I currently run a Cappuccino as my "weekend fun car", but after a recent operation, my wife can't get into it, so it looks as if I'll have to get rid of it :-( Shame, because it's really the only car I've ever owned which takes me back about 40 years and turns me into a grinning 18-year-old....
I'm a classic car enthusiast, so a recent "Eurostandard ragtop" is not really of interest to me. and I appear to have settled on a 944 S2 cabriolet as a suitable alternative. I've heard all the positives like "bulletproof", "galvanised body", "excellent handling" etc; I am aware that a Full Service History is vital.
I'd be most grateful for any tips from people who have lived with a 944 - is it really the sort of car that I should be toying with the idea of buying for fun? Where's the best place I should be looking for one?
Thanks,
muso
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 19/10/2007 at 01:50
|
They are normally known as Cabs or Cabriolets in Porsche circles.
Do a search on
www.porsche-1.net/
www.Pistonheads.com
Loads of buying articles on there. Ignore the galvanised bit! my 944 Coupe has just had £1400 on Sills etc. for an MOT. Clutches are expensive (£700ish) as are the Belts (£250-500 every 48K) & on a Cab or 944S or S2, the Timing chain, the latter is NOT a service item but can & will break at around 100K & costs big money if it does. Otherwise they're very bullet proof. Mine did 38K in 18 months as my only car with only a clutch slave & servicing, up until 9 months ago when I got the Jag. Budget a £1,000 a year for problems & you probably won't need it.
Mine is still great to drive & probably the best handling car I've ever driven. It never fails to put a smile on my face.
Become a club member, TiPEC members get cheap insurance & cheap parts with a membership card.
Edited by tr7v8 on 18/10/2007 at 23:57
|
|
Thanks, tr7v8 - very helpful links, and I particularly like the "It never fails to put a smile on my face", Sounds good!!
|
Of course the 944 isn't a real Porsche.
It's not the 924/VW van engine roots I'm talking about. No, it's the fact that for a Porsche the engine is in the wrong place!
|
Of course the 944 isn't a real Porsche. It's not the 924/VW van engine roots I'm talking about. No it's the fact that for a Porsche the engine is in the wrong place!
At least I know which is the front & rear of my car......
Anyway the front is the right place for the engine..
|
|
|
Quite right boxsterboy.
The Professor had a bee in his bonnet about hybrid power systems, although only the armed forces showed much interest, and that mostly in the first world war.
So the right place for Porsche power units is in the wheel hubs.
:o}
|
|
|
>>Of course the 944 isn't a real Porsche.
I'm always amazed at the snobbery in porsche circles (and I am an ex-C4 owner)
As I understand it the Porsches with the engines at the back are derived from Tatras, so they cant be 'real' ones either.
those cheeky czecks with their flat air cooled rear engines before Porsche. whatever next.
|
those cheeky czecks with their flat air cooled rear engines before Porsche. whatever next.
Tatra was an aircooled V8 ac, not a flat engine. Designed by among others the great Hans Ledwinka. Dr Porsche was himself a Sudeten German born in Czechoslovakia.
I think it more likely that Ledwinka and Porsche shared a penchant for rear engines and aircooling than that Porsche copied the Tatra in any way.
Edited by Lud on 19/10/2007 at 17:50
|
......I'm a classic car enthusiast, so a recent "Eurostandard ragtop" is not really of interest to me.......
Would that exclude the Fiat Barchetta then, Muso? One of the reasons I got it was how much it reminded me of my Dad´s 1966 MGB from behind the wheel, with the obvious differences that you didn´t need to give the Barchetta 2 weeks notice when you need to brake.
Seriously though, it gave me 2 years flawless service, with just a battery replacement. But the problems you mention with Mrs Muso getting in to the Suzuki may apply.
Still, they look great, go well and are pretty rare in the UK.
Regards,
Barchettaman
|
Thanks, Barchetta man - a couple of years ago I took a Barchetta for a test drive - nice car - and then bought a 1.8 MX5 instead - that was also a great car, but Mrs Muso was showing some signs of finding it difficult to get into even then. Swapped it for a Saab ragtop which, of course, was easier for her. However, I so missed the 2-seater ragtop thing that I selfishly bought the Cappo. (I know the 944 is theoretically a 4-seater, but those back seats are so small you can forget them). Have just got rid of the Saab, and am looking for a ragtop to replace it with when the Cappo goes.
Enjoy your Fiat :-)
|
|
|
|
Hi Lud,
I think there was a flat 4 as well.
VW did pay 6M DM in settlement of a patent claim.
(though how the dm stood at that point I dont know - better than the Reichsmark at least)
|
VW did pay 6M DM in settlement of a patent claim.
Didn't know that ac. Do you know when it was? In any case the Beetle is the car in question here evidently... there weren't any Porsches as such until 1948 and (believe it or not) Porsche no. 1 was mid-engined, with the engine in front of the rear axle line and the gearbox behind, unlike production Porsches which from the start had the whole arrangement the other way round. I suspect the reason for this was to make the gearchange linkage simpler.
|
|
Never driven a 944 or a Cappuccino but have driven loads of cars including Boxsters, SLs, SLKs etc. IMO, you cannot get a car that is MORE fun to drive than a Mazda MX5! Sure, it's not particularly fast, but you get a buzz from it just driving to the supermarket at <30MPH.
|
|
Thanks, Burpie - I did have a 1.8 MX5 a couple of years ago, but Mrs Muso was having difficulty getting in. It certainly was fun, but you need to give a Cappo a jolly good ragging round the twisties to experience a g r i n from ear to ear ;-)
|
....Enjoy your Fiat :-) .....
that I sold last autumn. Grr. Miss it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
If your missus would have problems getting in and out of an MX5 then she'll probably have the same problem with a 944. The seats are low down (although height adjustable) and there's a noticeable sill to climb over. Find one and try it out before discounting it though - she may be prepared to forgive it once she's seen it, especially if you're prepared to be a gentleman and offer her a hand to get her bum off the seat.
I used one as my daily driver in the early 90's and it was one of the best all-round cars I've ever driven. Excellent handling, good ride quality, pin sharp steering and a range of power options. The only minor complaint I'd have is with the gearchange. The linkage runs to the rear transaxle and can't be rushed. It's fine once you get used to it though.
They are extremely reliable if looked after and the build quality is top notch.
The S2 is probably the easiest to live with and a Cabriolet in Guards with cream interior would be my choice.
Kevin...
|
|
|
