My 1985.1 Guards Red Introduction and Preservation
#1
My 1985.1 Guards Red Introduction and Preservation
Introducing my 1985.1 944. I saw the car for sale on Craigslist at 10:00PM on a Friday night and called first thing the next morning. The car was only an hour away from my house so we decided to meet at 9:00 AM. As soon as I saw the car I knew it would be mine. $7500.00 was the asking price and I thought well bought at that price.
Car:
1985.1 944 with 92,000 miles. Guards Red. Three previous owners. The car was originally optioned with leather sport seats, 15” forge alloy staggered, 7” front 8” rear, Fuchs wheels, SQR-46 radio, AC, cruise, sunroof, and alarm system. The car currently has the 3-spoke steering wheel instead of the 4-spoke version. Car came with a clean Carfax back as far as Carfax goes. Previous owner owned the car for over 10 years and included $11,500 in receipts for work done over the last two years including front and year OEM Porsche euro bumpers, valance, fog lights etc... Car then had a complete windows out, trim removed respray using Spies Heckler paint and clear coat. Previous owner was an SCCA member, an enthusiast and an all around car guy/race driver. Car has a throttle response cam and a balance shaft delete was performed by the previous owner.
Recent Work/Upgrades:
- All new cap, rotor, plugs and wires
- New KYP shocks. Personally I prefer Bilstein.
- Weltmeister front lowering springs
- Stainless steel brake lines
- All new brake calipers, pads and rotors.
Extras that came with the car:
- Original owner’s manuals
- 1985 sales brochure
- Original tool kit in great condition
- Original tire and jack
- 2 sets of factory service manuals, one set still in the original box from Porsche
- Becker cat back stainless steel exhaust
- Set of new rear control arms
- 2 rebuilt rear CV axles
- Extra sunroof motor/mechanism
- New tires
Things I have done while in winter storage:
- Seats removed, cleaned, re-dyed and conditioned
- Carpets removed, cleaned and re-dyed
- Dash removed waiting to be sent to Classic 9 Leather Shop to be restoredCenter console cover reupholstered
- Replaced worn out rear hatch struts
- Replaced faded sunroof switch
- Bought a period correct SQR-46 radio to replace the aftermarket one that came with the car
- Bought new door speakers from the UK that supposedly fit the thin 944 doors
- Replaced the yellowed coolant reservoir with a new OEM Porsche item
- Bought new hood insulation
- Bought new reproduction under hood decals
Small Projects planned before spring:
- reinstall the interior
- Install radio when it arrives
- replace hard windshield washer tubing
- Detail engine compartment
- Install H4 E Code headlights with upgrade harness
- Possibly change the timing belt. I has only about 12,000 miles on it, but it was done in 2010
Car:
1985.1 944 with 92,000 miles. Guards Red. Three previous owners. The car was originally optioned with leather sport seats, 15” forge alloy staggered, 7” front 8” rear, Fuchs wheels, SQR-46 radio, AC, cruise, sunroof, and alarm system. The car currently has the 3-spoke steering wheel instead of the 4-spoke version. Car came with a clean Carfax back as far as Carfax goes. Previous owner owned the car for over 10 years and included $11,500 in receipts for work done over the last two years including front and year OEM Porsche euro bumpers, valance, fog lights etc... Car then had a complete windows out, trim removed respray using Spies Heckler paint and clear coat. Previous owner was an SCCA member, an enthusiast and an all around car guy/race driver. Car has a throttle response cam and a balance shaft delete was performed by the previous owner.
Recent Work/Upgrades:
- All new cap, rotor, plugs and wires
- New KYP shocks. Personally I prefer Bilstein.
- Weltmeister front lowering springs
- Stainless steel brake lines
- All new brake calipers, pads and rotors.
Extras that came with the car:
- Original owner’s manuals
- 1985 sales brochure
- Original tool kit in great condition
- Original tire and jack
- 2 sets of factory service manuals, one set still in the original box from Porsche
- Becker cat back stainless steel exhaust
- Set of new rear control arms
- 2 rebuilt rear CV axles
- Extra sunroof motor/mechanism
- New tires
Things I have done while in winter storage:
- Seats removed, cleaned, re-dyed and conditioned
- Carpets removed, cleaned and re-dyed
- Dash removed waiting to be sent to Classic 9 Leather Shop to be restoredCenter console cover reupholstered
- Replaced worn out rear hatch struts
- Replaced faded sunroof switch
- Bought a period correct SQR-46 radio to replace the aftermarket one that came with the car
- Bought new door speakers from the UK that supposedly fit the thin 944 doors
- Replaced the yellowed coolant reservoir with a new OEM Porsche item
- Bought new hood insulation
- Bought new reproduction under hood decals
Small Projects planned before spring:
- reinstall the interior
- Install radio when it arrives
- replace hard windshield washer tubing
- Detail engine compartment
- Install H4 E Code headlights with upgrade harness
- Possibly change the timing belt. I has only about 12,000 miles on it, but it was done in 2010
Last edited by MSGGrunt; 03-13-2019 at 08:32 AM.
#4
It's not on the build sheet, but when my local dealership decoded the VIN they gave me the print out with:
158: Radio Blaupunkt SQR-46
220: Cassette Radio GT2
401: 15-inch Forged Alloy Wheels. Not sure what originally came on the car, but they are now 7" and 8" staggered 15" Fuchs.
409: Sport Seats Leather
425: Rear Window Wiper
431: 4-Spoke Sport Steering Wheel. Mine now has the 3-Spoke
454: Cruise Control
533: Alarm System
650: Electric Sliding Sunroof
715: Interim Model
On Build Sheet that wasn't part of the VIN:
C02: US Market
E05: ???
L45: ???
158: Radio Blaupunkt SQR-46
220: Cassette Radio GT2
401: 15-inch Forged Alloy Wheels. Not sure what originally came on the car, but they are now 7" and 8" staggered 15" Fuchs.
409: Sport Seats Leather
425: Rear Window Wiper
431: 4-Spoke Sport Steering Wheel. Mine now has the 3-Spoke
454: Cruise Control
533: Alarm System
650: Electric Sliding Sunroof
715: Interim Model
On Build Sheet that wasn't part of the VIN:
C02: US Market
E05: ???
L45: ???
#5
Nordschleife Master
It's not on the build sheet, but when my local dealership decoded the VIN they gave me the print out with:
158: Radio Blaupunkt SQR-46
220: Cassette Radio GT2
401: 15-inch Forged Alloy Wheels. Not sure what originally came on the car, but they are now 7" and 8" staggered 15" Fuchs.
409: Sport Seats Leather
425: Rear Window Wiper
431: 4-Spoke Sport Steering Wheel. Mine now has the 3-Spoke
454: Cruise Control
533: Alarm System
650: Electric Sliding Sunroof
715: Interim Model
On Build Sheet that wasn't part of the VIN:
C02: US Market
E05: ???
L45: ???
158: Radio Blaupunkt SQR-46
220: Cassette Radio GT2
401: 15-inch Forged Alloy Wheels. Not sure what originally came on the car, but they are now 7" and 8" staggered 15" Fuchs.
409: Sport Seats Leather
425: Rear Window Wiper
431: 4-Spoke Sport Steering Wheel. Mine now has the 3-Spoke
454: Cruise Control
533: Alarm System
650: Electric Sliding Sunroof
715: Interim Model
On Build Sheet that wasn't part of the VIN:
C02: US Market
E05: ???
L45: ???
#6
Three Wheelin'
Your first two 3 digit codes following the CO2 are packages.
Those include some of the options which do not appear on the white build code tag, but which you know are part of the car's original build such as the cruise, sunroof, rear wiper, etc.
Porsche bundled some options in groups as in a 'marketing and sales' endeavor to move stock or provide more upmarket, more profitable cars to the dealers. Thus increasing revenue to the company and dealership.
Really loaded up cars would not have had the space on the white tag to print all the 3 digit codes. They were bundled and would show on the Kardex kept at the factory in their records dept., and on the Monroney window sticker. Do you still have yours ?
Looks to be a really great looking 944 and worth the dollars spent. It apparently had a couple of appreciative first owners and they tried to imitate the look of the 924 Carrera GT, the forerunner of the 944.
Thanks for showing us your beauty.
Those include some of the options which do not appear on the white build code tag, but which you know are part of the car's original build such as the cruise, sunroof, rear wiper, etc.
Porsche bundled some options in groups as in a 'marketing and sales' endeavor to move stock or provide more upmarket, more profitable cars to the dealers. Thus increasing revenue to the company and dealership.
Really loaded up cars would not have had the space on the white tag to print all the 3 digit codes. They were bundled and would show on the Kardex kept at the factory in their records dept., and on the Monroney window sticker. Do you still have yours ?
Looks to be a really great looking 944 and worth the dollars spent. It apparently had a couple of appreciative first owners and they tried to imitate the look of the 924 Carrera GT, the forerunner of the 944.
Thanks for showing us your beauty.
#7
Yes, the previous owner did tell me that his intent with the sheet metal and fiberglass changes was to emulate the look of the 924 GT, which I do like and appreciate. Mind you this is my first vintage Porsche, I owned a 2007 Cayman S previously, and am still learning all the nuances of the 944s.
I'm not sure that size tires on are on the car, but I will look.
I'm not sure that size tires on are on the car, but I will look.
Last edited by MSGGrunt; 04-29-2019 at 10:05 AM.
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#9
Rennlist Member
My sticker has an A11 code which is a package similar to the ones you have. For example, I have an alarm system, but that's nowhere in the discrete listed codes.
Never have been able to figure out what exactly is/was in the A11 package...
Never have been able to figure out what exactly is/was in the A11 package...
#10
Nordschleife Master
Some of those other “options” or “packages” were country specific, for example emissions included in US models included a carbon canister and cat and front fogs were also US specific as was the sunroof and shock absorbing bumpers. Likewise British cars didn’t have any of those (carbon/cat/fogs/sunroof/bumpers) as a standard package but you could specify some of them by individual “M” options at the dealer.
#12
New Front Door Speakers
I also replaced the front door speakers. These do mount right up, but the center of the speaker does hit the cover. It isn't too bad as you can suck the surround of the gill against the door panel by tightening the screws.
#13
#14
The picture of the tubing not going through the firewall was taken when I was pulling the old lines out. The new lines have been routed through that small hole designed for the line.
#15
As part if the interior freshening up I had the center console top cover recovered by a local auto upholstery shop. It had a small hole in it.
Last edited by MSGGrunt; 03-27-2019 at 06:38 AM.