How long do you plan to keep your 944

[pauljmcnulty]

Ages since we've had a poll. []

 

[DavidL]

Paul,
There's a bit of a gap between a year or so but not longer and several years.
May be a slight revision? A year or 2 and then several years?
I'm not sure where I lie as I like mine alot but 996T are very tempting at the moment.
If we didn't need half a straw roof then it might be a bit sooner!

 

[pauljmcnulty]

Paul,
There's a bit of a gap between a year or so but not longer and several years.
May be a slight revision? A year or 2 and then several years?

If only I could edit a poll....[&o]

Take it as either planning to keep it for at about a year then sell it, or more than one year but not necessarily a lifetime keeper. I know it's hard to be specific, just a rough idea is fine.

I guess the difference is the MOT failure, the prospect of several big bills next year, or the desire to try something new. What I'm interested in is how the Club moves the 944 Register forward, and the results so far are surprisingly tending towards really long-term ownership.

That begs the next question. Why if, like me, you are planning to own the car for a good number of years, would you not support the Club and the Register in it's work to keep the cars on the road and supplied with parts in the future. [8|]

 

[poprock]

ORIGINAL: pauljmcnulty

That begs the next question. Why if, like me, you are planning to own the car for a good number of years, would you not support the Club and the Register in it's work to keep the cars on the road and supplied with parts in the future. [8|]

Can you explain what you mean by that Paul? I don't know anything about work being done by the club in that area or what we members might do to support it.

 

[DivineE]

What do I plan or what do I do? Two very different answers.

p.s. 2 days wasn't an option[8D]

 

[Neil Haughey]

Given that I have had one now for 11 years I am unlikely to suddenly change.

I think my race/track car is for me close to the perfect evocation of what I wanted to achieve in a 944. Its having its MoT tomorrow so I guess for me personally a bigger question is what will I do with it longer term? There was a thought at the back of my mind that I might have to sell it at some point to race something else but that is pretty unlikely unless I suddenly get much wealthier.

We could however have another poll along the lines of how long do you plan keeping your car in its current state? I think that a good few us myelf included would have to say that one changes on a frequent basis []


.... the demons tell me to put a turbo engine in my race/track car but I dare not listen to them [].

 

[pauljmcnulty]

ORIGINAL: poprock

ORIGINAL: pauljmcnulty

That begs the next question. Why if, like me, you are planning to own the car for a good number of years, would you not support the Club and the Register in it's work to keep the cars on the road and supplied with parts in the future. [8|]

Can you explain what you mean by that Paul? I don't know anything about work being done by the club in that area or what we members might do to support it.

Hi Tony,

Did that come across as grumpy? it does when I re-read my own comment, blame two months or so without a day off! []

One of the most basic roles of the Club is to keep the cars on the road. We're sometimes accused of being too closely associated with Porsche Cars GB, but there's a great working relationship. Porsche are one manufacturer who work hard to keep things like parts supply for the older cars if there's a demand. I didn't know that anyone wasn't aware that it's part of the point of the Club, and in particular the Registers.

I guess I was a bit dissappointed with the turnout last weekend at Silverstone. Porsche opened their Experience Centre, fully staffed, on a Sunday for owners of the older cars; owners who wouldn't be likely to be in the market for regularly buying a new car, and not exactly Porsche's most profitable area. We talk to Porsche, and tell them that the older cars have a very enthusiastic following and should be supported, but then only a handful of people show up. I wonder if they'd offer the facilities to the "middle years" cars again, when they can get a far greater turnout from the new cars, or the "real" classics. We seem to be neither one nor the other at the moment.

Membership is also shrinking within the "middle years" registers. I think it's hugely shortsighted myself; free communities like this one are fine up to a point, but you need a proper structure behind a Club in order to give the 944 community clout when dealing with Porsche, suppliers etc. If the owners get out and make themselves known as long-term enthusiasts then Porsche will support us, but I do worry that the sheer lack of numbers doesn't look like the owners really care. That's why the poll results are a surprise to me, I expected far more people to be treating the cars as short-term prospects, and just running them in to the ground. []

 

[simkin911]

I have spent a small fortune on my s2 in the last 6 months and I intend to be the recipient of the benefit of that work/expense for the foreseeable future. Additionally, I've bought a rather sad looking turbo SE and that will be restored to perhaps the best condition it's been in since the '90s. I'll also be keeping that for ages too as I'd want to benefit from the work/effort/money invested.

In any event, it's not like either would raise a life changing amount of money if I put them up for sale!

Would like to own a 993 in the future so perhaps the s2 would have to make way then or be passed over to my son or tracked or something else....

 

[simdel1]

Perhaps the response would be different if you polled the 'average' 944 owner. The type of person who bought a £1500 lux with the intention of running into the ground are, I would expect, less likely to join an owners club forum and even less likely to pay the equivalent cost of a budget tyre to join an owners club. I think the 'not a real porsche' stigma is a problem with attracting people to the breed too. Just my two-pennies...

 

[Suffolk944]

The numbers of 944's (and indeed ven more so '24's and '68's ) attending official events does seem to have declined quite noticeably over the last couple of years. For our cars,I am sure the fact that Luxs have fallen into the bargain basement have taken alot of them away from enthusiasts and into the hands of the "buy it, run it, scrap it " brigade which as Simon above has said makes them sadly unlikely to appear at official PCGB events...I also think that quite a few folk who even just a few years ago would have gravitated to our cars now head straight for the cheaper end of the Boxster market for their Porsche owning tick in a box.

I think 944's are going through a bit of a transformation from numerically common and popular "everymans" Porsche to something more for an enthusiasts niche model which may not be such a bad thing in itself as long term as I think the cars image and reputation will improve, but it does mean the "demographic" and numbers of active 944 owners is changing too.

Also I do think that perhaps plenty of us humble 944 owners feel out of step with some of the "posher" elements of the club and therefore (mistakenly in my view) feel that the Club and its events aren't really for them as their perception is that the 924/944 marque is not really valued by the Organisation as a whole. I know thats not the case but getting that across is not always easy.

 

[Neil Haughey]

ORIGINAL: Suffolk944
Also I do think that perhaps plenty of us humble 944 owners feel out of step with some of the "posher" elements of the club and therefore (mistakenly in my view) feel that the Club and its events aren't really for them as their perception is that the 924/944 marque is not really valued by the Organisation as a whole. I know thats not the case but getting that across is not always easy.

IMHO as someone who has been around for a fair length of time but has never been heavily involved I don't think the cliques are anything new. I also don't think they are necesarilly along the lines of a particular car as the most common clique has always been around groups of ppl that simply know each other.

 

[Diver944]

Well I've had the S2 for 13 years and the Turbo for 10 years now and as far as I'm concerned there is no other car on the planet that I would rather have instead. The Turbo had over £10k of engine and running gear work about 5 years ago and then half as much again in body and paint work a few years after that. My records tell me that the S2 has had £15k spent on her in maintenance whilst I've owned her and I've just had two new wings, new sills and an 'almost' complete respray which would have been several thousand if I'd paid full retail.

I certainly have no plans to sell in the short term, but if someone ever offered a huge amount to make it worth my while I would (then hate myself afterwards [] )

 

[colin944]

I bought my S2 because I have always loved the front engined cars . I would not swap for a fat beetle...................... sorry 911. If I had wanted one I would have bought one. I aspire to own a 924 gt and a 968 club sport as well as my S2. I like the 944 scene because most of the guys like to work on their own cars, and that to me is part of the pleasure of owning a classic or specialist car.

 

[Lowtimer]

I've had mine for about 18 months now.

In the context of what you generally see advertised, and what I've been told by Hartech and Promax, it was a decent tidy car as judged by most of the ones they see, but inevitably it showed the passage of 20 years in several aspects.

Since then it's spent a lot of time off the road being effectively brought back as close to "as new" condition as can practically be achieved, not because I am aiming for a concours show car but because I want to have a car that is completely fit and sorted and at it very best to enjoy on the roads over the next decade at least. I would rather get as much work as possible done up-front and on a "while you're in there" basis than in dribs and drabs which will end up more expensive overall, and be less satisfying in terms of pleasure of ownership. The car is going to owe me a lot more than it could be sold for but won;t be for sale, so I am looking on the whole project as an alternative to buying a newish Cayman or something like that. Same sort of cost up front, but instead of losing money on depreciation over the next 10 years I am spending money on paying skilled craftsmen to do good work and helping to keep the necessary support infrastructure going. Looked at that way I can sort of justify it, but understand completely that a lot of people would think I'm off my trolley. Never mind...

I would have loved to take it to Silverstone but couldn't as it is with Daytona Coachworks for a couple of months having the bodywork and paint restored to a high standard. Next year...

I have always wanted a 944 and intend to keep the car effectively until I am too old and decrepit to drive it properly, so at least a decade and I hope a lot longer than that.

 

[poprock]

ORIGINAL: pauljmcnulty

Did that come across as grumpy? it does when I re-read my own comment, blame two months or so without a day off! []

Don't worry Paul, I wasn't meaning that you were being grumpy"”just thought it was a good opportunity to expand a bit and talk about what the club does (or could be doing).

Does it really just come down to showing Porsche Cars GB that 944 owners are still here and do take an active interest the company? Or are there behind the scenes activities that we members don't really know about (ie. discussions with Porsche Cars GB, petitions to keep parts on sale, etc)?

I would have loved to attend the middle years event at Silverstone, as well as many of the other club events, but from up here in Scotland it simply isn't practical (at least not on my budget).

Our region does enjoy plenty of events at the Porsche Centres in Glasgow and Edinburgh and 944 owners are as welcomed as the serial new model buyers. We have a really good relationship with the franchisee but I have no idea how much of that gets communicated back to Porsche.

ORIGINAL: simdel1

Perhaps the response would be different if you polled the 'average' 944 owner. The type of person who bought a £1500 lux with the intention of running into the ground are, I would expect, less likely to join an owners club forum and even less likely to pay the equivalent cost of a budget tyre to join an owners club.

I completely agree with this as well. A large proportion of 944s have hit rock bottom in price and are being driven and enjoyed by people who have no interest in joining the club. All power to them for getting behind the wheel of such an amazing car, but we can't expect them to add PCGB and its event attendance costs to their budgets for running a bargain shed.

 

[MarkK]

I sold my race car because i built it to do a job,after that was over i saw no reason to keep it aswell as this years car,my road 944s though are so special to me, i have thought about selling the red one on occasion, but when it come to the nitty gritty of making a descision i don't think i could part with it any time soon,it is irreplaceable as i could never build another one like it don't have the time or inclination now.My Black turbo is very special to me(i bought it first time around in 1993 and always regretted letting my now wife persuade me to then part with it,i managed to get it back and have restored it back to as new pretty much as possible,too much so that i can't bring myself to leave it places incase something happened to it,this means i don't use it as much as i should[&:]
In a nutshell i hope i am able to keep and own a 944 turbo for the rest of my driving days,one at least anyway.So i am in it for the long haul.They are special cars and i appreciate what makes them special even if this is not reflected in their status in Porsche history or values etc.

 

[Diver944]

Early days for the poll but after only 44 votes we have 39 in the 'several years' and 'forever' bracket

To my mind that bodes very well for the long term future of the model. Keep it up guys! []

 

[tref]

ORIGINAL: Suffolk944

The numbers of 944's (and indeed ven more so '24's and '68's ) attending official events does seem to have declined quite noticeably over the last couple of years. For our cars,I am sure the fact that Luxs have fallen into the bargain basement have taken alot of them away from enthusiasts and into the hands of the "buy it, run it, scrap it " brigade which as Simon above has said makes them sadly unlikely to appear at official PCGB events...I also think that quite a few folk who even just a few years ago would have gravitated to our cars now head straight for the cheaper end of the Boxster market for their Porsche owning tick in a box.

I think 944's are going through a bit of a transformation from numerically common and popular "everymans" Porsche to something more for an enthusiasts niche model which may not be such a bad thing in itself as long term as I think the cars image and reputation will improve, but it does mean the "demographic" and numbers of active 944 owners is changing too.

Afraid to say I think you are absolutely right. I have the shiny Turbo, which I think will be a "lifer", unless some stupid legislation prevents me from sensibly running it as a hobby, however, I also use an S2 as a daily driver, and I am sorry to say I think that will change, for the very reasons you suggest.

I keep an eye on the prices for something I could use reliably, and those sorts of cars just aren't out there any more... I don't need something immaculate - as people who know my car know, it gets used, and I have to live with the fact it will gain battle-scars... what was my dream daily driver was written off through no fault of my own - you can't countenance against that, so what do you do when it comes to replacing it? I suspect this will be my last S2 as a daily driver - I am hoping I can hold off for Caymans to drop in price, as I think it is a more natural successor to the 944 than a Boxster. Yes I could by a "nice" or restored one, at the moment, for similar money - but it pains me enough when teh current battered S2 gains another dent - how would I feel if it were something more precious?
I suspect I am not alone in looking at them like this - but suspect the people that do use them daily are less likely to be on this forum - in the few months I tried driving something other than a 944 daily, I wasn't on the Audi/VW forums as I am for the 944 (and even now I'm not the most regular), yet they were both considered by many as "classics".

 

[Neil Haughey]

Very true mate. I drive my Rangie every day but have not put a single post on any LR forum.

 

[cococola]

Ive had my 944 for 5 years now and I think that with the repairs,cleaning attention and the love of owning such a wonderfull car I dont see myself ever selling it[]I still get a buzz driving the 944 and even at 25 years old the car still looks brilliant[][]