The base 911 and succeeding models are the performance/race ones.
The prevailing mindset about the 928 Vs the 911 was that the 928 was easier to drive faster than the 911 on the track, I was after all Porsches ultimate car then and they had intended to phase out the 911 but their endless praise of the rear, waterless engined car shot their plans down
I have been very satisfied with the repair cost and frequency of my 86 944 Turbo which has been not more frequent than any other car I have owned
I’ve had 2 944 S one track one street they are problematic vehicles make sure you have a good mechanic. When well sorted great fun, you can get a nice Corvette for the same dollars. This one will need an engine rebuild.
There are a few 928 Racers and with all the luxury weight removed they compete nicely with many of the 911 Series. What few seem to realize is that the 928 was with very rare exceptions always the fastest car Porsche ever sold in terms of top speed per given year. Not always the fastest off the line but a very quick and good handling car.
The 924/944 chassis is what saved Porsche for a few years. They sold a bunch of them and they got better and better thru the years. I have a Esprit turbo and the 944 turbo is competitive in almost all ways with the exception of being better looking and easier to work on. The extra two seats are perfect for friends with no legs or very small children.
This car seems a good price for someone willing to put in some sweat equity in both the body and engine. If cared for properly they will last very well and can be quiet durable. with the exception of the dash pads. Cover those when parked.
A few months ago, this car was listed @ 7K if I remember correctly. Then it poofed and I thought someone had bought it. Elderly driver finding it necessary to give it up and asking Charlesworth to sell it for him at the time. This would make someone a decent entry into the 951 world. As long as it isn’t pushed hard or raced, and the FOES has been done, it’s possible it could be driven for some time to come. The thing to do would be to budget for a future rebuild. Just my take.
The lack of knowledge on BF comment section is amusing at times
This 944 would be a good candidate for a SBC conversion
Can’t wait to read all the naysayer comments from people who have never owned one, let alone seen one, let alone driven a conversion
I am very much a Chevy guy, both Corvette and Camaro. But I fail to see the intellectual premise for believing everything MUST have a small block Chevy motor in it. Some cars benefit from being restored to original. I actually would prefer a modern Ford engine in a Cobra instead of an SBC. Same with a Packard, Cord, and many others.
Achman , funny I just found a LT1 converted 944 up in Seattle area on craigslist. Anybody here know if the 944’s are a transaxle transmission ? I was always wondering how an aluminum LS engine would do in one of these.
Conversion kits are readily available using LS1, but I understand the cost to run 10-12K if done right. I often wondered why 928 engines weren’t swapped more, but I found out they are much wider. Renegade Hybrids is one source
I can’t speak to the race track. I don’t drive on the race track. I suppose if you want to talk about being the fastest on the race track then you should drive an open wheeled race car which is the lightest and fastest. That being said I can talk about all of the cars I have owned and driven and worked on over many years. The 911 is definitely cool too look at and is a quick nimble car but it definitely feels like a beetle in many ways. Also having worked on Porsches and Beetles the similarities in the design and parts are unmistakeable. What bothers me for example is that an inside door handle release mechanism on a 911 and a Beetle are exactly the same yet the Porsche one is 3 times the cost ! How do you explain that ? Better quality? That is just one simple example of many I have encountered.
Ron, as I have said before in several other German car ads, many German cars have similar parts because they are made on the same assembly line. They just stamp a different manufacturers mark on them. I have a conversion list that gives me the part number for the same parts on different manufacturers, I have had many late model and early models. I bought my tie rod ends, disk calipers (Girling) and knobs, switches from a VW parts counter simply because they are cheaper and made on the same line. I had a 1959 Mercedes 190SL, a 1972 Porsche 911S and a VW Beetle. They all shared parts.. It does not make a Porsche a VW beetle nor a 190 SL. I don’t drive any of them on a race track, I do drive the Porsche on canyon roads because I can claim pinks from Jrs. I find it amazing how many of the younger generations think their current cars are automatically better than certain classics. Where do you think the designers of modern autos got their lightbulbs from.
FWIW, in the mid-80’s Car & Driver’s comprehensive import handling test resulted in: Sixth: Porsche 911 Carrera. Fifth: Porsche 928S. Fourth: Toyota Celica Supra. Third: Audi Quattro Turbo. Second: Honda Prelude. First: Porsche 944.
I trust their empirical & back-to-back judgement results more than any anecdotal opinions or fading memories.
These are great looking cars & his one would be super sweet with an aluminum 5.3 or such LS
Is anyone gonna buy this car instead of talking about it?
unless you want to buy this car for parts the only other feasible possibility is to buy a used engine and install it
Low oil pressure — Not knocking which would indicate spun bearing. Crank and connecting rods should be fine. New bearings main and connecting rod. New cam and cam bearings new oil pump. Since already in there should hone cylinders and new rings. Gasket set and done Relatively cheap fix.
I agree about the spun bearing. I had a 924S do the same thing.
This should be an Alusil lined block. Conventional honing will destroy it. It needs to be done with the correct process.
No.
Lol. If you think you’re a good driver because of the car you drive your fooling yourself !! And if you think a few hours a week will make you a good driver your fooliing yourself. Try driving 40k plus miles a year in all kinds of traffic with all kinds of crazy unpredictable shtuff going on with trees and lampposts and all other kinds of immovable obstacles to kill your self on then tell me your a good driver You make me laugh
Not sure who you were replying to, Ron. I do agree that neither the car itself, or a few hours a week, make a good driver. I’ve got over 30 years on a street motorcycle and I’m still learning everyday (especially that no pickup driver seems to understand the length of their cab when pulling out across traffic…but I digress). In the case of a high performance car, I truly endorse track time. You have to learn YOUR car and how it will react when you ask it to go fast or brake, while turning at the same time. Physics is against you. That way when Joey in his lowered Honda Civic with the coffee can exhaust tip cuts you off, you know how to handle it (so you can proceed to hunt him down)!
It is a fancy Volkswagen.
Corvette = fancy Buick
Ferrari = fancy Fiat
Camaro = fancy Buick part II or Pontiac
And of course a Ford GT is just a fancy Mustang
If you like “Found on Road Dead. Had a couple, with few exceptions I would prefer a Corvette, Camaro and even an AMX Javelin other than a Mustang. A 289 Falcon GT is much better. Don’t get me started with a Mustang II.