First car questions
02-19-2012, 02:20 AM
#2
Unaffiliated
LOL 928 isn't even good as a LAST car, much less the first one! 944 all the way!
02-19-2012, 08:25 AM
#3
Three Wheelin'
My mechanic won't work on 928s as a lot of the time you fix one thing and something else breaks. They are for those with a brave heart and fat wallet only from what I gather, but an awesome tourer. 944 can be a much better option to enter the Porsche ownership world but can also be a money pit also, if you don't get a good example. I was advised to get an NA but ignored that sound advice and went for a turbo. It has only caused me a little pain(so far) but I love it anyway. These are awesome cars, and I am so glad I got my first one.
peace
Cyberpunky
peace
Cyberpunky
02-19-2012, 11:56 AM
#4
Drifting
Am I to assume that you live in Kansas City from your screen name? In any case, IMHO I'd avoid the 928 because they're a maintenance nightmare. If you want a hot V8, get a vette. If you want a great car that gets good gas mileage, corners like a slot car and is very comfortable to ride in, not to mention the utility of the rear storage get the 944. Be aware that a lot of money, especially if you don't do your own repairs, can be spent on getting a candidate car right. It's hard to find a car that's had all the typical maintenance/repair items done and documented. They're out there but hard to find. If you read a lot of past blogs on this site you'll see a list of the items that typically require repairs as preventative measures for old, high mileage cars like these are apt to be. Here's my personal check list for what to expect:
1st, get a later (85 1/2 version and beyond) if possible, as the earlier ones had issues that were corrected on the later cars. I prefer the '87 to '89.
2nd, try to find one that hasn't been in the "rust belt". I've had three and all three were from Texas or New Mexico where it's dry.
3rd, if you expect to get one from a dealer, expect the car to "look" great, but don't expect to get any maintenance records. The dealers usually dump them. Buy from a private party and take the time to find one that has a history of when and what mileage certain maintenance items were done.
4th, and this is most important, educate yourself on what items typically cause maintenance headaches and potentially expensive repairs if missed. A mechanic with a strong background in 944's should be hired, if possible, to do an inspection.
Here's some items that you will find typically need attention:
Timing/balance shaft belts 30 to 40 K miles and 4 to 5 years. Water pump should be replaced with every other set of belts. Also check rollers and idlers for wear.
Clutch: Is it rubber or conventional hub? When was it changed last. If it's rubber and hasn't been changed for 50k miles or 10 years, for example, the rubber hub is prone to disintegrating with little warning.
Rubber seals: These cars have about a dozen rubber seals that by now, due to age, have turned to plastic. This means they are no longer seals and will cause numerous oil and vacuum system leaks. This also includes the shaft seals in the throttle body. There's blogs here to easily locate all vacuum leaks around the engine. Vacuum leaks will confuse the DME (engine computer) and will make the car run funny, or not at all. Extreme example: Rear main crankshaft seal leaking? Remove exhaust, transaxle, clutch, flywheel to replace a $10 rubber seal. This is expensive if a shop does it and time consuming and infuriating if you do it yourself (unless you're into self abuse).
Air Conditioning: About 1/2 the cars you'll find, the A/C doesn't work. The other half, have had a recent re-charge but don't be surprised that they will lose that in short order.
Rear hatch: The rear hatch is mounted on an aluminum frame which is under constant stress from the piston supports that hold it open. This stress, combined with the sun degrading the sealant/adhesive the factory glued them with will cause them to delaminate and you'll get leaks of air and rain. They all do it eventually. The hatch will have to be removed and reglued to the frame. Lots of blogs on this website regarding this.
Dash Cracks: All cars will have cracks in the dash unless covered with either a crappy plastic dash cover (which usually comes unglued) or a small carpet looking thing. Best repair is dash removal and there's a kit in leather or vinyl that's double stitched (about $250) and makes the car look like a new european sports car.
Seats: Unless they've been recovered, the seat bottom stitching will be coming apart. Here again, there's recover kits specifically for this car available for different prices.
Battery box: These typically have rust on the box floor from acid spillage. Pull the battery and if it's rusted real bad, find another car, If it's small it can be sanded to bare metal, fibre glassed and (in my case) sprayed with rubber truck bed liner (comes in a can at auto parts store). If you don't fix this, water and rust leaks into the passenger foot-well. Look in that area of a candidate car for evidence of leaks.
There's more but spend time reading the posts here for a while before you jump into this adventure. A good purchase based on good research is so much more gratifying than a crap shoot approach to buying one that will eventually cost at least as much for repairs as you paid for the car. In any case, don't spend more than $4k for any 944. It would have to be an exceptional, low mileage car with impeccable maintenance logs to warrant a higher price.
Noobs are welcome here. If you have any other questions, this is the place to post them or contact me directly. Good luck in your hunt.
1st, get a later (85 1/2 version and beyond) if possible, as the earlier ones had issues that were corrected on the later cars. I prefer the '87 to '89.
2nd, try to find one that hasn't been in the "rust belt". I've had three and all three were from Texas or New Mexico where it's dry.
3rd, if you expect to get one from a dealer, expect the car to "look" great, but don't expect to get any maintenance records. The dealers usually dump them. Buy from a private party and take the time to find one that has a history of when and what mileage certain maintenance items were done.
4th, and this is most important, educate yourself on what items typically cause maintenance headaches and potentially expensive repairs if missed. A mechanic with a strong background in 944's should be hired, if possible, to do an inspection.
Here's some items that you will find typically need attention:
Timing/balance shaft belts 30 to 40 K miles and 4 to 5 years. Water pump should be replaced with every other set of belts. Also check rollers and idlers for wear.
Clutch: Is it rubber or conventional hub? When was it changed last. If it's rubber and hasn't been changed for 50k miles or 10 years, for example, the rubber hub is prone to disintegrating with little warning.
Rubber seals: These cars have about a dozen rubber seals that by now, due to age, have turned to plastic. This means they are no longer seals and will cause numerous oil and vacuum system leaks. This also includes the shaft seals in the throttle body. There's blogs here to easily locate all vacuum leaks around the engine. Vacuum leaks will confuse the DME (engine computer) and will make the car run funny, or not at all. Extreme example: Rear main crankshaft seal leaking? Remove exhaust, transaxle, clutch, flywheel to replace a $10 rubber seal. This is expensive if a shop does it and time consuming and infuriating if you do it yourself (unless you're into self abuse).
Air Conditioning: About 1/2 the cars you'll find, the A/C doesn't work. The other half, have had a recent re-charge but don't be surprised that they will lose that in short order.
Rear hatch: The rear hatch is mounted on an aluminum frame which is under constant stress from the piston supports that hold it open. This stress, combined with the sun degrading the sealant/adhesive the factory glued them with will cause them to delaminate and you'll get leaks of air and rain. They all do it eventually. The hatch will have to be removed and reglued to the frame. Lots of blogs on this website regarding this.
Dash Cracks: All cars will have cracks in the dash unless covered with either a crappy plastic dash cover (which usually comes unglued) or a small carpet looking thing. Best repair is dash removal and there's a kit in leather or vinyl that's double stitched (about $250) and makes the car look like a new european sports car.
Seats: Unless they've been recovered, the seat bottom stitching will be coming apart. Here again, there's recover kits specifically for this car available for different prices.
Battery box: These typically have rust on the box floor from acid spillage. Pull the battery and if it's rusted real bad, find another car, If it's small it can be sanded to bare metal, fibre glassed and (in my case) sprayed with rubber truck bed liner (comes in a can at auto parts store). If you don't fix this, water and rust leaks into the passenger foot-well. Look in that area of a candidate car for evidence of leaks.
There's more but spend time reading the posts here for a while before you jump into this adventure. A good purchase based on good research is so much more gratifying than a crap shoot approach to buying one that will eventually cost at least as much for repairs as you paid for the car. In any case, don't spend more than $4k for any 944. It would have to be an exceptional, low mileage car with impeccable maintenance logs to warrant a higher price.
Noobs are welcome here. If you have any other questions, this is the place to post them or contact me directly. Good luck in your hunt.
02-19-2012, 12:39 PM
#6
Drifting
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Caraquet-- New-Brunswick-- Canada
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