mazdaverx7

I will be leaving within an hour to go and get this car! I will be sure to update this thread with pics of the trip!!

mazdaverx7

Made it home safe and sound with the car. Its now tucked away safely in my garage. I played with it a little and it has a lot of issues which I will post about later today once I wake up I've been up since yesterday and have been driving all night.

Issues I have found in the 10 mins I messed with it:

-hatch will not open, seems the rod is stuck
-none of the instrument lighting works
-the seats are reclined and I cannot figure out how to get them back to a normal position
-engine cranks slowly even with a fresh battery
-one of the ***** that mount the hood strut is missing

Here are a few pics before I head to sleep:

Car loaded on the trailer with the pic being taken right after leaving the seller's house:



Pit stop in Columbus on the way home:



Home tucked away safely in my garage (and my son already installed the spare Porsche crest I had in my other 944's center console):

mazdaverx7

It was a wild trip, I can tell you that. I'm happy to have the car and I can't wait to get started tonight. First thing I figured out was how to move the seat backs. Next step is removing the lock cylinder on the hatch due to it freezing up and getting the hatch raised so that I can inspect that area. I want to install the hood struts but one of the mounts on the body is missing as is the hardware for the top section. I should just start a want to buy thread for all of the little things I need. I will be sure to post plenty of pictures tonight!

mazdaverx7

Started cleaning the engine bay tonight and when doing so, discovered a small amount of oil in the air cleaner housing. Perhaps something is not right with the pcv system. I checked the timing and balance shaft belts and both are intact with some deflection. All I wanted to know was if they were in place and to make sure they were not broken. Here are some pics:

Oil in the air cleaner housing:





Pics of the belts:





Engine bay as of right now:



Found this odd metal plate in the box of parts that I got with the car. Oddly enough, the front license plate bracket is bolted to it, lol:

mazdaverx7

Finally got the hatch open. Had to disconnect the rods and move them manually and it came right open. Here are some pics of what I found:

This wiring..Maybe went to a car phone at one time? Not sure but it was run to the battery and the fuse box:





A bunch of yuck:



Thought this was kinda nice:



And next to the fire extinguisher, was this amazing piece. I'm not sure if its complete:

mazdaverx7

Took a couple quick pics of the interior last night. Will try and post better ones once its not raining and I can push it out of the garage:

veleno

So I'm wondering, was this trade really worth it? If I remember correctly, your vette was in pretty good condition with low mileage and not many issues (that I knew of) and this car seems to be a project car that's requiring a lot more tinkering. I guess if you like that kind of stuff and don't mind then ok, but I wonder if there was a big difference in market value for both cars or are they almost the same?

It should be fun if you have your son helping you out though! Good luck.

mazdaverx7

Well, the trade was worth it for me because I really didn't enjoy the black Corvette. For starters, it was an automatic, which I despised. I put about $1000 into the car and while it ran well, it was full of electrical issues. As both cars sit, the Corvette was in fact worth more. But since I really didn't enjoy it and my wife hated it, it only seemed logical to sell the car.

So when I saw the ad for this car and saw the guy was looking for trades I thought I would inquire. A few things sold me on the car. First off was the decent interior and with it being an 85.2, which I was looking for anyways, I decided to look further. The Fuchs wheels were a BIG plus for me as was the M456 suspension. I thought it was a well optioned car and I saw the potential with the car being straight and without any rust issues. The under side of the car is in excellent condition with ZERO rust. Here in Ohio, rust is common and if a person can buy a rust free car, then its worth its weight in gold, lol.

So, I saw what the car could be and knew that I would really enjoy the car in the long run. Much more than I would have enjoyed the black Corvette. Plus I still have my red 94 6spd Corvette and i love that car! Adding another 944 to the stable was not the best financial choice, but one that I thought was a good. It gives me an opportunity to own one of each series and when restoring this car, I feel as though I will learn a lot and appreciate the car that much more!!

mazdaverx7

Decided to pull and paint the center caps on the wheels today and paint the rear wiper arm.Thought I'd share a few pics of the progress:

After the red paint was removed and prepped for primer:



In primer:



Painted:



Pics of the car with the center caps removed:





With the center caps painted and installed:



Blasted and painted the rear wiper arm as well:

Scott at Team Harco

Very nice. Hope to see it at the Fest in the next year or two...

I had the same phone hook-up stuff in the back of Herbie (my 85.5). I like what you have done with the center caps - the previous look was not right.

mazdaverx7

I hope to be there next year. If its father's day weekend every year, I will never be able to make it. My job requires me to work that weekend due to a large festival held in town on that weekend every year.'

Thank you on the center caps. I have to have everything correct on my cars, and the center caps were bugging me so much that I had to do something about them!

I wonder if that wiring was for an original dealer installed car phone...

mazdaverx7

Pulled the fuel rail and injectors tonight for a cleaning. They are the start of the fuel system clean out:

Scott at Team Harco

I think the Fest has been, and is likely to stay, on father's day weekend. It's been that way for the last 5 or 6 years, if not more. It is the same weekend that the PCA has their DE event at Nelson Ledges. Travis would know for sure. But as far as I can recall, it's been the same weekend for quite some time.

I believe you are right on the phone wiring. These cars were new when the "car phone" thing was just getting started. Porsches were high status vehicles (even the 944). So naturally, the self-important people that bought them also had to have their mobile phones.

mazdaverx7

Got my little helper on the job. He's been a big fan of my 944's since he was just a wee little guy. Always has to sit in the car and pretend he's driving. Until the tools come out, then its "Dad, what I can fix?" Caught him hanging out in the back seat the other day:

jimlam56

All three of my boys grew up "wrenching"!

Looks like you have a solid starting point.
As with my recent purchase of an 86 turbo, the more I look the more I see projects.
But like you, I looked for and found one that had a solid body and intact interior.
The mechanical stuff I can sort through and enjoy doing it, but rust repair is not my thing.
As I learn more about these cars I appreciate the fact that they are well engineered but complicated vehicles. I'm smart enough to know what I'm capable of so I'll stick with the projects I can do and leave the large ones to the experts.