No oil cooler radiator left to rupture and additional coolant running through the console.
Not to mention that if done correctly, it eliminates the horror of the subsequent clean up.

 

It sort of half addresses the problem, but it's the o-rings that are more prone to failure and swapping to the turbo cooler doesn't solve that. I wish someone in the aftermarket would produce a tapped oil line solution that removes the o-rings - anyone?

 

Were working on a oil cooler fix, how to improve /change the seals and fit an external cooler ala 951. Early days and lots of other things to work but will start a thread here when we have something.

 

A 911 is certainly a wicked fast machine when driven correctly. They are not near tail-happy as the myth would allow. Once (rear) grip is lost, a 911 can still be driven...mid engine cars cannot.
Nothing can be placed on-line, or change line mid corner like a 911.

 

Plus the master / slave shielding!

You must have been watching / listening to my son & I on a webcam on Saturday!

Access for 951 maintenance makes 928 maintenance seem trivial.


Nice rundown of issues a few posts back, Mr. Whalebird. They are definitely a handful.

But that's what makes them special. And the profile / style -- classic!
Galvanization, extremely strong foundation/frame, plenty of parts at least still available, these are plusses.

 

IMO a dealer looks at these cars about the same way a computer repair shop looks at a 10 year old computer. They made a lot of money on these, but they are not worth their time now.

 

Maybe, possibly if you include club races, but in professional racing, no way. 911s were winning races a decade and a half before the 924, and continue to win races decades after the 968.

Any? I think it's going to take more than a "modest" SC to keep up with a properly set up NA 968 track car...to say nothing of a Variocam turbo. Wallet, agreed so long as you don't fall off the "Cashmere cliff" like Dan Proudfoot.

Hell, I just want to know what moron invented the 968 front bumper cover attached by 80 assorted fasteners, none of which can be reached by full-sized adult humans. Either it was a midget child or an octopus. Overengineered, I suppose, by why overengineer a non-load-bearing non-moving cosmetic part? Yay Porsche!

 

The octopii must not have had a strong union when it came to production line workforce. Better than US domestic cars - monkeys put them together. I've so got to duck and run now...

 

I am surprised that Porsche hasn't set up a specialist dealer network to support their older models. For a lot of buyers of older Porsche this is their first experience of the marque, a lot of them become enthusiasts due to this first experience. Aston Martin, a much smaller company, has 14 "Heritage" dealers worldwide whose sole purpose is to understand and support the older models: http://site.astonmartin.com/eng/heritage

 

That's actually a really good idea. Build a brand big enough you could set up a world-wide chain of 15 year+ model Porsche shops. Get bought out by the mothership, maybe. Trouble is finding techs who aren't old enough to have moved on to being the boss... so you'd have to start a training program for older Porsche. Still, in a recession, plenty of people would jump through rings of fire to get an apprenticeship

Oh, and in answer to the original question. No. They built a Le Mans car and a global series around it - they loved the 944. Right now, they love the Cayenne - making money is always good if it supports the end goal. Make fast cars.

 

I grew up loving the 911/930 Porsches. Always wanted a 930 since driving one when I was 19yrs old a long time ago. However since we pay 2-3 times more for cars than in the US I couldn't afford one when it came time to buy into the marque. So eventually I settled for a very nice '89 951. Joined the local Porsche club to get my car onto the track and have some fun. Remember hearing the 'Get a real Porsche' many times. All this did was raise the hackles on the back of my neck and make me more determined to beat these guys. As it turned out, year after year a front engined car would win the Motorkhana events, Sprint events, and overall Club Championships. While the points were allocated on a handicap based power to weight ratio, we kept improving, so much so they elevated us up into higher competing classes. Eventually it got to the point where we've become as fast as the fastest GT3s on R spec rubber. I am confidant by next year one of us will have the fastest car in the club, period. Many of those wealthier guys in their rear engined beauties have dropped off the scene (damn that GFC) and the ones that are left are much friendlier with us now. Ironically some are even driving front engine cars.

Moral to this story...we don't seem to hear that chirpy insult anymore. We do have real Porsches.

 

When I was living in Korea with my '86 Turbo, a Porsche dealer with service center opened up right down the street from my house. My car was one of the first to show up for service. The Korean Porsche mechanics really liked my car because it was a novelty. When it was new, S. Korea wasn't exactly a wealthy nation so there were probably 2-3 951s in the entire country. They even offered to do work on it at a 30% parts/labor discount.

 

I can't afford to have a dealer work on my 84 944, 88 944 Turbo S or even my "newer cars" 2002 BMW and 2003 ML320. Dealers charge too much to do the work so I do it myself whenever possible. If needed there is an indepndant shop that will work on all the cars.

BTW... dealers do not hate the 944, Just cheap azz 944 owners. Dealers like owners who won't mind a 2800 bill. How many here can get a 2800 repair bill and just pay it without even the slightest concern?

 

I no this thread is very old. But I couldn't help but love the truth of the 944 keeping not only the 911 alive, but keeping PORSCHE in business throughout the 80/90's.
Thank you 944

 

I recently bought a 1987 944S in a relatively good shape, but the engine needed a bit of attention: stuttering, running too rich, ....
And so I took it to a local Bosch service center, to have the injectors checked and cleaned.
The guy asked me to bring the car in, so he could have a good look at it first, before doing anything that could cost me money.
The day after I went over, and he explained to me what he did: he checked the compression (appeared to be excellent), and he immediately noticed the running too rich problem. And so he concluded that the injectors were most probably just fine, but he pointed me towards the lambda (O2) sensor, and a ticking valve on one cilinder.
He didn't wat to charge me anything for the time he spent "because they don't get such nice cars in their shop every week"

When I first bought it, a car-freak friend made fun of me for buying "an Audi" (know your Porsche types, I told him). But now that the car runs like I want it, I let him drive it a couple of times, and he just plain fell in love with it. He never calls it "an Audi" anymore.....