Porsche 944S Rebuild costs?

The cost of engine work depends on what needs to be done. A "new" engine will run a few thousand at least plus the cost of installation which wont be cheap. Almost the whole drivetrain needs to come out to drop the motor. You can get it out without removing everything but a shop will charge you for it even if they don't pull the torque tube, exhaust and transaxle. I spent almost $1800, including a 20% discount, to get the crank ground and straightened, two used rods, new main and rod bearings, seal kits and required sealants. That was just machine work and parts. I put the motor back together and back in. No work was done to the head at all. Nobody wants to buy a car full of bondo either. You would need a stud dent puller to pull the dents out and then smooth them out with putty if necessary. A paint job will be in excess of $1000 for a mediocre one. You'd be over $4000 buying a reman motor and a cheap paint job. It would be cheaper to buy a different car that doesn't need any work. As far as a 944S not being a sports car, it handles better than any american sports car of the same vintage and has a great weight to power ratio. If you have your mind set on a Porsche, I would recommend a 944 turbo.

it's not worth it at all. in all actuality, the engine alone would be close to 3 grand with parts/labor. you're looking at another thousand for the bodywork(unless you can find a very cheap parts car), even if you do it yourself. seriously, the 944S only had 200hp and it wasn't that good of a sportscar. for that kind of money, you can pick up something much quicker that doesn't need any work.