Buyers Guide

By Bruce Anderson

944

1983 944

1987 944 Turbo

1990 944 S2 Cabriolet

The 944 was introduced at the September, 1981 Frankfurt auto show. The U.S. introduction followed one year later, as a 1983 model priced at $18,450. In the market climate of the day, it was a great sports-car value. The 944 was well received by Porsche enthusiasts as well as the general public. In the peak sales year, Porsche constructed approximately 130 944 models each day (24,632 were built in 1984).

The 944 was an evolution of the 924, taking styling cues from the 1980 924 Carrera’s wide fenders, and front and rear spoilers. The bigger news was under the hood. The 2.5-liter 944 engine (basically one bank of the 928’s V8) used many of the 928 engine’s features, but not all of the same components. The engine is a modern design, with modern Bosch electronic fuel injection, high compression, and a broad power curve. It was rated at 163 hp in European trim and 150 hp in U.S. cars.

As with all Porsches, the 944 enjoyed continual improvement throughout its life. In 1984, power steering was introduced. The 944 was drastically revised in 1985 — often referred to as the 1985.5 model — with a new cabin, HVAC system, and revised bodywork with a flush-mounted windshield. New cast-aluminum suspension components for the front A-arms and rear trailing arms replaced VW-derived, fabricated steel components. Changes were also made to the engine, but no power increase was claimed. The performance of the new cars, however, was clearly improved.

Minor changes were made to the 944 for 1987. A spring-loaded tensioner was used to pre-tension the timing belts. Before this change, a tensioning gauge was required. For 1988, Porsche redesigned the pistons and raised the compression ratio for all markets to 10.2:1. U.S.-spec engines jumped to 160 bhp as a result of the changes. For 1989, the 944 displacement was increased to 2.7 liters and compression was bumped to 10.9:1. Power was up to 165 hp while torque increased to 166 lb-ft. The 1989 944 had a top speed of 136 mph and a 0-60 mph time of 8.2 seconds. From 1982 until 1989, Porsche built 116,712 944s; 71,311 were U.S. cars.

The 944 Turbo was introduced at the end of 1985 as a 1986 model. The internal designation for the 944 Turbo was 951. The Turbo developed 220 bhp and 243 lb-ft of torque. It had stunning performance for a four-cylinder car, topping out at 162 mph and achieving 0-60 mph times of 5.7 seconds.

Aerodynamics were improved with a new polyurethane front bumper, new underbody panels, and a rear diffuser. The Turbo had the same four-piston Brembo brake calipers used on the 1986 928. The Turbo was improved every year it was in production. Anti-lock brakes were added for 1987, the same year the 951 became the first sports car to offer dual airbags.

Meanwhile, the 944S was introduced for 1987 with dual overhead cams and four valves per cylinder. It made 190 bhp and 170 lb-ft of torque. The S also benefitted from the improved timing belt tensioner. A total of 12,831 944Ss were built for 1987 and 1988, with 8,703 imported into the U.S.

Porsche introduced a more exciting 944 Turbo for 1988. Offered as the 944 Turbo S in mid-1988, the same car became the standard 944 Turbo beginning in 1989. Power was up to 247 bhp and 250 lb-ft, and with it came improved brakes with ABS, firmer springs and torsion bars, stiffer low-pressure Koni gas shocks, a thicker front anti-roll bar, and more rigid suspension bushings. Performance was impressive, with a 0-60 time of 5.5 seconds and a 162-mph top end. Unfortunately, 1989 was the final model year for the U.S. 944 Turbo. From 1985 until 1991, 25,348 Turbos left the factory, including 198 Cup racers and 625 Cabriolets. 13,982 Turbos were imported into the U.S., including 718 1988 Turbo Ss and 1,385 1989 Turbos.

For 1989, the 944S was replaced by a new 944, the S2. The new car had many improvements, but upgrades, marketing decisions, and other factors had pushed the 944 upmarket. Sales volume dropped sharply compared to earlier 944s. The 944 S2 was an extensive revision of the 944S, adopting the smoother 944 Turbo bodywork while skipping that car’s turbo mill for a larger, 3.0-liter normally-aspirated engine. Power moved up, to 208 hp and 207 lb-ft. Top speed was 149 mph and the 944 S2 could accelerate to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds.

Another introduction for 1989 was the 944 S2 Cabriolet, the first droptop 944. With the exception of a new rear spoiler for 1991, the S2 enjoyed only detail improvements. Production numbers of the 944 S2 totaled 15,917 units built from 1989 through 1991 (9,858 coupes and 6,059 Cabriolets). Just 2,038 coupes and 2,386 Cabriolets were sent to the U.S.

What to Buy?

With the 944, I recommend looking for cars built after the 1985.5 model change, which have many detail improvements and a far nicer interior. Used 944s are inexpensive and there are enough of them to allow you to be a picky buyer. The 1985.5–89 944 coupes are good values. The 944S and 944 S2 models are also particularly nice cars, and the 944 S2 has better low-end performance than a 944 Turbo due to its larger engine displacement and lack of turbo lag.

We’ve said the 944 Turbo offers a lot of bang for the buck in the past, but it might finally be reaching its limit — old age and depreciation aren’t helping considering its mechanical and electrical complexity and often costly repair bills. Even so, the later 944 Turbos have crept back up in value recently, as they were probably undervalued in the marketplace previously. You will still see some advertised for as much as $20,000, but even with all of their extra goodies, I doubt many sellers are getting that kind of money, even for the really good examples.

Because repairs of 924s, 924 Turbos, and early 944s can be expensive, it is important to select one that is in excellent shape, both mechanically and cosmetically. The 944 series has also experienced some problems with timing belts, water pumps, and motor mounts. An additional problem has been leaks between the coolant and the oil in some models, referred to as “mixing.” Any of these problems can be expensive to repair and can easily spoil the fun of owning these cars. A thorough pre-purchase inspection can help you avoid buying a car with these costly problems.

How to Use Our Numbers

High vs. Low: Our estimates reflect values for the majority of cars on the market. On the High end you should find cars with no more than 7,000 to 9,000 miles per year, excellent paint, normal wear but little tear, and no glaring mechanical or cosmetic issues. On the Low end you should find complete, running cars with higher mileage, cosmetic damage, and/or minor mechanical needs. Generally speaking, we allow an additional 10 percent for mileage lower than 7,000-9,000 miles per year, and subtract 10-25 percent for past body damage that required paintwork. Due to the high cost to repair and restore Porsches, cars at the High price point often represent better long-term value than those at the Low end, as the cost to make a rough car nice will exceed the difference between the two.

Exceptions: Of course, some cars fall outside of our range — on both ends. Cars with major needs (excessive rust, blown engines, crash damage, etc.) and cars with salvage titles are typically worth less, often a lot less. On the other side, older or desirable Porsches with very low miles and original cosmetics in immaculate condition, cars benefitting from top-end restorations, and cars with interesting histories can command far higher prices, sometimes doubling or tripling our High estimate. An immaculate, totally original 1972 911E with 143,000 miles might qualify, since 140,000 to 180,000 miles would be considered normal in a 20-year-old 911. If the same car had 43,000, 4,300, or 430 miles, we'd expect the price to go up exponentially — but such cars are truly exceptional examples, and their prices are often truly exceptional, too. When dealing with such cars, seek the advice of an expert or get an independent appraisal.

Where These Numbers Come From

Our value estimates are assembled by Excellence Technical Editor, PCA appraiser, and noted Porsche expert Bruce Anderson. He looks to established price indexes such as Kelly Blue Book (KBB), National Automobile Dealer Association(NADA) Used Car Guide, Cars of Particular Interest (CPI) Price Guide, as well as other references. Auction results are considered, as well, as are Excellence Reader Sales Reports, which carry comprehensive descriptions and real private-party transaction prices. Still, says Anderson, auction prices and reader reports must be approached with caution: "While I do get a lot of feedback from readers, there is no way that I get enough to base my values on anymore than value books get enough auction data to totally base the market values on. We all do a lot of interpolation to fill in the gaps.

"I get sales information anywhere that I can and I look at what everyone else is doing, then plot my own numbers after much interpolation and head scratching," continues Anderson. "I use our Reader Sales Reports as one of my sanity checks to see if I'm really heading in the correct direction. I also consider asking prices as a trend indicator. If, all of a sudden, we see asking prices go up or down, it's a good indication that something is happening with the market. But you need a lot of data to really know where things are going. When the market is volatile, as it is now for 356s and early 911s, it is hard to track the prices without predicting them. Sometimes, I think the prices look high (1974-1989 911s, for instance), while others look too low (some 993s and early 911s). Most of the time, though, they seem pretty close to the mark given that we're talking about limited numbers of sales to deal with, price guides that are all over the place, and the need to peg a national market with hot and cold spots."