When I was a teenager, I stole my old man 928 GTS while he was out of town and got caught on the interstate running 172mph in 60mph. He came and got his car out of impound and left me in jail. God I miss that fella, well long story short, I now own a 928 I was arrested in 25 years ago. Very underrated car.
Did you also meet a girl, get chased by her pimp, then get high and let your dad's 928 roll into a lake? ("Who's the U-boat commander...") 😎 JK, but as I type this, I see news that this very same 928 from the movie just went to auction today.
@@laurat1129 Sorry, no beautiful girl in this story, only a cell mate named Leroy that smoked old cigarettes butts in toilet paper and refused to pay his child support. I get your reference though, Risky Business was before my time but I've seen it. Ok movie.
I absolutely LOVED my 944. I literary cried when I was t-boned by a reckless driver that blew through a stop sign. All of the witnesses thought I was crying because of physical pain caused by the accident...but it was losing my beloved 944 that had me screaming like a misbehaving 3 year old at WalMart. I'm actually tearing up now. Great car!
The Porsche 944 is what drove me through 5 years of engineering school. Mine is a 1983 and I still own it. Driving it on curvy roads is one of the few pleasures I have in life.
@@Boemel i bought a special edition cabriolet all leather inside with the top looking like suede ,bordeux coulour with a number on the dash it cost me 500€ in the netherlands this in late 80´s or early 90´s when porshe was a cheap car, and i´m talking about perfect condition cars after i bought a 968 S but sold dozens of them, the 911 was still expensive but afordable the maintenance was the problem , i had a black 911turbo from the first years,don´t remenber what i paid i was selling so many that i don´t remenber what i´ve paid for the 911 or the 968, those late 70´s porshes were perfect ,you had the option of choosing the interior at your own taste, regards
I unfortunately I had and sold a '77 in '96. Got it for 501 USD. It had a common issue with the fuel system which required a 20 dollar part to fix. I sold it for 2500 USD the next weekend after I buffed it and bristle brushed the rims (polished without polish). It had around 84k miles and was in pristine condition. Interior was flawless. Complete service/ownership records in the glove box! I should have kept that car.
A 924S (924 with the 944 engine) is sitting in my family's garage right now. Love that car to death. My grandpa bought it new in 1988 and it still looks as it did on the showroom floor.
I got a used a '82 944 as my first car 10 Years ago - These cars are so underappreciated! Sadly it's currently sitting in a Garage 10 minutes from my home waiting for several Fixes while I try to handle family Life - the Driving at the end gave me all of the nostalgia
I'm a life-long Porsche devotee so I say this with no ill-will, but I remember as a kid, my friend's father bought a 924, and because it was a Porsche, we all assumed it was going to be a super-fast race car. Then he took us out for a drive in it, and I remember thinking, "This is only slightly faster than my mom's Toyota."
Nah. These went up already quite a bit (at least in Germany/Europe). The „last affordable“ Porsche is probably the 986 Boxster. On another note: I still don’t get over how hideous these bumpers and reflectors are 😅
I for one really appreciate that we get to see the car in question driven 'with spirit' at the of these videos, on a normal winding road where most of us will most likely enjoy them, and get to here them 'for real' rather than a track day fly by or deafening drum and base, keep up the good..no outstanding work!
I’m definitely a Porsche fan but could only afford a 1980 Scirocco. I read my cousins car and driver magazine on how to drive a stick shift and practiced on his non running 1972 Pinto in the driveway. Year later in 1987 I saw a Scirocco in the used car lot adjacent to JFK airport. I purchased the car and drove off the lot without ever test driving it or knowing how to drive a stick shift car. I drove out the lot and headed to work at UPS on 43rd and 12th Avenue. I was too nervous to stall the car and made it from the Conduit, Van Wyck, LIE and across the 59th street bridge without stalling. I made my first left in NYC and got caught at a light surrounded by NYC taxicabs. My car stalled and their horns were wailing. With the noise of the taxi’s horns I learned quickly by recalling the car and driver magazine and drove off never to stall again. That was one of my best cars.
I loved the Rabbit GTI conversions (as at the time VW did have the GTI in the States), and when the Scirocco came out, was in love. Sadly had to sell my first for college (dark green exterior / tan interior) but bought another at some point after. That one had a few issues, and was glad to get rid of it.
I bought my 1987 944 almost 1 year ago. I bought it non running and it was sitting behind the PO's garage for around 3 years due to the clutch master cylinder and the dme relay going out. I'm 18 and this is My first porsche I have since fixed it up and have replaced the following- dme relay, fuel pump, cleaned fuel injectors and installed new seals, new lindsay racing braided steel fuel lines, spark plugs, cap and rotor, oil and filter, air filter, fuel filter, fresh coolant flush, new clutch master cylinder , bled brakes and clutch, and there's lots lots more. All of this I have accomplished by myself with the help of youtube and the repair manual. The car is in beautiful condition now and I hope to keep it that way.
A fabulous expose on a criminally underrated car! Amazing work as always by Mr. Cammisa. I drove my 944 to work the last few days and it never fails to put a smile on my face.
The 944 Turbo was one of the greatest cars ever engineered. Yes the 924 was a parts-bin special, but the 944 had the same suspension as the M3 but mopped the floors with it. When I lived in Berlin, my dentist's dad was CFO of Porsche and he introduced me to the Weissach engineers I needed to know. As a PCA instructor, I obtained the 968 Turbo RS suspension settings and when I came back to the States I ordered custom coil-overs from Koni valved to 968 spec plus Hypercoil springs and M030 antiroll bars and 928 GTS brakes. When Randy Pobst drove my car in the rain at Mid Ohio in 2007, he said it was the best handling car he's ever driven--thanks to the 968 RS spec suspension I had along with Pirelli wet tires. I wish I could take credit for it, but I had a bit of help. The 944 Turbo is one of the greatest cars ever made.
I have a 1987 924S in my garage, I love that thing and love that it’s a Porsche that the average tinkering individual can tool on and learn how to work on them. There are plenty of useful videos for these cars out there as well. Awesome car to drive and own!!!
I love that this series summarizes the story of an interesting car so well - PLUS it involves research beyond reading a few Wikipedia articles and therefore almost always brings information that even hardcore carnerds didn't know about.
For real, I’ve lost count of how many cartubers I’ve watched who seem like they have interesting things to say until they get to a car I know and it quickly becomes apparent they’re either talking out of their ass or just half assed the research.
I am a 944 junkie and have owned over 10 of them (including variants) over a 20 year span, and there were 2 facts in there that I didn't know. Thanks Jason and Hagerty.
I've been daily driving my 968 while my other car has been in the shop. It really is a fantastic car, and it amazes me that for basically a 40+ year old design, I still get people asking me if it's a new model from Porsche!
When I turned 50, coinciding with the year I was promoted to O-6, I rewarded myself with an extremely low mileage 1990 944s2 Cabriolet. I had wanted one since seeing my first one “in the flesh”, parked on the Norfolk Navy pier and owned by my XO (who bought it to console himself after a nasty divorce). Seventeen years later, I still own mine….and while in storage through the winter months….it never fails to bring “smiles with the miles”! Great video….and I always get a kick out of any source that makes it clear that the front engine, water cooled 924/944 saved Porsche’s proverbial financial ass. And this was an exceptional video!
The 924 started as a planned idea to then grow up to be the 968 and end the era of the 924. The 924S by far is has the best sleek design of of them all. Even in stock form vs a stock 944, or 944 turbo, the 924S is the smoothest at top speed. Cutting through the air like butter. Whatever you drive, wether a 944 Turbo or a 968, you are still driving a grown up 924! Plain and simple. Love them all!!!
Back in 1985 for my 25th birthday, I bought a 924, with of course, the Audi engine. I couldn't believe how well balanced and predictable that car was. The only mod I made was a bit wider tires on BBS wheels, for even better handling. It wasn't awful fast, but on windings roads like on the video, pure fun. I later drove the S model, and an early 944. The wider track of the 944, was definitely better, but always thought the 924S was the better value and equally fun. Don't hardly see any of them anymore. Great video.
I have owned a Thing my whole life and have had a couple of 944’s. Always enjoyed sharing the fact that the two cars shared componentry. Blew people’s’ minds. First time I have ever heard anyone on Youtuve share that nugget of random knowledge, strong work!
Porsche was for a Long time from 1948 to 1974 a main development brain work and technical thinktank until the mid-engine compact car Desaster from 1972 that cost Volkswagen billions of Deutschmark and nearly brought bankruptcy to VW. So there is no wonder about parallel part use..
Andreas Schmidt absolutely. I love the engineering behind the original beetle and it’s derivatives as well as the Porsche adaptions as well. I had a 69 911 as well and the dna was clearly visible even though the build quality and attention to detail were a magnitude higher
The 944 exploded in value and I remember begging my dad to let me buy one back in 2012 in highschool. I worked disgusting hours for a highschool student and did side jobs constantly. I had a pretty good little nest egg and would've loved to have a 944 with every nuance that came with it
@@joejoe188 , no, they jumped in value way before that. I sold mine for pennies in 2010. I started looking again in 2016 but couldn't find anything that didn't need major work for less than $5,000. The nicer examples were already up around 15,000-17,000. This past summer, the prices were just the same. yes, everything has gone up though. These were just jumping in popularity and price a little earlier than that. between 2000-2012 people were buying up running cars for $750 and LITERALLY chopping them up to part out. After every part was off, they sawzall-ed the bodies to take them to scrap because they were worthless at the time.
@@kennycoulter5525 it's too bad. Time was you could get a decent driver 83-85 for 2000-3000 bucks and an early Turbo for 7 or 8. I miss owning 944s and really hope I'll be able to one day again, but it's not looking good!
This video makes an important point that the Transaxle Porsches were not the only cars that Porsche continued to evolve. To add to this point, Porsche achieved this continued refinement and development on the racetrack. 924 GTP which won its class in the 1981, 24hrs of Le Mans became the basis of the 944 Turbo road car. Awesome video, well done!
At 5:06 -- don't be down on Torsion Bars. F1 cars moved from coil springs to torsion bars about 30 years ago, and have never gone back. Torsion bars often have packaging benefits compared to coil springs, not to mention a lower unspring weight. Technically, coil springs and Torsion bars work the same way, the bar is twisted for the springing effect. The only difference is that torsion bars are in a straight line, while coil springs have been wrapped into a coil. The twist effect is the same in both.
924 S2 Turbo unbelievably good raw fun to drive. Fast (155mph) small and well balanced stuck to the road no matter what the weather conditions and could out pace many newer Porsches with ease.
Really good video, thanks! When I was young, there was always this stigma of "can't afford a real Porsche, huh?" if someone had a 924. But I always liked the styling of the 924 and especially the 944 turbo. And today all of them are cool classics.
Proud owner of a 1984 944 for 4 years now. Despite everything bad I've heard about it, this car is absolutely fantastic! Still makes me smile every time I take it for a spin. So much fun to drive!
Jason, this is my favorite car series currently. Incredible research. Spot on pace. Just the right amount of your signature cheesiness. Wonderful driver’s point-of-view sights and SOUNDS of these cars. And (thank god) no drifting!
Yes just yes. I love this whole series of cars and while I knew a lot of the pieces of their history, Jason filled in new ones and then made a fantastic picture out of it all, bravo.
Great to see the start of universal appreciation for the 924, really enjoyed the video. Shame the racing pedigree/history of the 924 (Turbo & Carrera GT) wasn't covered. With a LeMans class victory and Monte Carlo participation it's certainly not a car to be ignored! Can't wait to see more like this.
you need more exposure Jason. Your shows are amazing, you get into the technical parts without being boring. Scripts are A1, film is A1. You need more views. you should be Guest appearance or 4th player on the next CAR TREK
As a 924 owner o thank you for doing it justice, this car's have gotten so much hate from the so called purists that's don't even know the history of it.
This made me smile. Thank you so much for the history. I've always been a big fan of the front engined Porsches, (especially the 928), ever since I first saw them in car magazines as a kid in the 80's. The 928 is my all time dream car. I cringe every time I see a modified 944 or 928. Thank you.
There is one a half an hour from my place. An 85 with 40K kms. Never been driven for a number of years so I imagine you would have to drain all the fluids to get it running. Garaged and one owner. Black of course. The only issue I have with the 928 is those goofy pop up lights when raised. They should have incorporated them in the design.
That was a great story and great story-telling. Thanks again Jason, for such rich, engrossing content. I remember my young self trying to wrap his head around how a 4-cyl Porsche was in the same class as -- and **beating** -- the V8 Corvette in SSGT-class racing. The 944 still looks contemporary today.
Two things - While the 944 was basically the same thing as the 924 it was beefed up underneath to handle extra power. The 968, however, was an entirely new car, not a facelifted 944.
Porsche claimed something like 85% new or something like that, but it was a facelifted 944...originally going to be the S3 until they thought it was new enough (marketing probably had something to do with it) to call it its own designation. Lots of parts are interchangeable between the two.
I test drove an 89 924S. Was going to buy it, but before plunking down my money I test drove a civic Si for shits and giggles and couldn't believe how much better the ride quality and handling was. Was so much fun I bought it. No regrets.
Love the show. Great explanation and interesting history. Hope the good people at Hagerty keep on funding the show and you keep finding intriguing cars to talk about. (Small correction, a strong dollar would have made the Porsche cheaper, but I’ll give you a pass)
And his comment about a weaker Deutsche Mark was backward also. A weak German currency makes German goods cheaper to import, and a stronger U.S. dollar makes them cheaper to import.
Love all the history, thank you! My '84 944 was my first love, and my '86 was my absolute obsession. Such unique cars. My 86 is waiting in the barn for an eventual engine swap. I've owned 25+ cars over the years, and my '86 944 is my enduring favorite out of all of them.
For a few years (1999-2002) I had a 1986 944 with factory Koni yellows, stiffer springs, thicker swaybars, and a gorgeous staggered set of factory colour-matched forged Fuchs wheels (as this was pre-ABS, these were the "deep" versions). That car replaced a modified NA Miata as my summer daily driver and weekend track car, and it excelled at both. On most courses, 1980s 911s would pull away in the straight, but I'd always reel them back in on the turns; on tracks where there was a complex of turns before the next passing zone I'd get enough gap that they'd never catch up even with highly-skilled drivers. My only issue with the car during my ownership was oil cooling on the track - the factory oil cooler was insufficient, causing the oil to heat, lose viscosity, and pressure to fall. I could run the Miata until it ran out of gas, but the Porsche needed cooling off after a few hard laps. Running Mobil 10W40 helped extend run times but didn't resolve; I can't remember if I upgraded the oil cooler and resolved the issue before I sold it, but I remember the buyer was not a track guy.
I have had my 88 Porsche 924S for 7 years now. I love it so much.. this is the first time I have watched this video and I never knew it had this much of a prominant history.
I've kinda always sorta wanted a 928. On paper they sound like the German equivalent of what an American muscle car wants to be. v8 rwd, but it handles and stops. Yeah they do that now ,but not at the time.
My parents broke the bank to get one when I was a kid.... sadly my dads not the best about maintenance and now it languishes in the weeds with a broken engine.
14:06 i worked on a couple of k70's when i was doing my apprenticeship at a vw dealership. surprisingly they were quite reliable but owners complained of high fuel consumption. other memories are the cool multiple tappet covers and crisp styling compared to various offerings from ford or gm
The 924 did everything a car is supposed to do reasonably well. Good looking, good performance, good fuel mileage, practical, dependable, decent cargo capacity. I even took it too the track and had a blast. It has nothing to apologize for. It's not a muscle car. And was never meant to be. But it was a joy to drive, and one of the all around best cars I've ever owned.
This has become one of my favorite channels! I can't believe I never heard of Hagerty media before this. Do they make a magazine as well? In the 90's I'd get 5-6 car magazines a month and none of them were as good as this! Excellent job!
Porsche 924 and Porsche 944 are among my favorite Porsche’s. Every man’s Porsche. Yes, the Mazda RX-7 FC, Toyota Supra A70, and Nissan Z31’s of the same era were much more affordable as a sports car, but Porsche actually tried so that’s commendable.
Thank you, great report. used to be the lucky owner of 1 x 924 turbo, 2 x 924 Carrera GT and 1 X 928 S4 manual + 2 x 928GT, all drove fantastic and left me with excellent memories for over 500k km. My speed record was with a Carrera GT on German highway, reached the tacho maximum and the car was still accelerating !
I've owned a few from the 944 family over the years and as far as I could see there was never any stigma within the Porsche water-cooler community against the 924. No one thought of it as 'less than' within that sphere.
Hagerty is my newest favorite car enthusiast location on the internet. It is excellent- don’t change a single thing. For us gear heads / petrol heads, these Hagerty documentaries is just what we all need. Hello from Seattle.
@@arthursmith5409 Well plus they were all german spec so they couldn't be (cheaply) imported back to the states when soldiers PCS'd, so there was a constant rotation of them that just stayed in circulation on the bases.
I'll be 45 in a month. I loved the look of the 944, I couldn't tell you why, but I did. I didn't know the history of it, but heard rumours when I was younger. Many thanks for the education on the topic.
I don't remember exactly which model it was, but in 1991 there was a red Porsche for sale near my house for 3k. I remember trying everything I could to come up with the money but I was still a junior in high school so didn't have it saved, and my parents didn't want me to get the car so weren't willing to lend it to me. To this day I wonder how much different senior year of high school might have been driving a red Porsche.
the 928 it´s not a cheap car it was the V8 porshe and the turbo was incredible and the NSX could be more fast than the litle mondial but in a race the NSX never could get closer to the litle mondial and i don´t like ferrari´s that much but had to have the litle mondial in silver
I have an ‘89 944. It still looks cool and I love driving it! People are always giving me thumbs ups and asking about it. It has aged well! It’s not my fastest but it’s just the most pleasurable car I have ever driven.
Great story...thanks. We're the owners of the 1979 924 that PCA Panorama editor Rob Sass drove cross country in late 2017. Even in its coughing and wheezing state when we picked it up, rolling on probably the world's worst tires, it was fun to drive. Looking forward to enjoying it fully when we get more of it sorted. Parts aren't a problem (so far) and it's fairly easy & fun to work on (helps that I grew up working on VW/Audi powertrains & Bosch K-Jet).
This the history on iconic car brand that I’ve been searching for. The kind that shows the back story relating to each car model, the car company’s philosophy, their foundation, their short comings and their stories of overcoming those challenges to make the best sport cars! I want more!!!!
When I was a teenager, I stole my old man 928 GTS while he was out of town and got caught on the interstate running 172mph in 60mph. He came and got his car out of impound and left me in jail. God I miss that fella, well long story short, I now own a 928 I was arrested in 25 years ago. Very underrated car.
Sorry about your old man. I have similar stories. 928s are incredible cars.
beautiful story
your old man did right, i would do the same with my daughter if she ever do such things with my car or motorbike.
Did you also meet a girl, get chased by her pimp, then get high and let your dad's 928 roll into a lake? ("Who's the U-boat commander...") 😎 JK, but as I type this, I see news that this very same 928 from the movie just went to auction today.
@@laurat1129 Sorry, no beautiful girl in this story, only a cell mate named Leroy that smoked old cigarettes butts in toilet paper and refused to pay his child support. I get your reference though, Risky Business was before my time but I've seen it. Ok movie.
I absolutely LOVED my 944. I literary cried when I was t-boned by a reckless driver that blew through a stop sign. All of the witnesses thought I was crying because of physical pain caused by the accident...but it was losing my beloved 944 that had me screaming like a misbehaving 3 year old at WalMart. I'm actually tearing up now. Great car!
I know how you feel.
I would probably do exactly the same thing
For one thing Hagerty, screw you and your little pop-up rules list, number two, the same thing happened to my sister’s VW Corrado in the 90s.
RIP.
Richard was it the turbo model or the base one? It still looked like an awesome car regardless.
Hagerty is now what Motortrend used to be for me. Such quality and educational content. Brilliant!
I used to watch MT just for Cammisa so that works out for me.
MotorWho?
@@joshuagibson2520 🤣🤣
@@joshuagibson2520 Same as with Road&Truck ! 🤢
Canceled my sub after 40 years !
Yup, amazing they are an insurance company too.
The Porsche 944 is what drove me through 5 years of engineering school. Mine is a 1983 and I still own it. Driving it on curvy roads is one of the few pleasures I have in life.
thats nice, iv always wanted one but now its €30.000 here for a sort of decent 944 2.5.
One of few... I can imagine..
@@Boemel i bought a special edition cabriolet all leather inside with the top looking like suede ,bordeux coulour with a number on the dash it cost me 500€ in the netherlands this in late 80´s or early 90´s when porshe was a cheap car, and i´m talking about perfect condition cars after i bought a 968 S but sold dozens of them, the 911 was still expensive but afordable the maintenance was the problem , i had a black 911turbo from the first years,don´t remenber what i paid i was selling so many that i don´t remenber what i´ve paid for the 911 or the 968, those late 70´s porshes were perfect ,you had the option of choosing the interior at your own taste, regards
being an engineering student now and driving a 944 😄！！🤝
Porsche 944 was my first diecast model display car as a kid. Loved that thing.
I unfortunately I had and sold a '77 in '96.
Got it for 501 USD. It had a common issue with the fuel system which required a 20 dollar part to fix.
I sold it for 2500 USD the next weekend after I buffed it and bristle brushed the rims (polished without polish).
It had around 84k miles and was in pristine condition. Interior was flawless. Complete service/ownership records in the glove box!
I should have kept that car.
I have an unhealthy love for those phone dial rims.
a neighbor has a 997 with rotiforms in that style. great look.
My 924 has the 4 lugs phone dials, i went to great lenghts to get a set. I guess i do too
I love the ones on the Diablo!
I have a set I’ve been trying to sell for months, but nobody wants them 🤷🏽♂️
@@sterlingsilver320 I’m crazy but not quite crazy enough to buy a set wheels before getting the car.
A 924S (924 with the 944 engine) is sitting in my family's garage right now. Love that car to death. My grandpa bought it new in 1988 and it still looks as it did on the showroom floor.
Same here…we have a 1988 924S in our family garage that my dad and I bought years ago. I love that thing. 😀
I got a used a '82 944 as my first car 10 Years ago - These cars are so underappreciated! Sadly it's currently sitting in a Garage 10 minutes from my home waiting for several Fixes while I try to handle family Life - the Driving at the end gave me all of the nostalgia
How much do you want for it? $$$
A 944 is basically a 924 with a different set of wings on it. So is the 968.
@@barryrudge1576 different axles, different engine…and later different cockpit, different windows, highly modified body…
My heart skips a beat whenever there's a new Jason Camisa video.
Ikr me too
Kinda glad he left motor trend
@ishburns
I had wondered where he went after his review of the Alfa Romeo
Long thin shaft
I'm a life-long Porsche devotee so I say this with no ill-will, but I remember as a kid, my friend's father bought a 924, and because it was a Porsche, we all assumed it was going to be a super-fast race car. Then he took us out for a drive in it, and I remember thinking, "This is only slightly faster than my mom's Toyota."
and breaks down after every 10 000
That Ivory and black 944 interior is stunning! One of the best Porsche Interiors of all time.
this is the best show on youtube hands down
You haven't seen the Carmudgeon, didn't you?
@@Shmee149 i have not. i guess i should check it out
Try savagegeese if you you like in-depth car information.
Jason is the best!
@@umtbozkr2358 he’s cool but not as cool as Calvin Harris.
And there go the last affordable Porsche’s. Hold on a sec let me count the holes in my head real quick…
Nah. These went up already quite a bit (at least in Germany/Europe). The „last affordable“ Porsche is probably the 986 Boxster.
On another note: I still don’t get over how hideous these bumpers and reflectors are 😅
In the UK there are still quite a few cheap Porsche models.
Wheez😂😂😂💯I counted my holes in my head as well so I fucking chuckled at your comment
@@jim_bocho why do you have to hurt us like this? my state even has front license plate mandatory ;_;
@@GoodMenstruationAttitude Have you seen the baking trays we have to drive around with in Germany? 😅
I for one really appreciate that we get to see the car in question driven 'with spirit' at the of these videos, on a normal winding road where most of us will most likely enjoy them, and get to here them 'for real' rather than a track day fly by or deafening drum and base, keep up the good..no outstanding work!
FYI, it's Lucas Valley road in Marin County.
I’m definitely a Porsche fan but could only afford a 1980 Scirocco. I read my cousins car and driver magazine on how to drive a stick shift and practiced on his non running 1972 Pinto in the driveway. Year later in 1987 I saw a Scirocco in the used car lot adjacent to JFK airport. I purchased the car and drove off the lot without ever test driving it or knowing how to drive a stick shift car. I drove out the lot and headed to work at UPS on 43rd and 12th Avenue. I was too nervous to stall the car and made it from the Conduit, Van Wyck, LIE and across the 59th street bridge without stalling. I made my first left in NYC and got caught at a light surrounded by NYC taxicabs. My car stalled and their horns were wailing. With the noise of the taxi’s horns I learned quickly by recalling the car and driver magazine and drove off never to stall again. That was one of my best cars.
I loved the Rabbit GTI conversions (as at the time VW did have the GTI in the States), and when the Scirocco came out, was in love.
Sadly had to sell my first for college (dark green exterior / tan interior) but bought another at some point after. That one had a few issues, and was glad to get rid of it.
I bought my 1987 944 almost 1 year ago. I bought it non running and it was sitting behind the PO's garage for around 3 years due to the clutch master cylinder and the dme relay going out. I'm 18 and this is My first porsche I have since fixed it up and have replaced the following- dme relay, fuel pump, cleaned fuel injectors and installed new seals, new lindsay racing braided steel fuel lines, spark plugs, cap and rotor, oil and filter, air filter, fuel filter, fresh coolant flush, new clutch master cylinder , bled brakes and clutch, and there's lots lots more. All of this I have accomplished by myself with the help of youtube and the repair manual. The car is in beautiful condition now and I hope to keep it that way.
That is cool! I want to own a 944 some day.
bro please shiut up
I really like this series, the detail, the info everything & I'm happy to be this early
Same same here, just happy to have discovered it
A fabulous expose on a criminally underrated car! Amazing work as always by Mr. Cammisa. I drove my 944 to work the last few days and it never fails to put a smile on my face.
Please let it stay underated I get my license in 4 months hoping to get one still decently cheap
13:14 Cyclist says hello. Hagerty, I love the Camissa series explaining cars to me.
The 944 Turbo was one of the greatest cars ever engineered. Yes the 924 was a parts-bin special, but the 944 had the same suspension as the M3 but mopped the floors with it. When I lived in Berlin, my dentist's dad was CFO of Porsche and he introduced me to the Weissach engineers I needed to know. As a PCA instructor, I obtained the 968 Turbo RS suspension settings and when I came back to the States I ordered custom coil-overs from Koni valved to 968 spec plus Hypercoil springs and M030 antiroll bars and 928 GTS brakes. When Randy Pobst drove my car in the rain at Mid Ohio in 2007, he said it was the best handling car he's ever driven--thanks to the 968 RS spec suspension I had along with Pirelli wet tires. I wish I could take credit for it, but I had a bit of help. The 944 Turbo is one of the greatest cars ever made.
I remember my toy one. Just childhood dreams.
I like the cleaner look of the 924
I have a 1987 924S in my garage, I love that thing and love that it’s a Porsche that the average tinkering individual can tool on and learn how to work on them. There are plenty of useful videos for these cars out there as well. Awesome car to drive and own!!!
Love the in car footage for a finale. The combo of intake, exhaust, and tire squeal at the limit are music to my ears
Also good for a wide-eyed cyclist..
That was good driving,, it's so relaxing to be in the Zone
I love that this series summarizes the story of an interesting car so well - PLUS it involves research beyond reading a few Wikipedia articles and therefore almost always brings information that even hardcore carnerds didn't know about.
For real, I’ve lost count of how many cartubers I’ve watched who seem like they have interesting things to say until they get to a car I know and it quickly becomes apparent they’re either talking out of their ass or just half assed the research.
I am a 944 junkie and have owned over 10 of them (including variants) over a 20 year span, and there were 2 facts in there that I didn't know. Thanks Jason and Hagerty.
@@mr22guy Right!? Same for me - I own a W124 and the Video about the 500E taught me a thing or two about it, although I'm a huge nerd about it.
I've been daily driving my 968 while my other car has been in the shop. It really is a fantastic car, and it amazes me that for basically a 40+ year old design, I still get people asking me if it's a new model from Porsche!
It really is one of the best looking cars ever made
@@anthonyfarnan5935 I agree! I just wish that during all that development time, they had fixed the damn rear hatch issue!
When I turned 50, coinciding with the year I was promoted to O-6, I rewarded myself with an extremely low mileage 1990 944s2 Cabriolet. I had wanted one since seeing my first one “in the flesh”, parked on the Norfolk Navy pier and owned by my XO (who bought it to console himself after a nasty divorce). Seventeen years later, I still own mine….and while in storage through the winter months….it never fails to bring “smiles with the miles”! Great video….and I always get a kick out of any source that makes it clear that the front engine, water cooled 924/944 saved Porsche’s proverbial financial ass. And this was an exceptional video!
The 924 started as a planned idea to then grow up to be the 968 and end the era of the 924. The 924S by far is has the best sleek design of of them all. Even in stock form vs a stock 944, or 944 turbo, the 924S is the smoothest at top speed. Cutting through the air like butter. Whatever you drive, wether a 944 Turbo or a 968, you are still driving a grown up 924! Plain and simple.
Love them all!!!
Great video. Now I’m going to hop in my 944 and drive the 30 miles to work.
I have a 944 and love the transaxle Porsches. Seeing this video, along with Jason Cammisa, makes my day. THANK YOU!
EXCELLENT! Never stop producing this series. (And I love seeing the cars flogged at the end each episode - on Marin backroads!)
I had a 1988 Porsche 944. Loved that car and its massive 3.0L 4 cylinder engine. That's huge displacement for a 4 cylinder engine.
Back in 1985 for my 25th birthday, I bought a 924, with of course, the Audi engine. I couldn't believe how well balanced and predictable that car was. The only mod I made was a bit wider tires on BBS wheels, for even better handling. It wasn't awful fast, but on windings roads like on the video, pure fun. I later drove the S model, and an early 944. The wider track of the 944, was definitely better, but always thought the 924S was the better value and equally fun. Don't hardly see any of them anymore. Great video.
I have owned a Thing my whole life and have had a couple of 944’s. Always enjoyed sharing the fact that the two cars shared componentry. Blew people’s’ minds. First time I have ever heard anyone on Youtuve share that nugget of random knowledge, strong work!
Porsche was for a Long time from 1948 to 1974 a main development brain work and technical thinktank until the mid-engine compact car Desaster from 1972 that cost Volkswagen billions of Deutschmark and nearly brought bankruptcy to VW. So there is no wonder about parallel part use..
Andreas Schmidt absolutely. I love the engineering behind the original beetle and it’s derivatives as well as the Porsche adaptions as well. I had a 69 911 as well and the dna was clearly visible even though the build quality and attention to detail were a magnitude higher
Never get tired of Cammisa!
Never get tired of hagerty
That’s a wheely nice comment. Thanks!
Cammisa and Chris Harris are really the best car reviewers out there.
I 100% agree. I think Henry Catchpole and maybe Matt Farah get honorable mentions too.
I miss the vibe with Camissa and Hyphen.
Along with thomas and james
What are Doug?
Throw a blanket over Cammisa, Harris, Catchpole and Metcalfe.
The 944 exploded in value and I remember begging my dad to let me buy one back in 2012 in highschool. I worked disgusting hours for a highschool student and did side jobs constantly. I had a pretty good little nest egg and would've loved to have a 944 with every nuance that came with it
@@joejoe188 , no, they jumped in value way before that. I sold mine for pennies in 2010. I started looking again in 2016 but couldn't find anything that didn't need major work for less than $5,000. The nicer examples were already up around 15,000-17,000. This past summer, the prices were just the same.
yes, everything has gone up though. These were just jumping in popularity and price a little earlier than that. between 2000-2012 people were buying up running cars for $750 and LITERALLY chopping them up to part out. After every part was off, they sawzall-ed the bodies to take them to scrap because they were worthless at the time.
@@kennycoulter5525 it's too bad. Time was you could get a decent driver 83-85 for 2000-3000 bucks and an early Turbo for 7 or 8. I miss owning 944s and really hope I'll be able to one day again, but it's not looking good!
@@joejoe188 wrong
Same dude, could have bought 2 for $1000 one to build one for parts. Dad said no, probably had his reasons but dang could have made some money
This video makes an important point that the Transaxle Porsches were not the only cars that Porsche continued to evolve. To add to this point, Porsche achieved this continued refinement and development on the racetrack. 924 GTP which won its class in the 1981, 24hrs of Le Mans became the basis of the 944 Turbo road car. Awesome video, well done!
I love Jason. I’m so glad he landed at Hagerty. I also love he quotes every car magazine except MT. LOL ...
@5:30 Resonance analogies don't get any better than this! 😂 You guys make fantastic videos
Jason, I know you have an extensive team behind you, but you do a great job as the front man! Top shelf productions.
At 5:06 -- don't be down on Torsion Bars. F1 cars moved from coil springs to torsion bars about 30 years ago, and have never gone back. Torsion bars often have packaging benefits compared to coil springs, not to mention a lower unspring weight. Technically, coil springs and Torsion bars work the same way, the bar is twisted for the springing effect. The only difference is that torsion bars are in a straight line, while coil springs have been wrapped into a coil. The twist effect is the same in both.
924 S2 Turbo unbelievably good raw fun to drive. Fast (155mph) small and well balanced stuck to the road no matter what the weather conditions and could out pace many newer Porsches with ease.
Really good video, thanks! When I was young, there was always this stigma of "can't afford a real Porsche, huh?" if someone had a 924. But I always liked the styling of the 924 and especially the 944 turbo. And today all of them are cool classics.
Same story with the Boxster. Even in the days of CHM Top Gear, both Clarkson and Hammond critized those who own it as those who can't afford the 911.
Jason you should be proud of what you do! Thank You for digging for real facts and presenting them so well! Great Job
Proud owner of a 1984 944 for 4 years now. Despite everything bad I've heard about it, this car is absolutely fantastic! Still makes me smile every time I take it for a spin. So much fun to drive!
Jason, this is my favorite car series currently. Incredible research. Spot on pace. Just the right amount of your signature cheesiness. Wonderful driver’s point-of-view sights and SOUNDS of these cars. And (thank god) no drifting!
My 1981 Porsche 924 got me 7 years perfect attendance, the way it felt was perfect! Thanks for doing an episode on this car it truly deserves it!!
A great car, after I'd bought my RX-7 I regretted not spending the extra bucks.
Yes just yes. I love this whole series of cars and while I knew a lot of the pieces of their history, Jason filled in new ones and then made a fantastic picture out of it all, bravo.
Great to see the start of universal appreciation for the 924, really enjoyed the video. Shame the racing pedigree/history of the 924 (Turbo & Carrera GT) wasn't covered. With a LeMans class victory and Monte Carlo participation it's certainly not a car to be ignored! Can't wait to see more like this.
One of my favorite cars I've ever owned was my 924. It was a fantastic car that was a blast to drive.
Jason Cammisa's work is always excellent!
Great story. Thanks. I had a 85.5 944 in the 90s. Loved it. History, engineering, resourcefulness, survival. Epic tale of victory. Cheers!
you need more exposure Jason. Your shows are amazing, you get into the technical parts without being boring. Scripts are A1, film is A1. You need more views. you should be Guest appearance or 4th player on the next CAR TREK
he has nothing to do with those spoiled rich kids
@@tusam3643 wat
ehh no, He's a proper auto journalist.
More exposure? He's literally the most famous car journo after Chris Harris...
@@Jackinacox who also likes to have fun, he would fit well with car trek, and by extension vinwiki
hands down one of the best car shows together with the grand tour
As a 924 owner o thank you for doing it justice, this car's have gotten so much hate from the so called purists that's don't even know the history of it.
Hey I'm thinking about getting one , do they drive well?
Extremely educating and enlightening. Wish we have more programs like this. Well done Mr. Camesa, and Mr. Hagerty.
This made me smile. Thank you so much for the history. I've always been a big fan of the front engined Porsches, (especially the 928), ever since I first saw them in car magazines as a kid in the 80's. The 928 is my all time dream car. I cringe every time I see a modified 944 or 928. Thank you.
There is one a half an hour from my place. An 85 with 40K kms. Never been driven for a number of years so I imagine you would have to drain all the fluids to get it running. Garaged and one owner. Black of course. The only issue I have with the 928 is those goofy pop up lights when raised. They should have incorporated them in the design.
That was a great story and great story-telling. Thanks again Jason, for such rich, engrossing content.
I remember my young self trying to wrap his head around how a 4-cyl Porsche was in the same class as -- and **beating** -- the V8 Corvette in SSGT-class racing.
The 944 still looks contemporary today.
Two things - While the 944 was basically the same thing as the 924 it was beefed up underneath to handle extra power. The 968, however, was an entirely new car, not a facelifted 944.
It was a development of the 944 S2. It wasn’t an entirely new car.
Yep, not an entirely new car.
The interior of the 968 is damn near identical to the 85.5 and on 944
Porsche claimed something like 85% new or something like that, but it was a facelifted 944...originally going to be the S3 until they thought it was new enough (marketing probably had something to do with it) to call it its own designation. Lots of parts are interchangeable between the two.
@@papasmurf986 yep, that’s fair. Definitely much more than just a facelift, though.
I owned a 924s 2.5 and it was one of the best cars I’ve ever owned. Deceptively fast and cornered a dream.
same 😊 mine was in Royal red. i agree such a great car. ive never come across anything like it
I test drove an 89 924S. Was going to buy it, but before plunking down my money I test drove a civic Si for shits and giggles and couldn't believe how much better the ride quality and handling was. Was so much fun I bought it. No regrets.
This Chanel is definitely in my top 5 all time favorite TH-cam Chanel’s. Thank you for all the hard work!
Love the show. Great explanation and interesting history. Hope the good people at Hagerty keep on funding the show and you keep finding intriguing cars to talk about.
(Small correction, a strong dollar would have made the Porsche cheaper, but I’ll give you a pass)
And his comment about a weaker Deutsche Mark was backward also. A weak German currency makes German goods cheaper to import, and a stronger U.S. dollar makes them cheaper to import.
Love the episode! I'm currently doing a full restoration on my 924, and documenting it all.
Been enjoying watching yours and getting inspired about my own 924 project
@@slavoexploresamerica4495 Thank you! Good luck with your project too!
I've always loved the body style on the 924/944.
Love all the history, thank you! My '84 944 was my first love, and my '86 was my absolute obsession. Such unique cars. My 86 is waiting in the barn for an eventual engine swap. I've owned 25+ cars over the years, and my '86 944 is my enduring favorite out of all of them.
For a few years (1999-2002) I had a 1986 944 with factory Koni yellows, stiffer springs, thicker swaybars, and a gorgeous staggered set of factory colour-matched forged Fuchs wheels (as this was pre-ABS, these were the "deep" versions). That car replaced a modified NA Miata as my summer daily driver and weekend track car, and it excelled at both. On most courses, 1980s 911s would pull away in the straight, but I'd always reel them back in on the turns; on tracks where there was a complex of turns before the next passing zone I'd get enough gap that they'd never catch up even with highly-skilled drivers.
My only issue with the car during my ownership was oil cooling on the track - the factory oil cooler was insufficient, causing the oil to heat, lose viscosity, and pressure to fall. I could run the Miata until it ran out of gas, but the Porsche needed cooling off after a few hard laps. Running Mobil 10W40 helped extend run times but didn't resolve; I can't remember if I upgraded the oil cooler and resolved the issue before I sold it, but I remember the buyer was not a track guy.
I have had my 88 Porsche 924S for 7 years now. I love it so much.. this is the first time I have watched this video and I never knew it had this much of a prominant history.
I had one. A fun little car, nimble and easily modded with 944/Audi bits.
3:00 Disclosure: how many Sciroccos has Cammisa owned ?
Hahahahaa
Not enough.
One and one only! 🥰
3 i guess
@@JasonCammisa Right... and how many different a1 volkswagens have donated their organs for it?
Hope this doesn’t cause the prices to go up I’ve been hoping to get my hands on a 924s for a while now.
80s mr2 is more fun. Better engine
Hey mate, there a 924S 5 Speed 1988 year listed on Bring a trailer. NOWS YOUR CHANCE
I've kinda always sorta wanted a 928.
On paper they sound like the German equivalent of what an American muscle car wants to be.
v8 rwd, but it handles and stops.
Yeah they do that now ,but not at the time.
Why not get a 944? Basically the same car with better performance
My parents broke the bank to get one when I was a kid.... sadly my dads not the best about maintenance and now it languishes in the weeds with a broken engine.
14:06 i worked on a couple of k70's when i was doing my apprenticeship at a vw dealership. surprisingly they were quite reliable but owners complained of high fuel consumption. other memories are the cool multiple tappet covers and crisp styling compared to various offerings from ford or gm
The 924 did everything a car is supposed to do reasonably well. Good looking, good performance, good fuel mileage, practical, dependable, decent cargo capacity. I even took it too the track and had a blast. It has nothing to apologize for. It's not a muscle car. And was never meant to be. But it was a joy to drive, and one of the all around best cars I've ever owned.
This has become one of my favorite channels! I can't believe I never heard of Hagerty media before this. Do they make a magazine as well? In the 90's I'd get 5-6 car magazines a month and none of them were as good as this! Excellent job!
Gosh, y'all really just make me want every one of these cars...
Porsche 924 and Porsche 944 are among my favorite Porsche’s. Every man’s Porsche. Yes, the Mazda RX-7 FC, Toyota Supra A70, and Nissan Z31’s of the same era were much more affordable as a sports car, but Porsche actually tried so that’s commendable.
I could listen to you talk about cars for forever thank you so much you are just brilliant
Excellent video! As a 911 owner I have a new appreciation for the 924 and 944!
Jason, you are very good at this stuff!
I've always loved these because they're parts bin cars. Mixing and matching different parts to really show how good they are together
2:43 What's wrong with a hole in the head you already have 7 of them. *Vsauce intesifies*
2 for ear holes, 2 for nostrils, 1 for mouth, are eyes the last two?
@@johnbacon4997 I see you are a man of culture as well
@@johnbacon4997 there are little ducts that connect your eyes and throat those are the other two
@@hydrothermalworm7778 you mean the sinuses?
Thank you, great report. used to be the lucky owner of 1 x 924 turbo, 2 x 924 Carrera GT and 1 X 928 S4 manual + 2 x 928GT, all drove fantastic and left me with excellent memories for over 500k km. My speed record was with a Carrera GT on German highway, reached the tacho maximum and the car was still accelerating !
Absolutlu the best and most informative car channel in YT! Cant get enough.
I've owned a few from the 944 family over the years and as far as I could see there was never any stigma within the Porsche water-cooler community against the 924. No one thought of it as 'less than' within that sphere.
Lol, that John Candy cameo made my day 🤣😂😁
“Has anyone ever embarrassed you this badly?” Hahaha
Man I’ve been watching the price on one of them smh well there goes Affordability
Great memories, I was a P+A dealership mechanic during all of this. Thanks for the accurate video.
Hagerty is my newest favorite car enthusiast location on the internet. It is excellent- don’t change a single thing. For us gear heads / petrol heads, these Hagerty documentaries is just what we all need. Hello from Seattle.
This video made me miss my 944 so badly. Especially the drive at the end, with it's raspy sound and induction noise.
I had one of those while stationed in Germany. It had a blown engine, I found the same engine in an Audi. Car ran lovely after.
Everyone had one of those while stationed in Germany.
@@salazam I guess you're right. Audi, Volkswagen, Porsche, all the same and in abundance.
@@arthursmith5409 Don't forget the 318TI's!
@@salazam True, people tend to go for the popular, not the less known. BTW: the less known are the gyms
@@arthursmith5409 Well plus they were all german spec so they couldn't be (cheaply) imported back to the states when soldiers PCS'd, so there was a constant rotation of them that just stayed in circulation on the bases.
The only Porsche that a Porsche hater likes
Damn right ! Lol
When I was a teen, one uncle had a 924 & another had a 944. I spent a lot of time in these. Very nostalgic for a front-engine Porsche.
I'll be 45 in a month. I loved the look of the 944, I couldn't tell you why, but I did. I didn't know the history of it, but heard rumours when I was younger. Many thanks for the education on the topic.
I don't remember exactly which model it was, but in 1991 there was a red Porsche for sale near my house for 3k. I remember trying everything I could to come up with the money but I was still a junior in high school so didn't have it saved, and my parents didn't want me to get the car so weren't willing to lend it to me. To this day I wonder how much different senior year of high school might have been driving a red Porsche.
Great video!
I have one question: how was strong dollar (weak D-Mark) making German-made car more expensive? Shouldn't it be other way round?
Great video. IMO the 924 and 928 are tremendously underappreciated cars.
the 928 it´s not a cheap car it was the V8 porshe and the turbo was incredible and the NSX could be more fast than the litle mondial but in a race the NSX never could get closer to the litle mondial and i don´t like ferrari´s that much but had to have the litle mondial in silver
I have an ‘89 944. It still looks cool and I love driving it! People are always giving me thumbs ups and asking about it. It has aged well! It’s not my fastest but it’s just the most pleasurable car I have ever driven.
Great story...thanks. We're the owners of the 1979 924 that PCA Panorama editor Rob Sass drove cross country in late 2017. Even in its coughing and wheezing state when we picked it up, rolling on probably the world's worst tires, it was fun to drive. Looking forward to enjoying it fully when we get more of it sorted. Parts aren't a problem (so far) and it's fairly easy & fun to work on (helps that I grew up working on VW/Audi powertrains & Bosch K-Jet).
My first car was 924. But before I could get it on the road. The person I bought it from, took a tow truck and stole it back. Still pissed today.
Nice car, Alvin!
Thank you 🙏🏼
Ugh. I’d love to see a modern day 928.
This is one of the most informative and educational car videos I've ever seen. Great work. Love the tech talk!
This the history on iconic car brand that I’ve been searching for. The kind that shows the back story relating to each car model, the car company’s philosophy, their foundation, their short comings and their stories of overcoming those challenges to make the best sport cars! I want more!!!!