There are automobiles well-known for prime mileage and longevity. Matt Farah’s million-mile Lexus LS 400 involves thoughts, as does Irv Gordon, who put over 4 million miles on a 1966 Volvo P1800. However a Porsche 944 with 571,000 miles? At first look, that looks as if an train in self-flagellation.
That is to not say it is not potential. As sports activities automobiles go, the Porsche 944 was snug and economical, getting near 30 mpg on the freeway. Nonetheless, the automobile is considerably upkeep intensive, requiring frequent timing belt servicing and having a repute for water pump failures and electrical points. It is also not a simple automobile to work on, even for the skilled DIY mechanic.
This 944 appears to be in surprisingly fine condition regardless of the excessive mileage. The physique is straight and rust-free however may stand to be repainted. Primarily based on the quantity of gorilla tape overlaying the sides, the sunroof wants work and might be much less waterproof than a display screen door. The inside is clear and appears higher than some automobiles with 50,000 miles, not to mention ten occasions that quantity.
Apart from the sunroof subject, the one issues are that the automobile will not begin and the clutch is nonexistent, two large crimson flags. The Porsche 944 has an interference engine, that means the pistons and valves collide if the timing belt breaks. The automobile additionally has a rear transaxle linked to the engine through a torque tube. The transaxle format supplies wonderful dealing with due to a 50/50 weight distribution. However changing a clutch isn’t straightforward or low cost.
Even so, a Porsche 944 with 571,000 miles is intriguing, and Randy, the host of the Auto Public sale Rebuild YouTube channel, is actually within the automobile. For the suitable worth, it might make a superb Lemons racer. Even when the engine is shot, there isn’t a scarcity of fascinating choices that can match. Along with the knee-jerk response of dropping in an LS engine, individuals have put in the Toyota 2JZ inline-six, the Mitsubishi 4G63 turbo four-cylinder, and even a turbocharged Buick V6.
Excessive-mileage automobiles have gotten extra widespread as individuals maintain on to their automobiles longer. We lined a 300,000-mile Toyota Camry getting an engine rebuild and a Porsche 911 Turbo S with over 200,000 miles earlier than that. We have even seen a Ferrari 812 Superfast with over 100,000 miles fly down the Autobahn.