Justitia

I am the original owner of an '86 944 that I have babied but have used well.

It has 217,000 miles. There is a mystery problem causing the engine to run rough in first half hour, source not yet determined even though my mechanic is one of the great ones.

So I am considering buying another 944 for the reasons listed below.

The clutch just went. (It has had 2 clutch jobs before -- I live in rough city with lots of hills.)

The car needs a paint job, some minor dents and the Racarro front seats need to be replaced as the leather has deteriorated rather fast over the last 5 years.

I had planned to do all this as soon as mystery problem was solved -- but then the clutch went out.

Though my mechanic is at a dealer, he worked on my car for 12 years on the side. But change in his personal circumstances meant I could only get access to him through his dealer employer. He still got me bargains though higher than before but now he was hired away to a new shop which is not so generous.

They want $3200 for the clutch job. Some other problems brings repairs to $5000 or so. And mystery problem still remains.

And then there is still the paint job and the Racarro seats estimating at about $6000

The service manager has been great --and says its time for me to get a new one and he will help -- no charge and he has been helping. They have no 944's on their lot and after some consideration, I know I only want a 944.

Do people list cars for sale here on Rennlist?

Does anyone have any other source to look at other than ebay?

TIA,

Justitia

ernie9468

Tia want a piece of advice look for a good 968 ,take your time if possible tried one out, there is some decent one for sale , in fact there is a couple for sale on this forum.I,m not putting the 944 down.I've owne one for the last 25 years love it and will never forget the fun & pleasure of driving it, but the 968 is like wrapping all the 944 models together, I've just bougth one a couple of months ago and as far as I'm concern (having owne all kind of porshes since the 70's) the 968 is one of the most pleasurable porsche to drive around, you want feel out of place in it since the int &all controls will be similars to your 86. Maintenance is also similar to a 944. Where the difference stand is in the ride & the power,sure you will enjoye it. GOOD LUCK BUYING YOUR NEXT ONE********

DANNiE

If you find it expensive to have your 944 fixed you will find that having your 968 even more costly... It is a much rarer car and the parts for the variocam motor are a bit pricey too...

The 944 is plentiful in used parts and in aftermarket parts... The 968 is tuff to come by and so are the parts... God forbid you have a fender bender you will be hunting and spending an arm and a leg to get body panels...

It seems to me that your only real problem is finding a good knowledgeable affordable mechanic to do the work you need done...

If anything it sounds like your Fuel Pump is/was going bad...

Im my opinion the 968 has a few nice updates and a few ugly ones; I like the tail ights and Bumpers but dislike the Round pop up head lights... Just my 2 cents... Ive seen very few low mileage 968s even one with 100K miles on it sells for 10K and you will still as the saying goes be "buying someone elses problems" so all in all you have to weigh up the pros and cons of "moving up" to a 968 only because if you find it hard to pay and maintain a 944 then a 968 is not for you...

Just my opinion...

J Berk

being that you are the original owner, I say find another good, well regarded independent mechanic and fix your car.

You can't replace the fact that you know you have ( I am assuming here) maintained the car....yeah you can get receipts and records...but you KNOW what's been done and what has not been done.

Now if you said.."I really want a different porsche" that's a different story. But don't just go buy another 944.

I think you should be able to do a clutch at a good mechanic for around $1300. If the other problem is indeed the fuel pump, you'll spend a few more hundred there.....so for less than $2k you're back in business. The cosmetic stuff can be on a calendar for next year if money's tight...but you'll then still have YOUR 944.

Rock

Ill do a clutch job for 500 +pizza. I was just in Baltimore yesterday at John Hopkins and that place is rough on cars.

Are you sure its the clutch or does the pedal fall to the floor when you push it? If its 200k on a car, and its been replaced 2-3 times before its hard to imagine it would go again so shortly.

DLarsen

Hi Tia,

Original owner, 217,000 miles and still love the 944 model.......don't sell/buy another. The cost of the clutch replacement from an independant shop should be around $1,500 or so, turbos are more. No reason to take it to the P-dealership. The mystery problem probably isn't that big of a deal. You haven't mentioned what things you've replaced over the years. What do you mean by running rough for first 1/2 hour?? Idle and or at highway speeds?? What's it doing?? When did you replace your motor mounts last?? Vacuum leaks??

Are you a PCA member?? Lots of friendly advice/assist from other members in your local region. (Also, good recommendations for independant shops).

I am the original owner of a 1986 944 na with 270,000. Hoping to pass down my 944 to my 14 year son in 3 or so years.
Have you been to the Porsche swap meet in Hershey PA?? I picked up an exact match seat for my interior (new looking) for $25. Have you thought about having someone "detail" your paint?? Might be $200 well spend for 2 or 3 more years until you can have it repainted.

Keep it..............how many people today can say they still love driving their cars after 20+ yrs..................

Darwantae951

I see you're in Baltimore. If I end up there (after my deployment with my company)I'd be more than happy to help with any maintenance. I'm a do-it-yourselfer and enjoy wrenching. If you do most of your own maintenance, you'll find these cars aren't THAT expensive. Parts may be pricey but you save on the labor!

I have experience doing quite a bit to 944s/951s and soon will have an engine swap under my belt. If you're interested in doing your own work, feel free to shoot me a PM.

Reimu

Do you know if you're replacing the clutch with an oem one?

ernie9468

Dannie , I don't agree entirely with what your saying ,why should she worried about fender bender ,don't insurance pay for damage done to your car in case an accident happen in Miami ? ,it does here .The arguments about 944 parts being plentiful is rigth but until now if you take a look at what was done to the car & how much she paid for parts & labour is out off the ***** park.Like I said had my 944 for 25 years and it din't cost me that much in parts & labour.There was not a single issues with the car when I sold it .But it's not everybody you will keep a car that age (83)in such a perfect condition.So my advices to her still stand (sell it) buy the newest low mileage either 944 or 968 you can afford,and keep away from modified car,details one yes if done tasfuly.Good Luck

Mike C.

As much as you may have a sentimental attachment to your current 944, unless you do these repairs yourself you will be sinking way more money into the car than it will (most likely) ever be worth. You would be far better off to patiently look for an example on which the clutch, water pump, timing belt, head perhaps, have recently been done and the owner is looking to get out before another expensive repair comes along. The relatively poor resale value on all but the cleanest, low mileage NAs makes a very poor case for an economically justified restoration if you have to pay someone else to do it. I'm not trying to sound discouraging; just realistic... 944's show up on Craigslist in my area pretty frequently. Happy hunting..

xsboost90

wanna sell it ? PM me.

Scott at Team Harco

Justitia,

When was the fuel filter last replaced? That is the first thing that should be replaced if the engine is running rough and it is believed to be a fuel supply problem. After that - the fuel pump, DME relay and the DME come into question.

You are getting good advice (here) on the clutch. That should not be a $3200 job. That's about double the going rate.

It's great that you enjoy your car so much you want to keep it going. Hopefully you will get some support and make it happen.

I know I will be keeping mine for quite some time as well. I am at 221,000 miles right now. The body is getting quite shabby from many Michigan winters. However, I have a clean body shell in reserve for the day when I have time to transfer all the mechanicals. I am also actively involved with keeping my girlfriend's car going. Just rebuilt the lower control arms for her car yesterday. Hope to have them back on the car so she can get a little bit of enjoyment out of the car before winter hits.

Best of luck with your "baby". Keep posting here - you are likely to find good advice and good support.

racer

This sounds like the plight of many 944s I saw for sale while looking for mine.. Paint - clapped out.. Engine - sometimes good, but something just a bit off... Inteior - needs some help.. Clutch - yeah, its a $1500-2000 job for most independant shops. I think the book is somewhere around 10 hours of labor plus parts (shops near DC are about $100/hr so it adds up quickly. These are the cars that will struggle to get $1000 on the used market as they are mostly viewed as "parts cars" or "project cars". Or, you spend $6K "fixing" it all up and its still only a $3-4K car.

While of course there is an emotional attachment to your car, I say, if you can reasonably afford it, upgrade! Not sure if you are a convertible fan, but a Boxster might be a perfect replacement. More modern. Reliable. Parts readily available. Heck, if you don't like softops, you can always slap on a hardtop and leave it on!

Folks do sell cars on Rennlist, but you have to be a member.

When I was looking for my 944, I looked at:
1) PCA
2) Rennlist
3) Pelican
4) Autotrader / Cars.com
5) Rennlist
6) Local PCA classifieds
7) Ebay (looked more to check on the market than pursue any one car)
8) Local paper
9) Craigslist

I found my 38K mile example a few weeks ago on Autotrader for instance.

alordofchaos

Yes, http://forums.rennlist.com/marketpla...cat.php/cat/13

But the prices tend to reflect the "I love this car, put a lot of sweat, blood and tears into this thing, and the price shows it, the hell with market reality" kind of thinking.

Not my cup of tea, but there's a very nice '02 Boxster under $20k in the member-to-member (I think) classifieds. I remember someone else getting a nice '99 Boxster for under $7k, iirc.

DANNiE

In florida you dont need full coverage... However if you choose to get it on a car older than 15 years it cost alot..! Not to mention Porsche and it being a 2-door sports car drives the cost up... one can opt for collision but the question is how much more is it..? Im going to go with PIP/Liability, Colision, and Uninsured Motorists coverage and hope that it dosent cost me more than $100 a month...

I have been thinking about her particular situation; I say keep this car and Buy a good serviced Lower Mileage 944 something with less than 100K miles and the same motor setup...

Again as someone else mentioned try and find one with the timing and water pump already or recently done and the clutch too would be nice... service records mean the world in a used car purchase...

To keep your current 200K+ mile 944 as a parts car is a good idea... for what you say it costs for a clutch job and the other tidbits and the addressing of the mystery problem im betting you can find a decent 944 in your area for those same costs... i rarely see a N/A 944 for more than 2500 here in south florida... sometimes 3500 tops in pristine condition...

Here is one I found with a brief search in the DC area on craigslist im not saying to buy it but it shows that these cars are available in your area at a fair cost... im sure if you offer less hed take it...

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/n...409064704.html

Just a thought...

As for the 968 the saying still stands "Dont buy someone elses problems" I recently bought a 1990 S2 and it is basically the same a 968 minus the VarioCam/DME and the cosmetics of the 968 and well finding parts for my 16 valve motor is alot harder than one would think; granted the body its a 944 so there are years and years of used parts for the body and interior but as for the engine I seek and seek and seek some parts are the same and others are not and cost more... So the 968 being a much rarer car than the 944 in a logical sense seems unpractical from a financial stand point when parts are concerned...