jderimig

Congrats, I am in North Canton, PM me if you have any questions or need some help.

odurandina

to new owner of this car; Maybe you're a good wrench with a plan.
Lots of them out there... if so, please disregard.

You'd never guess why a lot of people don't view 944 resto's favorably.
But, you're about to hear from one of those such persons....
First i love 944s. The fastest i've ever gone 0-60mph was with Lart's son in a 944T w/ a 968T powerplant.
i view 944 resto projects with skepticism because the money in/out TRULY justifies caution.
Money comes with difficulty, and departs easy and quickly.
it can't just be an all-cult all the time sub-forum.
We should be truthful and not pile on for suggesting a cautious approach..
Don't fall for the dubious cheerleading, niche advice and poorly contrived dogma....
It's well past the time to be very open to far more cautious approach....
No one's saying you can't be aggressive and try to do something avant garde.
but, some time ago, we crossed over to the place where people looking to get into the Porsche world
and not break the bank must remember;
just because you already have the car, or access to X car
doesn't mean you have to restore X car.
DON'T GET emotional. you need to have a plan......
Who cares if you got it for 300 dollars
or your aunt tells you you can haul it out of her yard for FREE.
The most expensive Porsche is ALWAYS the one you can get for little to nothing.
Search out the boneyards and backyards. SEE PORSCHE 928!!
There are ALWAYS better examples to use as a starting point;
The best source is UNEQUIVOCALLY -- NONE OTHER than Lart!
He ALWAYS has a nice 944T or 968 he can ship.
His cars are usually running examples AND someone took a huge $$$ loss....
Chances are; the previous owner's wife said:
"I'M PREGGO. WE NEED A BETTER PLACE. GET RID OF THAT Fuucckking CAR."
IF IT SPENT THE LAST 32 YEARS BAKING IN THE DESERT,
That's your next 944! (insert 22 years if it's a 968)....
THEY'RE ALL ANCIENT; SUNBELT and the west is the best.
Always begin with a car that was meticulously cared for in the PREVIOUS decade.
(the previous owner has taken a loss) .... START THERE; that should be the plan.
Not straying far from the 996/ 987 Cayman S/ and Boxster S world is the far safer play.
Sorting a 944 can be a complicated endeavor. It can BREAK YOU.
WOULDN'T YOU RATHER FORGO PUTTING BIG BRAKES & a performance suspension on the car.....
but rather just get one that already has this stuff that someone payed a mint for?
how about GOING FOR YOUR 1ST TOP SPEED RUN on DAY 1 of ownership?
Me: 2008/ 153mph (968) 20 minutes after the guy sold me his cream puff.
It cost HIM ~54 grand to HAND OVER his car TO ME.
Cost me less than 1/6th of that on THAT FINE DAY.
There was a better Porsche to buy than what i could find within 20 minutes of my house.
i flew from Boston to RALEIGH, and a caught a bus to Wilmington, NC.....
and there she was. The right car at the right time.
Can't afford that? Brother, you can't afford NOT to get the right one.....
Get a 2nd job at FEDEX and sleep 6 nights a week.
We've had 900 people who love their 944s and 968s who've come and gone
because the day came they could not absorb the cost of keeping their beloved car/s running.
How do you do you lose a car you love?
Yet, the day came when some other option became the better option.
You STOP and study the true cost, likely outcome and final value very carefully.
That car doesn't look like it spent the last 15 years resting in a garage in Phoenix.
The parts might not even qualify as spares if you took the trouble to part it.
This fact should tell you a lot.
We've seen 300 of these types of projects introduced over the years -- and they rarely end well....
This isn't a good Goodwrench V8 swap hopeful either....
You can get a dead 968 for that.
In the end you'd thank yourself for finding a better car to pour your love, sweat and $$$ into.
There's too much risk going on here. especially when there's
plenty of cheap Boxsters you can buy and just run into the ground.
i started with a plan. wasn't perfect ...or cheap.
ten years later, still driving it.
240,000 miles on the car.... now w/ 6.349 liter v8 under the hood.
wasn't cheap.

jderimig

Are you looking at the sames pics as I? Are you confused with a different thread? This car does not look like a big resto job at all, or at least I can't see how you can conclude that from the information posted thus far.

odurandina

10 years watching em come and go.
i treat these the same as a semi or not-running BGN....
How far is it from a daily driver?
Can you drive it to Monument Valley?
not weekend driver/ hope for the best/ junk car swap meet crap.
but, can you actually drive the thing?

odurandina

ok, looking at those pictures on page 2 it looks much cleaner.
i thought i saw rust in the op.
OK
V8 SWAP!

AaronM

First let's get something straight. I did not go looking for this car. It fell into my lap. The previous owner is someone I know and trust. Second, why would I look for a boxster or something like that when they do not appeal to me. I like the look of this car far more than any new model out there. No I'm not gonna get in it and drive it to Monterey but that was never the intention. The car is better than I thought it would be, and this is a hobby to me. I don't care about getting in it and going 150mph. If I did I would have kept all the other cars I've owned in the past that I know are faster than this car. It comes down to spending some quality time with my father and son. We bond over cars and love to work on them together. I don't need to drive it today, I have other cars I can do that with. That fact is it is a way for all of us to get together and spend quality time doing something we love together. Others come and go but I have never gotten a project that I did not drive. I start it and see it to the end. Money comes and goes big deal, but quality time with the ones you love is priceless. It sounds to me like you are the one that buys newer uses it up and tosses it away. Some of us like to preserve pieces of the past regardless of $$. I like older cars. Not the cookie cutters that come from every manufacturer today. You like what you like and I like what I like. That's what passion for cars is about. Just because you think mine should be in the scrap yard does not mean that everyone has the same opinion. This forum proves that! Thank you for your opinion, it is far different than mine. I like my little 944 more than your boxster but neither deserves to be in the scrap yard.

odurandina

Right on Aaron!
figured you were a 20 something w/ another death by uncle car find!
no. not that either.

AaronM

Not hardly. I'm 44 and have been wrenching on cars with my father since I could hold a wrench. Just want my 4 year old son to have the same experience with his father and grandfather. Also gives me the opportunity to possibly pass down a car that most of the 19 and 20 year olds could care less about. Good way to teach younger generations about cars. I go to cars shows all the time, mostly muscle cars, and wonder who is going to care for these cars once the older generation that owns them passes on. Not the 20 something's in my opinion. So if I can save a few and teach my son something its worth my time and money.

AaronM

Hi all. I am starting on the belts and water pump soon and need some help. Anyone know where I can rent or buy a flywheel lockout and belt tension gauge cheap? I do not want to buy unless I get the car running correctly. Also what order would you do this? Fms, water pump then belts and pulleys?

snb13

Where are you located? And I would NOT pressure wash the engine bay. There's way more to be concerned about than just the alternator. Do the seals, then water pump, then belts. I'd also change the rotor since you're in there.

AaronM

Didn't plan to wash engine bay. My main concern is to get it running. Then I will worry about cleaning the engine compartment. I am about 10 miles south of Cleveland.

gibsonre

God bless you AaronM, you are doing the Lords work.

I enjoyed odurandina's take, 99.99999% of the time this is the case.

The Forgotten On

Best of luck resurrecting your 944. I've so far resurrected a 1981 928 and a 1989 928 along with my dad's new to him 87 944.

All Porsches are different and required different amounts of money to be dumped into them. The 928s are much more expensive to repair than the 944s due to the high original cost compared to 944s.

The 944s nickle and dime you, but 928s will bankrupt you. You made the right choice to stick with it.

I'm one of the few people from my generation who knows what they're doing when it comes to these old cars. I'm only 22 but plan to keep these cars going for as long as I physically can.

I work on them with my dad when I need some muscle for stuck or heavy parts and enjoy working on them just like you do with your dad and son. My parents are just happy I don't spend my money on women

AaronM

Got the car mostly together. Took the fuel tank out had it cleaned and coated. It needed it. The fuel strainer was all full of tar like gunk. Changed the fuel lines at the rear. Changed the fuel pump, fuel filter, sending unit. Out the trans back in. Now it's on to the belts, pulleys and Water pump.

Swenny

Awesome. I remember my first 924S. A labor of love. Once you own these beasts you can't look at another car without comparing it to your Porsche. Read all that you can about these cars, the engineering that went into them is amazing. Have fun!