iwanta944

ok here is the story i am 15 turn 16 in august and have been wanting a 944 and one is for sale but timing belt is in need of replacement. parents (mom) basicly told me i could get it it is a 86 na for abot 2000-2500 should i get it or wait for another car.

anyone know of a good one for sale around LA

Cass944

if the timing belt needs replacement that probly means, the head also needs work because of bent valves. unless the timing belt is just old and they are saying it needs to be replaced BEFORE it has problems. in that case, if you are willing to do the job then go for it. 86 seems to be a good year. new style interior, still with early wheel offset.

AWolf

Mileage? Condition? Accidents? Did the timing belt break? If so there is probably a significant amount of work needed to get it going again $$$. If it simply is in need of a new timing belt and you get good a Pre Purchase Inspection done then It seems like a good deal to me.
-Andrew

85944na

well, I got mine at 16, I'm 21 now, 5 years and no regrets man, these cars always need a lot of attention so be prepared to spend some $$$, and it may get you in a bit of trouble, but they are so fun. At 16....go guards red

Cass944

at 16 i would say get anything but red, or yellow, or any noticable color. for a while i really wished my car was white or black just to avoid being easy to spot.

87_944s

Go get it steve you need a ride other than the lumina.

Later

Eon S.

tifosiman

Have any more info on the car?

That question out of the way, now.........

There is nothing more expensive than a cheap Porsche. At 16, buying a 944 that cheap may end up being a nightmare for you and ruin any future Porsche-lust. This is not meant to sound rude, just constructive advice.

Z-man

Ditto what tifosiman said.

You are better off saving some more $$ and buying a $5,000.00 944 -- it will be cheaper in the long run.

But even then, you should understand that unless you do the work yourself, maintenance costs on Porsches are higher than most other cars that I would consider 'entry level' (Honda, Toyota, Ford, GM...etc). This needs to be factored into the cost of ownership.

So, you drive a Lumina? What a nice family car!
-Z.

tcmdocs944

Are you mechanically inclined?

Are you willing to learn?

Are you willing to go on a downright twisted journey of knowledge?


or alternately...

Do you have very deep pockets.

Older cars are great. All that I ever want, but, you have to be prepared.


The first car I bought on my own at 17 was a 260Z that was 12y/o. Loved it but had to learn alot to keep it.

944_S_TYPE

Are you still here?

porschefig

i'm experiencing what Tifo warns of!!!
but, i'll stick with it.. I've never owned anything but Porsche, don't know anyother way

good luck, hopefully, it all checks out on the car. I hear there are some cheap finds in California. If the PPI checks out and everything, sounds like a GREAT deal!!!

once again, good luck!

iwanta944

thank you all for your help
how much does a timming belt and valves cost about
what will be the must expensive thing.

the car is black with tan interior and has a small scratch, but hasnt ran in five years dont know why lady didnt know plan on looking at it again soon

but my dad is being a butt and wont make up his mind.

Burma Shave

hasn't run in five years... Doesn't sound like the one, I'd wait. That being said I bought mine at auction thinking it needed a water pump. It was running though and cheap enough that if it didn't work out I could part it and make a few bucks. I got lucky, wp was fine but I replaced belts/seals/wp anyway...bout $400-450 iirc. Other stuff has added up though $$ and my car was nice to start with. Don't think I'd buy one as a driver...makes for too much stress when repairing. Much more enjoyable knowing if I don't finish a project I won't be walking. Of course when I was sixteen I thought nothing of engine swaps, etc on my daily driver. Good luck and prepare for the pain.

PorscheDoc

If it isnt running, and she says it needs a timing belt, it is probabably broken. If you do all the work yourself, and have a machine shop replace valves and machine the head, you are looking at a minimum of 1000-1500