Good morning everyone,
(originally posted this in the 944/944s forum, forgot I'd likely get more traffic over here)

I have the opportunity to purchase a beautiful Guards Red 88 944S. Other than a few paint chip repairs and a possible drivers door repaint, the car shows very well. It has just over 100,000kms and seems rather immaculate, inside and out. I understand that the car was part of an estate sale, and that the man who originally owned it passed away in the mid 2000s. As a result the car was left for years in dry storage (since around 2007) only occasionally started and moved around in that time.

My concern is that without solid service history, the length of it's dormancy could lead to many potential issues. I've faced similar issues bringing back my 1993 VW Corrado to life that I had in storage for over 12 years. I haven't had a chance to drive the car yet, but other the the obvious, are their specific problems with this model that I should be aware of, given it's lack of service history and length of time in storage?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you,
-Chris

 

 

Get a thorough pre-purchase inspection by an experienced Porsche mechanic. Non-negotiable condition. Have them give you a list broken down along the lines of:

• things needing immediate attention;
• things needing attention in say six months to a year;
• things that will eventually need to be taken care of.

For the 944S, you'll want the inspection to include removing the valve cover and checking the condition of the chain tensioner and its ramps. As with any 944, the cam timing and balance shaft belts and their rollers/pulleys/etc. Make sure all service actions (recalls) have been done. Specific to the 944S, there was an error in the wiring of a switch in the power steering pump: if the switch failed (and they did), the wire became an unfused +12 that burned up the harness.

Good luck with the purchase!

 

You should give Mantis a call, Jon races 944s and the guys there have years of experience with these cars.

 

Looks good, curious what these are running now? Mine wasn’t horrible but needed new paint especially.