Porsche 944 for sale

Porsche S2 - 36, mi

$24,

Great Deal

Used Porsche S2 for Sale - $24, - 36, miles - with alloy wheels, anti-theft system

Category:Used Cars

Location:Southlake, TX

Price:$24,

Mileage:36, miles

For Sale By:Owner

Transmission:Manual

Exterior Color:Silver

Engine:4-Cylinder

Fuel Type:Gasoline

MPG:18

Seats:4 seater

Drivetrain:RWD

VIN:WP0CBLN

Positives:new tires

Porsche Base

Used Porsche Base for Sale - with alloy wheels

Category:Used Cars

Location:Hastings, NE

For Sale By:Dealer

Exterior Color:Black

Engine:4-Cylinder

Fuel Type:Gasoline

Seats:4 seater

Drivetrain:RWD

VIN:WP0AADN

• For Sale by Dealer

  $16,

  $3, Savings

  For Sale by Owner

  $19,

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Why you’d want a Porsche

Meticulously built with top-quality components, the Porsche was expensive new but offers a lot for the money today, especially when you factor in remarkably good fuel economy and quite exceptional parts availability for a s classic.

With half a engine and a superb handling/performance blend, the had none of the ‘VW engine’ stigma of the Twin Lanchester-type balancer shafts gave the big, powerful ‘four’ great smoothness.

It was installed in a flared-arch Carrera GT-like bodyshell with turbo suspension and brakes, becoming an instant hit. Steady improvement over its year production life only enhanced that.

Full body galvanising was a feature from the start, but don’t be misled into thinking these cars cannot rust – they can and do, and not just from accident damage. Rotten sills, rusted through from the inside, are not unusual: galvanising doesn’t fully stop corrosion. Wing rot is common, too, and some cars are full of filler: check carefully, ideally with a magnet. Glassfibre front wings are a cheap option.

A high-mileage car with full history is likely to be much less costly to run, at least in the short term, because a low-mileage car will probably have faulty electrics (condensation leads to corrosion when sitting unused), seized brakes and other problems related to limited usage. Beware of false low-mileage claims, too, especially on early cars with five-digit odometers.

Pre update models have a s-style dashboard that you either love or hate, with a low-set steering wheel just above your thighs. The later oval dash is modern, stylish and attractive, with a higher-set wheel, but the gauges (especially the clock) and heater controls have proved less reliable than those of earlier cars.

There is a choice of genuine spares from main dealers (sometimes cheaper than elsewhere), quality aftermarket products from specialists and second-hand items from breakers. Check via the superb forum on the PCGB website, because many are shared with other cars – especially VW Golfs but even Beetles.

Early cars are relatively simple and have classic appeal, whereas S2s offer the highest performance outside turbos and are often quicker off the mark. They are the sensible choice and less complex than a turbo, but are not readily tunable.

Images: Tony Baker

Porsche what to look for

Bodywork

See above for trouble spots

Engine

Well-maintained engines can stand more than , miles, but look for proof of regular maintenance, no excessive oil or coolant leaks or mixing, and no smoke or rumbling on turbos.

Check that belts, chain, tensioner and water pump were recently replaced and ensure heat shields are in place; a good s/h is £

Suspension

Balljoints are integral with the cast-aluminium lower arm (steel pre); they wear and can crack. Tramlining when driving indicates a problem.

Transmission

Worn synchros, whining and oil leaks require a costly rebuild; a slipping or baulky clutch needs transmission out; CV joints click or vibrate when tired.

Electrics

Make sure headlights go up and down correctly and give a good beam, plus that all electrical items are in good working order.

Oil/coolant

Look for sludge in oil and coolant caps indicating oil/water mix: head-gasket failure isn’t uncommon and past repair need not indicate uncured problems.

Interior

Seats can be honest witnesses to care and mileage: inspect for wear, damage and correct function; also for water ingress, especially below sunroof.

Hood

Replacement hood costs £plus with fitting, so a good top with a clear rear window is a bonus; check that it raises and lowers quietly and smoothly.

The Nikasil-coated aluminium blocks cannot be rebored, so get a compression test done if in doubt; it will also show gasket and valve leaks.

Replacing cam drive and balancer-shaft drive belts at 48, miles or four years is vital to avoid a blown engine; the water pump should also be checked and replaced if in doubt. On the twin-cam S/S2, replace the hydraulic tensioner and the (mid-head) chain that takes drive from the exhaust to inlet cam at least every 96k miles.

Listen for rumbling and look for smoke on turbos. If well maintained, the unit lasts well over k miles; standard maximum boost is bar. Inspect for oil leaks from the engine and power steering; oil pressure should be 5bar at speed, at hot idle.

Vibrations often stem from tired engine mountings: if the bottom hose touches the offside chassis leg, that mount has collapsed. A worn or stiff gear linkage is common: upgrades using much more durable bushes are available. The front suspension wears, which means replacing the entire lower arm; lowered suspension and wide wheels can lead to cracked arms with dangerous consequences. Uprating with CS suspension parts is an option.

Brake calipers often seize and can be costly to put right. Cabriolets may rattle and squeak over rougher surfaces; coupés can crash and thump. An ill-fitting tailgate causes extra noise. Check electric windows, mirrors, sunroof, tailgate release, seats and, where fitted, air-con for correct function.

Wheel offset changed in ’87, so you can’t easily swap alloys for a later/earlier style. Look in boot for spacesaver spare, compressor and toolkit.

Porsche price guide

Turbo/cabrio

• Show: £30,+
• Average: £17,
• Restoration: £

S2

• Show: £15,
• Average: £12,
• Restoration: £

Porsche history

introduced, replacing turbo

Optional power steering, electric sunroof, 16in alloys, ‘sport pack’ suspension

turbo launched (bhp, mph in secs, mph); many detail upgrades to

ABS and sport suspension options; Aug: bhp, 16v twin-cam S offered ( secs mph, mph); down to bhp in ’87

now , bhp, mph 7 secs, mph; bhp turbo S added ( built)

Jan: S2 introduced: bigger brakes, bhp, cc; turbo bhp 

Sep: catalytic converter standard in UK; S2 cabriolet launched

turbo coupé discontinued

turbo cabriolet added to range; also S2 SE, with bhp and uprated suspension

May: replaced by bhp

“I had a S in the ’90s,” recalls owner Ewan Clark. “It was my first performance car in my early 20s and was reliable, practical, usable and exciting. A valve stem broke and destroyed the engine, so I had one from a crashed S2 put in: it was brilliant.

“I swapped that for a cabrio, sold that to my mother and bought a turbo. After a while driving Lamborghinis, I felt drawn back to a I love the looks and it’s a hell of a car to drive – so well balanced. I’ve done miles in a day without fatigue.

“I bought a late turbo for £4k and spent £10k at JMG to get it perfect. Next up is KW suspension for a more compliant ride. You need to see what work has been done when buying: you can’t run a mph car for pennies, but the club support is superb.”

Lotus Excel (left) and Mazda RX-7 S2 are alternative buys

LOTUS EXCEL

Great value (though nice ones are going up), the Excel didn’t have the pace to quite match a , but had ’70s style and exclusivity. Build quality and reliability reflected the cheaper price new; a practical DiY prospect now.

Sold ’92 • No. built  • Mpg  • mph secs • Top speed mph • Price new £26, () • Price now £

MAZDA RX-7 S2

Thirsty if driven hard, Mazda’s rotary had a distinctive appeal and came alive with a turbo, offering pace for a fraction of the price, with cabriolet options, too. Almost all have vanished: parts will be an issue for the survivors.

Sold ’91 • No. built , • Mpg  • mph secs • Top speed mph • Price new £24, (turbo cabrio, ’91) • Price now £2k

Porsche the Classic & Sports Car verdict

Prices for the have risen fairly steeply over the past decade, but it remains a good-value classic buy today, whether you prefer the smooth, flexible power of a normally aspirated or the supercar kick of a turbo.

Beware corrosion, clocking and misuse – they can turn your prize into misery. And a fastidious service history will repay a small price premium tenfold in the longer term.

FOR 

• Still well-priced
• Fantastic parts availability
• Performance with practicality
• Surprisingly thrifty on fuel

AGAINST

• Rots, despite galvanised body
• Quality spares can be expensive
• Porsches are seldom cheap to maintain
• Still lots of knackered ones about

Porsche specifications

• Sold/number built ’92/,
• Construction galvanised steel monocoque
• Engine all-alloy, ohc (dohc on S and S2, with 16v) //cc ‘four’, Bosch L-Jetronic injection; intercooled Kühnle, Kopp & Kausch turbo; bhp @ rpmbhp @ rpm; lb ft @ rpmlb ft @ rpm
• Transmission five-speed manual transaxle (or three-speed automatic on Lux /), RWD
• Suspension: front MacPherson struts rear semi-trailing arms, transverse torsion bars, telescopic dampers; anti-roll bar f/r
• Steering ZF rack-and-pinion steering, power-assisted bar earliest cars, turns lock-lock
• Brakes /mm front/rear ventilated discs, with servo; turbo-on mm f/r, bigger calipers from ’89; ABS optional , standard ’88
• Length 13ft 10in (mm)
• Width 5ft 8in (mm)
• Height 4ft 2in (mm)
• Wheelbase 7ft /2in (mm) 
• Weight lb (kg) 
• mph secs
• Top speed mph
• Mpg
• Price new £40, (cabrio, ’91)

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