951Dreams

I've now got about 4k miles under my belt with this car. Averaging 1k a month somehow, way higher than I expected. I have to say, she's done really well! No issues at all! Everything I've done has been catch-up maintenance of small stuff, or restoration work. She's never failed me yet!

The miles are going to have to drop however till I get my ball joints done! I notice them getting worse, no steering issues or looseness yet, but i can't stand the popping!

Since I got my power locks working again, I did get a keyless entry and alarm install done. Mainly just wanted the keyless and trunk pop done (I use my hatch a lot). But he gave me a deal on the full alarm, so I did it. Had it done vs doing it myself so I could get lifetime warranty. And if there are any issues, they get to trouble shoot it, not me!!! LOL

951Dreams

Did a recent "Time, Speed, Distance" rally with my local PCA. Had no problems keeping up the the Boxters and Caymans that came out to play. This car just keeps surprising me and putting smiles on my face!!!

I do have to admit when I put the "It's like playing whac-a-mole" quote in my sig it was mostly tongue in cheek. But now, it's more like my 944 mantra! I know it's a 30 year old car, and I knew what I was getting into as I already had another 944. But DANG! Really?? It's always something new needing attention. Nothing major, just small things. I FINALLY had every single electrical system working, then my G14 relay started going wonky. Got that fixed, then my rear window wiper switch broke.

Also my rattles and exhaust volume got a lot louder. Also my turbo started "whistling". I was pretty sure I had an exhaust leak, but last time I had been under it I couldn't find anything. I was doing an oil change for the rally and I had planned on trying to rig up something to help with my loose heat shields and I discovered the "short pipe" coming from the wastegate to the x-over pipe had lost both it's flanges, bolts, and gasket. I suppose the gasket had disintegrated letting the flanges hang loose, and so that in turn allowed the bolts to come undone.

It did explain all my newer symptoms. So got all that on order. Also found out my OD is 10% off during the rally. At one true mile it reads I've gone 1.1 miles. I had recently replaced the OD gear, seems maybe I've got the wrong one? I used the one all the online materials I could find said I needed, but something ain't right.

Also still need to do my ball joints! Really want to get that done before Porsche Palooza. Since my region is one of the sponsors (it's in our back yard) I'd like to be part of the tours. But I don't like pushing it with those things popping! May have to wait for next year to volunteer.

I really can't express enough how much fun this car is, so worth every issue!!

951Dreams

The 951 is still going strong. I haven't been around much due to health and life reasons. My daily driver got to the point it was not worth working on anymore and I picked up a 2001 BMW 740iL... the legendary E38.

My time has been spent getting that up snuff to be my new daily. Yes, I know, a 18 year old BMW might not be the best choice for a trouble free daily drive, but dang do I love that car. Once it's up to par (almost there) I'm going to turn my attention back to getting the ball joints done in the 951. Once that's done I can start really driving it again. I will say this, the 951 is such a go-cart compared to the E38!!!! It really feels like I'm just sitting on the road feeling everything, and it's so light and nimble!! Raw and well... basic. Unrefined... like a wild beast! Love it as much as always! I'm really enjoying this German kick I've been on the last few year. In fact.... every car I own now is German!! LOL.

Hope all has been going great over here in 944 land while I've been neck deep in BMWville. Been missing ya all, looking forward to getting started on the 951 again and keeping up with the goings on over here.

951Dreams

Got my Rennbay ball joints in. Plan on getting those in sometime this month. Had an issue with a squealing belt. When I got underneath found I had lost a bolt on the A/C adjuster bar. And due to a seized up lock bolt on the stock bar, ended up with one of the KLA bars from Paragon. Jason's a great guy, and I love the bar. Highly suggested! Got that back together after multiple trips to Lowes for bolts and all is good for now.

I also discovered I've been having an arcing plug wire for some times now. It got bad enough I started looking into things and caught it in the act. Ordered up new wires/plugs/cap/rotor from Lindsey and it's like a new car!!! Due to an exhaust leak I've always had, I thought my "pulsing" on WOT was due to the leak, but it turns out it was due to this plug wire the whole time! Pulls silky smooth all the way to redline now!

Also turned up my Lindsey Boost Enhancer one turn, I know these aren't supposed to increase you boost overall, but mine does. I figure it's taking up some of the slack for aging stock components. My only complaint, if you can call it that, is with the plugs firing like they should, I notice the Turbo falloff approaching redline now. It was always there, but with everything working normal now I can feel and see it more. It's more pronounced. I keep having to fight the urge to chip this thing and throwing in a K26#8 turbo..... but so far my urge to keep it stock is winning.

I guess if I really get the urge for "mo turbo" I'll do it the right way, and pick up an 89. Be kind of cool having the first and last years of the 951. But like I need more cars.....

951Dreams

Lot's got done on the 951 today!

I FINALLY got around to doing the ball joints! The stock ones were toast!! They looked good till I got to the bottom plastic bushing. Both sides were crumbling, in pieces. Took it for a test drive and no more popping!!! YEA!!! That's been on the list since I got the car, so glad I finally got it done! Now I can get a good alignment. The cars always tracked fine, and tire wear seems even. However the steering wheel has never sat straight. I've held off addressing it till I got the ball joints done. Now that they are, it's time to get things back right with the steering!!

I also finally got around to replacing the stock fuel lines with the Lindsey kit I bought like 2 years ago. I know, I was playing with fire (literally). Kit worked well and looks good.

I also addressed a BAD rattle I've had for awhile. I had it up in the air while I was checking for leaks in the new lines. Since I had it up, I was able to locate the source of my most recent bad rattle. (like BAD) Turned out it was another loose exhaust coupling. The coupling was loose and just rattling around. That's my 2nd one. This time on the pipe that goes off the waste gate to the muffler. The fist joint after the WG. I've got it temp fixed with some "high heat" tape. That gave enough cushion to allow the coupling to fit tightly, for now at least. I'll be researching and get the right part soon. I really need to redo the whole exhaust, it's all falling apart. These things just shake too hard!! Tear up everything! And of course now that I got the BAD rattle fixed, I can hear about 3 more smaller ones now.... Two steps forward.... sigh....

When I had the fender liner out for the fuel line replacement I noticed the words "Right Turbo" written on top of it in yellow paint marker. Can't be factory, cause it was in English. I've bought enough salvage in my life to know it was likely a salvage liner. More evidence this car's been wrecked. I will admit you can't tell up front, but from time to time I find something that makes me think things have been replaced. The work up front was done really well, the damage in the rear however..... I'm going to have to redo the entire rear of the car. Everything from the doors back. The cheap paint and crappy "garage" body work that was done in the past is starting to look really bad. It's just deteriorating fast. Even being garage kept.

I'm going to end up spending as much as I bought the car for in paint and body work to get this thing back to where it needs to be!! Only saving grace it it will be worth roughly what I'll have in it. I got a decent deal due to these issues, but I'm finding they are much worse than I at first thought! But I'll get her there!

951Dreams

** Wall of text/fluff incoming warning**

Has it really been 4 years since I updated this thread? Hard to believe! I still have the 951, but I have not been driving her. I've been a very bad 944 daddy. I bet I haven't put 300 miles on her (myself) in the last 4 years. I moved about 4 years ago and my detached garage, where all the toys go, was originally a 32' RV shelter/shop. In essence a double deep two-car garage. So while you can park four cars in it, it has only one door and you have to Tetris them in and out. Because of this, it's normally more trouble and work to get it out than it's worth. So it just sits. Add in that my daily driver is an electric car (2018 Chevy Volt) and all my other vehicles take premium gas, and I only drive them when the need arises, the 951 has been sitting.

For the last two years, I've been passively trying to sell her, just because of this. I love my 951, but she is sitting and rotting away from disuse. Chipmunks had moved in, and I recently found a nest in my airbox. During the non-motivated selling process, I've gotten one of my friends, and his son, into 944's. They got an 87, but about a year later a rod started knocking. I ended up selling them my 87 automatic so his son could finish the engine rebuild I was doing on it, and transplant my 87 engine into his 87. He was able to use my block, my Lindsey Racing head, and my 88 high-compression pistons in his rebuild. He asked to borrow the 951 to make a video with his 87 for one of his classes. He was also considering buying the 951. He ended up getting his hours cut and decided to not buy it. So he did drive it quite a bit for a few months. But it has sat for about 6 months after he brought it back.

I decided a month ago it was time to pull it out of the garage, clean it up, take some pictures, and post it up for sale. However, I found the clutch master cylinder had failed as it sat. I had put that on the "deal with it in the spring when it warms up" page, and moved on to other things. But just a few weeks ago he hit me up, asking if he could borrow it again. When I informed him the clutch master had failed, he offered to come over and replace it if I bought the parts (He's planning on going to the Porsche school in Texas next year to become a Porches certified mechanic). I ordered them up, and he came over and we got the clutch working again. However, I noticed the coolant was low (has a very slow leak), didn't have any on hand, and so didn't test drive it. I got coolant this last weekend, replaced the DME coolant sensor I've been wanting to replace for years (it did fix my ruff/hard cold start issue, so woot!), and hit the road.

About 1/2 mile from the house I noticed the alternator light was on, the gauge was reading 12v's, and the power steering went out. WTF? I knew it had to be belts, but power steering AND alternator? Those are different belts! Turned around, came home, and jacked it up. BOTH belts were gone. As was the power steering pump tensioner bar. Jumped in the Volt and went looking. Found the (slightly bent) tensioner bar, and the bolt that holds it on, at the end of my 1/4 mile driveway. Found the belts about 1/4 mile farther down the highway. Didn't bother even picking up the belts, couldn't trust them now. This is the 2nd time the tensioner bar has come off this 951. The last time the entire power steering pump had come loose as well, and I lost all the special mounting hardware (spacers, bolts, nuts, etc) and had to scavage off the 87 to get it back together.

I hit up Ian at 944online and ordered up the Rennbay power steering tensioner bar and two new belts. As I said, I did find the stock bar on the road, but it is now very slightly bent. The kit from Ian comes with the bar, bolts, nuts, and washers. It's the only kit I saw that came with the nut, and mine is gone. That's why I love Ian, he always thinks of these things. Planning on using loctite blue, or maybe even red, this time around. You would think this all would be the nail in the coffin on the 951, since I was already kicking around selling it. But instead, it's motivated me to fall in love again and start doing many projects I've been putting off. As well as making an effort to start driving it again.

Here's the todo list:
Get it aligned finally. The last time I tried they said I needed new tie rods. I have the rods but never installed them.
New tires as my Kumo's are worn from the bad alignment and they are about 8-9 years old. Michelin Pilot Sport 4's is where I'm going to go I think. Just haven't decided on the 4s (summer) tires or all seasons. I've always preferred all seasons so they don't become hocky pucks during the winter, as that can be scary. But my brother has the PS 4S's on his 2016 Caymen GTS and is happy with them even in the cold.
New timing/balance belts, water pump, thermostat, rollers, guides, and front seal kit with new oil collars.
New coverall dash cover. Mine was from the PO and it's warped all to heck. I park it inside so a new one should last me.
Lindsey Max chip. 3 bar fuel regulator. Maybe the Lindsey 3" exhaust. Mine is a custom straight-pipe design. It doesn't fit quite right. Eats seals at fittings. It's just... off. Time to start new and get it right.
Lindsay duel-port wastegate. Mine is a rusted-out mess, and I know it's just not 100%. If I'm going to chip it, might as well go manual control and get a properly working wastegate.

That's really it for 2023. But I think that's enough. Even if I do end up selling it in the end, I have the room to just raise the asking price accordingly.