Vehicle Description
1986 Porsche 944
Europeans got their first taste of the 944 in 1981, but we in the
States had to wait until the 1983 model was released on May 1,
1982. The 944 was an evolution of the 924, in that it used the
basic body structure, interior, suspension and brakes from the 924
Turbo to surround its own 150-horsepower, 2.5-liter, inline
four-cylinder engine. Porsche purists initially snubbed the 944,
just as they had rejected the 924 throughout most of its life, due
to its front-mounted water-cooled engine. Everyone knows, of
course, that all real Porsches are cooled only by God's air and
have the engine out back. The 944, however, soon did more than any
other water-cooled Porsche had ever done to endear itself to the
hardcores. The 944 was praised for its incredible handling, even
winning a Car and Driver 10 Best award as Best Steering Car in
1985. The engine, while not amazingly powerful by today's
standards, produced a very flat and usable torque curve-ideal for
sporty driving. Maintenance costs and schedules were also
reasonable, something that Porsche owners were certainly not used
to. There was such demand for these cars that a waiting list nearly
two-and-a-half YEARS long formed soon after the 944 was
introduced.
For consignment, the front engine Porsche 944. This car is sporting
a full-on mechanical restoration and is ready to be driven anywhere
with its rebuilt engine, transaxle, new clutch, A/C system, and new
shocks. And with an extensive paper trail documenting the redux and
all work being performed by Porsche mechanics, we are proud to call
this water-cooled piece of Germany Bereit zum Rock'n'Roll!
Exterior
An exterior restoration has left this 944 with a stunning deep end
of the pool Guards Red paint draping the straight rust-free steel
and aluminum rounded panels for this sports car with a few scuffs,
scrapes, and chip offs noted from normal use. Flipping up the
headlights which are fascinating to watch, come to life with the
flick of the switch, and match the sports car theme of the mid
80's. The red covers most surfaces of this car and sports some
black accenting for the rubber bumper guards, window trimmings and
rear spoiler. The gaps are well minded, and standard Porsche
15-inch wheels with their machined out ovals and slight polish are
on all 4 corners. Muskul�ses Styling!
Interior
Black leather greets us on the door panels and is accentuated with
a black upper molded plastic, and a carpeted black lower. Within
this panel is the ergonomic armrest, power window switches and
speakers, including a Blaupunkt add-on for extra auditory pleasure.
Nice high back buckets are in front, and show with integrated
headrests, tuck and roll inserts and smooth bolsters with power
controls for the seats. Some wear is evident on the passenger's
seat and the driver's bucket is covered in a black cloth seat cover
which we did not remove to check the condition underneath. In back
some tight but comfortable 2 plus 2 buckets which form a bench
stretches across to the B pillars. An integrated armrest and
headrest melts into a center console at the carpeted hump, which
races forward to the dash. This presents in all black with the
rounded design and houses all the essential gauges, air controls,
and aftermarket AM/FM/CD stereo. Black carpeting is on all floors
with new black and red Coco floor mats protecting the carpeting. A
shout out to the black carpeted hatch storage area with its clean
shallow design and pull over luggage shade.
Drivetrain
Under the hood a rebuilt in 2007 at 164,000 mile and resealed at
177,000 mile 2.5 liter 4-cylinder power plant is tucked inside a
clean engine bay. This is fed by EFI with new injector seals in
2010 at 168,000 miles and has a rebuilt with new clutch (2008 and
166,000 mile) 5-speed manual transmission with a 3.889 ratio rear
axle. The water pump as well as all the belts were replaced at
177,000 miles and the engine coolant reservoir has been replaced.
All is looking sporty under this front engined water cooled
944.
Undercarriage
Showing in patina, and slight surface rust, the construction
remains solid with just some road dirt accumulation from over the
miles. Mostly simple designed aero ground effects panels we can
note independent coil springs upfront, and independent diagonal arm
one torsion bar per side rear suspension. Power disc brakes are on
all 4 corners. During our tour we noted reworked shifter linkage, a
new power steering system, and new rear shocks.
Drive-Ability
I did my best Jake Ryan impression whilst waiting for my partner in
crime to join me for this drive and once he had his morning coffee
it was off to the races. A quick starter, and good driver with a
comfortable RPM cruise, some snappy acceleration, and smooth
shifting. Braking was bias free on the panic stop test and after
taking the liberty of a few laps I fully appreciated all the
maintenance that our consignor has had done.
Porschephiles may pooh-pooh this water cooled treat in favor of the
traditional air-cooled cars but make no mistake this 944 is a
Porsche down to its heart and soul and presently on our showroom
floors here at Classic Auto Mall. Nice original condition, tons of
maintenance, a smooth driver and sporty runner. Tons of detailed
documentation is included with this piece of artistry from
Neckarsulm as well as a car cover for those times when you aren't
showing off on the town...Beeilen Sie sich, die Autobahn ruft!
VIN DECODE
WPOAA0945GN455320
W-Germany
P-Porsche
0-Passenger Car
A-Coupe
A-2.5L I4 143hp
0-Manual Belts
94-944
Z-Check Digit
G-1986
N-Neckarsulm, GE Assy Plant
455320-Sequential Unit Number
Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special
interest automobile showroom, featuring over 650 vehicles for sale
with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle
barn find collection is on display.
This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia
on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is
www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914.
Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the
vehicle in person.
