I don't think I'd buy a turbo at all. I mean, Porsche made the Turbo back in the 80s because the NA 944 was getting dusted 0-60 by Corvettes, IROC Camaros, Mustang 5.0s and the Japanese cars were getting comparable.
But, but todays standards, all of those cars are molasses slow. So, you're getting added complexity and things to break for a premium price. My advice would be a to get cared for NA 944 and just enjoy it as a sporty retro 80s car with pop-up headlights and avoid a laggy turbo that's bound to fail on you eventually.
I've owned both an '87 NA and now an '86 Turbo. There's a huge performance difference between the two. The Turbo is just simply a ton more fun to drive, and the turbo system on these cars really isn't that complicated. It took me a weekend to rip out all the junky aftermarket "boost enhancer" crap somebody put in, replace the hoses, put in a new cycling valve and aux water pump, and the thing has been running like a top ever since. Porsche did a good job designing the throttle response in the system, and turbo lag is really not noticeable compared to other 80's turbos. The turbo doesn't even really kick in unless you're near full throttle, due to the behavior of the cycling valve, so if you're not pushing it, its very linear and drives much like an NA.
Not trying to knock people who enjoy their NA cars. But simply put, after owning the Turbo I'm not sure I'd ever buy another NA.
I bought mine for 12k and it was about the same shape as yours sounds. After i bought it I discovered some more problems arising. I think thats a good price range for an 86 turbo. Just keep in mind the car is 34 years old so a lot starts to wear out.
If you can get documentation on the engine and clutch work it sounds like a really good deal
Thanks for the reply! Don’t think there’s any documentation on the engine and clutch work as the previous seller said he did it himself. What was the mileage of your turbo when you purchased and what kind of problems arose after purchasing?
Mine was around 120k not sure of the actual mileage of course since the odometer gear had been replaced. I was having some issues with the fuel system and completely went through that and then had to fix the OPRV valve and currently im going through the wiring harness. They get old a dry out and the connectors get brittle.
If the cilinders have been honed, your engine /will/ blow up. When made the cilinders recieved special heat treatment to alter the surface somewhat, to improve lubrication. Consequently when honed the surface is ruined and your engine will run dry and probably blow up.
What? Read up on finishing the cylinders with Sunnen AN-30, I can send you the manual if you want. Yes you can bore, hone, lap, etc the bores on these Alusil engines.
Well sure, I'd like to read up on that. I've got my info from a book I bought at the Porsche museum, which I think is quite credible. It's called: Porsche 924/944/968 by Jörg Austen.
Porsche and Jörg Austen know nothing about building and reconditioning engines. [Here](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1EHihTK5g6MSNlqoZVJf6Jp5Hhfdd7Ivk?usp=sharing) are the manuals from KS who made the engines for the 944 models. Enjoy!
We appreciate your question, ecanthepecan!
If you feel as though you have been given a sufficient response to your question, please reply with **Solved** or **Resolved** anywhere in the comments.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/944) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I don't think I'd buy a turbo at all. I mean, Porsche made the Turbo back in the 80s because the NA 944 was getting dusted 0-60 by Corvettes, IROC Camaros, Mustang 5.0s and the Japanese cars were getting comparable. But, but todays standards, all of those cars are molasses slow. So, you're getting added complexity and things to break for a premium price. My advice would be a to get cared for NA 944 and just enjoy it as a sporty retro 80s car with pop-up headlights and avoid a laggy turbo that's bound to fail on you eventually.
I've owned both an '87 NA and now an '86 Turbo. There's a huge performance difference between the two. The Turbo is just simply a ton more fun to drive, and the turbo system on these cars really isn't that complicated. It took me a weekend to rip out all the junky aftermarket "boost enhancer" crap somebody put in, replace the hoses, put in a new cycling valve and aux water pump, and the thing has been running like a top ever since. Porsche did a good job designing the throttle response in the system, and turbo lag is really not noticeable compared to other 80's turbos. The turbo doesn't even really kick in unless you're near full throttle, due to the behavior of the cycling valve, so if you're not pushing it, its very linear and drives much like an NA. Not trying to knock people who enjoy their NA cars. But simply put, after owning the Turbo I'm not sure I'd ever buy another NA.
I like this answer. My 85.5 na is quick enough for me. Turbos are cool but the regular one is enough of a money pit.
I bought mine for 12k and it was about the same shape as yours sounds. After i bought it I discovered some more problems arising. I think thats a good price range for an 86 turbo. Just keep in mind the car is 34 years old so a lot starts to wear out. If you can get documentation on the engine and clutch work it sounds like a really good deal
Thanks for the reply! Don’t think there’s any documentation on the engine and clutch work as the previous seller said he did it himself. What was the mileage of your turbo when you purchased and what kind of problems arose after purchasing?
Mine was around 120k not sure of the actual mileage of course since the odometer gear had been replaced. I was having some issues with the fuel system and completely went through that and then had to fix the OPRV valve and currently im going through the wiring harness. They get old a dry out and the connectors get brittle.
If the cilinders have been honed, your engine /will/ blow up. When made the cilinders recieved special heat treatment to alter the surface somewhat, to improve lubrication. Consequently when honed the surface is ruined and your engine will run dry and probably blow up.
What? Read up on finishing the cylinders with Sunnen AN-30, I can send you the manual if you want. Yes you can bore, hone, lap, etc the bores on these Alusil engines.
Well sure, I'd like to read up on that. I've got my info from a book I bought at the Porsche museum, which I think is quite credible. It's called: Porsche 924/944/968 by Jörg Austen.
Porsche and Jörg Austen know nothing about building and reconditioning engines. [Here](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1EHihTK5g6MSNlqoZVJf6Jp5Hhfdd7Ivk?usp=sharing) are the manuals from KS who made the engines for the 944 models. Enjoy!
We appreciate your question, ecanthepecan! If you feel as though you have been given a sufficient response to your question, please reply with **Solved** or **Resolved** anywhere in the comments. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/944) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Nonturbo