proboner

hey there guys, im brand new to the world of the porsche 944 and im looking for a ton of info. <img border="0" alt="[bigbye]" title="" src="graemlins/xyxwave.gif" /> right now i own a 93 ford probe gt, and if theres anything ive learned from owning it, its to do your homework. ive recently decided that i would like to own a 944 turbo in addition to my pgt, so i have a load of questions. first off, what are common problems to look for when looking to buy? what are differences between years? are high mileage turbos alright, or should i stay away? would it be cheaper to buy a 944 turbo with no motor, and swap one in? is there a reliable source for used 944 turbo engines? any other info would be greatly appreciated!

p0wp0w

hrm, lots of stuff that could go wrong, too many to type. do a search in the archives and read <a href="http://www.connact.com/~kgross/FAQ/944faq.html" target="_blank">http://www.connact.com/~kgross/FAQ/944faq.html</a> that should answer almost every one of your questions. Things at the top of my head that could go wrong..timing belt, waterpump, lots

proboner

thanks for the reply... im not looking for things that could go wrong, im looking for things that commonly go wrong, so i can know what to look for if im thinking about buying a car.

p0wp0w

Yeah thats what I meant, find a car with all records so you know if the waterpump and timing belt has been changed. Those are the most common and biggest and expensive problems with 944's.

Chas

Let's see...

Check the glove box, sometimes the thing breaks so it will open all the way and can bend and break off

The center console cover has a really POS hinge, and most times people will just use duct tape to make a new hinge to hold it on there

As long as a car hasn't been abused, there's not too much that "commonly" goes wrong with these cars

The timing belt and water pump are more of a routine maintnance thing...people do them at all sorts of different intervals. I am about to replace mine after 35k.

Really the cosmetic junk is the biggest "common problem" I can think of...

Dwayne Williams

Odometer has some fairly weak plastic gears that commonly break - but you should notice that on the test drive. Dash lights tend to be fairly weak as the silver backing on the reflectors corrodes with age (check at night or in dark garage). Look for signs of leaking around the rear hatch and tail lights. Look for signs of leaking around the sunroof if it has one as well as around the passenger and rear footwells. Make sure both headlights come up and go down smoothly. Make sure pump runs for about 30 seconds when you turn the car off (even if it's not hot it's supposed to run for a little while to make sure the turbo cools down). Have someone follow you on your test drive and look for smoke out the exhaust when you get on the boost. Do a compression test. Make sure you find out what mods the PO has done to the car.

Seriously these are not new cars so we can't expect them to be perfect. For the money these cars are a blast to drive and lots of fun to own and you can still find plenty of good ones available, you just have to look a little. Good luck!

icat

Most common problem with the 951 is the owner runs out of money to repair it!

In no particular order:
Belts - every 30k - no more than 45k MAX
Waterpump - every other belt change
Clutch - Seems everyone has had it replaced at least once - mileage varies
Turbo - see clutch
AC Unit - see clutch

guardsred951S

I think everyone here could write 1000+ words and not scratch the surface. Not that these cars are lemons - far from it in fact - but we're talking about a 2.5L that is capable of pumping out 550 HP with the right modifications. These cars are in many ways supercars - just a little less noticed than they're big brother, the 911.

I can't say this enough, and it really goes for any car: Get a PPI done!

Spend more money and but a nice one - a fixer upper is exactly that - a fixer upper. If you're good with the wrench (and have a good collection of them), as you have to be with these beasts, you'll save yourself labour dollars. You're lucky to have found this forum as it is by far the best source of info on the 951. So many brilliant minds, all pooled together in their love of these cars!

Another thing is the Turbo vs. Turbo S models. As many have said, although the Turbo S gives you a little more power, brakes the really STOP in a hurry, and better suspension and chassis to begin with, you'll end up replacing allot of that stuff if you do allot of modifications. In the end, it's probably better to go with a non 'S' car if you're looking to upgrade, modify, race, and just plain scare all those who ride with you. There's also the fact that a Turbo 'S' model will cost you a fair bit more - and there are less of them. Chances are you'll get an '86 Turbo, as they are the most common. Another note is that the only year that had the Turbo 'S' was 1988, but in '89-91, the cars had the same goodies (brakes, suspension etc) but just no 'S' designation.

Confused yet?? I am - it's time to go to bed!

<img border="0" alt="[bigbye]" title="" src="graemlins/xyxwave.gif" />

SherionG

You have to understand that most of these cars, although excellent cars are very old, most in the 13 - 17 year range. Therefore, cosmetically you will have some wear and tear. However, if you pay close attention to some of those items mentioned by Keith, you should be ok. There is a FQA 944 listing that you should review. Most important when buying these cars, you get what you pay for.Good luck

Ski

I couldn't agree more with Keith on the PPI, the best money that you will spend on your car in the beginning; to make sure what you have to work with. If your not wrench friendly, make sure you find a shop that you trust.

I'm a fan of records with cars like these but that's just my personal opionion. Some of the higher mileage cars will actually sometimes stand better on maintenance items than a car with lower mileage, PO put something off because he knew he was going to sell,,etc.

If you are good with a wrench then a set of shop manuals will usually pay for themselves on your first repair. It is sometimes a "love/hate" relationship with these cars too. But in the end we all draw inspiration from Perry951, DavidFloyd; just a couple of people who have gone through the ringer with their cars and come out on top.

Join Rennlist and your local PCA! Research below for modifications....good luck with your purchase.

<a href="http://www.lindseyracing.com" target="_blank">www.lindseyracing.com</a>
<a href="http://www.gururacing.net" target="_blank">www.gururacing.net</a>
<a href="http://www.technodyneracing.com" target="_blank">www.technodyneracing.com</a>
<a href="http://www.speedforceracing.com" target="_blank">www.speedforceracing.com</a>
<a href="http://www.paragon-products.com" target="_blank">www.paragon-products.com</a>

turbo944

Definitely on the PPI. Make sure the person doing it has worked on and is familiar with 944 Turbos as well. I've had my car for about 2 1/2 months now. I had to replace a control arm up front....ball joints in them tend to wear out and the arms must be rebuilt and I was able to deduct that from the purchase price. Since I've had it I've spent a good deal more money fixing little minor things that were in need but the PO hadn't done or hadn't noticed (okay, I admit it...I'm **** about my Porsche...I suspect many others here are as well!). I replaced a piece of the dash, installed the gauges (boost and MBC) that he'd put in but never actually put anywhere, and now I'm having to do the foglights up front as I had one get busted to bits on the interstate Tuesday night. I'm going with the kit from <a href="http://www.xpel.com" target="_blank">www.xpel.com</a> for the 944 Turbo and buying another square foot to cover the foglights, this is cheap insurance as these are a common thing that breaks. Wish mine hadn't 2 months after buying it. Of course, once you have it and want to mod it, there is easily $30,000 you could spend on it to get everything you want....I would like to hide my paycheck from myself sometimes....hehe But I love it. I've had Mustangs, an RX-7, a Supra and this is by far my favorite. Brakes, handling, looks, stares from other people, and fun factor when you tell people you got another car and they ask what it is...and you say "a Porsche". The average person knows only that Porsches are expensive and really fast sports cars and so they tend to give you some fun looks...although the purchase price is for me was less than virtually every new car on the market.

My car also had a ton of records and had a lot of stuff fixed on it by previous owners. Updated exhaust manifold (86 ones can tend to get leaks as they have no flex joint), lots of stuff. Those records are always good if the car has them as it will help you know what you might want to start changing and doing to the car.

Good luck!!!

proboner

whats PPI?

Mike B

PPI = Pre Purchase Inspection...

Before you hand over your hard earned cash take it to a knowledgeable Porsche technican for examination...It will save you money.

GOBOGIE

If someone has the time, it would be a good idea to write up a list of common problems/repairs for our cars so everytime a new guy comes around we can just say "here's the list".

Just a thought!

Silver Bean

Welcome to the site and good luck with your search.

I sold my '93 Probe GT (which I'd owned since new) to get into a 944 Turbo S as my, gulp, "daily driver." I looked for about a year and a half before finding the exact car I was looking for - an 88 Turbo S with very LOW mileage. In all the research I did (which included lurking here at Rennlist, reading everything I could find about the cars, and going to some Porsche events) the main things I came away with were...the lower the mileage the better, find a car with complete service records (which is possible) and find a mechanic who is familiar with 944 Turbos to do your pre-purchase-inspection. Many Porsche mechanics don't work on our cars - and although they can do the basics they don't know the intricacies of the 944 Turbos. My thing is keeping my cars "stock" so I wasn't interested in many of the cars out there that have been modified. If you're into modifying your ride (and by looking at your signature and what you've done to your GT it seems you are) I agree with the person who said you might look for a non-Turbo S car (meaning not an '88 Turbo S or '89 Turbo). They are significantly less $$ and there are some nice ones out there. Take the time to find the RIGHT car - I did and have had to do nothing except drive, smile, scare my friends and change the oil. Time is your greatest asset when looking - and when you come across the right one buy it right away - you won't be sorry. I've learned a ton about my car by participating in this forum too - the info is incredible.

Oh...and I don't miss my Probe GT at all. My Turbo S is WAY more fun!