Petza914

Hey guys, just a quick into thread. Though I have 6 other Porsches (914, 997s, 928s, Cayenne Turbo S) and am an admin in a couple of the forums, this is our first foray into the 944 so looking forward to learning from those here with more model specific experience.

I've wanted a 944 since test driving a Turbo S at a dealership back in the late 80s when I was still in college. Fast forward until now and my son has his permit and will be getting his driver's license in June. We like our kids (he has an older sister) to learn and have experience with us while on their permits in the cars they'll be driving once on their own, and my son loves our Porsches, working with me on them, and really wanted a manual transmission, so I convinced my wife that instead of getting him a Jeep or an Audi Q5 (like his sister has), that we should get him a 944. She acquiesced with the one stipulation that it not be red!

Here's my son helping me work on one of the others a few years ago

Turning the engine over by hand to check the timing


Helping guide the new motor into the car

Decided it needed to be a coupe for the parking lot security at high school and if he takes it to college, and to have some reasonable storage space for golf clubs, etc with the seats folded down. I love the nose and look of the turbo but wasn't giving a new driver turbo power and driving characteristics, and didn't want the maintenance complexity of the turbo, so started doing some research on what was available in our price range. Quickly decided it needed to be an 85.5 or newer for the dash and interior and was really looking for an S to get the 16v motor and stay in the $10-$12k range, but the nose and rear valence of the Turbo kept calling me and I wasn't finding good Ss for under $15, so started considering S2s. The other requirement because of the Agreed Value policy all my cars are on with Grundy, is that the car had to have a non-salvage title to qualify for comprehensive insurance.

So the search began for an S or S2 coupe that isn't red, is a manual, is in good mechanical and cosmetic condition so he could drive it more than we work on it ...

I quickly realized that probably 70% of all 944s made must be red, and that S and S2 coupes are hard to find in good condition (cabs quite a bit easier).

Found a gorgeous, low mileage, silver over black S on BAT out of TX but bailed once the bidding passed $15k.

Found a black on black S but had a salvage title.

Found a white on black S way underpriced with Turbo rear valence, cool aftermarket wheels, and aero rocker panels. Tried to get in touch with the guy for days and when I finally did, he said someone was coming from the West Coast to him in PA to buy it and it was sold.

Found a low mileage 968, but didn't love the color scheme - medium green over beige and although I know the 968 is a better car than a 944, I just can't warm up to it's looks and proportions as it looks "bulky" for lack of a better term, especially for a young kid vs the 944s sloping nose, rear fender flares, etc. That didn't stop me from bidding on a couple auctions though, none of which I won.

Then thought I had found the one - grey over black S2 with a damaged front fender, but no rust, recent timing belt and water pump service, and for low teens. Lined up a used fender, made an appointment at a body shop, came to an agreement on the price, sent a deposit, bought an airline ticket with the plan to buy it at the end of my business trip for that week and drive it home from the Northeast to SC, and after weeks of searching felt like it was really going to happen. Guy brought the car to the hotel and upon inspecting it, my heart sank...rust behind both rear wheels, down below the doors on the sills, interior very crispy, driver's door a different color under the door seal, bondo cracks on the non-damaged front fender, water damage from leaking seals, etc. Told the guy I don't do rust and couldn't buy the car. Got part of my deposit back and had to book a flight back home

Then I put a WTB ad on Facebook and a guy had a gorgeous Ocean Blue over Linen S but wanted $20k for it - too high for an S...

then a second guy reached out with a Dove Blue over Linen S2 for less money than the OBM S and only 2 hours away. Looked like exactly what I was looking for as it wasn't in perfect exterior condition, which is fine as it's going to be parked outside and in parking lots, but still very nice, and more importantly, has had almost every mechanical thing done to it in the last few thousand miles. Wanted a black interior, but the linen with dark blue leather is very pretty with the dove blue exterior and my son's favorite color is blue. The PO had owned it for 12 years and is a Tech at a Mercedes Benz dealership. Every time I asked him a follow up question as we were working through the buying process, he had just recently serviced or replaced what I was asking him about.

Here's the list of the mechanical work recently done...

• Oil & Filter change - Valvoline VR1 20w50
• Brake Fluid Flush
• New Air Filter
• Spark Plugs (Bosch)
• New Water pump, Kevlar timing belt, balance shaft belt, all pulleys & rollers
• Coolant renewed
• New windshield
• New rod bearings
• Refreshed cylinder head by Len Hoffman
• Torque Tube upgrade with Black Sea bearings
• Sunroof repaired with brass gears
• Dash redone in dark blue leather
• Front seats redone in Linen leather

Setup a time and say to go down to GA and drive it home. Super nice guy and car was exactly as represented. Fired right up, idled perfectly, and drove great the 2 hours home. Heat and A/C both worked perfectly.

Car also has Infiniti Kappa speakers, Alpine head unit, and an old iPod connector.

So here she is. Bought in September, but a Christmas surprise for our son.











My wife and I spent a whole day detailing it while our son was in school, washing the exterior, shampooing and cleaning the linen carpets, and we changed the wheels (more on that in a follow-up post). The car is beautiful now.




We're going to do some cosmetic and safety upgrade things to it and I'll keep updating the thread as we go, but here's a happy kid on Christmas morning with his first Porsche. He's doing great with the manual (probably because of his his dirt bike experience with a clutch) and has been driving it around town every day.

Zirconocene

What a lovely example and, as you might remember, I am partial to the lighter color interiors for the feeling of airiness, so that color combo is great.

Great Xmas present, he's a lucky boy.

Cheers

Petza914

Have been doing some additional work on the car. Today was new taillight housings and upgraded bulbs.

One of the original tsliights had the lens separating from the housing and allowing water inside so needed new ones and also wanted to update the look with the red and clear versions.

Installed incandescent chrome amber 1156.tirn signal bulbs so they're invisible behind the clear, installed the same great Astar LEDs I use in my 928 for reverse lights, did led running lights, but regular brake lights in case they are monitored.

Also wanted to do a more modern twilight seal than the nasty ribbon sealer which is what we spent most of our time on today to completely remove it. It was lumpy and had GA red clay stuck in it and just plain nasty.

Original lens with the ribbon seal



DD adhesive neoprene seal installed on the new house g eliminating the ribbon sealer

Taillight cavity cleaned up and ready for the new tailoight

Went through and used Deoxit on all the bulb contacts, removed the metal plate from the plastic portion and cleaned the plastic.

1 side finished - love it

So much cleaner looking

Running lights and brake lights illuminated.



However...

My 89 S2 keeps tripping the fuse for the left side running lights (front parking light, both sides markers, rear outside corner light). When I replace the fuse they work for a bit, but I can see the rear light flickering. If the flickering stops, the light remains on, but usually it blows the fuse after the flickering. As a test, tried it with a 10A instead of the 7.5A fuse in it and no difference. It doesn't blow immediately, but rather after 15 seconds or longer.

I just replaced the rear taillight assemblies today and all the wiring looked perfect into and out of the connectors and on the back of the taillight plate, like in this pic. The bulbs in the plate are.not the issue as it did the same thing with all the original bulbs too.

I've replaced the front bumper running light bulbs and they looked fine too. I've tested it with the rear side markers disconnected and no difference.

Anyone have ideas where I should look for this short that's blowing the fuse. Haven't looked at the front side marker on that side yet, but that's next.

Thanks for any help.

Pic of the owner replacing his fuse. He reinstalled the wheels himself today with the narrower rear 255 tires that now don't rub (275s before we're no bueno).

Petza914

Couple more projects today

Replaced the broken and non-functional Hazard light switch.

Installed Rennline Phone mount.

Installed LED bulbs for the dome lights and rear hatch area - like the brighter and "whiter" light.

Than had to redo some window motor wiring on the 928, so that was it on the 44 for today.

Petza914

More update projects on the S2 today.

Did the extra rear light mod using led bulbs instead of inclided incandescent ones. To get the new bulb holders to fit well into the light plate, I Dremelled off the little metal tabs, inserted the socket, twisted it to lock it into the plate and then added a small wire tie to make it a bit more secure than it was without them.







Also replaced my license plate bulbs with LEDs.

Petza914

First oil change on my son's semi-newly acquired S2 with sample going off to Blackstone. Filter media looked fine. PO had been running Valvoline 20/50 but I've switched it over to the Driven DT50 I use in my 2 928s and my 914.

Also installed Dansk stainless S2 cat back exhaust after polishing and coating it with Sharkhide. Exhaust isn't much louder, maybe a little at high rpm, but has a nice mellow sound, and no drone. Seems like a winner.

Installed Fumoto drain valve to make future oil changes faster and easier.


Owner polishing the new exhaust before we coat it







Fumoto drain valve installed for faster and cleaner oil changes in the future.

Petza914

A few nice upgrades for the S2.

Focus 9 Fan controller relay arrived today and now lives next to the F9 Fuel Pump Relay. Has high and low fan speed test functionality integrated in and is a solid state relay. There the working original in the glovebox as a spare that I'll likely never need with this one. These relays are awesome. Hoping they expand their offerings to include 928 versions.

Replaced ugly yellow plastic oil fill cap with a billet one to dress up the engine bay a bit. Added a Porsche crest to it from a leather key fob and Sharkhided it for protection.

J1NX3D

I've been meaning to ask, how has the phone mount been to live with? With your phone there does it get in the way of any switches?

Petza914

No, it works great.

Petza914

Did a little cosmetic work on the S2. Replaced the beigish and mediocre valve cover with nicely powdercoated one and painted the letters with blue high-temp paint. Looks really nice under the hood now.

I have a 2nd one of these valve covers I'll be putting up for sale if anyone is interested as I bought a pair from a 928. Price is $250 shipped. Also have the original I'll sell for $125 if someone wants one to restore.


Original valve cover picture

Newly installed and painted lettered one

Newly installed and painted lettered one

Newly installed and painted lettered one and the paint pen used

Petza914

Added a Hi-torque IMI starter from Pelican Parts today to replace the OEM one that had a slightly lazy retracting Bendix. Have these on a 914 and 2 928s already. They're lighter, stronger, and smaller. Car starts quicker and smoother than before.

Install was pretty easy - reuse both OEM mounting bolts and snip off the ring terminal from the trigger wire and replace with a female spade connector.

https://www.pelicanparts.com/More_In...EL-GE-STHT-944

Petza914

Did a little work with my son on his S2 today.

6 month oil change - Driven DT50

Replaced the rear roof panel that was kind of a mess with a good used one from Elliott Grafton. The interior is linen and navy so used some SEM trim paint to make the black one I bought blue

Installed the new Saratoga Top from Frank Zappa. These are glass with a mirrored effect 8nside to help with heat reflection and much nicer than the plastic Saratoga Top I have on my 914. Tight fit and letting the seals break in with the roof closed a bit before I try to operate it with the motors.
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Great little car!


You can see the poor condition of the rear section of the roof panel

New one ready to go in


Decent color match - it's a little lighter and a little bluer

herdy44

Very nice car indeed.
​​​​​​massive transformation with the new shiny rear light clusters.
so much so , I'll have to seriously consider replacing mine.
Keep up the good work.

Petza914

If you want the feeling of airiness inside, get one of these new Saratoga tops - totally brightens the interior and makes it feel larger inside.

Aerial view of Frank's car who sells the Saratoga top (same Baltic/Dove Blue over linen color scheme as ours)

Petza914

Thanks herdy. Getting rid of the yellow lenses on older Porsches like 944s and 928s really updates their look.


My current 84 Euro S with clear corner lenses in the foreground and my previous 81 Euro S I also converted in the background (along with clear side markers on that one).




Same on my supercharged 79 but with smoked front & rear side markers to make them disappear into the bodywork