![The first conventional Stuttgart sports car to be acclaimed as ‘better than a 911’ is still a bargain classic Classic & Sports Car – Buyer’s guide: Porsche 944](/sites/default/files/styles/article/public/2020-01/classic_and_sports_car_buyers_guide_Porsche_944_TB_lead.png?itok=7jRjjUqn)
Why you’d want a Porsche 944
Meticulously built with top-quality components, the Porsche 944 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 1980s classic.
With half a 928 engine and a superb handling/performance blend, the 944 had none of the ‘VW engine’ stigma of the 924. Twin Lanchester-type balancer shafts gave the big, powerful ‘four’ great smoothness.
It was installed in a flared-arch 924 Carrera GT-like bodyshell with 924 turbo suspension and brakes, becoming an instant hit. Steady improvement over its 10-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.
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![Easy to uprate turbo to 300bhp-plus by modifying engine’s ECU and wastegate Classic & Sports Car – Buyer’s guide: Porsche 944](/sites/default/files/2020-01/classic_and_sports_car_buyers_guide_Porsche_944_turbo_upgrade.png)
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.