My Porsche 944 Has Been the Endless Headache I Was Warned About

For the last six years I have been the proud owner of a 1986 Porsche 944. It’s a naturally aspirated model I purchased for just $2700 back in high school. It was the first car I bought for myself, and it’s helped guide me on my automotive career path. The 944 is rightfully regarded as great-handling and well-styled, and makes regular appearances on lists of affordable sports cars. That said, my particular Porsche has also lived up to the rest of its reputation; it’s a bit difficult. In fact, I might go so far as to say that my 944 experience has been an endless headache.

My teenaged ambition of owning a slick sports car was far from a unique occurrence. Of course I was a bit strapped for cash at 15, and my parental credit line wasn’t enthralled with the idea. I got a job to address that issue, and quickly earned enough to forgo their assistance. Living in Michigan where muscle cars still reign supreme, I yearned for V-8 power, but the insurance company thwarted that plan and I was advised that a four-cylinder option may be more appropriate with my budget. I begrudgingly began my hunt.

By the time I was 17, I’d been enticed by the 944 and the concept of owning my very own vintage Porsche for cheap. When I spotted a listing for a low-mile example at a local dealer, my father and I went to investigate. With a tremendous low-ball offer and the fastest handshake in car-buying history, the Porsche was mine. The dealer’s willingness to take that offer should have been a sign of what was to come.

I’ve since come to learn what many 944 owners already know: Because prices were so low for so long, many ended up in the hands of folks who don’t care much for a maintenance schedule. Sometimes several sets of hands, as I’m the fifth owner of my particular 944.

The horror born from years of neglect has reared its ugly head time and time again with my car. Take the cooling system I’ve just replaced, for example, which was thoroughly gummed up by the previous owner’s predilection for mixing coolant types. Or consider the litany of gaskets and hoses that had aged out of their useful service life. Mismatched spark plugs were a surprise as well, as were the pieced-together brakes.