looking at getting a 944
09-07-2004, 12:51 AM
#1
AutoX
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: charlotte/clemson
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
looking at getting a 944
hey guys iam new around here, iam looking at getting a 944 soon to replace my nicely prepared 240sx. it was my learning car in more ways than one and after a recent encounter with a tunnel wall on a moutain drive with some freinds its time to move on i think. i have always loved the 944 sense i was little so iam trying to find one in the south east. i also wanted to ask you guys for anyheads up problems to look for when buying one, thanks again and nice to meet yall
-ben
-ben
09-07-2004, 12:53 AM
#2
Rennlist Member
check out the newbie thread at the top of the page and the search button, main thing is the 944 takes a minute to get used to, then youll be hooked. As long as you have a good one to start with.
09-07-2004, 01:02 AM
#4
Burning Brakes
Welcome and Yes get one 944s are great
Welcome to the list. 
I say definetly go for a 944. If you are planning on looking to get hp gains from mod then go for the 951 (944 turbo) as the N/A s do not have much room without spending tons of money in the hp area but you can upgrade the handling a lot.
As for things to look for mantance records, Make sure the timing belt has been changed as they have to e changed every 30,000 miles and if they are not and one brakes the valves get bent, then your in for alot of money in repairs. Rust should be minimum as the cars are galvinized steel.
THe best thing to do is have the car looked over by a Porsche mechanic before you buy it. This could cost a few bucks but is well worth it as it will make sure you do not have to do anything more then regular maintnance once you purchase the car. A good machanic will be able to find things you might not see and also might be able to predict any future problems for a car.
I say definetly go for a 944. If you are planning on looking to get hp gains from mod then go for the 951 (944 turbo) as the N/A s do not have much room without spending tons of money in the hp area but you can upgrade the handling a lot.
As for things to look for mantance records, Make sure the timing belt has been changed as they have to e changed every 30,000 miles and if they are not and one brakes the valves get bent, then your in for alot of money in repairs. Rust should be minimum as the cars are galvinized steel.
THe best thing to do is have the car looked over by a Porsche mechanic before you buy it. This could cost a few bucks but is well worth it as it will make sure you do not have to do anything more then regular maintnance once you purchase the car. A good machanic will be able to find things you might not see and also might be able to predict any future problems for a car.
09-07-2004, 05:11 AM
#6
Race Car
You will like the 944 and find the 240sx to be somewhat similar to the 944. Big 4 cylinder with rear wheel drive with similar power and decent handling. It will cost more and take more effort to maintain the 944 and you will have to search around for a competent 944 mechanic where just about anyone can fix the 240sx.
09-07-2004, 01:01 PM
#7
AutoX
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: charlotte/clemson
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
well i will be doing most if not all reapairs on the the 944 myslef....i think....is this out of the question i did all the work on my 240 and worked as a mechanic this summer so iam fairly competent
Trending Topics
09-07-2004, 07:04 PM
#8
Track Day
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Bluffton, South Carolina
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Clemson?
Ben,
Are you in Charlotte or Clemson? I'm headed to Clemson this weekend for the GT game.
If you're interested in my 944, you can check out my AutoTrader listing.
AutoTrader
Are you in Charlotte or Clemson? I'm headed to Clemson this weekend for the GT game.
If you're interested in my 944, you can check out my AutoTrader listing.
AutoTrader
09-08-2004, 10:43 AM
#10
AutoX
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: charlotte/clemson
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
all the other people iam asking advice on for my next car keep telling me a 10-15 year old german car is a bad idea for a college student in terms of reliability, how many problems to most of yall have a year and what do they usually consisit of
09-08-2004, 11:27 AM
#11
Burning Brakes
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Toledo and Cleveland, Ohio
Posts: 1,152
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
If you do a search on yahoo for "944 FAQ", you will get a nice web site that tells all of the problems. The thing about 944s is that they are all 15-20 years old now and the majority have 100-140k miles now, and are reaching a point in their lives where a LOT of original parts from when they were new are going to need replacing (and then, we can expect, should be good for another 15 or so years). Some such things may include:
Oil cooler seals
Head gasket
Transmission mount
Front or rear main seals
Clutch (if it has the original clutch, you can count on replacing it soon)
CV Joints (more of a mileage than time or heat cycle thing)
Fan motors (high mileage cars)
Hood and hatch gas struts
Air conditioning
Struts/shocks
Front control arm ball joints and bushings
All hoses
Seat upholstery
Exhaust
Power steering stuff
Alternator brushes/voltage regulator
If you buy a 100k mile car and plan to drive it daily, put some money aside to change any of the above that have not already been done; you'll probably need to do it in the next 25k miles, with maybe the exception of the head gasket (those are really a toss-up - could last 400k).
Then there are the regular maintenance items. Every few years or certain # of miles:
Motor mounts (depends on heat cycles)
Timing belt - 30k/5 years
Water pump - every 2 or 3 timing belts
V and ribbed belts
Spark plugs, dist cap, rotor, wires (expensive compared to other cars!)
Gearbox oil - 2 yrs or 25k miles
...hmm, I know I'm missing a few...
Anyway, if you are looking at two 944s with 100+k miles, the difference between a $2k car with nice paint and interior and a $5k car with nice paint and interior is all of the above having been recently completed. With the exception of the maintenance items, these cars are very durable and you should expect great longevity. Don't worry about mileage on the engine if the car has good service records or an obviously conscientious owner for a good chunk of time/miles. As far as I can tell, for a daily driver, the engine will last forever if you keep the mobil 1 changed. Oil pressure gauge is your best indicator here. Same with the transaxle - if you don't beat on it and keep the oil fresh, it should not really wear out. Don't make a habbit of lurching it into 2nd gear - let it find its way in.
They make great daily drivers. Don't buy a project. Buy one that is maintained enough that you can just drive it and not worry from the start. If you buy one that needs any of the above, chances are it will need a few more of the above, and you will drop $2-3k in it right off the bat. But typically, aside from the regular maintenance items, just kind of go over it every year or so; in the interim, you can pretty much just drive it and forget about it. Check the oil and coolant when you fill up so you can get advance warning of oil cooler seal or head gasket failure. But really, if you do the rest of the maintenance when it is timing belt time, and all of the "every 18 years/120k miles" things have been done, you should be able to do stints of up to 30k miles without having to do anything other than change the oil and air filters.
Cheers,
Oil cooler seals
Head gasket
Transmission mount
Front or rear main seals
Clutch (if it has the original clutch, you can count on replacing it soon)
CV Joints (more of a mileage than time or heat cycle thing)
Fan motors (high mileage cars)
Hood and hatch gas struts
Air conditioning
Struts/shocks
Front control arm ball joints and bushings
All hoses
Seat upholstery
Exhaust
Power steering stuff
Alternator brushes/voltage regulator
If you buy a 100k mile car and plan to drive it daily, put some money aside to change any of the above that have not already been done; you'll probably need to do it in the next 25k miles, with maybe the exception of the head gasket (those are really a toss-up - could last 400k).
Then there are the regular maintenance items. Every few years or certain # of miles:
Motor mounts (depends on heat cycles)
Timing belt - 30k/5 years
Water pump - every 2 or 3 timing belts
V and ribbed belts
Spark plugs, dist cap, rotor, wires (expensive compared to other cars!)
Gearbox oil - 2 yrs or 25k miles
...hmm, I know I'm missing a few...
Anyway, if you are looking at two 944s with 100+k miles, the difference between a $2k car with nice paint and interior and a $5k car with nice paint and interior is all of the above having been recently completed. With the exception of the maintenance items, these cars are very durable and you should expect great longevity. Don't worry about mileage on the engine if the car has good service records or an obviously conscientious owner for a good chunk of time/miles. As far as I can tell, for a daily driver, the engine will last forever if you keep the mobil 1 changed. Oil pressure gauge is your best indicator here. Same with the transaxle - if you don't beat on it and keep the oil fresh, it should not really wear out. Don't make a habbit of lurching it into 2nd gear - let it find its way in.
They make great daily drivers. Don't buy a project. Buy one that is maintained enough that you can just drive it and not worry from the start. If you buy one that needs any of the above, chances are it will need a few more of the above, and you will drop $2-3k in it right off the bat. But typically, aside from the regular maintenance items, just kind of go over it every year or so; in the interim, you can pretty much just drive it and forget about it. Check the oil and coolant when you fill up so you can get advance warning of oil cooler seal or head gasket failure. But really, if you do the rest of the maintenance when it is timing belt time, and all of the "every 18 years/120k miles" things have been done, you should be able to do stints of up to 30k miles without having to do anything other than change the oil and air filters.
Cheers,
09-08-2004, 12:25 PM
#12
Burning Brakes
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Monterey, MA
Posts: 824
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
What Tony said...
You can pay now or later... well maintained will cost a bit more up front, but less over the initial years. In contrast a poorly maintained car will be cheap up front and expensive shortly thereafter.
Good luck.
You can pay now or later... well maintained will cost a bit more up front, but less over the initial years. In contrast a poorly maintained car will be cheap up front and expensive shortly thereafter.
Good luck.
09-08-2004, 03:33 PM
#14
AutoX
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: charlotte/clemson
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
tony k thanks thats a lot of good info just what i was looking for, now time to start looking and deciding, i basically have the choices narrowed down 2 another 240sx and swap all my cool stuff over or a 944