I've had my '84 for 4 years (identical to your test car). Was on my bucket list to rebuild a Porsche. Would have rebuilt a 911 by I have two expensive kids instead... Redid the suspension, brakes, clutch and put on some nice 16" offset Fuchs (930) which fill out the wheel wells properly. Not a spot of rust, and even after 37 years every nut and bolt turns like the car was built last year. I drive her like I stole her, and 4 summers and 20,000 km later she runs like a top and corners on rails. I highly recommend a 944 for anyone interested in working on an old car. Parts are cheap and most stuff is easy to get at.
I drove a guards red '86 944 in the late '80s and it was a fine car. Great balance, decent brakes and plenty of zip for its time. I occasionally look back on my youthful, bearded face standing nonchalantly by the driver's side door looking like one of the BeeGees. Good times and a really good car. Thanks for posting, James.
well, this new kids on the block never drove a real car in their lifes and make video´s telling bad things of cars that you need to learn to drive, regards
Had two 944’s….. both late oval dash models, my first was a 944 turbo ( 220 ) in zermat silver, the 2nd was a 2.7 lux in guards red. I miss them both dearly !! If I ever get some money I’ll buy the best 944 S2 on the market !!
My dad has a guards red s2 cabriolet when i was younger. It was a glorious thing. He bought it from the Porsche owners club so it was mint. Sold it over a decade ago
Have had my 1984 model for 20 years and have done just about everything you could think of on it. I've had a career as Truck/Car mechanic (50 years...now retired) So have had the advantage of doing my own spanner work. Please factor this in when buying one as they do require a bit of upkeep.
Owned a 1984 944 for about 30 years - loved it! The handling was amazing. Could take a 90-degree turn at 45 mph and stick to the road. Quick but not fast. HUGE hatchback...put the back seats down the space was huge. Not very tall but you could get a lot in the back.
I owned a Black 1986, 944 in the mid 90s, with a two tone cream & black dash, & platinum embroidered seats, covered with the Porsche logo. The build quality of the car was exceptional, stainless steel exhaust, & galvanized body shell. The only downside, it wasn't particularly fast. I sold it in 1999 for 2k. Ahh well! Lol
@@SAMMYJR00777 I know right! Well if it's one consolation, I've kept my 2004 E46 M3, which I've now owned for 12 years. I wonder how much that will be worth in the future?
@@jchisholm1968 i used to buy bmw´s 2002 for 100€,i had a lot parked in a werehouse with time i started to restore them, being the ti and tiii the cheapest of them all ,a 75 i sold for 50.000€ i trade it for a pioneer cassette deck the ct-s530 in the 90´s(95) all restored, i still have four but the alpine i sold it for 75.000€ a 73 in mint condition
i had a convertible 944 witha number on the dash , all bordeux inside in leather and the top looked made of suede also in a diferent tone of bordeux , the body was golden with low profile tires and rims from zender all original , bought it in holabd for 600€ in mint condition ,with transport to my house in south of portugal and legalisation of papers it cost 3.000€ total but sold it a year after for 20.000€ , it was a numbered edition , but at the same time i bought a mint 928 S from78 for 500€ and in early 2000's i sold the engine for 10.000€ and all parts arround it for 15.000€ including the perfect interior with the sound system designed for the car by blaupunkt , and still have the body , at the time porshe was a cheap car they almost close doors in early 90's
944 was my first car in 2010 and still have it. Very fun car for curvy mountain drives. Rebuilding the head again can't wait to get it back on the road
These cars where all over Miami in the late 80’s. Never owned one but drove and rode in many great car and lots memories on them. In 91 my Japanese roommate had one build by Trust with a side dump exhaust out of the waste gate. It was a crazy sounding car. Thanks for the video.
Good video. I've been pranking around with a 1986 lately and discovering that these are fun, nice driving cars. FYI the reason for the change in wheel offset in 1987 was to accommodate the addition of ABS.
Excellent review and video as always, Jay. I have been a fan of the 944 since the first time I saw one as a kid when I watched the movie 16 candles. I have always wanted to buy a 944, unfortunately I just don’t have the room for one and the justification to get rid of one of my other “better cars” to make room for a 944. The other obstacle keeping me from getting a 944, is my wife, whom has told me if I buy one more car I’m gonna sleep in the garage next to my cars, lol. Thank you so much for the video keep up the amazing work on your channel.
Love your video. I just took custody of my late father-in-laws 1883 944 here in California. It’s in really good condition. I’ve had a major service performed so I can drive it. I agree with you that it’s antiquated by todays standards, but it’s fun to drive. I will enjoy it and continue my father-in-law’s legacy with this car.
143hp was for US, lower compression pistons and some other bits 163 was for RoW. BTW, many people say about VW parts, please point out a single VW part in your Turbo. I can't. I really don't know any apart from VW Beetle drainage plug in the boot which fits, but actually OEM were different. The transmission has similar case to Audi 100 but good luck with using Audi's parts.
@@SAMMYJR00777 I know that. What I am saying that there are no VW parts at least in 944.2, nevertheless some people say that there are some VW parts which is BS.
@@8359s Not sure about the 951/952, but on my 1988 NA, I’ve seen the four-circled Audi emblem stamped on the differential output flanges going into the transaxle as well as on the cooling fan electrical connectors. To your point, I’m not sure these parts correspond to an Audi application, but maybe produced by Audi for Porsche?
I remember seeing these in “auto focus” like 14 years ago when I was 16. Could get a clean n/a or even turbo car for around $4-5k. Wanted to buy one but I was still living with my mom and dad and they said absolutely not. I kick myself for that cause they go for big $$$$ now
I'm not sure where you're located, but I'm in South Jersey outside of Philly & n/a's can still be had for that money. Granted, I haven't seen one for that money listed as "running & driving", & it's obvious they've sat. As long as it doesn't need a clutch right out of the gates & you can turn a wrench, it (hopefully) shouldn't be bad granted you've got the time to sort it & aren't dependent on it as your daily right away.
I had a 944 which I loved but I let my nephew take it for a drive, he crashed it into tree and totaled it, keep it for 5 years, finally sold it for parts, such is life.
Love those smaller wheels with plenty of sidewall, IMO older cars look dog muck with big rims and low profile tyres. A 944 is a practical daily driver so they all need to be saved, great informative review James without straying into Porsche nerd territory ;)
yes ,if you have a rich wallet but i would sujest the bentley coupé with the body similar to the silver shadow from the mid 70´s, but it needs to be driven, no computer there not even a zx spectrum with 48Kbytes
Great review... I'm glad I found a nice deal on my 944 S2 earlier this year (1 of 510 for 1991 yr). They're getting hard to find in this trim and prices are going up. It did need some work but I as of now, mine has driven across the US with over 200k miles. It drives really nice and you can't beat driving down the coast with the top off.
I haven’t put a set of equal length headers on an 8v car, but I did put a set on my 944S, and the improvement in power and sound was dramatic. It always sounded pretty good up at the top of the rev range, but now it sounds good everywhere.
@@sanderwaglen4904 on an S or S2 the clearance is quite tight, so it’s a challenge to replace the headers. On an 8v car there is more space, and I understand it is easier.
I had a face lifted 944, and loved the car and still look back on it fondly. It was my first Porsche. I only sold it when I bought my 911, and have never had regrets. Would I happily sell my 911 for a 944? Never. But I guess that defines a gateway Porsche. I do remember that it sounded very muscular at idle, but at higher revs it just sounded like a VW Golf. Not a bad thing, but not as sonorous as other cars.
I was 16 ten years ago, and I bought an 1984 944 from Oxford, Kansas without knowing what I was getting into.. I was getting into one of the most amazing driving experiences I'd ever have. I owned it for over two years and eventually let it go. I actually lost it but that's another story. Two weeks ago, I bought an 1987 base model for $2000 with a cracked number one sleeve. I am doing the swap right now with an 87 924S engine (same same) and I cannot wait to drive her. I have waited for almost 8 years.
Owned a nice 1985 "mahogany metallic" example between 1993 and 1998. Joyous car, incredible handling, minimum technical problems. Replaced belts 4-5 times, clutch once, head gasket once and many oil changes. Never let me down until a front end collision sent the car to the scrapper with about 360k km on the clock. With four snow tires the 944 was like a Jeep in snow, unrelenting traction in all conditions and excellent brakes. The example in the video was equipped with "cookie cutter" alloy rims. To my surprise, Porsche used aluminum lug nuts to attach them. Great video to watch.
I also recall Porsche using aluminium for the nuts on the 993 - my mother had a Targa and when we refurbed the wheels, 18 of the 20 bolts shattered on the way out
@@JayEmmOnCars btw, to remove the roof, you must first retract two back levers with a switch and the panel can be lifted off by hand and stowed in a specially prepared pouch in the back hatch, I had plenty of practice doing that. The 944 also had a collapsable temporary spare tire, which you had to inflate with a provided 12V air compressor. In the mileage I mentioned, the spare tire was used once by myself when I had to replace a flat with a temporary spare still fresh, having rubber whiskers on the tread. The car must have been 12 years old. The car went to scrappers but the compressor is so well made I kept it and use it to this day.
Great video, and such an amazing car! It’s pretty cool to see the euro model. I have an 84 that my dad bought back in 88. The nice thing about the American models is that they were galvanized bodies, so rust isn’t a big issue here. Mine was really well maintained, but being a 38 year old car I’ve got a lot of restoration to do. Mainly just normal wear and tear, but it’s going to take a bit to bring it back to show room quality.
Well done, 924 and 944 were worthy efforts, although I'm not sure exactly how. But you don't look old enough to have appreciated them. If those cars can be rejuvenated, I'd have one.
You should make a video Jay and share some of these good driving roads you use. The only one I know of in my area (Fenlands, Cambridgeshire area) is the B645 but I'd love to know where some of these are filmed 😁
I’ve owned two 944s an 85.5 and currently an 86 both NA red/blk manuals. It’s a great DIY car. You can disassemble the entire vehicle with two or three wrenches. Shamefully I’ve only done 2k miles in 3 years. But she fires right up every time.
my uncle has a brand new 944 lux from 1983 in his barn, he used to run a porsche dealership that closed the following year , all fluids were drained and it is in a dehumidified garage since new !
Really enjoyed owning my 87 944S. But I wouldn't recommend buying one unless you can do your own repairs, and it is a VERY difficult car to work on. Make sure it has a fresh timing belt and the clutch has been done.
I owned a 84 in the USA and I just loved the car, I love the yellow vdo gauges and the backwards tach, I found one for 4k$, usd and I may get one. Great fun car.
Loving every bit of your 944 content. I'm sure you're aware that Jason Cammisa has done a video for Hagerty comparing the 944 and the new Toyota 86. That's the bit I'm wondering about is whether you think the 944, though i loved mine and know the differences, is the better choice over a Mazda mx-5, or whether the 86 is worth considering, or what other fun country side runabout is the better choice. Lastly that compliant suspension with the dumb components is what boosts grip levels and gets early 944s around the track so well, I'm guessing you know. Well conditioned safe examples make fantastic track cars.
When I bought my 944 S2 in the 1990's, I also test drove a Mazda mx-5, Toyota MR-2 and Nissan 200SX. The Japanese cars were not even close! the 944 (in Turbo or S2 form) just felt SOOOO much better to drive.
@@TheMentalblockrock yeah but seeing Monsieur Cammisa tout the new 86 GR as 'a modern 944' has made me think, and shocking as it is to me, the 86 is 30 years newer now than the last of the 944s. That's a lot of tech and safety improvement time and Toyota have proven they can race and do consumer gt racing via LFA et al. Let's say is like to know Jay's opinion.
@@acchaladka I'm sure the 944 turbo would not have matched any of the performance figures of these 30 year newer cars but it would have been nice to see the 944 on the track and raced against the newer cars. I'd rather see that take up time in the video than some un-funny transsexual with a beard.
I always called the 944 a "sheep in wolf's clothing". Not all that fast, but it looked fast if that helps. Actually one of my favorite-looking Porsche, but does not really meet the Porsche standards IMO.
Great Video, I have just got 1984 genuine original car in Brown I love it I was wondering how many were produced in Brown? I thought it was quite rare ?
the 944's like any Porsche has subtle differences every year it was produced, I mean it has an 85.5 model year for crying out loud lolz, as far as I know in the US for the 2.5L NA engine it was 143hp initially, then 148hp starting in 1985; then 158hp in 1988 as they gave it a compression bump... As far as ROW (rest of world) cars I assumed it was 163hp since the earliest models but I am sure there may be some quirks to those numbers too! Anyhow keep up the good work JayEmm, I always enjoy some 944 content!!!!
I have had many sports cars but the 1984 944 is the one I miss most. More so than the mint mO30 turbo I had after. My 944 was low miles and a rare sport model fitted with Fuch alloys(different fit than 911 Fuchs) as standard and Porsche logo centre cloth on the superb sports seats. A mk1 944 only drives properly with fresh shocks (cost little) and new discs (again cost little) or you get wheel shake at speed. I replaced all bushes etc but the car was otherwise in lovely condition. The early dash has so much character. If properly sorted they drive wonderfully, the figures are misleading. A true drivers car, took mine on a 3 week tour of Europe including some long stints at high speed, many miles in the Alps. Never seen one since in the same condition and spec or I'd buy it without blinking.
Hi there JayEmm, Happy Thanksgiving! Greetings from Atlanta, GA! I’m thankful for your channel, easily my fav car channel. If you’re ever in the south I have two old Mercedes that you can review. 73’ 280C and an 84’ 300D turbo diesel
I remember these being very cheap and the butt of some jokes too. Someone saying they drive a Porsche and then turning up in one of these. I knew a young kid that, when he started university, had a white one that he shoved a huge exhaust on and treated it like total crap! Now they make good money and are a desirable classic which is increasing. I really like them myself now whereas 15/20 years ago I thought they were junk not worthy of the badge. What an idiot.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I know people who sold their E30s for cheap and now they go for a small fortune. When nostalgia kicks in, even the perceived 'lemons' can go up in price.
Loved my 944 until a piece of metal somehow got into the timing belt cover and shredded the belt and it came to do engine work. Not terribly expensive, but a huge headache. Going on the back burner until I have the pocket change to do an engine swap and paint it. Not much of a purist so I'm going with the 911 turbo 'Cassis red'.
I had a 83 944 years ago in that indescribable 'light gold(?)' colour. Got it for about 9K CDN $$. Drove it for 7 years and did nothing but change the oil. Eventually came to the point of doing some work, or selling. I did the latter, and got $20 more than what I bought it for! It was a good car - I kinda miss it, but have since moved on/up.
I saw so many of these just rust and get crushed when I was too broke to biy them back when they were dirt cheap 20 years ago. I still want to build one.
I remember when I was looking for a first car the 944 was up the list. 10 years ago you could’ve got a very decent example for approx. 5000€ in Germany. I remember even seeing 924‘s for 500-1000€…. Should’ve got one instead of leasing a new car…..
Technically the 924 motor is a Mercedes engine developed when mercedes was designing new motors for DKW. Mercedes pulled out and VW bought Audi. One day when I get my 1977 Audi R reg prefix gls 2.0 up and running you are welcome to drive it. It's one of the oldest in UK even older than Audis own 78 gls 100. My car has been in storage since 1988 very original 40,600 miles from new 10 miles from where it was originally sold. Would love you to do a review on the C2 type 43 100 generation. Have a borrow of Audi UKs car. I love the 924 and 944 models. Would love an early 924 to go with my 77 100.
The gears are shorter so it's pretty quick. 0-60 times are bad because you shift to 3rd at 55mph. 0-55 however would be quick vs other cars. Cookie cutters look a lot like fuchs and IMO look sportier than later wheels which make the car look more fancy. I just bought an 83 w under 60k miles. Zero rust California car.
bought one a year ago for under 4000 pounds done a bit to it and needs a bit more done but never fails to start just a shame the road tax is so high and not mot exempt yet. (edit) mine is an automatic drives nice makes it quite slow and is only 3 speed but works nice if a bit slow on the shifts
US cars 143 hp. Rest of World (ROW) 163. Nice thing about owning one in AUS= no rust. The car is brilliant in nice weather with the roof off on the twisty roads. I also have a Saratoga glass sunroof so you can still have the open air feeling when it a bit cooler!. Plenty of cheap parts from Ian at 944online or Pelican Parts but freight these days to Down Under, post COVID Ughhhh...$$$$$$$. The ROW cars are brilliant driving cars and a great daily drivers.
Great review of the early cars James. Love my late S2 - the 944 is so much a better looking car than the 968 - S2 being a sweet spot, but early cars have so much character as well - especially with those cookie cutter wheels.
Love my 84 944 !!! Pretty much noone can keep up in the twisties!! Had mine 20+ years .glad i didnt change things like i had planned (ls swap, body mods. Etc) instead, i bought EVERY tiny lil thing that was broken or missing which now i feel was a great move on my part..dont think i wanna sell tho. 2 much fun ! True DRIVERS car n i always loved the look of it ! 😃👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
ROW cars were largely 163hp although there were some markets within Europe and Asia that were sold with 158hp. I don't quite understand why that was the case but my 1984 car I remember when I bought it from Belgium in 1984 was 158hp. In fact from 1987 the ROW were also 158hp.
Nice to do a test on an earlier car - and I actually prefer the older bumper design and the cookie cutters to some of the ugly later wheels (D90s - bleugh!). I own a 924S - narrow body but mechanically more similar to earlier 944 than 924 and with cool teledials. Sounds great with a sports exhaust - charismatic and with a real 70s rally car rort. I also rather like its austere (older) interior. Brilliant sunroof too (unlike the 928). Not the quickest but a genuinely lovely car to drive down a b- road.
The Australian released 83 944 got 163 hp This was more hp than the US sold. My 944 was built in 1982 but not registered in Australia till 1983 non turbo. There was no cat for this year model. I have got 250 km out of mine .
Thank you this review JayEmm, I really appreciate it!!! There is a car of which I would really see a review from you. Could you please make a video of VOLVO 480 TURBO? :) This is unfortunately a very underrated car, however I am pretty sure that a 480 Turbo is as good and enjoyable nowadays as a 944. :) Thanks in advance! ;)
I had one in the mid 90s,used to fly around all over the place, would cruise at 120 (!) seemed great at the time, cam belt went and when I had it done it never went as well, p exd it for a 1960s mk2 jag, which obviously was a bit different.
@@ianmitchell9102 I did when they were 1500 quid bangers and it was worth it then. Now their price point is getting towards other coupés which they do not compete with.
@@vomErsten The age is not the demerit! It's the fact that car technology has moved on over the last 40 years, which is what I mean by saying "unfair comparison". in fact the age of the 944 is a positive as there are many examples surviving on original engine and transmission etc, and the age makes the 944 a classic - with the other cars you will lose money on depreciation and by not being able to service the car yourself like you can with the 944.
We have a couple of those in my country. The 2L one's. If you take a look at them their owners riced them. You can get one for less than 3000. You driving a Porsche but you gonna get laughed driving one. But I would like to restore one to the original condition to preserve the history.
A bit more history on why VW decided to discontinue development of the 924, then known as Project EA 425… the contract was finalized with Porsche in March of 1972 and work continued through 1974, but around this time VW was cementing their ongoing design philosophy around front engined, front wheel drive cars. VW leadership also discovered their internal R&D work force was being under utilized and decided to keep future development in house. As a production timeline neared in 1975, the VW CEO was replaced by Toni Schmücker, who ultimately decided to terminate the EA 425 development contract as a result of the newly realized design philosophy as well as the disbanding of the VW-Porsche sales team in Ludwigsburg that had previously brought the 914 to market. Then with the VW Golf, Passat, and Scirocco hitting the scene, the 924 didn’t fit in with their lineup as originally planned.
my dad had a 2001 911, and the steering wheel was also egg shaped - I found that when I was doing more than half a turn to park, I'd have to dip the clutch otherwise my knee got jammed between the centre console and the steering wheel - Perhaps I was just lazy at adjusting the seat/wheel, but I was used to the seating position of an old mini at the time
I've had my '84 for 4 years (identical to your test car). Was on my bucket list to rebuild a Porsche. Would have rebuilt a 911 by I have two expensive kids instead... Redid the suspension, brakes, clutch and put on some nice 16" offset Fuchs (930) which fill out the wheel wells properly. Not a spot of rust, and even after 37 years every nut and bolt turns like the car was built last year. I drive her like I stole her, and 4 summers and 20,000 km later she runs like a top and corners on rails. I highly recommend a 944 for anyone interested in working on an old car. Parts are cheap and most stuff is easy to get at.
I drove a guards red '86 944 in the late '80s and it was a fine car. Great balance, decent brakes and plenty of zip for its time.
I occasionally look back on my youthful, bearded face standing nonchalantly by the driver's side door looking like one of the BeeGees.
Good times and a really good car.
Thanks for posting, James.
well, this new kids on the block never drove a real car in their lifes and make video´s telling bad things of cars that you need to learn to drive, regards
US spec was 144hp while Euro spec was the higher 163hp. Cheers and thenk you for making this video!
I've been told by multiple Porsche owners that there is no such thing as a poor man's Porsche.
Just manageable
Had two 944’s….. both late oval dash models, my first was a 944 turbo ( 220 ) in zermat silver, the 2nd was a 2.7 lux in guards red. I miss them both dearly !!
If I ever get some money I’ll buy the best 944 S2 on the market !!
My dad has a guards red s2 cabriolet when i was younger. It was a glorious thing. He bought it from the Porsche owners club so it was mint. Sold it over a decade ago
Have had my 1984 model for 20 years and have done just about everything you could think of on it. I've had a career as Truck/Car mechanic (50 years...now retired)
So have had the advantage of doing my own spanner work.
Please factor this in when buying one as they do require a bit of upkeep.
Owned a 1984 944 for about 30 years - loved it! The handling was amazing. Could take a 90-degree turn at 45 mph and stick to the road. Quick but not fast. HUGE hatchback...put the back seats down the space was huge. Not very tall but you could get a lot in the back.
I owned a Black 1986, 944 in the mid 90s, with a two tone cream & black dash, & platinum embroidered seats, covered with the Porsche logo. The build quality of the car was exceptional, stainless steel exhaust, & galvanized body shell. The only downside, it wasn't particularly fast. I sold it in 1999 for 2k. Ahh well! Lol
now easy 15k plus
@@SAMMYJR00777 I know right! Well if it's one consolation, I've kept my 2004 E46 M3, which I've now owned for 12 years. I wonder how much that will be worth in the future?
@@jchisholm1968 i used to buy bmw´s 2002 for 100€,i had a lot parked in a werehouse with time i started to restore them, being the ti and tiii the cheapest of them all ,a 75 i sold for 50.000€ i trade it for a pioneer cassette deck the ct-s530 in the 90´s(95) all restored, i still have four but the alpine i sold it for 75.000€ a 73 in mint condition
i had a convertible 944 witha number on the dash , all bordeux inside in leather and the top looked made of suede also in a diferent tone of bordeux , the body was golden with low profile tires and rims from zender all original , bought it in holabd for 600€ in mint condition ,with transport to my house in south of portugal and legalisation of papers it cost 3.000€ total but sold it a year after for 20.000€ , it was a numbered edition , but at the same time i bought a mint 928 S from78 for 500€ and in early 2000's i sold the engine for 10.000€ and all parts arround it for 15.000€ including the perfect interior with the sound system designed for the car by blaupunkt , and still have the body , at the time porshe was a cheap car they almost close doors in early 90's
944 was my first car in 2010 and still have it. Very fun car for curvy mountain drives. Rebuilding the head again can't wait to get it back on the road
I always learn something from your videos James! I appreciate the time you put into the research 🤙
These cars where all over Miami in the late 80’s. Never owned one but drove and rode in many great car and lots memories on them. In 91 my Japanese roommate had one build by Trust with a side dump exhaust out of the waste gate. It was a crazy sounding car. Thanks for the video.
Good video. I've been pranking around with a 1986 lately and discovering that these are fun, nice driving cars. FYI the reason for the change in wheel offset in 1987 was to accommodate the addition of ABS.
Excellent review and video as always, Jay. I have been a fan of the 944 since the first time I saw one as a kid when I watched the movie 16 candles. I have always wanted to buy a 944, unfortunately I just don’t have the room for one and the justification to get rid of one of my other “better cars” to make room for a 944. The other obstacle keeping me from getting a 944, is my wife, whom has told me if I buy one more car I’m gonna sleep in the garage next to my cars, lol. Thank you so much for the video keep up the amazing work on your channel.
Purchased this very car in Summer of 1985 - loved it
Love your video. I just took custody of my late father-in-laws 1883 944 here in California. It’s in really good condition. I’ve had a major service performed so I can drive it. I agree with you that it’s antiquated by todays standards, but it’s fun to drive. I will enjoy it and continue my father-in-law’s legacy with this car.
143hp was for US, lower compression pistons and some other bits
163 was for RoW. BTW, many people say about VW parts, please point out a single VW part in your Turbo. I can't.
I really don't know any apart from VW Beetle drainage plug in the boot which fits, but actually OEM were different. The transmission has similar case to Audi 100 but good luck with using Audi's parts.
944 all porsche parts no vw that was the start of 924 which was taking over by porsche since porsche is a designer company which was helping vw etc.
@@SAMMYJR00777 I know that. What I am saying that there are no VW parts at least in 944.2, nevertheless some people say that there are some VW parts which is BS.
@@8359s Not sure about the 951/952, but on my 1988 NA, I’ve seen the four-circled Audi emblem stamped on the differential output flanges going into the transaxle as well as on the cooling fan electrical connectors. To your point, I’m not sure these parts correspond to an Audi application, but maybe produced by Audi for Porsche?
@@NC944er Interesting, I didn't know, I'll ask my mechanic (best Porsche shop in country) about that.
For 1988 all markets got the 158hp, 10.2:1 compression "world" motor in base cars. Previously the USA 143hp was 9.5:1, RoW 163hp was 10.6, iirc.
I remember seeing these in “auto focus” like 14 years ago when I was 16. Could get a clean n/a or even turbo car for around $4-5k. Wanted to buy one but I was still living with my mom and dad and they said absolutely not. I kick myself for that cause they go for big $$$$ now
I'm not sure where you're located, but I'm in South Jersey outside of Philly & n/a's can still be had for that money.
Granted, I haven't seen one for that money listed as "running & driving", & it's obvious they've sat. As long as it doesn't need a clutch right out of the gates & you can turn a wrench, it (hopefully) shouldn't be bad granted you've got the time to sort it & aren't dependent on it as your daily right away.
Fantastic Jay. I really enjoyed that. Let's see see where we are in 20 years when there's none left. 👍
I had a 944 which I loved but I let my nephew take it for a drive, he crashed it into tree and totaled it, keep it for 5 years, finally sold it for parts, such is life.
Love those smaller wheels with plenty of sidewall, IMO older cars look dog muck with big rims and low profile tyres.
A 944 is a practical daily driver so they all need to be saved, great informative review James without straying into Porsche nerd territory ;)
yes ,if you have a rich wallet but i would sujest the bentley coupé with the body similar to the silver shadow from the mid 70´s, but it needs to be driven, no computer there not even a zx spectrum with 48Kbytes
Thanks J, good to see the 944 getting some video time!
I own my S2 Coupé for 6 years know and I’m still impressed how good it is.
Love it! Great vid! Have a red 84 944 since March of this year - fantastically enjoyable driving experience!
Great review... I'm glad I found a nice deal on my 944 S2 earlier this year (1 of 510 for 1991 yr). They're getting hard to find in this trim and prices are going up. It did need some work but I as of now, mine has driven across the US with over 200k miles. It drives really nice and you can't beat driving down the coast with the top off.
I haven’t put a set of equal length headers on an 8v car, but I did put a set on my 944S, and the improvement in power and sound was dramatic. It always sounded pretty good up at the top of the rev range, but now it sounds good everywhere.
How tough was it to access that? Thinking about getting one, and this is something i would love to do
@@sanderwaglen4904 on an S or S2 the clearance is quite tight, so it’s a challenge to replace the headers.
On an 8v car there is more space, and I understand it is easier.
Correct, 1987 for the change in suspension/offset for wheels. Even though the other changes, round dash, occurred at 85.5.
Gorgeous looking Porka. One of my all time favourites, because the 944 always seemed attainable….
I had a face lifted 944, and loved the car and still look back on it fondly. It was my first Porsche. I only sold it when I bought my 911, and have never had regrets. Would I happily sell my 911 for a 944? Never. But I guess that defines a gateway Porsche.
I do remember that it sounded very muscular at idle, but at higher revs it just sounded like a VW Golf. Not a bad thing, but not as sonorous as other cars.
not s2 tho.. regular 944 was under power
I was 16 ten years ago, and I bought an 1984 944 from Oxford, Kansas without knowing what I was getting into.. I was getting into one of the most amazing driving experiences I'd ever have. I owned it for over two years and eventually let it go. I actually lost it but that's another story. Two weeks ago, I bought an 1987 base model for $2000 with a cracked number one sleeve. I am doing the swap right now with an 87 924S engine (same same) and I cannot wait to drive her. I have waited for almost 8 years.
Owned a nice 1985 "mahogany metallic" example between 1993 and 1998. Joyous car, incredible handling, minimum technical problems. Replaced belts 4-5 times, clutch once, head gasket once and many oil changes. Never let me down until a front end collision sent the car to the scrapper with about 360k km on the clock. With four snow tires the 944 was like a Jeep in snow, unrelenting traction in all conditions and excellent brakes. The example in the video was equipped with "cookie cutter" alloy rims. To my surprise, Porsche used aluminum lug nuts to attach them. Great video to watch.
I also recall Porsche using aluminium for the nuts on the 993 - my mother had a Targa and when we refurbed the wheels, 18 of the 20 bolts shattered on the way out
@@JayEmmOnCars btw, to remove the roof, you must first retract two back levers with a switch and the panel can be lifted off by hand and stowed in a specially prepared pouch in the back hatch, I had plenty of practice doing that. The 944 also had a collapsable temporary spare tire, which you had to inflate with a provided 12V air compressor. In the mileage I mentioned, the spare tire was used once by myself when I had to replace a flat with a temporary spare still fresh, having rubber whiskers on the tread. The car must have been 12 years old. The car went to scrappers but the compressor is so well made I kept it and use it to this day.
Great video, and such an amazing car! It’s pretty cool to see the euro model. I have an 84 that my dad bought back in 88. The nice thing about the American models is that they were galvanized bodies, so rust isn’t a big issue here. Mine was really well maintained, but being a 38 year old car I’ve got a lot of restoration to do. Mainly just normal wear and tear, but it’s going to take a bit to bring it back to show room quality.
Well done, 924 and 944 were worthy efforts, although I'm not sure exactly how.
But you don't look old enough to have appreciated them.
If those cars can be rejuvenated, I'd have one.
You should make a video Jay and share some of these good driving roads you use. The only one I know of in my area (Fenlands, Cambridgeshire area) is the B645 but I'd love to know where some of these are filmed 😁
I had a 1981 xreg 944, it was white with martini stripes. It was one of the best handling rear wheel drive cars I have ever had.
I’ve owned two 944s an 85.5 and currently an 86 both NA red/blk manuals. It’s a great DIY car. You can disassemble the entire vehicle with two or three wrenches. Shamefully I’ve only done 2k miles in 3 years. But she fires right up every time.
my uncle has a brand new 944 lux from 1983 in his barn, he used to run a porsche dealership that closed the following year , all fluids were drained and it is in a dehumidified garage since new !
My dream car as a youth. Excellent example. I still want one.🤑👍🥰🍷
Really enjoyed owning my 87 944S. But I wouldn't recommend buying one unless you can do your own repairs, and it is a VERY difficult car to work on. Make sure it has a fresh timing belt and the clutch has been done.
I owned a 84 in the USA and I just loved the car, I love the yellow vdo gauges and the backwards tach, I found one for 4k$, usd and I may get one. Great fun car.
Loving every bit of your 944 content. I'm sure you're aware that Jason Cammisa has done a video for Hagerty comparing the 944 and the new Toyota 86. That's the bit I'm wondering about is whether you think the 944, though i loved mine and know the differences, is the better choice over a Mazda mx-5, or whether the 86 is worth considering, or what other fun country side runabout is the better choice.
Lastly that compliant suspension with the dumb components is what boosts grip levels and gets early 944s around the track so well, I'm guessing you know. Well conditioned safe examples make fantastic track cars.
Can you give a link to that video please?
@@TheMentalblockrock why certainly: ruclips.net/video/QaR843im04A/видео.html
When I bought my 944 S2 in the 1990's, I also test drove a Mazda mx-5, Toyota MR-2 and Nissan 200SX. The Japanese cars were not even close! the 944 (in Turbo or S2 form) just felt SOOOO much better to drive.
@@TheMentalblockrock yeah but seeing Monsieur Cammisa tout the new 86 GR as 'a modern 944' has made me think, and shocking as it is to me, the 86 is 30 years newer now than the last of the 944s. That's a lot of tech and safety improvement time and Toyota have proven they can race and do consumer gt racing via LFA et al. Let's say is like to know Jay's opinion.
@@acchaladka I'm sure the 944 turbo would not have matched any of the performance figures of these 30 year newer cars but it would have been nice to see the 944 on the track and raced against the newer cars.
I'd rather see that take up time in the video than some un-funny transsexual with a beard.
I always called the 944 a "sheep in wolf's clothing". Not all that fast, but it looked fast if that helps. Actually one of my favorite-looking Porsche, but does not really meet the Porsche standards IMO.
Great Video, I have just got 1984 genuine original car in Brown
I love it
I was wondering how many were produced in Brown? I thought it was quite rare ?
My E38 728i has 200bhp i love it , 150MPH all night , 0 to 60 7 seconds . so original .
the 944's like any Porsche has subtle differences every year it was produced, I mean it has an 85.5 model year for crying out loud lolz, as far as I know in the US for the 2.5L NA engine it was 143hp initially, then 148hp starting in 1985; then 158hp in 1988 as they gave it a compression bump... As far as ROW (rest of world) cars I assumed it was 163hp since the earliest models but I am sure there may be some quirks to those numbers too!
Anyhow keep up the good work JayEmm, I always enjoy some 944 content!!!!
I have had many sports cars but the 1984 944 is the one I miss most. More so than the mint mO30 turbo I had after.
My 944 was low miles and a rare sport model fitted with Fuch alloys(different fit than 911 Fuchs) as standard and Porsche logo centre cloth on the superb sports seats.
A mk1 944 only drives properly with fresh shocks (cost little) and new discs (again cost little) or you get wheel shake at speed. I replaced all bushes etc but the car was otherwise in lovely condition.
The early dash has so much character. If properly sorted they drive wonderfully, the figures are misleading. A true drivers car, took mine on a 3 week tour of Europe including some long stints at high speed, many miles in the Alps.
Never seen one since in the same condition and spec or I'd buy it without blinking.
I have a 1986 Porsche 944 Turbo, she is immaculate. With the ‘phone dial’ wheels.
First time saw this car in Need For Speed 2000/Porsche Unleashed and fell in love with it
Hi there JayEmm, Happy Thanksgiving! Greetings from Atlanta, GA! I’m thankful for your channel, easily my fav car channel. If you’re ever in the south I have two old Mercedes that you can review. 73’ 280C and an 84’ 300D turbo diesel
Happy Thanksgiving Ernest. I have friends in western NC, so maybe one day I'll take you up on that
I miss my 944, what an amazing car!!!
I remember these being very cheap and the butt of some jokes too. Someone saying they drive a Porsche and then turning up in one of these. I knew a young kid that, when he started university, had a white one that he shoved a huge exhaust on and treated it like total crap! Now they make good money and are a desirable classic which is increasing. I really like them myself now whereas 15/20 years ago I thought they were junk not worthy of the badge. What an idiot.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I know people who sold their E30s for cheap and now they go for a small fortune. When nostalgia kicks in, even the perceived 'lemons' can go up in price.
Loved my 944 until a piece of metal somehow got into the timing belt cover and shredded the belt and it came to do engine work. Not terribly expensive, but a huge headache. Going on the back burner until I have the pocket change to do an engine swap and paint it. Not much of a purist so I'm going with the 911 turbo 'Cassis red'.
A Phenomenal Porsche Car All The Best To You.
I have fallen in love with these recently,. Really really want one and i'd drive it daily.
I had a 83 944 years ago in that indescribable 'light gold(?)' colour. Got it for about 9K CDN $$. Drove it for 7 years and did nothing but change the oil. Eventually came to the point of doing some work, or selling. I did the latter, and got $20 more than what I bought it for! It was a good car - I kinda miss it, but have since moved on/up.
Never appealed. Always amazed by the love they receive. Nice review Jay. Thanks
Then you never drove one,,,, and if you did,,, you're dead inside. Fantastic cars.
@@jucklowe Ok. 👌
as a big fan of 944 . . . 924 . . . this video is top notch about the subject
I saw so many of these just rust and get crushed when I was too broke to biy them back when they were dirt cheap 20 years ago. I still want to build one.
I have an automatic '84 944! I'd be happy to share pics with you! The interior trim is also a checkered print!
I remember when I was looking for a first car the 944 was up the list. 10 years ago you could’ve got a very decent example for approx. 5000€ in Germany. I remember even seeing 924‘s for 500-1000€….
Should’ve got one instead of leasing a new car…..
I think the 143 horsepower cars were sold in the USA whilst the 163 bhp were for the rest of the world, correct me if I am wrong is highly probable.
Tnx for the honest review. Great vid
I love my 84 944 but it’s a US spec. Slowly making it more euro spec. Thanks for the video.
possibly my favourite porsche wish they would rerelease it
In 1982 I Truly Wanted a 944 to Blast Around the Arizona Desert!!!
“I don’t like the wheels” oof heart broken. Fuchs wheels are so pretty. Have them on my 944 :D
Technically the 924 motor is a Mercedes engine developed when mercedes was designing new motors for DKW. Mercedes pulled out and VW bought Audi.
One day when I get my 1977 Audi R reg prefix gls 2.0 up and running you are welcome to drive it. It's one of the oldest in UK even older than Audis own 78 gls 100. My car has been in storage since 1988 very original 40,600 miles from new 10 miles from where it was originally sold.
Would love you to do a review on the C2 type 43 100 generation. Have a borrow of Audi UKs car.
I love the 924 and 944 models. Would love an early 924 to go with my 77 100.
The gears are shorter so it's pretty quick.
0-60 times are bad because you shift to 3rd at 55mph.
0-55 however would be quick vs other cars.
Cookie cutters look a lot like fuchs and IMO look sportier than later wheels which make the car look more fancy.
I just bought an 83 w under 60k miles. Zero rust California car.
More 944 content yay!
bought one a year ago for under 4000 pounds done a bit to it and needs a bit more done but never fails to start just a shame the road tax is so high and not mot exempt yet.
(edit) mine is an automatic drives nice makes it quite slow and is only 3 speed but works nice if a bit slow on the shifts
US cars 143 hp. Rest of World (ROW) 163. Nice thing about owning one in AUS= no rust. The car is brilliant in nice weather with the roof off on the twisty roads. I also have a Saratoga glass sunroof so you can still have the open air feeling when it a bit cooler!. Plenty of cheap parts from Ian at 944online or Pelican Parts but freight these days to Down Under, post COVID Ughhhh...$$$$$$$. The ROW cars are brilliant driving cars and a great daily drivers.
Great review of the early cars James. Love my late S2 - the 944 is so much a better looking car than the 968 - S2 being a sweet spot, but early cars have so much character as well - especially with those cookie cutter wheels.
Love my 84 944 !!! Pretty much noone can keep up in the twisties!! Had mine 20+ years
.glad i didnt change things like i had planned (ls swap, body mods. Etc) instead, i bought EVERY tiny lil thing that was broken or missing which now i feel was a great move on my part..dont think i wanna sell tho. 2 much fun ! True DRIVERS car n i always loved the look of it ! 😃👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
My Cayman can.😅
ROW cars were largely 163hp although there were some markets within Europe and Asia that were sold with 158hp. I don't quite understand why that was the case but my 1984 car I remember when I bought it from Belgium in 1984 was 158hp. In fact from 1987 the ROW were also 158hp.
I love my 83 944. Not fast but handles curves like a beast.
As a kid I used to know all performance car power outputs - I assure you UK quoted power was 163.
It seems these are great cruisers even now.
The 924S is mechanically similar as others have said, also still available in good numbers.
Nice to do a test on an earlier car - and I actually prefer the older bumper design and the cookie cutters to some of the ugly later wheels (D90s - bleugh!). I own a 924S - narrow body but mechanically more similar to earlier 944 than 924 and with cool teledials. Sounds great with a sports exhaust - charismatic and with a real 70s rally car rort. I also rather like its austere (older) interior. Brilliant sunroof too (unlike the 928).
Not the quickest but a genuinely lovely car to drive down a b- road.
I own a 924S too, still overlooked after all these years. But prices on those have risen.
I just saw one in a parking lot and I immediately wanted it.
my dad had a 944 lux auto! i used to take it out when he was out at the weekend, i was only 14 lol
The Australian released 83 944 got 163 hp This was more hp than the US sold. My 944 was built in 1982 but not registered in Australia till 1983 non turbo. There was no cat for this year model. I have got 250 km out of mine .
163 hp for Europe
143 hp for USA
U.K. cars were 163hp, good friend of my father bought a 2.5lux in the first year and remember the figure to this day
Thank you this review JayEmm, I really appreciate it!!! There is a car of which I would really see a review from you. Could you please make a video of VOLVO 480 TURBO? :) This is unfortunately a very underrated car, however I am pretty sure that a 480 Turbo is as good and enjoyable nowadays as a 944. :) Thanks in advance! ;)
If I find one I will
@@JayEmmOnCars Thank you very much for your quick response! I hope you will. Take care, all the best.
I have always liked the 928 model, but 944 is a good contender...
I had one in the mid 90s,used to fly around all over the place, would cruise at 120 (!) seemed great at the time, cam belt went and when I had it done it never went as well, p exd it for a 1960s mk2 jag, which obviously was a bit different.
Think the front fogs and rear valance was an option. Looks better for it imo.
Now that a GT86 exists I wouldn't even bother. If you want pop up headlights get a MK1 MX5.
You’ve clearly never driven one
@@ianmitchell9102 I did when they were 1500 quid bangers and it was worth it then. Now their price point is getting towards other coupés which they do not compete with.
Bit unfair to compare a 40 year old design to a modern """Toyota""".
@@TheMentalblockrock Yes and no. If you look at what else you can get in the segment for the price, it's even fair to count the age as a demerit.
@@vomErsten The age is not the demerit! It's the fact that car technology has moved on over the last 40 years, which is what I mean by saying "unfair comparison".
in fact the age of the 944 is a positive as there are many examples surviving on original engine and transmission etc, and the age makes the 944 a classic - with the other cars you will lose money on depreciation and by not being able to service the car yourself like you can with the 944.
I’d love one 1983-1985 with the 3 spoke steering wheel.
American spec 944s with a California emissions package were rated at 143 horsepower the European units were rated at 167
Euro cars were 163
Those are the correct seats for the 944 type 1. The type 2 has the more modern and comfortable seats
Who still bought a 924 in 88'? Well my grandad bought a 924S in 88! The spec with the 944 engine!
Had a '84 and a '87 S. Wish I still had one now.
I believe Euro/UK cars had 163 hp. US cars had 143hp.
We have a couple of those in my country. The 2L one's. If you take a look at them their owners riced them. You can get one for less than 3000. You driving a Porsche but you gonna get laughed driving one. But I would like to restore one to the original condition to preserve the history.
I think the wheels on this 944 are a highlight of the design
A bit more history on why VW decided to discontinue development of the 924, then known as Project EA 425… the contract was finalized with Porsche in March of 1972 and work continued through 1974, but around this time VW was cementing their ongoing design philosophy around front engined, front wheel drive cars. VW leadership also discovered their internal R&D work force was being under utilized and decided to keep future development in house. As a production timeline neared in 1975, the VW CEO was replaced by Toni Schmücker, who ultimately decided to terminate the EA 425 development contract as a result of the newly realized design philosophy as well as the disbanding of the VW-Porsche sales team in Ludwigsburg that had previously brought the 914 to market. Then with the VW Golf, Passat, and Scirocco hitting the scene, the 924 didn’t fit in with their lineup as originally planned.
my dad had a 2001 911, and the steering wheel was also egg shaped - I found that when I was doing more than half a turn to park, I'd have to dip the clutch otherwise my knee got jammed between the centre console and the steering wheel - Perhaps I was just lazy at adjusting the seat/wheel, but I was used to the seating position of an old mini at the time
Not your fault!
The 160 hp versions have the euro spec higher compression engines...us spec cars in the early years were 143.