ScottArizona

Hey all, figured I'd introduce myself here and let everyone know I am the very proud owner of a new-to-me 1986 turbo with 161k miles (it was a daily driver for many years by the rennlister that owned it for nearly two decades), and I'm excited to learn and maybe even one day contribute on this forum! I've always had a soft spot for these cars (I was 11 when this car came out, so this is what I lusted after as a teenager) so when one popped up on the Rennlist marketplace a few months ago that had been sitting for about ten years, but offered at a price the reflected the unkowns associated with such a state of affairs ($2,500...yes 2,500!), I didn't hesitate! I love diy and I am patient, so my plan is to get this sucker back up to shape, upgrade it with a modest turbo kit down the line (300-350 engine hp would be about perfect), and just drive it! It may turn into a money pit but I don't really care...I'm already attached to it and can't wait to get it back on the road! And the car was running when parked (owner was a rennlister who had numerous vehicles ranging from a lotus to a 993), so I'm confident there isn't some massive engine issue. A few years ago I had an NA 1986 with an old school renegade hybrid lt1 swap from back in the day, but never really warmed up to the way the car drove as, surprise, it drove like a modified 1993 Camaro without power brakes! This one thankfully is "all Porsche"!

Pros: 1) Super clean interior (no cracks, unusual wear, broken buttons, etc... (2) some nice mods (cat bypass pipe, chip, upgraded shocks and sways, LR silicone houses throughout, and other little upgrades here and there (3) exterior is is pretty decent shape (save for a dent on the front fenders and some chipped pain on the hood, the single stage paint is is relatively good condition and will certainly polish up nice after a few hours with my DA polisher, and all rubber is in great shape too; (3) stored in an air conditioned/heated garage so definitely better condition than your typical "it hasn't run in ten years" car; (4) new-ish clutch so I'm hoping that is good; (5) car was well maintained before parked so I'm hoping I won't have to throw too many parts at it get her running!

Cons: 1) will definitely need some body work to address a few issues, including the holes left by the turbo script center reflector that was apparently in vogue in the late 80's; (2) obviously the entire fuel system will have to be gone through and addressed from tank to injectors; (3) troubleshooting is likely going to be quite the adventure given the amount of time it has been sitting; (4) its using an S2 transmission as the 951 unit had a bad synchro (I got the 951 tranny shipped to me with the car at least). Figure I'll give the s2 a shot and if it feels too short just get the 951 box rebuilt; (5) clutch hydraulics are gone.

First order of business will be to replace the clutch slave, clutch master cylinder, and the two associated lines, along with the brake master cylinder (nice prices from 944 online it seems). Then I'll do a timing belt service (got the arnworx tools with the car!) and front engine reseal "since I'm in there." Then I plan to basically go through the entire fuel system from tank to injectors (starting with fully removing the tank to get it professionally cleaned). At that point I'll make sure the engine turns over by hand (after adding some MM oil into the plug holes), and see if she will start! Which leads me to my first question!

I am planning to just replace most of the fuel system components to rule out any issues for future troubleshooting. For that reason I am considering the Lindsey Racing billet fuel rail kit that includes the adjustable fpr, dampener, rail, and lines. Although its pricey, it actually doesn't seem like a bad deal if you are planning to replace all that stuff anyway (and I want to make sure you are in good shape for future upgrades). My question relates to the adjustable FPR. I want to run the car in its current (stock turbo) form for a while to make sure everything is sound before I start upgrading. But I couldn't really tell from the LR site whether their adjustable FPR can work with a stock-ish set up without issue. I know this may sound like a dumb question, but I've only had one forced induction car in my life so I have a lot to learn! Thanks all! Some pics below of the day she left Washington and the day she arrived in AZ! I'll update this thread as the diy "refreshstoration" proceeds!

kev951

yes it should, you just need to dial the pressure back on the fpr (may require the purchase of a gauge to add to it. IIRC stock idle speed fuel pressure is 30lbs with vacuum connected and 40lbs with vacuum line removed.

968to986

Nice score! I also paid $2500 for mine about 7 years ago. $10000 later, it’s a fun, pretty reliable car. I like your E36 coupe. M3?

ScottArizona

Thanks all! Yes, 1995 m3 with the 3.2 s52 and lots of bolt ons. Super fun car my son and I rescued and brought back to life over six months!

Porsche-noob-91

Fantastic project. I too have a 1986 944 turbo, but mine is in garnet red.
It hasn't been sitting but has (or had) a lot of neglected maintenance so I'm still working on getting it back on the road.
If you want an overview of what I've been doing to mine for the past year (albeit very slowly), check out my website.

I definitely recommend (like everyone) the timing, waterpump, fuel lines in front. Check the fuel rail itself also for leaks (it might be hard to see)!

RKT951

Hey
Nice car
Been through a hole lot of poo getting my 87 3.0 going. With all the thing on your wish list I've done with a lot of money wasted and lots of knowledge. I'm in AZ get in touch.
JR

ScottArizona

Nice! PM incoming!

Nashvegas

Nice score. Born in 75? I was also 11 ....when the 944 Turbo came out... and like you, this car was it as a kid for me.
Good call on replacing those underhood rubber fuel lines as you mentioned.

RE: the Lindsay question. I think that should work. (I don't know the range of adjustment on the thing though technically) .But I'd just call them. I've had several really informative phone chats with them over the past 7-8 years I've owned my car. They're great to chat with.

A couple other "more piddly" sort of things I'd suggest on a new to you 944 Turbo, all mostly unrelated to your quest for power:

- Inside your fuel door, there's a little drain. May be clogged and water pools around gas cap. It goes into the right trunk area and out.
- Similarly, chk your taillight seals for water ingress (which can cause rust in trunk) - easy to replace although bit of a mess as Porsche used some sort of rubber mastic rope sealant. I think someone has a rubber seal, although I've only replaced like for like. Easy to do this when you do the hole patching for the heckblende thing on the back.
- While you're underhood be careful w/ the 2 Bosch reference sensor plug connections on the top of the motor back towards the firewall (they are stacked in a little metal bracket). They break when you breathe on them (or put your hand on them while doing other work... a $300-ish mistake if you go Genuine Porsche that I made, although I guess new ones aren't the worst to just buy)
- Chk your rear axle cv joints (inside the rubber boots) for a lack of grease. The grease seems to disappear or become ineffective on cars that sit or aren't driven. Can swap sides when you repack grease / new boots. Mine ran bone dry on a car that sat for awhile and I had to replace the axles. With no evidence of external leakage. It was as if the grease vanished. (or perhaps in prior ownership it had leaked out and someone had cleaned it all off...)
-Replace every rubber coolant hose (and chk the hard lines for corrosion, cuz they do corrode and get pinhole leaks) -- and every vac line on the car (hard and soft rubber and all elbow vac connectors) when you do the weter pump/timing belts/etc. Chasing down tiny vac leak issues on my 86 drove me nuts for a year or so.
- Chk engine mounts - if the unused AC compressor mounting lug is super close to (or hitting) the front sway bar, that's a good indicator your mounts are donezo. The mounts do go bad from mileage or even age ... I replaced w Genuine Porsche and very happy. Aftermarket mounts avail too for different use cases/track use/boosted motors.

ScottArizona

Great advice @Nashvegas much appreciated! Water pump was done just before the car began its slumber, so I'll probably just let that be. And the two connectors of which you speak are already wired together lol! Saw that 944online has a repair kit for 80 bucks which seems like a solid deal. Appreciate the comment about the CV joint grease. I hadn't thought of that, but I'm going to be dropping the tranny anyway to address a few weeping seals (and because it has to come out to drop the fuel tank), so I'll definitely do that at the same time! Oh, and all the vacuum lines were changed over to the lindsey racing lines around 2011 or so, so I'm hoping they are still good. Thanks again! Its going to be a journey learning these cars!