RSflared72e

If it was mine...I would pull the engine, buy a subsitute engine and install it. Having struggled to virtually give away several 944 engines in recent years, I know firsthand that they can be had cheaply. Or buy a used or rebuilt head and install it. But $5500 for a head rebuild? On a 944S? WTF?? Helmut must have 2 daughters at Yale or something...YMMV Al (former 944S owner BTW - loved the car and miss it! - now S2 driver...)

jonnybgood

Twas a bit more than I expected as I estimated in the tow truck on the way back... He has disassembled the engine and checked the rods, mains and will be doing a complete front end, water pump, counter balance shafts belt and timing belt. The cams are being reground for 500 each.... So I will have a fresh engine. As I explained above there is not much I can do from 270 miles away.
Thanks,
Jon

jonnybgood

Thanks jim and all the others who are supportive. It appears I am not alone. I have only driven it 700 miles and to tell you the truth I would still pay more to get it back! Do girlfriends become a secondary priority after your Porsche??

emilysgranny

Johnny ; why is he regrinding the cams ?

930 under Restoration

This is totally insane!!! No one yet has really pointed out how $5500 for this work to be done is fu@#*ing astronomical!

At most you're looking at $500 in valves.
Maybe $300 for the headgasket set.
Cam regrind and lifters are most likely not needed but $1100
$300 for valve job
Front seals, water pump, tensioners & rollers $500 at the very most!

Is this schiester charging about $2800 for labor?????????????????

If this were my car, I'd have it back on the road and reliable for another 30-60k miles for around $1500 or so.

How do you guys justify paying these prices to have other people work on your cars?

emilysgranny

930 ,I think your total parts cost would be low if the head were bad and don't forget the new tentioner for the cams. Now if you or I were doing the job , I think in the area of 2500-2750. But we don't pay ourselves . So I think somewhere in the 4250-4500 range is about right. An 8 valve can be done for 1200-1400 if you do your own work. Just the t belt break job ,maybe 800- 1000. At least in my neck of the woods.

triscadek

Not getting in on the price war but I bought my 87S in 09/01-148,000 mi. and it has been my daily driver since then, 187,000 now. Then only time that I've been left on the side of the road with my hands in my pockets was when the factory clutch went, 158,000 mi.

You've already spent the money, good or bad. Now it's time to enjoy the car.

Jim @ EuroWerks

Sounds like Helmut has to much overhead. Why did he ck the bottom of the motor? Is this what the big price tag was for? Just for giggles ask him what the clearances were.Why is he regrinding the cams.The worst multivalve/timing belt rebuild we had was in a 928. It cracked a lifter. The cam was fine. They couldn't just grind the cams because then there would be to much valve lifter clearance. I'm starting not to like Helmut! Sounds like you are paying for his tools.

Jonas Goldsmith

Well if it makes you feel any better, i snapped my timing belt this past week and now have to have the head rebuilt... the kicker, i am trying to sell the car....

EZRider

Your story is a bit sad but that's because we all remember our own disasters from the past. After all you been through and money spent it's a needless waste to sell it especially with the rebuilt engine. My advice to keep and enjoy it, you earned it.

Be aware these cars are very expensive to keep if you are not prepared to roll up your sleeve and get your hands dirty. Porsche shops or otherwise will make you pay dearly each and every time you give them the chance.

jonnybgood

Well Helmut said the cams were pitted. I saw the cams with the covers off before I came home, they did have wear marks on them. The spark plug hole has been welded so I think the previous, previous owner suffered a cam chain tensioner failure, put in used cams with valve job and sold as quickly as possible. I am at the mercy of Helmut, 250 miles away I had to make some decisions quickly and get back to home/work. I am also not set up yet to do my own work, the ex wife got the house, I got this apartment... LIke triscadek says this is still cheaper than my ex!

Rally Guy

I guess we all have our "just bought the car and now it's blown up" stories. Mine was an RX-7 turbo - put it on the road Monday - blew the turbo and cracked the exhaust manifold that Friday night. $4K later I was back on the road - but seriously underwater on the car. Live and learn.

But the car gods smiled on me - a friend then sold be a very low-milage RX-7 (with blown turbo) for $2500 and I just pulled the "new" turbo out of the "Friday night" car and put it in this new one - then sold the non-running Friday car for $3k! All of a sudden, I was in a newer, lower milage car with a new turbo. Roundabout way of getting there - but I was set.

That Friday night sucked pretty hard though.

RK

jonnybgood

Based on 930 under restoration and Jim@EuroWerks I just called Helmut and turn the heat up a bit. I wanted to back out of the cam regrind as that is $1,000.00 by itself. I questioned why it was necessary. He said they are pitted, worn to the point where there is a dip in the profile. So I asked about clearance after grinding and he says there is a tolerance for grinding and if they go below the tolerance then they will weld on new material. The cams will be nitrided after grinding to harden them. So no reduction in the cost. Thanks for the input.
Jon

RSflared72e

>>This is totally insane!!! No one yet has really pointed out how $5500 for this work to be done is fu@#*ing astronomical!<<

I did! I agree - if that is what the bill for the "work" would be, I wouldn't get it done. I'd do something else - put in another motor, whatever. That's way too GD much money for any kind of work on a 944S engine that would end up still being a stock S engine at the end.

I would only sink that kind of dough into the car if getting major upgrades. You could pretty much turn it into a 951, S2 or maybe even a 968 powered car at that price if you're patient - or just buy another GD 944S and tell Helmut push it off a cliff (or even better, put it where the sun don't shine). Hell, buy 2 rough cars at that price, make one good one...YMMV Al

jonnybgood

91S2, Everything you say is true and all those ideas are good. I could have done some of the same but that isn't how it has worked out. I suppose I have a bit of tunnel vision on this car that keeps me from doing what you say. I was planning on cherying out this car with the half of the left over from the sale of the truck. I guess I don't have to worry about the engine anymore...