LPDubber

ok well as the title says, im looking into getting my first porsche. I am a huge European car fan, and as of right now, VW's are my life. Ive been browsing through here and ive noticed some things to look out for, Waterpumps, Motor mounts, and timing belts. The car i am looking at now is an 83 944, the guy is only asking 1500 for it, and i dont really know to much about it yet, all i know is that he's had it for a few months, and he drove it when he first got it, but its sitting now because he needs to replace the radiator and the waterpump (both parts he has, just hasnt had the time to replace them). The interior on this car is pretty much wasted from what i understand, the seats are ripped, door cards are faded, but appearance is of no concern to me, all i need is a car thatll get from A to B for the time being...so getting down to the point, what am i getting myself into if i get this car? what are some other things to look out for other then the ones i listed above? I know how to turn a wrench so replacing parts wont be to bad as long as its nothing extremely complex, but i would just like to get some feed back, see what to look out for, i know to ask about the belts, and the clutch and motor mounts and such, but please any extra info will be much appreciated. Oh the car has roughly 160k on it, the exterior is not perfect but no major body damage, and it could be repainted, as i said before i dont care about exterior/interior appearance, just reliability

Swagger93

Unless the car is extremely ratty that seems like an alright price. You've got it right that things like the timing belt, waterpump, balance belt, and motor mounts are issues on these cars. The waterpump is on the timing belt and if the waterpump is bad the timing belt must be replaced. You say the car runs, and any running car for 1500 dollars is becoming rarer these days.

The motor mounts arn't too expensive, like 100 bucks a side, but they are a trickier item to fix. The clutch is outrageously priced, try to make sure that car has a clutch that will last for some time....i mean it, the clutches for these cars cost an astronomical amount of money.

Some guys say "There's nothing more expensive than a cheap Porsche," and they are right to some degree...if you buy it just to get it running and don't really do too much work to it then it will be a bargain...but the cost of fixing one of these up generally is greater than just buying a nice car to begin with.

LPDubber

I'm definitley looking to fix it up eventually, but for the time being i would just like something to get me to and from work. I figured this car would be a steal for only 1500, and i just hope its in as "good" of condition as the guy says, like i said the interior needs to be replaced, and it needs to be repainted, but other then that I would imagine it to be suitable to my needs. What do you think im looking at as far as cost goes for a timing belt? I know some guys at a foreign auto shop, so I can get items for wholesale, so if anybody has a wholesale price thatd be great. One more thing just to get even more annoying, how is the waterpump on the timing belt? I am kind of thrown off by that. I imagine its just incorporated somehow? Any pictures perhaps? Thank you for your feedback, regardless of the other 35 questions i just asked

peterjcb

For some excellent documentation and pictures go to:
http://clarks-garage.com >Garage Shop Manual > Camshaft; Camshaft Belt Removal > eccentric roller tensioners.
It will answer all your questions and provide you with some very valuable information when replacing yours.

LPDubber

thank you very much, good website, and i can tell if (when) i get my porsche ill be going there very often

silverBean

Just so you know whenever you replace the timing belts, which should be every three years, you need to replace the water pump as wel. The belts rn the pump. If you look under the hood you can see for yourself. And after about a thousand miles you should et them retentioned and then you should be set for 3 years. I dont know where yuo live but when yu pop in that new radiator make sure to use a PHOSPHATE FREE anti-freeze or else you'll corode the engine. IF it is running right now, listen to it and listen for any knocks in the engine, check for hesitation in it and just all the other stuff when looking for a used car. And i gotta tell you, i've had my 944 since may and i've poored about 3 or 4 hundred into it already so just be sure you got some extra money laying around for parts. These are a bitch when it comes to parts, but if you have the time they are very well worth it. good luck to you!!

LPDubber

what would you recommend i use for coolant? Unfortunately the car is not running as of right now, because the person i am getting it from has the radiator disconnected, and it needs some fuses and relays. I am still a little leary of wether or not i should take this, everything seems straight forward, like the timing belts for example. I know its still not a fun job, but it seems much easier on these then on anything else I have ever heard of/seen before. Im not to worried about cost of parts, seeing as how I own a Volkswagen Corrado and parts for that seem to be about 3 times the cost of all the 944 parts I have seen. Id like to get some more feedback on this. The first thing I would do if i got this car would be to get the pump and radiator installed, he claims that the belts were done in accordance with the mileage so i dont really have to much info on that, but I will also be getting this car to my local porsche garage as soon as i get it running. Please give me honest opinions on this, i would like to hear what others think about this deal. He said he would take 1200, and that the only reason he stopped driving it was because he didnt have time to drive it or to take care of it really

Chris_924s

When considering belts, it's not just mileage. The length of time is a factor as well.

If you will be replacing the WP, it's worth the peace of mind to just put new belts and seals on as well.
You'll be taking the belts off to get to the wp.

And.. Welcome to Rennlist!!

GOBOGIE

Welcome

Red1

Geo and I were discussing Porsche projects this weekend. Sometimes a car wouldn't be a bargain if the seller paid you to take it away. (We were looking at 914's that had asking prices of around $400) I'm sorry to play the role of wet blanket, but what you've described so far sounds like more trouble than it's worth.

Just my experience - my first 944 went from a $2500 car to a $7000+ car in under a year.

LPDubber

Thank you Red, thats exactly the response i was waitin for. I am sure it was worth every penny, but none-the-less a cheap car turned into a not so cheap car, and that is kind of what i was wondering. But on a lighter not I found another one, and actually got to test drive it and let it idle. Clean body, no major dents, paint was scratched, but the engine sounded fine, no unusual noises and it drove fine, although the guy that is selling it says the clutch feels weird. Its just stiff, I compared it with his other 944 and it is much stiffer, and when the car is at idle, theres a very quiet humming sound, that doesnt sound that bad, and then when the clutch is pressed it goes away. No gear grinding or anything like that, shifts fine, drives fine, no clutch slippage. Any ideas?

Red1

Find a competent mechanic in your area and have a PPI (pre-purchase inspection) done. It'll cost you, and prices vary wildly depending on mechanic. Figure $100-$150 or so. (My mech charges over $200 if he doesn't already know you.) There is a good network of rennlisters. Somebody on this board probably knows a mechanic in your vicinity.

Anyway, it's well worth the money to have an expert give it a once-over. Even if you do your own labor, these parts do not come cheap. The cars have their quirks, and a competent mechanic should identify for you if your prospect needs a major cash infusion.

A 944 N/A can make a decent daily driver. Just consider that a fixer-upper will generally cost as much if not more in the long run. It's best to buy a car that's in good shape to begin with. Decent N/A's aren't expensive, you can get a good car for around $4K. You can pick them up for less, of course. It's still well worth the money for a PPI.

PS: A clutch job on a 944 is work. If you pay somebody to do it, you'll be out well over $1K. Even if you do it yourself, the clutch kit is an easy $500. It's not an impossible thing to do for a newby, but consider yourself warned.