cobradvm

Hi - this is my first post on the forums!

I'm going to take a closer look at what appears to be a very clean 1988 944 S. Only drawback is it has 150k on the clock. For me to really look at this, it will need to have complete service records. The timing belts being changed are obviously a key thing to look at. How recent should they have been done to be okay?

Are there any other things that I should be looking for in the service records for a car of this mileage, or is just getting too high?

He's asking $5k which seems a bit high for that kind of mileage. However the 16V and LSD are pluses.

Thanks for any help you can provide!

Howard.

V2Rocket

that mileage is really not too crazy, it is an old car. that said, it is not anything to be concerned about if it has been maintained.

check for timing belt/balance belt, waterpump replacement, clutch replacement, cam chain tensioner pad replacement

odurandina

the second poster is right all the way.... the mileage isn't the problem. the fact that the electrical system is 22 years old and now reaching a point where it could give you fits isn't the problem... but, the car is worth about $ 4~5 k unless it's a showcar. you can get a 968 for $ 7 k and has the added benefit of (i can't say it here) but there are severalallthewayupto162mphwithonlymodestmods. all for a couple grand more. sorry to **** off the crowd again.

your car, 140 mph $ 5 k. 968, 155~162 mph $ 8 k.

add that almost all these cars come with about 4-10 grand of more prep to do prior to daily driving. (low estiimate).


regards,

synthetic0w-40winter/15w-50summer.






if anyone hasn't seen the 60 minutes top gear clip....

https://rennlist.com/forums/off-topi...-top-gear.html



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V2Rocket

you'd likely get a 968 with issues for $7k...go for the 944S, and wiring isn't really a big deal, just make sure the grounds are clean and secure, those are the main gremlin.

mechanical maintenance is much more important..wires are easy to replace...

944meister

everything v2 rocket said in post #2. my car has 250,000 miles on it and runs great, its all about the maintenance.

944meister

rgs944

968's seem to be going up in price, $8,000 might not get you much right now but maybe this winter they will come down again.

wanta944

For comparison's sake - I just bought a 224k mile example a few months ago. It runs like a champ. Reason why - a full stack of service records. If it has complete service records and passes an independent PPI - go for it as long as you're OK with the price.

The mileage of mine didn't bother me, since I knew it was never sitting away for years at a time in a barn to rot away, this car was consistently driven.

Oh, and I just got back from a 500 mile road trip this weekend in mine - it still will run at 80 on the highway all day long w/ no cooling or oil pressure problems. I was also getting 25-26 mpg.

Indy Rev

I bought my 88 944 with 142k for $1800 and drive it 40 miles every day. its all about maintenance. I did not have to spend 3-5 k to get it there either.

lovemyp-car

miles are not the problem...a low mileage car can and probably will have just as many issues as a high mileage car, I've pulled apart motors with low miles only to find trashed cylinder walls from stuff getting in through a chewed up air filter from the car not being driven enough (damn squirrels!), and seen high mileage motors with perfect blocks. My car had 206,000 miles on it when i bought it, it had a relatively low purchase price, and only too a little bit of work to get it up to snuff. I was dead on 4K in when i had a reliable car...the only thing i hadn't done was the timing belts, which were approaching replacement because i drove the damn thing so much!

really what you need to look for is things like how trashed is the front passenger side sway bar mount...that will tell you if the owner gave a crap about trying to keep the power steering leaks under control. Look at the ball joints because they are BIG BUCKS to replace on late cars...you can have them rebuilt, but to have a shop do it won't be cheap (ask me how i know that!). Also check out the timing belt situation and ask for records...if he doesn't have them walk away. And get a PPI!!! you will not regret spending the 50 or so bucks that might save you an asston of work later on!

Naplesguy69

ebay has several 944 na on right now for under 5k and with half the miles.

Keaton944

miles are not a problem. It is an old car, its gonna have miles, unless it sat and then you have another set of could be problems due to it sitting un-ran for x amount of time.

Service will be the key. My silver car has well over 200k, maybe even closer to 250k, and still runs great due to taken good care of the engine and regular maintenance.

Some things to consider. Waterpump - should have been changed by now. Clutch - the original should have been replaced by now, if not, its going to fail on you soon b/c its 20+ year old rubber. fuel lines - while this shouldn;t really make or break it should be checked out to see if they need replaced. Last thing you need is an engine fire on your new car.

Unless this thing is in tip top shape, 5k seems pretty high imo. It should be in great cosmetic condition as well as mechanically sound and regularly maintained for a price like that. When i was shoping for a 2nd 944, i found that all the ones around 3-5k were all the same. you can find one in the same condition or possibly better for less if you look around.

buy the one you want and are going to be satisfied with. If you wanna wrench buy one that needs some work but if you just wanna drive look for one with service records. Does it have any upgrades or mods? such as upgraded suspension, etc.

odurandina

in the spring/summer of 2009 i saw about 8 or 10 968s w/ manual transmissions selling for between $ 6.5 and $ 9 k. a friend Ali picked up a nice '94 coupe with 90 k miles and all records for $ 8,300. he's very happy with the car.... the prices seem have come back up on the manual hard tops.


the 968s have had fewer owners and the service records are more likely to be complete.

993 and 944 owners have been buying 968s in the last couple of years.

pjstevens77

I just bought a 155K 85.5 3 weeks ago and I love it. I set out to buy one with miles rather than buy one thats been sitting because I didn't want to get into replacing every bit of rubber hose, gasket or fitting due to dry rot. These cars are meant to be driven not stored. Just find one with the right maintenance history and you should be good to go.

kingston944

Mine has 248,000 mile or about 396,800 kms runs great excellent oil pressure no leaks did belts and rollers and water pump myself to be sure and for reliablity. Oil is the blood of your engine keep it changed.
Good luck keep us posted.