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. Muskulöses 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.