The Porsche 944 Turbo has been discussed to death in internet forums whereby potential owners debate the merit of buying a 951 over a modern-day Boxster or 996. The debate can be fiery at times, with 911 owners claiming that no front-engined Porsche can ever match the experience of a traditional rear-engined model, but when it comes to the turbocharged 944, it seems to be a case of, “If you know, you know.” These are great track cars in addition to being decent dailies, and this 1986 944 Turbo listed here on eBay is said to have been in storage until recently and sports some performance modifications.

Ah – modifications. The bane of any buyer’s existence who is hoping to get into a project car without having to undo the damage of poorly executed tweaks and/or the abuse that modified cars are often subject to. This 951 looks like it has been off the road for a while, thanks to the flat tire on the rear, but the strong cosmetics suggest it was stored carefully in its two decades spent out of the public eye. The seller notes that the 944 runs and drives well and that he’s put about 250 miles on the clock since it came out of storage; in that time, he noted that it is running rich and suspects it needs a tune to address the unknown modifications, so perhaps he suspects the ECU has been tweaked.

The good news is that he apparently has records confirming the clutch was replaced prior to the 944 going into storage. This is a big job on the 944 and even more of a pain in the ass on the Turbos due to the bellhousing location. The bad news is there doesn’t appear to be any record of timing belt replacement, and you absolutely want to do that before too long as all 944s feature an interference engine design. If the belt lets go between now and your date with the mechanic, congratulations – you own a boat anchor. The 944 also comes with desirable factory sport seats, which you can always sell to recoup your investment if the belt snaps in your ownership.

Modifications are evident under the hood, with what I presume to be upgraded intercooler piping and a cold air intake. The seller also notes the presence of an aftermarket exhaust system. In stock form, the 944 Turbo made a healthy 250 horsepower and 258 lb.-ft. of torque, and along with sharp handling characteristics, helped make this front-engined Porsche a serious track day weapon. The better choice, in my opinion, is a later 968 if you’re hell-bent on a front-engine Porsche model, but this one looks like it’d be a hoot once the tuning is sorted out and you have the peace of mind of a fresh timing belt.