just bought 83-944

hey i have read a lot of these porsche threads and they all seem quite interesting. it seems as if there are several knowledgable people here.

anyways, i just bought an 83-944 for dirt cheap (it was either that or a prelude, im knida glad i got the porsche). the only problem is that the car is in pretty rough shape. The wiring is all messed up apparently (havent picked up the car yet). the owner said that the car runs fine but there is some non-factory wiring. the car could use a new paint job as well. I am very new to porsches, and somewhat new to the world of sports cars. I was just wondering what i should do to the car? it only has 105k on it, but unfortunately :( its an automatic. First off, what color is a good color on this model. next, assuming the worst upkeep possible, what mantaince should be done? also, would it be worth it to try to figure out the wiring myself or to have it professionally done. in the far future i would like to get racing seats, suspension, new rims, 5-point harness, tires, interior, sound, etc. what brands are good quality for the price? granted this is a stock 944 n/a what engine modifications can be done.

I have never had a "real" nice car before. This being my first worthy sports car, and a classic rated with some of the best handling ever according to "road and track" i am willing to put quite a bit of money into the car. also, for future projects, the experience gained from working on this, my first porsche would be invaluable. i appreciate any and all comments. sorry for the long message

also, after more in depth reading, it seems there are a few 944 owners in the twin cities area. if so, i was wondering where you would recommend for a nice paint job and a knowledgable, reasonable porsche mechanic. thanks

If you can get around the ugly auto gear stick, then the auto aint bad, they are rare to 944 standards, but they are a MERCEDES box in them and are very strong and should out last the engine,(with oil changes) and we all know how strong the engine is in them!

Well, at 105K and assuming the worst possible upkeep (you should have waited for a better kept car). That being said, I would expect your to have to do the following (umm, how much oil does it leak?)
Engine seals, front and rear Balance shaft seals front and rear Replace all belts, tensioners, and rollers and time the cam Replace motor mounts Replace valve cover gasket Replace tie rod ends Replace front upper and lower ball joints (probably some stuff in the rear too) Replace suspension bushings (might as well get the urethane ones) Replace Water pump update Replace power steering hose (from supply to pump, low pressure side) Replace vacume hoses (if they squish and stay squished) (Not the clutch - you've got an auto, so you are spared $1,500) Of course, this would be my estimate of a worst case scenario. It's probably not that bad, but it could be. Be careful.

At the VERY least get the belts, and tensioners done. You might as well throw in the water pump, as you can do it at the same time. If you want to tackle it yourself check this place out.... This is a great set of step by step instruction for a BUNCH of stuff. It is applicable to all 944 models, the 924S and the 968.
www.clarks-garage.com

If you don't think you can tackle it yourself, just the belts and water pump alone is going to set you back at least a grand, probably more. It may be a "cheap" Porsche to buy, but like they all are, it is a rare animal, and you pay for the priveledge. Good luck, if you have questions, I have done most of this, and I am sure there are others who have too. Let us know and we will help as best we can.

Micah

awesome, thanks for the replies guys. any more suggestions are welcome. i planned on the belts for sure and planned to check the other parts when i actually have the car (still have to pick it up). the tensioners are a good idea as well, i hadnt thought of that. i heard pelican parts is a good place for 944 parts, any other suggestions?

also, i want to upgrade to a sport suspension right away, so i can replace the existing tires with 225 in front and 245 in back. i have heard to uprade to koni yellow, but are there better brands? what is the best for this model and year? would it be better to have 245's or 225's all around? as for rims, i would like to go with some sort of porsche rim with pirelli tires, but im not a big fan of the stock "cookie cutters" . any recommendations on a different rim by porsche. i could go with a different brand too, if that is best for the car.

and about engine modifications after i get the car purring like a kitten. what is worth it on this model?

thanks for your time, your replies are VERY appreciated

Now this is just me, but I'd first get the stock car all squared away and running reliably and all it's little problems addressed before I start spending and upgrading in a major way.

Yea, I've been thinking about putting a sport suspension on mine as well, but I figure that it'll be a at least a year of fixing all the things that are going need it before I get there.

Of course everyone has their own idea of priorities. These would just be mine.

no i completely agree. i guess i got a little carried away with the "right away" part. i have several delusions of grandure for the vehicle, some of which may be realised and some not. this is my first car in which these kind of upgrades are actually worth it.

how many miles can you normally get out of a new water pump? also, are motor mounts a "backyard" mechanic like myself can realistically do?

also, would it be worth it to buy a rear valence and front spoiler from the junkyard for the vehicle? are they even compatible? expensive?

i am filled with so many questions, and realitively little answers

High quality parts are never a mistake, so that's OK. Better safe than sorry I guess.

Well, I know that somewhere along the line, Porsche released an updated water pump, so it's not so much the miles, but an upgrade of sorts. If the pump is working, leave it. If it's failing, make sure to upgrade it with the updated part.

Front valence? Front spoiler? Do you have serious front body damage?

The only good/bad thing about these cars is that they are made with two sided galvanized steel body parts, so they don't rust. However, once damage is taken and repaired this galvanized coating is breached, the car will rust. If your car has these either missing or damaged, then yes, by all means, replace them, just don't drive the car in the typical salted snow, and be prepared to handle the rust early and thoroughly.

If you are going to the junk yard for these parts, I'd figure on either sand blasting them or acid dipping them to get down to the bare metal, and bringing it back from that point. There may be some advanced technology sealants that will fight off the rust for longer. I'd definitely use those to seal the thing against rust.

I should tell you that I've had my 944 for only a month, but I've been hanging around, talking and working with experienced Porsche mechanics that are really picks and anal about nearly everything (not a bad trait for a mechanic I guess), so I can't really authoritatively speak about repair time and difficulties, but I can relay what I hear and learn.

i heard that the rear valence and front spoiler from the turbo makes the car more asthetically pleasing (as if a porsche isnt asthectically pleasing in its own right). There is no damage to the car whatsoever, however, the paint looks pretty bad so i might just sandblast it and paint silver. if that is the case, i might as well upgrade to the rear valence and front spoiler off a turbo if it looks better. However, this may not work, i guess i dont really know. I am not a porsche mechanic and am not ever around porsche mechanics. I just learn from the internet, and this is what i have heard to do.

I'd hesitate at sand blasting the body due to the galvanized steel issue mentioned above. There are easier / better ways to get the old paint off.

Silver is a cool color. I say go for it. But do the mechanicals first. Kinda hard to drive a freshly painted car around when the mechanicals are not right first.

Check and see if there is a Porsche Club of America (PCA http://www.pca.org) around you. I'll wager that there are a number of repair facilities around you that do Porsches, and they might be a resource for you.

With respect to the water pump.... Get it done every other time the belts get changed. If it siezes, it's that same thing as a timing and balance belt going. Instantly need new valves if you are lucky.
With respect to the spoilers. Junkyard parts shouldn't be a problem. Moreover, the front spoiler is polyurethane, and I think the rear underbody spoiler is too but no personal experience. The problem you will run into is that the mounting for the tubo/S2 type bumpers would require a conversion, and may not be all that cost effective.

I can't stress it enough MAINTENANCE!!! Get the car purring like a kitten, and then start playing with it. Getting parts is a hassle, and VERY expensive sometimes. I simple problem can be a HUGE expenditure.

Motor mounts, shouldn't be a problem for the shade tree mechanic. Seriously, check out clark's garage.

I can't say enough good things about the PCA. They are really a good crop of guys, and not just wealthy folks with new 911s. They come in all types, and there will be dedicated water cooler guys that will have more information than you could possibly hope for.

For suspension kits, check out H&R, and Weltmeister, I think they both make suspension kits, but you are looking at throwing down some pretty serious coin for any of the above.

Good luck, and have fun!

i agree, maintenance is the first priority. its just finally having a car to have fun with, especially a porsche gets me all fired up inside. I think i will attempt to do all maintenance myself, with the help a friend. It seems as though porsche mechanics are fairly overpriced, and most jobs not too tough.

i read in another thread about a porsche PET. anyone have any idea where to get one? how much? all i have so far is some skimpy sheets off ebay for parts and the haynes manual (which seems relatively straightforward). I would be interested in getting a porsche PET. especially if they are not too expensive, since most of my money has to go towards parts and tools.

thanks again for the replies, they really help!

Well, I've heard that the Haynes manual is useless, Chilton to too far behind, and the Bently manuals not much better.


I've heard that a full set of paper shop manuals will run you $250.00.

I think your best bet would be http://www.porschepubs.com (http://www.porschepubs.com/). Get a shop manual and PET CDs for $59. Seems a pretty good deal to me.

Time for thread resurection!

There is a shop that deals in only porsches around here. Haven't been there yet, but I'll try to find the name when I get home from work.

I would suggest taking it to a place called "Volkswagen Man." One of their mechanics was a tech/mechanic at a Porsche dealership in the 80's. Also, they are small and cheap.

My experience leads me to believe that this forum is die a slow and agonizing death. It seems that over at http://www.flat-6.net (http://www.flat-6.net/), there are far more people and more comments. Perhaps time to move?

yeah volkswagen man looks very small. i actually live real close to it and take the bus right out in front of it to the U. i have seen some of the maechanics and they seem pretty cool. i probably just stop in sometime and talk to them about it. thanks alot.