944_S_TYPE

Thanks guys for the kind words. I love the 325IS. AND It is quite quick I may add. I tink the DINAN engine software helps. Now rather than dumping money into Clutch masters/front seals/ clutches, belts/ rollers/ Tensioners etc. I can go for the real bang for the buck performance upgrades. IE DINAN exhaust, Sway bars, and more. Dont get me wrong, I love the 944's and will keep checking in to the boards from time to time!

Serge944

Take all of Dinan's claims with a grain of salt. Oh, and if you want performance exhaust, look into Active Autowerke. Their catback is a good 15lbs lighter than stock and provides the most hp gains for the e36 series cars.

Enjoy your Bimmer - I know I am.

944_S_TYPE

Very good, I will look into their exhaust. Yea, I know what you mean about dinan. Kind of paying for the name. But they do make an inpressive supercharger kit for my ride!

http://dinancars.com/SeriesPrint.asp?prod=780

DanG

Throw some M3 cams in that puppy. $300 for about 15-20 well documented hp.

Once I get my AC working and weld up the torn subframe mounts, thats next on the list...



I've got the full M3 suspension/sways on mine too. Handles almost as good as my non-turbo w/ Koni Yellows, front Welt progressive springs, and M030 sways. And out runs it in a strait line by a significant amount. E36s rock. That I6 sounds SWEET too.

944_S_TYPE

M3 CAMS HUH.... I'LL ADD THAT ONE TO MY LIST

joseph mitro

i'm envious of your e36. i am trying to sell my 944 and have thought about buying a cheap e36 to mod and take to the track. or even an e30.

GRM has a project M3 in the making now. i'm following it with interest.

ZV

Say what you will about the unreliability of the 944 series, I have never had one leave me stranded. Come to think of it, no Porsche has ever left me stranded. Not even the 914 when the FI computer went berzerk and only fired two injectors. Car still started and ran. Got me home just fine.

EDIT: And now that I've said this, the 951 will find an original and expensive way of failing tomorrow...

Always loved the Bimmers too though. Sister had an '82 320i (1.7 litre, automatic 3-speed). It was an absolute dog but it drove beautifully. Lovely car once it was up to speed even though I couldn't fit into it.

Serge944

My 86 944 never stranded me in 35k miles either. It's merely the upkeep to keep things "perfect" that can eventually get to you.

joseph mitro

for me, it's not the unreliability (although my first of three 944s did leave me stranded at least once). it's just that each and every 944 i've owned has required immense amounts of money for maintenance and upkeep for a relatively low return on the "fun factor"

ps - i must say that my 951 was one of the fastest and best handling cars i've ever owned, but also rather pricey as well

EDIT - ha ha, serge took the words right out of my mouth.

ZV

I'm a tinkerer by nature. Never really happy with something that's never broken. As the saying goes too, "old stuff is old stuff". None of my P-cars have cost significantly more to maintain than my '88 Accord did when I had it (granted, I had it from 162,000 miles to 217,000 miles). I guess they just like me.

I came into the whole thing expecting $2,000 to $3,000 in just maintenance so I guess I knew what I got into. A lot more rewarding to dump money into these than into old Accords too.

To each his own of course. And I've come dangerously close to a 535i on more than one occasion myself.

DanG

Yeah, thats where I heard about the wheels I put on my car. Scott Lear put a note up on their MB when he was researching an installment of the project M3. Turns out at the time he was writing, they were running a sale. 17x8 inch Flik Lex wheels for a whopping $105 a pop. They're only 17lbs. It was almost cheaper to get those wheels and a fresh set of street rubber than it would've been to re-shoe my M3 Contour wheels. (Almost ) $730 for 4 wheels w/ 4 tires mounted, balanced, and shipped to my door. Not too bad if you ask me!

Eventually I'll upgrade from my 325 to an M3/4. But I've got plenty of miles left on this bad boy. Plus it'd be a shame to rack up 70-80 miles a day on an M3 with my commute. Although it'd be more fun.

TaylorSea4

Torn subframe mounts?? WTF? Busted A/C? Starting to sound like a 944. I thought the Bimmer was the more reliable route.

ahofam123

My brother has an e36. I helped him drop in a new engine after the previous owner overheated the original one. His has 180,000 miles and has been through its share of owners, so expectantly it has its nagging repair issues (broken hood shocks, leaking sunroof, inoperable windows, broken emergency brake cable, etc.)

None the less I'd rank his on par with the reliability of my 944. One of the main advantages in my eyes though is that the e36 requires less scheduled maitenace than the 944. One obvious example is their use of a timing chain instead of the belt.

If I had to get one for a daily driver, I'd get a e36. For a weekend car though, I'd prefer the 944.

streckfu's

951>944S>944NA=325

Serge944

If its your daily driver: 951<944S<944<325