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Car Forum / Porsche / Porshe 944 / March 2006944 good first car?
i just turned 18 and want to buy myself a car of my own (have been driving stepdads 92 Toyota SR5) and my neighbor is willing to sell me his 87 porsche 944 for 2k. i am a little hesant due to the 196k miles on it even though it seems like a really good buy. i have known my neighbor for over 5 years and i know how well he has taken care of his car. i have 6k total to spend on a car and i was curious if this car was a good buy for me at my age? maby i should wait and find another with lower miles? he has all service records for it. the orginal owner crashed it once. i am really thinking about buying this car and just wondering if this is a good car to buy even with the high millage. If it checks out at a Porsche mechanic...it is a great buy. The 944 was meant to last well over the mileage you state. Keep in mind...you are buying a 20 year old car, so, expect age issues to arise. Also, keep in mind you are buying a car that cost $40K back then, so parts cost a wee bit more than the average car. Lastly...the engine in that car was tweaked to the point where it was rated the same as most V-8's of it's day, so no, you won't be able to squeeze much more out of it. You will get smoked by ricers in the 1/4 mile. As far as I can see there is one drawback...once you have owned a Porsche...all other makers pale in comparison, so plan on saving for your next Porsche about a year after buying this one. >i just turned 18 and want to buy myself a car of my own (have been > driving stepdads 92 Toyota SR5) and my neighbor is willing to sell me [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > crashed it once. i am really thinking about buying this car and just > wondering if this is a good car to buy even with the high millage. i understand the age issues they come with any car you would buy. if i buy this car i will have around 4k left over. will this be enough *lets say i dont have a job for a month or 2* to pay for expenses coming from a tune up, replacing parts, ect.? the timing belt everyone is talking about....how much does it cost on average to replace it? this is one of my dream cars ever sence i was a little kid and i am right on the edge of getting it i just want to know what im jumping into before i jump in head first. At 2k very good buy. Belt change will probably cost 1k. Porsche good for 400k miles. Use Valvoline 20W-50 what type of oil filter should i use? when i change the filter that is what type of oil filter should i use? > At 2k very good buy. Belt change will probably cost 1k. If you have someone else do it. If your neighbor can do it himself, maybe he can lend you or sell you the tools - I think the belt itself is $25-$30. You'll probably want to learn to do your own maintainence and repairs, otherwise your wallet will end up very light :) You probably also want to become a rennlist member (www.rennlist.com) The advice you'll see over and over is to get a ppi (pre purchase inspection) by someone who knows these cars. You can get suggestions for a good ppi mechanic in your area at rennlist. There could be expensive items that are ready to go that the current owner doesn't know about. > Porsche good for 400k miles. Yep. There are a couple of guys with 300,000 mile 944 daily drivers on the original drivetrain (not rebuilt engines), lots more with 200k daily drivers. > Use Valvoline 20W-50 For most climates/seasons, 20w50 is good. I currently have 5w50 Castrol synthetic, but that's just for the occassional winter starts in the garage (unheated garage in Michigan, so air temps can be 10 fahrenheit or below). I'm going back to 20w50 in a month or two when it's warm enough to drive. Other things to note - when was the last clutch done? These are expensive and labor intensive to do. You'll also need oil filters with a good anti-drainback valve - the oil filter opening points to the ground and will empty of oil without a good check valve. Is AC important to you? These are all R12 systems unless a previous owner has converted to R134a. If the seller says it's a R12 system and just needs to be refilled, that's BS - it's leaking R12 somewhere, and that's expensive to repair or convert professionally. my 5 spd, 944 83 lasted 500,000 and was still going until i was hit in the rear. i thought i could get 600,000 miles easily. original engine & transmission. i think it's the 4 speed that lets the engine coast at a lower RPM than my 87 auto with 200K and that car runs like a baby. Just took it to FL and back to NY - twice last month. But that 87 needed the main brain computer and cruise control to be resoldered. That 87 brain can cause all sorts of weird problems - but my 83 electronics was perfect. Now my 87 Porsche car runs so great and smooth. I think it could almost be a lifetime car. And I was never nuts about changing the oil either, and I drove the baby EVERY SINGLE DAY. What a great PORSCHE.  Signature______ joliett > At 2k very good buy. Belt change will probably cost 1k. Porsche good > for 400k miles. > Use Valvoline 20W-50 for what it's worth, I got both my daughters 944s to drive on a regular basis, both do all their own maintenance, and both cars run great, one as about the miles you note, the other has about 80K more - these cars are good well past 250K if maintained well. you must MUST MUST MUST learn to do your own work or it will eat you alive, but if you do your own work the car will be great, and economical. But, dont' kill yourself - we all suffer testosterone poisioning at about 16, you should be nearly over that fatal feeling of immortality, but still, beware (yes, I drove a 356B off the side of a canyon and landed on the other side, and lived to tell the tale - you would be well served to not repeat that particular experiment, nor anything remotely like it) >i just turned 18 and want to buy myself a car of my own (have been >driving stepdads 92 Toyota SR5) and my neighbor is willing to sell me [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >crashed it once. i am really thinking about buying this car and just >wondering if this is a good car to buy even with the high millage. Bill www.wbnoble.com to contact me, do not reply to this message, instead correct this address and use it will iam_ b_ No ble at msn daught com What bill said. Cool thing about them is they are nice to work on compared to say an audi, or just about anything american. Get receipts for work done. Get a prepurchase inspection by a reputable mechanic, if you don't have one contact your local pca, and while you are at it ask them when they are having drivers ed. events or DE's they're called. These are a great way to experience a little of what your car is capable of doing what it was built to do. Oil filters, I use mahle wouldn't think of using other. don > for what it's worth, I got both my daughters 944s to drive on a > regular basis, both do all their own maintenance, Thumbs up on getting your daughters 944s (and I assume teaching them to do maintenance; my wife is afraid to open the hood) > But, dont' kill yourself - we all suffer testosterone poisioning at about 16, Your daughter's being an exception, of course! ;-) well, yes.... :-) older daughter did full repaint on a 51 dodge for her HS car, after a year at college got her the 944 - she hates mechanical work, but is good at body work, and will do both because she likes going to mechanics even less. Younger daughter got the dodge, did timing chain and brakes, rewired the controls for the fluid drive and several other things, then got a 944s after a year at college - she's much more mechanically inclined and has done more work, including all the prep for repaint, rewire of engine compartment, R&R steering rack, several R&R of intake manifold, etc. I still find myself helping with diagnostics and the occasional pull on a wrench though. by the way, photo of the dodge (but not porsche) on my web page in the hobbies area, www.wbnoble.com -- you'll also find some car repair articles I wrote there. >> for what it's worth, I got both my daughters 944s to drive on a >> regular basis, both do all their own maintenance, [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > >Your daughter's being an exception, of course! ;-) Bill www.wbnoble.com to contact me, do not reply to this message, instead correct this address and use it will iam_ b_ No ble at msn daught com what site would you recomend me to download from? i found a site but idont know how good it would be http://www.datamanuals.net/PORSCHE944p.htm > what site would you recomend me to download from? Grab the (huge) pdfs here: http://www.cannell.co.uk/Manuals.htm Clark's Garage has a write-up too: http://www.clarks-garage.com/ Make sure you read through the tensioning process really thoroughly before you decide whether to tackle the job yourself. Malc. what mark said - additional hint - make a "dry run" first without removing the belts so you know exactly where each little timing mark is. read the porsch manual at least twice and find EVERY !!!!! bolt and item it refers to. change timing rollers too, I know it's more expensive, but ... >> what site would you recomend me to download from? > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > >Malc. Bill www.wbnoble.com to contact me, do not reply to this message, instead correct this address and use it will iam_ b_ No ble at msn daught com > ... my neighbor is willing to sell me > his 87 porsche 944 for 2k. i am a little hesant due to the 196k miles > on it even though it seems like a really good buy... The 944 is a pretty sturdy car. With a modicum of care, they last a very long time. I agree with others to get a prepurchase inspection. Most mechanics will do it for $50-$75 or so. Well worth the cost. You will go into it with your eyes open. As the car is 20+ years old, you will find that some of the little plastic pieces are starting to get brittle and will need replacement. Same with rubber seals around doors and such. If the dash is cracked, a place like Just Dashes can redo it - for a price. If the seats need leather, you are looking at $1k to redo, etc. Two major things are: 1.) Timing belts every 30k miles. With a retension about 2k miles later. Some do a retension at 15k miles too. The rollers are done at 60k miles intervals. These are MUST DO services, because if a belt breaks, your valves and pistons will become very intimate... Be sure to take it to a mechanic who does a lot of 944s. He will have The Tool (a $400 part) to do a proper job of tensioning. The job is difficult, some say impossible, to do 'right' if he doesn't have it. Ask the shop owner to show it to you ('cause you've heard it is kinda neat looking. :) Cast a very wary eye towards anyone who doesn't use the proper tools for this critical service. 2.) Clutch change - a very expensive service. Clutches will usually last about 100k miles - unless there is a teenage driver around... At 195k miles, the car you are interested in is probably almost ready for its 2nd clutch change. Unfortunately to change the clutch requires removing and replacing the transaxle to gain clearance for replacement. This translates into a lot of labor costs. Figure $1k (US) or more. As for oil filters, Mahle is Porsches vendor of choice. So that is what most use. Last, check out the 944 forums and email lists at http://www.rennlist.com for the very best information on 944s. Hope this helps, Walt - 86 944 NA > > ... my neighbor is willing to sell me > > his 87 porsche 944 for 2k. i am a little hesant due to the 196k miles > > on it even though it seems like a really good buy... > Be sure to take it to a mechanic who does a lot of 944s. He will > have The Tool (a $400 part) to do a proper job of tensioning. Porsche part 9201; it's kind of sad I and most 944 owners know that by heart :-) And it may have been $400 a while ago; nowadays, it's $500-$900 if you can find one > The job is difficult, some say impossible, to do 'right' if he doesn't have it. There're some people who use Krikits ($20-$25) or use the "twist" method (by feel); both take some experience to get used to and there is an element of risk also (destroyed valves/pistons) if you get it wrong. Arnworx (Bruce Arn) makes a belt tensioning kit that is supposed to be accurate and easy to use (you need to supply a torque wrench that will read 35inch/lbs both ways - that's next on my purchase list since 9201 is out of my league currently. > Ask the shop owner to show it to you ('cause you've heard it is kinda > neat looking. :) Cast a very wary eye towards anyone who doesn't use > the proper tools for this critical service. I've never seen one, pictures show it is kinda cool looking. > 2.) Clutch change - a very expensive service. Yeah, I agree with everything everyone else has said. Just as reference point, I paid $4,200 US for my '86 n/a 944 last summer with 110,000 miles on it, had only 2,000 on a new clutch and a/c needs to be replaced. i went out and bought a porsche 944 automotive repair manual made by haynes so i can learn to do my own repair work. i was looking through it and i cant find anything about a timing belt. i found a ballance shaft belt and a camshaft belt but no timing belt. is there another name for it or am i just retarded right now? Cam = Timing >i went out and bought a porsche 944 automotive repair manual made by > haynes so i can learn to do my own repair work. i was looking through > it and i cant find anything about a timing belt. i found a ballance > shaft belt and a camshaft belt but no timing belt. is there another > name for it or am i just retarded right now? download the porsche manual and use that - haynes is misleading in some areas, wrong in some others. >i went out and bought a porsche 944 automotive repair manual made by >haynes so i can learn to do my own repair work. i was looking through >it and i cant find anything about a timing belt. i found a ballance >shaft belt and a camshaft belt but no timing belt. is there another >name for it or am i just retarded right now? Bill www.wbnoble.com to contact me, do not reply to this message, instead correct this address and use it will iam_ b_ No ble at msn daught com > i just turned 18 and want to buy myself a car of my own (have been > driving stepdads 92 Toyota SR5) and my neighbor is willing to sell me [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > crashed it once. i am really thinking about buying this car and just > wondering if this is a good car to buy even with the high millage. Let me tell you something man... I am 31 now and a 1984 944 was my first car.. I kept it waxed and looking pretty and lets just say that it did wonders for my social life with the ladies (if you know what I mean). Just to tell people at 18 that your car is a porsche is a real ego booster also.... Now here are the drawbacks. Be sure you have a job that can support this car. Right after I bought mine, I had to replace the following: Slave Cylinder $250.00 + Clutch $1200.00 Front wheel bearings...suprisingly cheap Stereo...the stock Blauplunkt ones suck Torque Tube (from showing off "stripped splines") $800.00 used And so on... Bottom line the 944 is not a "smart choice" for a first car, but DAMN are they worth it at your age... Signature-------------------- http://NewsReader.Com/ -------------------- Usenet Newsgroup Service $9.95/Month 30GB I'm 41 and have had over 20 cars in my life so far and did almost all the work myself on each of them. I'm 41 now and of all the cars I've owned, the first two I talk car stories about are my '83 944 (fourth car) and my '89 944 (18th car). You have heard from many experts on many different topics over all the threads about what to expect from the car as far as repairs and what it costs to own a 944 - they all are good (VERY GOOD advice - listen closely to them), I've done many of the repairs that they talk about, myself. A 944 is not a simple and cost effective car to own if you don't learn to do at least some of the repairs your self. You have to do a LOT of learning about automechanics if you want to own one. But, that is part of the glory of owning a Porsche 944. You learn. The other part is that you learn what a true sports car is all about. The other posts told you some of the things to look out for as far as $$$ and time/labor to keep your car running, I would like to let you know that if you are interested in "the ride", from a 308 to a 911 to a corvette, I have never driven a car that handled better or in general, simpley performed better, than a Porsche 944. I just thought you might like to hear a little about the human "from the driver seat" side of things. After all, it's all about how you feel when you are behind the stearing wheel that makes it all worth while. These are the times you remember and bring a smile to your face. If your ready, the 944 is the best car you could ever wish for for your first car!!! >> i just turned 18 and want to buy myself a car of my own (have been >> driving stepdads 92 Toyota SR5) and my neighbor is willing to sell me [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > Bottom line the 944 is not a "smart choice" for a first car, but DAMN are > they worth it at your age... |
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