Other Porsche question, No 914 content Options

[Ctrout]

Due to a growing family, I am considering a different car. I can't stand having to go places with my wife and baby and having to take the minivan because I have only 2 seats. So the question is, which car has roomier back seats, the late 80's 911 cabriolet or the 944 S2 cabriolet. I am leaning towards the 911 because it's air cooled and is the "real" Porsche. I do like the looks and power and handling specs of the 944 S2 though. Opinions?

[Joe Bob]

Both have the same tiny rear seats...I'm partial to cabs. Have you considered a 968 cab? This one is on EvilBay...one day left...
cab

(IMG:http://i3.ebayimg.com/04/i/07/04/63/89_12.JPG)

[Ctrout]

I did look at the 968 but it seems that parts may be hard to find as they made a very limited number of them didn't they? I think it would be much easier to find parts for the 944. Easier still for the 911. If the seats are the same size, I think I'll probably go with the tail dragger. The jury is still out however. I have a number of months to look before I have the funds to buy.

[Joe Bob]

The one above is a '94.....so I would think that there are still parts around. You can always drop a 928 motor in it later.....

[jasons]

Yeah they both suck for back seats. Basically you would never put an adult back there unless you had to. Nice thing about the 944S2 is, it has all the power of a 911. But, it has AC and Heat that work. Also grocery store trips are no problem with the big hatch area of a coupe. The sunroof In the coupe is huge and completely comes out of the car, sorta like a 914.

I'm not sure the S2/968 cabs have back seats. I think they were deleted.

[IronHillRestorations]

You don't want a cab' if you want a back seat. I'd probably opt for the water pumper coupe, if rear seating was important.

I'm not big on the 924/944/968's but the 968 could be the best of the lot.

[racerbvd]

Yeah they both suck for back seats. Basically you would never put an adult back there unless you had to. Nice thing about the 944S2 is, it has all the power of a 911. But, it has AC and Heat that work. Also grocery store trips are no problem with the big hatch area of a coupe. The sunroof In the coupe is huge and completely comes out of the car, sorta like a 914.

I'm not sure the S2/968 cabs have back seats. I think they were deleted.

Yes, they were deleted.

[TROJANMAN]

i'm pretty sure you can't fit a car seat in the rear of a 968 or a late 80's 911. if you need a car seat for your kids, you might want to test fit one first. my buddy has a 944 and can't get his kid's car seat to fit in the rear.
i was searching for a kid friendly sport's car recently too. I was considering M3's and M5's for a while. the M3 was available as a sedan in 97-98.

[GeorgeRud]

Porsche has (had?) a child seat available for the rear seats, but it was priced so high I think they didn't want to sell any.

I was faced with the same problem as my kids were born and I had a 914-6. My wife and I decided on purchasing a 911 Targa, since it would keep the kids somewhat enclosed and still give us a real Porsche experience. Once they got older and we didn't think they would launch themselves out of the car, we purchased a 87 911 Cabriolet so the entire family could go out at the same time. We really liked the 911s, but the kids do outgrow them pretty quickly.

Once they got old enough, we sold the 911s and I bought myself another 914, that I subsequently converted to a 6. Now we can all go to Porsche Club events, we just take two cars!

[Ctrout]

I love the looks of the SC Targas so maybe I'll try to find one. My oldest daughter is old enough to leave at home with my son so the main issue is to fit the baby's car seat. My son is a very small 9 year old 4'3" and about 50 pounds. He could actually fit comfortably in the 914's third seat. My oldest is big enough that she might be uncomfortable in the smallest seat but has her eye on the 914 as her first car so She doesn't really need to ride in dad's old guy Porsche anyway.

[anthony]

I don't think you can fit a baby carrier in the back of a 911. The only way to do it is for your wife to sit in the back and to put the baby carrier in the front seat.

Your 9 year old will be fine in the back seat of a 911 for a couple more years until he hits puberty and grows.

[Ctrout]

So it sounds like I may have to bow out from the Porsche realm for a few years until my baby is out of a car seat. Looks like I'll be shopping for a 5 series Bimmer convertible.

[Ctrout]

One more question for those who know. How much more room would there be in the back seat of a 911 Targa than in a convertible?

[carreraguy]

One more question for those who know. How much more room would there be in the back seat of a 911 Targa than in a convertible?

I just saw a thread on the Pelican 911 site re: back seat arrangements for babies/child seats. Recommend you check there - may answer your question.