OT: Anyone know about Porsche 944S? Looking at one for the wife. Input appreciated.
02-24-2006, 05:07 PM
#1
AudiWorld Super User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,450
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
OT: Anyone know about Porsche 944S? Looking at one for the wife. Input appreciated.
Looks clean, good condition, very cheap "needs a new ECU". Could be more but the timing belt is intact, motor very clean "recent rebuild" but I don't know if it has any paperwork. Won't start but I can get it dirt cheap.
02-24-2006, 05:49 PM
#3
AudiWorld Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,776
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I got rid of my '87S a few years ago, some things to check for (long)..
If there is no paperwork, dirt cheap may not be cheap enough. Do a leak down and make SURE someone pulls the valve cover and checks the tensioner on the cam chain, as there is a poor mans fix which just replaces the plastic shoe on the tensioner and not the entire unit. The tensioner should not look carmelized by heat (oily black, cracked and nasty / brittle looking).
Oil pressure is another huge conern. It should actually run very close to the UrS gauge wise, with 5 bar at startup, and 2 to 2.5 on hot idle. Walk if the car shows <lower> pressure, as chances are it's not something simple like an oil pressure relief valve, as the rod bearings are prone to failure.
Along those same lines, I'd have someone cut open the oil filter during the pre-purchase (another must do) and see if they find a bearing salad in there. I'm speaking from personal experience on this one, a must do IMO!!!!
Make sure the clutch was replaced (the original had a rubber center that will fail and judder like crazy), the driveline is tight and that it leaks NOTHING!!! You have to drop the sub frame to get at the oil pan gasket (which means a good portion of the front suspension has to be removed) and the service cover can hold a lot of junk before it hits the 'ol garage floor.
The S has the later suspension, which as I remember, requries the entire A-arm be replaced to fix loud / knocky ball joints, yet another pricey 944 issue.
Make sure the A/C works and that it gets nice and cold, as you'll cook in the summer. Test all the positions of the climate control (fan speed and heat / cold index), as the variable speed controls die. Test the sunroof (motors / cables are pricey).
The car should start quick, and idle great (once you get it started of course) and I'd be skeptical, of <just> a failing ECU, the hall / CPS or TPS could have crapped out as well.
The seats rock, the handling rocks and the power is decent. It should rev like a 16V should, meaning it should have that fun peaky cam pull at higher RPM's.
My advice, unless your talking $1,500 kinda cheap, walk and find a 951 that's been pampered, as the 944S isn't any where near the fun of the turbo car IMHO.
MAKE SURE you do the standard issue t-belt, water pump, tensioner gig as you'd do on an unknown Urs. A top end rebuild on a S is some serious cash and those heads are not easy to get ahold of if they find any casting / heat issues.
E-mail me with an other questions, as I'd be glad to help!!
Oil pressure is another huge conern. It should actually run very close to the UrS gauge wise, with 5 bar at startup, and 2 to 2.5 on hot idle. Walk if the car shows <lower> pressure, as chances are it's not something simple like an oil pressure relief valve, as the rod bearings are prone to failure.
Along those same lines, I'd have someone cut open the oil filter during the pre-purchase (another must do) and see if they find a bearing salad in there. I'm speaking from personal experience on this one, a must do IMO!!!!
Make sure the clutch was replaced (the original had a rubber center that will fail and judder like crazy), the driveline is tight and that it leaks NOTHING!!! You have to drop the sub frame to get at the oil pan gasket (which means a good portion of the front suspension has to be removed) and the service cover can hold a lot of junk before it hits the 'ol garage floor.
The S has the later suspension, which as I remember, requries the entire A-arm be replaced to fix loud / knocky ball joints, yet another pricey 944 issue.
Make sure the A/C works and that it gets nice and cold, as you'll cook in the summer. Test all the positions of the climate control (fan speed and heat / cold index), as the variable speed controls die. Test the sunroof (motors / cables are pricey).
The car should start quick, and idle great (once you get it started of course) and I'd be skeptical, of <just> a failing ECU, the hall / CPS or TPS could have crapped out as well.
The seats rock, the handling rocks and the power is decent. It should rev like a 16V should, meaning it should have that fun peaky cam pull at higher RPM's.
My advice, unless your talking $1,500 kinda cheap, walk and find a 951 that's been pampered, as the 944S isn't any where near the fun of the turbo car IMHO.
MAKE SURE you do the standard issue t-belt, water pump, tensioner gig as you'd do on an unknown Urs. A top end rebuild on a S is some serious cash and those heads are not easy to get ahold of if they find any casting / heat issues.
E-mail me with an other questions, as I'd be glad to help!!
02-25-2006, 06:33 PM
#7
AudiWorld Super User
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,617
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
This sounds like a money pit
If it was worth fixing the current owner would fix it. A "recent rebuild" on the engine is a very bad sign. Porsche engines are extremely reliable and extremely expensive to rebuild. An owner would not pay for a rebuild then sell the car because of a bad ECU a short time later.
Unless you are a Porsche expert and are prepared to pay to fix a worst case senario I would not touch this car. If you want a Porsche find one that is in imaculate condition with full records and low miles. The added purchase price will be well worth the reduced maintenance costs. The purchase price of a Porsche is by far the cheapest part of ownership.
My Dad had a '86 951 for 12 years and put over 250k on it before he sold it and now he has a '95 968 that is similar to the 944S. He did almost all the work himself except jobs that required expensive special tools. Over the life of the 951 that he purchased for $10k in 93 with 60k miles it cost him $200/month on average. That totals up to $28,800. Subtract the $10k purchase price and you get $18,800 in repairs & maintenance. He sold the car for around $4k with over 300k miles.
Unless you are a Porsche expert and are prepared to pay to fix a worst case senario I would not touch this car. If you want a Porsche find one that is in imaculate condition with full records and low miles. The added purchase price will be well worth the reduced maintenance costs. The purchase price of a Porsche is by far the cheapest part of ownership.
My Dad had a '86 951 for 12 years and put over 250k on it before he sold it and now he has a '95 968 that is similar to the 944S. He did almost all the work himself except jobs that required expensive special tools. Over the life of the 951 that he purchased for $10k in 93 with 60k miles it cost him $200/month on average. That totals up to $28,800. Subtract the $10k purchase price and you get $18,800 in repairs & maintenance. He sold the car for around $4k with over 300k miles.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
James R.
A4 (B5 Platform) Discussion
19
10-08-2002 08:48 AM