Operator

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

jim968

Item one... do read the various FAQ's.

Two... it's due for a timing & balance shaft belt replacement on miles; way overdue on time. Check maintenance records for this. All the rest of the rubber stuff (hoses, seals, wire insulation etc.) is still 14 years old, despite the low miles.

Three, and most important... get a PPI by a mechanic competent on the water-cooled Porsches. It's the best ~$100 you can spend on the car at this point.

hat said, the S is potentisally a heck of a nice car, with more "go" than the regular 944 na. Enjoy.

Jim, off to 'work'....

K. Wells

a slightly rough idle will be normal, but if its enough to visibly shake the car the motor mounts are probaly shot. The drive train should be smooth, no shudders, lurches, or clunks with shifting or when letting off the gas, any of these could be signs of a bad clutch disc. Ask if the belts have been changed (ie. timing, balance shafts). Ask if its had a tune up (ie. plugs, wires, cap, rotor, oil) their not cheap on an S normal tune up without belts will be over $300 in parts alone, so it would be a big bonus if it has recently had one, and even bigger bonus if the belts have been done too. Good luck, bought my 1987 944S a year ago and love it so if the price is right and it seems solid go for it. Oh, and definitely spend the $50-$100 to have a mechanic do a PPI.

rpm's S2

Bill Underwood's 944 FAQ was a tremendous starting point when I bought my 944 four months ago.944 FAQ First Time Buyer's Questions

Operator

Thanks guys, I'm scared already Problem is I don't have unlimted funds but am hoping I wont need to pour thousands of dollars into the car right away.. oh well, you only live once right?

By the way, for the record, PPI is a Porsche Pre-Inspection? The dealer who is managing this deal (they are a go-between) said they will check the car but I can get a second opinion, well.. I guess I'll see how much they know about it and decide if I wanna do that when I see the car. Thanks again!

Tabor

PPI: Pre-Purchase Inspection. Have it done by an independant Porsche shop. It may cost up to $150 but don't worry, it needs to be done.

Also, don't worry about pouring thousands of dollars a year into it. That is what the PPI is for, so you know what you will be buying!

Roy LaZelle

There was an article in Excellence a year or two ago on search and pre-purchase, that was a lot of help to me. If you are interested, I can look up the issue when I get home today. --Roy--

Francesco944

I agree with everyone. But also I hope you plan to test drive, and I mean TEST. Drive it for a while, go for a nice cruise. And drive it as if you would drive on a daily, and not so daily basis, if you know what I mean. That should help your decision, and if you can find another one, later or newer, do the same thing so you know what to expect in a way. Good luck.

Cobbs

I also agree with what everyone posted, especially Jim968 and the Pre purchase inspection. My big concern about a car with that few of miles is dry rot. Affected areas would be belts,hoses, bushings, tires etc. In addition to the PPI, take the car on an extensive road test at varying speeds and surfaces. This will hopefully expose any problems that might creep up with shimmies that these cars are sometimes prone to. Another thing often overlooked on these cars is unusual smells. THese cars frequently have a section of the filler part of the fuel tank leak so smell for gas when you fill it up and drive. Also check for smoke from the exhaust and burning oil under the hood. CHeck the carpet for damage, THESE CARS LEAK! Thats just a few things I could think of off the top of my head. Definitly read the FAQ's.

adrial

K. Wells, I have a '89 944 Turbo that I purchased 3 weeks ago. If I lift off the gas while in gear in any of the lower gears there is a very noticable..thing. It's as if it's changing from the engine pushing the car along to the car's momentum pushing the car along, and the feeling is that it's just the slack in the drivetrain...which all manual transmission cars have. At least I thought all of them had this, untill you said, "The drive train should be smooth, no shudders, lurches, or clunks with shifting or when letting off the gas, any of these could be signs of a bad clutch disc." The behavior that I described is normal, right?

thanks for any help...