“Since your car is naturally aspirated, you should find the air fuel adjustment screw and run it as lean as it’ll go. That’ll give you more horsepower. Mine is supercharged, so I tuned it as rich as it’ll go.”

Fire the naysayers. Fire their families, too. Remember their iniquities to the 3rd and 4th generation. This car is what dreams are made of. Hilary Duff, eat your heart out.

Why does it have a goatee?

Oof. This was a reality check for me. I’ve been That Guy™ recently, scrutinizing over every detail of a $3000 ‘86 944. In my defense, I’ve been bitten before by cheap Craigslist cars. Dropped $4000 on an ‘87 Supra in college only to have it barf out all its oil on the freeway three months later and throw a rod. I’m…

My sentiments exactly. I haven’t seen any of the actual supposed outrage, just a thrillion responses to said outrage.

Alright, time to brag a bit. I took on a 944 clutch replacement as my first “real” repair job. My grandpa and I did the work over the course of several weekends, but ended up getting it done with no lift or power tools. The old clutch, for your viewing pleasure:

Nobody believes me when I tell them my 944 has a 4 cylinder engine with less than 150hp. “But wait... It’s a Porsche, right?”

I did the clutch on my 944 a couple years ago. Just me and my grandpa, over the course of several weekends across about 3 months. Yeah, it was frustrating at times, but it was an unforgettable bonding experience. It’s currently up on jack stands again for the valve cover gasket and timing belt.

I actually did buy one as my first car, about 5 years ago. 1985.5, gray, with the Fuchs wheels. Very real maintenance costs ($850 for a windshield wiper motor!), small income, and my lack of technical skills eventually resulted in the car taking an extended hiatus.

I live in Wallingford (part of Seattle) and I pass this beast every day on my way to/from work. It's been fun watching it come together.