1990 Porsche 944 Turbo - fully restored

Bought as a somewhat leggy 944 Turbo by the previous owner, a Porsche specialist, in 2015 he then set about the process of turning it into one of the best in the country. We understand he simply planned to create the best 944 for his own personal use, so money, logistics, labour and cost-cutting were never considerations; changed circumstances mean the car was not to remain with him once complete. For those of a nervous fiscal disposition look away now… without taking the purchase price or his personal labour on the engine and car rebuild into consideration, he spent circa £40k on the car. And we have been asked to auction it at No Reserve. How does that Dizzee Rascal song go? Bonkers.

The work was completed in early 2018 and the result is one special 944 Turbo, both in terms of how it presents (immaculately) and how it drives (sharp as). It’s had a recent MOT, which as you’d expect it passed without so much as a sniff of an advisory, and is now ready for its next owner to get out an enjoy to the full.

Please see the comprehensive photographic history of the body and mechanical restoration in our image gallery below. We apologise that some are slightly less ‘useful’ (a.k.a. in focus) than others, they are just a part of the full data and media that is available with this car.

The Porsche was delivered to JRE Auto Services of Fleet, Hampshire as a ‘completely stripped out shell with rust issues’. The team there then went to town on it, and then some. First of all, the body was sent for shot blasting to remove paint, rust and underseal. Front and rear jacking points were replaced, with new rear quarter lower panels and inner and outer sills on both sides. Further repairs were made to front wings and inner rear valence, with new repair sections let in. Where available, original Porsche panels were sourced and used. Once the body works were complete, it was re-sprayed in its original Guards Red.

Well, what can we say? This 944 Turbo looks as if it’s just rolled off the production line. Its appearance is sublime. The bodywork is supremely straight, with no chips or flaws evident. The paint retains a brilliant lustre and lovely depth of colour, on top of which it has clearly had a lot of polish applied. Without wishing to sound ‘a bit weird’, please do arrange to view this car (using the Contact Seller button) and run your hand lightly over the body to feel (and see) for yourself.

Sometimes the focus on paint finish on a restored car can be to the detriment of contrasting window surrounds, badges and rubbers, which can often let the side down. No such worries here. Fresh rubbers have been sourced and used (including for the relatively new windscreen) and all scripting and badges are sharp, while at the rear the black rubber spoiler is a nice deep black colour and remains nice and supple.

The seven-spoke Porsche alloy wheels have been refurbished and remain in top condition and all Toyo Proxes T1-S 225/50/ZR18 tyres look practically unused.

Over £17,000 of invoices show that the bodywork is where a great deal of money had been spent, and for us that certainly shows.

Having just stated, “the bodywork is where a great deal of money has been spent”, I’m fairly sure the not insubstantial amount of £5978 paid to Berkshire-based Porsche trimming specialist, Whisperer Trimming Ltd, for a complete new interior isn’t to be sniffed at.

For this, the front seats were stripped and the driver’s frame welded to strengthen. These were then powder coated and new foams fitted and covered with fresh hide. At the rear the back seats received a similar treatment, again being re-finished in Porsche Linen leather.

Nothing was left untouched. The dashboard was stripped and re-finished, door cards and cappings ditto. Up top the headlining was removed and a new one fitted, while the internal rear three quarter panels were also restored. The leather steering wheel, gearstick gaiter and centre armrest were also re-trimmed. However the best bit is that all was completed using the correct Porsche-supplied original type fixings (see the multitude of Porsche invoices for bits and bobs), ensuring that attention to detail in here couldn’t be bettered.

So how does it stack up today? One word, it’s splendid. Okay that’s two, but hey with a cabin this good there’s no need for nitpicking. Can we spot a flaw? Hmmm, the driver’s seat bolster has a little bit of red-coloured grazing on it (perhaps from a previous owner’s matching Guards Red jacket?) – a bit of leather cleaner should do the job easily. Perhaps the boot carpet doesn’t quite hit the same highs as the interior, and the graphics on a few buttons and switches are a touch worn – now we really are nitpicking.

Slightly more seriously, we find that the interior fan only works on its max setting, the air-con does not appear to pump cold air, and we cannot make the sunroof unlock to allow it to be removed – we even read the manual to check we were doing the right thing.

List the words you’d want to apply to any potential purchase should you get down on bended knee and have a butchers underneath. We’d go for clean, smart, protected, and corrosion-free (two again, I know!).

There really is nothing to see here, and we mean that in a good way. All suspension components were bead blasted and re-finished, while the torque tube was powder-coated; every steel fixing was stripped and re-finished as per factory originality. Poly bushes were fitted, with all new metal fuel and brake pipes, while the underside received the correct Porsche anti stone chip protection. A mint sports exhaust system is also fitted (listen to its deep resonant note in our video, below).

And that’s what you get. Again, the pictures speak for themselves here. Clean, smart, corrosion-free and to that, add finished as per the factory.

Under the bonnet it’s even better. The photos show an engine that was completely rebuilt from first principles, the restoration pics show it being built up carefully and thoroughly, a bit of a treat for those of you who like a fresh piston… So opening the bonnet presents pretty much as it did in 1990, a grease and oil-free four-pot surrounded by fresh cooling hoses, as new brackets and clips and blackest of black plastics and housings. If you’re a Porsche originality freak then this car certainly has it.

We understand that the gearbox was rebuilt at the same time, but there is less evidence of this, apart from a sparkling outer casing and no issue changing ratios.

A quick test drive has also found nothing of serious concern to write about, but then it appears to have covered less than 1,000 miles since the odometer was reset post-resto’.

In response to a question the engine number is M44/51 47L01130 - we now have the V5, and confirm that this is the engine number written there.

There are enough restoration pictures included to satisfy even the most demanding potential new owner. Buy a car that’s never been apart and you’re only ever guessing at what lies beneath; look here, and you know exactly what’s been done and its current condition.

Complementing these is a word file provided by JRE Auto Services, which step-by-step details the bodywork carried out. In addition, there’s also a cost breakdown for each element, and corresponding handwritten invoice for them, with the total body expenditure costing a whopping £17,800 for paint & labour only.

There are a huge number of parts invoices including one from Turbo Unit Ltd of Tamworth for a reconditioned turbocharger (£288) and National Windscreens for a new ‘screen (£475). The majority of the remainder are from Porsche Centre Reading, with an approximate further outlay of circa £9k from it alone. We know even more was spent, but as this 944 was never intended to be sold, we understand that not all the invoices were kept.

The original driver’s manual is present, as is the service book. There’s an HPI document check certificate from April 2018, which came back clear and lists the various number plates the car has worn through the years. Finally, the current MOT certificate is there and indicates an expiry date of 24/03/2020.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been restored to the very highest standard.

With the greatest respect, we think you’d have to be a little bit barmy to buy a 944 Turbo and spend, spend, spend in order to get it up to this factory-fresh condition. However, some people get hooked on the restoration process and this car is the result. For the next owner it means they’ll have benefitted from that, without having to experience the considerable financial pain to get there.

This isn’t a car you buy on mileage, it’s ALL about condition and that’s clear for all to see in our comprehensive gallery of over 220 images and the accompanying video.

Pop it on the concours stand and there’s a blimmin’ good chance it’ll see off all comers. Stick it in your garage and it’ll provide plenty of turbocharged thrills for the next 29 years. Either way, it’s a win-win.

As stated earlier, all in all the 944 Turbo has had circa £40k spent on it, so we think a price point estimate of between £19,000 and £26,000 is more than fair for one in this condition. Bag it for the lower estimate and it’d be verging on the criminal, while towards the upper you’ll still struggle to find a better one for the price. Happy hunting - No Reserve too so it's on sale from the first bid.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located at The Market HQ in Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.