Danny's 1987 944S
06-25-2017, 05:25 AM
#1
Intermediate
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 48
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Danny's 1987 944S
Hey y'all!
I bought a 1987 Porsche 944S about a year ago (my old thread about it) and now I've finally gotten around to working on it. I was so busy with all of my other car projects that it took nearly a year to get to this! Part of it was also the fact that the car was stuck in my friend's backyard behind a bunch of other stuff, so it took me forever to get it out of there. Now it's safely in my garage and ready to be resurrected. The thread I linked above should cover all the details, but for those who just want the tl;dr version, here are the details:
- Purchased in Tucson for $1000
- Doesn't run. Engine cranks, tach bounces.
- DME relay has been replaced, all fuses are good
- Has the 16V DOHC engine
- Interior is in decent shape
- Paint is not great
- Hasn't run since 2011
Here are some pictures of it as it sits right now. I haven't cleaned it or done anything yet.
Broken driver's side mirror...
Grass growing from the rear bumper— who ever said Porsches weren't eco-friendly? ha!
But hey, the badge looks as great as ever:
The wheels are the 15" phone dials and they're in decent shape. The tires hold air but they're quite dry-rotted.
The interior has definitely been redone at some point, the seats were reupholstered at the bare minimum.
The oldschool shift ****, featuring a cheap Walmart head unit in the background.
I do feel kinda bad for letting it sit in the hot Arizona sun for so long, but to be fair it sat around for many years prior to that— so it's not like I was ruining a perfect car. Still a better fate than going to the junkyard.
The plan is to get the battery and air intake box from my friend's house later today/tomorrow (it's 1am now). Once I have some power going to the car, I'm going to jump the fuel pump relay and pump all the nasty old gas out. I opened up the Schrader valve on the fuel rail to see if there was any gas there and it smelled absolutely awful. The fuel pump works to some extent from what I remember when I last messed around with the car. Given how many years this car has sat, it's probably best to drain the gas tank and start with fresh premium, along with a new fuel filter. After that I'll do a fuel pressure test at the rail to see if the fuel pump is working adequately. I remember the engine cranked just fine but wouldn't start, though it would try to start when spraying starting fluid into the intake, so I'm thinking it's a fuel delivery issue. I'll do these steps and proceed from there.
A little background about me— I'm a web developer and a self-taught amateur mechanic, having rebuilt about 10 BMW V8's in various vehicles ranging from a 540i to a 740i to a Range Rover. No job is too scary for me— engine rebuilds, clutch jobs, timing chain/belt jobs, transfer case rebuilds, I can do it all. I also do a bit of body work and have painted in my garage with decent results so I'm not afraid to tackle that stuff. My daily driver is a 2000 BMW 540i touring and I also have a 2003 BMW X5 4.6is along with a 1996 Ford Mustang GT.
Anyways, happy to be back here. I'm pretty excited to get this 944S back on the road again
I bought a 1987 Porsche 944S about a year ago (my old thread about it) and now I've finally gotten around to working on it. I was so busy with all of my other car projects that it took nearly a year to get to this! Part of it was also the fact that the car was stuck in my friend's backyard behind a bunch of other stuff, so it took me forever to get it out of there. Now it's safely in my garage and ready to be resurrected. The thread I linked above should cover all the details, but for those who just want the tl;dr version, here are the details:
- Purchased in Tucson for $1000
- Doesn't run. Engine cranks, tach bounces.
- DME relay has been replaced, all fuses are good
- Has the 16V DOHC engine
- Interior is in decent shape
- Paint is not great
- Hasn't run since 2011
Here are some pictures of it as it sits right now. I haven't cleaned it or done anything yet.
Broken driver's side mirror...
Grass growing from the rear bumper— who ever said Porsches weren't eco-friendly? ha!
But hey, the badge looks as great as ever:
The wheels are the 15" phone dials and they're in decent shape. The tires hold air but they're quite dry-rotted.
The interior has definitely been redone at some point, the seats were reupholstered at the bare minimum.
The oldschool shift ****, featuring a cheap Walmart head unit in the background.
I do feel kinda bad for letting it sit in the hot Arizona sun for so long, but to be fair it sat around for many years prior to that— so it's not like I was ruining a perfect car. Still a better fate than going to the junkyard.
The plan is to get the battery and air intake box from my friend's house later today/tomorrow (it's 1am now). Once I have some power going to the car, I'm going to jump the fuel pump relay and pump all the nasty old gas out. I opened up the Schrader valve on the fuel rail to see if there was any gas there and it smelled absolutely awful. The fuel pump works to some extent from what I remember when I last messed around with the car. Given how many years this car has sat, it's probably best to drain the gas tank and start with fresh premium, along with a new fuel filter. After that I'll do a fuel pressure test at the rail to see if the fuel pump is working adequately. I remember the engine cranked just fine but wouldn't start, though it would try to start when spraying starting fluid into the intake, so I'm thinking it's a fuel delivery issue. I'll do these steps and proceed from there.
A little background about me— I'm a web developer and a self-taught amateur mechanic, having rebuilt about 10 BMW V8's in various vehicles ranging from a 540i to a 740i to a Range Rover. No job is too scary for me— engine rebuilds, clutch jobs, timing chain/belt jobs, transfer case rebuilds, I can do it all. I also do a bit of body work and have painted in my garage with decent results so I'm not afraid to tackle that stuff. My daily driver is a 2000 BMW 540i touring and I also have a 2003 BMW X5 4.6is along with a 1996 Ford Mustang GT.
Anyways, happy to be back here. I'm pretty excited to get this 944S back on the road again
06-28-2017, 03:23 PM
#3
Instructor
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 201
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Great price on the car. How many miles?
You might want to check the cam tensioner as well as the chain and cam teeth one you confirm fuel and spark. If the miles are high I would change out the tensioner or at least the slippers on it. Of course belts are a must change item. I would not run it long on the old belts.
I have an 87 S myself and they are fun cars once you get the revs up.
You might want to check the cam tensioner as well as the chain and cam teeth one you confirm fuel and spark. If the miles are high I would change out the tensioner or at least the slippers on it. Of course belts are a must change item. I would not run it long on the old belts.
I have an 87 S myself and they are fun cars once you get the revs up.
07-08-2017, 12:51 AM
#5
Danny, Good find, Adding a fourth on Belts and Chain. Have and '87s and parts '87S. Would definitely verify conditions. 40 minutes takes of belt covers and cam cover; just to verify to even start. Then must change the belts and chain tensioner top shoe. Min. Nice car.
07-19-2017, 09:41 AM
#7
Just for the well-sorted interior, the $1k price is worth it. Once I get replacement carpets, I'll be well over that amount for my interior (and still not be done.) Congrats.
