Buying a 944 - What to look for?
07-05-2001, 06:05 AM
#1
Three Wheelin'
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: CT, USA
Posts: 1,440
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Buying a 944 - What to look for?
I know this has probably been asked many many times before, and... there are FAQs that people make about this sort of thing, but I was hoping to get a very quick rundown of the top/most important things to look for when buying a 944 NA ..
I am planning on taking a look at an 87 944S this weekend, through a dealership, with only 44K on it, so it should be in good condition, but I want to make sure I'm not totally swindled This will be my first Porsche so.. any help would be appreciated - thanks guys.
-Op
I am planning on taking a look at an 87 944S this weekend, through a dealership, with only 44K on it, so it should be in good condition, but I want to make sure I'm not totally swindled This will be my first Porsche so.. any help would be appreciated - thanks guys.
-Op
07-05-2001, 06:07 PM
#2
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
You are right about the FAQ. Here it is: 924/944/968 FAQ 
Without a doubt, you need to take the car for an inspection by a Porsche certified mechanic. However, here are some of the top things, in my opinion. Some of these will be hard to discern without the help of a mechanic:
Condition of the timing belt and rollers. It is located under a black cover on the front of the engine. If you see oil leakge in this area, be sure to have it checked out. The belt should be changed every 30 to 45K miles, but most people on the list suggest every 30K. Also, many people have the waterpump changed at every other belt change. The waterpumps are not known for thier reliability.
Condition of the engine. Look very hard for oil leaks. Pay special attention to the front of the engine and the rear of the engine. Take a flashlight with you so that you can see better. Also check the condition of all hoses and wireing for cracking.
Condition of the chain tensioner. This is inside the engine under the cam caover. It is different than the timing belt and is specific to the 16 valvers. Should be replaced every 90K miles. There is a piece of plastic that will destroy your engine if it breaks. Given the age of the car, you may want to have this replaced inspite of the low mileage.
Condition of the clutch. Beware of any loud noises, vibrations, and/or trans. play. Mine had a bad clutch when I baught it and cost about $2k to fix.
Condition of the brakes and rotors. These cars have pretty good brakes, although not all of them stop like they are supposed to stop. If you can feel a lip on the rotors, they may need to be replaced soon.
Condition of the rear hatch seal. they all go bad at the top of the frame. Make sure that the glass is not poking out from the frame.
Condition of the AC. Expensive to fix and will need to be changed to the legal stuff eventually.
Condition of the A-arms. The balljoints go bad eventually and must be replaced with a new A-arm.
Make sure that all things electrical work, such as the seats, rear hatch, sunroof, etc.
Best of luck.
Without a doubt, you need to take the car for an inspection by a Porsche certified mechanic. However, here are some of the top things, in my opinion. Some of these will be hard to discern without the help of a mechanic:
Condition of the timing belt and rollers. It is located under a black cover on the front of the engine. If you see oil leakge in this area, be sure to have it checked out. The belt should be changed every 30 to 45K miles, but most people on the list suggest every 30K. Also, many people have the waterpump changed at every other belt change. The waterpumps are not known for thier reliability.
Condition of the engine. Look very hard for oil leaks. Pay special attention to the front of the engine and the rear of the engine. Take a flashlight with you so that you can see better. Also check the condition of all hoses and wireing for cracking.
Condition of the chain tensioner. This is inside the engine under the cam caover. It is different than the timing belt and is specific to the 16 valvers. Should be replaced every 90K miles. There is a piece of plastic that will destroy your engine if it breaks. Given the age of the car, you may want to have this replaced inspite of the low mileage.
Condition of the clutch. Beware of any loud noises, vibrations, and/or trans. play. Mine had a bad clutch when I baught it and cost about $2k to fix.
Condition of the brakes and rotors. These cars have pretty good brakes, although not all of them stop like they are supposed to stop. If you can feel a lip on the rotors, they may need to be replaced soon.
Condition of the rear hatch seal. they all go bad at the top of the frame. Make sure that the glass is not poking out from the frame.
Condition of the AC. Expensive to fix and will need to be changed to the legal stuff eventually.
Condition of the A-arms. The balljoints go bad eventually and must be replaced with a new A-arm.
Make sure that all things electrical work, such as the seats, rear hatch, sunroof, etc.
Best of luck.
07-05-2001, 10:14 PM
#3
Instructor
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Maryland
Posts: 101
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
One other area to look for is the oil cooler seal failure. This shows up with the symptoms of a sludge-like white or tan goo in the cooling system return tank. There is also a sheen (oil slick) floating on the surface of the coolant in the tank. This can happen when the o-rings in the oil cooler blow out. There is a fix but it involves a new cooler housing and seals. Plus it can allow coolant into your crankcase and cause damage. Look at the coolant reservoir or ask the owner abou this.
