I think all years are good, except for the 87/88 has different offsets, but guys would chose the 88's for the motor. I like the 86 or 85.5 because you can use either the alum or steel arms, so that allows some options. You can also remove the tire well which makes it very easy to get to your trans-axle. I never liked the early dash in the 83-85. Except for a few exceptions, parts are interchangeable between the years.
The good thing about 944 spec is that it is really a personal preference as the differences are very minor.