1987 Porsche 944, 54,900 miles, 10K in service paperwork, LOOK!!

1987 Porsche 944

Tired of looking for a classic Porsche and only finding various 911s? MotoeXotica has your answer – this 1987 Porsche 944. Designed to replace the 924, the 944 was slightly faster, better equipped and more refined than the 924; it had better handling, stopping power and was more comfortable to drive. The car had nearly even front-to-rear weight distribution (50.7% F/49.3% R) thanks to the rear transaxle balancing out the engine in the front.

Dressed in black on the outside, the car’s finish is in very good condition, with overall minor blemishes on the fenders and doors visible upon close inspection. Its glass panes are clear but there is a chip on the passenger side of the windshield. The compound curved hatchback glass contains an electric defroster. This Porsche rolls on Sumitomo Touring LST radials, 215/60R15 at all four corners, surrounding Porsche “phone dial” alloy wheels. The car’s body panels are straight and solid, the engine bay is tidy and the bumpers are in very good condition.

For the 944, Porsche re-worked the platform and added a new all-alloy 2.5 L inline-four engine that was, in essence, half of the 928’s 5.0L V-8, although very few parts were actually interchangeable. Atypical in luxury sports cars, the four-cylinder engine was chosen for fuel efficiency and size, because it had to be fitted from below on the Neckarsulm, West Germany production line. To overcome roughness caused by the unbalanced secondary forces that are typical of four-cylinder engines, Porsche included two counter-rotating balance shafts running at twice engine speed. Invented in 1904 by British engineer Frederick Lanchester, and further developed and patented in 1975 by Mitsubishi Motors, balance shafts carry eccentric weights which produce inertial forces that balance out the unbalanced secondary forces, making a four-cylinder engine feel as smooth as a six-cylinder. Revised bodywork with wider wheel arches, similar to that of the 924 Carrera GT, a fresh interior and upgrades to the braking and suspension systems rounded out the major changes.

Inside, the tan bucket seats are in great shape and the matching carpet is in good condition. The black headliner is in similar good order save for wear at the base of both A-pillars, the two-tone instrument panel, black upper and tan lower is also in good order. All of the interior lighting, instruments, dome and cargo, were converted to LEDs in 2013. The factory four-spoke steering wheel is present and in good shape. Except for a blemish on the driver’s side window crank, the door panels, mirrors, center console and shift lever are all in a similar state to the carpet and headliner. The cargo bay is in very good order except for the worn carpet at the hatch lid. Rounding out the interior is an Alpine AM/FM stereo.

In January 2007, the previous owner replaced the engine timing belt, timing belt tensioner, balance shaft belt, balance shaft tensioner, power steering and air conditioning belts. In April 2007, he replaced a pressure sensor, the fuel regulator, four spark plugs and the shifter handle. In May 2007, he replaced the clutch assembly, a fuel pressure dampener, various seals and other hardware. In November 2007, he ordered a standard rotor kit and Mahle oil filter and washer. He also had the front inner wheel seals replaced that month.

In January 2008, he had the front brakes rebuilt and replaced the sway bar bushings. He had new tires installed and balanced that same month. In February 2008, he had two tie rod ends replaced, a tune-up and a throttle response cam replaced. In March 2008, he had a new distributor cap installed, plus new spark plugs and wires. In April 2008, he had the cooling system pressure tested after a leak that stemmed from a previous accident. A new radiator was installed, a core support repaired and system again pressure tested to verify no leakage. In July 2008, he bought a new radiator fan, blower motor relay and oil filter. He had the fan motor replaced, along with its thermostatic switch. That month, he also ordered new lower control arms and a hatchback lock cylinder. He then had an outer tie rod end replaced and the control arms installed. In September 2008, he had a new radiator expansion tank fitted with new cap, replaced the clutch and brake pedal pads, replaced an upper radiator hose and other parts.

In April 2009, he ordered a new idle speed/air control valve, a new set of spark plugs, an oil filter and an intake manifold gasket. In May 2009, he ordered a throttle position sensor. He also ordered a fuel injector seal kit, an oil pressure switch and sending unit, a throttle body gasket, throttle body base and O-ring, a rubber mount, two hoses, a vacuum hose kit and a fuel cap that month.

In May 2012, he ordered gear oil, synthetic motor oil, an oil filter, a spark plug and regular motor oil. In August 2012, he ordered two control arm bushing assemblies, rebuilt lower control arms and there were two core charges.

In August 2013, he ordered a tie rod assembly, an A/C slider knob, a rear wiper cap, a complete LED instrument light kit, various LED bulbs and other assorted parts. Finally, he ordered a new set of Sumitomo tires for the car.

In mid-1985, the 944 underwent its first significant changes. These included a new dash and door panels, embedded radio antenna, upgraded alternator (from 90 to 115 amp), increased oil sump capacity, new front and rear cast alloy control arms and semi-trailing arms, larger fuel tank, optional heated and powered seats, Porsche Hi-Fi sound system and revisions in the mounting of the transaxle to reduce noise and vibration. The “cookie cutter” style wheels used in the early 944s were upgraded to new “phone dial” style wheels (Fuchs wheels remained an option).

More than 163,000 944s were produced, making it the most successful car line in Porsche history until the introductions of the Boxster and 997 Carrera.

Car includes documents include a Hagerty Vehicle Valuation Report, almost $10K in service and maintenance tickets, various small parts and miscellaneous items.

Competition to this 944 in 1987 included Lotus’ Turbo Esprit, Chevrolet’s Corvette, Maserati’s Biturbo, Audi’s Quattro, Nissan’s 300ZX Turbo and BMW’s M3.

This car is currently located at our facility in St. Louis, Missouri. Current mileage on the odometer shows 54,939 miles. It is sold as is, where is, on a clean and clear, mileage exempt title. GET OUT AND DRIVE!!!

VIN: WP0AB0949HN473351

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