Rabbit holes and these cars. Whats your story?
11-10-2011, 03:00 PM
#16
Race Car
Thread Starter
I was talking about my old 924S and yes I did drag race it pretty much stock, had exhaust, chip, and intake. Thats it. Ran pretty decent. I only had one issue I blew out one transmission driving on the road never anything at the track. But that's in the past now and she is long gone somewhere in southern Illinois. I miss that car.
11-10-2011, 03:12 PM
#17
Race Car
Thread Starter
I think this is part of what makes these cars so much fun - if you're the DIY type. My story: I PM heavily, don't spend much money on engine performance upgrades, and have had several enjoyable track days with only a head gasket failure halfway through one of my days (because it was old and rusted, I found) and a coolant cap failure at the end of another track day. Has over 140k miles, has never given me problems off the track (includes several 2-hr and 4-hr drives). No (noticeable) leaks. PO resealed the engine and heat exchanger and replaced the K26/6 with another stock 26/6, but otherwise the car was all original when I got it. I should probably count myself lucky, but then again I only push about 8/10th's on the track and replace/upgrade anything that is showing its age physically or performance-wise.
As long as the failures don't happen at inopportune times and ruin a track day, every problem diagnosis and successful repair adds to the feeling of accomplishment and enjoyment this car can give you. The car is old - at some point, a lot of it will need to be replaced. There are two extremes on maintaining this car, PM to the extreme on one end - don't fix anything until it breaks on the other end. If you're the kind that PM's to the extreme, uses fairly conservative, sensible upgrades in the process, and can disassemble/reassemble without creating more problems that weren't there in the first place (I understand this was the PO in your case, but just a case in point), then the car will be very reliable and a lot of fun.
On the other end, if you don't do most of the work yourself and you're not closely 'in tune' with your own car, things break more unexpectedly and the car is a maintenance nightmare. I never recommend this car for someone that is not willing to personally tackle projects such as head gaskets, water pumps, belts, brakes, exhaust, and wiring/other electrical.
As long as the failures don't happen at inopportune times and ruin a track day, every problem diagnosis and successful repair adds to the feeling of accomplishment and enjoyment this car can give you. The car is old - at some point, a lot of it will need to be replaced. There are two extremes on maintaining this car, PM to the extreme on one end - don't fix anything until it breaks on the other end. If you're the kind that PM's to the extreme, uses fairly conservative, sensible upgrades in the process, and can disassemble/reassemble without creating more problems that weren't there in the first place (I understand this was the PO in your case, but just a case in point), then the car will be very reliable and a lot of fun.
On the other end, if you don't do most of the work yourself and you're not closely 'in tune' with your own car, things break more unexpectedly and the car is a maintenance nightmare. I never recommend this car for someone that is not willing to personally tackle projects such as head gaskets, water pumps, belts, brakes, exhaust, and wiring/other electrical.
Off topic, My dad had a 944 automatic. It was a very nice car and he took pretty good care of it. Well it came time for the water pump and timing belt to be done so he took it to his mechanic. The owner of the shop knew these cars rather well. He had one of his guys do the job. My dad and I go to pick it up all excited. The car starts to pull out of the garage and "SNAP" the timing belt snap. The owner of the shop was less than thrilled. My dad got a head rebuild out of the deal, but ever since then it scared the heck out of me. So I would want to set aside about 2 days to do the job properly.
11-10-2011, 05:08 PM
#18
Team Owner
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Location: one thousand, five hundred miles north of Ft. Lauderdale for the summer.
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Im with ya there... it seems every time I fix something, another problem pops up. Case in point, did all the belts, hoses,water pump, vacuum lines and intake gaskets, replaced j-boot, etc. Drive the car for a month and starts to develop an electrical gremlin... troubleshoot back to the ignition switch, then the problem disappears (I have a new switch here when I find the time to install it). Then the Aux coolant pump quits and starts leaking... well about this time i've just about had it and my wife gets laid off, so I put it up for sale. Several people made offers, but never came through on the close. So I said the hell with it, Im keeping it, and im gonna fix it. I order a new pump and replace it, and the world is right again for 5 days.. I hop in it and get ready to start it and I notice the windshield is cracked... seriously, wtf!!
She is more finicky than any woman I have ever met and demands more of my money than my wife does... and yet I still love the old girl... I guess those couple of dents in the quarter panel will have to wait until I put a new windshield in her (about $600 from the estimates..)
She is more finicky than any woman I have ever met and demands more of my money than my wife does... and yet I still love the old girl... I guess those couple of dents in the quarter panel will have to wait until I put a new windshield in her (about $600 from the estimates..)
get a 968. i'll take my measley 245~250 hp any old day. why ? cuz on reliability, it's more like a nissan altima than a Porsche. i drive to florida and back or out to the midwest and back without the thought of having a problem so much as crossing my mind. (the car is now at 148 k miles). i believe i've made about 60~70 long trips (500~1500 miles) since buying the car. seems like on the forums every time someone takes a long trip in a 944 and arrive on time they act like it's some cause for celebration.
11-10-2011, 06:18 PM
#19
11-10-2011, 06:35 PM
#20
Race Car
Thread Starter
get a 968. i'll take my measley 245~250 hp any old day. why ? cuz on reliability, it's more like a nissan altima than a Porsche. i drive to florida and back or out to the midwest and back without the thought of having a problem so much as crossing my mind. (the car is now at 148 k miles). i believe i've made about 60~70 long trips (500~1500 miles) since buying the car. seems like on the forums every time someone takes a long trip in a 944 and arrive on time they act like it's some cause for celebration.
11-11-2011, 02:00 PM
#22
Race Car
Thread Starter
11-11-2011, 02:25 PM
#23
Rennlist Member
Dude, at least you didn't spend thousands of dollars chasing an enormous oil leak only to find your leak downs (under the best circumstances) were 10%, 20%, 30%, 10%.
That's the reason why an LS1 lives in my engine bay now...
That's the reason why an LS1 lives in my engine bay now...
11-11-2011, 03:14 PM
#24
Rennlist Member
I got tired of all the old stuff and just ripped it all out. Replaced all the wiring updated to a decent ECU, updated the suspension, and now I hope my yearly repair costs are less than the payments for a new 911.
11-11-2011, 03:53 PM
#25
My rebuild last year was a rabbit hole but I kinda knew it would be. Timing belt was due and the RMS was leaking. Since both ends of the motor needed work I figured it'd be easier to just pull it out and do it all on the stand. That turned into a full reseal job. Then the "while you're in there" projects kicked in, and pretty much everything that was considered "easier" to do while the motor was out got done. Installed a freshly rebuilt 26/6 that I had in a box on the bench (got it on the cheap from a fellow RL'er a few months prior.) Had the oil pan baffled, put bearings in the bottom end, inspected the piston bores (A-ok), new head gasket, did the Lindsey monster oil cooler, a clutch, new A/C compressor and P/S pump, AOS seals, de-greased and de-grimed everything, painted all the heat shields, new clutch hydraulics. Oh and for fun I added the Rogue A-Tune 
This winter I'm hoping for a much smaller rabbit hole with the car. Previous owner cracked the oil pan and repaired it with that aluma-weld crap. Held up fine until my machinist installed the pan baffle. The heat changed the aluma-weld stuff and it became porous.
So now oil seeps through it. I dealt with it leaking all summer and this winter I'm probably just going to pull the pan and replace it with a different one. I'm making a last-ditch effort this weekend to drain/clean/re-coat the area with JB Weld to see if that stops it. I don't really want to have to drop the K-member this winter.
The rabbit hole I've budgeted for is my house. Needs new carpet, a few windows replaced, and I want to swap out all the half-walls on the 2nd floor loft and staircase with railings. My budget can't afford to do more car crap too.
This winter I'm hoping for a much smaller rabbit hole with the car. Previous owner cracked the oil pan and repaired it with that aluma-weld crap. Held up fine until my machinist installed the pan baffle. The heat changed the aluma-weld stuff and it became porous.
So now oil seeps through it. I dealt with it leaking all summer and this winter I'm probably just going to pull the pan and replace it with a different one. I'm making a last-ditch effort this weekend to drain/clean/re-coat the area with JB Weld to see if that stops it. I don't really want to have to drop the K-member this winter.The rabbit hole I've budgeted for is my house. Needs new carpet, a few windows replaced, and I want to swap out all the half-walls on the 2nd floor loft and staircase with railings. My budget can't afford to do more car crap too.
11-11-2011, 04:35 PM
#26
Race Car
Thread Starter
I am really considering having the top end done while the timing belt job is being done. It would be a good chunk of change, but then I personally know its done, and can move on. I don't think I will be getting rid of this car anytimes soon.
11-11-2011, 05:39 PM
#27
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Old 911 guy once told me "they all cost the same" after I told him I bought a used 944 turbo and not the more expensive 911. As the years go by, what he said makes more and more sense.
11-12-2011, 02:20 AM
#28
Race Car
Thread Starter
I hate to say it, but I think that has to do with guys who got these cars "cheap" and just ran them til they were dead. Then one of "us" gets them and wants to fix them right and get the old girl some pep in her step. Bring her back to the old days of 198x's. All I know is that I got 2 projects and I see one taking more priority over the other. The 944 is taking over the RZ(never needs a thing).
11-13-2011, 11:38 PM
#29
Lol "rabbit hole". Dude, I am your patron saint.
No joke, if you can find someone who has spent more on a 951 than me, I want to know who it is. Regrets, nope! There are a LOT of stories floating around the US about the escapades of an ocean blue 951 with a Kansas license plate, and most of them are true.
Jeff, you are on the right path. Do it up right and enjoy the ride. I have a new head gasket kit in my garage right now, give me a call.
No joke, if you can find someone who has spent more on a 951 than me, I want to know who it is. Regrets, nope! There are a LOT of stories floating around the US about the escapades of an ocean blue 951 with a Kansas license plate, and most of them are true.
Jeff, you are on the right path. Do it up right and enjoy the ride. I have a new head gasket kit in my garage right now, give me a call.
